When they turned up to the restaurant Kuki gave a gasp. Greasy Dave's! Her old hang out spot when she used to hang out with the gang. She gave a chuckle.
"What are you laughing at?" Billy asked blankly.
Kuki cleared her throat, a smile remaining on her lips. "Nothing."
They walked in and Billy cheered a greeting as he saw Maurice waving from a booth. He raced ahead of Kuki who followed calmly. Smiling at MAurice and Abby as she sat next to Billy in the booth.
"Fancy meeting you here buddy!" Billy joked to Maurice.
Maurice gave a smile as he sat down next to Abby having moved from opposite her so that Billy and Kuki could sit together. "I thought you weren't coming man, otherwise I'd have got a bigger booth."
Billy waved his hand. "Na, this is good." He looked over at Abby and gave a grin. "Hey, I'm Billy. This is my girlfriend Kuki!"
Abby gave a slight blink of confusion, almost mimicking Maurice and Kuki's. Abby however corrected it with a smile extremely quickly. Waving back. "Abby. Nice to meet you."
Maurice looked at Kuki with a look that she read immediately. 'Doesn't he know her?' She shrugged in response. He'd definitely met her, but obviously didn't remember.
The waitress came over to take their order. She gave an annoying fake beam as they all reached for their menus having not decided yet. Abby ordered a mega skyscraper burger. A triple beef burger loaded with monterey jack cheese, pulled pork, bacon and onion relish with a cola float. Maurice ordered the same with a root beer. Billy went for a hotdog and cola. Kuki kept it simple and went for a simple cheeseburger. She thought of getting a butterscotch milkshake but thought it'd be too filling (and too fattening after a burger), so went for a simple glass of water.
"Sorry It's not anywhere fancier." Maurice smiled as he placed his menu back and threw his arm over Abby's shoulder. "Miss cheap date here only ever wants to come to this burger joint."
Abby pulled a playfully insulted face followed by a chuckle. "Hey! You'd moan if I wanted to go to big expensive restaurants. Plus this place brings me back to my childhood!"
"Mine too!" Kuki giggled. Abby gave her a knowing smile and they shared a laugh.
"It's great." Billy nodded. "If you'd have given me the address of an expensive joint I'd have turned around buddy!"
They all laughed. Kuki beamed brightly as Billy placed his hand on her thigh. Leaning over and kissing her on the cheek as they conversed merrily. Their food came very quickly and they all ate quite silently, with the odd discussion and joke thrown in.
When they all finished They continued a more in depth discussion about Abby's appetite.
"I can't believe you ate all of that and half of Maurice's too!" Kuki roared with laughter.
Abby gave a shrug. "I'm a girl with a big appetite!"
Kuki laughed again. "I bet I've put another pound on by just watching you do it!"
"Shut up girl there's nothing on you!" Abby tutted. "Anyway, I need the ladies room. Girly outing?"
"Sure." Kuki laughed. Standing up and following Abby to the washroom.
They both headed straight into a cubicle. Abby came out first and began to touch up her face with makeup as she called out to Kuki.
"So Billy doesn't even recognise me!" She said as she laughed.
Kuki giggled. "I know! You'd think he would, you being my best friend and all."
"I guess it's just been so long that he forgot." Abby replied, looking at Kuki through the wall mirror in front of her as she exited the cubicle. "He only ever met me once or twice though."
Kuki gasped as she washed her hands. "Seriously? No!"
"It was. We met him the first week you started going out…" Abby replied, rolling her eyes in thought as she retraced her memory. "...and then...once at your fifteenth birthday party. But he didn't really talk to any of us that time, he was busy with his other friends. Saying that, you were too busy with him too."
Kuki bit her lip as she looked up at her old best friend. Now remembering that night, that was the time that Billy had first hit her. By this point, Kuki and Billy were so in love they were inseparable. Kuki had unknowingly distanced herself from her old friends and spent all of her possible time with him. When she would make plans with any of them Billy would either make her feel guilty for leaving him or accuse her of going out to see 'some other guy'. Whatever the excuse, she would always give in and cancel.
The party was no exception. Kuki wanted all of her friends to be included, old and new. So talked her parents into letting her have a house party while they went away for the weekend. Like a stereotypical house party, it was huge. Kuki invited around twenty and around fifty friends of friends turned up. About half an hour before the party, Hoagie had text her to check what time everyone was getting there. Billy looked over her shoulder while they were setting up and went nuts. Accusing her of cheating on him with Hoagie and hiding messages from him. When she denied strongly she got a slap hard enough to send her to the floor and a kick in the ribs. Followed by a distraught apology and explanation of how it was her fault for keeping things from him and acting so 'slutty' around other guys...'her friends'. She forgave him straight away of course, believing that it was her fault and telling herself that he wouldn't have hurt her if she hadn't really deserved it. Kuki was skilled at makeup at this age so concealed the bruise on her cheek extremely well. Not one person noticed. All through that night she stayed next to Billy's side. Not wanting to upset him more. She didn't look over to her 'sector V' friends once. She even went as far as ignoring them and acting distracted when they came over to talk to her. That was the last she really saw of them.
Kuki flinched when the water from the tap had gone hot on her hands. Bringing her back to reality. She gave Abby a small smile and wiped her hands on a paper towel.
"I'm sorry Abby. I missed you guys so much I...I can't believe I turned into one of those girls who doesn't make time for friends when she got a boyfriend." She sighed. "I've turned into someone even I don't like."
Abby rolled her eyes and walked over to her. Throwing her arms around Kuki's shoulders. "It's done girl. We all know it's hard, especially when you have your own life. At least we're all back in touch now."
Kuki nodded and smiled as they walked out of the bathroom. Billy smiled as Kuki joined them. "You girls get better acquainted?" He asked, kissing Kuki on her nose and making her grin.
Abby went to open her mouth to correct him but Kuki got there first. "We sure did!"