𝙞𝙫. 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧

↻𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐏 𝐓𝐎 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓↻

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NICE TO EACH OTHER - OLIVIA DEAN

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—SPRING IN WARRINGTON always felt different, lighter somehow. after months of rain and grey skies, everything finally felt like it was moving again. new routines, new playlists, same friends, same laughs.

it wasn't like before anymore.not with owen.not with mia, either.

the fallout with mia had been quiet — not some big argument, just distance that grew until there was nothing left to say. it was sorta needed anyway, she got to comfortable with owen and ended up ditching the girls, that clearly didn't last long though

elizabeth and saoirse had stayed close, though. if anything, they were tighter now. and owen... well, he was just someone she used to talk to.

the show dropped in february, and suddenly everyone was talking about him.

adolescence — owen cooper in the lead role, posters all over netflix, clips all over tiktok. people from school who hadn't spoken to him in years suddenly posting about how they "used to know him." it was kinda funny really, she didn't know how owen felt but she had a lose thought that maybe owen wasn't a fan of all the fame and popularity. she secretly prayed that he was still the same. it's not like they ever talked as much as they used to — but still, she hoped it was still the same.

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the first time she saw him again after everything was at the shopping centre.march, saturday afternoon — that weird in-between weather where it's sunny but cold. she and saoirse were heading out of costa when they saw him near the escalators, hoodie up, talking to someone from his school.

her stomach dropped instantly. saoirse nudged her. "you okay?""yeah," she said, but her voice came out too fast.

he noticed her before she could disappear."liz?"

she turned, forcing a smile. "hey." it was already awkward. "how've you been?" he asked, hands in his pockets. 

"fine. busy."

"yeah, same. filming's been... mad.""i bet. everyone's talking about your show." elizabeth teased but in a friendly wayhe smiled, a little shyly. "yeah, it's been mental."

"so, how'z mia?" she asked before she could stop herself. his expression shifted — small, tired smile. "nah. we broke up. start of the year.""oh," she said. "i didn't know."he shrugged "didn't really tell anyone.""right..my bad." she wanted to ask why. she didn't. "you're alright" he shrugged again. he looked like he wanted to say something else, but saoirse came back, holding her drink.

"ready to go?""yeah," liz said quickly.

owen nodded. "well, it was nice seeing you.""yeah," she said, smiling faintly. "you too."

when the girls walked away, saoirse turned to look at liz.saoirse smirked. "you still fancy him." liz rolled her eyes. "no. i don't. i just... i dunno. it's weird seeing him like that, i guess."

"like what?""like he's not just owen anymore. he's... everyone's owen now."

saoirse smiled softly. "you two were never bad together, you know."liz sighed, leaning back. "yeah, but we were never anything either.""still. doesn't mean it didn't matter."

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they ran into him again a few weeks later — sunday afternoon, at the little shopping centre near town. she and saoirse had gone in for iced coffees, not expecting to see anyone.

but there he was. airpods in his ear, scrolling on his phone while standing by the queue at costa. he noticed them straight away, that small smile flickering before he walked over.

"hey," he said, voice warm but casual."hey," liz said, smiling back. "you alright?""yeah, good. just grabbing a drink before heading home. you?""same. we're just wasting time."

saoirse grinned. "you're famous now, yeah?"he laughed. "barely."liz smirked. "you're on netflix, owen. that's a bit more than 'barely.'"he laughed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "yeah, it's been mad."

it wasn't awkward anymore.not like before.

the silence between them wasn't heavy — it was calm, almost comfortable. they'd grown out of the weirdness, out of the heartbreak, out of the noise.

and for the first time, she didn't feel nervous standing next to him. a few minutes later, saoirse spotted someone she knew across the food court and went to say hi, leaving them alone for a bit. "erm.. so," owen said, looking at her. "how've you been?"

"good, actually. school's been mental but fine.""still doing art?""yeah. trying to, at least."

owens smile grew. "you're art is good, my mum keeps showing me your paintings and drawing on her phone, your mum has been postin' em on facebook" he chuckles. 

"oh my god" liz groaned in embarrassment, her head buried in her hands. "nahh that's embarrassing.." she whined. owen laughed and shook his head. "you of all people shouldn't get to be talking about 'embarrassing', i'm on a netflix show" he laughs. liz pulled away and rolls her eyes. "oh shut up, that's not embarrassing, that's cool! — imagine all the awards you'd be winnin'" she smiled. 

owen shrugs. "speakin' of awards... congrats on winning your dance competition" he tilts his head slightly. liz scrunched her nose bridge. "oh, lemme guess, you seen it on facebook as well?" she snickered. owen shook his head. "nah, y'know harry's older sister?" 

"charlotte?" 

"yea, she was watching her friend during the competition and she recognised you, she said you were really good." liz paused, sort of surprised at the random story. "hm..well thank you" she shrugged. 

the way he said it made something flicker inside her — small, soft, gone before she could even name it.

"you've changed," he said quietly."in a good way?""yeah. definitely."

she smiled, half teasing. "you too. though you've gone all celebrity on us... and the hair"he grinned. "nah, still me. just busier, and just wait — i'm growing out my hair"

they stood there for a while, not needing to fill the silence. people moved around them — kids running past, music from a shop playing faintly in the background.

for a second, it almost felt like old times.

"we should catch up properly sometime," he said."maybe," she said with a small smile. "when you're not being famous.""i'll make time," he said. "i always said i would."

and for a moment, it felt like something hung in the air between them — unspoken but real.

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later that night, she was sitting in bed scrolling through her phone when she saw a clip of adolescence again.she didn't click it. just stared for a bit, then locked her phone.

because the truth was, she was fine.she wasn't waiting for him anymore. she wasn't hurting. she was just... remembering. and maybe that's all it was now — two people who could've been something once, but weren't meant to be.

she smiled a little, pulling the duvet up and closing her eyes.in another life, maybe they would've worked.but in this one, it was enough just to know that they once could have.

but it was nice to know they could still chat with no awkwardnelater that night, she was sitting in bed scrolling through her phone when she saw a clip of adolescence again.

she didn't click it. just stared for a bit, then locked her phone.

because the truth was, she was fine.she wasn't waiting for him anymore. she wasn't hurting. she was just... remembering.

and maybe that's all it was now — two people who could've been something once, but weren't meant to be.

she smiled a little, pulling the duvet up and closing her eyes.in another life, maybe they would've worked.

but in this one, it was enough just to know that they once could have.the thought of him made her feel ... nothing. not in a bad way, but before, she would feel at least something when she thought of him. — now, there's nothing.