Games| B. Hargrove

17

Bringing a hand up to send a knock through the door was nerve-wracking enough that Nicole's heart pounded in her ears. It shouldn't have mattered as much as it did, but the sound that echoed as her hand collided with the door made her immediately regret her decision to even set foot on the doorstep. It was nerve-wracking because she wasn't exactly sure where her and Billy stood. She didn't know how he would reply to being asked over to dinner that evening.

Footsteps sounded from inside the home, crescendoing as they got closer. Nicole took a deep breath to help calm her nerves, waiting for the moment the door would open. She didn't have to wait long, as she finished her last breath and a boy with no shirt stood in front of her. His hair was slightly damp from the sweat that took place on his forehead. He was breathing hard, yet his breaths were still under control.

"What are you doing here?" He finally spoke after watching Nicole give his body a once over.

"Oh, um.. hi. I'm supposed to invite you over for dinner tonight." She cleared her throat and began to sway awkwardly.

Billy cracked a small smile, "what time? How formal are we talking?"

"I think like 8:30 and definitely give the impression that you're not just boning their daughter." She giggled slightly, trying to joke around.

Only, the harmless joke hit Billy in a way it probably shouldn't have. Did she really think he was just there to screw her? He felt his face falter for a moment, before putting on a facade.

"I'll be there. I have to finish my work out but I'll see you later." He stated, already beginning to close the door.

"Yeah, for sure." Nicole shot him a tight lipped smile, turning around to walk back to her house.

Only, her arm was caught by a hand and her body was flung around. Before she knew it she was pressed flush against Billy, his hand scrunching her hair at the side of her head from how quick he planted his hand, and his slightly cracked lips were on her own. They lingered for a few seconds before Billy pulled away, stroking Nicole's cheek back and forth with his thumb.

"I look forward to seeing you tonight. Get pretty for me, yeah?" His voice was low, the vibrations sent a shiver down Nicole's spine.

"I'll think about it." She meant for her voice to come out strong, but instead it came out quiet and Billy only smirked as he pulled away, saying his final goodbye.

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

The night caught on fast and Nicole sat at her vanity swiping off the makeup she worked so hard on. Her face was beat red from the aggressive material the wash cloth held, and the tears and sniffles that involuntarily came. She was a fool to believe this wouldn't be the outcome, although she knew it from the start. Billy never showed for dinner, even if both her parents as well as her waited an extra 45 minutes.

Paul was upset, constantly making comments and remarks about how he knew the boy was no good. Amanda on the other hand was trying to defend the boy, saying something possibly came up. However, Nicole was close to siding with her dad. Billy owed nothing to her, they weren't even close to being something you would make plans for meeting your parents. She just wished that Billy could have some decency every once and a while.

It didn't take long to wipe the makeup from her face, throwing down the cloth and placing her head in her hands to sob. She was more embarrassed than anything, but she was still hurting at the boys absence. The sound of her window scraping as it pushed up caused her tears to abruptly stop, and her head to shoot over to the space. Crawling in was a head of familiar curls and Nicole immediately began fuming, standing up at an alarming rate and stomping her way over to the body.