Timelapse

s i x • d e n i a l

March 2008

Millie leaned her chin upon her left closed fist, her right hand strumming her fork through her Caesar salad, tossing lettuce leaves from one side of the tray to the other. Lunch had been in session for fifteen minutes and Millie had only brought five small scoops of salad into her mouth – to which Finnick had been counting. Glancing through the window of his growing bands, Finnick peered at Millie, whom was focused solely on the tray in front of her.

Her lips were tilted upwards in a small pout, while her lashes fluttered each time she softly blinked. Finn tilted his head while wiping his ketchup covered hands on a napkin, eyeing the brunette before him, willing her to stab some lettuce and carrots with her fork.

Dropping her fork in her tray, Millie scooted her lunch towards the end of the table and pushed it into the trash can. Finn sighed, watching her unscrew the cap to her lemonade and bring the tip to her lips', his shoulder's slouching as all hope of her finishing her lunch left him.

This was the third day of the week during the second month she didn't finish her lunch.

Finn had been counting.

Millie glanced at her best friend, shaking her head as his eyes locked on hers in a stare, his body frozen with his hands holding his bag of chips midair.

"What?" she shook her head, her eyes widening in confusion.

Finnick extended his arm with his hand holding his chip bag over the table top, "want some?"

Millie looked into the bag, eyeing the crunchy red skinny cylinder sized chips. Her nose scrunched and she shook her head, pushing Finnick's hand and the bag away from her face, "no."

Suppressing and eye roll, Finnick internally groaned, tossing his bag in front of him, "why not?"

Millie shrugged her shoulders and leaned back on the bench, resting her back on the side of the building wall, "I don't like those."

Finnick's eyes widened, bulging as if he were in a Loony Toon episode, "you've always ate them."

"Yeah, well..." she said nonchalantly, glancing around the quad, watching people eat their food and walk around. Her eyes landed upon Finn and she sighed, refusing to resist the urge to bite her tongue, "I lied. They're gross and make my tongue burn."

Finn let out an exasperated breath, "you're freaking joking."

"Do I look like I'm laughing?" she said bitterly while standing from her seat, reaching beside her to pick up her book bag.

Finn copied her motions and stood up, his hands grasping the edge of the table. "Mill, what?—"

"Nothing, Finnick," she spat, her eyes shooting daggers. Finn's face fell along with his shoulders and she sighed, brushing her hair behind her ear.

Lacing her arms through the straps of her book bag, Millie sighed, counting to ten twice in her head while inhaling and exhaling slowly.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, glancing down at her shoes, "I don't feel well," she looked up at him, his eyes torn – shining with care and confusion. "I'll see you in class," she muttered, stalking off towards the girls' room across the way.

Finn turned, watching Millie stumble her way into the bathroom. Glancing down at his food, Finn glared at his chip bag then shoved it off the table – the contents spilling over the concrete. Grabbing his backpack he swung a strap over his right shoulder and walked in the opposite direction, not caring that he littered or that the afternoon aide was yelling after him. His only thoughts being, Millie's lie over a bag of chips and her idea she could easily not eat without notice.