Suburban Blues // Billy Hargrove

XII - edward

Kat sighed as she checked her watch outside the school building, her fingers starting to lose feelings with the rapidly decreasing temperature outside. Dustin told her this meeting would be finished by 5 and it was approaching 5:15 meaning she was slowly losing patience waiting around on him.

She somewhat wished she was still on good terms with Billy so she could be sitting in his warm, comfortable camaro instead of the hard plastic benches outside the front entrance. She had mentally decided if Dustin wasn't out in the next ten minutes then she was leaving without him and would accept the consequences from her mother.

She hadn't spoken to Billy since the party and they had both made every effort to actively avoid each other, passing in the halls without so much as a glance. Billy would occasionally find himself looking over at her window, the temptation to climb over and crawl in being suppressed by his own stubbornness.

Kat didn't want to admit that she missed him, she found herself bored in the evenings she would usually fill by Billy coming over or going out in his car. Her lack of physical contact was also creating a pit of irritability within, lashing out at her parents over the most trivial questions.

"Thank god" She muttered to herself as she spotted her brother walking out the front doors.

He was accompanied by his friends as well as a few of the high schoolers, some she recognised from classes and from seeing them in the cafeteria. His friends parted ways with him, cycling off in various directions.

"You said 5" Kat stated firmly, showing her annoyance at waiting around.

"Sorry I just-"

"My fault" A long haired boy interrupted "I will make sure he's out on time next week"

He extended his hand out for her to shake with a wide grin plastered on his face and she hesitantly accepted it eyeing him warily. She had seen him around school, heard him even; he had a habit of riling up the jocks from the other side of the cafeteria, purposely antagonising them.

"I'm Eddie, by the way" He beamed dripping in confidence and self assurance.

"Kat" She replied.

She wasn't particularly sure of his motives, it was entirely possible he was just being friendly by introducing himself to his latest recruit's sister but the way his eyes lingered on her made it feel like there was perhaps another reason for his eagerness of pleasantries.

"C'mon Dusty, mom's gonna kill us if we're late for dinner" Kat said turning her attention to her brother, face deep in his notebook filled with scribbles and doodles.

The sun had almost fully set now and it was quickly growing dark, a reminder that winter was approaching. She shoved her hands deep into her jacket pocket hoping to gain some feeling back in her fingers that felt like they were going to drop off.

"Why don't I give you guys a ride?" Eddie smiles tilting his head "Least I can do"

Normally Kat would give him a firm no, her stubborn nature insisting on walking but with how tired and irritable she felt today paired with how icy cold her hands felt, she accepted.

Eddie opened the passenger door for her bowing dramatically, earning a small upturn of her lip as she slid into the seat. She couldn't help but note how Billy had never once opened the car door for her despite the numerous times she'd ended up inside it.

Eddie haphazardly cleaned the junk that was scattered along the dashboard and handbrake, tossing them into the back leading to Dustin whining about being hit by an empty big gulp cup. Kat couldn't help but compare him to Billy and found herself annoyed that she was subconsciously doing so since they were nothing more than friends with benefits and even then they weren't particularly friends.