ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʜᴏɴᴇ|ʙɪʟʟʏ ʜᴀʀɢʀᴏᴠᴇ

☥𝟢𝟢𝟫☥

⇰ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 ℕ𝕚𝕟𝕖.
-𝕎𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔹𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖.

Days had passed and Billy never called back. I'd see him get in that pretty, blue Camero every morning and go to school, never looking my way or even speaking to me. It felt like one of those gross romance movies where the protagonist gets ignored and doesn't even know why.
He'd been giving me the cold shoulder ever since he and Steve fought in the hallway, and Steve was the only one who apologized out of the two.
He was parked outside, waiting for me to come out as I gathered my things. Cassidy knocked on the door frame, I offered him the ghost of a smile. "What're you doing up so early?" I asked. "Covering someone's shift at the shop," He said. "And I wanted to check on you... Haven't really been yourself lately."

My brothers were the best brothers in the world. Not because they'd kick someone's ass for me or helped us raise each other, but because they always knew when something was wrong. Cassidy always knew. "I'm fine," I lied. Straight through my teeth. He gave a doubtful nod, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets. Steve honked from outside. "I should probably get going." As I went to push past him, he stopped me. "You'll tell me if something is up, right?" He asked.
His eyes were filled with worry, more worry than I had ever seen before.
I nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell you." I liked my pinky with his outstretched one before heading out to Steve's car.

I could spot Billy getting into his own, avoiding my gaze the entire time. With a sigh, I opened the car door and slid in. Steve handed me a coffee. "Not that I don't mind giving you rides, are you ever gonna get your car looked at? It's been weeks and she conked out again."
I shrugged. "I'll stop by the shop later today."
Steve gave me one last longing look before pulling out of the drive. Usually, I'd turn the music up on the radio and rock out to whatever heavy was playing during the morning, but I didn't have the energy for it today. Not today, not yesterday, and not the day before that.
We drove in complete and utter silence. Me sipping my coffee, and Steve with his eyes glued to the road.

I got to my locker when we pulled up to the school, not even bothering to wait around in the parking lot. Steve was right by my side. "Déja?" He questioned. I hummed. "You doin' alright? Something's been off with you lately."
It's like my thoughts were so loud that it was starting to show on my face. "Yeah, I'm fine, just tired lately."
He nodded, obviously not buying it but letting the topic go. "Jiffy pop detail tonight?" He asked.
Steve and I started Jiffy pop detail when he had his first heartbreak. He got rejected by Jane Micheals in seventh grade, his crush since elementary, and didn't really know how to handle it.
"I'm good, but thanks."

My eyes were glued to the blond-haired boy who stood down the hallway. His oh-so-famous smirk was glued to his face while he talked to Vicki Carmicheal. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed. My stomach was twisting and turning but in all the worst ways.
Steve's gaze fell where mine was, and a fire started burning in them.
I stopped him as he started to move towards them, "It's not worth it," I said, "Let's just go."
We had homeroom together, so we sat all the way in the back away from everybody else. His eyes never left me.

I fucked around in my notebook, drawing whatever came to mind while waiting for the first bell to ring.
'Why is he ignoring me?' Those words had been replaying in my head for the last several days. I just couldn't figure it out. I didn't really do anything. He and Steve were the ones who acted like little kids and fought each other in school.
Not me.

I left homeroom without a single word when the bell rang.
Later that day during lunch, Steve sat with Anthony and me during our lunch. He usually had study hall during this period, said he didn't mind because he never did anything during it. I sat with late homework in front of me while the two talked.
From the corner of my eye, I could see Vicki and Billy flirting with each other. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew Billy. I knew his body language, it told you everything you needed to know about his current state of mind.
And right now, he was trying to get with her. I kicked my bag up and gathered my things before heading out of the cafeteria. I wasn't gonna sit around and watch that happen.
I could hear Anthony say to Steve, "Don't, let her be."

Kicking the bathroom door open, I tossed my things into the nearest stall. A group of girls was off by the mirrors. "Beat it." They scurried out and I put the heavy trash can in front of the door, seating myself on the floor.
Why is Billy ignoring me? And why was he flirting with Vicki Carmicheal?
I just couldn't figure it out, I couldn't put the pieces together. Maybe there are no pieces, maybe he's just done with me for good.
My throat burned red and hot as I choked back whatever emotions that wanted to come through. I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about them two together, in his bed, in his house. I had never seen his bedroom or the inside of his house.
He and Max always came to mine.

Someone knocked on the door. "Beat it, it's closed!"
But they knocked again. "It's me, Bex." Anthony was on the other side of the door wiggling the handle. I kicked the trash away and let him in. He put it back before sitting down on the floor next to me.
His back rested against the cold tile wall. "Is it Hargrove that's on your mind?" He suddenly asked, cutting through the silence like a knife through cake. I nodded.
"He do something to you?" He questioned. I shook my head. "He's been ignoring me since he and Steve fought... I don't know what I did." I laid my head on his shoulder.
"Probably nothing," He admitted. "He's... I don't know, he's just an odd one."
I nodded in agreement. "Have you tried to talk to him?" He asked. "Talk, call... He won't answer. He's avoiding me like the plague and it's driving me insane."
Anthony looked down at me for a second. "You really like him, huh?"
"Yeah."

"I haven't seen you this worked up over a boy in a long time, must really mean something to you if he's got you this hung up on him."
I shrugged. "Clearly, the feeling isn't as mutual as I thought it was," I said. "He was all over Vicki, and she was the same way. She wouldn't have done that if I wasn't acting like a young and in love cunt."
He laughed. "In love?"
"I didn't mean it like that- Or, maybe I did. I don't know yet. I seem to not know a lot of things lately."
Another knock was placed on the door. "Scram, it's closed!"
The door was forcefully pushed open just the tiniest, Steve poking his head through. "Can I join?" He asked. I nodded to the spot on my right. He came in and shut the door, seating himself with us.

We were all basking in some sort of depression. "What's your damage?" I asked Anthony. "Growing up." He was always scared of the real world after everything with dad. When he realized how cruel people could be, it's like he started age regressing to cope with it. We were all fucked up after dad.
I turned to Steve. "And your's?"
He shrugged. "Saw Nancy with Johnathon after you two left." I laced my fingers with theirs, giving their hands soft squeezes. "If only we could all go back in time, right? Maybe things would be better... Or different, at least."
They laid their heads on my shoulders. We sat like that until the bell rang and it was time to get to our last class.