Sweet Nothings // Billy Hargrove

XI- i want you to want me

It had been a few days and Dana couldn't believe the change in how she was perceived by the school simply by 'dating' Billy.

Popular girls were now suddenly talking to her and being nice, people moved out the way when she walked down the hall and she was being invited to basically every social event that happened in Hawkins.

"What do you think Dana?"

She pulled herself out the little daydream she was having and seen the group of girls eyeing her for an answer on a question she hadn't paid any attention to.

She was sitting in the cafeteria at the popular table, Billy was by her side but engaged fully in some sports conversation with Tommy and the other boys.

"Sorry I spaced out" She apologised "What did you ask?"

"I said we should all totally go to the movies this weekend, all the couples" Carol smiled.

Carol was dating Tommy and while Dana didn't care for Tommy all that much, she quite liked Carol. Sometimes she could be a bit of a gossip but besides that she had been nothing but nice to Dana since she had joined the world of jocks and cheerleaders.

There were four couples in the group; Carol and Tommy, Nancy and Steve, Jason and Chrissy and now her and Billy.

"Sure, sounds fun" She replied.

The girls went back to their conversation and Dana proceeded to daydream while poking around the tray of food that she knew she wouldn't eat any more of.

So far Billy's plan was working. Steve seemed thoroughly annoyed by the whole situation and had been dry with Dana for days, his main form of communication being scoffs and stares. Tina had also been staying away from Billy although her sulky expressions in the halls didn't falter.

"You okay?" Billy whispered turning his attention to her.

He had noticed Dana had been particularly quiet today, she was normally a naturally reserved person but it seemed like something was bothering her.

"Just didn't sleep well" She shrugged.

She wasn't completely lying; she hadn't slept well. Of course that was only because she had a nightmare about everyone in the school finding out she was fake dating Billy and they all pointed and laughed and chased her down the halls and out of the school. Her nerves were getting to her, she wasn't cut out for all this lying and she hated lying to her friends especially. She knew it needed to be done to get what she wanted however, she needed Steve to realise he wanted to be with her. An unconventional method but she had convinced herself it would be worth it.

"Maybe you'd sleep better if I stayed over?" He suggested with a playful smirk.

She wanted to throw a sly remark back at him as he obviously knew there was no way he could spend the night but she knew she couldn't do that in front of everyone else. They had to look like a couple who were still in their honeymoon stage and want to spend every possible moment together.

"I wouldn't want to be your neighbours tonight" Tommy joked.

The whole table laughed at Tommy's crude joke, all except Steve of course who drew daggers in Billy's direction. The boys continued to make jokes while Dana hid her face on Billy's shoulders; both because she could feel her cheeks redden at the attention but also to put on a good convincing show.

Billy played along, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer. She could practically feel holes burning in her head from the glare Steve was throwing at the end of the table in her direction.

"Alright enough embarrassing my girl" Billy laughed throwing a fry at Tommy's head.

She spent the remainder of lunch with Billy's grip around her and she felt protected almost, being with him gave her a kind of shield from all the taunting and bullying at school. Not that she ever faced much of it to begin with but now anytime anyone made any sort of comment towards her, Billy and the rest of the group were quick to shut them up.