What We Lost | Fillie

Chapter Ten: July 4th A.M.

The weekend comes and goes in what feels like an hour's time and before Finn realizes it, it's the morning of July fourth. The day of the first table-read, the first day of Bokator training, and his first real day of working with Millie again.

Everyone is due to arrive on set at eight a.m. for the table-read, break at one p.m. for lunch and then training starts at two-thirty. It's a jam packed day, but Finn is ready to get started even though his anxieties surrounding his ex are flying high. When he mentioned today's date in conversation she had gone to pieces and today is actually July fourth. He can only hope that she's found a way to handle it.

"Alright!" Luc claps his hands to gain the attention of the room of Scythe cast members. Finn tears his eyes from his script and looks forward to him. 

"Thank you all for being here and for being so time efficient so we can get things rolling this morning." He scans the room, taking the time to see each of the actors that are present. Finn sees him pause on both him and Millie. He knows he must look apprehensive as he taps a pen repeatedly on his script. He stops tapping his pen, hoping it will give the impression that he's more at ease.

"We'll be reading through scene twenty today, per your schedules, then we'll break for lunch and—well you all have your schedules, so let's just get started!"

As they read out the lines written for them, Finn takes quick notice that Millie is in an uncharacteristically happy mood. Well, uncharacteristically happy for her current self anyway because in the past she was always like this. She does seem to be ignoring him though. He had attempted a simple "Good morning" when he first sat down and he could tell that she heard him but instead of responding, she turned to Emma Thompson and began a whole new conversation.

Is this her plan? he wonders. To torture him by allowing him to see her happy but refusing to talk to him? Refusing to allow him to be a part of her happiness? If that's the case then it's working in making him feel like absolute crap.

But while Finn feels miserable, he can't show it. He's got to act unbothered and eager to work. And he does a relatively good job but finds himself missing cues and his timing for his lines are all wrong. Things that are supposed to be funny are coming off serious and the other way around as well. He can tell that others are noticing too but he hopes he'll be able to adjust after their first break that's coming up after scene ten.

He needs to reset, get the stuff with Millie off of his mind and get down to business again. After all, he's at work and he can't lose this job now. Imagining someone else in this role opposite Millie makes him feel. . .nauseous? Is this nausea? He wonders. Whatever this gut feeling is, it isn't pleasant.

As they read scene ten, Finn's flusteredness becomes even more apparent. The scene is primarily him, Millie and David Thewlis. In it, their characters; Rowan, Citra and Scythe Faraday, are going over rules regarding Citra and Rowan's relationship and the fact that there are to be no romantic ties between the two. This is obviously a sore spot for Finn and he's having trouble compartmentalizing it while Millie, on the other hand, is positively cruising her way through her lines and nailing everything.

"I absolutely will not tolerate any romantic notions between the two of you, so banish the thought from your mind now." David says, delivering the line adeptly.

"Not a problem." Finn responds, but his voice cracks causing him to sound like he's going through puberty again. He rolls his eyes as he inwardly curses himself. He sounds so unprofessional, especially compared to Millie and the others. He clears his throat with hot red splotches overtaking his cheeks as Millie replies with her line, "Yeah, no need to worry about that, with or without the rule." She doesn't miss a beat.