antisocial

[ 19 ]

[ I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD. ]

• • •

F I N N 

• • •

He was on a mission.

Maybe more of a less-aggressive opportunity he was willing to take. The slivering gates were still opened as he rushed toward it; with his solid gear that dangled under his arm. He laughed quietly to himself with a shake of his raven-darkened curls, knowing Mister Keery wouldn't hold him up nor would he complain peskily.

"Finn!"

To the pale-skinned boy, he would've kept walking. Genuinely he would, but the voices in his mind whispered frantic promises to cherish. So he came to halt. 

"Finn." 

Her voice was more clear now, breathless even, rather than vague but Finn couldn't hold his breathe. He tried, he really tried. 

The freckled boy turned around slowly to be facing down at the prettiest art that could hold the stars with the sky. He gulped, feeling the thick saliva that slithered down against the inside of his throat, trying to look away. But, he couldn't.

"Uh, hi," he said awkwardly with a wave, backtracking to the action he had just portrayed. He noted to punch himself in the face out of humiliation later. 

The brunette smiled bashfully as if what Finn had done was the most romantic thing she had ever witnessed. "Do you have time to talk?" 

He turned around to look at the gates dubiously. 

"Or...I can come back later?"

"No!" Finn squeaked whilst his pale cheeks got warmer. "No, uh, I have time." 

The brunette, or so as in Millie, grinned, walking over to the bricked benches that were near the gates. 

"Here," she said, patting the empty seat next to her. 

Finn mentally went through his thoughts, remembering how he avoided Millie for three days straight because he was too ashamed to face up to his own actions on that painful night. But Millie, the angel that sang the harmonic beauties of heaven, gave him space to breathe. And, oh how was he grateful. 

He sat down, suddenly noticing the small book that was in Millie's grasp of hands. She tilted her head to look at him with a smile.

"My face is up here, you know."

Finn blinked at her then traced his fingers as a blush crept on his cheeks. "Yeah. Yeah, sorry." 

The silence hung over them once more with their calm, shallow breathing that made the young boy's heartbeat thump slower. 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he whispered so quietly that maybe the ghosts of his loneliness could hear him. 

Millie stared at him. "What?" 

"About my mental state. I'm sorry."

The brunette sighed solemnly. "Finn, don't say that." 

He looked away. It's barely been thirty minutes and he could already feel the sizzling droplets that slowly filled his eyes. "But, it's true." 

His face whirled over toward to Millie's, who's eyes were so vivid, with colors that swirled everywhere.

Her lips came halfway close but stopped right before she leant in.