"Hey, Bil, do you wanna come out tonight?"
Billie looks up from the mess of textbooks and worksheets she's created on the bed. With a blue pen in her hand, she looks at Angela who is standing by the door, wearing a tight red dress and fishnet stockings which means one thing: she's going out partying.
Billie shakes her head, "I can't, sorry. I have homework." Even though the voice in the back of Billie's mind is telling her that her workload isn't a lot this weekend, that she could take Friday night off, that she could go out with Angela and her friends if she really wanted to. Billie doesn't want to admit it, but the real reason she declines is that she doesn't want to go. Angela's friends aren't Billie's crowd and she'll stick out like a sore thumb even more than she already does when she's with her siblings.
She just wants that suffocating feeling of alienation to disappear, to not always feel that it's there, wherever she goes and with everything she does. Does that make her a bad person, to not want to spend time with her siblings because she can't deal with being so different?
Angela's face falls, disappointed with her younger sister's response. In a split second, the disappointment vanishes with a smile. "Maybe next time?" she says, posing it as a question.
Billie nods her head and smiles at her older sister.
Billie hears as Angela walks away, heels clicking and clacking on the weary floorboards. Billie hears as Angela announces to their brothers that she's leaving. Billie hears Tim tell her to not pass out high in an alleyway or to not end up in a holding cell by the fuzz, with Angela telling Tim to shut up.
Billie hears Curly snicker. The sound is followed by a thump and a groan from Curly, meaning that Angela most likely has thumped Curly over the head with a pillow. A car horn impatiently blares from the street and the high-pitched female voices mean that Angela's friends have now arrived. The fly-screen door slams shut and the low rumble of a car engine fading into the distance mean that Angela has left.
Not long after Angela has left, heavy footsteps pad across the floorboards that creak in time with each step. Billie recognises the footsteps belong to Tim and she's looking expectantly at the doorway when Tim steps into view. He steps inside the room and sits on the edge of the bed and Billie knows that a big brother talk is coming.
Billie doesn't say anything, not wanting to be the first person to talk, since Tim is the one who came into her bedroom. She blinks her Shepard blue eyes at her brother, gently placing her pen on the blank English worksheet. She hasn't had any luck finding inspiration for a short story assigned by Mr Symes for homework over the weekend, much to her frustration.
"You've been quiet lately," Tim begins, speaking softly as though to not offend his little sister. It's a pity he wasn't so considerate last week when Angela was passed out in that alleyway.
Billie wants to tell Tim that she's quiet all the time. She wants to ask Tim what's the difference between her behaviour in the last few days compared to every other day.
But she doesn't. She keeps her mouth shut, as Tim continues talking.
"Is there a reason why you don't wanna go out with Ange tonight?"
"I... have a lot of homework to do," Billie responds and feels lame as she says it. Even though her workload isn't as intensive as it has been since starting the school year, it will take her longer than she initially expected because she can't seem to force the words onto the page for her short story.
Tim doesn't say anything, instead, he looks at Billie. Billie feels like she's been scrutinised and all she wants to do is hide away by burying herself under the bedsheets to get away from Tim's searching gaze.
"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.
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.
"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.
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."
Both Billie and Ponyboy nod their heads sheepishly.
"I thought so," Mr Symes muses. "That's all I wanted to speak to you both about. I'll see you tomorrow," he adds in dismissal.
Ponyboy and Billie mumble goodbyes to Mr Symes before walking out the door. In the corridor alone, Ponyboy turns to Billie, "I thought I was in trouble, too," he admits.
"I was that obvious, huh?" Billie asks, laughing sheepishly.
"Yeah..." Ponyboy replies, trailing off as though not wanting to offend Billie. "I'm glad it was good news," Ponyboy adds, "I don't want another phone call home to Darry."
Billie doesn't know what to say to that, so she just nods her head. She's never had a phone call home, and even if there was, nobody would be home to answer it or bother to answer it.
As Billie and Ponyboy walk to U.S History together, Ponyboy asks hesitantly, "is it alright if I sit you with and Scott today?" He quickly adds, "I saw Scott yesterday at the drive-in with your brother and he told me where you both sit. I need to finish the homework I didn't do." He says this as though he is intruding, encroaching in a private space that he didn't belong.
Billie nods her head. "Yeah, yeah, it's okay." She privately wonders what Ponyboy does during breaks, as Johnny doesn't go to school. Does he sit by himself, or does he go and tag along with whatever Steve and Two-Bit do?
Besides Johnny, does Ponyboy have any other real friends? As Billie follows Ponyboy into the classroom for U.S History, she has the thought that maybe Ponyboy is just as lonely as she is.
If she stares at the back of Ponyboy's head for the entirety of U.S History, not paying attention, that's Billie's business and nobody else's.
When Billie and Ponyboy arrive at the spot behind the cafeteria, Scott, Leo and Laura are eating. Laura raises her eyebrows at Ponyboy and asks, "who are you?" as she sees the two teenagers.
"Who are you?" Ponyboy replies and turns to Billie as if to say you didn't tell me that there were other people here, too.
"This is Ponyboy," Billie answers both Laura and Ponyboy's questions. To Ponyboy she says, "this is Laura and Leo." Leo gives Ponyboy a friendly smile and wave while Laura just stares at Ponyboy, then at Billie and they instinctively take a step to the side, realising how close they are standing to each other.
Laura doesn't say anything, but the smile she hides as she takes a bite out of her sandwich conveys more than words ever will. She thinks there's something going on between Billie and Ponyboy, and as much as Billie wants to reassure the girl that there's nothing on, Billie doesn't say anything, because it will raise even more awkward questions Billie doesn't want to answer. First Dallas brings up about her and Ponyboy and now Laura believes there's something going on. Billie can't understand why people think there's anything going on between her and Ponyboy other than being in the same social circles.
As Ponyboy sits down beside Scott and Billie sits beside Leo in an uneven circle that resembles more like an oval, Billie doesn't even know why she feels the need to tell Laura that nothing is happening between her and Ponyboy; it's not like Laura is her friend. But from the way Laura and Leo have seamlessly slotted into her and Scott's spot behind the cafeteria, it feels like they are a friendship group. Albeit a strange one, since they've all never spoken until this school year and the fact they're all of different ages. Ponyboy and Billie are freshmen despite Ponyboy being fourteen, with Scott, Laura and Leo all in their sophomore year.
However, the one thing that unites them all together is the fact that they're all Greasers. And sometimes one similarity is more powerful than countless differences.
Ponyboy completes his homework while eating his sandwich, as Leo explains to Scott what soccer, his favourite sport, is. Scott can't wrap his head around the fact that Leo's football is different to his football.
Leo inhales sharply, tongue in his cheek as he tries to not get angry with Scott. "Why do you call it football?" Scott asks.
"Because you use your feet," Leo answers.
"But we use our feet, too," Scott protests, still not understanding.
"But you also use your hands!" Leo cries out, exasperated.
Billie and Laura listen on to Leo and Scott's half-debate, half-argument. Laura pulls funny faces at Billie and rolls her eyes. 'Boys and their egos' she mouthes to Billie, who covers her mouth with her hand to stop herself from laughing.
Laura then stands up, interrupting Scott and Leo's conversation as she announces, "Billie and I are going to the toilet."
"Okay?" Leo replies, confused as to why Laura needed to make an announcement just for using the restroom.
Laura kicks him in the thigh. "It's called being polite, asshole."
Leo snorts, "you've never been polite in your life."
Laura nods her head, not having a counter-argument. "Can't argue with that." Grabbing Billie's arm she says, "come on," and drags her away from the boys.
Back inside the school and on their way to the toilets, Laura says, "so you and Ponyboy?" She then adds, "what kind of name is Ponyboy, anyway?"
"His brother's name is Sodapop," Billie replies and smiles to try and divert Laura's attention away from her first question.
Unfortunately, Laura sees through Billie's idea. "Nice try," she says, pointing to Billie. "But you're not getting off that easy. Now spill," she instructs as they reach the toilets.
"Nothing is happening," Billie answers. Which is the truth, because nothing has happened. Just because they have been sitting with each other for the past few mornings doesn't mean that anything is happening or has happened.
Upon Laura's eye roll, Billie adds, "it's true!" She feels scrutinised, like she's being backed into a corner and she hates it. She hates having attention on her and right now, all the attention is on her.
"Then why don't I believe you?"
Because just like other people, you are seeing things that aren't there, Billie wants to say but doesn't because she hates confrontation and Laura is a person who doesn't shy away from confrontation or conflict.
"Ponyboy is a friend," Billie tells Laura. "His older brother is friends with my older brother and Ponyboy is friends with my twin brother."
Laura nods her head but still looks unconvinced. Billie has a gut feeling Laura won't let this go just like that. "If you say so." She walks to an empty cubicle and turns around to Billie before walking in. "But just because you're not saying it is, doesn't mean there's nothing happening."
"What do you mean?"
"You're saying there's nothing happening, but it doesn't mean Ponyboy thinks there's nothing happening." Laura steps inside the cubicle and closes the door, leaving Billie alone with her thoughts.
Does Ponyboy think something is going on? Billie doubts this, as Ponyboy hasn't made any kind of moves Angela's told her about that boys make on her. Billie really wouldn't know if Ponyboy's making a move or is interested in her since no boy has ever been interested in her. To everybody, she's just Curly's boring and nerdy twin.
But what if Dallas' words actually have merit? What if he wasn't just trying to get a rise out of Ponyboy but was subtly telling Billie that Ponyboy likes her?
Billie has now stepped into uncharted territory and she has no idea what to do from here.
a/n: and the plot thickens! does ponyboy like billie? does billie like ponyboy? 👀 👀
if you missed it, the chapter title is a reference to the breakfast club ⏤ I couldn't miss the opportunity to give billie a friendship group because my girl deserves friends and I personally dislike when the girl has no friends and spends all her time with the love interest. in this house people can have romantic partners and still have friends. the two aren't mutually exclusive. as you know, scott is an important character but laura and leo will become important characters also who have their own backstories that i'm excited to explore.
earlier in the chapter I introduced a new character by the name of jessie simpson! she has been mentioned in earlier chapters with a father who hates the shepards' father after the shepards' father put jessie's father in jail. jessie will feature more in later chapters and her storyline will revolve around tim 👀 any thoughts on what her storyline with tim could be?
also,, I have decided to write a spin-off to YOUNG BLOOD that focuses on scott. I can't say too much about it as it will give away spoilers to scott's backstory in YOUNG BLOOD, but what I can say is that it heavily features the brumly boys gang, which is exciting, as we know nothing about them from the books
that's all from me! please don't forget to leave a vote and a comment. see you next update!! 🤍