ᴘᴇʀꜰᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴇꜱꜱ • ʙɪʟʟʏ ʜᴀʀɢʀᴏᴠᴇ

Nine

Daisy entered the school canteen almost breathlessly and was immediately dragged to the side by Nancy.

"Where were you this morning?!" Nancy exclaimed, linking arms with her as they walked to their usual table at the back. "You didn't show up for class. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, uh, I was feeling a little sick so I missed first period, sorry." Daisy smiled apologetically. No way was she going to tell Nancy she was with Billy. She'd ask way too many questions, most of which had no concrete answers. They got to the table, where Jonathan, Steve and Robin were already eating. The first to look up and speak was Robin.

"So, Henderson... you and Billy Hargrove huh?" she said suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows. Daisy sat down, blushing brightly.

"Uh... I have no idea what you're--"

"I saw you walking with him just before second period." she explained. "I mean, I'm happy for you and all, but least you could do was tell us you two were dating!"

Nancy shot Daisy a look. "You just told me you were sick."

"I-I was!" Daisy insisted. "Billy just... drove me here."

"Knowing that slick douchebag, I doubt it was just a drive..." Steve muttered, angry his best friend didn't tell him she and Billy were hanging out as more than just friends.

"Seriously, Steve?" Daisy groaned. "He's not that bad anymore."

"Uh, I hate to be that person, Daise, but..." Robin pointed out, waving he fork around. "Not that bad, in my books, means he is still slightly bad."

"Okay fine...." Daisy threw her hands up in surrender. "Billy picked me up as usual, but I noticed something was up, so we went somewhere to talk about... his stuff..."

"His stuff? What stuff?" Jonathan asked, raising an eyebrow. Daisy shrugged her shoulders as she looked around, making sure Billy wasn't around, and then looked down at her lap as she spoke.

"Billy has some family stuff going on and... and he confided in me..." She glanced up at her friends. "I swear. That's all."

"So you missed class... just so you could listen to Billy talk..." Jonathan recited the story in brief. "Does that mean we have to be... nice... to him?"

Steve rose up. "Ha! Not me though!" he retorted. "Count me out of this. I have to head to class. Robin, let's go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. She turned her face just in time to mouth Call me! in Daisy's direction, who in response gave her a thumbs' up.

After Steve and Robin left for class the other couple at the table turned to Daisy, still not convinced by her story. "Okay, now that Steve's gone..." Nancy paused for a second. "Tell us the truth..."

Daisy sighed and rolled her eyes. "Nancy, I'm not lying. Billy really is not as bad as he was. I... I trust him... kind of. He's got some serious issues back home, and dating way back from his childhood. He hasn't told me everything, but he said he will eventually."

Nancy gave Jonathan a look and small shrug unsure of how to react and feel about that. "You know it's Jonathan's birthday next week. We were thinking of ordering some takeout and hang out at my place. How about..." Nancy gave her boyfriend yet another look and he shrugged in response. "How about you invite Billy along?"

Daisy blinked. "But you guys don't like him. At all." she pointed out. "You saw how Steve reacted to me being friends with him, let alone force him to be in the same room as him!"

"But you like him." Jonathan commented. "And that's good enough for me. I don't mind if you invite him, as long as he behaves himself."

Daisy looked down for a brief moment before glancing back at Jonathan giving him a small nod. "I'll ask him later." The bell for next period rang and the three friends went to their separate classes.