nothing lasts - b.e

|9|

When the dance ends, we all collectively decide to go to the halls near the town centre, where almost every year an after party was hosted, I mean who was going home at 10 pm?

Enya from the soccer team drives us as she's the only one who didn't partake in the 'senior fundraiser', Asteria and I sit in the backseats and Elyssa in the front giggling non stop about how she doesn't know if she's going to throw up or pee herself after having another two rounds of Elodie's 'fundraiser'.

"You throw up in my car and I swear you'll never see the light of day again", Enya warns the laughing girl who proceeds to laugh even harder in response.

"You're so funny when you try to be scary!", Elyssa slurs placing a limp hand on Enya's shoulder.

The halls were already opened by the time we arrived, we had to take two pit stops on the way their, one so Elyssa could pee and another because she thought she was going to be sick but that was a false alarm.

The air outside was cooler now that it was dark and smelt like dead leaves, people were miling about in their suits and dresses, half inside the halls and half outside in the parking lot.

As my friends walk off towards the halls, I take a moment to drink some water and mull over something that's been fermenting in my brain, it had began fizzing in my brain over the last hour, after I overheard Billie and Odessa at the dance.

It's an insane and ridiculous idea, but it was something that could potentially help both Billie and I.

I mean didn't my sisters tell me to fake it till I made it?

Speaking of Billie she was nowhere in sight, I saw Odessa and her group of minions but no Billie.

That in itself made me furrow my brows in confusion, they followed her everywhere and the one time I wanted to find her, she was nowhere to be seen.

I shook it off, figuring I'd speak to her later but for now I'd just have some fun.

As the night progresses and everyone moved indoors due to the chill of the outside air, it started to become very stuffy, the room stinking off sweaty teenagers and alcohol.

Even Asteria was now on the verge of being drunk.

I needed a break from it all, I needed some air, it felt like a sauna in there.

Pushing open the double doors leading to the small patio outside, I was met with the one person I was surprisingly looking for.

Billie didn't seem to notice me as I walked outside, seeming caught up in her own thoughts as her gaze was fixed on the floor.

After about a minute of me staring awkwardly, I managed to pluck up the courage to go and speak to her, as I cleared my throat, she practically jumped out of her skin, her eyes piercing into mine.

"Fucking hell", her voice wasn't as harsh as I expected, "You scared the shit out of me"

She stepped back creating more space between us, eyeing me warily, folding her arms.

"Are you good?", I asked, scanning over her features which seemed to be tired.

"Mhm", she hummed, breaking eye contact, "I just needed to be away from people for a bit"

"I can go if you wa—"

"I don't care", Billie cut me off, her voice wasn't cold like usual, she just sounded defeated.

"I heard you and Odessa talking in the hallway earlier", I murmured which seemed to spark her attention as her eyes found mine again, "I had no idea you were into girls"