In My Blood

Episode 6 - Confrontation

"How big was he?" Charity asked me bluntly as she, Diana, and I stood against the wall of the school's gym. Our previous class had let us out early, something about a migraine due to the change in weather, so the three of us decided to just head to cheer practice instead of waste the time somewhere else. Coach Duke had several of the guys in our grade running the basketball court, a classic game of shirts and skins. It was the first time since the party on Halloween night that Charity wasn't giving me the silent treatment. She nudged her head in the direction of Billy Hargrove right as he hip-checked another boy to the hard ground, her arms crossed against her chest as he back leaned against the painted yellow brick. It took me a moment to understand what she meant at first, and when the realization hit, I gagged.

"Oh, he- no!" I exclaimed, and Diana giggled at my disgusted expression. Charity turned her head over in my direction, a serious and grave expression on her face. "You really think-"

"Several people saw you leaving Tina's party in his car," she told me matter-of-factly. "He comes late to school the next day, and you two were apparently chatting it up all night. He's taken you aside to talk about private matters. People put two and two together."

"Okay, first, he only drove me home," I pointed out. "You guys were drunk..." My eyes averted to Diana for a brief second. "...and busy. Second, we've never discussed anything of that matter and he's always storming away because I somehow manage to piss him off with every interaction we've ever had. Third, even if I wanted to- which I don't, word travels fast in this town. Imagine the talk my father would give me."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that the Chief is your dad," Diana remembered, and Charity raised an eyebrow at her friend in annoyance.

"They literally have the same last name."

"Everyone forgets things!" the girl defended herself, and the three of us laughed. For a moment, it seemed like everything was back the way it was... until Charity pointed her perfectly manicured finger in a different boy's direction, one who was staring at us for a brief moment before turning away when he was caught.

"So what's the deal between you two then?" I felt my face soften as I watched Steve Harrington open himself up for the basketball to be passed to him, blinking quickly to reset in a neutral expression. "You both were close last year, and now he's dating Nancy stick-up-her-ass Wheeler."

"We both went down different paths for a moment, that's all," I answered, but Diana was quick to put two and two together.

"You like him- oh, my God!" she squealed. I swatted her hand down as she began to point, my cheeks growing red. "You do, you do! Why haven't you talked about this?"

"Because there is nothing to talk about!" I told her quickly. I swiveled my head in Charity's direction, whose interest was growing. My fingers reached up to the necklace I had tucked under my cheer top, a nervous twitch that was starting to become easier for other people to notice. "Honest. Maybe I did a year ago, but things change. We changed. Besides, he's doing just fine right now." As I watched him run the court, focus etched on his face, I knew my entire statement wasn't true. Our conversation during study hall kept echoing in my mind, sending that familiar flurry of butterflies in my stomach I thought would never happen again. His conversation with a drunken Nancy last night was still bothering him, I could see it. Charity hummed at me, rolling her eyes.