something stranger || sillie ✔️

4 || Secrets

|| Sadie ||

When I wake up and don't find Millie there beside me, I admit I get a little (okay a lot) scared. Then when I see her note I just get more worried. I immediately call her, seeing that it's 3:00PM (did I really sleep that long?!) She doesn't pick up, so I spam her with about twenty worried text messages.

"Millie..." I mutter under my breath. Why am I so worried? It's probably fine, right? She's totally fine. RIGHT? What the hell, Sadie...

At about 5:00 I get a text from Caleb asking me out to dinner, so I text him back, "Sure" and he tells me to be ready at 5:45 because he got us a reservation at Pascal's, which is Millie's favorite restaurant come to think of it. Jesus Christ, I'm acting like she's been captured by the demogorgon and taken to the Upside Down. I guess I'm just an overprotective bestie, y'know? But I really am genuinely worried...

-

"Hey, Soodie," Caleb says, using his totally obnoxious but kinda adorable nickname for me as I open the front door.

"Hi, Caleb," I say with a little smile, walking out and shutting the door behind me. When we get to his car, he opens the door for me and helps me in. I smile and give him my thanks, but in the few seconds while he's walking around to the driver's side and I'm alone in the car my smile falters as I think of Millie. Why would she leave? Is she hiding something from me? We've always told each other our secrets. 

Whatever, it's probably nothing.

When we get to Pascal's, Caleb gives the hostess his name and the she leads us to a table for two in the back corner. We look at the menus for a bit before deciding on our food options and calling a waiter over. Caleb and I just make small talk until the food comes, and at that point the smell alone manages to take my mind off of Millie.

"Mm," Caleb says as we dig in. "This place never ceases to amaze me. Damn good for little old Georgia."

"There's lots of good restaurants here," I argue. "But yes, Pascal's surpasses most of them." I smirk.

"Hell yes," Caleb grins.

We eat our food, then our waiter comes around and offers us a dessert menu. Caleb insists we get the creme brûlée, and I can't argue against his request. The smooth custard, the crispy golden glaze, it's got to be my favorite dessert.

We're about halfway through the creme brûlée when I notice Caleb has stopped eating. I look up and meet his eyes.

"Something wrong?" I ask worriedly.

"No..." Caleb says. "I just... really like you." He chuckles lightly.

"I like you too," I say, smiling shyly. Caleb reaches across the table to take my hand in his, uses the other to brush away the creme brûlée dish, and presses his lips to mine. And that's when I feel a buzzing from beside me on the booth. I pull away from Caleb and look at my phone, because it could be Millie.

"It's Millie. I gotta go," I say, scurrying off to the bathroom as I answer my phone.

"Sadie!" I hear Caleb exclaim.

"Hello?" I say as I make it to the bathroom and lock the door behind me.

"Hey," Millie responds. "I saw your messages."

"Yeah! Where are you? I've been worried!" I shout frantically.

"I'm at home... you?" Millie asks.

"I'm at Pascal's," I say.

"Okay... um, can you come meet me?" Millie asks.

"I'm with Caleb," I say and hear Millie's breathing change to a disappointed sigh. "But I'll tell him it's important."

"Thank you."

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, I'm just feeling kinda weird... maybe just period stuff, but Karolina took me out to Pascal's for lunch today and I snapped at her and... I don't know, Sadie I just feel really aggravated or something."

"I'll be right over." I say, and we say bye, then I go back to our table where Caleb gives me a "wtf" look.

"So...?" He says, obviously a little annoyed at the interruption.

"Can you take me to Millie's?" I ask.

"Now?"

"Yes."

"Okay... lemme get the check," Caleb sighs. I feel pretty bad for dissing him like this, but Millie is my best friend, and she needs me.

|| Millie ||

"Thank you for coming," I say as Sadie walks in.

"No problem," Sadie says, waving at Caleb in his car. He blows her a kiss and drives off, leaving us alone in the foyer, and I grab Sadie's arm and lead her up to my room. We pass Karolina's room where she and Dacre are probably making out or something and a frown meets my face. I can't believe the things I said to her today...

"What's up?" Sadie asks as we get to my room. I sit on my bed beside her and look down at my fingers.

"I don't know..." I start. "Something's going on and I don't really know what."

"What kind of something?" Sadie asks.

"Like a personality change, I think." 

I honestly don't know. It just hit me this morning that something was going to change.

"Like there's a mindflayer trying to win over your personality?" Sadie says, trying to earn a laugh and lighten the mood. She does, but my laughter dies quickly.

"No... something a lot stranger," I say.

"Hey," Sadie says, grabbing my hand and leaning her head on my shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll figure it out."

I turn my head a little to look at Sadie and realize our closeness. Our faces are just inches apart. My face becomes serious and I have to pull away after a few seconds. I've never felt like this. Sadie and I have always been really... huggy, and holding hands and lying against each other. Like sisters. But now, this is the first time it's felt somehow different. And I actually blush. And so does Sadie. She lets go of my hand.

"Um, yeah, thanks for coming," I say, nervously messing with my hair. "I think I can figure it out. See you at school on Monday?"

"Um... yeah," Sadie says, seeming a little dazed too.

"My mom can take you home," I say.

"Thanks." And then she leaves. I remain sitting still on my bed staring at the place she once sat. I feel this pressure of having a secret so big I don't even know the full extent of it...