crucio ↠ billy hargrove

037

Location; Hawkins, Indiana
March 4, 1980

-CHARLOTTE-

I was waiting for Billy in the waiting room at the dentist office. It's been an hour since Billy went in to get his braces off. I entertained myself with the magazines and the television playing reruns of Cheers. I was a few seats down from his dad and his dad was silent the entire time. He hardly talked to me and when he did, it was just a hello and a goodbye mostly.

I saw Billy walking to us from the hallway. I stood up and I went up to him with a smile. "So, let me see,"I cheered. He opened his mouth and a large white teeth smile appeared on his face. "Oh my god, your teeth are so straight now, did it hurt when they took them off?" I asked him.

"It hurt a little in my opinion but I don't know how much pain you can tolerate," he said, as we followed Billy's dad outside of the dentist.
"I'm really nervous for when I have to take them off like I want them off my face, but you know, I'm used to them and I think it'll feel weird without them. How do they feel?"

"I don't know, it feels like, that feeling when you first put them on, it's just like that but the other way around," he replied. "But I also need to wear a retainer for like the rest of my life,"

"but you're able to eat popcorn and caramel and all those things we couldn't eat with braces," I told him.
"Admit it, you've eaten popcorn with your braces on," Billy smirked at me. I lightly punched his arm and he acted hurt.

Billy slept over at my house that night and we spent most of it reading scary stories to each other and watching tv.
"Oh my goodness, I need to take a picture of you without your braces, I only have ones with you with them." I grabbed my Polaroid camera from my drawer and I sat next to Billy.

"Do I have to push the button?" he asked.
"I'll push it this time," I said. I faced the front of the camera and I hold it with both hands. "Okay, say cheese," I said. He never said cheese but I didn't really care I pressed down the camera and the flash came up almost blinding us both.

The photo came out and I told Billy if we could take another one and he said yes. We touch a few others with silly faces. The last one, I was kissing his cheek and as I pressed down the button. I felt a pair of lips on mine. I closed my eyes as the flash came. I stood frozen. I opened my eyes and it was Billy. He was the one who kissed me.

"Oh..what was that for?" I asked him nicely.
"Oh, nothing, it was dumb sorry. I just..had a spasm." he nervously looked away. It was my first kiss and I ruined the moment. And my first kiss was with my best friend. I felt frozen in place. I placed my camera down and I lifted the picture off it. The picture was already halfway developed.

"Uh..do you want this picture?" I asked him. "You can have it, I'll take these two." He said, grabbing the first two. I nodded.

I couldn't sleep that night. I couldn't stop thinking. About the kiss. It was nice. I smiled to myself.

I heard a noise. It sounded like a growl. Like some sort of dog. "Billy?" I shook him softly and he opened his eyes. "What's wrong?" he whispered raspily.
"I don't know what's outside. But it's bothering me." I said. I stood up and looked out the window.

"Maybe its the wind, don't worry about it," he said. I nodded. Maybe it is just the wind.
"But is it? What if it's an intruder?"

"I don't think they would sound like that, c'mon Lottie, just get some rest and maybe we can check it out in the morning," he said. I nodded and I fell back into bed and tried closing my eyes.

word count; 707