Prologue

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11:30 pm

Library

Mer glanced up from her geometry homework in annoyance as Marge leveled her with a look of confidence. "Did you hear?" she asked, leaning in closely, her eyes fixed on Mers'.

"Hear what?" Preparing herself for some supremely juicy gossip, Mer put down her calculator with a clunk that spoke volumes of her excitement.

"Finn lost it to Griff Cavanaugh last night." Marge's grin stretched across her face and she waited anxiously for a reaction.

"Lost what?" Mer asked, ignoring the sick feeling that was slowly making its way to her stomach.

"Her earrings," Marge said, giving Mer a dirty glance. "Duh. What do you think I mean?" She leaned in even closer. "Her virginity." As Mer's face collapsed in despair, Marge tried and failed to hide her grin hoping that her expression contained the right amount of sympathy. "You didn't know? Wow! It's all over the school." But her words were heard only by the lonely and abandoned calculator left sitting on top of the lonely, abandoned, and unfortunately unfinished geometry homework, which was due next period. Mer had already left.

Chapter 1: 'Girl Interrupted'

11:35 pm

Classroom

It was gone. Absolutely, positively gone. I searched the room frantically for my cell phone, determined not to lose all hope. My search was interrupted however by the sound of a slamming door, and an accompanying screech.

"Oh My Gosh! Finn. You lost it?" Mer cried, running into the room, her green eyes wild and frantic, and her brown hair uncharacteristically unkempt and disheveled.

"Yes," I said uncertainly, fearing for my life as she stormed towards me, a protractor clutched in her tense hands.

"How could you?" She dropped the protractor onto the floor, her hands reaching for me.

I gave her an apologetic smile. "It…was an accident?"

"An accident." She sent me a look of disapproval. "God Finn, and you didn't even tell me? Your best friend in the world?"

"Well, I wanted to make sure it was actually lost before I told anyone." She seemed slightly puzzled, and very much distraught, when a thought occurred to me. "How'd you find out anyways?" I asked.

"Everyone knows apparently, except me."

I frowned; it was only a cell phone after all. "How did they find out?" I asked, bewildered.

"Griff told them I guess." She said it as if it should be obvious. I did not see the connection. I was still trying to figure out who the hell Griff was.

"Uh. Why?"

"Because he's a guy."

"Oh." This hadn't answered my question, but I was not particularly interested in trying to weave through Mer's ever complicate and usually long explanations. "Well, good I guess."

Her eyes became wider. "Good?"

"Yeah, you know the word will spread and if everyone knows, I might be able to find it." She sent me another confused look. I picked up a stack of papers from the desk and scanned the surface with hopeful eyes.

"Finn, it's not something you can just lose, then suddenly get back. Once it's gone, it's gone forever."

"Geez Mer, can't you be even a little optimistic? If you keep spouting that kind of cynical fatalistic melodrama, you're just going to depress me. What kind of attitude is that? Instead of proclaiming your doom and gloom, you should be trying to help me find it." I opened another drawer and glanced at the compartment quickly.

She launched herself at me, her eyes tearing up. "My poor baby."

"Aw Mer, I don't want you to be so upset. It's really not that big of a deal."

She sent me a look of respect and admiration. "You're being so strong; so brave. I really respect you for that."

"Well, thanks I guess." She gave me another squeeze. "Mer, I can't breathe."

"Sorry." She sighed heavily. "What are you going to do now? Is the relationship going any further?"

I had never realized that Mer felt so strongly about technology. I glanced at her, confused. "It wasn't really a relationship. I don't develop feelings for objects…I just use them."

Mer nodded her head in understanding. "Good for you girl, remain completely objective. Don't get emotionally involved. Think of him as a thing, an object. He- I mean it isn't worth it."

"Right." This was getting weird. I bent down and checked under the desk, my optimism slowly fading.

"Finn, what are you doing?"

I tried not to roll my eyes, and decided Mer probably hadn't gotten much sleep. I spoke slowly making sure to enunciate for poor, sweet, tired Mer. "Trying…to…find…it."

Then a look of fear contorted her face. "Oh. My. God. You've lost it, haven't you?"

Hadn't we already established that? "Yeah, I lost it. I thought we already went over this." I spread my hands wide to demonstrate my meaning.

She shook her head forcefully. "No, I mean you've lost it as in you're going crazy. You know, the whole 'Girl, Interrupted' Angelina Jolie thing. The trauma is just so deep, you've actually gone over the edge."

It seemed pretty obvious to me that it wasn't I who had gone over the edge, but I made no comment, saving my best-friendly concern for after I had found my phone. "Right."

Mer leaned in and her face was awash in concern. "Finn, did he take advantage of you?"

I laughed, remembering the numerous times I had dropped it, or abandoned it without a care, forgetting it was worth hundreds of dollars. "No, if anything I took advantage of it."

Mer nodded and whispered: "Oh, right it, not he. Sorry, I forgot."

I gave her a smile, and patted her arm, before leaving the room, deciding to check the office. "Mer, get some sleep."

Before I left however, she smiled reassuringly. Well, she tried to at least, but her lips wobbled precariously and her eyes glistened. "Finn, you will get through this." Then a deep reverential silence in which she glanced up at me with love, while I glanced down at her in discomfort. This was followed by: "Oh no, my geometry homework. Mr Wing is going to kill me!" as she ran from the room.

Weird, though very entertaining.

A/N: It gets better. I promise. I have finished a large portion of this story. This means faster updates. (I hope).

Because I know quite a few of you will ask, no, Finnigan/Finn is not her real first name.

Please review.