Billy Hargrove // DNA

Chapter Eleven

 The annoying sound of her alarm woke Amelia up. With great reluctance she opened her eyes. She wanted to smash her alarm clock on the ground but decided against it, instead she hit it with her hand to make the sound stop.

Amelia threw the sheets on the floor and stared at the ceiling for a little while. Her thoughts wandered off to the kiss that Billy and Jennifer had shared two days ago. Amelia kept asking herself the same question: why was she there? But she knew the answer. They probably had slept together. That thought made her feel sick to her stomach.

It was now Tuesday morning, the day of cheer leading practice which she absolutely wasn't looked forward to. How much longer could she pretend she was happy when all she wanted to do was mope around?

Yesterday Amelia did her best to completely ignore Billy. When he arrived at school she didn't look at him like she usually did, she focused her gaze on something else as he passed by. The whole entire day Amelia hadn't even once looked at his direction.

It was extremely hard to ignore him. Even if he wasn't around her she still heard the giggles and gossip of the girls who constantly roamed around him which made it worse.

Amelia didn't want anyone to see her sadness. She acted overly excited and happy. She laughed at Rebecca's silliness and never left Steve's side, paying attention to him only. Sarah was the only one who could look through her façade since Steve was just over the moon by the fact she was clinging onto him. In the evening Sarah had called her and she had tried to explain as much as possible, knowing her mom was eavesdropping. Rebecca didn't seem to notice Amelia was pretending, which made her a little sad. She was just glad that she had come to her senses, ignoring Billy and walking alongside Steve all day. Maybe Billy had noticed her childish behaviour by completely ignoring him, but she didn't care. If she would just ignore him for a bit longer, she would forget about him.

Geez. Why was I so attracted to a boy whom I barely knew?

After a few minutes of moping Amelia got out of bed and put her cheer leading outfit on. Afterwards she went to the bathroom and did her morning ritual, doing her best to look well-groomed. She practiced different fake smiles standing in front of the mirror. She wanted to show Billy that she wasn't interested in him.

Amelia cursed herself by becoming so desperate in such a short time. She got seduced by Billy's charm but that was over now, done.

When Amelia stepped into Cora's room Cora looked up in amazement. "You're a pretty cheerleader." She said. Amelia smiled and gave her a hug. "You're my pretty girl." Cora chuckled and jumped out of bed.

"What's your favorite color?" Amelia asked her little sister. "Pink!" Cora exclaimed without any hesitation. With that, Amelia dressed her in a pink t-shirt and jeans overalls. As they walked downstairs she held Cora in her arms.

Amelia skipped breakfast and just drank some water. Her mother noticed and put extra sandwiches and fruit in her lunch bag as a sign of worry. Amelia had lost her appetite and didn't feel like eating. Her stomach had been in an uncomfortable knot for the past two days. She knew she would just throw her lunch in a trashcan at school.

The rest of their morning ritual went as usual. Her stepfather read his newspaper, drank his coffee and left the house with his suitcase in his hand. Her mother waved him goodbye and went upstairs to change her outfit since she always wore her pajamas in the morning. Benjamin and Amelia brushed their teeth and put on their shoes. They said their goodbyes and left the house.

Fifteen minutes later they arrived at school. Amelia muttered goodbye and grabbed the door handle, getting ready to leave. "Wait." Benjamin said suddenly. Amelia turned her head towards his direction. "What is it?" She wondered what he had to say.