No Good • Billy Hargrove

Five

Sunlight filtered into my room through the small opening in my curtains. Even though I hadn't made it home until after 2 a.m., I was wide awake. It wasn't a school day, thank God, so I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling as yesterday's events replayed in my head.

The almost-kiss with Billy, the way he made me feel, and the kiss from my best friend, Steve, trying to take things further. If I were a sex-crazed teen, it probably would have happened.

I sighed and got up, knowing breakfast would be ready soon. Sure enough, there were already two plates set out at the table—eggs and bacon for Dustin and me. My mom sat in the living room, cuddling Mews.

"Oh, sweetie, you have to babysit tonight," she said out of the blue.

I turned to her, giving her a crazed look. "Mom, Dustin doesn't need a babysitter anymore—"

"Oh no, sweetie, it's for a new family in town. They needed someone to watch their daughter. The poor mother sounded so stressed, so I told her you'd do it," she said matter-of-factly.

I stared at her in disbelief. My mom was lovely, but when she was nice, she was overly nice.

"When?" I asked flatly.

"Tonight. I wrote down the address for you," she said, smiling sweetly.

I groaned but decided not to argue. I didn't have a problem babysitting, but my babysitting days were long over, and I was tired of dealing with other people's kids.

The day passed faster than I expected, and before I knew it, it was dark. Time to babysit.

I threw on a pair of black jeans, a plain shirt, and my go-to boots before heading downstairs to grab the address.

Outside, I lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag before slipping into my car and heading down the road.

When I arrived, I rang the doorbell, forcing a friendly expression onto my face. Heavy footsteps approached before the door swung open.

"Well, look who it is," Billy drawled, his stupid, smug smirk already plastered across his face.

"For fuck's sake," I groaned.

"I knew you couldn't stay away from me," he teased, his grin widening.

I snorted. He had to be joking. "That's where you're wrong, Cali."

Billy chuckled, stepping aside to let me in.

"Susan! Babysitter's here!" he yelled.

A moment later, a woman with red hair appeared from the kitchen, her expression warm and welcoming.

"Hello! You must be Danica," she said, pulling me into a quick hug. "Thank you for coming on such short notice," she added, holding my hands.

I shook my head. "Oh, it's no bother," I lied. It was a bother, but I kept that thought to myself.

"Just thank you so much," she continued. "There's money in the kitchen for food if you get hungry. My husband and I should be back by ten sharp." She grabbed her things and rushed out the door before I could even process what had just happened.

I turned to Billy, raising an eyebrow. Why wasn't he babysitting his sister?

As if reading my mind, he answered, "I have plans, babygirl, but I'd gladly cancel them for you," he said with a wink.

I gagged slightly, rolling my eyes. I can't believe I'm attracted to this man, I thought.

"Max! Get down here, punk!" Billy shouted up the stairs.

A redheaded girl appeared, glaring at her brother.

"Listen here, you little shit. Be nice to her, okay?" Billy warned.

Max flipped him off without hesitation, and I couldn't help but snicker.

Billy turned to me, as if expecting some kind of praise. I just stared at him, unimpressed. Did he think this was winning me over?

I liked the Billy from Tina's party—the one who danced with me, who let his guard down, who didn't care about impressing anyone. There were two sides to Billy Hargrove, and I was hoping to see more of the genuine one.

His Camaro roared down the street as he sped off, leaving me and Max alone.

"What a douche," I muttered, earning a laugh from Max.

"Let's watch a movie. You pick," I said, smiling as she ran into the living room, already searching through the VHS tapes.

I ordered pizza, settling in for what I hoped would be a drama-free night.