Games| B. Hargrove

01

"You know, maybe we should bring them a housewarming gift. Like.. like banana bread!" Nicole suggested, nodding her head.

"You don't even bake?" Steve pointed out.

"Mommy! Steve is being mean!" The girl pouted like a toddler.

"I'll pull the dad card." Steve smirked.

"It's my dad." She glared.

"He loves me more." The boy laughed as Nicole began to playfully beat on him.

"Okay okay, it is getting late. I don't want you driving after dark, Steve." Paul interrupted.

"Dad it's only 6!" Nicole pouted once more.

"You want to make a housewarming gift, we're making it. No distractions." Amanda pointed and the younger girl rolled her eyes.

"Fine, c'mon Steve." And she led the way, grabbing the boy by his wrist to drag him to his car.

"Need a ride tomorrow?" The boy asked once they made it out to his car.

"Um, duh. Im not walking in the cold." She giggled.

"You better be up by 7:30 or I'm leaving you. I'll see you tomorrow Nic'." He pulled her body into his own for a hug.

"Yes, sir. Bright and early in the am." She hugged back before letting go and waving him off as he backed out of the drive and down the street.

.·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·.

"Oh my god what if they're like, allergic to bananas." Nicole sighed as she smoothed down her white pleated skirt and fixed her tucked in cream sweater.

"I'm sure they're not, come on it's getting late!" Her mom rushed seeing as it was now just after 8 o'clock.

Paul was already in bed because he worked at 5 in the morning, so it was just the two that walked to the newly resided residence. Amanda had the banana bread in hand, and Nicole just fumbled with her fingers due to the nerves in the pit of her stomach. Why did I suggest this, she wondered as they stopped on the porch of the house. Amanda reached her hand up and planted a curt knock on the door.

Only seconds passed before there was rustling on the other side of the door. The wood quickly snapped open, and a figure that was wearing a black muscle tee and some sweatpants now took place in vision. It was the mullet boy from earlier, and he looked beyond confused.

"Who's at the door, Billy?" A older woman rounded the corner quickly, taking oven mitts off her hands.

"Oh hello! We live just down the street at 4813 and saw you were moving in. My daughter wanted to bring a housewarming gift so, we made banana bread." Amanda quickly explained.

"A housewarming gift?" The boy in front of Nicole smirked.

"Please tell me no one is allergic to bananas." She sighed, playing with the hem of one of her sleeves.

His gaze was super intimidating.

"No dear, no allergies here. Thank you so much! I'm Susan and this is Billy, my step son. My husband Neil and daughter Max are inside somewhere." The kind woman, Susan stuck her hand out and Amanda gladly shook it.

"I'm Amanda! This is my daughter, Nicole. My husband Paul is already in bed for work tomorrow." She grinned.

"Nice to meet you." Billy stuck out his hand.

"You too." Nicole smiled, placing her hand in his.

However, a blush quickly came over her face as he brought her hand up to kiss the back of it.

"Well, we've got to be going. This one's got school bright and early in the morning!" Amanda smiled at Susan.

"Oh, I'm assuming you attend Hawkins High school, maybe she can show you around Billy." Susan suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." He looked Nicole up and down once more before disappearing back into the house.

They quickly bud their goodbyes, and it took everything in Nicole to not squeal all the way down the street. Billy, what a boyish name.

Suddenly, Nicole had a new reason to be excited for going to school in the morning.