//faking alibi
"do you think wyatt will be there?"
"maddie, you are fucking dumb. why would he be there?"
the brunette slunk into the ripped blue beanbag, sinking in as she shot an annoyed glare at sadie through her icy blue eyes, "i don't know? maybe he knows jaeden." she looked to millie hopefully.
"he doesn't know jaeden," millie laughed, leaning forward into the mirror as she lined her eyes with dark eyeliner, "trust me."
maddie twisted her pink lips into a frown, crossing her arms around her chest, "how would you know that?"
"because, wyatt goes to franklin prep, and jaeden is friends with finn. i'm telling you, they won't know each other." millie dropped the thin pencil of eyeliner into the clear bag, making a silly face at herself in the mirror, pouting out her burgundy lips.
"speaking of this finn," sadie spoke up, popping her head away from the cosmo magazine she was so engrossed in and smirking at millie, "tell us about him, your new boy."
"he's not my boy." millie answered, shaking her head. "we're just... hanging out, i guess. but i'm not sure why."
"why? because..." sadie drawled out, running her pink painted fingernail along the corner of a page before carefully flipping it, "because you like each other?"
millie let out an obnoxious laugh, one that seemed entirely exaggerated. "we like each other?" she said loudly, smacking her hand against the front of her thigh, "fuck off, sadie, i've known him for barely a week."
"then why the hell are you going to a concert with him?" sadie wondered, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
"because, it beats sitting around and gossiping all night long with you bitches." millie snapped back, jerking her head around to face the two girls that sat behind her, she raised her chin, a devious smile occupying her lips. "that's why."
"you're not going to be saying that when you bring him home tonight, probably wasted." sadie said, returning millie's smirk as she tilted her head to the side, "like what happens with every other guy you hang out with."
"ouch." maddie whispered, her blue eyes fixated on millie.
"you and me both know it's true." sadie nodded at maddie, her red ponytail swishing behind her.
millie reached for her hairbrush, turning back to the mirror and combing it through her hair. "sadie, i swear to god. we don't even know each other enough to like each other, if you bring up that shit one more-"
"oh my god!" maddie yelled, standing up and placing her hands on her hips, "i came over here to have fun and help you get ready, not listen to you two argue over some stupid guy."
millie dropped the brush into the red bag, standing up and grabbing her jacket off of the door hook, "i'm leaving now." she said, ignoring maddie's anger, feeling content with herself. sadie was clearly fuming, but as for millie, she didn't let petty girl drama effect her, she had become resilient to the arguments that happened often in between them.
sadie picked the magazine back up into her pale hands, rolling onto her back and resting her head on the pillow, "bye." she muttered, rolling her eyes.
"bye, maddie." millie said, ignoring sadie and flashing a sarcastic smile at maddie before pulling the bedroom door shut loudly, walking through the hallway and into the living area.
"i'm going out with finn." millie said loudly, nodding towards natalia and joe who were cuddled up on the couch, joe with a blue can of budweiser in his hand.
"finn?" natalia questioned, her expression contorted into one of confusion, her dark eyebrows drawn together and her blue eyes connecting with joe's.
"second date." he muttered quietly, nudging nat's hip with his elbow gently, before standing up and approaching millie, his feet shuffling against the stained carpet.
millie rolled her eyes, shaking off his comment. she pulled on a pair of brown leather boots, standing up straight to face him.
"that finn kid... he's nick's brother, right?" joe asked, his voice quiet, in effort to not let natalia over hear. he placed his palm on the door frame next to her head and leaned over her.
"yes." millie answered, nodding.
joe sucked in his lower lip, blinking slowly and nodding, "just be careful, okay?"
millie rolled her eyes once more, nodding and slipping through the front door, waiting in the cold night for finn to arrive.
***
"let me take your jacket, and i'll get you something to drink." finn offered, grasping onto the edge of millie's jacket and giving it a soft tug, his palm just below the zipper.
"it's okay." millie rejected, knowing she could take care of herself, "i got it."
"no, really. i'm trying to be a gentleman, okay?" finn laughed, not able to help but notice how captivating millie seemed to look, even when she didn't try. he didn't know her too well, yet at least, but he definitely felt a tug at his nerves and an attraction towards her.
millie suppressed a smile, biting the inside of her cheek as she tried to act as if she didn't care, even though a small part of her did. as she carefully shrugged the jacket off and into his grasp, he pulled it off quickly and hung it on the hook.
"nothing valuable in here, right?" finn asked, releasing the jacket.
"unless you call my pocket knife valuable, then no." millie added, biting her lower lip between her teeth and watching as he pulled off his jacket, which was different this time. it was a denim material, a light acid washed color with grey sweatshirt sleeves. he pulled off the baggy jacket slowly, eyeing millie the whole time he did so, not letting his gaze break. goosebumps rolled up millie's forearms as her light golden eyes locked with his, millie examined the color, a dark brown like the cover of a leather book, she wondered what story they could tell.
finn smirked, winking and dropping his jacket over the hook next to hers, "like what you see?" he joked, not earning much of a response.
millie raised an eyebrow, finally tearing her eyes away and dropping her grin. "let's go get drinks." she said quietly, her voice low and almost inaudible over the chatter of the venue guests.
finn nodded, brushing himself against her side as he stepped in front of her, leading the way to the bar.
there were other teens their age, lined up against the counter and mingling in the opened area where tables had been pushed to the side. music hummed lowly over the speakers, a mixed melody of bass and drums vibrating through the small building.
finn found two barstools that were side by side, patting the seat of one as millie lifted herself to sit on it, propping an elbow on the counter and angling herself to face him.
"so your friend jaeden," she began, as finn glanced around for an available bartender. "he's our age?"
finn nodded, holding a blank but still attractive expression as he scanned behind the bar.
the lighting was dark, reflecting in shades of violet and pink against the shiny silver metal of millie's small hoop earrings, hanging among her thick dark hair.
after a small period of time, a middle-aged man with a developing beard approached the two, placing his hands in front of him as his eyes glued to millie, "can i get you kids something?" he asked, his grin as wide as his eyes.
"i'll just have a water." millie ordered, as finn shot dirty looks across the counter toward the bartender, who seemed to be taking an interest in millie.
he sneered, swaying his body closer to millie's as he placed his hand on the back of her barstool, a protective instinct. millie turned her head to him, finding that her face had suddenly become close to his.
"and you?" the man grumbled, barely acknowledging finn's presence.
"i'll have a coke." finn answered, his voice coming out harsh. he shifted his gaze, his eyes hard and burning through the bartender's skin, before he quickly slipped away and into the bustling kitchen behind them.
finn turned back to millie, his manner softening as he immediately calmed. "this place is swarming with creeps." he remarked, "be careful, and it's a good thing i'm with you."
"i'd be fine even if i were alone." millie said, scooting herself closer to him. she could smell him, whatever scent he was wearing. she smelled notes of sweet cinnamon and mint, something uncommon, but she liked it.
she smiled softly, relaxing into the leather chair.
"by the way, i can get us beers, if you want." finn offered.
millie narrowed her eyes, "how?"
"i know people." finn said, like it was obvious and simple. he shrugged, snickering.
"well, i think i'm good."
finn made a face, his eyebrows raising in disfavor, "why not?"
millie laughed, tucking a tuft of hair behind her ear, "i don't need alcohol to have a good time."
the way he cheeks raised into a smile, and the soft noise of her laughter comforted finn, he swiftly moved his arm from the back of the chair, releasing his grip on the wood and placing his palm on her shoulder.
millie shifted awkwardly, leaning into his touch but still keeping good distance. she knew she came off flirty sometimes, something sadie constantly reminded her of, and it definitely wasn't her intention.
interrupting their moment of silence came the sound of two cold glasses being sat heavily on the counter, the menacing bartender jeering his grey eyes away from finn before returning to the kitchen.
"well," finn said, "i meant to tell you this earlier but, you look good tonight. really pretty." he chuckled, raising his glass to meet his pink lips as he took a sip of his coke.
his comment almost took millie by surprise, as she had put forth little effort in her look tonight, not keen on impressing him. she didn't even find herself to be remotely attractive in this setting, so it was a shock to her that he found her 'really pretty', something guys never called her, she'd only ever gotten countless depraved stares and perversive comments that never had an effect on her. but this was the second time finn called her pretty, and even if she ignored it and acted unbothered, it still meant something to her, deep down.
millie nodded, placing her fingers around the tip of her straw and swirling it through the ice filled glass, "thank you." she grinned.
finn didn't respond, instead turning to survey the crowd and area with sudden curiosity.
the building was small, with exposed brick walls and dirty wooden floors, coated in a layer of some unknown substance and glistening with the light. a thin fog of smoke occupied the air, swirling lightly throughout the ceiling and on the floor surrounding the makeshift stage, set up with a drum set and microphone. his eyes shifted above the set up, reading the sign that displayed 'the admiral' in hot pink cursive lettering, lit up and illuminating the dark space.
this place brought about a feeling of nostalgia for finn, he recalled memories of visiting here with his dad and brother, attending concerts and if he was good, being rewarded with a peppermint stick from the jar on the counter. he swiveled around in his chair, skimming his fingers along the surface of the counter and looking. the jar was still there.
millie sat still, watching him as he acted silently.
suddenly, the lights dimmed, changing the essence of the room completely. finn shot his head around, his chair spinning slightly and his eyes fixing with hers, both glistening an equal shade of chocolate brown in the now dark room.
the chatter of the guests died down quickly, dialing up a bit in excitement but quickly settling to a whisper faltering above a dull silence, the older guests calming into their seats and the teenagers remaining centered in the room, in front of the wooden stage.
"do you want to go up there?" finn offered, extending his hand to millie.
she returned a grin, rejecting his hand but slipping off of her barstool and leading him into the crowd, becoming even more packed in as more people made their way towards the center of the smoke-filled room.
from her short stature, it was harder for millie to see what was happening on the small stage. finn could see what was happening with little to no difficulty, though. he watched as his brown haired friend emerged from the divider behind the wall, his guitar slung around his body by a thick strap.
he reached one arm up, pointing to him. "that's jaeden" he said, before waving his arm to the side and introducing the rest of the band members, "that's lucas, and cameron." he said, gesturing towards two more boys, both with dark hair. lucas sat behind the drumset, his dark hair styled up and away from his face. cameron had darker brown hair, almost black, and even from afar millie could see the millions of freckles the speckled across his face and arms.
"and that," finn said, his voice dropping as he moved his finger and aimed it towards a tall girl with platinum blonde hair, wearing a pair of black heeled boots, and a black dress. she looked pretty, and intimidating. she stood behind a second microphone. "that is chloe lukasiak." he finished, shaking his head, "not a big fan of her."
"why not?"
finn turned, facing millie and angling his chin downwards at her. "we had a thing, it lasted about a year." he pulled a cigarette from the pocket of his jeans, placing it between his teeth. "turns out she's a raging bitch, and wouldn't even let me look at other girls. or guys, for that matter."
millie laughed, tossing her head back, "really?" she asked, "i hate girls like that."
"yeah." finn nodded, blowing a thick stream of smoke into the already fogged air, "me too. plus, she still seems to think that we have a thing, she gets pissed off over my every little action and acts like i belong to her."
"that's so annoying." millie chimed, her thoughts the same as his. she wondered what would happen, if chloe spotted him in the crowd with a different girl.
"i have a feeling she won't be very fond of you." finn said.
"what?" millie asked, watching as he flicked the butt of his cigarette onto the floor and pressed the toe of his boot over it.
"we're meeting them, after they finish their performance. i have to go say hi to jaeden and i figured you should come with me, too." he blew out a final stream of smoke, lingering in the small amount of space between them before diminishing in the warm air. "don't worry, she'll probably go somewhat easy on you, i'll tell her to. but, you might leave with a few bruises."
millie's eyes widened, her lips forming into a small red O, "what?" she raised her eyebrows, and narrowed her honey golden eyes.
finn chuckled, letting out a small laugh. "i'm kidding, she's not going to beat you up. she'll just say something snarky and then leave you alone. nothing to be scared of."
"i wasn't scared," millie denied, crossing her arms. and it was true, she wasn't. "just a little caught off guard."
finn cocked his head in disbelief, "not scared?" he asked, before abruptly grabbing her by the wrist and squeezing it slightly in his grip.
millie kept her eyebrows raised, still confused as ever, "finn? what are you..." she let her voice fade out, her words trailing off as she watched him bring her palm to the lower part of his left rib.
"remember when i scared the shit out of you? that was hilarious." he teased, smirking and pressing her hand into his side. his voice was quiet and his eyes locked with hers, once again.
millie felt the metal of his handgun under the thick material of his heavy black sweatshirt, "how could i forget." she answered, through gritted teeth.
finn released his smirk, along with her wrist. he stood and smiled, watching as she brought her hand to place upon her hip, and averted her attention to the concert that was already starting to begin.
***
"did you like it?"
millie sucked in her lower lip, avoiding finn's gaze, "yeah, i liked it a lot."
"tell the truth." finn demanded, laughing as he could sense the mistruth in her voice.
"no lies, i swear. i really enjoyed it." her voice trailed off again, quiet as her eyes rested on his neck and refused to look higher, knowing that she would break into a smile.
finn became silent, leaning his weight onto his left side and shaking his head.
"okay," millie admitted, "chloe is just a little pitchy, that's all. but i still enjoyed it, a lot. thank you."
finn clicked his tongue, nodding and placing his hand on his back, "my thoughts exactly." he agreed, beginning to walk around the corner of the small room they now stood in, entering the backstage area where the band members stood, congratulating each other.
"finn!" jaeden said loudly, approaching him and giving him a slap on the back. in return, finn bumped fists with him, their pale knuckles clashing together.
"you guys did great." finn said, and millie chuckled quietly, glancing out of the corner of her eye and seeing chloe, standing to the side and fidgeting with the loose strings on her guitar.
"thanks, man." the boy, who millie remembered to be lucas spoke up. he looked so much better up close, with light hazel eyes and a pale face. millie's cheeks broke into a deep shade of crimson as he looked to her, asking, "and who might this be?"
"this is millie." finn introduced, his hand still on her back as he pushed her forward slightly, "we've been hanging out some lately."
cameron spoke up, sitting on a stool next to a microphone, "you look really nice, millie." the freckled boy complimented.
millie looked to him, and nodded with a flirty smile. she was used to boys praising her, it wasn't new to her. though, it was a surprise, as she had no clue what they saw that they were so interested in.
a quiet grunt arose from behind millie, as she and finn both turned their heads slightly, meeting gazes with chloe, "hi, finn." she offered, her voice sounding just as flirty and sweet as it had on stage.
she shifted her eyes to meet millie's, narrowing them so much that millie could see the thick wing of black liner flared out around her eyelashes, "millie, is it?" her voice was suddenly different, a much more contrasting tone to the one she used with finn. this one just sounded straight up bitchy.
"yeah, and you're chloe." millie confirmed, her voice also becoming snarky, an instinct.
chloe moved her eyes back to finn, smiling and leaning back into the table she stood against. "she knows my name, so you talk about me?"
"chloe, shut the hell up. i told her your names because i'm a decent human being, not because i'm in love with you."
chloe swiped her tongue against the top row of her teeth, grinning a devious smile, "you still are, aren't you?"
"chloe." lucas warned, his voice low and suddenly angry, which seemed to have an instant effect. her mood diminished almost immediately, she brought a hand up to tuck away a piece of her straight blonde hair and lifted herself on the table, so that she was sitting on the surface.
"sorry," she mumbled a fake apology, rolling her eyes.
"we have to go soon," cameron spoke up, "we have an afterparty to be at with a few other bands, you guys can come, if you'd like?"
millie shook her head in unison with finn, both figuring it wasn't a good night for that.
"okay, well i'll leave you guys alone to get ready." finn said, moving his hand away from millie's back as he followed her back to the main room, where the stage was still set up.
"i had fun." millie said, approaching the area where they previously hung their jackets and she began slipping her arms through the sleeves, "thanks."
finn nodded, also pulling on his jacket.
"the boys seemed pretty enjoyable, but i'll have to give chloe some time." millie laughed, zipping herself up.
"give her all the time in the world, and she'll still be a bitch." finn said, digging his hands into his pockets.
millie chuckled, suddenly at a loss of words and not knowing what else to say. "maybe you could meet my friends? we're all hanging out at sadie's tomorrow night." she came up with, figuring it would be a good idea.
"i'd love that." finn said.
***