If I Stay {Fillie}

Challenge Accepted

Millie awoke the next morning thinking the letter from Finn had been a dream. But then she sat up in bed and peered across the room at her dresser, and there was the folded piece of paper, resting innocently on top of the roses.

She sighed. How could she go on ignoring him after this? It had been a great strategy before, but now?

Millie unplugged her phone from her charger and checked her messages. There were eleven from Noah from the night before, angry at her for hanging up and not reading the letter aloud to him, but none from Finn. Her ex-boyfriend usually sent his one apology message a day early, so that was strange.

Shrugging, Millie got out of bed and went to shower. She had promised Ava she would spend the day with her, and it was already around noon, much too late for her younger sister's taste.

Right on cue, Ava banged on the bathroom door while Millie was in the shower. "Mil-liiie!" she whined. "I've been ready for hours!"

"I promise I'll be ready in half an hour!" Millie called back. "Go bother Paige while you wait for me!"

She smiled humorously as she heard Ava sigh dramatically and retreat from the door. Impatience was her sister's specialty.

When Millie finally descended the stairs into the living room in a red hoodie and jeans, Ava was practically bouncing off the walls. Paige was on the couch trying to calm her down.

Ava saw Millie first. "Finally! I have never met someone who takes longer to get ready than you, Millie!" she complained. But her perky self was back in a split second. She grabbed Millie's hand and led her out onto he porch. "Bye, Paige!" she called behind her.

Millie shook her head in amusement and waved goodbye to her older sister, who smirked at her, before closing the door.

Ava sprinted excitedly to Millie's car, her ancient, silver Honda Civic. Millie sighed. She'd left her Porsche at Finn's, and she missed it more than she could say. Her tiny silver vehicle shook and groaned when used.

Ava was clambering into the passenger seat when Millie climbed into the driver's side. "Okay, cheese on toasty lady," she said, buckling her seatbelt and turning the car on. It sputtered to life. "Where are we going first?"

"Can we get McDonald's?" Ava didn't waste a beat before asking the question. The nine year old was obsessed with the place, and she could inhale chicken nuggets faster than a vacuum.

Millie laughed. "Yes, we can get McDonald's."

They backed out of the driveway and went on their way to the main roads of Vancouver. Millie had no idea what to expect from this day, other than the fact that Ava had been complaining for days about how Millie never spent any time with her. So, today was a day dedicated to her little sister.

Which meant that Ava got to choose everything they did.

Plus, Ava had taken Millie and Finn's breakup harder than Millie herself had. She had thrown a tantrum so horrible that Kelly had to send her to bed without dinner. Ava wouldn't speak to anyone the next day.

So it was only fair that Millie take her out to do whatever she wanted. It was the kind thing to do, and it would take her mind off the letter.

The brunette gazed down at her right wrist, around which hung the bracelet her baby sister had made her. She smiled at the letter M, whose plastic rhinestones were shimmering in the early afternoon sun shining through the windows of the car. Looking at the bracelet made everything awful in Millie's life seem minuscule somehow.

"Millie," Ava began, "can we get our food and go to the park to eat?"

Millie nodded. "Yeah, that's a great idea, Ava. Wanna go through the drive through then?"