PART I
Chapter III
Goodbyes, Kisses and Butterflies
Damon had hugged his mother and had shaken his father's hand; he was going to college, and they couldn't be any prouder, but all Rebecca could do was look at them, crying her eyes out.
"Come here, monster," Damon said softly, motioning for Rebecca to come.
She shook her head, hugging herself. "No," she managed to spit out and just kept crying silently.
Damon going away wasn't exactly what was making her cry like this. Initially she was sort of happy to find out her brother was going away for a while, that he was getting a scholarship and all, but then she found out Billy was going too, he also got a scholarship, and Rebecca could not fight back against this pain she felt in her chest, this physical pain that made it hard to breathe, and all she could do was cry.
"Go hug your brother or we will leave you here all alone, Becca," her mother said firmly, but there was softness in her eyes.
Her parents were driving Damon to college and she was supposed to go with them.
Rebecca's eyed widened as her cries suddenly halted. She ran to hug her brother, holding onto him like there was no tomorrow, and she knew that kind of was the case. After all, she was just a 9 year old and the time they were going away seemed like an eternity. She had to hug Damon or her parents won't be taking her. She won't be seeing Billy to tell him goodbye. She had to go as well.
"Now, monster." Damon hugged her back, stroking her hair, and kissed her on the forehead.
She knew they thought she was crying solely for her brother, and they were so naïve to even think that. Of course she was crying for Damon, he was her brother after all, but she was also losing Billy.
Rebecca was a smart girl. She was smart enough to acknowledge that she still didn't understand most things about love. She had watched romantic movies, and had fell her face getting hot when the characters on screen kissed, or hugged, sometimes she had even covered her face with her hand, and Billy had laughed at her.
"Stoppit!" she had protested.
"They are just kissing, doll-face," Billy had said mockingly, poking her on the side.
She squeaked, jumping on the couch. "It's kinda yucky." It wasn't really, but she couldn't just explain why she felt so embarrassed, so overwhelmed by the intimate display these persons were giving to the world. It made her feel like an intruder to a world that wasn't just part of her own, like she just was caught doing something wrong and he mom was going to storm in any moment and scold her.
Billy just chuckled, and chose not to have this discussion with a 9 year old. "Then why are you blushing like that?"
Rebecca said nothing as she looked down.
"You can watch now. They stopped," Billy said.
But Rebecca didn't look back at the screen. "Does it feel good?"
"What?"
"To kiss," Rebecca said very softly, looking at him.
"Most times."
At least he was honest with her.
"Had you ever kissed anyone, Billy?"
"Yes, I have," he simply answered. Billy wasn't about to tell little Rebecca how far he had gotten when it came to this kind of things. He had gone all the way, mind you.
"How it feels?" He kept her head down.
"Just… it feels nice, Rebecca," he said, struggling to find the right words. "Just like when you are so happy or excited about something that you need to… hop all around the house… or something like that…" he thought for a second, "you feel this thing in your stomach, like butterflies. You'll know when it happens."
"Damon said nobody will ever like me," Rebecca said, suddenly confessing her fears.
Billy chuckled. "Nice one, Damon. Lying to Rebecca won't stop her from having boyfriends," he yelled to Damon who was in the kitchen stuffing on a sandwich.
Damon's head popped from the kitchen door. "And you telling me this won't stop me from kicking their asses."
Rebecca bit her lower lip, smiling. It was the first time she saw her brother showing her possessive side.
They continued watching T.V., and Rebecca could just not think about anything else. She had to kiss Billy. She looked behind her to find Damon still in the kitchen, fixing himself another snack, distracted. She looked at Billy's profile, at the perfect nose and the well-defined features, an arm over the couch.
Rebecca smiled inwardly as she slid closer to Billy, and he intuitively patted her in the head, stroking her hair for a moment. Billy was very much distracted. She went from her sitting position to kneeling on the couch, gaining some height. She looked at the TV just to see someone getting killed by a mindless zombie.
Billy turned his head when he felt Rebecca's pouting lips pressed against the side of his mouth. His eyes widened as his hands grabbed her shoulders, putting her away.
Rebecca was beaming, her hands clasped over her chest as she looked dreamily into Billy's eyes. "I can feel the butterflies."
Billy's brow knitted as she looked back at her. "No, Rebecca."
"But I do feel then, Billy."
"You're just a child, Rebecca," Billy just said, not entirely sure if Rebecca understood the underlines of the situation.
"But I like you, Billy."
In Rebecca's world Billy was perfect for her, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with a 9 year old kissing with a 17 year old.
"I promise you will like someone else, Becca. Some day."
Rebecca sat, ignoring the comment and curled against Billy's form, feeling suddenly vey lightheaded. She felt the butterflies everywhere, tickling her. She couldn't help but smile.
But later on, she would notice every time she tried to hug Billy, he would suddenly become rigid, and would just pet her on the head. He was pushing her away, but she had no idea.
Billy wanted her to like some else, someone else but him.
I don't know how to feel about this chapter maybe because it turned to be a bit too sappy D: but it works as a sort of transition, you know. Hopefully you guys will like it. I'm submitting the next one in a few moments.
Thanks for all the reviews, guys! They make me feel so important *sigh*
