❝SHE'S STANDING ON A LINE BETWEEN GIVING UP AND SEEING HOW MUCH MORE SHE CAN TAKE.❞
in which Belinda Shepard and Ponyboy Curtis discover that home isn't just a place.
→ oc x ponyboy curtis
→ copyright @windrixvilles | 2018⏤2021
"Okay," Tim says, eventually. He then gets up, bones cracking. Billie cringes at the sound. "I'm meetin' up with Todd Fitzgerald and Curly's hangin' out with his mates. We'll be back late. Don't wait up for us, okay, kiddo?"
Billie nods her head. Tim, happy with Billie's answer, leans over and gives her a kiss on the top of her head. "You're a good kid, Billie. Don't forget it."
Billie watches as Tim exits her bedroom and leans back, sinking into her pillow, sighing. It's going to be another long night surrounded by homework and a heavy veil of loneliness that she's created for herself.
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The abrasive sound of the fly-screen door slamming and the call of her voice wakes Billie up from her sleep. Still surrounded by her homework, Billie shoots out of bed with a startled gasp as she hears her name being called again.
It's Tim and his voice is frantic, desperate; a contrast to his cool composure. It's what makes Billie run out of her room and out to the main living space to see a girl with red frizzy curls curled up on the sofa with scratches littering her elbows, hands and knees.
The girl looks up and Billie recognises her as Jessie Simpson; the girl whose father was put in the cooler because of the Shepards' father. Jessie is trembling, either because she's cold or because she's frightened. From the shaking lips and the wide eyes brimming with silver, it's the latter.
"What happened?" Billie asks Tim as she grabs the first-aid kit from the shelf underneath the sink.
"Fucking Socs," Tim spits out, sneering in disgust. "Were following her and she got frightened. Started running and fell."
Billie nods as she grabs Jessie's arm and starts prodding as gently as she can for any signs of broken bones. "Does it hurt?" Billie asks as she rotates to Jessie's other arm.
Jessie shakes her head, "no," she whimpers.
Out of the corner of her eye, Billie notices that Tim pulls out a seat and sits at the table, watching intently.
Billie has finished examining Jessie, who has no signs of broken bones and whose injuries are not extreme. So why was Tim so frantic, worried out of his wits for her? Billie has never seen Tim so scared, except the time in the alleyway as he saw Angela's passed out body.
Billie pours antiseptic onto a clean cloth. "This is going to hurt," Billie warns Jessie as she places the cloth on the worst of Jessie's cuts: her scraped knees. Jessie hisses out in pain, clenching up. Billie pauses and waits for Jessie to relax, for the pain to subside before she continues.
Jessie stays relatively still throughout the rest of the process, as Billie cleans the rest of her wounds, which were minor. After bandaging up the last of Jessie's wounds, Billie stands up from her crouched position beside the sofa.
"Thank you," Jessie mumbles to Billie, giving her a small, grateful smile.
Billie smiles back as she returns the first-aid kit to its original spot under the sink. When she turns around, Tim is by Jessie's side near the sofa as she stands up.
