༄✫ᵗʰᵉ 𝐀𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚕✫༄ // Billy Andrews

Thirteen

How does that saying go? "the show must go on"? Well, it did, despite Billy's new problem the show did not stop for him so half an hour later they were all dressed and ready to start the panto at any minute. Billy watched Bea perform the opening of the play from the wings. The lights that were now on made her look even more angelical. Eternal even. Then when they finished it was the girl's turn to see the boy act from the wings of the stage. A million things rushed to her mind the second she stepped off the stage. When she was dancing it was as if she was a bird flying around with no worries. Head empty except for the music and steppes being performed. But the moment that ended her conscious mind came rushing back to her newfound dilemma. A marriage proposal was too much to just drop on her. Especially only the day after she understood she was in love with her friend. When Anthony approached her outside of the theater she expected everything but a proposal. It's not like he got down on one knee or anything he simply stated very matter of factly that he was being pressured to find a wife and he had thought to ask her since they used to be friends and since he remembered that when she was young all she could talk about was living in London and dance in a big company. 

It was sweet, to be honest, that he remembered such a small thing after so many years and she felt flattered that he would consider her as a candidate to be his devoted wife. But still, it didn't feel quite right to marry someone she hadn't talked to in years, someone that she didn't truly know and that didn't truly know her. She had promised him she would consider it because she would have to find a husband next year anyway and it was either this charming man that would take her to Europe to live her childhood dream or some random guy from town. 

Or Billy it can also be Billy. But could it really? He had kissed Josie after all even if it had been a game he hadn't felt bad about it and that scared her. Because maybe he did not want to be with her the way she wanted to be with him. Maybe he would marry Josie just like everyone had been saying for years. She had found little to no answer to her troubles by the time people started cheering and the curtain closed. The only thing she knew for sure was that she would not say Yes to Anthony without hearing a No from Billy.

Hell broke loose when all the kids came out of the dressing rooms to meet their families. There were hugs and congratulations coming from every direction. But even in the middle of all of this Billy was able to pressure Diana enough for her to point out in the crowd who was the man who had had the audacity to propose to his girl before him. Billy wanted to speak to her before confronting the other man but she was nowhere to be seen in the midst of the crowded theater. And when he did see her she was making her way out of the theater, the young man Diana pointed out trailing after her. 

He followed them both outside and stopped in his tracks for a moment taking in the way she smiled at the man and touched his arm while her beautifully shaped lips formed words he couldn't understand. He felt like running away she was certainly accepting his offer. And why wouldn't she? The man had money, was handsome, and lived far away in a place she had always wanted to see. Compared to him Billy had nothing to offer her. He felt like running way. But if there was something that Billy Andrews was not, was a coward. And in all the conversations he had had with Beatrice since they met he had gathered that she believed that it took less courage to fight than to speak your feelings and be vulnerable. And he liked to think of himself as the bravest guy around. So he took a deep breath and walk towards the couple.