peaches | fillie

eighteen

"Airplanes suck ass," Finn groaned, massaging the back of his neck.

The pair had landed in Santa Clarita, California, and were sitting in the back of a black car.

The idea of "ubering" and taxis perplexed Millie, the small town she was raised in never having the services as an option. She wondered who had conceived the idea of being driven around a city by a stranger. Maybe that person had been doing it for years, decided they could make a lot of money off of it and created the iconic yellow taxis. Or maybe they are just really convenient for busy traffic... Millie pondered.

The girl often went off on tangents in her mind, and it was something that she wasn't very fond of. She would find herself thinking more than she would speak, but that was how she stayed positive. Her philosophy was that if she was present in her mind and around her friends, she was present all the time.

Millie jumped when she felt Finn's grip against her thigh, his thumb brushing gently against the fabric of her skirt. The short girl had attempted to modify her endless wardrobe of pleated skirts and sweaters slightly to accommodate the heat, but half of her suitcase was filled with a colorful array of the familiar skirts anyway. Her eyes met his as he stared at the hem of the pink material and they exchanged a sunny smile. He raised his eyebrows, almost as if to say "we made it!"

She chuckled, placing her hand on top of his and turning to watch the world beyond the window with wide eyes.

The car Millie was so confused about carried them across several intersections, headed to the apartment her father had rented for them. He had been insistent on covering some of their expenses, so Millie and Finn gave up on negotiating after he had booked the housing.

Palm trees lined the streets, something that was foreign to the couple. Finn smiled as he opened his window, salty breeze rushing across his freckled cheeks. The girl next to him had replaced her gaze on the window to his face instead moments earlier, her cheeks burning red when he felt her stare. They had been...whatever they were for over two months, and yet she still felt stupidly nervous around him.

"Staring, huh?" he joked, poking her side. She looked down bashfully, the pink on her cheeks spreading to fill her entire face. Finn pulled her face back up to look at him by her chin, the click of a camera following his actions.

"I didn't know that me being awkward was so photo-worthy," Millie giggled, tugging at the camera strap. Finn responded by taking several more photographs, wondering how he had managed to meet such an insanely beautiful, intelligent girl as he snapped her picture.

***

Their feet fell onto the pavement in sync, approaching the small house. Her father had good taste, selecting a cottage that was covered in blue and cream shingles. Finn wouldn't have minded any other color, but he knew that Millie appreciated the pastel palette.

Millie pulled her bags behind her, a pair of sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose. This wasn't Hollywood, sure, but she loved the feeling of this town even more. The way the ocean was close but still required an hour's drive. The sunlight that fell effortlessly across the stretch of the neighbor, unblocked by large skyscrapers. Blue sky that was clear and inviting. Millie wanted to bag every aspect of this area and drag it back home with her.

The door pushed open easily once Finn inserted the brass key, a satisfying click arising with each of his footfalls. He paused before he called Millie inside, watching her intently as her eyes studied the sky. She smiled wildly, almost as if someone had offered her twelve gallons of ice cream. He brought his camera to his eye again, making a mental note to buy a larger memory card later.

***

Millie ran ahead of Finn like a child, her outfit changed into a flowery sundress. They were trying to find a location for the boy to take more pictures, as he wanted to "expand his portfolio." She made fun of his photography terms often, repeating them in an accent similar to that of an old British man. Her own dainty accent added to the hilarity of the entire situation, it's posh sound snaking around each of her impressions.

The girl reached her arms up, dancing across the street and in front of a small collection of tents.

"It's a farmer's market!" she exclaimed, pointing eagerly at the group. Finn smiled, snapping a picture of her child-like expression.

"Let's go!" he responded, hustling next to her and pushing her forward a little.

There were baskets full of vegetables, vases of flowers, hats, paintings, pretty much everything that a person would expect to find at a local market, but this one was different. Everyone there greeted each other kindly, chatting amongst one another about their children and spouses happily. Millie enjoyed playing the role of a Californian, acting as if she had lived there her whole life while still taking in the new experiences the city provided. She smiled at strangers and waved to small children passing by, grinning wider as they returned the actions. Finn had never seen her like this, so carefree, and he didn't want it to end.

The couple had managed to get some pictures while in the swarm of people, as well as picking up a bouquet of sunflowers.

"You really like it here," Finn observed,  pulling her into a hug. She nodded against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Maybe you can try and talk to the people at the school, see what they say," Millie offered. He scoffed, ruffling her hair.

"I get that you're trying to help, and I appreciate it a lot, Peaches, don't get me wrong," Finn said, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"But you don't think they're gonna change their minds," she interjected, pulling away from him. A sad smile appeared on his lips and he nodded, tapping his foot on the pavement. Millie tugged on his hand, collecting her bouquet from a nearby table and beginning to walk back in the direction of their summer home.

"Lesson number ten," Millie sang, "The girl in front of you is a really good negotiator,"

Finn rolled his eyes, letting her pull him the rest of the way down the street.

"I'm sure that you are, peachy,"

authors note:

i like the vibe that emerging from this new location... i think it'll be helpful to write about somewhere other than their "hometown" for once.

don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT FEEDBACK !

thank you so so much for reading, i love you to the moon and back three hundred million times <3

-paige

{EDIT 7/30/2019: little content edit because i accidentally kept in that they were dating oops!!}