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THOSE ARE NOT THE RULES OF THE GAME
HAZEL STARED AT ISADORA AS SHE LISTENED TO HER BEST FRIEND TALKING AND WONDERED WHAT THE BLONDE HAD BEEN THINKING.
"Wait, so let me get this straight; Billy suggested doing something more fun than studying and so you chose to study?" Hazel asked as the two girls walked to class together. Isadora ran her fingers through her hair as she frowned over at her friend.
"Yes because Billy Hargrove's idea of fun is partying, smoking and sleeping with girls, and I am not about to be one of those girls who opens their legs to Billy, so yes, I chose to study," Isadora retorted.
"You don't even know that that was what he was going to suggest —" Hazel started but then she saw the look on Isadora's face and momentarily paused before continuing, "Okay, you're probably right, but Isa, honestly, you have been crushing on him for ages so why are you suddenly acting like being around him is the worst thing in the world?"
"What are we talking about?" Steve asked, as he joined the two girls with Kendra. Isadora looked over her shoulder at him and she couldn't help feeling curious about why Steve had been spending so much time with Kendra, herself and Hazel lately and not as much time with Nancy, and Isadora couldn't help wondering if something had happened between Nancy and Steve.
"Take one guess, Steve. Lately it's been Isa's favourite thing to talk about."
"Billy? Is, you are so obviously into him and I mean you never shut up about him, especially lately," Steve shrugged.
"He's right, Isa," Hazel nodded in agreement.
"I do not! You are both totally exaggerating," Isadora protested.
"Oh, you're so in denial, Isa, and Steve is not exactly exaggerating. You do talk about Billy a lot," Hazel teased as the group walked together and Isadora rolled her eyes at her best friends.
"You could not be more wrong."
"You know there is a chance he likes you too. And I mean he's been spending an awful lot of time at your house lately and driving you to and from school," Steve said.
"Uh, maybe because we have to work on the project together?" Isadora replied before noticing Amanda stalking past them, looking a mixture of upset and furious and Isadora furrowed her eyebrows together as she watched the girl go.
"What's wrong with Amanda?" Steve asked.
'Didn't you hear? Billy dumped Amanda for good this morning right outside the school. I think nearly everyone heard it happening," Hazel explained.
"I didn't think they were dating?" Isadora commented.
"Yeah, well even if they were, they aren't anymore, and I am pretty sure that is partly thanks to you, Is," Hazel shrugged.
"Me? But I didn't do anything —" Isadora protested.
"Come on, don't you think it's a little coincidental, Is? You and Billy start hanging out and suddenly he dumps Amanda?" Steve asked her.
"I have no idea what you mean, Harrington. I've got to get to class," Isadora said, as she walked away from her friends and headed to her first class of the day. As she sat down, she noticed a few people looking at her and she tried to ignore them and focus her attention on her schoolwork. As she looked up, she couldn't help noticing that Billy was watching her and she frowned at him before a piece of paper flew in her direction, landing on her notebook in front of her. Isadora hesitated before opening the piece of paper and seeing the messy note scribbled on it; let's go on a date. Isadora looked towards Billy, who nodded and smiled at her and she rolled her eyes before grabbing her pen and scribbling her answer on the piece of paper and throwing it back at Billy, and watching as he read the note before returning her attention to her schoolwork. After class, Isadora was making her way out of the room when Billy tapped on her shoulder and she flinched before turning to look at him, "What do you want, Billy?"
"Come on, Princess. Let's go on a date tonight."
"What exactly makes you so certain that I don't already have plans?" Isadora asked as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Even if you do, I decided that I'm the better plan," Billy told her.
"If you think that's cute, it's not, Hargrove."
"So, is that a yes?" Billy smiled at her.
"Fine, but this does not mean I'm going to sleep with you," Isadora rolled her eyes at him.
"Oh, you've made it perfectly clear that you're not going to sleep with me, Princess," Billy smirked at her. Isadora shrugged before walking past him and making her way to her next class and although she was trying to focus on her schoolwork, she couldn't help smiling to herself as she scribbled on the corner of her page. When class finished and lunch arrived, Isadora joined her friends in the cafeteria and as she did, Hazel turned towards her.
"You're the talk of the entire school."
"What are you talking about?"
"Apparently you're going on a date with Billy," Kendra said. Isadora looked over her shoulder to where Billy was standing before looking back towards her friends and furrowing her eyebrows together.
"And where exactly did you hear that?"
"One of the girls overheard Billy stopping you as you were leaving your class this morning, and apparently he asked you on a date and you said yes," Hazel said.
"Well, actually —" Isadora started, only to be quickly cut off by Steve.
"See, I told you he liked you," Steve told Isadora, who rolled her eyes and laughed.
"What happened to not wanting to be one of those girls who opens their legs to Billy?" Hazel asked.
"I'm going on a date with Billy. This does not mean I'm going to sleep with Billy Hargrove," Isadora retorted.
"Uh huh. Do you know that Lover Boy has not stopped watching you since the moment you entered the cafeteria, right?" Hazel asked, having been the first to notice Billy continually staring at her best friend. Isadora shrugged and didn't say anything, but she couldn't help smiling a little. For the rest of the day, Isadora made sure to focus in all her classes and after school was finished, she was quick to shove her books in her locker before making her way out of the school, skipping a little as she walked. She had just reached the carpark when heard footsteps and she turned to see Amanda approaching her.
"Hi —" Isadora said, making a feeble attempt to at least being cordial to the brunette cheerleader.
"I told you to stay the fuck away from Billy," Amanda snapped as she came to a stop in front of Isadora, who took a step back, slightly worried the other girl would try and hit her again.
"And I told you that we were just working on the project together."
"Oh, that's cute. From what I've heard, the little virgin slept with him and now seems to think he wants to date her. Let me make something very clear to you, Billy is never going to date a pathetic, ugly bitch like yourself. Once he has had his fun, he will toss you aside and come running straight back to me."
"That's where you're wrong. I haven't slept with Billy because like I told you, we are just working on a school project together," Isadora said, as she looked over to where Billy was leaning against his car.
"Do you really think you can steal Billy from me? Are you really that much of a pathetic bitch that you think sleeping with him will suddenly make anyone like you? You know what, I bet even your parents don't like you and wish they had never had you," Amanda snapped. Tears blurred vision as the comment hit a nerve, re-opening old wounds for Isadora.
"Shut the fuck up and leave her alone, Amanda. Come on, Princess," Billy said, as he reached the teary eyed blonde and led her away from Amanda. As he touched her shoulder, Isadora flinched and Billy moved his hand down her back as he led her over to his car and as they reached the car, he opened the door and helped the blonde into the car.
"T-Thank you," the blonde sobbed, unaware that people around them were staring. After making sure she was safely in the car, Billy quickly closed the door and walked around to get into the car and as he drove away from the gawking crowd, Isadora looked out the window as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Are you okay, Princess?"
"No thanks to your girlfriend, I'm fine."
"She's not my girlfriend and you don't seem fine," Billy said. As Isadora sniffled, he looked towards her and reached over to squeeze her thigh, "There's should be some tissues in the glove compartment if you need them."
"T-Thanks. And I'm fine, I guess. I mean Amanda hates me even more than she already did now that you've dumped her," Isadora said, as she opened the glove compartment and grabbed out some tissues that were sitting in there.
"She's wrong, you know."
"W-What?"
"People do like you, Is. And I think you're pretty."
"Thanks, I guess, but you're wrong; most people have made it pretty clear they don't like me. And if it wasn't for this stupid project, you probably wouldn't even be talking to me. They're right, you know. I'm a pathetic loser w-who —" Isadora trailed off as Amanda's comment replayed in her mind; not even your parents like you, and she quickly wiped her tears away as Billy spoke up again.
"Princess, you're not pathetic, and the project gave me an excuse to talk to you. I kinda don't want to finish it because I still want to have an excuse to talk to you," Billy said. Isadora turned to look at him and a small smile cross her face.
"Oh, come on. You don't need an excuse to talk to me, but we are so finishing that project because there is no way I am failing," Isadora said and Billy chuckled as he drove until they reached his house. When they arrived, Isadora got out of the car and started following Billy towards his house, "Seriously though, are we going to finish the project today?"
"I told you, I like having an excuse to talk to you and see you. Besides, I have a better plan than homework," Billy told the blonde as she followed him into the house. They made their way into what Isadora assumed was Billy's bedroom, although she remained close to the door and Billy was quick to notice, "You can relax, Princess."
"I just —"
"What? Have you never been in a guy's bedroom before?" Billy smirked at her.
"Oh, shut up. I generally don't get invited to hang out in guy's bedrooms, unless it's Steve's, but I don't think that really counts," Isadora said, deciding to leave out the fact that Tom, who was in drama club with her, often tried to invite Isadora to come over to his place.
"You've been in King Steve's bedroom?"
"Hm, I'm pretty sure you took that title from him, and what, are you jealous, Hargrove?" Isadora teased.
"No, why would I be jealous?"
"You sound a little jealous, but Steve and I are just friends. Besides Kendra, Hazel and I were at Steve's together so I don't think it counts," Isadora said before she frowned, wondering why she was even trying to explain herself to Billy.
"I'm not jealous, Princess, but that doesn't count," Billy told her. Isadora rolled her eyes as she walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind her before sitting down on the bed beside Billy, keeping a bit of a gap between them and Billy chuckled as he noticed, "Is, you can relax. I promise you that I am not going to try and do anything."
"O-Oh, okay. So, what do you want to do then?"
"What about we play a game of truth or dare? You are familiar with truth or dare, right?" Billy asked her and Isadora scrunched her nose up at him.
"Funny, that's real funny, but you're on, Hargrove. And you know what, I think I'll go first."
"Alright then, truth or dare, Princess?"
"Truth."
"Why don't you like me?" Billy asked her, catching the blonde off guard with the question. She sat back and looked at the curly haired boy sitting in front of her as she thought about how she was going to answer that question.
"I think you can be an asshole but honestly spending time with you hasn't been that bad," Isadora finally said.
"That didn't answer the question, Isadora," Billy told her.
"Yes, it definitely did answer your question, Billy. And besides, who said I didn't like you?" Isadora asked. As Billy smirked at the blonde, she rolled her eyes at him, "Your turn, truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Okay, I dare you to take your shirt off."
"Jesus, Princess, that is such a tame dare," Billy said, as he pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside. Isadora looked him up and down quickly, unaware that Billy had caught her staring at him before she quickly looked away, her cheeks heating up as Billy asked, "Truth or dare? Actually, I don't want you picking truth each time so I think you should do a dare."
"Hey, that's not how the game works —" Isadora tried to protest but it was too late for Billy had already chosen a dare for the blonde.
"I dare you to kiss me, Princess."
"W-What?"
"I dare you to kiss me, and if we're playing by the rules of the game, you have to do it, Princess," Billy told her as he moved a little closer to her.
"I —" Isadora trailed off as she looked at Billy and felt her heart rate increasing as Billy ran his thumb across her cheek, the two of them moving closer to each other before Isadora kissed Billy. Although she hadn't kissed many boys, she had kissed a few but kissing Billy Hargrove was entirely different and Isadora melted into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around Billy and he pulled her closer to him. All of a sudden, the door slammed open and Isadora jumped as she pulled away from Billy and turned to see a man standing in the doorway, looking absolutely furious.
"So, this is why you didn't answer the phone?"
"What is it?"
"Where is your sister?"
"I don't know, probably at the arcade with her little friends."
"You were supposed to be watching her."
"She's thirteen years old and shouldn't need a full-time baby-sitter, besides, I had plans."
"So, you've been here screwing some pathetic slut instead of watching your sister?" The man snapped. Isadora stared at him, horrified that this person who didn't even know her just thought she was some pathetic slut.
"I have been watching her all week. If she wants to run off, then that's her problem and she's not my sister!" Billy shouted. Isadora watched in horror as the man grabbed a hold of Billy and shoved him against the cupboard, and immediately she looked towards the woman standing in the doorway of the room, who looked down at the ground.
"Please —" Isadora started to speak up but was quick to stop talking when she saw the look from Billy.
"What did we talk about?" The man asked but when Billy didn't respond, he slapped him and Isadora flinched as the man tried again, "What did we talk about?"
"Respect and responsibility."
"That is right. Now apologise to Susan."
"I'm sorry, Susan."
"It's okay, Neil. Really —"
"No, it's not okay! Nothing about his behaviour is okay, but he's going to make up for it. He's going to drop his little whore home and then he's gonna go find his sister, like the good, kind and respecting brother that he is. Isn't that right, Billy? Isn't that right?"
"Yes sir."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."
"Yes, sir!"
"Find Max," Neil ordered before leaving the room with Susan right behind him. Isadora watched as the door closed before looking towards Billy as a few tears rolled down his cheeks.
"B-Billy?" She asked gently, as he covered his face with his hands and Isadora could see he was trying not to cry in front of her.
"Come on, I'll take you home," Billy finally said. Isadora nodded and quietly followed him to the car, getting in before looking back at the house as Billy started driving in the direction of her house.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure? I mean, what was that about?" Isadora asked.
"Nothing."
"Well, it clearly wasn't nothing. I mean —"
"Jesus, Isadora, just drop it!" Billy snapped at her. Isadora nodded and fell silent as she looked away from him. He drove until he reached her house and Isadora mumbled a thank you before grabbing her backpack and getting out of the car. She had only walked a few steps away from the car before she saw Billy driving away and as she watched him drive away, she realised maybe she had been wrong when she'd said he didn't have shit to deal with at home and she couldn't help wondering how often what she had just witnessed actually happened.
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I think this chapter is one of the longest of the earlier chapters tbh.
And yes there will be a lot of cliche moments but if you don't like this book, please don't read it. Any negative comments will be deleted.
Enjoy! Xo
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