Grey

Three

[FINN]

"Afternoon, mate. What a lovely surprise, you answering my call."

"Sorry, Finn."

I couldn't help the smile that spread on my face, kicking a loose pebble on the ground. I could picture the frown on his face, genuinely apologetic.

"It's alright. Primary school can be quite busy."

I reached into my back pocket, retrieving a cigarette and slipping it between my lips. It wobbled as I spoke, digging for my lighter.

"Miss me yet?"

He sighed in a dramatic way that only an 8-year-old could get away with.

"It's only been a week," he explained rationally. "But yes. Dad won't take me to the cinema. He said I have to focus on school."

I rolled my eyes, thankful he couldn't see me. Lighting the end of the cigarette, I took a quick drag and exhaled as I spoke. "School is important, but I think you can squeeze in a film, Oli. I'll take you when I'm back."

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, leaning against my car door. I tried to use my free fingers to cover my ear and not burn myself with the lit cigarette, blocking the sound of traffic coming from a very busy Sunset Boulevard. "Ask Anna to take you."

"She's busy with uni..." he quietly replied, hesitating before he finished his thought. "And she's not as fun as you."

I smiled to myself. "I'm going to tell her you said that."

"Please don't. She's also always busy, she has a new boyfriend."

"Hang on, boyfriend?" I was only half joking. "Tell me everything."

"I don't know him but his name is Jake."

"Stupid name."

"Is that girl your girlfriend?"

I rubbed the back of my neck before taking a drag, choosing not to ask the obvious question.

Which one?

"Hm?"

"In the pictures. I saw them."

"I'm not sure what pictures you're talking about, but no girlfriend. Only girls that are friends."

"Okay. She looks nice."

I smiled, looking down at my feet, wishing he would stay that innocent forever. "Very nice, but just friends."

"Okay," I could hear a female's voice in the background, Oli shouting a muffled response. "I have to go, mum is calling me for dinner."

"Tell dad and your mum I say hello, alright?"

"I will."

"And when you see her, tell Anna to call me. And to lose the boyfriend, no boyfriends."

"Okay, Finn."

I chuckled to myself, taking one last drag before tossing it on the ground and stomping it out. "Okay, gotta go. Love you, mate. Speak soon."

"Love you too."

I slipped my AirPods into my ears, resuming the album I was listening to before deciding to check in with Oli. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I made my way across the gravel parking lot, squinting in pain. There were a lot of things about Los Angeles I was trying to get used to, the blinding sunlight one of them.

I gripped the metal door handle, stepping into the cool air conditioning and heading down the hallway. A lot was going on - I'd just bought my first house and we were in the midst of rehearsals, preparing to go on our first tour since the album came out. It was all good stuff - great stuff, even - but I felt overwhelmed. I knew it was just the beginning, but I was already homesick, wishing to swap the palm trees for gray skies.