Yes It Is - gh

Hello Little Girl - 18

January 3rd 1961

It was a cold, grey, gloomy day but Finn was still meeting up with Kath. The two of them had plans to go around town.
They had two weeks until school started up again and didn't want to waste it inside despite the weather being dull.

The time was around 10am and the birds were chirping outside of her window; she'd just finished teasing her hair into a Bardot-esque bouffant. A straight, red dress with quarter length sleeves adorned her almost hour glass body; it reached just above her knee and she had black stockings underneath.

She jumped down the stairs, receiving a disapproving glance from her mother who was inspecting her outfit with a bitter look on her face, "you can't go out looking like one of them french tarts!"

Rolling her eyes, Finn chose to ignore the comment, "I'll be back around tea time maybe? I'll ring if plans change." And quickly shuffled out the door.

Once outside she immediately pulled out her pack of cigarettes, placing one in her mouth she pulled out her box of matches.

One after one the matches continued to go out - unable to light the cig she huffed, putting the matches back in her pocket before she wasted them all.

She was about to place her smoke behind her ear - saving it for when Kath would light it with her lighter - when a voice stopped her,

"Need a light."

Her head shot up and then quickly shot down as to not seem too eager or shocked, it was John.

He was stood on the other side of her gate.
Timidly, she walked up to him and he lit up cig with a lighter.

He looked down on her as he was doing so, "since when did you smoke?"

Finn shrugged, adjusting her over the shoulder, black leather bag she walked out of her garden past John.

He walked along with her, "what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"You're being weird."

Finns mood significantly changed, she didn't mean to be so awkward and distant. She just hadn't seen John in months and was scared he'd hate how she's changed.

"I'm sorry."

He raised his eyebrow, "why?"

"For being so awkward." She confessed.

He shook his head as they continued down the street, "it's not your fault."

He continued, "I've been feeling a bit odd since coming back, didn't realise how tired I've been"

"Oh"

"So where you off?"

"Just around"

John stopped, pulling Finns wrist to stop her too, "enough now"

She avoided eye contact, "what?" She said annoyed.

"You've changed, Finn"

Finn could feel her body almost fold inwards, as if she could melt into the floor, deflated, "I'm sorry"

If she could look down any further she would.

John saw that what he said had visibly upset the girl, "I'm sorry finn," he looked away, had his uncomfortable feeling over powered his empathetic ones he would've left, yet he stayed, "I just feel shit I've missed it all you seem pretty cool now"

His attempt at making her feel better had worked, she was like putty in his hands, "you think?" She met his eyes.

"Yeah totally," he took the cigarette from her hand and began smoking it himself, "and now I can bum your fags" he smiled.