Blink (Billy Hargrove x OC)

#8 The Fight

▶️ American Pie by Don McLean

California, 1984

Billy and I sit on the sidewalk sharing a cigarette and listening to music on the radio. Our backpacks are slumped next to us.

"A long long time ago

I can still remember how

That music used to make me smile" the radio plays the voice of Don McLean.

"Oh hey! I love this song!" I say, cranking the volume up.

Billy grins a little and wraps his arm around me, pulling me close. He starts to sing along, tossing his head dramatically.

"And I knew if I had my chance

That I could make those people dance

And maybe they'd be happy for a while" his deep voice makes me smile.

My heart flutters. I feel at peace, and in love.

"But February made me shiver, with every paper I'd deliver, bad news on the doorstep, I couldn't take one more step." I giggle and look into his eyes while I sing, and he takes a long drag from the cigarette.

"I can't remember if I cried, when I read about his widowed bride, something touched me deep inside, the day the music died" Billy hands me the cigarette and takes his turn to sing. 

He has a beautiful voice, but he would never let anyone catch him dead singing. Except for me. I enjoy the big puff of smoke I blow at him.

"So, bye, bye Miss American Pie." I sing as he coughs.

"Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry." Billy stops coughing and sways us back and forth to the beat.

"And them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singin' this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die." We finish singing the chorus and I laugh and smile, he grins sheepishly.

I lay down with my head on his lap and he plays with my curls. We listen to the music and I close my eyes. This is nice.

I hear footsteps approaching on the pavement.

"Hey! Billy! Time to pay up!" A gang of four boys walks up and squashes the moment. 

I sit up at the sound of their voices and turn the radio off. Billy and I leap up, he stands in front of me protectively.

I look them over. They're all smaller than Billy, expect for one. But, the big boy is well, very big. Billy could run circles around all of them individually, maybe two of them, but all four might be a problem if they're looking for a fight.

I clutch Billy's arm.

He throws the cigarette down at his feet and stomps it out.

"Billy what did you do?" I ask, fear rising up inside me.

"I didn't do anything." He hisses.

That's a lie, Billy always does something.

"You owe us a favor. We need our essays written and I've heard that that little lady behind you can do them." Says the first boy, looking at me like a wolf would look at a piece of meat. 

He's lean, and has devious eyes. I don't trust him one bit. He has a little bit of muscle on him, moreso than the others.

"No can do Pete." Billy rolls his neck and cracks his knuckles.

"Billy there's four of them. You can't take them." I say.

"Says who?" He whispers to me, eyes narrowed.

▶️ Wango Tango - Ted Nugent

My eyes grow wide.

"Just stay out of the way." He says.

"Bill-ay. I'm scared Bill-ay." Pete mocks my accent and I fume silently.

"That's it." Billy shakes himself free of me, walks right up to Pete, and punches him in the face.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a crowd begins to gather of students from the school.

I hear the words "fight!" being yelled as bored teenagers begin to scurry over to watch the commotion. They know Billy will put on a good show.

I scream as the other three dudes jump Billy while Pete clutches his face and groans.

I have to do something.

Billy gets the fat kid good, punching him in the gut, but there's still two of them and they're beating him against one another and throwing him around. So I run up at one of the guys and punch him in the arm. It doesn't do much, he just turns to look at me angrily. Oops, I'm out of practice.

Just as he's about to push me away I drop down and sweep his feet out from under him. He hits the pavement with a thunk.

The fat kid recovers and charges Billy after he pushes the other skinny kid away, I look around for Pete and notice he's disappeared.

"Billy!" I yell and he dodges.

The crowd oohs as the fat kid practically mows some of the spectators over with his momentum.

The fat kid yells, like a gladiator charging into battle and runs at Billy.

His face runs right into Billy's fist, and he groans and falls to the ground.

Billy spits out blood. "Anyone else want to have a go?" He holds up his hands and walks around. "No? Then scram!" Billy mock lunges at someone in the crowd and it disperses in about five seconds, the goons fleeing with them.

Once everyone is gone Billy turns to me. "I told you to stay behind me." He growls.

"Billy there were four of them." I plead.

"I don't care if there were six of them okay? It's my fight, not yours."

"What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine." I say, putting my hand up to his chest.

He pulls away from me.

"I'm sorry Billy." I say. "I didn't know you would be upset by that I just didn't want you to get hurt."

Billy sighs.

"Let me look at you." I say. "I can at least do that, can I?"

I take his face in my hands and look him over. He's a little cut up and bruised but he'll be okay.

"Hey, you protected me. Thank you." I kiss him on the lips. "My knight in shining armor."

He grabs me and presses me against the back wall of the school, and we make out.

I check my watch. "Oh shoot, Billy don't you have to start heading home?"

Billy looks at my watch. "Bloody hell."

He's so cute, he picked up my phrase.

He runs over to his backpack and slings it over his back, and puts his radio inside.

He runs back to me and kisses me. "Bye babe, see you tomorrow."

"Bye." I say, watching him run off. I shrug, and walk to a quiet area where I blink to my house.