What We Lost | Fillie

Chapter Eight: Old Times

The party doesn't last long after Finn takes his leave. Not that Finn had been the life of the party or anything—Millie hadn't even known he was there—but once Jacob finds his full consciousness again and Caleb kindly asks him to leave, he does, but takes a large portion of the party with him which Millie couldn't be more thrilled about. Actually, Jacob's abrupt departure leaves only her, Noah, Sadie and Caleb alone in the house which is far from a disappointment.

Noah has a bag of frozen corn on his face that Millie found in Caleb's freezer while Sadie had been cleaning up the blood stains from his nose that had bled for over twenty minutes while his eye swelled and turned all shades of purple. The swelling has subsided somewhat but he still looks awful. Although, in true Noah fashion he remains unnaturally upbeat.

"Good thing I'm not filming anything anytime soon." He laughs from his comfortable spot on the oversized bean bag in the corner of Caleb's room, "This would have cost serious money." he adds then shifts the bag to a new spot on his face in need of the icy remedy.

"Always looking on the bright side of things, eh Noah?" Millie asks from the couch where she sits next to Sadie who is cuddled up close to her boyfriend.

"Better than the alternative." He shrugs.

"True." She agrees.

Sadie nods and lifts her head off her boyfriend's shoulder, "You know, you used to do that too, Millie. . . you were always  so optimistic."

"Well can you blame me?" The young woman asks with a tired sigh, "After that accident. . . what happened—" She grimaces at the memory, "Looking on the bright side just isn't easy anymore." Her gaze falls to her hands that anxiously fidget with her black hair tie.

"I know," Sadie acknowledges, "sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for," She says then sighs, "I just wish I could get past it, you know?" her face falls into a pensive frown, ". . .Move on. . ."

Sadie grabs her fidgeting hands, stilling her anxious fingers, "You will Mil. And until then, we're all here for you. I know you don't like talking about it, but when you're ready. . .we're here." she looks to Caleb and Noah then back to Millie with a smile.

"Thanks." Millie grins half-heartedly then looks up, pulling her eyebrows together and squinting into a blank space in the room, "H-has anyone talked to Gaten lately?"

"Not really." Caleb says, ". . . he lives on the opposite side of the country, why?" 

"I don't know, it just seems like it's been so long." she replies. The others nod in agreement.

"You know," Millie says, "apart from this stuff with Finn, I'm actually really excited to film season five."

"Yeah," Noah agrees, " I can't wait. . . it'll be like old times." a reminiscent smile curves his lips.

Millie glances to the pondering boy, "Ah, old times." She repeats with a withering smile, "What I wouldn't give to be back there just for a day. . ." She stares blankly at the floor, "to be oblivious to all of this." Her mind begins to travel back through time to the first day she was on set for season four, seeing all her friends after not seeing them for weeks, though it felt longer. It was such a genuinely good day.

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The early days of February 2020 have been ticking on at a snail's pace for Millie but  finally it's the first day back on set for season four of Stranger Things. The weather is breezy and mild for this time of year in Georgia but it's quite pleasant and only adds to Millie's excitement. She is so ready for this season and is completely invigorated by the energy of this set, this day.  She always feels this way on the first day back, but today feels so much more special somehow.