She told herself to pull it together. It was just Finn. The same old Finn she had always known.
Except it wasn’t.
There was something wrong with this Finn. Something clearly and fundamentally wrong. Kelly could see it as soon as he walked into the cafe. The Finn she knew would have quietly and unobtrusively entered, looked around for her and perhaps smiled shyly when their eyes locked. But this Finn burst through the door liked he owned the joint and yet was also there to burn it down. He walked with his head high and shoulders back, smiling gregariously at the other patrons, especially the young women.
When he saw Kelly, his face didn’t seem to know whether to break into a smile or burst into tears. It eventually settled on a goofy grin and misty eyes. ‘Kelly,’ he said simply when he reached her table. ‘Kelly.’
She stood up and, despite his uncharacteristic behaviour, saw her old friend. Finn was here. Finn was back. Finn was within reaching distance. He opened his arms and she fell into them, burying her head in his chest and wrapping her arms around his body.
‘I missed you,’ he said.
‘I missed you too.’ Kelly squeezed him tight and could feel his jutting hip bones and individual ribs. She withdrew from his embrace and stood at arm’s length, surveying his skinny frame. ‘You’re so thin. You haven’t been looking after yourself.’
He smiled and his eyes blazed. Why were his eyes blazing?
‘No, I have not,’ he said. ‘That’s what I need you for.’
They sat down and Kelly watched his fidgeting, his sweating brow. ‘Are you high?’
Finn laughed loudly. Too loudly. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
She looked more intently at his eyes. He had huge dilated irises. The rest of his face was gaunt. There were bags under his eyes. A bead of sweat ran down his cheek despite the mild indoor temperature. There was a fleck of dried blood at the base of his left nostril.
‘You’re as high as a fucking kite,’ she said.
‘I am not!’ Finn snapped. A couple a table away glanced at them nervously. Finn lowered his voice. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.’
‘I can see why your mum came to see me. What the hell is going on, Finn?’
‘Nothing’s going on, Kel. I just missed you, that’s all.’
‘What happened with Ashley?’
Finn flinched. ‘Didn’t work out.’
‘Why not?’
‘She wasn’t the one.’ His words were heavy, laden with concealed meaning.
So I’m the one, am I? Fuck that.He didn’t get to come in here, totally off his head, and lay that responsibility on her. Why the fuck was he high, anyway? Finn never touched drugs.
‘Did she get you on to whatever you’ve taken today?’
Finn laughed nervously. ‘Why does everybody think I’m taking drugs?’ he said.
‘Gee, Finn, I wonder. Let me think.’ Kelly rubbed her thumb and forefinger along her chin. ‘Um, well, you can’t stop moving, for starters.’
Finn glanced down at his bouncing right leg and tried to pin it to the floor with his right hand, but it persisted against his will.
Kelly continued. ‘You walked in here like it was your own personal harem, which you have never done in your life. Your pupils are the size of tennis balls. Hugging you is like wrapping my arms around the Grim Reaper and, oh yeah, this might be the giveaway. You’ve got dried blood in one nostril and co-fucking-caine residue beneath the other.’
Finn wiped under his nose with the back of his hand. ‘What?’ he said. ‘That’s crazy.’
‘You’re not even going to deny it?’
Finn started breathing heavily through his nostrils. He rested his forearms on the table and laced his fingers together. He was squeezing them so hard, the skin went white.
A waitress suddenly appeared from behind Kelly. ‘Hi guys, will you be eating today or is it just drinks?’
