Still Time / Billy Hargrove

── 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄

•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧.˚ *•̩̩͙ ✩. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧.˚ *•̩̩͙ ✩. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧.˚ *•̩̩͙ ✩. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧.˚ *•̩̩͙ ✩. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧

IT WAS HALF AN HOUR later when Addie emerged from her room. She tried her best not to laugh when she walked into the living room and her mom, Will, Jonathan, Bob, and Steve clapped.

"Wow I'm going to a party with Holly Golightly!" Steve says as they're heading out the door.

After Joyce reminds Addie, Jonathan, and Will multiple times they can always come home early if they don't feel like being out, they finally all pile into Jonathan's car. Will admits that he's disappointed that he has to have babysitters while hanging out with his friends.

He adds on that it's not that he doesn't love spending time with them, but also points out that no one else will have anyone there watching them.

When they finally arrive, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin are already outside waiting. Addie can see Will trying to cheer himself up, so that they don't think anything is wrong. Jonathan turns around and looks at her, and she nods, knowing what he wants to do.

"Hey, listen. If we let you go on your own, will you promise that you'll stay in the neighborhood? Like, the entire time?"

"Yeah! Yeah yeah totally."

Addie leans forward in her seat. "And you'll be back at Mike's by nine?"

"Nine....thirty?"

After a minute of back-and-forth, Jonathan and Will shake on it, agreeing to 9. Addie can already see he's genuinely much happier by the time he gets out of the car.

"Ooh! You know what this means," Addie grins.

"Oh no what?"

"You're free right now. So you can come with us to Tina's party."

They drive back to their house first, and Jonathan stops at the end of the street. Steve hops out and makes a run for his car. The plan is Addie will ride with Jonathan, and they'll go straight to the party.

Steve is going to pick up Nancy early, and they'll meet them there. If Joyce and Bob happen to see him, he'll say he was dropped back off just to get his car, and Addie stayed with Will.

When Addie and Jonathan get to the party, it's already dark out. As soon as they exit the car, they can hear chanting. It takes a few seconds to realize that they're chanting "Billy". Addie feels nervous, and part of her wants to just go home. But she takes a breath and follows her brother into the house.

Addie heads straight for the kitchen, and someone wearing a mask calls her name and hands her a red cup. She takes it and takes a sip, not even asking what's inside.

Just as she leaves the kitchen, she sees Steve and Nancy come in through the front door. Right as she's approaching them to say hi, Billy and another guy beat her to it.