"Have you heard from Curly? How is he doing?" Ponyboy asks Billie, splayed across the sofa in the Curtis' living room.
"He sent a letter to us for Christmas," Billie answers, smiling at finally receiving contact from her twin. "It's not a lot, but it's better than nothing at all."
"Before you know it, Curly will be back home," Ponyboy says, trying to comfort her.
"A year is a long time," Billie replies.
"Curly might be let out early on good behaviour," Ponyboy offers, trying to be positive.
Billie snorts, "Curly? Good behaviour?" She and Ponyboy both burst into laughter at the unlikeliness of Curly being on his best behaviour. Knowing her twin almost as well as she knew herself, Billie can imagine the trouble Curly is causing during his stint in reform school.
"You miss him, don't you?" Ponyboy asks, once their laughter has subsided.
Billie nods her head, the mood deflating. "Yeah, I do," she admits somberly. "But," she adds, "I know now that what happened.. that's on Curly and nothing I could've done would've stopped Curly from being caught."
"Now I know what Darry feels like," Ponyboy says. Billie turns his way as he elaborates, "I tend to lose track of time when I'm out and Darry freaks out when I come home late. I always thought he was being stupid and overreacting, but now I know why he was so worried."
"He doesn't want to lose you," Billie says, remembering how Darry had a smile on his face as he spoke about Ponyboy last month in the car. "He's scared about something happening to you and Sodapop." She doesn't add 'just like your parents', but knows that Ponyboy understands.
"He's worried that he'll lose us just like we lost our parents."
Billie squeezes Ponyboy's arm in a gesture of comfort. She wakes up with that same crippling fear everyday; that she'll lose her siblings and she'll be all alone.
Ponyboy rests his hand on Billie's, "you've got me. I'm not going anywhere," he says, as though he can read Billie's mind. Billie knows he can't, but it's a comforting feeling to know that Ponyboy knows her so well.
Ponyboy changes the subject, clearing his throat. "Are you excited for New Year's?" He asks.
Billie nods, a smile blooming on her face, "of course. It's the first New Year's I'm not spending inside the house."
"Johnny and I always spend New Year's Eve down in the lot. Most of the time someone lights up fireworks and we can lie down and watch them," Ponyboy explains.
To celebrate the end of the year 1965, the teens were spending New Year's Eve down at the lot. Ponyboy had asked Billie and the others if they wanted to come, joining him and Johnny. All four teenagers had jumped at the chance to celebrate with each other. Scott had asked if Dean and Lloyd could come too. Billie had bit her tongue at Lloyd coming, but stayed quiet out of respect for her friendship with Scott.
Angela would be out celebrating at a house party with her friends, while Tim would be joining the rest of the Curtis gang at the Curtis' house for New Year's Eve. The three Shepard siblings agreed to celebrate New Year's with each other by having lunch together the next day.
"It's going to be weird not having Curly here," Billie admits, "he's probably the one setting off fireworks."
"I'm sure he'll make up for missing out on this New Year's next year," Ponyboy replies, laughing. "He'll probably set off double the fireworks."
"Anything for attention," Billie agrees. Her twin was a show-pony who basked being in the limelight and the centre of attention. For Curly, if people weren't talking about him, he was doing something wrong.
Ponyboy's eyes flick to the clock mounted on the wall behind them. "Shit," he curses, sitting upright abruptly. "I was supposed to go down to Spencer's Special an hour ago to grab snacks for tonight."
Billie stifles a giggle. Ponyboy would lose his head if it wasn't attached to his body. She stands up, "come on," she says, pulling Ponyboy up. "Let's go together."
Ponyboy shoots Billie a smile that makes her heart beat just that little faster in her chest.
"It's so cold," Laura grumbles, wrapping her arms around herself. "Why are we out here when we could be inside? Where it's warm?"
"That's why we all brought blankets, dummy," Leo tells Laura and throws a blanket at her.
Laura wraps the blanket around herself as Johnny speaks up, "the fireworks are good from out here, you'll see."
"These fireworks better be magical," Laura mutters under her breath.
"Losers, who wants a cancer-stick?" Lloyd asks obnoxiously, waving around a packet of Kool's.
Scott, Dean, Leo and Johnny take one, while Laura, Billie and Ponyboy decline. Billie notices how Laura shifts uncomfortably when beside her, Leo lights up the cigarette. She remembers Laura mentioning her father died from lung cancer when she was little.
"This is boring," Lloyd complains, lying across a dirty mattress, blowing out smoke. "When are we gonna see fireworks?"
"How do we know? We're not the ones setting off the fireworks," Laura answers, snapping at Lloyd.
Lloyd rolls his eyes at Laura. "Jesus, calm down. Only asking a question." Lowering his voice, Billie hears Lloyd whisper to Dean, "what the hell is up her ass?"
Dean rolls his eyes and whispers for Lloyd to shut up. He pushes Lloyd away from himself, telling his friend that he stinks.
Dean is clearly annoyed with Lloyd, and now that Billie is thinking, she doesn't think she's seen any of his friends show any other emotion besides annoyance when around Lloyd or about Lloyd.
Which poses the question: why are Curly, Dean and Scott still friends with Lloyd when he annoys them so much? In Billie's personal opinion, it would be much easier, and nicer, without Lloyd around. She has no patience or tolerance for the foul-mouthed and disrespectful Greaser.
"Is it just me, or is Lloyd really annoying?" Ponyboy whispers in Billie's ear, quiet enough for only her to hear.
Billie leans into Ponyboy to reply, "it's not just you. He's a pain in the butt and we've only been here for twenty minutes."
Ponyboy sighs, looking at Lloyd who is currently flicking at Scott's ear, despite Scott telling him to stop and pushing his hand away. "I didn't really want him here, but Scott asked if Dean and Lloyd could come too. I don't have an issue with Dean, he's cool, but I couldn't really say yes to Dean and no to Lloyd without causing a problem."
Billie nods her head, watching Lloyd continue to flick Scott's ear with distaste.
Ponyboy then adds, "Lloyd doesn't like me as it is and I didn't want to give him a reason for a fight."
Billie turns to Ponyboy. "Being sensible for once, are we?" Her lips curl upwards into a teasing smile.
Ponyboy ducks his head. "I'm trying to be. For Darry and Sodapop." He then adds, "well, Darry mostly. He's probably gonna start getting grey hairs by thirty because of me."
"It's always the youngest that keeps everybody on their toes," Billie says, "just look at Curly."
"I didn't know you were born first," Ponyboy replies, a look of surprise on his face.
"Yeah, I am. Why?" From the surprised look on Ponyboy's face, Billie doesn't like where this is going.
"Oh, it's nothing." Ponyboy shakes his head. "I probably heard Curly wrong."
"Did Curly tell you he's the older twin?" Billie asks. When Ponyboy nods his head, Billie bursts into a fit of laughter. "What a liar! I'm older than him by a minute and a half."
Ponyboy starts laughing too. He nudges Billie in the side, "hey, you should ask Curly's friends if he's told me the same thing."
Billie nods her head and calls out to Scott. "Hey," she starts innocently, "did Curly tell you who was the older twin?"
"Curly said he was older," Dean answers immediately.
Billie and Ponyboy exchange a look before they burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Dean asks, frowning slightly.
Billie shakes her head as she stops laughing. "Curly's a rotten liar, that's what's funny! I'm older than him."
"What?" Scott, Dean and Lloyd all cry out in unison. Then, they all start laughing, too.
"So," Scott manages to get out in between laughs, "Curly lied to us about being older? What an idiot."
Dean adds, "I can't wait to rub this in his face when he's out of reform school." Dean clutches his side as he continues to laugh.
Lloyd narrows his eyes at Billie. "So you're really older? Not Curly?"
Billie nods her head. "That's what I said."
Lloyd scoffs. "Who the hell lies about being older than their twin?"
"Curly, that's who!" Dean cries out as he and Scott burst into another round of laughter.
"Curly's gonna freak when he finds out you've told his friends," Ponyboy tells Billie as he adjusts the blanket around them.
"Lucky that's not for another eleven months," Billie replies, shuffling under blanket so it covered her up from the icy night chill. "You know, I'm starting to think that being out there isn't that good for an idea."
Billie and Ponyboy look around, noticing everybody shivering under blankets and hearing the sound of teeth chattering. "How about we go inside? It's too cold to be out here," Billie suggests.
Laura immediately jumps up, happy to be escaping the cold. "Sounds good to me."
"Let's head to our's," Dean says, standing up also and folding his blanket. "It's the closest from here."
Hazel was happy to see the teenagers as she ushered them inside, telling them to make themselves at home. "How about I make you all some hot chocolate?" She asks, receiving grateful smiles in return. Dean and Scott leave the living room to help Hazel in the kitchen, while the rest crowd around the television, watching the countdown to the new year.
"I have a feeling 1966 is going to be a good one," Ponyboy says, leaning back on the sofa.
"Why's that?" Billie asks, turning to face Ponyboy.
"Because you're here," Ponyboy tells her, as Laura gags and rolls her eyes beside them.
She pulls a disgusted face. "Get a room, you two. You're both gross."
"Just wait until you get a boyfriend, then we'll see," Ponyboy replies.
"If I'm ever like you two with my boyfriend, shoot me in the foot," Laura responds, pulling another disgusted face.
Their conversation is cut short as a loud crack sounds from outside, down the road. The teens huddle around the Baileys' front window, faces pressed up against the cold glass as fireworks appear from the house three doors down.
"Come on, let's watch the fireworks from outside," Dean says, as all the teenagers squish through the narrow doorway to end up outside.
Fireworks in the colours of red, blue, green and purple light up the night. Despite it being winter, it was a clear night, perfect for the occasion and perfect to watch fireworks colour the sky.
Billie looks at Ponyboy, who is watching the sky with a wide, awed smile. Sensing he's being looked at, he turns his gaze onto Billie, who can't help the smile that tips her lips upwards. She's just so happy.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ponyboy asks, pulling Billie close.
Billie nods, her eyes off Ponyboy and onto the sky instead, as a new set of fireworks are rocketed into the sky, this time in colours of gold and pink. She can hear cheers and gloats down the street and doors fly open as residents stand by their doors watching the display in front of them.
All the teenagers watch the fireworks in awe, with Leo and Laura mumbling to each other while Dean, Scott and Johnny stand together, heads titled up to the sky. Lloyd is silent, watching the fireworks with interest as he stands behind Dean, Scott and Johnny.
Eventually, the display ends, causing sad groans to emit from the teenagers. Hazel, who is standing by the door, laughs at their reactions. "Don't worry, there's gonna be plenty more. You won't be able to sleep because fireworks will be going off all throughout the night."
"I want to set off fireworks," Lloyd announces, still watching the sky despite it returning to inky darkness.
Dean snorts, "you'll end up blowing yourself up."
"Fuck off, no I wouldn't! You're only saying that 'cause you're too scared to," Lloyd replies, offended by the insinuation he was too dumb to correctly set off fireworks. "If Curly was here, he'd agree with me."
"If Curly was here, you'd agree with him," Dean states, "you've always done what Curly says." There's an edge to his tone, a harsh, cutting edge Billie has never heard before in Dean's voice.
"What the hell does that mean?" Lloyd feigns ignorance, but his cheeks colour, letting on that he knows more than what he's telling.
Dean shrugs with the air of a nonchalant person, leaning up against the wall, "nothing."
Lloyd looks as though he's about to retort, about to argue and defend himself, but Scott elbows him in the stomach, hard enough to get Lloyd to keep his mouth shut.
The others pretend to act as though they aren't listening to Dean and Lloyd, uncomfortable in times of conflict. Well, everyone but Laura. She doesn't hide her amusement at Dean putting Lloyd in his place in front of everybody, not liking the boy.
"What was that?" Ponyboy whispers to Billie once the conversation has resumed.
Billie shrugs, looking at Dean who is standing with Scott and Lloyd as Lloyd whispers angrily to them, arms crossed and a frown on his face.
"I have no idea," she replies, because it's the truth. Dean isn't one to cause problems and certainly not in front of other people. She knows that, despite not knowing her brother's friend very well. She feels ashamed over that, especially when over the years Dean always had the courtesy to talk to her; taking a genuine interest in wanting to see how she was doing.
"I don't know much, but it seems like they don't Lloyd very much. Why do they keep hanging with him then?" Ponyboy asks, watching Dean, Scott and Lloyd too.
Billie shrugs her shoulders, "familiarity, I guess. They've all been friends nearly their entire lives, so I guess that's why." Ponyboy's raised a question that Billie doesn't have the answer to. Multiple times in her presence and most definitely many times not in her presence, Curly, Dean and Scott have expressed annoyance to Lloyd or about Lloyd, so why they continue to be friends with him is unfathomable.
"Yeah, I get that," Ponyboy says, stubbing his toe against the floor. "It's why Steve puts up with me, 'cause Sodapop's my brother. Even then, he's always annoyed with me."
"I wouldn't care too much about what Steve says," Billie tells Ponyboy, "didn't he call Darry dumb and ended up getting punched by him?"
Ponyboy snorts at the memory, "yeah, he did. He avoided coming over for two weeks because he was scared Darry would hit him again."
"I don't think Darry is the dumb one." Billie lowers her voice as she and Ponyboy erupt in a fit of laughter.
The final hours of 1965 are filled with watching fireworks outside of the Baileys' house, hands wrapped around steaming mugs of hot chocolate. The teenagers soon bundle back inside, resting in front of the television, ready for the New Year's Eve special on CBS airing from Times Square.
Billie is squashed on the couch in between Ponyboy and Scott. Johnny is seated on the floor in front of Ponyboy, beside Dean and Lloyd. Laura is seated with Leo in front of Scott. The teenagers sitting on the floor are lying on the ratty grey rug.
The New Year's Eve program has shots of a crowded Times Square, filled to the brim with thousands of people ready to celebrate the upcoming year. The people down below on the ground look like ants from the overhead camera.
"I want to go to Times Square," Billie tells Ponyboy.
Ponyboy looks away from the television and at Billie, surprise etched into his features. "Really?"
Billie nods her head. "Yeah, it's New York." New York City has always fascinated Billie; for one, it's far away from Tulsa. And two, she's watched Breakfast at Tiffany's many times and is enthralled by New York City; by its vibrance and its glamour.
Ponyboy pulls a face. "I don't know. Dally's from there, and not that he says much about it, but he said it was rough."
Their conversation is cut short as Dean excitedly cries out, "the countdown is about to begin!"
Everybody in the room excitedly counts down from ten as they leave 1965 behind and enter 1966. When the clock strikes midnight, signifying the start of 1966, everybody jumps up excitedly screaming, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Ponyboy envelopes Billie in a hug, spinning her around in the chaos. She wraps her arms around his neck and pecks him on the lips. "Happy New Year, Ponyboy," she says over the raucous noise.
"Happy New Year, Billie," Ponyboy responds, a wide smile on his face.
Scott comes over, wrapping his arms around Ponyboy and Billie. There's a bright smile on his face as he wishes them both a happy new year.
Everybody takes turns wishing each other a happy new year. The last person Billie wishes a happy new year to is Johnny, who gives her a quick hug and small smile. In a low tone, he says, "thank you for making Pony so happy. I haven't seen him smile this much since Mr and Mrs Curtis died."
Billie looks over at Ponyboy, who is chatting with Scott and Leo. All three teenagers have smiles on their faces as Leo slings his arms around his two friends. Billie looks back at Johnny, "he's a great guy."
"He is," Johnny agrees, looking at Ponyboy. He looks back at Billie, "and you're great too. You're one of the nicest people I've met."
Warmth floods Billie's cheeks. "Thanks, Johnny."
The sound of fireworks being set off outside causes everybody to run back outside again. Standing on the front porch, the teenagers watch the Baileys' neighbours set off an array of fireworks; red, blue, purple and green paint the sky against the night.
Ponyboy is standing beside Billie and wraps an arm around her neck. "Got any new year's resolutions? Maybe reminding your boyfriend every day how amazing he is?" he teases.
Billie giggles, shaking her head. "My boyfriend already has a big head. It doesn't need to be inflated anymore."
Ponyboy feigns being wounded. "You hurt me, Billie Shepard." He then adds, "I'm grateful you came into my life."
Billie smiles at Ponyboy, "I am too. You're the best thing that's happened to me."
Ponyboy smiles at Billie and they resume watching the fireworks, ready for whatever 1966 throws at them, together.
a/n: YOUNG BLOOD IS OFFICIALLY COMPLETED!!!! 😭❤️ it will be satisfying to now mark this story as complete after three years! I didn't think I'd be able to finish this story, but I finally have!! thank you for everybody who has read, voted and commented, I couldn't have done it without all of you! this is the end of billie and ponyboy's story, but not the end for their characters! they'll be appearing in my YOUNG BLOOD spin-off, SHOW YOUR SKIN (which centres on scott and is up on my profile!)
if you have any questions regarding this story please leave them here and I'll be happy to answer them!
once again, thank you for all your support on this story, it means the world to me!! ❤️ xx