three step plan - fillie

7. what she started

millie

i have a culture shock! book of vancouver in my hands, my thumb pressed against the spine. there are a ton of phonebooks in front of me. i had a good old walk to the library not a few moments ago, carrying three phonebooks in my arms and one little book plopped above. im pretty sure i cant find his name yet in phonebooks, but its worth a shot.

im sitting on my bed, my hair frizzed from sleep and that unfresh feeling still lingering in my body. theres some pillows on the floor and the white, hotel sheets touch the carpet. i badly want to take a shower but im committed into finding him. i have to.

grunting, i take my phone and open instagram. i switch from my personal account to a private account i made a few months ago as i was planning my search for him. i had to create a new account on every social media he had because he blocked me on every single one. sigh.

i type his username on the search bar and scroll on his feed for a moment. his last post was yesterday, of which i havent seen yet because i was out. every day i monitor, taking note of his favorite places and such.

even looking at his posts makes my chest tighten. theyre all full of her.

full of iris.

;

yesterday he was at gaten matarazzo's house. i didnt know him personally but i knew for a fact he was his best friend. one of his best friends at least. i know there's someone else, because i remember him telling me they were three in the group. but he never posts a picture of the other friend anyway. theyre probably not in good terms.

i search for matarazzo in the phone book, my finger gliding against the yellow pages to align properly for his number.

successfully! there, in bold letters.. gaten matarazzo.

for a moment i pause. i check the copyright page of the phonebook. its dated 2004.

i frown.

if gatens my age, then he'd probably be a baby in 2004. thats physically impossible to be named on a phonebook at a year or two in age.

but its worth a shot. i mean, how many people are named gaten anyway, i guess?

i dial the number quickly, like im rushing, although theres nothing to rush for anyway.

the familiar ring when waiting for a call bounces against my eardrums as i grasp on the white sheets in tension. i feel nervous.

"hello?" a deep voice greets me, takijg me off guard. this is definitely not gaten matarazzo. his dad.. maybe?

"um, hi. im millie bobby brown, and im looking for gaten? gaten matarazzo?"

theres a short pause.

"gaten the second or gaten the third?" a light chuckle plays from my phone, onto my ear. "i assume you're looking for my son. you sound his age. let me give the phone to him, wait - "

theres a muffled sound, then a yelled, "gaten!"

a thump of stairs and an exasperated, "what??"

another muffled sound before, "hello?" his voice gleams through the phone.

"um, hi?" i say again. "im millie, millie bobby brown..?" i pray hard that he hasnt mentioned my name to his friends at all. after all, im sure he's humiliated of me anyway.

"millie bobby brown?" i can almost sense him frowning. "i dont know you.. but how do you know me?"

i take a deep breath. "im.. im a friend of romeo's. but please, dont mention anything to him, please." i plead. "can we just talk in person?"

silence. loooong silence.

"this sounds fake." i hear him scratch his head. "are you a scammer? cause i swear, i'll call the police - "

"no!" i say. "no, im not. im dead serious.. but i really need to see you. are you available later this afternoon?"

another silence.

"no."

i sigh in frustration. "please?" the desperation in my voice is inevitable not to hear.

".."

"fine," he suddenly breathes out. "where?"

"the coffee-doughnut shoppe down that avenue.. whatsit called.." i mutter to myself.

"lucky's?" his tone is impatient. he says it in a way its like im taking his precious time.

"yeah," i smack my head.

"o-okay." he says in the same way.

"see you..?" i say unsurely.

"yup." the short word, but its said with this distrust.

he hangs up.

;

im curling my finger against the chain that holds my purse, coiling it then releasing. i take a sip from my mug of coffee, inhale, then exhale.

my eyes are focused on the door. i look at it so intensely, i think i can burn it to ashes.

suddenly the familiar face i keep seeing in his instagram. curly hair. blue eyes.

his eyes roam around the shoppe, making me stand up and tapping him on the shoulder. he looks startled for a while before raising a brow at me. "millie bobby brown..?"

i nod, plastering on a smile. "yes," i lead him to my booth.

"um, about romeo," i say straightforwardly, placing my hands on the table. he frowns.

"what about him?"

"look, i need to find him. i need to clear things out with him, to talk to him - "

"i dont like the sound of this already," gaten interrupts me, "look, romeo is in a relationship. he's happy. and some random girl calls me, pining over my bestfriend. just whatever youre planning - let it go," he says, quite angry, "and leave him be."

he seems to be in a bad mood.

"look, just please listen to me," i say but he stands up, glaring at me.

he exits the shoppe, the bells ringing as he shuts the door. i feel warm tears form in my eyes. yet again another human being who disagrees with my plan. who judges me with not even knowing what i've given up for this.

i wipe them immediately, looking around if anyone saw me crying. luckily, no one did. my eyes follow gaten who's talking to this curly haired boy, taller than him by a few inches. theres something familiar with the way this guy moves - its kind of uncanny. they seem to be arguing. fighting.

i gasp. the guy from the mall!