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☆︎ OCTOBER, 1995 ☆︎
It was pointless for Indiana to be anxious, but she still was as she waited in the hallway with twenty or so others, all waiting for the coaches to post the rosters for the upcoming basketball season. Both of the varsity teams held tryouts for three days, and now the decision was being announced.
Indiana knew she was a fantastic basketball player, but this was still a new school, and she had no idea what the previous year's team was like. Even if she wasn't going up against thirty girls at tryouts, she was still concerned with making the team.
At the very least, she had Stu and Jackson talking her up. They'd run drills with her for weeks leading up to the tryouts. Both boys were practically guaranteed a spot given that they were on the boys' team last year — they almost made it to the state championship with how good they were.
All of their other friends were waiting in the hallway outside the gym with them to be emotional support. Admittedly, Randy and Sidney didn't care for or know much about basketball, but they would still come to all the games. Tatum would be cheering on the sidelines with the rest of the squad.
And Billy—
Billy came up behind Indiana in the hallway and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. She tensed up, and despite how much she loved the feelings, she started to push him off. But before she could, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, his lips brushing her skin and sending a chill down her spine.
"You let all of us hug you like this. You really gonna make a scene and push me off?" Billy asked in a challenging tone. "Sid's right there and has no idea how close I was to tasting you, does she?"
Indiana's eyes flicked to Sidney, who was smiling halfheartedly at something Tatum was saying. She was all too aware of the nearly faded hickeys on her collarbone and chest that she'd been hiding away. Billy wasn't exactly respecting her 'pretend it never happened' request.
At the very least, he did so all throughout the incredibly short trial covering the murder of Maureen Prescott. But after Sidney testified against a man named Cotton Weary, whose DNA was all over Maureen's body, he was locked up. With that settled, it wasn't long at all before Billy was trying subtle ways to get under Indiana's skin, wanting her to come crawling back to him — things like brushing up against her at their lockers and hugging her as any friend would.
"You're an asshole," Indiana murmured while leaning her head back against Billy's chest. "I hate you."
He tightened his hold on her. "No, you don't," he whispered. She could practically hear his smug smirk.
"No, I don't," she hated to admit. "But I will if you keep acting like this."
With that, Indiana slowly unwrapped his arms from around her, careful not to cause a scene. Then she moved along to Jackson, who was tossing a basketball back and forth with a guy named Luke who also tried out for the boys' team. When she joined, they quickly brought her in, letting her throw it around with them.
