Saving Finnly Cage

Prologue - Butterflies

**note- I wrote this a while back so I'm starting to do a little bit of editing. Nothing will change the actual story, so feel free to continue reading! Just know that there are grammatical  errors (in dialogue especially) This was also the VERY FIRST book I wrote- so please keep that in mind while reading! I feel like I have learned a lot about writing from completing this story, so my later works will be more developed (I'll actually develop characters and there will be a legit plot...) Anyway, read at your own risk!**

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"Finnly! He's coming over here!"

I pursed my lips nervously and wrapped my arms around my stomach, desperately trying to stop the army of butterflies from making me throw up with excitement.

"Mia! You're making me more nervous!" I said in a hushed whisper, a smile on my lips.

I seriously couldn't believe that it was happening. How, out of all people, was my fairytale coming true? How had I gotten so lucky?

Over the past couple of months I had asked myself this question a dozen times over. I still couldn't think of a good answer.

Why would he choose me?

Him.

Colton Pane.

Our families have been friends forever. Ever since we were young, our families had gone on this summer trip to a lake house they co owned. We always stayed exactly one week and our activities ranged from tubing to fishing to late night bonfires. It was the best week of the summer.

Everything changed this past summer though. I suppose it was a switch that turned on in my heart. Suddenly, I looked at him as more than a friend I had to spend a week with. I was finally open to the idea of liking him. During the trip I picked up on things I never had noticed before- like the way he ran his hand through his hair after he got out of the lake or how he would purposely burn his marshmallow at the bonfire. They were small stupid things that I actually started picking up on.

He was literally the whole package.

attractive, athletic, kind, smart, caring...

He even had that adorable awkwardness only some guys could pull off.

When we went back to school a couple weeks later, I'd get nervous around him whenever he came up to me. I never thought to tell anyone about my crush- I didn't like the idea of people knowing. And then there was always the fear that he didn't like me back.

For a while I thought for sure that my feelings were one sided. But about half way through the year, his friends told me that he couldn't stop talking about me.

Nothing happened though. If anything, things became more awkward. It's as if he knew that I knew.

And now, tonight, at the eighth grade formal, I was hoping something would happen.

"Oh please. Finnly, would you stop staring at him? You look like a drooling puppy"

I turned away from the sight of Colton walking across the room towards me, to my other friend, Becca.

"Oh God! I didn't even know I was staring! How embarrassing!" I said, my cheeks flushing red.

Becca rolled her eyes and laughed

"Really, having a guy like you isn't that big of a deal" she said , "Just chill out, ok?"

"Easy for you to say, you've dated like every guy in the grade" I joked.