September 2007
"Come on Millie," Finnick rolled his eyes, "just try half of one."
Millie eyed the thin red chip hanging in between Finn's thumb and index finger. She brought her face closer to the chip and inhaled, gagging when a spicy scent flared through, tickling the inside of her nostrils.
"It even smells gross!" she whined, cupping her hand over her nose, making the sound of her voice high pitched and nasally. Finnick laughed at the sound of Millie's voice and Millie shot him a glare, not finding any of this amusing unlike the boy sitting across from her.
Millie pinched her nostrils with her fingers and rubbed her skin as if a mini nose massage would make the smell go away. Finn stared at the curly haired brunette with a dead expression. "You're being so dramatic, it's just a Hot Cheetos" he said, flinging the chip at her face. Millie squealed and swatted the chip as it almost hit the side of her cheek.
"Finnick Bennett," she scolded, bending underneath the lunch table to pick up the chip that was nestled in a crack. As she straightened her back, Millie turned around and tossed the chip in the trash can.
Frowning Millie glared at her red thumb, the excess bit of chip clinging to her skin. Millie fixed her posture and faced the correct way of the table, not once taking her eyes off her thumb. "Look what you did," she mumbled grabbing a napkin and wrapping it around her thumb.
Finn chuckled underneath his breath, finding the way Millie eyed her thumb as if it willingly popped off her hand and walked over to the snack bar to purchase a chip bag of her disliking. Millie's gaze snapped to the boy and she jumped.
With his elbows bent on the table top and his chin rested atop of his closed fits, Finn stared at his best friend with a wide daze. His lips were puffed out into a pout while his green eyes were round and shining bright, looking through her with sadness as if she told him it was impossible for him to ever find love when he turned eighteen with his English teacher Mrs. K because was happily married with a baby on the way; which was entirely true but Millie didn't want to break the news to him just yet.
Finn thought his pouty face was cute enough to win his best friend over; and he was right, however, Millie found his face to be puppy dog cute. Millie licked her bottom lip and turned her cheek, watching other students mingle amongst each other on the picnic tables.
Reaching out, Finnick touched Millie's cheek and pushed her face so her attention was fully on him before placing his hand back underneath his chin. Finn widened his eyes until they begin to water while he puffed out his lip, making the bottom one quiver.
Mille scoffed and rolled her eyes, extending her open palm, "and you said I'm the dramatic one."
Finnick's eyes lit up as he grinned, flashing Millie his ear to ear dazzling brace faced smile with tints of Hot Cheetos red stained in between the brackets on his once white teeth. Millie bit the inside of her cheek, grinning with her eyes; debating in her mind what Finnick Beckett look was cuter:
the puppy pout or Hot Cheetos stained grin.
"They're so good Mill," he said reaching into the bag and pulling out a small chip, "you're gonna love it." Millie grabbed the chip and held it in front of her face, narrowing her eyes on the suspect. "Don't!" Finn raised his voice as Millie once again, brought the chip to her nose, "smell it."
Millie grinned and held the chip in front of her best friend in a teasing manner before opening her mouth and popping the chip inside. Closing her mouth, Millie winced, feeling the chip begin to dissolve on her tongue.
"Chew," Finn urged her, watching her in muse. Mentally groaning, Millie brushed the chip with her tongue to the side of her mouth, in between her top and bottom teeth; regretting the moment she began chewing the chip.
Her face scrunched together as she looked up at the sky, chewing fast until the chip was small enough for her to swallow whole. Once the Hot Cheeto slid down her throat, Millie opened her mouth and gasped; her eyes widely glossed with water, "Power-Aide."
Finnick laughed and took off the cap to his red Power-Aide bottle, handing it over to Millie who eagerly drank half the bottle. Finn watched Millie chug the drink with a playful smile upon his boyish face. Placing the bottle down harshly on the table top, Mille let out a gasp of air.
"And you said I'm dramatic," he cooed. "You are," she retorted – to which he shrugged off, grinning as lifted his Hot Cheetos bag to his mouth and tilted his head back, pouring some of the chips into his mouth.
Millie shook her head, "that can't be healthy."
"You do the same thing with regular Cheetos," he stated with his mouth full of chips. Millie fought back a chuckle as chips fell from his mouth to his black shirt, coating a small layer of red snow on the fabric.
Standing Millie leaned over the table top and brushed off Finn's shirt, "that's different, they're not hot." Finn smiled as he watched Millie's hand rub back and forth on his clothed chest.
"Did you like it though?" he asked, holding out his half full chip back. Millie scrunched her nose as she took in the contents of the Hot Cheetos bag. Finn shook the bag and gave her a wicked grin.
Sighing, Millie stuck her hand in the bag and pulled out two Hot Cheetos. Finnick grinned as Millie tossed the chips in her mouth and began chewing, slightly wincing when the taste of the chip kicked in.
"Yes, I did," she said, forcing a smile upon her face as Finn handed her another Cheetos; spitting the first lie of their friendship. Millie didn't like the Hot Cheetos at all – she hated it – but that didn't stop her from turning down a chip or purchasing her own bag when the two went out in the months to come.
YOU ARE READING
Timelapse
Short StoryWe were just a boy and girl, who happened to be best friends; that may or may not have been in love in the first place. * Two stories in one. Extended Summary within context.
