𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐏𝐄𝐓 (joel miller AU) ✔️

chapter fourty-one: doubt

A few days later Millie sat in Joel's lecture, twirling her hair while watching him. Joel was wearing a tight black turtleneck and Millie couldn't stop staring at him. He looked so damn handsome.

"Millie don't be so obvious" Kurtis whispered with a grin.

"What?" she asked confused and took her eyes off Joel.

"You're being obvious," he repeated.

"Doing what?"

"Crushing on your professor" he whispered back.

„What? No! What are you're talking about?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

"Well you know, I didn't want to bring it up so you wouldn't feel awkward, but I know it"

„You know what?"

"About you and Mr. Miller" he replied quietly, so no one else could hear.

"Shh! Are you crazy?"

"No, and you can stop lying Millie, I've known for a long time"

"Really?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah, but don't worry, I won't tell anyone, I promise, okay? But stop staring at him like that. Otherwise maybe someone else will notice"

"Thank you Kurtis, really" she mumbled back and tried to concentrate on the lecture again.

When there was a short break and almost all the students left the hall, Millie went to the Joel's desk.

"Hi Millie, how can I help you?" he asked politely.

She knew she couldn't talk to him normally since there were still a few students in the hall. So she put a piece of paper in front of him on the desk.

Joel looked down at the paper, and then saw that it was just a scribbled paper, but there were also two movie tickets on top. For today 7pm.

Surprised he looked up at her. He briefly mentioned that movie the other day, but didn't think Millie would be interested in it.

"Is that okay, professor?" she asked, grinning. He knew she called him that on purpose, and he loved it.

"Uh yeah sure. Thank you" he replied.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Just before 7pm, Millie and Joel entered the cinema.

"Thanks for the tickets" Joel said with a smile.

"You're welcome" Millie replied and kissed him on the cheek.

"How much were they?"

"No, don't do that. I invited you, so I'll pay"

"Millie you know you don't have to"

"Yeah but I want to. And you also gave me a fucking plane ticket to Los Angeles, so please just accept this, okay?"

"Okay yeah sure, thank you baby" he replied and pressed a kiss on her temple.

"Come, I'll get us some popcorn, okay?" Millie said excitedly and went to the booth where snacks were sold.

"How can I help?"

"One large popcorn and two cokes, please" Millie told to the shop assistant, who typed it into the cash register.

"Oh, you know, At the moment we also have a family deal that  is much cheaper. It's popcorn, two drinks and chocolate" the guy behind the counter said politely.

"What?" Millie asked back confused.

"Ah uhm for your and your father? With this deal it's $3 off the regular price" he explained and Millie stood there baffled.

She just hoped Joel hadn't heard that, because she knows him well enough and knows he wouldn't take that well.

But unfortunately he did hear it, "We'll just take regular popcorn and two Cokes, thanks" he said tensely and put some bills on the counter.

"Oh okay yeah sure" the guy muttered and and filled a bucket with popcorn.

"Here you go" he said quietly and Millie took the stuff out of his hands.

After Millie and Joel stood alone in a corner, she started talking to him immediately, "Please don't be mad"

"I'm not mad" he said with a sigh.

"But you seem mad" Millie replied and put her hand on his arm.

"I'm not, don't worry about it, okay?" he said, while worrying about it himself.

"Okay, well I'm sorry" she mumbled and went to the room where their movie will be.

"It's not your fault"

"I know it's not my fault. But you're in a bad mood because of that guy. I thought we'd have a nice evening" Millie said as the two sat down in their seats.

"Yeah, I wanted to have a nice evening with you. But apparently I can't do that without everyone thinking you're my daughter" he whispered.

"That happened one time Joel, please don't make a drama out of it"

"Yes but I-" But Joel couldn't continue because a woman in the row in front of them turned around, "Shhh!"

Annoyed, Millie just rolled her eyes.

The movie was damn boring. But Millie watched it for him. During the two hours, he took her hand, but she could tell by his face that it was still bothering him.

And when the film was over, the two stayed seated until everyone else left the room.

"Please stop thinking about it" Millie mumbled and looked at him.

"You know I can't. I finally told you that I love you a few days ago, and now someone tells me that you look like my daughter?"

"Joel please just stop it. I don't look like I could be your daughter. Just because we both have brown hair and eyes I look like your daughter? That's bullshit. That dumb idiot was probably just completely high. But I really don't look like I could be your daughter, okay?"

"But you could be my daughter Millie, you're 25"

"Are you fucking kidding me? You've known all along how old I am Joel. I'm not a kid okay? I'm an adult"

"Yes I know, but that's not the point" he said with a sigh and closed his eyes.

"What do you mean?!" Millie asked angrily.

"You know what I mean, maybe the age difference is just too big" he whispered softly.

"Don't say that!", she whispered back, "Please Joel"

"Millie I'm twice your age"

"I know, and I don't care, because I love you. Don't do this to me"

"Yes I love you too Millie, I really do, but maybe we should rethink all of this"

With tears in her eyes, she got up and left him sitting there alone.

"No please wait!" he called after her.

"No, you want to reconsider everything? Then do that in your own. I'm not letting you play with my feelings. Again" she said angrily and sad at the same time.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he followed her out of the cinema.

"Home. Without you. So leave me alone now"