After Feodorvna

Chapter Fourteen

"Stella, no!"

I whipped around and there stood Billie, dressed head-to-toe in black. Her expression was fairly neutral given the situation, but I could tell she truly cared about stopping me.

The knife in my hands clattered once again to the floor, and Billie raced towards me. She enveloped me in a bear hug that I didn't bother resisting.

"I've got to get you two out of here." She turned her head over her shoulder at Amberly. "Is there anyone you need to call?" She began to pull her phone out.

Out of instinct, I shook my head no. When she nodded and slid her phone back in her pocket, I realized there was someone I should be calling.

"Wait, I wasn't thinking. Can I call my dad?"

She gave me her device nonchalantly. "Sure."

I quickly dialed his number.

"Hello?"

"Dad, it's me. I think," I choked on my words, "I think Holden killed Camille."

He gasped. "Don't move. I'm on my way."

The line went dead, and Billie took her phone back. She ruffled her hair a little and smoothed down her lacy black dress. She was donning a silver pendant with what - from Amberly's midnight rituals - appeared to be a triple goddess symbol. It was pretty.

"Hey, I like your necklace." I complimented.

She stared at me blankly. "Huh?"

"I like your necklace."

"Oh. Thanks." She fidgeted with her hands. She seemed so utterly clueless.

She stood frozen, with creased lines on her forehead. Billie was the type of girl who didn't show emotion all too well. Most people knew that she cared, although the few that didn't treated her like crap. It made her like Ruby Rose and Feodorvna in a way. They were all picked on for ridiculous reasons. Billie never let it get to her, though. Yet, it was still obvious she was hurt by it.

Back in elementary school, around third grade, Billie was pretty popular. Yeah, yeah...popularity isn't everything. I know, but Billie was nice. She never talked about her friends behind their backs. She stood up for them, too.

Then Natalia came strutting into school with her arm linked with Feodorvna's. Natalia befriended Billie soon enough. Their friendship lasted about a year until Natalia turned on Billie, spilling all of Billie's secrets. She was left with trust issues, and rather awful taunting from our classmates.

Over the years, the taunting faded out and she regained some of her lost confidence. She got a job at A Thousand Wishes with Amberly...the rest is history. Despite all this, I didn't understand why she bothered to save us.

"Billie," I asked, "why are you here?"

She blinked. "She didn't tell you?"

"No."

"Amberly called a around an hour ago and told me to get my ass down here."

"Oh. That was you."

She crossed her arms. "Yeah...that was me."

Time felt slower while we waited for my dad to arrive. We watched over Amberly nervously, afraid to move her for fear we'd make her bullet wound worse. I had gotten a piece of gauze since the washcloth she'd wrapped around her leg was seeping onto the floor. Billie just stood there, staring at the clock. I was eleven when she spoke up.

"Someone's here." She pointed out the window.

I looked where she was pointing. A car was parked in the driveway. I flipped on the porch light by the door just to make sure, and it was indeed a neon blue Honda. My dad's car.