The warm and inviting atmosphere of the diner welcomed Sarah and Alexa as they made their way to the group. Bri was beaming at Finn, and the others seemed to be in high spirits, still energized by the performance they had just given. Sarah felt a mix of excitement and nervousness as she approached the table, not quite sure what to expect.

"Hey, there you are!" exclaimed Finn as he noticed Sarah and Alexa approaching. He seemed genuinely pleased to see them, and Sarah couldn't help but smile back, despite the lump in her stomach.

"Hey!" Sarah replied, probably too quiet for anyone to hear her. She took the seat next to the head of the table, on Finn's left hand. Alexa sat down at the head of the makeshift table, and the group greeted her warmly.

Bri, who was sitting across from Finn, gave him a playful nudge and said, "So, Finn, how did you like the concert tonight?"

Finn blushed a little, glancing briefly at Sarah before answering, "Yeah, it was awesome. You guys did a fantastic job up there."

"Thanks!" Bri said, grinning, clearly enjoying Finn's attention.

As the conversation flowed, Sarah found herself getting more comfortable. The friendly banter and laughter helped ease her nerves, and she even started to join in on some of the jokes. She discovered that the guy singing the solo was named Cole, and that Brinna was his sister. Even though Brinna was just a sophomore, she was one of the louder personalities at the table.

Throughout the meal, Sarah noticed that Finn kept glancing at her, especially whenever Bri's attention got a little pointed. Could Bri have told him that she wasn't really interested like that? Sarah couldn't help but wish she had, or would. No, Bri probably wouldn't have done it in front of anyone else. At least Sarah hoped Bri wouldn't have done it in front of anyone else. Sarah tried to keep things light and friendly, not wanting to obviously ignore Finn. The conversation shifted to plans for the weekend, and Alexa started in on Finn inviting himself to their bio study session on Saturday.

"It's not even like you're in our class!" exclaimed Alexa. "You're just thinking we'll give up our notes easy."

Finn just gaped open like a fish, somehow he was even worse at figuring out what Saturday was really about than Sarah had been.

"I wish I had taken bio this year," said Bri, leaning back in her chair and shifting so that her knees were pressed against Finn's leg.

The group laughed, and Finn seemed to relax a bit, even if he wasn't exactly smiling. The way Bri kept touching him didn't go unnoticed by Sarah, but she couldn’t help but tighten her lips when she noticed his constant glances in her direction, and Sarah did her best not to watch them. Instead, she focused on the conversation about the biology study session, hoping to distract herself from his looks.

"Yeah, we'll be studying the ATP cycle stuff," Alexa continued, clearly having fun at Finn's expense. "I guess you should be there, you missed most of that week too."

"That's, uh, what I was thinking," Finn stammered, glancing at Sarah yet again.

"Oh, don't worry," Sarah chimed in, smiling warmly at him. "We'll all catch up on the basics. It won't be fun, but hopefully, it'll help."

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Brinna made a loud comment, explaining to the whole table how Cole hadn't gotten into AP Bio at all and was just taking life sciences, and the subject moved away from their Saturday plans. As the conversation flowed, Sarah relaxed as she noticed that Bri had gotten Finn engaged in their own little side chat. Every now and then, Finn would still glance back at Sarah, perhaps making sure she was okay. But he did seem to be getting more and more happy with Bri’s attention. He wasn’t looking over every time Bri touched him anymore, instead just looking when Sarah laughed or said something.

She appreciated the consideration, but she didn't want him to feel obligated to do so. It wasn't her fault that he felt responsible for her, and Sarah didn't want any lingering awkwardness between them. A little guilt, maybe, for stressing her out that day in art class, and for blowing them up in the hospital, but not more than that.

As the night went on, Finn and Bri excused themselves, saying they needed to head home. Sarah didn't miss Bri’s little grin as she trailed the tall boy from the diner. Bri even threw a little thumbs up at Sarah and Alexa before walking out the door, and Sarah was glad that Bri's confidence had been well-founded.

After a while, the group decided to call it a night and head home. Sarah and Alexa offered to give Cole and Brinna a ride, since their ride had already left, and the four of them made their way to the parking lot together. As they walked, Sarah found it difficult to stop smiling and even skipped a bit for the first time in years.

Pulling up to Cole and Brinna's house, Cole leaned up to the front seats and said, "Thanks for the ride, Alexa. It was great hanging out with you everyone tonight."

"Yeah, it was fun!" Brinna chimed in. "We should definitely do this again sometime."

"Definitely," Sarah agreed, smiling warmly. "It was great getting to know you both."

As the two said their goodbyes and walked away, Sarah turned to Alexa and said, "I had a really great time tonight. Thanks for inviting me."

Alexa smiled back, "I'm glad you came. It's nice to hang out, and not worry about school or the magic stuff. And don't worry about Finn and Bri. Either they'll sort it out or not, either way, it’s not on you."

"I hope so," Sarah replied, her smile fading slightly. "I just don't want things to get weird."

Alexa reached out and shoved Sarah's shoulder, "I think the weirdness boat sailed already, don't think I didn't notice your purse opening and shutting on its own. We'll handle it together. Now, let's get you home before your mom decides to stop letting you out."

After Sarah climbed out of the jeep and thanked Alexa for the ride, she opened her door and stepped inside. She looked back and saw that Alexa had waited until the door was open before driving away.

Closing the front door behind her, Sarah found her mom sitting in the living room, reading a book. Her mom looked up and smiled when she saw Sarah.

"Hey, sweetie! How was the concert?" her mom asked.

"It was amazing!" Sarah exclaimed, her face lighting up. "The choir did a fantastic job, and Alexa had a solo! She was incredible!"

"I'm glad you had a good time," her mom said warmly. "Did everything go well after the concert?"

"Yeah, it was fun," Sarah replied, trying not to sound too bothered. She didn't want to talk about Finn and Bri and especially not about Finn. With any luck her mom wouldn’t ask about him at all. "We went to Alma's for some fries and milkshakes."

"That sounds nice," her mom said, putting her book down. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. You deserve to have some fun."

"Thanks, Mom," Sarah said, feeling her shoulders loosen and she rolled her neck a couple of times. She was grateful that her mom didn't seem inclined to press for details.

"I'm heading to bed now," her mom said, standing up. "Do you need anything before you go to bed too?"

"I'm good, thanks," Sarah replied, smiling. "I might read a little."

"All right then, sweet dreams," her mom said, giving her a gentle hug. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mom," Sarah said, returning the hug. As her mom went upstairs to her room, Sarah made her way to her own bedroom. She closed the door behind her and sighed, feeling herself still smiling.