DEAR BILLY [b.hargrove]

004

|BILLY|

     The journey back to school was quiet. Allison said nothing and I only looked ahead onto the road not knowing how to comfort her after what she told me. I knew how she felt about her dad and bringing it up was a sensitive subject.

"Babe?" I decided to speak up after what felt an eternity. I looked across and no reaction came from her. I still couldn't see her face with her hood pulled up covering her.

"Ally?" I pestered again. This time she turned to me. Tears stained her cheeks and her eyes were puffy. I swerved to the side of the road and switched the engine off giving her my full attention. I hated seeing her like this and I haven't seen her this upset since I told her I was leaving Cali.

We were silent again. I just waited for her to be ready to talk, I was ready to listen. I reached for her hand and she gripped onto me while her other hand played with my ring. Something she did often because of her anxiety.

"He didn't recognise me." She whispered weakly. It angered me seeing her like this. But the fact that she had to live in the same town as the man she hated so much, and to top it off he didn't know his own daughter when he saw her.

I clenched my jaw while I pulled her forwards to hold her. One arm wrapped around her waist while my other hand stroked her hair as I kissed her temple to comfort her.

"He moved to New York after Sara died." She started. She never mentioned her sister. "I never thought he would come back here."

I listened as Allison sobbed her heart out. I never knew how to comfort her with words, but holding her was enough.

"I'm taking you home." I said after some time. She wasn't in a fit state to go back to that shitty school.

"No I'm fine." She sat up and wiped her eyes.

"You're not fine, Ally."

"It's better for me to be at school doing something rather than sitting at home doing nothing." Allison fought back. She glared at me not backing down under my stare. Eventually I gave up and huffed, putting my car in gear. She smiled slightly at her small victory and sat back in her seat. Fuck, she's got me wrapped around her finger.

***

|ALLISON|

The rest of the day went by quite quickly for me. Hopper still on my mind but I refused to let him ruin my life again. I decided to just go on and ignore him like I had done since I was 12.

I was quietly watching Billy from the bleachers while he tried out for the basketball team. He almost backed out but I convinced him to stay knowing how much he loved playing basketball back home.

He ran over to me before his final test and placed his hands on my thighs giving them a squeeze.

"Kiss for luck?" He smirked.

"You do well now and I'll give you more than just a kiss." She smirked back. I used to be so innocent before Billy, I blame him. Some of the stuff I came out with really shocked me. Billy's eyes widened and gave he gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

"That's all the motivation I need." He winked as he walked backwards before turning and running to the court.

It didn't go unnoticed by me the glare I got from the other girls. One in particular I remember from the hallway, the same girl that was flirting with him. I learned earlier in Biology that her name was Tiffany Carmichael, she was there in the gym to watch him play.