The black SUV approached the Santa Monica pier, and his anxiety began to rise in his chest. He understood the feeling well enough to know it was normal, at least normal for him. It didn't really matter where he was going, it weighed down in his chest like a paperweight. He didn't let himself drown in it though. That would just look too sloppy. So instead, he took deep breaths and listened to music through tangled earbuds.
"We're here, sweetie." The kind voice of his mother just barely penetrating through the sound of his music. Finn pulled out his earbuds attached to his phone, stuffing both into his red jacket pocket. He pulled himself out of the seat of the SUV, standing confidently while he pulled his sleeves down.
He had to admit, he felt fucking fly. He wore a dark red leather jacket with white accents, underneath, a snug black shirt with thin white stripes. His long, thin legs were only extended with the fitted black pants. Finally, a pair of shiny black dress shoes covered his feet. He made his way toward the carpet, with a confident swagger. Immediately, Gaten caught his eye, blinding him with his neon green suit jacket.
"Finnlard, my dude! You look great!" Said Gaten enthusiastically, giving him a hug.
"Thanks! So do you. Except your suit jacket blinded me." Said Finn, jokingly.
"I've been getting that." He laughed. They headed toward the carpet together, finding Noah and giving him a hug as well. It didn't last long, because Gaten and Noah were called to do something, leaving Finn by himself once again. He kinda hoped he'd see Millie by now, though he kinda expected her to come last. It wasn't too long before Finn was called to do the same. Once he finished, he made his way onto the carpet to take individual photos for paparazzi. He hadn't noticed Caleb had made his way through next to him, smiling confidently at the cameras.
The boys gathered together and took group photos. It was crazy how much they had grown, physically and mentally. Once small kids who had no idea what was about to hit them when they started filming their little tv show. Finn smiled wider at the thought, feeling his heartbeat slow as he held some of his best friends.
Sadie was next to meet the boys on the carpet, dawning a pink and sliver jumpsuit. Finn always thought she had a cool sense of style. Maybe because it was similar to his, hell, that's probably why they did that collab in the first place. He smiled and gave her a hug, like he did with his other cast mates.
Finally, he spotted Millie at the other end of the carpet. He felt his breath hitch for a moment when she caught his eye. She bore a pink dress, knee length, but fluffy as could be, with ruffles which adorned just below her shoulders and down the midline of her chest. He barely noticed the thin straps which held the dress up, and behind them, strips of pink fabric floated around her slender figure, making them look like angel wings. To Finn, she looked like a little cupcake, or the fluffiest cotton candy in the world. He could barely contain his smile the moment he saw her.
Finn caught Millie's eye and he smiled back at her. He really did look great. She loved the black and white shirt and the pop of color his red leather jacket had provided. Millie felt butterflies emerge in her stomach when she saw him. 'Why is that happening, it shouldn't be happening.' She told herself, yet the swirls in her stomach were getting more intense the closer she got.
Not only had Finn grown much taller, but he grew into his face a little more. He wasn't the dorky looking kid she knew from previous years. His jawbone had now pointed out more, and his cheeks had sunken into the hollows a bit more. His cheekbones were really the highlight, though, protruding out sharper as each day went by. His voice became much deeper, and even richer since the first time they met. His voice was almost music to her ears when she heard him utter her name.
"Millie, hey." He said, and she smiled up at him
"Hi Finnie!" Responded Millie in her usual, sweet tone of voice. He pulled her into a brief hug, hoping she wouldn't notice the ever approaching blush which was about to cover his face.
"You look great, by the way." He whispered so only she could hear.
"Thanks, you too." She whispered back. She was tempted to kiss his cheek, but decided there were too many people, so she separated and went to embrace all of her other cast mates. All six of them posed for pictures and they finally entered the outdoor amphitheater to watch the first episode of season 3.
