BILLIE'S NIGHTMARE

Chapter 10

"B?" Josh knocked on the closet door when I sat there for what felt to me like hours, but I am sure must have been close to barely 20 minutes.

My thoughts deepened as I sat on my closet floor, my head resting on my knees and my arms embracing myself. I knew that I would soon have to tell Josh. I couldn't keep  hiding it from him. But the mere thought of telling him made my insides crawl. What would he think of me? Would he still want to be friends? The last thing I wanted was to lose the only friend I had. Being around him made me feel like a whole new person; a better person, that always smiled and joked. Like I used to be as a child. If he was going to find out, it wouldn't be anytime soon. I would much rather enjoy the time that I do have with him, before I marry James and he ships us both to London the second I regretfully mutter "I do".

I inhaled positive energy and exhaled negativity, something I was taught to do to calm myself at my piano recitals when nerves hit me. With that, I slipped on my hoodie and I got up and opened the closet door. Josh was pacing around the room, his steps slow as he looked to the floor as if questioning existence. He darted his gaze to my direction, concern etched on his features.

"You okay?" he asked, walking towards me and taking my hand.

I quickly nodded. "Yeah." I flashed him the all-famous 'Elizabeth Gracie' smile, the one that was not genuine but can very well appear to be.

"You sure?" he asked, making my smile fall away. Who does that? It was as if he...actually cared how I felt.

Josh waved his hand around my face. "Earth to B." I heard his soft voice say, and I blinked back to reality. "What was that?" he asked. I released a chuckle.

"Oh, I just...needed a second is all." I replied, placing an oddly persistent strand of hair behind my ear.

"No, I'm talking about the look."

My eyebrows pinched in confusion.

"What look?"

"I don't know how to explain it..." he eyed me intently.

"Did it look like this," I crossed my eyes and stuck out my tongue, flaring my nose and pulling both my ears in a classic camera-worthy funny face.

He scrunched his nose, "You're a big baby." he said, a laugh muffled between his words.  I released my ears and relaxed my face.

"Kinda looks like your base face." I said. He frowned.

"Does not."

"Does. Next time you play guitar, take a look in the mirror—"

"Just so you know, I'm not playing in front of you again."

"Aww, you scared I would judge your base face?" I teased, ruffling his wavy hair.

"You know, maybe I should mess up your hair for a change. Make things interesting." he said with a mischievous grin.

My eyes widened and I shook my head vigorously. "No." I took a step back, not liking the smug grin curving his lips. He followed my step, keeping our distance tame for a vicious pounce.

"You will not dare to touch even a single strand on my head—"

"Try to stop me." he quickly said confidently.

And that, dear ladies and kind gents, is the moment I spun and ran for dear life. Call it ridiculous, but the neatness of my hair meant the world to me, especially in front of Josh. Once untamed, this mane can make me look like I was raised in a cave.

I didn't care where I went, all I knew was that Josh was ten times faster than me— if ever I was graced with a headstart but if otherwise, I was a snail compared to him. And today is that otherwise.