Word Count: 1502
Millie still hadn't mentioned her encounter with the guidance counselor to anyone; not even her mom. Winona was being patient and trying not to bring up the future with her daughter, but Millie could tell it was on her mind and she was anxious to be let in on Millie's plans.
The only thing Millie was certain on was that she and Sadie would go on a trip as they had planned for years. It was unclear what this would be, but due to how late they'd left it was likely going to be a road trip or a trip to Canada where they could stay with Sadie's grandparents.
Everything else was uncertain and Millie had never felt more alone. Not physically, but mentally. Even with Finn lying beside her on her bed, she still felt alone.
"I'm scared," Millie whispered, thinking out loud. The thought of life after high school wasn't constantly plaguing her mind, although the thought would hit her unexpectedly and cause her stomach to sink - her thoughts becoming overwhelming.
Finn's head snapped in her direction, his eyes diverting from the movie on the laptop screen. "What?" He quickly reached forward to pause the movie. Millie didn't even know what it was called; she'd been too engulfed in her own thoughts. "What's wrong?" Finn was no longer lying beside Millie, he was more upright with his arm stretched out to hold him up and shaggy hair hanging down as he stared down at the girl.
Millie regretted bringing it up in the first place - it was although she was thinking out loud; not properly processing the thoughts before they left her lips. But anyone knew that nothing was more annoying than someone bringing something like this up and then retracting their words and muttering something along the lines of 'don't worry', or 'never mind, it's nothing'.
So instead, Millie inhaled sharply, chewed on the inside of her cheek (which had been torn up these past weeks from her nervousness) and spoke quietly, "I have no clue what I want to expect when we finish school and it's terrifying."
After a moment of silence, Finn cleared his throat before responding in a voice that was only slightly louder than Millie's had been, "you mean, like, with us?" He frowned, sucking in his bottom lip, "you're worried about us?"
The words startled Millie - she hadn't even thought about it. She'd been so preoccupied with worrying over her future that this hadn't even crossed her mind, "well, I wasn't until now..." Millie craned her neck so she was no longer looking in the direction of Finn and was now staring at the left side of his room - band posters (some of whom she had no idea who they were), a messy bookshelf of which only one shelf actually had books on it and a stack of clean clothes his mom had been hassling him to put away. The normality of it all somewhat comforting, whilst simultaneously upsetting when associated with the thought of not seeing it again.
"Well," Finn repeated, with a sigh. One of his hands was holding his hair back from his face, while the other still held him up. "Neither was I," Millie turned back to look at him; his head now turned upwards and staring at the roof. She wanted to say something but there was an uncertainty in the air that told her Finn wasn't done talking and she was right when he opened his mouth again, his voice trembling slightly as he was now as anxious as Millie. "I didn't know you felt this way, Mills. Regardless of if it involves me - us. I just want you to know I love you and, well, if you're in then so am I."
The nervous feeling in Millie's stomach was replaced with guilt as she realized what he was saying. She hadn't meant to make him worry! At a loss for words, Millie just stared at Finn with a frown (which admittedly, probably gave him the wrong idea) as she tried to force her mouth to move hand in hand with her brain. The words just weren't coming out.
Finn's face was covered with a worried expression that mirrored that of Millie's, she felt terrible for planting these thoughts in his head. There weren't many things Millie wasn't certain about at this moment; but her and Finn's relationship? That was something she couldn't more sure about. It was right. "No. God, no." Millie shook her head frantically as she, too, sat up slightly. "This here, us, I do not have a single doubt about." She mustered a warm smile to offer Finn, her words sinking in with both him and herself.
He seemed visibly relieved, his tense body relaxing and his hand carefully finding it's way to Millie's cheek, the gentle touch calming her down (even if it was just temporarily). Soon enough, his lips met her soft ones as they connected with a short, but sweet kiss. "Thank god," Finn chuckled slightly as they parted, his hot breath sending shivers down Millie's spine. "Because I cannot picture my life without you at this point."
Just as their lips are about to reconnect, Millie's phone rings abruptly and rather loudly - startling the both of them. Potentially Finn more, although he'd never admit it.
Millie offers an apologetic look as she sees the caller ID, answering before muttering, "Sadie? What's up?" Finn lies back down, repositioning himself in the same spot he was before the conversation. "Really? Sadie!" The excitement in Millie's voice peaked his interest, he was dying to know what the girl on the other end of the call was saying. "No way, I'm so happy for you. Are you celebrating?" Finn tapped Millie's shoulder but she just waved him off, causing a groan to leave his lips. "Okay, yeah. That's sounds good. Well, I'm really happy for you, okay? Talk soon."
As soon as Millie had hung up the phone Finn started tapping her on the shoulder again, "what did she say?"
Millie wasn't sure if she should tell Finn because it was Sadie's news not her own. But Finn and Sadie had been friends for ages and were close, too, so it seemed rather harmless. Plus, it was unlikely he'd drop it until he forced it out of her. "Sadie got waitlisted for Julliard!" To say Millie was proud of her best friend was an understatement, but she couldn't say she was surprised. Sadie was exceptionally talented and regardless of whether she ended up getting in; Millie knew that this would boost her self-esteem.
"Julliard?" Finn furrowed his eyebrows, "that's incredible, but I had no idea she'd auditioned?"
"Oh, right. She hadn't really told many people because she was really nervous about it and didn't think she'd make it in," Millie shrugged, breathing deeply - the thin, cool air causing her to shiver ever so slightly and thus leading her to slide down slightly and pull the blanket over her cold body.
"Millie?" Finn muttered, looking down at the girl snuggled under the duvet on his bed. Finn was sure he'd never seen something so precious; her hair dangling carefully over her face and cheek squished up against the pillow. She peered at him through her lashes with a look of anticipation, curiosity, and potential confusion. "You're a really good friend."
Like any other compliment, the words caused a flush of pink to spread across her face (although this remained unknown to Millie) as she rolled her eyes and blew a puff of her hair out of her face, "thank you, I guess." It was a fault of hers to not be able to accept compliments, but this was like anyone else really.
Now it was Finn's turn to roll his eyes as he internally groaned at her incapability to allow anyone to praise her. Some things took time though, like the insecurity and the uncertainty of the future. Or, Finn's tendency to overthink and get anxious to an unbearable extent. Everything takes time.
"Are you going to come watch the game tomorrow?" Finn's words were small but audible; his nervousness towards his first game back disguised.
"Of course I am." Millie reached up to punch his arm gently, Finn grabbing it as she pulled it away and holding it in his warm one. "You're an idiot, Finn Wolfhard."
Finn brought her hand up to his lips, placing a short kiss on it before dropping it along with his body and pulling the blanket over his body, cuddled up with Millie. His lips were so close to her face as he whispered, "And you're beautiful, Millie Brown."
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Y'all I'm almost done writing the last chapter which I've been spending a little more time on than usual and if I finish it I'll post it tonight!
The epilogue, however, may be a little longer (if it happens, I don't want it to be unnatural) because I really want to perfect it.
Thanks guys!
