Cigarette Smoke V.II // FILLIE

Irresistible

m i l l i e

       "Hey, you mind if I sit?" I question, gesturing to the empty seat beside him.

He shrugs silently, pressing his lips together in affirmation as he then slides his phone into the large front pocket of his sweatshirt.

"Thanks, I'm Millie, by the way." I introduce with a smile, offering my hand to the cancer patient.

"Caleb, McLaughlin." Caleb replies while holding my hand with a smile, releasing appropriately as he glances across the room.

"Is that your brother?"

I furrow my brows as I quickly follow his eyes to Finn who's glaring at us from across the room with his head leaned lazily against his fist.

"Oh- no, no that's Finn. My boyfriend." I explain, smiling sheepishly as a look of understanding paints over his face.

"Right, makes sense. He looks either super protective or jealous so- yeah." Caleb confirms, nodding in contentment and understanding towards the troubled boy.

"What're you in for?" I ask curiously, referencing to his type cancer.

He smiles at my choice of words, glancing down to himself before answering in a sigh, "Leukemia."

My eyebrows raise in slight shock, "Leukemia? How long have you had it?"

He looks to the ceiling as if he was doing the math along the white tiles above, "Uh- for about a year and a half? It's acute leukemia, so I consider myself lucky."

"Higher changes?" I guess simply, receiving a positive nod back.

"Upper 70's to 90, so yeah, definitely." Caleb answers, glancing to the clock on the farthest wall of the room.

"Are you done soon- with this session, I mean." I ask curiously, enjoying the openness and easy conversing of the male who's presumably older than me.

He bites the inside of his lip in thought while turning back to me, "Yeah, I'll be done in a few minutes."

"Do you- wanna meet Finn? Maybe hang out with us for a bit?" I suggest, gesturing over to the raven-haired boy as I look to Caleb with hope swirling in my eyes.

He shifts his gaze between me and Finn hesitantly, his expression revealing the obvious conflicting going on in his head.

"I- I better not. I have to head to school after this. It may be senior year, but I gotta keep that scholarship, right?" He remarks through a breath-like laugh and slight shake of his head.

"Oh- uh, I didn't mean to- that sounded kind of douche-y. I didn't mean to brag, sorry." The dark-skinned boy quickly stutters out, obviously embarrassed from his own slip up as he smiles sheepishly.

"What for?" I ask, wanting to know more about the boy's accomplishment.

He hesitantly glances from his sweatshirt to me, "Uh- basketball. I'm offered to play if I can, not that- that you asked. I sound like such an asshole." He blurts through an insecure breath.

I shrug innocently, "I mean, I was going to ask anyway so whether you said it then or now- no difference, really. But trust me, you're most definitely not an asshole."

I place my hand over his in a comforting manner, watching as his self-loathing expression comes to an appreciative curve of his lips.

"Thank you, Millie- it's.. Millie, right?" He questions, double checking as I let out a light laughter at his worried but casual expression.