Strings In My Veins ( Puppeteer x Reader )

Chapter seven

9.17.18// Finn's College Theatre

The obnoxious alarm blasted right in my ear, causing me to have a full on (mini) panic attack and fall out of bed with a loud thump. I slammed the snooze button and backed up against the wall, attempting to calm myself down. I looked at my arm and grimaced at the infamous mark. The number went down, of course, and now I have 362 mark. I could actually do something with my life for the 362 days that I have left but I rather mope around all day instead.
I rubbed my eyes and put on a simple light sweater with skinny jeans and some simple boots. Going to school when just last weekend I witnessed a suicide is so fun. I'm surprised that Finn didn't even mention my name when he was talking to the police, though.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Jalen asked, sucking on a red lollipop which matches her lipstick. I looked at her suspiciously. Terrible, I mean, how would you feel if you saw someone commit suicide? How would you feel if you only have 362 days left to live? Just peachy.

"What do you mean?" I asked, narrowing my cold eyes at her. Jalen shrugged her shoulders and swirled around her lollipop.

"How are you? Are you okay?" Jalen repeated. I shrugged my awkward shoulders and avoided eye contact with her.

"I'm okay," I lied. Jalen nodded and smiled, half listening to me.

"How's that Finn guy? You like him right?" Jalen asked, resting her elbows on the counter. I kept my face completely still and free of expression as I shook my head.

"No, he's just a friend," I lied again. Jalen gasped in relief.

"Thank god, do you think you can introduce me? We go to the same college but its extremely hard to talk to him when every single girl there is hogging him," Jalen scoffed. I looked down at my fingers and shrugged. Finn would like her. Jalen's pretty, generally popular, and nice when she wants to be. It would just hurt like a bitch if Finn did anything with her.

"I'll try, but I got to get to school. I'll see you later?" I said, waving goodbye, trying to shy away from this conversation. Jalen grabbed my wrist before I could even take a step foreword.

"I can...I can get you out of school. I'll just say that you're extremely sick, okay? We definitely need some sister bonding going on between us," Jalen smirked.
I know what this is. Jalen doesn't want "sister bonding" all she wants is him—Finn. However, I'd do anything to get out of school, so here we go.

"Sure...where do you want to go?" I asked. Jalen thought for a second before a sly smile formed on her red lips.

"Theatre!" Jalen exclaimed. I looked at her up and down.

"Theatre," I repeated, unconvinced at her sudden choice. She nodded.

"Yeah! I love theatre," Jalen says, obviously bluffing. I know very well that Finn does theatre, but I guess I have to play along.
As we got into the car, Jalen blasted the music with some overrated pop song that everyone in existence knows of. I grimaced and put in my earbuds to play my music and to block out both the music and Jalens god-awful singing.

I froze up as we got to the college. I got painful and sudden flashbacks of what happened at the dorm room party. The feeling I can't explain but I guess it seems like a heavy weight is attached to your heart or you just got hit by an extremely angry bull in the chest.
We walked into the back entrance of the school where the lights were bright and tacky with its highlighter-like color. Jalen opened a wooden door to reveal a tiny stage and rows of small, metal chairs filled up with mainly sorority girls. Jalen immediately waved to some girl.

"Jay! I had to argue with tons of girls, and might of made several enemies, but I got two extra seats," a red-haired girl says. She looked at me with her green eyes in confusion.

"Who are you?" She asked, emphasizing on the you.

"Y/N, I'm Jalens sister," I say. The girl looked at me without expression before glancing at Jalen.

"Oh...okay, I guess. I'm Cheryl," Cheryl says flatly. I controlled myself so I wouldn't call her out on her bullshit. My face flushed a bit red, though.
Jalen sat by me, making me in the middle of the two.
Why would Finn be in the play? Wouldn't he be grieving over his best friends death? Or at least a little traumatized? Maybe this is just his get a way...something to think about other than Issac.

The lights dimmed and everyone got "quiet" aka girls giggling and taking pictures with the flash on obnoxiously.
I knew that the performance was "Hamlet" since Finn used to constantly complain about memorizing the lines. Finn plays both Prince Hamlet and King Hamlet's ghost but Issac was supposed to play Claudius...he would've been great at it. The curtains pulled back to reveal Finn in ghost-like attire. He scanned the room and locked eyes with line for a split second before falling to the ground. I don't remember this part, but is not uncommon for performances to add their own tweaks. Finn screamed out in pain before I knew it what was going on.
No...how couldn't have the...the mark...could he?

"F-Finn?!" I called out. Cheryl nudged me in the arm, hard, and shushed me. Finn held his arm in pain before walking off the stage quickly. I jumped out of my seat and tried to walk after him but Cheryl grabbed ahold of my wrist.

"What are you doing?" Cheryl hissed. I shook her off and walked on the stage and went behind the curtains. It was pitch black...quiet. Too quiet.
I then heard a slight grunt behind me. A sudden glow caught my eye as I spun around. A cold breeze blew against us.

"Finn...don't tell me you...," I trailed off. Finn hung his head low and nodded. I shook my head and hugged him tightly. Finn stuffed his hands into his pockets and climbed up the ladder to the railing, reaching all the way to the ceiling.

"I...I had it for a while, but this time it just stung like a bitch. I just couldn't tell you because you're my girl. How on earth am I supposed to tell you that I'm dying in two months?" Finn says, "I'm looking forward to it, dying I mean. I expected my life to be taken the day I attempted suicide but I was met by you-know-who, who gave me this 'scar'."

"T-two months? Would that mean that you...you attempted in November—when you met me?" I say. Finn leaned into my ear ear and chuckled. I tightly grasped the metal railing next to me.

"Damn right...I blame you, you know that? Why should I perish sooner than you, anyways? Freak," Finn whispered into my ear. Tears fell down my face, believing each and every word he spoke. I nodded slightly and shut my eyes. I let go of my tight grasp on the railing.
I felt Finn push me off, but when I looked up I saw a oh-so-familiar face.