Games| B. Hargrove

21

"Nic, come on. School started 20 minutes ago." Steve sighed from the door of his parents guest room.

"I told you to go without me!" Nicole snapped, voice raising ever so slightly.

"Nicole.." the brunette ran a hand down his face, "just— talk to me. What happened at the party?"

Nicole's eyes welled up with tears, cursing herself for being able to remember the embarrassment she felt that night . She really cursed herself due to the rejection that repeatedly stung at her heart. How could she have been so stupid? Let something so out of line slip? She was drunk, she didn't know what she was talking about.

"Give me five minutes. I'll meet you in the car."

Nicole stuck true to her word, meeting Steve at his car with a fresh face. There was no longer tear stains streaked down the girls flushed face. Her blonde locks were no longer a mess, but rather tied up in a slightly messy pony tail. What made Steve's heart traitorously skip a beat were the sweater and sweatpants of his she decided to dress in. He decided not to speak, he realized the second he began driving that Nicole's mind was elsewhere staring out at the Hawkins scenery.

Perfect blue eyes stared at the girl, not a hint of emotion behind them. He'd even paused pulling his pants up his legs. Nicole looked like a deer in headlights, not sure what just came out of her mouth. In only a flash the boy was quickly resuming with his pants, pulling them up with a quickness.

Nicole's eyes widened, realizing what was happening. She too, fumbled with pulling all of her clothes on. She had no time for her shoes, Billy already stalking to the door. She hopped to her feet and began to chase after the blonde, calling out for him to just please stop.

"Billy! Billy please, stop— I don't know what— Billy!" Her calls were muffled by the booming music, but teenagers who were in their path stopped and stared.

Billy never halted, not for a second.

"Stop it! Billy, I didn't mean it. You know I didn't, just come back. Come back, Billy, come—"

"No!" Billy boomed, stopping Nicole's pleading once they reached the outside.

His chest was rising and falling, his throat growing tight. He could feel his eyes beginning to burn, glossing over with tears. He took a moment to scan his surroundings, realizing that everybody stood outside was now staring at him like he just grew horns. More importantly, Nicole stood before him with wide, fearful eyes. The blonde wiped his hand over his face, swiftly wiping the wet from his eyes before he shook his head.

"No."

He walked away. Billy Hargrove walked to his car, so nonchalant, and drove off. Nicole's lip quivered, and before she could process anything, an arm wrapped around her shoving body.

"C'mon, Nic."

"C'mon, Nic." Steve's words snapped the girl back to reality, and only then did she realize they were at school.

It would've been the middle of first period by the time Nicole entered her classroom, and she wasn't ready for all that attention on her. Everyone had seen her lose her mind at the party Tina held two weeks ago. Everyone who came into Melvald's, just trying to pass time stared and snickered at the poor girl. That ended up causing her to quit her job, she couldn't handle the humiliation. In fact, she heard Billy had truly gotten around over the remainder of break.

All the girl could seem to do was lay in the extra guest bedroom at her best friends house. She didn't have a home to go back to, she didn't even have a single belonging of her own besides the clothes she bought from her savings. Steve's parents were trying their best to help out, but they weren't the most sympathetic people in the world. Her time staying at the Harrington household was coming to an end. Soon, she would truly have no where else to go.

It was hard to walk into Hawkins high that morning, but she knew she had to. If not for anyone, for herself. She tried walking with her head high, trying not to show how at rock bottom she truly was. However, when she walked into that first period class that morning, she crumbled.

"Nice of you to join us, Nicole." And all eyes were on her.

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

"Moore, do you believe you're better than your peers? That you don't have to dress out for athletics?" The coach practically spit in the blondes face.

"No sir." Nicole replied, weakly.

"Then I suggest you get in that locker room and change out. The next time I see you, you better be dressed to code."

The day couldn't have been going any worse for Nicole. It seemed like every class she had she was getting in trouble for anything in the book. Not paying attention, day dreaming, not raising her hand when asked a question, and now not dressing out. Her mind was too occupied for school, but she knew she couldn't skip or she would let everybody win.

By the time Nicole got changed and headed back into the gym, the coach already had the boys playing a game of basketball. Of course, the girls were doing anything to occupy their class time, as the coach didn't even look their way. Nicole barely made it to the bleachers before she heard a few gasps from some of the girls and "ooo's" from the boys.

She turned to the commotion, only to see Steve with the ball in his hands and glaring down at the Hargrove boy. Billy's jaw was clenching and his knuckles were turning white from how hard he balled his fist up. Whatever Steve was saying was really getting under his skin.

"The coward wears the wolfs skin." Was all Nicole could make out before Steve hurled the ball as Billy's chest, shooting Nicole a glance as he began walking away.

When she turned her head back to Billy, she was surprised to lock eyes with him. He was now standing, ball in his hands. Their gaze stayed locked for a few seconds more before Billy sent the ball flying into the ground and turned to stomp his way into the locker rooms. Everyone was silent except for the coach belting at Billy to get his ass back in the game.