Trained One ✓

Chapter 43

Annabeth looked impatiently at me and I desperately wanted to know how she managed to make someone wish the Earth would swallow them up whole just to avoid her gaze. But instead of asking, I ran to grab my jacket and stashed my knives in my pockets. When I headed back, she started walking towards the door and I followed with Travis on my heels.

Finn started coughing as he walked quickly to catch up to us.

"Lacey," Finn said, "Cough, Lacey."

I didn't think he cared that you weren't supposed to say cough. He grabbed my elbow and pulled me away from everyone.

"Need to talk to her for a minute. Carry on with yourselves," he waved Annabeth and Travis on but they stayed where they were.

"Finn," Annabeth said deceptively calm.

Finn just started coughing more, working my name into it, and saying cough now and then as he hauled me to his and Annabeth's room.

"What the hell was that?" Travis said to Annabeth before Finn slammed the door, blocking out whatever her reply was going to be.

I stood in their room anxiously.

"Welcome to my humble abode," he said, letting his arms splay out wide in front of him.

It was one of the only rooms I didn't frequent, only because usually Annabeth was in here when she wanted to have alone time away from everyone else and I was willing to respect that. Even when the two of them weren't in the room, the door was always shut.

"Can I help you?" I asked hesitantly, eyeing the books that were double stacked on top of each other in a corner of the room. There was a single flower in a cup on the dresser amid boxes of matches and lighters. Shoes were scattered on the floor and on the ground in front one wall, a mirror was propped with tons of makeup surrounding it.

Finn walked up to me and put both of his hands on my shoulders, causing my attention to snap to him. For once, he had a serious expression on his face. No joking, no warm smile, no troublesome glint in his eyes. Instead, he leveled a hard stare on me.

"I need you to watch out for Annabeth," he said quietly.

I felt a bit of my muscles relax at this, "Of course."

"No," he shook his head. "Really watch out for her."

Did he not believe me or something? I wasn't going to let her get hurt if I could help it. Did he think lowly of me and this was how I was only just finding out? My confusion must have been obvious on my face because he kept talking.

"Her dad is out there. And she's been through shit - they all have. We all have," he corrected, and I couldn't disagree with him on that. "But some of them have been through more."

I nodded, "I know. I promise, I'll watch her back. I'll-"

He cut me off, "That's not what I'm talking about. You're going out with her alone to look for her dad. You have to be the rock."

This was where I was starting to lose him finally and I was really not loving Finn constantly talking in riddles. Or was I just not smart enough for them?

Finn let go of my shoulders and sighed but stayed close in my space. "You remember when we ran into Scully with Dylan? Annabeth froze?"

"Just for a second, then she came to help me with Dylan."

"Yeah, she left Scully. Her, Cameron, Travis, even...They've been through things that I've heard about and could barely stand just listening to because it was fucked up. There's a lot that they have in here," he tapped his head with one finger, "that takes over and they can't help it. They freeze or freak out."