losing him | billy hargrove [#2]

one

"Souls don't speak
Yet ours spoke fluently"

•

•

I adjusted my position on the daybed as my eyes stayed closed. The sun was shining her bright rays over Hawkins and while everyone else stayed under the safety of their parasols, I laid out right under the bowl of fire. The sun had never bothered me that much and I didn't burn easily. I needed to get my tan on.

The Hawkins community pool had been crowded every day since summer started. It was one of the hottest we'd ever had. A lot of people weren't used to this hot weather, but I had been to hotter places where the sun shone longer than here. I loved the summer and everything that came with it. Tanning, ice cream, swimming and late-night summer parties.

The sun was suddenly blocked by the shadow of someone. I pushed my sunglasses in my hair and opening my eyes. I smiled when I saw who it was, looking at him from up to down. The red swim trunks he had to wear looked good on him in reflect of his tanned skin. His hair had gotten a little longer and I think he used a different hairspray because it was bigger.

"Excuse me, miss. Are you allowed to lay here looking like this?" he asked. I pushed myself up by my elbows and leaned on them.

"Why wouldn't I?" I shot back at him with a smile. "And better not let my boyfriend hear you talk like that."

"Is he around?" he played along. I moved my legs so he could take a seat on the day bed. He took my legs and draped them over his, leaning back on his arms. He was supposed to work, but every now and then he came over here and checked if I was okay. "Your tan is really beginning to show,"

"I know right!" I said excitingly, looking at my semi bronze skin. "Looks like my time here is paying off."

"So that's why you're here every day, huh?" he joked. I laughed and sat up, leaning my chin on his shoulder. We weren't really the ones that packed on P.D.A, but everyone did know we were together. A little kiss and hug could never hurt.

"That and a hot lifeguard," I said softly. I gave him a quick kiss and laid back down.

He stood up and walked back to his post. I was aware of the looks he got from the women he passed when he made his way over. It was something I learned to deal with because it came with being with him. He had never made me not trust him by making a move on another woman, so there was nothing for me to worry about.

Billy had suggested that we'd leave for California right after we graduated, but I told him that I wanted to stay for a little while longer. I wanted to enjoy my last real summer here and spent some time with my family and Nancy. He didn't want to stay with his dad anymore, but luckily, he and Susan had decided to go to Florida for a big part of the summer, leaving Billy and Max to take care of themselves.

Nancy had scored herself a job for the Hawkins Post, as well did Jonathan. He worked as a photo developer and she was assigned to take the phone and get errands. Last Friday when we had one of our girl nights, she whined about how she had expected so much more when she applied there. She didn't want to run around and get people coffee, she wanted to actually write an article. I told her that she would and she could because she could do anything she set her mind to.

I hadn't taken a job for the summer. I chose to just take these months to sit back, enjoy the sun and the company of my man. I was almost here every day or at the new Starcourt Mall, where Steve worked at an ice cream shop. It had been hard for him to take that he hadn't gotten accepted to any college he wanted to go. I was really hoping that something good would happen for him because he had been getting a lot of shit lately.