Unexpectedly

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Finnegan's POV

"Come. On!" Orion threw his hands in the air in exasperation after I declined the boys' night he planned, a once last crazy escapade before we go all go our separate ways. "Can't you wait just one more day before going home? We're gonna enter the real world soon and you can't even spare a single night to go clubbing?! What are you?! Ten?!"

"f**k off." I chuckled as I gathered the rest of my clothes I needed to stuff inside my suitcase. "You can go clubbing without me. Besides, it's not like I won't be seeing your ugly ass anytime soon. You'll be working in Aspen. Where I'll be. And where Luka is gonna be. Let's go have fun there instead. Just not today." It's not that I didn't want to wait another day. It's just that today is a special day. I have to be in Aspen before nine.

Orion by the way, is one of my two best friends since I started college. We just graduated from Bella Terra University a week ago and he's still in denial of his fate to becoming a full time adult.

I heard Luka, my other best friend try to explain to Orion that it's not that big of deal if I couldn't come. At six feet, Luka is taller than Orion by six inches. And he looks like he's scolding the other if anyone outside our circle sees these two.

My two best friends bicker like a married couple all the time that sometimes people tend to think they're together. They're straight so there's no chance in that ever happening. Plus, they totally don't agree over anything. I sometimes wonder how these two opposites became friends with each other. It baffles me even more how they became friends with me.

As I continued packing my suitcase, their usual squabble ensued. I sometimes block their voices out given we live in the same apartment. But then my mind gets flooded by thoughts of someone when I am left alone. And guilt would eat me instantly, gnawing under my gut.

I miss him. I don't have the right to. Everything is my fault and I could never turn back the time. No matter, I am not restricted to watch him from afar. Like a good big brother would.

"Guys!" I shouted at the two twenty two year old grown men. Right away they turned my way. "I gotta go." I lowered the suitcase from the bed and pulled the handle to take it out of the apartment.

"Okay. We'll take care of the moving van once it arrives." Luka said to me. We don't have many stuff in this house and most of the furniture will be handed down to Orion's brother who's entering the university in June. I'm the only one coming from Aspen so I need a van to move my other stuff home. It will also take care of moving the stuff that these two will take with them to where they will be moving.

The three of us had job offers all over the country. My best friends, for once agreed on the same city to land a job. Aspen. I, being my dad's only son is bound to help him in his company so after graduating and earning my electronics engineering degree, I will be working for him. I plan on getting my MBA soon but not that soon.

"I hope whatever it is that weighs more than my planned night out is worth it, buddy." Orion is relentless. "And if it's a girl, I better hear she's pregnant that you badly need to go home and marry her or I swear I'll accept a magazine interview to tell them you're a man-whore."

Luka and I share a laugh at how childish Orion is. He can't even find a proper insult or threat, something that will actually shake either one of us and kneel for his mercy.

"Laugh all you want." Orion scoffed with hands propped on his waist. "One of these days, I will find your weakness, Finnegan Kasen. And you Luka!"

"What did I do now?!"

"Oh, god. Get me out of here." I muttered as I pulled my suitcase, rolled it down the hallway and roughly down the steps. Our apartment is two story and the bedrooms are all upstairs. I had a moment to check on my clothes as I loaded my bag on the trunk of my white Lexus coupe.

I'm wearing a white shirt tucked sloppily inside my black jeans. This isn't good. The top buttons are undone too. I heard my friend's teasing insults on what I was doing -- checking how I look in the side mirror.

"Seriously man. This better be a girl." The five feet six inches man-child laughed at me.

"O, this is more important than some girl, okay." I said without looking back at Orion. I had buttoned my shirt, hiding the paw print tattoo on my left chest.

Does he remember the paw prints? And even how he used to call me?

"Stop grinning, you dufus!" Luka opened my car for me, forcing me to leave, apparently. I just shook my head, amused.

Once I had gotten in, they both gave a 'drive safe' talk. They'll never let that time go, the time when I crashed my sports car. My dad was pissed to the bones while checking if I was okay. P'Seb was mad, too. Miraculously, the car was totaled while I was fine. Had a bruise on my face for a while though.

"I'll be fine." Of course I will be. I'm a better driver than these two but that time was a case of crazy drunken mistake on my part. I was hit with the most painful realization and drank my ass off then decided to drive back to Aspen when I had just left there an hour before I arrived in my apartment here. I drove my drunk ass only to crash into a tree on my way which was only a couple of miles from where I had left off.

The 'drive safe' talk from these two is actually them teasing me how loved I am by my dads. How pissed they will be if I ever get hurt again.

"Shut up, morons." I said as I put my seatbelt on me. My car roared as I turned the engine on.

"Goodbye, Prince Finn-Finn! Say hi to Mr. Theodore for us! Tell him we are going gay and stealing his precious Sebastian!"

I flipped them both off as I pulled out of the driveway. They like my step dad. They said if they'll go gay, they'll be gay for him. Good thing they never saw P'Seb's brother. Or I'll be convicted of double homicide.

The way I look like the young Theodore Damian Kasen, P'Seb and Bran look very much alike, too. But while P'Seb has raven hair, dark eyes, Bran on the other hand, he inherited his brown locks and eyes from his late mother. When he was younger, somehow he reminded me of a cute chocolate Labrador puppy but then his complexion was too pale so he was like a lab and a poodle. It didn't really matter to me. He was adorable to say the least.

***

The drive was approximately two hours. Although Bella Terra and Aspen are neighboring provinces, my university is located away from the city so it took me longer to get to where I am.

I parked my car where the other guests of the graduation ceremony parked theirs. It's a little past nine which means it already started. I walked briskly through the footpath leading to the auditorium of my high school Alma mater. After getting in through the doors, I quickly found a seat to hide myself in. My shades and cap should do the trick.

Graduation ceremonies are boring as hell but I'm here just to see someone. He doesn't need to know I'm here though. I know he doesn't even want to see even a glimpse of me anywhere around here.

Minutes turned into an hour. My heart swelled with pride every time he went up there to get his awards. I didn't care about them when I graduated here four years ago but seeing him up there, I feel very happy for him. I smiled widely as I watched him get his golden medal for graduating as the class valedictorian.

'Congratulations, baby Bran...'

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