ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴇꜱꜱ • ʙɪʟʟʏ ʜᴀʀɢʀᴏᴠᴇ

Fourteen

"Um..." Billy chewed on his bottom lip, concentrating hard. I know this... I have to know this!

"Come on, you can do it." Daisy reassured him. "Remember you need to know the meaning of the verb in English before you conjugate."

Billy nodded and thought for a few more seconds. "Je suis allé au parc?" He said, his face scrunched in confusion. A smile slowly spread across Daisy's lips and she nodded. "Wait, I got it right?"

"You did, Billy." she chuckled. "That's..." She looked down at her paper and then back at him. "7 out of 10 right. You're really improving." Billy grinned and laughed. For the first time in his life, he was actually doing something right with his life. Initially, it scared him, but now, he was slowly embracing it. It had only been a whole week since she started tutoring him and he was already a million times better. Daisy closed her books and then gasped softly. "I just remembered. You had your History test graded today, right?"

Billy's smile faltered. He was hoping she wouldn't remember that test. He thought he did well - at the very least a C- - but he got a D. Granted, it was his highest grade ever, but he really wanted to make Daisy proud.

"Right, that. Um." He reached into his bag and took out his paper, folded into two and slowly handed it to her. "Look, I know it's a bad grade." He started explaining pathetically as she unfolded the paper and read through it. "But you know Mr Fleeshman. And I never really passed any--"

"This is great, Billy!" Daisy exclaimed happily, looking up at him with a big smile. "Mr Fleeshman sucks. He almost failed me. A D in Fleeshman's class is an A. Billy, you passed. I'm so proud of you."

Billy smiled softly, not helping the warmth in his heart.

I'm so proud of you.

He'd never heard anyone say that to him. Hearing it now, and from Daisy Henderson...

"You should go before my dad comes back." He stood up abruptly, closing all his books. Daisy didn't think too much of it because, so far, they'd been really good at avoiding any clashes with him. Daisy either tutored him when he was sure he'd left the house, or sometimes at the library.

"I'm almost late to meeting Nancy and Robin anyways. Oh, and I'm coming in late tomorrow." she told him as they walked to the front door. "I have a dentist's appointment in the morning." Billy groaned. That meant he had to stay with... fuck. She could tell what he was thinking from the look of disgust on his face. "And don't you think about ditching." She pointed a finger at him. "You've done well all week. Don't fuck up."

"I won't." It took him a while to say it. But he meant it. "I promise."

*

"Oh, it's so great to see you two!" Robin grinned, relaxing into her seat. The girls had just finished going around a few shops at the mall and then decided to grab a bite to eat. "It feels like forever ago."

"Since the sleepover." Daisy pointed out.

"I've been own with the flu most of the time." Nancy pouted. "Feels good to be out of that house. My dad being a pain in the ass, my brother being... well... himself."

"I've been..." Robin paused as she took a bite to eat. Daisy noticed that she'd been very cautious of what she said. This was highly unusual of Robin, who usually always said what she was thinking right there and then. Plus she was quieter than usual. Robin Buckley was never quiet. "Working, mostly. And band."

"I've been tutoring Billy all week to get him caught up with school." Daisy said. This interested both her friends.

"How's that been going?" Robin asked curiously.