Different From The Rest

Chapter 29: yappin

Odessa opened your text thread.

Y/n:
Hey you, just got a break at work. Miss your face.

Odessa's eyebrows shot up. "Ooh, she misses your face," she sang teasingly under her breath.

Quen reached over, peeking at the screen. "Be nice. Billie will literally tackle you."

Odessa didn't listen. She smirked and started typing.

Billie (Odessa):
Hey. Miss my face, huh? What about the rest of me?

Quen let out a sharp laugh. "You are evil."

Odessa wiggled her brows. "I'm doing the lord's work."

The phone buzzed again.

Y/n:
Um... all of you actually. Why? You trying to make me flustered while I'm at work? Because it's working.

Odessa slapped Quen's arm. "She's so into her! I love this. I'm going in again."

Billie (Odessa):
Flustered looks good on you. Bet you're blushing. Should I stop or... keep going?

They both cackled as your typing bubble appeared almost immediately.

Billie walked back in with a bowl of chips and immediately froze when she saw them hovering over her phone.

"What. Are. You. Doing."

Odessa held up the phone, not even sorry. "Just helping things along."

Billie lunged, and the phone went flying onto the couch as Odessa shrieked and dove away, laughing.

"You're unhinged!" Billie yelled, scrambling for her phone.

"You're welcome!" Odessa called, ducking behind Quen for cover.

Billie finally got the phone back, heart racing as she read the messages. Her eyes widened.

"Oh my god."

She stared at the screen, cheeks going pink.

Then:

Billie:
Ignore everything after "hey." That was not me. That was Odessa. I'm so sorry.

Your reply came a few seconds later.

Y/n:
That's okay. I kind of liked it.

Billie just stared at it.

Then looked up slowly at her friends.

"...I hate you both," she muttered, but she was smiling when she said it

Billie stared at your last message—I kind of liked it—for a beat longer than she meant to.

Odessa and Quen were still giggling across the room, whispering like middle schoolers who just passed a love note and got the answer they were hoping for.

Billie's thumbs hovered over the keyboard.

Then she typed:

Billie:
Okay well... maybe I won't blame her entirely then.

Backspace. She didn't want to seem too eager. She bit her lip, exhaled slowly, and started over.

Billie:
So hypothetically, if I was trying to make you blush... would that be a bad thing?

She hit send before she could overthink it.

The response came faster than she expected.

Y/n:
Hypothetically? Not at all. I might even be into it.

Billie's heart did a little backflip.

She sat back into the couch like the wind had been knocked out of her, phone pressed to her chest as she blinked up at the ceiling.

"God," she muttered.

Odessa peeked over. "God, she says. She's so gone."

Quen laughed, tossing a pillow at Billie's head. "Just tell her you like her already."

Billie sat up again, fingers flying.

Billie:
Okay well... I definitely like this version of you. The one who's at work thinking about me.

Y/n:
You say that like I ever stop thinking about you.

Billie read it twice, then three times. Her ears went hot.

She turned her screen to Odessa and Quen without a word.

Both of them let out synchronized gasps.

"Oh my goddddd." Odessa clutched her heart. "You guys are so flirting."

"Disgusting," Quen said. "In the best way."

Billie just smiled to herself, leaned back again, and typed:

Billie:
When do I get to see you again? Asking for a friend. A very flirty friend who may or may not be totally into you