Billy Hargrove // DNA

Chapter Eight

Amelia had woken up in sweat because of a nightmare and had taken a cold shower to remove the sweat and anxiety of her body. The nightmares were slowly taking a toll on her but since she didn't really had a lot of support she continued with her normal morning routine. 

She had blindly grabbed clothes out of her wardrobe, not even bothering to look in the mirror. Afterwards she had braided her long, wavy hair. After she was done, she put some make-up on her face to camouflage the dark circles under her eyes. 

With Cora's tiny hand intertwined with hers, she sat down on a kitchen chair. "How's Benjamin doing?" She asked her mom while she was busy preparing John's lunch. "He's still very sick. We're going to see a doctor today. How are you going to school? I can't drop you off." Her mom replied. Amelia hadn't even thought about that yet. "I think I'm going to ask Billy." Her mother looked at her questioningly. 

"Billy? The boy down the street?" Amelia nodded. "He's a horrible driver." Her mom said hesitantly as she had seen him tear through the streets a few times. "How else should I get to school?" Amelia asked as she quickly ate some fruit. "On foot." Her stepfather replied firmly. 

Amelia and her mom became silent, cautious of their next words. Cora greedily ate her cereal while looking up at them. "Who's Billy?" She asked, unaware of the mood John was in. She hadn't seen the new neighbors yet. "Billy lives with his sister and parents just down the street. We're going to the same school." Cora nodded understandingly. "Is he fun?" 

How should I answer this best? 

"He's pretty... nice." Amelia answered softly. Cora smiled and continued eating. 

A few minutes later, Amelia had gathered her things and a nervous feeling emerged in her stomach as she walked outside. She wasn't too comfortable asking Billy for another ride but since she didn't had another option, she walked down the street until she noticed Max. 

"Hey Max. Where's your brother?" Amelia asked as she approached the young girl. Max pointed at the house. "He is arguing with my mom so I'm waiting outside." She said it as if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Oh." Amelia didn't know what to do. 

I can't just rang the doorbell and ask if he wanted to drop me off at school, right? 

"Why are you here?" Max asked. "My brother is sick so he can't take me to school. I wondered if Billy could." Suddenly the front door flew open and Billy rushed out of the house. Amelia looked at his frustrated face as he ran his hand through his hair. He walked straight to his car and only looked around as he opened the door. 

"Get in." He said it in such a cold tone that Amelia didn't dare to refuse. She crawled in the backseat as Max got in the front. Billy put his terrible music even harder and didn't say a word to both of the girls. Max stared out the window while Amelia subtly put her fingers in her ears. She wondered how long it would take before Billy became deaf. 

Billy tore through the streets and didn't seem to notice footpaths or pedestrians as he dangerously passed them by. 

They managed to arrive at school unharmed. As soon as the car stopped, Max jumped out and walked away without saying a word. Amelia didn't move which made Billy finally turning his head towards her. "What are you doing?" He asked amused. Amelia held her hands on both sides of her head as she stared at her lap. "Trying my best not to throw up." Billy laughed hard. 

He lit a cigarette but didn't offer her any. "You'll be fine." He said as he got out. After a few seconds Amelia got out as well and immediately saw every person surrounding her staring at her. She noticed how some girls seemed very pissed and whispered to each other.