on golden pond | fillie

cherry cola

finn's p.o.v.

"how is it that i've never been here?" millie shakes her head, a toothy smile on her lips. she sits across from me in the wobbly canoe; her life jacket is hanging open, the buckles tapping against her paddle.

i balance my wooden paddle on my thighs; looking around the shallow, rocky channel we paddled to. "you've been missing out," i shrug.

"no shit loser."

millie seemed genuinely astonished by the beauty of the channel. the way the sun caressed the pine trees and billowed around the tall spruce. the wispy birch trees that framed the busy forest with their peeling bark. but all i seemed to see was the way the leaves cast shadows across millie's sun kissed cheeks and how her hair was still wet from her morning swim, dripping onto her t-shirt.

millie was all i seemed to see lately. the world was filled with terrifying empty spaces which caused my anxiety to bubble over to my boiling point. however, millie filled those spaces with her short hair that smells of honey and her eyes that reflect the stars at night.

"hey loverboy, we're over here!"

i turn my head towards the sound of wyatt's voice.

"oh uh-" i stutter.

"this is awesome!" millie saves me. "we can all eat lunch together!" she smiles brightly.

we paddle to shore and lift the canoe from the water, sprinkling droplets of lake water over our feet.

wyatt leans against a tree in the small clearing. a fire burns in the center, in hopes of keeping away the mosquitos.
grace sits in a small, old lawn chair, playing with the straw in her cherry cola.

millie and i carry our picnic basket over to meet them, setting it down at our feet.

"so what brings you guys out here...?" i question, swatting at a bug.

"i wanted a quiet place to think." noah startles me, walking out from where he stood hidden in the forestry.

"noah!" millie bounces over. "what a lovely surprise"

my eyes fall to the pine needle covered ground.

when i look back up noah's cheeks are a bright crimson.

with a small sigh i inch towards millie and snake my arm around her small waist. she leans into my touch, never once does her smile falter.

grace looks us up and down, analyzing.
"so it is true,"

millie huffs. "what?"

" you two, you're an item." the blond girl giggles. "i heard rumors."

i may be imaging it but i swear noah's shoulders slumped as grace spoke.

millie looks up at me with her big brown eyes. "well i mean," she smirks. "finn still hasn't really asked me to be his girlfriend yet."

i choke.

"oh finn, you've got to ask sometime." grace states.