i'm not saying this chapter was inspired by my baking test, but it was kind of inspired by my baking test.
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"OK, what's wrong?"
I looked up from staring at the banana muffins baking in the oven, over to Abbie, who was slouched out on the couch looking very concerned, paused in an episode of Sherlock.
"What?"I asked quietly, shrugging her off and returning my attention back to the muffins. They weren't rising properly.
"What what?"she shot back. Sighing, she stands and leans on the counter, propping her chin into her hands, and stares at me.
"Nothing..."I mutter.
"I can tell it's not nothing, Han,"she said, "You came in an hour earlier than I was expecting, said nothing as you seat beside me and watch Sherlock, didn't even cry at the Reichenbach fall, and now you're baking muffins, which, mind you, you only do when you're sad, or whatever. So, what is it? Guy you were supposed to meet was a weirdo?"
She's close, but I hesitate.
She sees it.
"Oh,"she says, her eyes softening, "I'm so sorry. What happened? Are you okay?"
My eyes start to tear up, the first time it has since discovering Finn bloody Whitehead was the guy I've been texting for about two months.
It does hurt, so much, being lied to. I was kept in the dark throughout my whole life who my real dad was, and why he'd left, and discovering he'd left my mother brokenhearted was tough to deal with it. Worse was, realising neither of them has the moral high ground was especially tough, because I can't find someone to blame.
It's a defense mechanism.
"I...."I began. "It was Fionn Whitehead."
Silence.
"Bie?"
Her face was masked, unreadable. She looked like she was lost in thought, like she wanted to say something but might accidentally tell a secret. Her eyes were beginning to tear up as well.
That snapped me out of my misery, if only for a bit.
"Bie, are you crying?"I asked.
She took a shaky breath, then answered, "No, no, this isn't about me, now tell me, what do you mean Fionn Whitehead?"
I shrugged helplessly. "It was Fionn. Yeah, Tommy from Dunkirk. The guy I've been talking to. He....lied."
More silence. She looked almost....scared.
"And what are you gonna do about it?"she asked softly, her eyes hardening.
"To be honest," I said, "I don't know."
"Let ask you something," she began, "Do you like him?"
I scoffed. "I still do, kinda. But..."I shrugged again.
"Advice,"she said, "He....he could be a good friend. Don't be scared he's famous. If you really think you can be friends, you gotta chase after him. Don't let the chance slip away! Don't make m....that mistake. You'll regret you let him go."
I pondered on her words, letting their meaning sink in.
It was her type to give advice, but it was almost like she was speaking from experience. It made me anxious.
Ding!
The oven light shut off, the sound and lights signifying the muffins were done. I backed up and opened it.
We inspected it. The muffins smelled amazing...but they hadn't risen properly. They were flat, and looked depressed as hell.
"Another failed baking, Han."Abbie laughed.
I nodded, smiling for the first time since Fionn Whitehead saved my life.
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my mind is still on acads lol, but here is....a thing. little plug for my friend cookie_dough19 who finally published her harry styles fic...fionn and hanna make an appearance cookies to anyone who finds them! the universe of that fic is the same as my one shot, a few chapters back.
love y'all for all the positivity on this thing! let's hope i get some inspo real soon.
