͏b͏r͏o͏k͏e͏n || ͏b͏i͏l͏l͏y ͏h͏a͏r͏g͏r͏o͏v͏e

E I G H T

"I could ask you the same question, Ana," Tommy shot back, crossing his arms.

"Do it then, freckles," I hissed. Steve grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back before things could escalate further. "Last I checked, you're playing lapdog for Hargrove, acting like you're the coolest thing in Hawkins just 'cause you trail behind him."

"Let's just go," Steve huffed, clearly fed up.

Billy's smirk widened. "Don't sweat it, Harrington. Today's just not your day, man."

"Yeah. Not your week. You and the princess break up for one day, and she's already running off with the freak's brother." Tommy's words made me and Steve turn back to them. Tommy's realization seemed to hit him hard, and he laughed obnoxiously. "Oh, shit. You don't know. Jonathan and the princess skipped yesterday. Still haven't shown. But that must just be a coincidence, right?"

Billy chuckled and shook Steve's shoulder lightly. "Don't take it too hard, man. A pretty boy like you has got nothing to worry about. Plenty of bitches in the sea."

Steve rolled his eyes and headed to the locker room, clearly done with the whole scene. Billy's attention turned to me as he called after Steve. "I'll be sure to leave you some." He looked me up and down with a smirk. "You good, princess?"

"Oh don't princess me."

Billy's smirk widened as he took in my reaction. "What's the matter? Did I hit a nerve?" he teased, leaning casually against the bleachers.

I forced myself to remain calm, though my anger was bubbling just below the surface. "I'm fine, thanks for asking," I snapped, trying to keep my voice steady.

Billy chuckled, clearly amused by my irritation. "Sure you are. You look like you're about to burst." He took a step closer, his presence making it harder to ignore him.

"Just leave me alone, Billy," I said through gritted teeth. "I've had enough of your crap for one day."

"Is that so?" Billy raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mockery. "Seems like you're just as much of a hot mess as your brother. Maybe you two are a package deal."

I could feel my face heating up. "Whatever, Billy. Just go back to whatever pointless thing you're doing. I've got better things to worry about."

"Yeah? Like what?" Billy asked, his gaze fixed on me with a challenging gleam. "Does your 'better things' include making sure Steve doesn't let me get under his skin? Because it looks like you're doing a terrible job at that."

My fists clenched at my sides. "You don't know anything about me or my brother," I snapped. "So maybe you should just back off."

Billy's eyes flashed with amusement. "Maybe I'll back off if you make me." He took a step even closer, his smirk never fading. "Or maybe you're just all talk and no—"

"Shut up," I said, struggling to maintain my composure. "I don't have time for your games."

He shrugged, still grinning. "Whatever you say, princess. But just remember, you're not the only one who can dish it out."

With that, Billy turned and walked away, his smirk lingering as he disappeared down the hall. I watched him go, my frustration still simmering. The last thing I needed was more drama, especially from someone like Billy. But as much as I wanted to ignore him, I knew he was far from done with his antics.

***

I gritted my teeth, mumbling to myself as I popped my locker open. "Ughhh! Who does he think he is?" I snapped, gathering my things with a frustrated huff. Art class was next, and the thought of sharing it with Billy made my stomach churn. He was always late, probably because he was busy perfecting his hair or checking the size of his Slim Jim. I sighed and headed to class, trying to mentally prepare myself for his antics.

True to form, Billy slouched into the back of the classroom, drawing attention with his usual swagger. I focused on my color wheel and inspiration board, determined to ignore him. But the minute he poked my elbow, I knew I was in for a long session.

"What are you doing?" he asked, clearly uninterested in our project.

"Our project. You should try contributing sometime," I said, my sarcasm barely veiled.

"Yeah, I don't think so," he replied, folding his hands behind his head and leaning back. I tried to tune him out, but his constant pen clicking, snarky remarks, and relentless arm poking were driving me insane. The clock seemed to tick slowly, mocking my impatience.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "Do you mind?!" I yelled, slamming my hands on the desk. Billy's eyes widened in surprise, and the art teacher's head snapped up.

"Harrington, Hargrove! Out!" she ordered. I gathered my things in a hurry, glaring at Billy before storming out of the classroom.

As I walked down the hall, I felt a hand grip my shoulder. I turned to see Billy smirking at me. "Didn't expect that, princess," he said.

"You're such a butthole, Hargrove," I spat, trying to pull away from him.

"Hey, I'm not the one calling names and yelling all the time," he retorted, holding his hands up in mock innocence.

"You're right. You just don't do your work and you like to bug the snot out of me. I get it if you want to fail at school—maybe even life, but don't interfere with mine." I felt a jolt as Billy yanked me back by my backpack, pinning me against the lockers. His dark eyes bore into mine, and I tried to look away, but I was trapped in his intense gaze.

"Say that to my face," he demanded, his voice low and dangerous, his chest pressed against mine. I swallowed hard, my breath catching. "Go on. You wanna act like a little bitch, go ahead. Say. It. To. My. Face."

I clenched my jaw, struggling to keep my composure. Billy loosened his grip slightly, and just as I thought I might get away, his hand moved down to my bottom. My eyes widened in shock as he slowly pulled my cigarettes out of my pocket, letting his hand linger for a moment. "Next time you decide to bring the heat like that," he said, smirking as he waved the cigarettes in front of my face, "make sure you can take the smoke."

Billy released me and sauntered outside, leaving me breathless and stunned. I stood there, trying to process what had just happened. Shaking my head, I decided to find somewhere else to go—preferably somewhere that didn't involve Billy Hargrove.