"Love is a game. The only way to win is to play."
New to Northwood High School, Billie Langford was an easy target. Her big eyes and sweet smiles made her bait too tempting for Elijah Thompson to ignore. She was to be the next victim in the BadBoy's...
"Mum, breakfast is ready!" Billie called as she pulled two charred pieces of toast from the toaster and let out a few hisses of pain as they burned her fingertips as she hurriedly threw it onto a plate.
There was no reply except a clang and a string of curses and Billie sighed. She had five minutes to get to school and she knew her bike couldn't get her there fast enough no matter how fast her sneakers spun.
"I'm leaving now!" She yelled throwing her satchel over her shoulder and buttoning an old coat she had pulled from one of the many moving boxes she had still yet to unpack.
Billie wasted no time dawdling any longer and hurried from her house to where her bike awaited, throwing her leg over and peddling like she was in the Tour de France.
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"You're late." The receptionist deadpanned and Billie removed a wet strand of hair that dangled in front of her eyes and swallowed.
"I know. I'm so sorry I lost track of time and this school is so big I got really lost and didn't know where to put my bike and-"
Before she could say any more the receptionist stuck up a hand to silence her ramblings and straightened her glasses. "I don't need excuses. You have already missed your first lesson, move along and don't miss your next."
She slammed a small leaflet onto the desk that separated them and shooed her away. Billie mumbled a 'thanks' and stumbled down the corridor, unsure if she was reading the map upside down or not.
So focused on the map before her, Billie didn't notice another presence until the smell of cigarettes hit her and she wrinkled her nose. It reminded her of her house. Looking up, Billie saw a boy around her age leaning against a set of lockers blowing out puffs of smoke like the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland and she snorted at the thought.
The boy had heard her unlady-like noise and looked at her sharply, shocked that she was there and annoyed she had disrupted his peace. When the smoke around him cleared more, Billie could see angry silver eyes staring at her quizzically.
"What are you?" He asked taking another draw from the white stick and breathing in the addicting nicotine.
Taken aback by the 'what', Billie glanced behind her to see if it was her he was referring to. It was just them, a long corridor and the silence between them.
"U-um, I'm the new girl. Billie Langford." She introduced holding out a hand for him to shake but dropped it when all he did was glance to the introductory gesture and then back to her face.
He shrugged his shoulders and tapped some ash from his cigarette onto the linen floors. "Yes, but what are you to me?" He said with an eyeroll like it was the most obvious answer and had been dangled in front of her.
"I-I don't, I don't know." Billie had never met someone so confusing. "I suppose a soon-to-be-friend?"
He seemed to smile at this and let out a bark of laughter. "I doubt it." The boy put out his cigarette on the locker beside him. "I don't have friends."
With that, he stalked off.
"Wait! Do you know the way to Mr. Monmery's class?" She called out but he kept walking and she wasn't sure if he hadn't heard her or didn't care to answer.
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