❝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
"Gonna take her home," Tim announces to Billie as he guides Jessie out the front door. All Billie can do is nod and watch, astounded by Tim's reaction to this situation.
As Jessie and Tim leave, inspiration strikes and so, Billie races back to her bedroom, leaps onto her bed and starts writing, words flowing onto the page like a waterfall, the white page covered in blue as Billie keeps on writing and writing. She writes about fear and paranoia and scraped knees and bruised knuckles. She writes about girls so scared they trip over their own feet when running and writes about boys who punch walls or others because it's all they know. She writes until the adrenaline has left her body and her fingers ache from how tightly she grips her pen.
She writes until she falls asleep in exhaustion, worksheets and stationary pushed to the floor as she rolls over to her side of the bed.
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Tim doesn't bring up the night with Jessie for the rest of the weekend and neither does Billie. Billie knows that Tim doesn't want to, as Curly and Angela are blissfully unaware that on Friday night, close to midnight, Tim was worried about Jessie Simpson, of all people. And not just that; also the fact that Tim had shown concern to someone that wasn't his siblings.
So Billie and Tim act as though that night never happened, that it was a figment of their imagination. The only evidence of that night was the short story that Billie had completed for homework, inspired by the events that had unfolded only minutes prior.
On Monday morning, the first period of the new schoolwork, Mr Symes collects the homework. Under his watchful eye, his students complete comprehension questions on the current chapters of Robinson Crusoe as Mr Symes reads over their short stories.
Billie feels continuous tsunamis of panic crash over her the entirety of the period. She's worried that she has given Mr Symes too much of an insight into her life. She knows that Mr Symes knows she is a Greaser, but she doesn't want the school to know about her personal life, especially someone like Mr Symes who has no idea on what life on the East Side is like.
Billie's anxiety triples when Mr Symes instructs that she and Ponyboy to wait after class. Mr Symes' expression is blank, giving nothing away, so Billie has no idea if it will be good news or bad news.
Billie and Ponyboy stay back after class, watching as the rest of the students trickle out of the classroom. Billie knows her fear is written all over her face if the concerned looks Ponyboy is giving her is any indication.
Mr Symes laughs kindly at Billie's panicked facial expression. "It's alright, Billie. Neither of you are in trouble."
Billie's posture relaxes and she sighs in relief.
Mr Symes continues, "I wanted to tell you both that I'm very proud of the short stories you submitted. They are wonderful." He gives Billie and Ponyboy kind smiles. "I had a feeling that you both wouldn't really like it if I said it in front of the class."
