Not Your Baby ║ Billy Hargrove

Chapter Twelve

As I walked up the steps back to the now-cold breakfast I was about to dive in to, I paused on the last step and let my mind swirl around all of the thoughts that had brewed within the past hour. My gaze fell to the grey stone steps below me as my mind took control and delved into the mystery of Billy. I don't even know him and yet he went out of his way to care about me? I rested my weight on one leg as I thought harder into his mannerisms. He's a pain in the ass, yeah. But at the same time, his soft spot seems to be around me. My lips crept into a small smile as I realized that, as much as I didn't like him, I kind of did. There were hundreds of other boys at that party, most knew me well better than the California boy who just transferred in. Yet, no one helped but him. And staying outside my house to make sure that thing didn't come after us?

"Who are you, Billy Hargrove." I exhaled as I shook my head out of its swirling thoughts and back into reality.

--

"You did WHAT with WHO?" Nancy screamed at me through the dial phone (that I wasn't allowed to have but still snuck in anyway). I quickly unwrapped my finger from the white chord and supported my other hand with the phone, trying to mask her franticness.

"Nance," I reassured her through whispers. 

"I was wasted, Nel! I can't believe you lied to me! I wasn't paying attention!" she shot back. I could hear her footsteps through the phone as she paced back and forth. "Did you tell anyone else? Steve? Jonathan?"

"No, no." I knew what she was doing. She was trying to back me into a corner by asking if I told anyone else that Billy drove me home. This way, she couldn't feel as bad because I told others but they didn't do anything about it. Jokes on her, because I didn't tell a damn soul.

"Neeeeeeel." She sighs as she drew out my nickname for as long as she could groan. "Don't get into this guy, please." I silently rested my head against my cream pillows as she went on. "Remember last time you went about dating a bad boy?"

My body went cold thinking about Christopher Robinson. We went strong for almost a whole year before I found out that he was also dating Layla from our rival school, Carmel High, for eight out of those ten months. I vowed I wouldn't go down that path again for at least a year, and I'm coming up two months short. "I'm not saying that would happen again, but I know how devastating that was and I don't want you to go through that again." Nancy kept talking as she noticed my line went silent.

"I know." I replied, turning on to my back and resuming the intertwining of my fingers and the phone cord. "Something is just, different." My mind began to float back to where it was earlier in the day when Billy asked me out to the drive-in. My face began to get red as I felt the lump in my throat grow bigger and bigger. "And we're going to the drive-in tomorrow." I blurted out, quickly covering my face in excitement and nervousness.

"What! Like a date What happened to, 'don't get involved with this guy. He's a prick'?" Nancy exclaimed in terror.
"No, we're just going to watch the Halloween movie. Nothing crazy, I promise!" I tried to mask my excitement through the phone line.

"Well, I can't force you not to go. You said it wasn't a date so maybe he will just be cool the whole time like you claim he was yesterday." She leveled. "But if he tries anything, Nel, you better stop everything with him." I felt like she was becoming my mother.

"I know, I know." I replied as I looked out the window at the setting sun. "I promise I'll tell you everything." I felt her smile on the other end.
"You know I love you and I just want you to be happy, right?" she sympathized.
"Nancy," I began "I know that. Who knows, maybe getting back out in the scene might help me out!" I laughed a little.

"Yeah, well... Just let me know, okay?" She gave me one last reminder before we ended the call. I hung the phone up and collapsed back on the bed. Staring at the ceiling fan, I felt that dumb smile of mine creep back across my face. Maybe the scene is good for me to get back in to? Who am I? a 40-year-old divorced woman? I thought as I giggled with nervous excitement. Suddenly, the thought of Nancy warning me back at the party to be careful of "it getting me" crossed my mind. My smile faded as I quickly turned around to dial her back up. My fingers hesitated above the dial before retracting. It was nothing. Like Billy said, a rabid animal... I justified to myself as I collapsed again, excited for what would come tomorrow.