15;
"Ms Brown, are you even listening to me?"
Millie rolled her eyes and continued twirling her hair. "Of course I am."
"You've been in my office four times just this week. You're parents pay a lot of money for you to go to this school, I hope you realize that." Mr. Newby crossed his arms and leaned back in his black leather chair.
"My mom. My dad doesn't pay for shit."
"Do not use that kind of language." Mr. Newby gave Millie a stern look. "I understand being the new student can be difficult, but I've given you one too many chances. If you're sent here one more time, you're out. I mean that, Ms. Brown."
Millie gave the principal a quick nod before hopping up and walking out of his office. She grabbed a cigarette out of her back pocket and walked out the front doors of the school, ignoring the bell indicating that first period was starting. She walked to the back of the school, lighting the cigarette and putting it between her lips, hardly even breathing in the smoke. She still hated the way it hurt her throat.
"You smoke now?"
Millie turned around to see Finn also smoking a cigarette a few feet away. Just my luck, she thought.
"Go away." The girl said, smoke coming out of her mouth as she did so. They hadn't talked in weeks, and she had no intention to start again.
"Millie." Finn tossed his cigarette to the ground, stepping on it before walking over to the girl.
Millie shook her head and backed away. "I mean it, Finn. We're not friends, leave me alone."
"Its been a month, why don't you want to talk?" Finn noticed how different the girl was acting. He hated to think that he was the reason why.
Millie laughed. "You ended things. I moved on, isn't that what you wanted?"
"I was confused, Mills. I didn't want to lead you on. I had to end it until I figured myself out."
Millie dropped her cigarette to the ground. "Well that's great Finn. I'm glad you figured yourself out, but I've moved on." The girl gave him a final glance before turning around and walking back to class.
~
"Millie, over here!" Iris waved the girl over as she entered the cafeteria.
Millie noticed her and smiled, walking over to her friends and taking a seat. "Hey, guys."
"I didn't see you in first today, is everything alright?" Wyatt looked over at the girl.
Millie shrugged, "Principal's office." She replied.
Sophia's eyes widened and she looked over at the girl, "again? Jesus, Millie, that's like the fourth time this week."
Millie propped her elbows up on the table and laughed. "Is it really?"
Iris and Jaeden looked at the girl with concern. They knew the way she was acting was because of what had happened with Finn. They were the only ones who knew about it, and ever since that day they had noticed a change in Millie.
Iris stood up and eyed Millie. "Can we talk, Mills?" She asked, her voice more serious than usual. She had let this go on for a month now, and she wanted her friend back. Not this badass Millie that she knew was just an act.
Millie looked up at her. "Sure thing. Take a seat and let's talk."
Iris shook her head at the girl. "No. I mean somewhere else."
Millie looked confused but agreed nonetheless. "Okay." She hopped up from her seat and followed Iris out of the cafeteria.
Iris walked quickly, and Millie hurried to keep up. "What's this all about?" Millie questioned the blonde.
Once they were far enough away from other people, Iris stopped and turned towards Millie. "This is about you. The way you've been acting." She hoped Millie would listen and not just shut out what she was trying to say.
Millie furrowed her eyebrows at the girl. "How have I been acting?" She asked, though she knew what Iris was talking about. Smoking, getting in trouble at school, and hardly ever going to class anymore.
Iris frowned. "We all can tell, Mills. I'm worried about you. Why can't we talk about it?" She knew it was pointless, Millie was putting up a wall, she had been for the past month.
"There's nothing to talk about, okay? I'm just being myself, sorry that's too much for you." Millie turned away from Iris and walked off, but the girl grabbed her arm and turned her back around.
"No, Millie. This isn't you and we both know it."
Millie looked at the ground. She knew Iris was right, Millie wasn't acting like herself. She didn't know how to anymore.
"I talked to Finn today." Millie spoke, looking up at Iris.
Iris's eyes went wide. "You did? Are you okay?"
Millie sighed, "I'm alright. It was weird talking to him again. We're like strangers now."
Iris nodded, pulling her friend into a tight hug. She hated to see someone she cared about hurting like this. Iris knew Finn loved Millie, she just needed him to admit it.
