See You Again // FILLIE

Happier

Finn's POV:

I lay in bed while staring at the ceiling at midnight, not tired enough to go to sleep and too lazy to do anything productive. Wonder if she's thinking about me, probably not. She's most likely in bed laughing at something he said, their smiles both twice as large as ours. She's probably happier, isn't she? Not wanting to feel depressed for the rest of the night, I decide to listen to music. After about five seconds of hearing a guitar play a Bing! interrupts the song. I groan as I rip out my earbuds and tap on messages.

PaigeB: Finn have you seen Millie?
Wolfhard: Not since she came over, why?
PaigeB: She hasn't come home since she went over to yours. No one knows where she is, unless you do.
Wolfhard: Millie's missing?!
PaigeB: I think that's kinda obvious 😰
Wolfhard: Um I think I have an idea, I'll go find her. Just stay calm.
PaigeB: Finn be careful, call me or your dad in case of emergency.
Wolfhard: Got it ttyl

I jump out of bed panicking at what to do, why did I volunteer to find her? Okay Finn that's not the point, you may have broken up with her but that doesn't mean you're going to let her die in the now below zero degrees. I scan my floor for my black branded FINN hoodie but it's nowhere in sight. Regardless I just grab my white 'Play Hard, Work Hard, Wolfhard' hoodie and rush outside the building as fast as I possibly can. In attempt to contact Millie I decide to just call her. "Pick up, pick up, cmon!" I say aloud through clenched teeth. After one ring the call automatically goes to voicemail, "Hey this is MBB, sorry I couldn't answer your call at the moment but leave a message and I'll get back to you!" I hear Millie's recorded voice say. I end the call and turn on my phones flashlight, the streetlights not bright enough in the dark black night. Instinctively I take the path towards the mall seeing as she most likely was on this route when coming home.

After about 15 minutes of walking on the path I notice a black-hooded head resting on a bench at the side of a closed store. I jog over to the bench in hopes that it's her. "Millie?" I whisper, just in case it happens to be some homeless guy. A light, shaky groan replies at the sound of the name. The small body chatters and shivers, almost like its vibrating. "Millie, it's me. Finn." I say softly while crouching down next to her, my flashlight pointed to the cold concrete ground. Her eyes flutter open gently, like she's afraid to look. "F-F-i-i-n-n-n?" She asks, her teeth chattering uncontrollably. "Millie it's okay, it's okay. I'm gonna bring you home. Do you think you can stand?" I question, making sure my voice is gentle. "I-I th-ou-g-ht y-you h-h-ated m-me." Millie replies, one simple sentence taking her 15 seconds to chatter out. "I could never hate you. I may not be with you but I still care for you and regretfully love you, okay?" I explain, she nods slowly. "Now can you move?" I ask, she looks down at her body and up to me. "N-No." Millie manages to whisper out. I stand up and put my hands on my hips, knowing there's only one other option. "Okay Mills, piggy back or bridal style?" I suggest making her smile. "Um...p-pig-g-gy b-ba-ck." She replies, her body shaking furiously. "As you wish." I add before turning my body and kneeling down onto one knee, trying to make it as easy as possible for her to get on my back. "O-Oh my g-god, th-this h-u-u-r-ts." Millie complains while sitting up. She slowly hops onto my back, sending a sharp shiver down my spine. Her teeth stop chattering the second she buries her face in the side of my neck, her cold skin melting against mine. 

"Damn Finn." Millie whispers against my skin as I carry her down the sidewalk. "What?" I ask while reluctantly smiling. "You're so hot." She replies, tightening her arms around my neck that rest on my chest. "Thanks Mills." I say while chuckling, sleepy Millie is completely irrational. "For reals Finnie, you're like a bonfire, everyone enjoys your warmth and light." She adds while giggling. I roll my eyes at the compliment, not willing to accept it. "You stole my hoodie Mills." I mention. She pulls on the hood like she just noticed it, "Huh, looks like I have. Well I wouldn't have needed it if you didn't misunderstand the situation." She replies, her grip around me becoming looser. "What could I possibly misunderstand?" I ask, scoffing. "If you really want me to explain then I guess I will. Last night I told Romeo about how I was going to tell you about talking to him and how nervous I was that'd you be mad at me and stuff. He joked that it'd be funny to just end it there while I still could, which I lectured him about. So when you called, he thought it was me and was just joking when he said that." Millie explains, I feel the need and want to drop her here and now and just go home but fight against it, this is for Paige and Millie's safety. "I shouldn't be doing this right now." I think aloud as I stare straight ahead. "What?" She asks confused. "Your ex shouldn't be the one saving you from hypothermia because your oblivious sister told him you were missing." I reply sternly. "You're right... thank you Finn, for everything." Millie says gently, her sincere voice making my knees suddenly weak. "Don't mention it." I manage to croak out before turning one last corner, the building only down the block.

As I carry Millie to the building and to our condo floor she falls asleep, her head resting in my shoulder. "I'm sorry I hurt you Mills, I broke the promise I made to your father... Maybe some promises are meant to be broken." I say to the asleep girl on my back as a fresh tear stains my cheek. "But hey, you'll be happier with Romeo right? I'm doing this for you, it's what you wanted." I add, her breath rising and falling slowly as she continues to sleep.  "I'll always love you Mills.. I promise." I admit before knocking on her condos door. Slowly, Paige opens the door while letting out a long sigh of relief as she sees Millie laying on my back. "Thank you Finn, truly. I'll make sure she gives your hoodie back tomorrow." She whispers. I nod and carry her to the dark living room where I then lay her down in the couch before waving goodbye to Paige and going next door to my own condo. 

 I slip off my shoes as I walk inside, my dad sitting on the couch watching a movie, all the lights in the condo off. "Hey Finn, where'd you go?" He asks as I thud onto the second couch. "Millie was sleeping on a bench." I reply while shrugging, never taking my eyes off the TV. "Strange, know why?" He questioned, I just shook my head even though I had a small idea of how it came to be. "Good thing you did Finn, especially being her boyfriend and all." Dad mentions. I clench my jaw while staring at the dark wooden floor, the word boyfriend shooting me like an arrow to the chest. "I'm.. I'm not her boyfriend, not anymore." I admit, the words that came out of my mouth tasting like poison. "Oh.. I'm sorry to hear that. I know you really liked her." He adds, only making to the goal to stay strong farther away from my reach. "Actually, I broke up with her." I reply softly, he looks away from the TV and to me. "Finn.. are you okay?" He asks, forcing me to face him. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." I answer before standing up from the couch. "Night Dad." I add as I walk down the hall. "Night." I hear him say before I shut my bedroom door quietly. 

Have I really done a 'good thing'? Yes I saved her from possible hypothermia but was breaking it off with her so she can be with Romeo a 'good thing'?  I trudge over to my bed and sit on the edge with my hands in my face, my elbows resting on my knees. Maybe I just have to forget we were ever together, it's what she'd want right? Millie will be happier with Romeo, that has to be true or else I'm feeling depressed for no reason. I grab my phone from beside me and look up the photo of Romeo and Millie hugging. The first time I saw it I raged and wanted to destroy Romeo once and for all but now? Now I just notice how her smile is twice as large as when she's with me, this photo just proves how happy he can make her, and how stupidly perfect they are for each other. "Their smiles were twice as large as ours." I repeat aloud, recognizing the sentence. I pull up YouTube and search the phrase into the search bar, sure enough Ed Sheeran's Happier song pops up on my screen. Apparently she's blasted Ed's songs so many times his lyrics are drilled into my brain, just like her in a sense. I put in my headphones and press play on the song as I fall back on my bed, once again staring at my ceiling. 

I sing along with Ed, my voice barely a whisper as I repeat the lyrics back to myself. Knowing within a month these words will be my anthem to cope with Millie being with Romeo. Why don't I just get Millie back now when I'm the one who broke up with her? I know I sounds stupid and ridiculous but I know Millie will be happier with Romeo whether she'll admit it or not. And as much as we may love each other now, I don't want to be the one to say 'I told ya so' when she breaks up with me for Romeo, especially when it'll hurt so much more then rather than now. That night I drift off to sleep to the sound of Ed Sheeran singing my soon-to-be anthem, Happier.