Chapter Two: bubblegum bitch
A/N: Honestly the first chapter got more reviews, favourites and follows than I was anticipating - thanks so much! Anyway I just wanted to say that I've watched Season 3, and whilst this chapter has no overt spoilers, for those of you who have also seen the latest season, you'll see a little bit of foreshadowing and a mention of a certain character.
Hit me with your sweet love, steal me with a kiss
I'm Miss Sugar Pink, liquor, liquor lips
I'm gonna be your bubblegum bitch
The party was a raging success, of course. No one would have expected anything less. Dressed in her killer costume, Remy cheerfully refilled the punch bowl throughout the night. Billy was still smoking outside with some of the senior boys, but she had no doubt that he would come inside eventually. He'd come dressed as Danny Zuko from Grease and judging by the cheers from everyone, he was attempting the keg king challenge.
Once upon a time, that had been Steve's title. Remy reminisced on a time when Steve had hung out with their circle, when he'd cared more about more than just Nancy and studying. God, was he not aware that you could let loose and also get good grades? Remy had been a B-average student for the past year despite her antics, after all.
Everyone was chanting Billy's name as he sauntered inside with beer dripping down his bare chest. Tommy followed close behind. It didn't escape Remy's notice that Tommy was clinging desperately to Billy's popularity.
"We got ourselves a new keg king, Harrington." Tommy's voice was mocking as he strode over to Steve and Nancy. Remy doubted that he would be so confident without Billy and the others there to back him up.
"Yeah, eat it, Harrington," another of the boys crowed.
Steve just removed his sunglasses and stared directly at Billy, unintimidated. Nancy headed for the kitchen immediately. She was always one to run away from danger, whereas Remy hurtled headlong toward it. Heaving a dramatic sigh, she clicked over to the boys and placed herself between them before things could get ugly. Parties were wild, but punch-ups in Tina's living room were another thing entirely.
"Let it go, Steve."
"Whatever, Remy." Steve tore his gaze away from Billy, barely acknowledging her before heading off in search of his buzzkill girlfriend. Having successfully turned down the tension, Remy turned to Billy, the new keg king. The other boys were still congratulating him, but his eyes were on her as he took a drag from his cigarette, blowing out smoke.
"Do I get a name now?"
She tossed her hair back. "Remy Saunders."
"Ah, the infamous Remy." He smirked. "I've heard some stories about you."
She arched her eyebrows. "Good or bad?"
"Mostly bad." His tone didn't sound like he was too perturbed.
She nodded. "Sounds about right."
"Nice costume," Billy's eyes raked over Remy's figure, before resting on her cleavage. "Well, if you can call that tiny thing a costume."
Remy tilted her head to the side. "And a leather jacket and bare chest make a costume?"
"I'm Danny Zuko from Grease," Billy stated, as if she had somehow missed that part. She folded her arms over her chest, fully aware that it only accentuated her cleavage further. She also noticed Tina and Vicki across the living room, whispering together and staring over at her and Billy.
"Yes, I know who you're dressed as." Remy watched as Billy put out his cigarette in one of the ashtrays Tina had scattered around the place. "I've got more cigarettes upstairs if you want another smoke. I'm staying in Tina's spare room for the night."
Billy cast around the party. Tina offered him a dazzling smile, but he ignored it in favour of Remy. They always did. Her smile faded, and Remy rubbed salt into the wound by waving across to them. As crestfallen as Tina was, she'd be stupid to follow and cause a scene about it.
"Sure."
They headed for the stairs, Remy determinedly weaving her way through party-goers as she did so. In the heels she was in, there had been a time when alcohol would have had her stumbling about like a baby giraffe. These days, Remy knew how to walk a straight line in six-inch heels after three shots in a row.
"Remy." Steve appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her arm, eyes blown wide with concern. "You seen Nancy?"
"Jesus, Steve, I don't know." Remy tugged out of his grip, irritated by the interruption. She wasn't Nancy's babysitter, for God's sake. "Check the bathroom, she's probably puking her guts up."
Hurt flashed across Steve's face at her snappy response, but she was too preoccupied to care. She headed upstairs without sparing him another thought. What did she care if he was having problems with his girlfriend? Nancy had seem unimpressed from the moment she rocked up. Probably too much alcohol and drugs for the princess to handle.
Tina's spare room was modestly furnished, with a double bed and a few sparsely-filled bookcases to make it look less bare. Sometimes Remy came and stayed over after she'd had an argument with her parents, but mostly it was just her spot to crash after a party. Sometimes alone, sometimes not.
"Did you really invite me up here for a cigarette?" Billy sounded amused as Remy clicked the door shut behind them, drowning out the music and laughter from downstairs. She locked the door just in case, although she doubted anyone was going to be coming inside.
"No," Remy admitted, "I had something else in mind.
"Like what?" Billy wet his lips with his tongue, smirking. She tilted her head to the side, thinking that he knew exactly 'what'.
"How about you try guessing?"
Billy hooked his arms around her waist, pulled her close and kissed her. He tasted like beer and cigarettes. It wasn't a nice taste, but one that Remy was accustomed to. She felt a surge of victory and smiled against his lips as she put her arms around his neck. She knew she'd had Billy hooked, and this party and his eagerness just proved it. Remy drew back and reached down to pry off her heels.
"Did I guess right?" Billy's voice was husky.
"Mmhmm." Remy couldn't manage more of a sophisticated response as Billy's lips trailed down her neck. His fingers crept up from her waist to unzip the back of her costume, and she had the distinct impression that they were definitely on the same page.
Remy slipped Billy's leather jacket off his shoulders, examining him openly. She could tell that he definitely worked out. Remy trailed her fingers down his chest, but Billy caught her wrist, backing her against the bed. With his free hand, he tugged at her costume, slipping it off entirely. She grinned at the way his eyes lit up with lust, the hunger in his expression.
"See something you like?"
"I can see a lot I like." Pressing her back against the bed, Billy climbed on top of her, kissing across her collarbone. Remy couldn't help but grin as his lips drifted lower still. She'd won. She'd gotten exactly what she wanted.
The party continued to rage downstairs, but Billy and Remy had something completely different on their minds.
Remy woke up to soft snoring beside her. It took her a moment to remember where she was, and who she was with. Billy lay beside her with his mouth open wide, fast asleep. Remy flopped back against her pillow, a smile spreading across her lips as she remembered the events of the night before. She and Billy hadn't ended up going back downstairs at all. She was surprised that they hadn't broken the wooden bedframe with the vigorous sex they'd engaged in, although no one would have heard it creaking above the pulse of the music.
Checking the time, Remy realised that she should probably get home before Tina asked her to help clean up the messy state the house was no doubt in. Slipping out of bed, Remy removed her clothes from her duffel bag and started to get dressed. She'd packed a spare shirt and shorts as well as her pyjamas. She had a bottle of water as well - Remy was a pro at avoiding hangovers now, unless she'd had more to drink than she'd intended. Fortunately, this morning wasn't one of those mornings.
"Looks just as good as the bunny costume." Billy's voice startled her, prompting her to spin around. She hadn't realised he'd woken up. He was watching her with a lazy smile, completely at ease in the bed.
"Uh huh." Remy planted her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side and examining him. "Are you just staying in bed all day, or do you want to get some breakfast and then take me home?"
She knew it was a brazen question. He could just brush her off, tell her it had been something that happened in the heat of the moment. But Remy was good at reading people, and she had the feeling that wasn't going to happen. Billy seemed interested - perhaps it was just in terms of an attraction, but it was an interest nonetheless.
"I bet you know all the cafes and diners in town." Billy crawled out of bed, and Remy had to resist the urge to eye him as he got dressed. "Hell, I'm down for some food."
Remy gathered her things together and headed downstairs. Tina and Vicki were already in the kitchen, and she could hear snippets of their conversation.
"...Steve spilled punch all over her white shirt…"
"I heard it was a big fight."
"What are we talking about?" Remy leaned against the bench, noting how the pair had suddenly gone quiet upon her arrival. "Did Steve and Nancy get into a fight? Doesn't surprise me, really. I'm only shocked it took him this long to get bored of her."
"It was nothing." Tina's tone was dismissive, her eyes focused on Billy over Remy's shoulder.
"Yeah, doesn't matter," Vicki agreed, busying herself pouring a cup of orange juice.
"Well, alright then." Remy felt a sting of irritation at how closed off they were being. It was unlike Tina and Vicki to keep gossip to themselves, especially if it concerned Steve and Nancy. Maybe this was just Tina's way of expressing she was pissed off that Remy had slept with Billy.
"Are you heading off?" Tina asked, and Remy couldn't tell if she sounded disappointed or relieved.
"Sure am." Remy tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Billy and I are headed out for breakfast."
She felt a vicious surge of satisfaction in the way Tina's face crumpled. Well, if she and Vicki were going to gossip and keep secrets without keeping Remy in the loop, why should Remy care how she felt about Billy?
"Great party, Tina," Billy said as he followed Remy out the door, "See you at school."
The Pancake Parlour was one of the more popular breakfast joints in town, so that was where Billy and Remy wound out. She surveyed him over the top of her strawberry milkshake. He was the year above her, and instantly popular. Other than that, she knew very little about Billy Hargrove. She'd seen a red-headed younger girl skateboarding away from his car on the first day - she guessed he must have a sister.
"So, you and your family moved from…?" It was a prompt for him to finish the sentence. She was curious, and wanted to get to know more about him. Particularly as it seemed that their romp at Tina's could turn into something more. Remy wasn't one for boyfriends - she preferred hook-ups, and not necessarily just with boys. It just happened that hooking in the boys was easier.
"California." Billy finished eating his waffles, putting his knife and fork down. "Moved here with my dad, step-mum and step-sister."
So that was the little redhead. Billy's tone turned sour toward the end of the sentence, indicating he probably didn't have much of a positive relationship with his step-family. Remy didn't push it. She was good at reading people, but she had to know them to really know if she could dig or not.
"How are you finding Hawkins so far?"
"Quieter than California." Billy reached across the table with his fork and plucked an uneaten banana piece off Remy's plate. "What about you? Have you lived here your whole life?"
"Unfortunately." Remy heaved a sigh, rolling her eyes. "My family's kinda big around here. My dad works at the police station. My uncle - Mum's brother - is the mayor…"
"Your uncle's the mayor?" Billy whistled, raising his eyebrows.
In truth, Uncle Larry had helped Remy out of a few difficult situations. He had personally spoken to the principal of Hawkins High after the locker room incident, convincing him that Remy shouldn't be expelled. Larry was Penelope's older brother - they shared the same fair hair and blue eyes. He was one of the few adults that didn't annoy the absolute shit out of Remy.
"Yeah," Remy shrugged it off, but it made her feel good that Billy was impressed by it. "He's actually cool, for a middle-aged man."
"Any siblings?" Billy asked.
"Nope." Remy shook her head. Apparently, her mum had difficulty in having another kid after her. There had been some complications during her birth and although Penelope and Kieran had wanted a second child, it had never ended up happening. Much as her parents got on her nerves, she didn't think that was a story she wanted to disclose about her family.
"I should take you home," Billy said, getting to his feet and fishing out his wallet. When Remy reached for her purse, he shook his head. "Breakfast is on me. Consider it repaying you for last night."
Remy couldn't help but smirk as she remembered the night before. Billy had known exactly where to touch her, what to do to get her to moan. Just as she'd been with a fair few boys, she assumed that Billy had probably been with plenty of girls. However, she found herself realising she wouldn't mind if it became exclusive. Billy was, after all, the new king of Hawkins High now that Steve had gotten boring. Her popularity didn't need a boost, but who better for the king than the reigning queen?
