Prom: A Finn and Millie Love Story

Chapter 5: Sadie

"It's Romeo! Romeo Beckham! Are you kidding me?!" Millie was squealing in delight as she hugged Finn.

Finn kept a cool exterior, tried his best to smile, turned to Millie and said, "Haha, yeah, Romeo. I guess you know now. Congrats Mills!" But deep down, Finn could feel his heart break and sink into a whirlpool of emotions. At first, he felt shock, realizing that Noah had failed to buy roses for Millie and sneak it into the trailer. And then Finn felt confusion, learning that Romeo Beckham--son of David and Victoria--would ask Millie to be his high-profile date even if he had barely known her. And then he felt his heart break, that Millie could be so happy and fall head over heels publicly for a guy she barely knew. And then he felt jealousy rise up inside of him, that another fourteen year old boy could so effortlessly get Millie's attention. Finally, he felt all of these terrible emotions at once--a terrible feeling really--because it crushes you emotionally, drains you physically, and breaks you spiritually.

Oh my God, David Harbour thought. Of all of the coincidences that could happen, it has to be the very worst that could happen to Finn.

David noticed Noah walking up to him, looking like he was about to cry. His face was even more pale than usual. How could I have let Finn down? Romeo Beckham? Really? I know Millie has a crush on the guy but she barely knows him. If she received flowers from both Finn and Romeo, she would've chosen Finn by a mile. 

By now, several other cast members and production crew had come on to the scene to see what the commotion was about. Some were smiling, while some others looked confused and asked what was going on. By now, Gaten, Caleb, and Sadie were looking at Finn worried.

Finn saw everyone around him and began to hold back the tears. I can't cry in front of everybody, especially Millie. Not now, Finn thought to himself.

"So are you going to say yes?" Finn asked Millie innocently.

"Of course! Are you joking me!? He's so handsome, and so popular, and so charming. He watches my livestreams you know? And I watch his, so we're cool," Millie explained. The happiness on her face was genuine. "Unless, you don't want me to?" she asked Finn in a hushed tone. In a moment, her happiness vanished and turned into a look of genuine wonder and concern about what Finn thought of her.

"Wh-why are you asking my permission?" Finn asked, slightly taken aback. As long as it doesn't interfere with our filming schedule, then yeah, sure. What day is it next week?"

"Saturday. February 13th. At least it's the weekend and I think the Duffers will be out of town then, so we're not filming."

Oh God, Finn thought. That's the evening of my dance in school. When bad luck rains, it pours. This just can't get any worse.

Millie ran back to her trailer and the crew who watched what went on gradually dispersed. Finn was left alone with David, Noah, Gaten, Caleb, and Sadie. Finn was relieved to be in the presence of friends. He had never talked about it with them, but he knew that they knew about his feelings for Millie. Actors form a special bond over time, and they tend to understand the pressures of the film industry and public expectations. They also understand how some castmates influence other castmates, and one thing they all knew was that Finn--who placed so much pressure on himself to be the best he could be--was first and foremost best friends with Millie. They understood that Finn didn't only have a crush on Millie, but he trusted her and depended on her to become the best that he could be. Finn, a natural introvert, gradually came out of his shell because Millie believed in him. Over the months, they had seen her genuine happiness and enthusiasm rub off on Finn. He became a better actor and public figure with more self-confidence. They were there when Finn told Millie over dinner that he wouldn't have been able to come out of his shell if it weren't for her. That's when they all knew that Finn had fallen in love.