One

by awalkerlifeforme

Rachel has always known she was adopted; her parents never hid it. But she has a secret and when it nearly comes out, her family moves to the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. Her second chance at life quickly changes as she discovers a secretive government and a girl with a familiar story. But the simplest part of her new life is also the strangest: a handsome young man named Billy.

3. Chapter 3

Hawkins had surprised me nonstop in the two weeks I had been here. There were lots of things about the small town that I hadn't been expecting. I hadn't expected the weather to be as nice as it was and I hadn't expected to make some close friends. If there was anything that had genuinely surprised me about Hawkins though, it was that Billy Hargrove hadn't given up his pursuit of me after that first day of school. The idea of me turning down his offers of hookups seemed to have only furthered his drive to get me to accept his offers.

When I had driven into the Hawkins High School parking lot for the second day of school, I had felt a little embarrassed. I'd been positive that if I saw Billy at all, he would completely ignore me. I had ended up being very surprised to see that Billy's car was already in the lot in the same spot he had been in the day before. I had parked in my spot from the day before, three down from his, and had gotten out of my car. He had been leaning against his driver's door, seemingly waiting for me.

Without missing a beat, I had walked to him and continued our teasing relationship from the day prior. His arm had wound its way around my shoulder, showing me early-on what a touchy person he was. Not that it bothered me. Billy had quickly made it a point to mention to me that he hadn't forgotten my name or avoided me. I had made it known that the situation would have been different if I had accepted his proposition of studying. Billy had only responded with a smirk.

Throughout much of the day, Billy had asked me if I would study with him. It became harder and harder to ignore his propositions for studying the longer I heard them. It was everything from 'reading' in the back row of the library to him getting the chance to have a private study session with me, using my body to study anatomy. That offer had gotten quickly shut down with a nasty profanity thrown his way. Billy had laughed and quickly changed his offer to let me use his body. I'd walked away before he could see my blush.

By the end of the day on Wednesday, I was no longer convinced that Billy Hargrove would forget about me, whether or not we had slept together. Instead, he seemed to have found something in me that he genuinely liked. I decided quickly that I wasn't going to fight whatever relationship we had formed. The parts of the day that I looked forward to the most were the interactions that I would have with Billy. It was why I had spent the majority of my free time with him over the last week.

Something that I hadn't expected to come from my strange relationship with Billy was that he hadn't just been someone for me to tease and mercilessly flirt with, but also a friend. Even Nancy had mentioned to me that I had become extremely close to Billy in the short time we had known each other. Closer than anyone else was with him, according to her. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing me say it, but I knew that I couldn't deny it any longer. Billy Hargrove was my friend.

He had become one of the people I was the closest to in Hawkins. Every morning I pulled into the parking lot in my same spot. Some days Billy would be in his spot three down from mine before me, leaning on his car waiting for me to join him. Other days, I would arrive at Hawkins High School first, sitting on the hood of my car, waiting for him to arrive. We would normally spend a few minutes hanging out in the parking lot, chatting away. I noticed glares being sent my way every morning and I knew exactly why.

Billy wasn't one to hide what he did with his dates after he took them home from school. He liked to throw them in my face whenever he had one. I knew that he was hoping I would get sick of hearing about his dates and eventually take him up on his offer of one. He had already hooked up with two different Hawkins girls and had pointedly avoided them since their dates. The other ones he'd gone out with were annoyed that he didn't want a second date. The girls didn't seem to understand why Billy hung around me so much.

Normally, Billy and I would share a cigarette before heading into school. I would avoid looking at the girls who were glaring at me and the boys' hooded stares. Once we were inside the school, I would typically head off to hang out with Steve and Nancy before the day began as Billy would hang around Tommy and Carol, who seemed to have taken an extreme shining to Billy since he had arrived. I couldn't stand the pair - or the rest of their friends - and I always left once they came to see Billy.

Billy and I wouldn't see each other much during classes as we didn't have any together, but Billy usually did walk with me toward the lunchroom in the middle of the day where he liked to throw a sleazy platitude toward me. Billy now liked to laugh at my reactions to his flirtations as I rolled my eyes, muttered a profanity, shoved him out of the way as hard as I could, and headed toward my table. Billy tended to sit with Tommy and his friends, whom Steve seemed to be distancing himself from.

So far Hawkins High School wasn't as awful as I had been expecting. That didn't mean that I didn't miss my old friends and classes, though. My favorite class of the day so far was swimming, and that was only because during it I would get to watch Billy play basketball. He had told me the other day that he was planning on joining the basketball team and I could see why. He was very good. I had even admitted to him that he was probably the best player at Hawkins High School, which I could tell had pleased him.

On Wednesday, I and the rest of the female students in swimming had gotten to get in the water for the first time. The whistles from the boys in the gym had told me that they were watching us as closely as we had been watching them. I had made sure to catch Billy's eyes as I had climbed out of the pool, water dripping off of me. I had also made sure to wear the swimsuit that was a size too small. When Billy had caught my eyes, his had looked almost black. I was positive that we both would have been willing to kill someone to have each other at that moment.

It hadn't helped that Billy had been dripping sweat and hadn't been wearing a shirt. My heart had been pounding and I'd never been so tempted to pull someone out of class to have my way with them. I had had to take an ice-cold shower before leaving for the day, something Billy had admitted to me that he had also done (and had made sure to tell me he wished I had been with him). Of course, if I had, we wouldn't have ever gotten out of school. It had been very difficult to look him in the eye after that.

Nancy and I would normally walk out of school together at the end of the day and I would say goodbye to her and Steve, who would drive Nancy home. Their relationship seemed to be slowly mending itself. I would normally walk out to my car and greet Billy, who was always there waiting. Sometimes he would be waiting on his stepsister to bring her home and other days he would be waiting for me. With one final offer of a date, I would roll my eyes at him one last time and walk off.

As today was the first Saturday at the end of my first week at Hawkins High School, it was the first day I had no plans to see Billy or anyone else. At least, that was unless I wanted to go to the football game, which I still hadn't decided on. Nancy had mentioned that she was probably going to go with Steve, but I had told her that I wasn't sure if I wanted to go. I had meant what I had told Mark on my first day; football wasn't my thing. Though, I didn't want to sit at home alone on another Saturday night either.

It was still early in the morning and I didn't have plans for the day yet. I was in a white tank top with a black-and-white collared shirt and a pair of daisy dukes on my lower half for the day. It was the first time I had dressed like I was living back in Florida since moving to Indiana. It was the first day the weather had been nice enough to wear my old clothes. After a while of hanging around upstairs and doing some homework, I wandered downstairs and smiled at my parents. My father was still fighting with his boombox. It had been broken during the move.

"Can't get it to work, huh?" I asked, walking up behind him.

Dad scowled, throwing his screwdriver onto the table. "No, I think the tuner is broken," Dad growled. "Damn."

"There's an electronics store near the arcade downtown," Mom offered, glancing up from her spot making breakfast in the kitchen. "I saw it when I was picking up groceries the other day."

Dad hummed. "Maybe I'll take a ride out there later."

"I'll go," I offered.

Anything to get out of the house for a little while and do something. I hated being alone with nothing to do. It was nothing like I had been back in Florida, where I'd always been a social butterfly. "You will?" Dad asked, surprised.

"Sure. I don't have anything better to do," I admitted.

Dad thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Do you know what you're looking for?" he asked.

"It's a radio tuner, I think I can figure it out," I joked.

Radios weren't my specialty but I could always ask someone in the store if I couldn't find it. "Well, it'll save me the trip," Dad said, nodding at me. "Go for it."

"Do you know where it is?" Mom asked.

"I've seen the arcade before," I said. I had spotted it during one of my outings with Nancy in the week leading up to my first day at school. "I can find it."

"Call if you need anything," Mom said.

"I will. See you guys later!" I yelled.

They both called back their goodbyes as I grabbed my things and headed out the front door. My parents both smiled at me and waved as I walked into the driveway and hopped into my car, revving the engine and backing out of the driveway. I vaguely knew where I was supposed to be going, but I wasn't the best with directions. I knew that the arcade was on the other side of town. I knew that there were two shopping centers around the free-standing arcade but I had never seen the electronics store. I figured and hoped that it wouldn't be too hard to find.

I headed down the main road, soaring way faster than I should have. I tried to think about the places that I was going but I was thinking way too much about Billy Hargrove. He was taking up way too much of my time. Thinking about him and thinking about what I wanted to do with him. I blushed, trying to forget about my ever-growing feelings for Billy Hargrove. I didn't know how I was supposed to handle them. I had never developed feelings for someone as quickly as I had for him.

There were plenty of guys that I had liked back in Florida and some I had dated, but I had never cared for any of them the way that I had grown to care for Billy. He annoyed me and was constantly flirting with me, but I had found quickly that we had become pretty good friends. He had easily become the person that I was the closest to within Hawkins outside of Steve and Nancy. Of course, I didn't flirt with either one of them the way that I flirted with Billy.

Come on, Rachel. Think about something else. I shook my head at myself. I refused to allow myself to keep thinking about Billy. He was on my mind way too much anyway. I pulled up to the arcade and pulled into a spot not far from the entrance. I didn't know where the electronics store was but I knew it couldn't be far. There were two strip malls along the arcade and I figured that it wouldn't take me more than a few minutes to go through them. Maybe if I was lucky I would find it quickly and be able to go back home.

This may have been a way to get out of the house but I wasn't interested in shopping for a radio tuner. I walked to the furthest strip mall from me first. There were five stores that I walked along but I didn't see an electronics store. I saw a grocery store, a discount store, a small bar, a coroner, and a general store instead. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't looking for any of those stores and I didn't feel like walking through the general store to see if they had a radio tuner. Maybe the other strip mall had the electronics store.

I huffed in annoyance as I turned in the other direction and headed toward the second strip mall. I had no better luck with that one than I'd had at the first strip mall. There was nothing in the second one other than a large clothing store, a consignment store, and some empty shops. I scowled as I headed back to my car. I figured I would try one more loop to see if I had missed anything. I couldn't believe that I couldn't find it. Maybe my parents were wrong. Maybe there wasn't an electronics store out here.

My last thought was to try and go back to the arcade and ask someone inside for directions. I headed back toward the arcade and looked around as I walked, but I still didn't see anything resembling an electronics store. I threw my arms up, annoyed that I couldn't find the electronics store, and annoyed that I had come out here for nothing. I should have stayed home and watched television. I was going to make one last trip around the strip malls before heading back home.

As I walked back and forth, I looked all around, trying to find the electronics store. My parents had told me that it was next to the arcade but I didn't see it. I huffed and prepared to head back home when I saw Billy's car come screaming up. He screeched to a stop and let out the red-headed girl I had learned was his stepsister, Max. Max climbed out of the car and flipped Billy the bird as he peeled out. I chuckled under my breath, watching her head into the arcade. Billy ground to a halt in his car as he passed in front of me.

He rolled down his tinted window, leaning back in his chair to stare at me. I smirked down at him. "Good morning," I greeted teasingly.

Billy smirked. "It is now."

It seemed that my luck for the day was finally changing. I smiled as Billy nodded for me to follow him. He drove to a parking spot and got out, walking over to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I had noticed lately that he was a very touchy person, but it didn't bother me. I liked that he was touchy. I was too and every time I was around him, I wanted to be even touchier. The two of us leaned up against the hood of the car as I laid my head against Billy's shoulder.

"What are you doing out here?" Billy asked, breaking the silence.

"Looking for an electronics store I can't find," I answered. Billy arched an eyebrow, clearly unsure of what I meant. I giggled under my breath. "My dad's radio tuner is broken and he needs a new one. I offered to go get one although I don't know where the electronics store is, which admittedly wasn't my brightest move." Billy grinned. "What are you doing out here?"

"Taking that little shit to the arcade," Billy said, throwing his head to the doors Max had vanished through.

That was nice. "What a marvelous brother you are," I huffed.

Billy's body tensed as he said, "She's not -"

"Your sister. I know, I know," I said, waving him off.

The angry look on Billy's face wasn't bothering me. I knew him well enough to know that he had a temper, and people with a temper had never bothered me before. I had noticed him snapping at a few people since we'd met. Most had recoiled in fear, but I didn't. If there was one thing I'd noticed, it was that his family normally elicited the angry responses. He never talked about them. He hadn't spoken a word about his family to anyone, though he had said a little bit to me. More than he had to anyone else, at least.

So far I had learned that the little red-headed girl was named Max and that she was his stepsister. I was surprised to learn that Billy had known Max for almost ten years. His attitude toward her had made it seem like they'd met recently. They had moved to Hawkins when Billy's father had married Max's mother. He had told me enough so that I knew his stepmother's name was Susan and that he didn't know her well. It didn't escape me that I was the only person Billy had told anything regarding his family too.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't tell her to skateboard out here herself," I said, shattering the silence after a while.

Billy huffed. "I tried."

Why couldn't he just accept that I was trying to be nice and compliment him? "Well, it was nice of you to bring her here anyway," I said, scowling at him.

Billy huffed again. "It wasn't my choice."

"Accept the damn compliment," I snapped.

Billy grinned at me. "Well, now I have to find something to do for the next hour," he said.

Meaning he was thinking about heading somewhere private with me for an hour. I glared at him. "How about work on your algebra homework? I saw your first quiz grade," I said.

On Thursday he had come out of the school with his first algebra quiz hanging from his hands. It was a 'D.' He hadn't said anything about it but I had been tempted to bring it up. I knew he was intelligent and could do more than that. Billy whacked me over the shoulder, making me laugh. "I keep asking you to tutor me," Billy pointed out.

"And I always tell you yes," I answered, looking up at him and smirking. We were speaking so closely together that our lips almost brushed. I dropped my voice to speak to him quietly. "I will tutor you at the local library, fully clothed."

"Where's the fun in that? Come on, Rach. We could have a good study session. Hop in the back," Billy said, holding my chin and motioning his head to the backseat. "I'll give you a lesson."

"Wow..." I said quietly, pulling away from him and glancing down at my wristwatch. Billy was staring at me uncomprehendingly. "You made it five minutes without a sleazy platitude. That's a new record, Hargrove." Billy laughed as I gently shoved myself off of him before I took him up on his offer. "Also, I think not. I'll be the one teaching you something."

Billy smirked, extending his hand to the backseat. "Please. Be my guest."

"I am not that easy," I snapped.

Billy grinned. "Wouldn't want you if you were, Winters."

My stomach churned with nerves and excitement as I hopped up onto the hood of Billy's car. I smirked at Billy as he leaned on his arms over me, enclosing my body with his arms. I started up at him for a moment before reaching down and pulling my checkered shirt over my shoulders, leaving me in a thin, white wife-beater. Billy leaned back to look at my chest. I was positive that Billy could see my blue bra through the tank top but I didn't care. It wouldn't be the first bra (or last) he had ever seen. Billy's eyes darkened and his grin widened as he watched me.

Billy smirked, trailing his eyes slowly up my body. "Now that's more like it," Billy said.

"Shut up, Hargrove," I snapped.

Billy's hands landed on my bare thighs as I leaned on my back against the hood. It was warm from the hours it had spent baking in the sun. "The hell are you doing?" Billy asked.

"Sunbathing," I answered simply. "Your car's nice and warm. It reminds me of Florida."

As soon as I had said it, I could feel Billy's fingers working their way up my thighs as his thumbs moved from the outside of my thighs to the inside, so close to where I had wanted them. Goosebumps from his touch rose against my skin. "Cold?" Billy asked knowingly.

"Freezing," I responded numbly.

He knew exactly what the goosebumps were from. He knew what his touch was doing to me. I popped my eyes open long enough to meet his. Billy was leaning over me, squeezing my thighs gently. He was leaning over me so closely that I could feel the heat coming off of his body. I blushed slightly as I leaned up and smirked at him. Our fingers were nearly touching and I felt the blush spread across my chest and cheeks. I desperately wanted to have him, more than I had ever wanted anyone before.

"Are you planning on going to the arcade?" I asked, trying to break my thoughts from imagining what was under Billy's clothes.

Billy huffed. "No, I have a life."

Maybe he normally had a life, but he didn't this morning. Neither one of us did, it seemed. "Which explains why you're out here alone on a Saturday morning instead of rolling out of bed with some chick you don't know," I teased.

"You think so lowly of me," Billy huffed.

"You've given me no reason not to," I replied, smirking at him.

The two of us smiled at each other as I closed my eyes. The sun was beating down warmly on my front as I felt the shift of the car under what I assumed was Billy's weight as he joined me. I smiled as I felt him lay up against me. There was enough room on the wide hood that he would have been able to lay a few feet apart but he was pressed against me. I smiled, taking his arm and looping it behind my head so that I could lay on him. I smiled as Billy tugged me into him. I looked up at him, so close to his lips that I could have easily kissed him.

"Does Billy Hargrove like cuddling?" I teased.

"If it gets you where I want you," Billy said.

"Where do you want me?" I asked quietly.

My throat went dry at his look. Billy looked down at me, placing one hand on the back of my bare thigh, pulling it over his lap. His mouth was almost against my ear. "Everywhere," he growled.

A massive blush flooded my face and chest. Think about something else, Rachel. "Am I keeping you from something?" I asked.

Billy shook his head. "Not really. I was thinking about hooking up with Tina," he answered bluntly.

A stab of annoyance shot through my chest. I knew that he had said it because he had known it would bother me, and it did. I scowled at him. I knew that Tina was one of the girls Billy had hooked up with over the past week. He knew where Tina lived and had likely brought her back home and hooked up with her there. I hadn't seen Billy talk to her since then and I knew that his comment was an overstatement. It didn't stop the little spike of jealously that shot through my chest.

"Did the two of you have plans?" I asked.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Billy replied.

It was nice to know that he was as sleazy as I'd thought he was. I laughed, rolling my eyes at him. "You were planning on just going to Tina's house without warning and hooking up with her?" I asked.

"Yep," Billy said bluntly.

I rolled my eyes. "You're a real romantic, Hargrove."

"Romance is for suckers," Billy said.

"True," I admitted begrudgingly.

Billy and I exchanged a quick grin. I could tell that Billy was surprised that I had agreed with him that I didn't believe in romance. I had never seen any romance from any of my old partners. The most they had done was bought me a crappy bracelet or maybe give me cheap plastic flowers. Romance was long-dead. I'd learned to stop expecting it. I knew that my parents loved each other, but I doubted I would ever see anything myself. I didn't even like romance, though I did wonder if Billy was capable of it.

Thinking about being romantic was Billy was annoying. I didn't want to think that he would be romantic with someone else. "You were going to hook up with Tina without giving her any warning?" I asked sharply.

"Yeah," Billy answered. He looked at me, a smirk on his face. "Why? Bothered it's not you?"

"Please, we both know there's no competition," I huffed. Billy laughed at my arrogance. "I'm just surprised that you're planning on hooking up with Tina again."

"Why's that?" Billy asked.

"You're not the kind of guy to keep a girl around once you've gone on a date and gotten what you wanted with her," I said.

"What about you?" Billy asked.

I scowled at him. "We've never been on a date, Hargrove."

"Do you think I would?" Billy asked.

There was no way that we were going to try that route. I didn't want to sleep with him and then have him never speak to me again, though I wasn't going to admit it. "I guess we'll never find out," I said teasingly.

Billy smirked. "Yes, we will."

"Cocky," I chuckled.

"You have no idea," Billy said.

But I would have loved to have an idea. I shook my head clear of my thoughts. I turned on my side to scowl at him as I laid a leg over his lap, moving my knee toward his crotch. A smirk popped up on my lips. "Are you sure about that?" I asked playfully.

Billy placed one of his hands underneath my thigh to hold it against his body. "Come on, Rach. I've got forty minutes left," Billy said. "What do you want to do with them?"

I smirked at him and said, "Not you."

"Come on, Rach," Billy urged. "It could be the best -"

"Three minutes of my life?" I interrupted playfully.

There was no way he would only last for three minutes, but I was going to mess with him. What I wasn't expecting was for Billy to tighten his grip on my tank top and yank me into him. I gasped as he grabbed onto the back of my neck so tightly that it almost hurt. "You can't seriously think I'll only last for three minutes?" Billy asked. My throat went dry as I tried to fight for words. Any coherent thoughts had left my mind. "Winters, you won't be able to walk when I'm done with you."

"Promises, promises," I teased. It would have been a little more impressive had my voice not cracked. Billy smirked as he rolled me onto my back and leaned over me. We were within inches of kissing when I pushed against his chest, suddenly remembering myself. "No, uh-uh, this is not happening."

Billy smirked. "Sure it will."

"And I repeat, go to hell," I snapped playfully.

"Can't get any closer than we are. God, this place is such a shithole," Billy groaned, falling back against the car hood.

"On that matter, we're agreed," I added.

"The second I can, I'm out of here," Billy told me.

"You're planning on going back to California once you graduate?" I asked.

It was the same way I felt. I wanted to be back in Florida after graduation. "Tell me something," Billy said. I nodded for him to continue. "You saw my first quiz grade. Do you think I'm going to make it to graduation?"

Suddenly, I felt extremely bad for teasing him. I hadn't thought that he was that upset with his grades. I hadn't thought he cared at all. "That's not what I meant," I told Billy, rolling onto my hip to meet his eyes. "Hey, it's early on. There's still plenty of times to get your grades up and change things."

Billy huffed. "It's not like I'm college material. I'm better with my hands anyway."

"You don't have to go to college. It's not for everyone," I said. Just because I wanted to go to college didn't mean that everyone else had to do it. "And don't say that. You'll regret not graduating from high school."

"I'm not on track right now," Billy pointed out.

We could both get him back on track. "Tell you what, I'll make you a deal," I said. Billy nodded, looking a little more interested than he had been a moment before. "If you can show me that you're willing to study and get your grades up, I'll tutor you just the way you want." I leaned over Billy, narrowing my gaze playfully. "A private study session with me will come with all the perks."

Billy grinned. "You've got yourself a deal, Winters."

It was perhaps the best deal I had made in a long time. I smiled as Billy moved back from me a bit and extended his hand. I took his hand in my grasp and shook it. His hands were softer than I had expected but rough enough to indicate that he frequently used his hands. I blushed slightly as Billy placed his spare hand over our linked ones. We remained linked together for about a minute before releasing each other. I moved back to lay against Billy's shoulder and pressed a hand over his chest.

"Tell me something," I said, desperate to change the topic.

"What?" Billy asked.

"Tell me what California was like," I said.

Billy laughed. "Better than this shithole."

"Come on!" I urged, smacking Billy on the chest. "What do you miss the most?"

Billy thought on it for a few moments before saying, "Chicks walking around in bikinis all the time."

"Go to hell," I barked.

"We're already here, Winters," Billy teased.

Billy was such an ass. He knew exactly how to get to me. I laughed at him as I smacked his chest again. "I hear that. Come on. Tell me what you miss the most about California," I said, gently nudging his shoulder. "I'll repay the favor."

"Surfing," Billy answered.

His honest answer shocked me. "Really?" I asked dumbly. Billy nodded. "I didn't peg you for a surfer."

"Oh, yeah. I was out on the waves every day," Billy said.

He struck me as the type to ride motorcycles on the backroads, not surfing at the California beaches. "I've always wanted to learn how to surf," I said honestly. It was one skill I'd always wanted to learn. "I tried to surf a few times in Florida but they're better for bodysurfing. The waves usually don't get much bigger than three feet."

Billy laughed. "That's pathetic."

"Shut up!" I said, laughing as I shoved Billy's shoulder. "We have the most beautiful beaches in the world but the waves leave something to be desired. What's surfing like?"

"It's the best feeling in the world," Billy said quickly. I smiled at the dreamlike tone on his voice. It was the kindest I'd ever heard him. "The feeling of being on top of the waves is like you're on top of the world. There's nothing else to worry about. The water hitting your face and feeling like you're flying. Being on top of a wave... there's nothing like it."

His voice was unlike I had ever heard it before. He sounded happier than I would have thought he could be. It made me smile. "I think we finally found something that Billy Hargrove loves," I said. Billy chuckled as I turned on my hips to face him. "Where did you surf?"

"The Lower Trestles," Billy answered. I hummed under my breath. That meant that he was from somewhere near San Diego. "Have you ever heard of them?"

"Yeah. I had a friend who was an avid surfer and he always wanted to go there," I said.

My friend Adam had always loved surfing and had been determined to go to some of the best spots for waves all over the world. The Lower Trestles were one of the American surfing spots he'd wanted to go to. "The waves there are some of the best in the world. You'll never have a bad surfing day," Billy said dreamily. I smiled at him. The way he was speaking made me want to go surfing. "They're not like the waves at Mavericks but those waves get up to sixty feet."

"That's crazy. I can't imagine it," I told Billy.

Sixty food waves sounded like they would crush you to death. "I always wanted to go surfing out there," Billy said.

"Maybe you'll get to go one day," I told him. Billy smiled at me. "Do you know any tricks?"

Billy nodded. "Yeah."

"Tell me about them," I goaded.

So, Billy spent some time telling me about the surfing tricks he knew. He knew all of the beginning tricks like the bottom turn, carve, and cutback. He knew some of the intermediate tricks like the snap, roundhouse cutback, off-the-lip, foam climb, switch stance, kick-flip, three-sixty, nose riding, tail slide, and closeout re-entry. He was apparently in the middle of learning how to do a proper tube ride when his family had moved to Hawkins. I wished that I could have seen him surf.

It was relaxing listening to the way Billy was talking about his surfing passion. He mentioned he had once wanted to go professional but had quickly realized that he was good, but wasn't that good. He mentioned that it had taken him almost a week to learn how to stand up on the board, though he had been a little kid when he had first learned. It had taken him nearly two months to become decent with regularly standing upright. He mentioned that his hardest skill was the tube ride and that he still hadn't learned a proper exit.

Listening to him talk gave me a massive itch to get back to the beach. "God, I miss the water," I groaned, pressing my head back against the car hood. "It's the one thing I miss most about Florida."

"You could always go to the community pool," Billy suggested.

That was the most disgusting suggestion I had ever heard. There was no way I was going to the community pool. "That little kids piss in? I'm good," I snapped. Billy laughed at the disgust in my voice. "No, I miss the feeling of the sand in between your toes. I've always wanted to learn how to surf. My friend was going to teach me but never got the chance."

"I could teach you," Billy offered.

"I wasn't aware there were many beaches in Hawkins," I deadpanned.

"Go to hell," Billy snapped.

"We're already there, Hargrove," I teased.

Billy smirked. "There's always Indiana Dunes."

Indiana Dunes was on the other end of the state. The drive there would take forever and I wasn't going alone. "Oh, and it's only a short four-hour car ride away," I snapped.

Billy laughed as he placed his hand on my thigh. "I could find a way to keep you entertained."

"Oh, I'm sure you could. But we both know we'd never make it to the beach," I reasoned.

"And that's such a bad thing?" Billy asked. I couldn't come up with an answer. "Come on, Rach. We've got twenty minutes left."

There was no way I was doing what I wanted to do with Billy for only twenty minutes. I needed way longer than that and I wanted him to know it. "Hargrove, you're going to need a lot longer than twenty minutes," I told him. I leaned over Billy's body, speaking so close that our lips nearly brushed. "Unless you don't think you can last."

Billy stared at me for a moment with dark eyes, digging his fingers into my thighs so hard that I was certain they would bruise. "Winters, you'll be begging for it to end," Billy teased.

"I'm not a quitter," I shot back.

Maybe I'd be begging to finish, but that it. Billy's eyes brightened. "Where have you been all my life?" he asked.

My heart fluttered slightly. I laughed at his comment but stared at him for a moment. I was positive that if the two of us hooked up, it would be a long night filled with no sleep. It was what would come afterward that concerned me. I hated to admit it but I was nervous that if we hooked up, Billy wouldn't want me afterward. He had become a good friend to me lately. It was something that I couldn't deny any longer. Billy Hargrove was my friend and losing him once we had hooked up would hurt me.

I'd never been so relieved that Billy changed the subject afterward. The two of us spent much of our remaining time together discussing life and what our respective homes had been like. I told Billy all about what my old school had been like. I told him about the beach that had been so close to the school I'd gone to. I talked about how my friends and I would go out to the beach first thing in the morning and then run to school, still soaking wet, afraid that we would miss the first bell. Billy laughed at my story.

Afterward, I told Billy about my childhood, excluding the fact that I had been adopted. I hadn't let anyone know about my adoption yet and I wasn't going to tell them unless I felt comfortable enough to do it. Instead, I told Billy about my parents and what they were like. I told him that my mother was a wonderful cook and had been a nurse until I was born. I told him that my father loved to embarrass me and was an engineer. I mentioned that we all missed our home in Florida.

If there was one thing I noticed, it was that as much as I talked about my old life and my family dynamics, Billy didn't tell me much about his life in California. I didn't get much more out of him than what I had already known except that the Mayfield's had been in his life for a long time, though he had never accepted them as family, and that his father's name was Neil. Otherwise, he told me nothing new. I knew that he wasn't comfortable enough to tell me anything else about his family life that wasn't very good.

That was one of the things I had been curious about. From the moment I had met Billy, I had wondered if his home life wasn't good. I had figured that it must not have been. He was constantly out of his house or looking for ways to keep himself entertained. Plus, he never spoke about his family. It had taken me a week just to get their names out of him. If he had had a good relationship with any of his family members, he would have dropped Max off at the arcade, gone back home to do something for an hour, and then come back to grab her.

Billy did speak a little bit about his friends, but he didn't seem to miss them as much as I missed mine. I loved hearing Billy talk about the waves. That was what he spent most of his time with me talking about. It was sweet. It was the thing he had the most passion for in the world. I wanted to see him surfing. I wanted to see what the real Billy was like. I wanted to see him with his walls down. Of course, that would also mean that I would have to take my walls down.

"Can I ask you something?" Billy said, breaking my train of thoughts.

"Sure," I said.

"Why did you move from Florida?" Billy asked.

My face drained of color. That wasn't a story I ever wanted to tell. "Oh, it's kind of a long and complicated story," I muttered stupidly.

Billy arched a blonde eyebrow. "Long and complicated? I thought you just moved because your father got a new job here?" he asked knowingly.

My jaws flapped open and closed for a minute. I had almost forgotten that I had told everyone the reason we had moved was that my father had gotten a new job in Hawkins. "Why the hell did you ask if you already knew?" I snapped irritably.

"Because I knew you were lying," Billy teased.

"How?" I barked.

"Your eyes don't match your mouth when you tell people that story," Billy said.

I huffed in annoyance. "Aren't you clever?"

Billy smirked. "I won't ask."

"Really?"

"We've all got secrets."

His secrets must have been fascinating. "Want to tell me one of yours?" I chirped.

"When you tell me the truth about why you moved to Hawkins," Billy said.

The two of us smiled at each other. I laid in Billy's arms as we exchanged a quick look. It was nice to see that Billy wasn't a complete ass. The two of us chattered quietly as we sunbathed. I wished that our time together would never end. I knew that I was getting into dangerous territory with Billy. We weren't just hanging out together and flirting. Some real feelings, at least on my part, were starting to get themselves involved. I didn't know what I was supposed to do about them.

It would have been smart to step back and say 'goodbye,' but I couldn't stop myself as I asked, "Are you going to the game tonight?"

Billy snorted under his breath. "It's not my kind of thing."

"What is your kind of thing?" I asked.

Billy thought about it for a moment before saying, "Rolling out of bed with some chick I don't know."

I laughed under my breath. "I guess I had that one coming."

Billy chuckled. "Oh, that's not all -"

I jumped up and slapped my hand over his mouth. "Do not finish that thought," I snapped.

"Don't be a prude," Billy huffed.

I'd been called many names before but no one had ever called me a prude. "Did you just call me a prude?" I barked. Billy smirked at me as I jammed my finger in his sternum. "Spend a night with me, Hargrove. That's the last thing you'll be calling me."

Billy smirked again. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

The two of us smirked at each other again. Billy and I both knew that we were going to hook up one day. It wouldn't be long with the way we were going. I had never had the best impulse control in the world and it was at its lowest when it came to hot guys. I noticed that Billy was moving into me but I was doing nothing to stop it. Not when he ran his hand underneath my shirt and not when I began moving toward his mouth. We were centimeters away from each other when I remembered myself.

Instead of giving in to my base desire and kissing him, I stole the glasses from Billy's face and propped them on my face. "What the hell are you doing?" Billy asked, chuckling as I raised my eyebrow underneath his frames.

"They look much better on me," I teased.

"They'd look better off. So would everything else," Billy said, leaning over me again.

His hands were moving up my bare back, pulling me into him. My heart skipped a beat as my stomach churned with nerves. I glanced down at my wristwatch and sighed. "Your hour's up," I commented.

It was like talking to a wall. I was being pushed down by Billy onto the hood of his car. We were so close together but I knew that it wasn't the right time. I didn't want to be another notch in Billy Hargrove's bedpost. I refused to be. So, I slipped out from underneath Billy's arms as my boots hit the pavement. Billy laughed as I straightened up and tossed my hair behind my shoulders confidently. Billy pushed himself off of the car and came to stand in front of me, pushing me back against the door.

It was good to know that Billy didn't let me walk away when he knew I didn't want to. "Come on, Rach. You know you want it," Billy said, pressing his hands against the doorframe of his car, trapping me between his arms. I saw a flash of red beside us, indicating that Max had returned from the arcade. "All you have to do is ask nicely."

"Hargrove, you will never hear me ask for it," I snapped unconvincingly.

"I don't need to hear you ask for it," Billy said. He was acting like he hadn't even seen Max arrive. He probably didn't care. I arched an eyebrow as Billy moved his face to my throat and up to my ear. "I want to hear you beg for it."

"Okay," I whispered, feeling my toes curl. We could talk about that later when a little kid wasn't present. I waited for Billy to move now that Max had arrived, but it didn't look like he was going to. He didn't care that his stepsister was watching us half-hookup mere inches from her. Max huffed in disgust as I turned to her with a vague smile. "Hey, Max."

The little red-headed girl looked up at me in shock. "Hi, Rachel," Max replied after a moment.

Billy unlocked the door so that Max could get in. Max jumped inside and slammed the door behind her. In the meantime, I looked at Billy and raised an eyebrow. I was positive that I had never said my name in front of Max. "How does she know my name?" I asked Billy, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"The little shit eavesdrops," Billy huffed.

"On?" I asked.

"I'd be happy to give you a full play-by-play," Billy said, smirking.

Nope. We weren't going there. Not right now. I smirked, resting a hand on Billy's belt buckle and tugging gently. I placed my other hand on his chest, underneath his unbuttoned shirt, gently moving it down. My lips tilted upward as I felt Billy's chest muscles tightening under my touch. "See you on Monday," I whispered to Billy.

"Bye, Rach," Billy replied.

My heart skipped a beat as I leaned up and took Billy's chin in my hand. The two of us smiled at each other as I pressed a long kiss against Billy's cheek. I stayed against him for much longer than I had meant to. It was almost a full minute before I pulled back and released him. Billy laid a hand against my waist for a moment before releasing me. I walked back to my car and hopped in, starting the engine. 'What's Love Got to Do with It' by Tina Turner played. I hated the song but was too wrapped up in thoughts of Billy to care.

I followed Billy out of the parking lot for a few seconds. I could see him glance in the rearview mirror to wink at me. I raised my right hand and flipped him the bird. Billy laughed as I turned after him. We were both driving in the same direction, flooring it for a few minutes before Billy turned down a side road. It wasn't the poor part of the town but it wasn't as nice as the part of town I lived in. I briefly wondered what his house was like as I headed to my house, still completely wrapped up in thoughts of Billy.

Constantly thinking about him was driving me out of my mind. He seemed to be the only person I could think about lately. I hated how much my thoughts rested on Billy. I hated the stupid grin that was on my face because of him as I drove home. I arrived in my driveway within a few minutes, thrilled to be back so I didn't have to think of Billy-fucking-Hargrove. I walked in the front door of my house, still feeling a little drunk off of my morning with him. My parents were in the living room, clearly waiting for me.

"What happened to twenty minutes?" Dad snapped, looking very angry.

A smile tilted up on my lips as I laughed guiltily. "I got a little sidetracked," I muttered dumbly.

My parents knew that I hadn't been sidetracked by a store or shopping. They must have known that it was a person - and a guy, at that. My father narrowed his eyes as he watched me walk into the living room. "You don't look like you have my tuner," Dad commented.

"I said I got sidetracked," I said, feeling the blush rise on my cheeks. He was still scowling at me. "Sorry, I'll get it tomorrow."

"What did you get sidetracked by?" Dad asked.

A guy who wants to get in your daughter's pants. I stammered over my words for a moment before my mother spoke. "It's not a 'what'. It's a 'who,'" she said knowingly, giving me a scrutinizing stare.

"Who?" Dad asked sharply.

"Mom!" I barked.

"What are you two talking about?" Dad asked.

We were not about to talk about my semi-relationship with Billy. They didn't need to know what I said to guys when they weren't around. "Don't think I don't notice you dressing to impress since your first day. You went out with a long-sleeved shirt on and came home mysteriously without it," Mom said, chuckling as I hiked my tank top up higher on my chest.

Marvelous. Dad was going to kill me for that. "What?" Dad howled.

"Mother!" I barked, my face going as red as a tomato. "Enough! It's… hot outside."

"What are you two talking about?" Dad asked, obviously annoyed that he was being left out of the loop.

"Nothing!" I yelled, desperate to break the conversation. Mom was holding a hand over her mouth to try and keep from laughing as I tried to find the right words. "I went to the arcade and couldn't find the electronics store. I'll go out and get the tuner tomorrow."

"Where did your shirt go?" Dad asked.

"Can we drop it, please?" I muttered desperately.

"Who's this friend of yours?" Dad asked.

My face burned pathetically as I remembered the conversation between Billy and myself. "Oh, come on. It doesn't matter," I said, waving off his concern.

Mom walked up behind me, brushing my long hair over my shoulder. "Well, we would love to meet him when you decide it's time," she told me.

My head snapped up to meet her eyes. "I didn't say it was a guy," I said.

She smiled down at me. "You didn't have to."

Was it that obvious that there was a guy I was into? I supposed I had never reacted this way to a guy before. Maybe that was how she knew and how she knew that it was something at least kind of special. "I'm going to get some fresh air," I said, trying to take a deep breath as I headed back to the front door. "I'll be back."

"Good. You look like you could use it," Mom joked.

She was laughing at me as I walked outside to get some fresh air. It was what I needed after feeling so overwhelmed by my conversation with Billy. I walked outside and took a deep breath, wandering further into the front yard. I didn't know if I needed fresh air or a cold shower "Uh-oh. You've got that stupid smile on your face that only comes from a good conversation with a boy," Nancy's voice called. I glanced over at my neighbor and smiled dumbly. "Let me guess. Billy?"

"Who else would it be?" I groaned.

Nancy smiled as she walked up to my side. "What happened? I saw you leave this morning."

"I went to find the electronics store. My parents told me it was by the arcade," I began.

"It's downtown," Nancy interrupted.

"Yeah, I know that now," I huffed.

"So, what ended up happening?" Nancy asked.

"It was weird, Nance. I was out looking for the electronics store and I ran into Billy. He was dropping his stepsister off at the arcade," I explained when I saw how surprised she looked. "He stopped and we just spent the hour talking and having a good time. I mean, of course, he flirted and I flirted back but we got to talking and it wasn't like he was ignoring me. It felt like he -"

"Heard you?" Nancy interrupted, smiling gently.

"Yeah," I said, my face turning a little red. Talking about my crush on Billy made me feel like a little girl. "Does that seem stupid?" I asked.

"No," Nancy said, shaking her head. "It sounds surprising but it sounds sweet too."

"I just didn't expect it from him," I moaned, throwing my head back in annoyance. "I didn't expect him to tell me about California."

Nancy's eyes went wide. "He told you about California?"

What was wrong with that? "Yeah. So?" I asked defensively.

A gentle smile crossed Nancy's lips. "Rachel, I've seen Billy talk to pretty much every student at school, but I don't see him go back to anyone the way he does with you," she pointed out. I knew that she was right, but I didn't want to admit it. That would give me hope that we could maybe be more than friends. "I've never heard him talk about California to anyone else. As soon as someone brings it up, he stops the conversation. You're the only person he's told. I wonder why that is."

I threw my head back in annoyance. As hard as I tried, I didn't get Billy. "Okay, enough boy talk," I said, waving off the conversation. "I need to get my mind off of Billy Hargrove."

"Why don't you come to the game with Steve and me?" Nancy offered. It seemed to be my only option for the night. "He'll be on his way to come to get me in a few hours. It'll be a good chance to not think about Billy."

That was what she needed to say to get me to go along with it. I thought about Nancy's words for a moment. I wasn't sure about it. I'd meant what I'd said so many times before. I hated football and found it an extremely boring game. Though I didn't want to sit at home alone on a Saturday night. I wasn't used to being alone as often as I had been since moving to Hawkins. I had to do something other than sitting around and hang out with my parents. Plus, being out and keeping busy would give me a chance to not think about Billy.

"You know what? That sounds like a good idea," I said honestly.

Maybe it was time for me to try and be a normal high school student. "Go get your stuff," Nancy said.

"Okay. Hang on. I'll be right back," I said. Nancy nodded as I turned and ran back into the house to grab my keys, sunglasses, and wallet from off the counter. I raised my voice to yell at my parents. "Hey, I'm going to go to the game with Nancy and Steve tonight."

"That sounds like fun. I'm glad you're getting out," Mom said.

"We hope Hawkins wins!" Dad called.

"I'll let you know how it goes! See you later!" I called back.

"Have a good night!" Dad yelled.

"Love you!" Mom added.

Once I'd waved at them, I turned and ran back to the front yard with Nancy. We walked into her front yard and plopped down in front of the house. It wouldn't be until nearly six that Steve would come to get us and it was barely midday now. We sat and chatted for a while, enjoying ourselves and talking about what was going on. We did spend a while talking about our love lives. Nancy still wasn't sure what was going on between Steve and Jonathan and I was annoyed with my flirtatious conversations with Billy.

Neither one of our love lives was going very well these days. Nancy was torn between her feelings for Jonathan and Steve. Nancy had a lot of history with Steve and he was her first love, but Jonathan had grown very close with her the year prior. Nancy had even thought he may have been the one. I admitted that I'd never had such conflicting feelings as I had for Billy. He was completely my type but I admitted to Nancy that I was afraid he would drop me if we slept together. Eventually, both frustrated by the conversation, Nancy and I banned boy talk.

Instead, the two of us sat in the grass and talked for a long time about my life back in Florida. Nancy was fascinated by my old life. She loved hearing about the number of times that I had nearly missed the first period of classes because I had been hanging out at the beach for too long. I told Nancy about the city I used to live in and that there were always malls nearby. Nancy sounded fascinated and though she loved her little town of Hawkins, she would love to see and spend some time in a big city.

It was close to six when Steve pulled up to grab Nancy for the game. He was happy to see that I would be coming to the game too. I admitted that I didn't want to sit at home on a Saturday night when in my old life I would have been out on a date or hanging out with friends. I teased Steve for his disgusting car and laughed as he chucked an old fry wrapper at me. I remained otherwise quiet for most of the ride, letting Nancy and Steve talk. They seemed more relaxed tonight. I wasn't sure if it was because I was there too.

The three of us got to the football stadium just after six o'clock. The game was set to start at six-thirty. It was filled with hundreds of students from Hawkins High School coming to see the kickoff of the sports year. I walked with Nancy and Steve toward the bleachers on the far side of the stadium, saying hello to some of our friends in the process. I headed up toward the top of the bleachers to wait for the game to start with Nancy on my right side and Steve on Nancy's other side.

For a while we watched the cheerleaders perform their peppy routines and listened to the band as they played. I smiled as I chatted with Steve and Nancy. We talked a lot about the college essay that Steve had been struggling with over the last few days. Nancy was trying to convince him that it wasn't that bad but neither Steve nor I believed her. I knew that Nancy could have been a little less direct about Steve's subpar writing skills but ultimately decided to let the couple handle that conversation themselves.

It was nice to at least be out of the house but I did wish that we were doing something other than hanging out at the football game. I knew that we would be here for at least two hours. I had to hope that I would be able to get myself invested in the game. I smirked to myself as Steve and Nancy relaxed and began harassing each other like a real couple. It was nice to see. I didn't mind being the third wheel if it meant that they were on the mend. Though, I did want something to drink.

So, I rose from my spot on the bleachers. "Rachel? You okay?" Nancy asked worriedly.

"I'm going to get a soda. You guys want anything?" I offered.

"No, thank you," Nancy said.

"I'm good," Steve added.

The couple moved back so that I could get to the stairs. I walked down the bleachers and headed toward the snack stand that was near the entrance of the stadium. I passed some of our friends and smiled, exchanging brief pleasantries as I passed them. The conversations didn't last more than a few seconds. I got in line at the snack stand behind a girl my age who was ordering some food. I stood in line for a few moments, glancing around. It was about half an hour until the game began. In the meantime, I enjoyed the breeze that was going through my hair.

A few seconds passed before I heard a shout. "Rachel!"

I turned back, broken from my peaceful trance to see that Mark, the football player who had asked me out a few times since I had started at Hawkins High School, was standing behind me and smiling happily. "Hey, Mark," I greeted as he walked up to me.

He looked surprised that I was here. I was a little surprised that I had come. "So, you decided to come to the game after all," Mark commented, pulling the helmet off of his head.

"Oh, I thought I'd at least check it out," I said. Mark smiled as I threw my head back to nod at the scoreboard. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Mark smiled. "I've got a few minutes."

I rolled my eyes at his confidence and stepped up once the girl in front of me collected her food and headed to the stands. "One Coke, please," I told the teenage cashier, who nodded at me.

"I'm glad you decided to come," Mark said, making me smile. "So, are you going to be cheering for me?"

"That depends on whether or not you win," I replied.

Mark laughed. "Really? I could use you cheering for me."

The last thing Mark needed was me cheering for him. He already had hundreds of students in the bleachers who would be cheering for him. "Please, the star quarterback of Hawkins High School doesn't need the new girl cheering for him," I huffed.

"No, but he'd like it," Mark admitted.

At least he was trying to flirt with me. I rolled my eyes as my soda was placed on the counter by the teenage cashier. "That'll be forty cents, please," the boy said.

"Sure," I said, digging through my pocket.

"Her drink is on me," Mark said, reaching for his wallet.

"Her drink is on her," I shot back, pushing Mark's arm away as I scowled at him. I pulled out my wallet and took out a dollar. "I don't let guys pay for me. Here you go."

"Thanks," the cashier said.

The boy handed me over the soda and my change as I turned back to Mark. "Is football still not your thing?" he asked.

"Not at all, but I thought I may as well try and enjoy some normal high school things," I said.

"Like going out with the star football player?" Mark offered, waggling his eyebrows.

It wasn't the kind of flirting that I normally responded to. I preferred a slightly sleazier route. I snorted at the look on Mark's face as I took the first sip of my Coke. "Not even in your dreams," I told Mark seriously, turning to walk away.

He had a long way to go before he was my type. Mark laughed as I turned back and shot him a wink before walking away. I appreciated that Mark was being a little more forward with me than he had been over the past week but it didn't change that I wasn't interested in going out with the quarterback. I was much more interested in the smoking hot mess that was Billy Hargrove. I scowled at myself as I walked back into the bleachers toward Steve and Nancy. I had to stop thinking about Billy.

Once I got back to Steve and Nancy, the three of us spent a few minutes chatting quietly as we waited for the game to start, laughing and having a good time. I was a little surprised to find that I was glad to have come to the game with them instead of sitting at home. At least here I got to be around people my age. Steve and I spent much of the time leading up to the beginning of the game teasing each other. I shoved Steve as he told me that I had a shitty taste in men. I knew that he had seen me with Mark when I was at the concession stand.

While we were hanging around waiting for the game to start, some of Steve and Nancy's friends came to visit. Well, there were more of Steve's friends than Nancy's. I knew that Nancy didn't care for his friends nearly as much as he did and it seemed that Steve had been trying harder and harder to distance himself from them lately. When Tommy, Carol, and some of their other friends came up to say hello, I noticed that Steve shooed them away quickly. He knew that Nancy and I weren't fond of them.

The game began at a few minutes past six-thirty and Nancy, Steve, and I turned to watch. Mark glanced into the stands as he ran onto the field, smirking at me as I rolled my eyes. "Really?" Steve snapped, looking at me.

"I didn't do anything!" I barked in my defense.

I smacked Steve over the back of the head as I stood up, making Nancy laugh. "Where are you going?" Steve asked.

"The bathroom. Jeez, you try and be discreet around here," I muttered.

He and Nancy laughed. "Try not to run into any more idiot jocks or asshole new kids on the way," Steve said.

"Don't get jealous. You're still my favorite," I teased.

Steve shoved my hand away as I reached over and started running my fingers through his long (and extremely styled) hair. Nancy laughed as Steve fell back into her lap, taking her in his arms and pulling her into him. I smiled at the pair as I walked away. I was glad to see that the two of them seemed to be getting along much better these days. Maybe their relationship could work itself out. I walked down the stairs and off of the bleachers, heading toward the bathrooms when I heard my name being called.

"Rach."

A warming sensation in my chest ran down to my toes. There was only one person in Hawkins who would be calling me by that name. It was the one person I had been eager to see again but hadn't expected to see tonight. I turned back and smiled when I saw that Billy Hargrove was standing a few feet behind me in a brown leather jacket, half-open deep blue collared shirt, and his tight-fitted jeans. I smiled eagerly, glad to see that he had decided to come to the game after all. Billy walked up to me and wrapped an arm over my shoulder, pulling me into him.

A little laugh escaped my mouth as I punched Billy in the shoulder. "Billy Hargrove, the scourge of high school society is at the big game?" I chirped playfully.

"Only because I heard Rachel Winters would be here," Billy replied, grinning at me.

"That's the only reason?" I asked curiously.

Billy thought about it for a moment before saying, "The cheerleaders in short skirts don't hurt."

I scowled and shoved him. "You're disgusting."

"So, why are you still here?" Billy asked.

"You came over here, Hargrove," I snapped.

"But you still haven't walked away," Billy pointed out.

A fault on my part, I supposed. "You can be useful sometimes," I teased.

If we ever got the chance to hook up I was sure he would show me exactly how useful he was. I snapped my fingers as we walked over to the closest set of bleachers to us. We took a seat on the bleachers together as I threw my legs over his lap. Billy placed one hand on my bare thigh as I took a spare cigarette out. He smiled at me as he pulled out his lighter and lit the end. I placed the cigarette in my mouth and took a deep breath, looking up and blowing the smoke into the air. Billy reached over and took the cigarette from my hands.

"Hey!" I snapped as he took a long drag. "Get your own damn cigarettes!"

"I like yours better," Billy teased, leaning into me and blowing the smoke in my face.

"You just like it when a girl talks to you," I huffed.

"Actually, I prefer them when they're not talking," Billy shot back.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you," I teased, grinning at him.

"Just tell me when and where," Billy said confidently.

Right here, right now... I smiled as the two of us sat back against the bleachers and shared the cigarette, passing it between ourselves. We didn't say much while we watched the players run back and forth on the field. I knew that even though the two of us were watching the game, we were focused on each other. We were acutely aware of each other. Billy's warm hand was resting gently on my thigh as I leaned into him. We both smirked slightly as the crowd went up in a roar as Hawkins scored the first touchdown.

A few minutes passed before Billy broke the silence. "How interested in the game are you?" he asked.

"Depends on what's being offered," I said honestly.

"You want to take off?" Billy asked.

That was exactly what I wanted. I stopped myself from jumping on the opportunity and thought about it for a moment. I was bored stiff by the game and if there was one thing that Billy wasn't, it was boring. "Yeah. Wait here for a minute," I told him. Billy nodded and released his grip on my leg as I pushed off of him and went sprinting up the bleachers toward where Steve and Nancy were still sitting. "Hey."

They both looked up in shock. "There you are!" Nancy yelled.

"What the hell took you so long?" Steve asked.

I must have been gone a lot longer than I had initially expected. "I ran into a friend. I'm going to take off," I told them.

Steve and Nancy exchanged a worried look with each other that reminded me exactly of a look my parents would have given me. Steve narrowed his gaze at me. "Hargrove?" he asked knowingly.

"Maybe," I muttered.

The couple exchanged another look. "Just be careful, Rachel," Nancy sighed, knowing that I wasn't going to abandon my plans with Billy.

"Always. I'll swing by in the morning," I promised.

"Goodnight, Rachel," Nancy said, leaning over to hug me.

"Goodnight," Steve said, pressing a kiss against my cheek as I pulled back. "We'll let you know how the game ends."

"You know what? I don't care that much," I said honestly.

We all laughed as I turned and walked back through the stands toward where I had left Billy. I noticed that a crowd had already formed around him. I wasn't surprised. He had immediately earned his status as a popular kid. If I was a little friendlier, I might have earned that badge too. Billy was surrounded by Carol, Tommy, and some of their other friends. I noticed that Tina was standing very close to Billy, which infuriated me to no end. The moment Billy saw me, he pushed through the crowd with a half-hearted departing comment.

"You ready?" Billy asked me.

"Yeah. What about you and your posse?" I said, throwing my head back to the grouchy crowd.

"They're not that interesting," Billy said carelessly.

"But I am?" I asked disbelievingly.

"You are," Billy confirmed.

The question was, why? I glanced at Billy but knew that he wouldn't tell me why he was interested in me. Not any serious reasons, after all. I figured that he would say something sleazy. The two of us walked off and I smiled as his hand slid around the back of my waist. We headed out toward his car. It was nice that Billy at least knew how to be kind of gentlemanly as he opened the passenger door for me. I dropped into the car as he closed the door behind me, heading over and throwing himself into the driver's side.

"Look at you. Someone does know how to be a gentleman," I teased as he closed his door behind himself.

"I know how to treat a woman, Rach," Billy said.

Though he never spoke to any of his dates after he went out with them once. "Why don't I believe that?" I asked.

"You'll see," Billy said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

I rolled my eyes as I scowled at Billy again. He was grinning at me as he laid a hand on my thigh. I blushed slightly as he reached over and placed a hand on my upper thigh. I hadn't had a man ever be as forward with me as Billy was. It was something I had never had but so far it was something I liked. Billy reached over to the ignition and turned the car on. It roared to life and the radio began blasting 'Round and Round' by Ratt through the speakers. A smile formed against my lips.

"I can't say much for your taste in friends, Hargrove, but your taste in music is fantastic," I said, speaking over the music.

"Good taste in music, good taste in cars..." Billy said, trailing off slowly.

"Good taste in women, too, apparently," I teased.

"I've got a good eye," Billy said.

Sometimes he had a good eye. Not always, evidenced by him going out with Tina. I smiled as Billy pulled out of the stadium parking lot. "Where are we going?" I asked, continuing before he had a chance to answer. "If we say to your house, I'm going to punch you on the nose."

Billy laughed. "Not yet, Rach. I told you, I know how to treat a woman."

"You know how to treat a woman?" I asked disbelievingly. Billy glanced at me quickly, breaking his eye contact from the road for a moment to nod at me. "Somehow I don't think Tina would believe that. You hooked up with her, she tried to talk to you today, and you immediately abandoned her to take me out."

"Would you have rather me stayed with her?" Billy asked.

"I never said that," I replied, causing us to smile at each other. "Would you rather be with her?"

"Not at all," Billy said.

We would have argued had he said otherwise. I smirked as we exchanged a quick look. I felt Billy's hand tighten on my thigh a little bit as his fingers crept upward. I blushed slightly but closed my eyes, putting my feet up on the dashboard and closing my eyes. I leaned back in the seat slightly as Billy's fingers moved inward, creeping along my upper inner thigh. I smiled, deliberately leaning back to ensure that my tank top was dragging down my chest. I was glad to know that Bill was staring at me.

Without a doubt, Billy's eyes were locked on me. "Eyes on the road, Hargrove," I chided.

"You've got your eyes closed," Billy pointed out.

"And you've got yours right down my shirt," I said.

"Consider it a compliment," Billy teased.

"I do," I insisted. I cracked an eye open for a moment as that we could meet eyes and smile at each other. "Can I ask you something?"

"I get the feeling you will anyway," Billy said.

Well, he wasn't wrong about that. I smiled at him. "Correct. Why me?" I asked. Billy hummed in misunderstanding. "You don't strike me as the kind of guy who pursues a girl."

Billy glanced at me and made it no secret that he was staring down my shirt. "I'm not, but you're hot," he pointed out.

"At least you're honest," I giggled.

"I'm not one to dance around, Winters," Billy pointed out.

He had made that much painfully obvious. I blushed slightly. I realized again that I had never had someone be as forward with me as Billy was. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the seat again as we returned to the quiet drive. We were silent for a little while but Billy's hand remained on my thigh and I was glad for it. I liked knowing that someone may not care about me, but was interested in and attracted to me. It made me feel better to know that he was one-hundred percent interested in me.

As we headed out to wherever we were going, the two of us chatted quietly. I had never let someone drive me to a place that I didn't know. I told him that I wasn't fond of surprises. He promised that this would be a good surprise. I talked to Billy about how I wasn't used to being alone the way that I was now. I missed having the girls around for sleepovers and the boys to roughhouse with at the beach. Billy told me that he would happily roughhouse with me. I smacked him in the chest, earning one of his laughs.

When I felt the engine of the car turn off, I opened my eyes and was immediately shocked to see where we were. "Benny's Burgers?" I asked, staring up at the diner in shock. I turned to Billy with a playful grin. "You are a classy date, Hargrove."

"It's not like they have many five-diamond restaurants in Hawkins," Billy snapped.

"I suppose it bodes well that you at least know what a five-diamond restaurant is," I teased as we jumped out of the car. Billy laughed as we walked up to the diner entrance. He opened the door for me, grinning pointedly. I rolled my eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Billy said.

Billy had an arm wrapped around my waist as we walked over to a booth toward the back of the restaurant and took a seat. I was sitting on the far side of the booth as Billy took a seat on the closer side. I blushed slightly as he gave me a pointed stare as I scooted into the middle of the booth. I tugged down on my shirt a bit as I slid into place and grinned as I watched him shift uncomfortably. I liked knowing that I could get to him as much as he could get to me. I kicked my foot up between Billy's legs, gently nudging his inner thigh.

"Something bothering you?" I asked innocently.

Billy pressed down on a pressure point on the bottom of my right foot just underneath my toes. The pressure elicited a half-moan, half-pained grunt. Billy smirked at my reaction. "Good to know what I have to look forward to," Billy teased.

As usual, I wasn't sure if I wanted to slap or sleep with Billy. I was about to snap at him but I stopped, deciding to smirk at him instead. I pushed my foot against where I knew he wanted me. His body was shaking against mine. "Hargrove, you have no idea what you have to look forward to," I said quietly.

Billy took my leg in his hands and ran his palms up my bare skin. "Winters."

"Yes?" I asked innocently.

His normally blue eyes had gone almost black. "I'm going to f -"

"What can I get you two?"

My head shot back to reality so fast I almost went falling out of the booth. I jumped back from Billy's grasp, placing my foot against the floor. Smirking at my discomfort from the scowl of the waitress, Billy nodded for me to order first. "Um, a chocolate shake, please," I told the older woman, who nodded at Billy.

"I'll have the same," Billy told her.

"Sure thing," the woman said, scribbling something on her notepad as she walked off.

As the waitress headed back behind the counter, I smirked at Billy, who was grinning back at me. Think of something else, Rachel. "So, is this what a date with Billy Hargrove is like?" I teased.

"I wasn't aware that this was a date," Billy said, smirking.

I scowled at him, realizing the mistake in my words a moment too late. "It's not a date," I snapped.

"If you want a date all you have to do is ask," Billy said.

"We are not going on a date, Hargrove. Not today and not ever," I barked.

"Are you so sure about that?" Billy asked.

No. "Why did you go to the football game?" I asked.

There was no way he had gone just because he was bored. If he went to the football game, it was for a specific reason. Some part of me felt genuinely connected to Billy. He had been a good friend to me since we'd met, but I wanted to know more about him. "I had to get out of the house for a while and you said something about the game this morning," Billy admitted.

His comment about having to get out of the house didn't escape my notice but I quickly decided not to push. He would tell me about that when he was ready. "Well, I'm glad you came," I said honestly.

"Me too," Billy said. We smiled at each other as the waitress came and brought our shakes over. "Thank you."

"Thanks," I said.

Billy pulled his drink to himself before getting out of the booth. "I'll be right back," he told me.

"Okay," I said.

If he left me here without a ride, I was going to break his jaw. Thankfully, he was just walking over to the jukebox. I felt a little flutter in my chest as I watched him flip through the songs. I liked Billy. I liked him a lot more than I had ever liked anyone else. When Billy came back to the booth, he sat on my side of the bench. I smiled as he threw an arm over my shoulder, tugging me toward him. I leaned into his body slightly, deciding that I didn't mind him being so close even if we had room to spread out.

"Tell me something," I said, stirring my chocolate shake.

"What?" Billy asked.

"Tell me what Billy Hargrove is really like," I urged. Billy raised a blonde eyebrow at my request. "Tell me something that you wouldn't tell just any girl you go out with. Come on, I'll repay the favor."

He wasn't an open book. If I wanted to learn more about him, I had to nudge him along. "I don't want to leave just because I miss California," Billy admitted after a moment. I raised an eyebrow curiously. "I want to get the hell away from my family."

Billy had said it enough times that I was now positive that something was going on at home. There was a reason that he never talked about his family. It wasn't a good situation. I placed a hand on Billy's leg as comfortingly as possible. "Well, if you ever need to get out for a while you can always come and find me," I offered truthfully.

Billy's gaze softened as he kissed the top of my head. I smiled at him. "Your turn," Billy goaded.

There was only one thing that I was keeping a secret that I was comfortable enough to divulge to Billy. "We didn't leave Florida because my dad got a new job here," I admitted. Billy nodded. He had made it no secret that he'd known that I was lying about our move. "It was my fault." Billy's eyebrows shot to his forehead in surprise. "I made a stupid and dangerous mistake and... there was no staying there after what I did. I don't have a right to be upset that we're here. I was the one who landed us here."

"What did you do?" Billy asked curiously.

"Why do you hate your family?" I replied. We smiled at each other but didn't keep pushing. We weren't going to go that in-depth with each other. Not yet. I smiled as I ran my index fingernail over his knee. "I like this version of Billy."

"Don't get used to him," Billy snapped, not unkindly.

When we got back to school, I knew he would pretend that we had never discussed his family or California. I smirked, pulling away from him. I was sitting with my back against the wall as I threw my feet over his lap. Billy laughed under his breath, laying his hands on my bare legs. "What do you want to do? When you go back to California?" I asked curiously.

Other than ruthlessly flirting with women or surfing, Billy didn't seem to have much of a passion in life. "I don't know. My whole life's just been taking one day at a time. I don't think about the future," he admitted.

"I can tell. You're an in-the-moment kind of guy," I said.

"And you're an in-the-moment kind of girl," Billy replied.

"True. What moment do you want to be in right now?" I asked.

Billy's hands tightened on my bare thighs as he yanked me into him. My skin burned slightly on the plastic booth but I couldn't bring myself to care as our hips (and something else) were now pressed together. "This one," Billy muttered, speaking almost against my throat. I felt my legs start to tremble. "I could use a place a little more private, though."

I smirked at him. "What kind of girl do you think I am?" I teased.

"My favorite kind," Billy replied boldly. He wasn't wrong. He knew that I was holding out because I was stubborn, not nervous, or prudish. I leaned forward and took a lock of Billy's wavy blonde hair in between my fingers and tugged on it. I could tell by Billy's excited grunt that we were each other's types. He wrapped a hand around my tank top strap in retaliation, pulling me into him so that we were chest-to-chest. "Come on, Rach. We could have all kinds of fun together."

"I know exactly what kind of fun you'd like to have," I told him.

"You should be jumping at the chance, then," Billy said.

"At the chance or on you?" I shot back.

That was what we both wanted. I ran my fingers down Billy's bare chest, working my way under his open shirt. I grinned confidently as he swallowed thickly. "Let's see if you're as tough as you look. We can go somewhere a little more private and I'll give you the workout of your life," Billy said, his voice turning into a near-growl.

Billy's fingertips slowly ran up my thighs. It felt like I couldn't suck in a full breath. I had liked plenty of guys before and had gotten excited being around some of them, but I had never felt a sudden attraction to someone the way I had with Billy. The two of us didn't look away from each other's eyes as his hands moved up my thighs and slipped under the hem of my daisy dukes. His fingers roved over my hips and hooked around the waistband of my underwear. My legs were trembling weakly as Billy moved his head toward mine.

"No," I snapped angrily, shoving away from Billy as I shook my head. "You are not getting me with the same sleazy one-liners you use on every other girl."

"I don't use those on every girl," Billy shot back teasingly. He moved his mouth past mine and pressed it almost up against my ear. "If you don't want this, why haven't you stopped my hands?"

I pushed off of Billy's thighs, shoving his hands off of my legs. "Fuck off," I snapped.

Billy grinned. "With pleasure."

He was the biggest pain in the ass I'd ever met in my life. That didn't stop me from laughing as I nudged him gently. We smirked at each other as I tried to even out my breathing. Billy made my nerves fray. I was broken from my thoughts when I realized that Air Supply's 'Every Woman in the World' was playing over the speakers. "Oh, I love this song," I said quietly.

Billy smirked. "Good."

That was when I realized that it was the song he had picked at the jukebox. "I didn't know you liked this kind of music," I told him.

"I think we've already established the things you don't know about me," Billy teased. I laughed under my breath as I took another sip of my shake. Once I'd popped the straw out of my mouth, Billy leaned forward and wiped the edge of my mouth where a streak of chocolate had been. He licked his thumb and smirked at me as my stomach jolted. "Thank you."

"You have no shame, Hargrove," I chuckled, trying to stop the blush from rising to my cheeks.

"Not when I want something," Billy said.

"Why me?" I asked.

Billy's eyes dropped to pointedly stare at my chest. I groaned in annoyance as I shoved Billy again, making him laugh. "You're hot," Billy said.

I threw my head back and laughed. Billy smirked at my embarrassed reaction. "You're not so bad yourself, Hargrove," I replied.

The two of us stared at each other for a long time. Neither one of us knew what to say. If we made one move, I knew that it would be something we couldn't take back. As stupid as I felt for admitting it, I would have been devastated if I had slept with Billy and he had never spoken to me again. I would have missed his friendship. I would have rather stayed in this limbo than risk him getting what he wanted and leaving our friendship. Of course, the temptation I felt when I was around him was strangling.

Though, sometimes the only thing you could do with temptation was to give into it. I had never wanted to give in to temptation as much as I did when I was around Billy. All I wanted to do was drag him behind the building and go to town with him. I knew that he was feeling the same way. Billy took a sip of his shake, grinning at me. I shifted backward in the booth, pressing my back against the table so that I could face Billy, throwing a leg over his lap. We didn't break eye contact as I took my straw in between my lips.

My tongue swirled the straw around for a moment before I pushed it back, placing the cup down on the table. Billy's hands tightened on my thigh so much that it almost hurt. I had never been one to let pain bother me, though. It only egged me on. I glanced down for a moment to see that there were deep red marks along my thighs. Billy leaned into me, our lips now mere inches apart. I swallowed my saliva thickly, unsure of what I was supposed to do. I wanted to give in. I had never wanted anything so much.

At that moment, the waitress walked over and placed our check on the table. I jumped back from Billy in surprise. "Here you two go," the waitress told us tonelessly.

The middle-aged woman scowled at us as she walked off. I blushed at her reaction. I imagined that the woman didn't enjoy watching teenagers hook up in the booths. "You knew she was there," I snapped at Billy.

He shrugged. "I don't mind an audience. I could teach them a thing or two."

"Please," I huffed. There was no way he was going to be the one to teach me something. I moved back into Billy, reaching out and placing a hand over his throat, putting a gentle pressure there. Billy's thoughts were screaming what I already knew: he wanted me. "I'll be the one teaching you something."

"Do you want to test that theory?" Billy asked.

"Where do you suggest?" I asked.

"Anywhere, anytime, Winters," Billy said.

Did that include tonight? I could have gone for that. A massive blush filled my cheeks as I threw caution to the wind. One brief hookup wouldn't be that bad. Well, it wouldn't be brief, if I was being fair. We both knew that we wouldn't sleep. Billy and I were centimeters apart when a shout came from behind us. "Excuse me!" the owner of the diner yelled. "Can you two take the hookup somewhere else?"

I shot away from Billy, my face brilliant red. "Sorry. We'll just... pay the bill and go," I muttered stupidly.

Billy chuckled. "Don't get shy now."

"Shut up. Give me my bill," I snapped.

"There's only one," Billy said, holding up the check.

"Oh, I didn't think about asking her to split it. What did mine come out to?" I asked, grabbing my wallet.

"It's fine. I've got it," Billy said, taking out his wallet.

"I don't think so. I don't let guys pay for me," I snapped indignantly. I didn't let Mark pay for me and I didn't want to let Billy pay for me. He ignored my insistence that I would pay for myself as the waitress returned. He handed her some cash and the receipt back. "What do I owe you?"

"How about a kiss?" Billy teased.

I rolled my eyes. "How about a dollar?" I offered.

"No," Billy said.

"This is not a date. You don't have to pay for my shake," I growled.

It might have only been a dollar, but I didn't want him spending any of his money on me. It was something I'd never liked people doing. I liked paying for myself. "Accept the damn shake and shut your mouth," Billy snapped at me. I scowled silently as Billy slid out of the booth. He took my hand and yanked me after him. I grunted under my breath as I stumbled into his chest and he wrapped an arm around my waist, keeping me close to himself. "I know how to treat a woman, Rach."

"Because you paid for a shake that costs a dollar?" I huffed.

We had been walking toward Billy's car when he shoved me away from him. I thought that I would go flying into the dirt road when Billy then tightened his grip around my waist and shoved me up against the car. I let out a half-grunt, half-gasp as he used his body to push me up against the frame. "Because I know how to leave them pleased," Billy growled, trapping me between his arms.

"I'm -" I stammered weakly. "I'm not -"

"Pleased?" Billy interrupted knowingly, grinning at himself. "I bet I know how I could. I see that look in your eyes. You don't want things to be romantic. You want it so hard that you can't walk for a week." My breath shortened as it escaped from my lungs. He wasn't wrong. "You want someone to do things that you feel like you can't tell anyone else. But you can tell me. I won't judge you for it... and I'll do it all."

He may have been correct, but I wasn't going to let him have the high ground. I grabbed the back of Billy's leather jacket and used his weight against him to flip us, pressing Billy against the door. He grunted but didn't look bothered otherwise. He looked thrilled with my boldness. "What about you? Do you want to tell me what you want? You look like the tough guy. You act like him. Have you ever been with a girl who doesn't let you be in charge? Can you tolerate it?" I asked quietly.

There was no doubt that Billy was normally dominant. I was glad to know that I wasn't the only one who was overwhelmed with the other. I felt Billy's heart pounding in his chest as I moved a hand up his bare chest, slowly sliding it back down his body, undoing the buttons. To hell with avoiding him. I used my spare hand to press my thumb into his throat and use the other fingers to wrap into his hair, tugging roughly. Billy groaned as I smirked up at him. One of his hands dug into my rear as the other tugged my tank top down my front.

"Hey!" the owner of the diner shouted, breaking the lust-filled air that had settled over us. "Not out here! Do I need to call the cops?"

"Go! Go!" Billy shouted, pushing me into the car.

Billy and I bounced apart, both of us flushed and breathing heavily. The owner of the restaurant was threatening to call the cops for indecent exposure. We threw ourselves into the opposite ends of the car as Billy started the engine and threw the car into drive, heading down the road as quickly as possible. I swore that I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. For a while, the two of us focused on the road. A few minutes passed before I started chuckling. After a few seconds, Billy joined me. We were in hysterics within seconds.

"I don't think we're ever going to be allowed back there," I said once we had calmed down.

"The shake wasn't that good anyway," Billy said. I smiled, still breathing heavily. I didn't know what to say after the heated moment we had just had. "Did the moment pass?"

"Not for good, I hope," I said.

"No," Billy confirmed, making me smile. "Are you parked at the school?"

"No, Steve took me and Nancy to the game in his car," I said. I felt like a moron. I'd forgotten that Steve was supposed to bring me home with Nancy after the game. I was positive that it was over by now. "Uh, can you drop me at home? I think the game's over."

Billy smirked. "Sure."

It didn't take a genius to know what the look on his face was for. "That is not an invitation," I snapped.

"You seemed all for it earlier," Billy pointed out.

"Call it a brief lapse in judgment," I huffed.

"Was I right?" Billy asked eagerly.

"We're not discussing this," I barked.

"Because I was right," Billy repeated, chuckling.

He would have been the first guy I had ever discussed that kind of stuff with. "That is not a conversation for tonight," I snapped. "What about you? I know you're the dominant type. Have you ever let a girl be in control?"

"No one's ever tried," Billy said.

I glanced at him and grinned. "Maybe we'll have to change that."

Billy broke his eye contact from the road for a moment to stare at me. I smiled as he turned back. "You know, whatever the hell you did to get yourself kicked out of Florida, I'm damn glad you did it," he said, lighting a cigarette with one hand.

He had taken half a puff when I reached over and took the cigarette from his lips, puffing on it myself for a moment. Billy grinned as he sent me another glance before looking back at the road. "Your family may be a bunch of assholes, but I'm glad they moved you here," I told him honestly.

Neither one of us spoke for a while after that. I noticed that Billy was driving very slowly on the way back to my house. I wondered if it was because he didn't want to let me go. I reached over and placed a hand on his lap as we drove. Billy took one of his hands and slowly ran it up and down my arm. I decided to mislead Billy a few times to take the long way back to my house as we started chatting quietly. He must have known that I was leading him in the wrong direction but he didn't say anything about it.

We talked a little bit about our classes and the work we had to do in our respective ones. I complained that my teachers were sexist and didn't listen to anything I had to say. Billy teased me by saying that the teachers weren't used to seeing tits on any of their students - or anyone else. I saw the smirk on his lips as I ran my hands a little higher up his thigh. Billy admitted that he hardly paid attention to his classes. I admonished him and reminded him that if he showed some incentive, I would study with him however he wanted me to.

The two of us enjoyed ourselves as we discussed our study sessions. I tried to direct the conversation toward the real studies that we would need to focus on, but Billy redirected the conversation toward the kind of studying he would like to do. He still wasn't making it a secret that he wanted me. Of course, I hadn't helped his desires along. I wanted him as much as he wanted me. If I wasn't so damn stubborn, I would have had him already. I knew that it was only a matter of time before we hooked up.

The question was whether or not we were going to hook up and then continue on the way we had been. I wasn't sure. Billy had made some comments to the effect that he wouldn't drop me, but I wasn't sure that I could believe him. Even so, the more he talked about what he was going to do to me, the less I cared about that possibility. I interrupted Billy's comments about potentially coming over to study with me as I ran my hand slowly up his leg, twisting my fingers inward on his thigh.

The muscles in Billy's thighs were tensing as I bumped into something. I grinned madly as Billy took my hand in his, bending it back to the point that it was almost painful. "If you keep doing that, you're never making it home," Billy warned.

"Promises, promises," I teased, taking another long drag of the cigarette and breathing it into his face. I kneeled up on my knees and moved into Billy, who was fighting to keep his gaze on the road ahead. "Do you want me to stop?"

Billy's jaw tensed. "You don't need me to tell you what I want."

"Maybe I want to hear it," I said playfully.

Without warning, Billy steered the car off to the side of the road. I was thrown against his body as Billy put the car in park. I sucked in a nervous breath as Billy turned to face me. I knew that I was playing with fire the way I was touching and grabbing him. I knew that teasing him would push him likely past where he could still control himself. Neither one of us wanted to control ourselves anymore. I knew that neither one of us had much self-control anyway.

I jumped in surprise as Billy took his hands and wrapped them around my thigh. He pulled me toward him so hard that I felt the skin on the backs of my thighs rub raw. I banged my knee against the gearshift but I didn't do much more than groan in pain. There was no space to stretch out comfortably in the front seat but we were too eager to move into the back seat where we would be able to spread out. Billy shoved me back and I smacked my head on the window. I wrapped a hand into his hair and tugged on it roughly.

A groan escaped Billy's mouth that told me that he liked it as rough as I did. I moved a knee in between his legs, knocking them apart. Billy wrapped a hand around my hip, tightening his fingers so hard they would undoubtedly bruise. Billy leaned over me as he slid a hand down my front, working his fingers under my shirt. I pulled open Billy's shirt, pressing a kiss against his collarbone. I smirked as I felt the groan erupt in his throat. His hands moved down my waist again and rested against the button on my shorts.

His mouth tilted toward mine. We were about to kiss when suddenly, there was a knock at the car window. The two of us bounced apart as I yanked my shirt down to its proper position. Billy cleared his throat as he climbed back into the driver's seat calmly and rolled the window down. The cop was on my side but he ignored me as he looked over at Billy. My stare was fixed on my feet as I realized that I knew the cop. It was Jim Hopper, who Nancy had introduced me to on one of our walks.

"Shouldn't you two be at the big game tonight?" Hopper asked curiously, looking between us.

"We were, Officer. The game's over. I was just taking her home," Billy explained.

For a home run, more like it. "So, take her home. No stops along the way," Hopper insisted.

"Yes, Officer," we said together.

Hopper glared at us for a moment. I blushed, wishing Nancy had never introduced us. I was getting the fatherly stare from Hopper for my actions. My face was bright red as Hopper gave us a knowing nod and walked off. I breathed out slowly, trying to get back into my head. I couldn't bring myself to meet Billy's eyes as he shifted the car back into drive and headed back down the road. A smirk was written plainly on Billy's face. He was proud of himself for getting me as flustered as I was. I wasn't sure if I wanted to slap him or drag him into the woods.

We stayed in silence for a while until I realized that we were extremely close to my house. "Um, take a right onto Maple Street," I instructed quietly.

Billy turned onto the road to follow my direction. "Maybe the third time's the charm," he teased.

I smirked as I turned to meet his eyes. "You had better be worth hypertension, Hargrove," I said, letting out a deep breath.

Billy laughed under his breath. "We both are."

I had to believe that. I smiled at him and instructed, "It's the next house on the right."

Billy nodded and drove up to my house. He stopped in front of the driveway, putting the car in park as he looked up at the house. "So, which one is your bedroom?" Billy asked teasingly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I goaded.

"I would," Billy replied.

One day he would know. I took Billy's chin in my hands, moving his face to the side as I planted a small kiss against his cheek. Billy placed a hand behind my neck as I gave him a longer kiss than I had meant to. "Goodnight, Hargrove," I said quietly.

"Goodnight, Winters," Billy replied.

The two of us smiled at each other again. I felt like I was about to kiss him when I mentally told myself to get the hell out of the car before I did something stupid. I hopped out of the car and closed the door behind me, tapping against the frame and waving him off. Billy nodded at me. I figured he was about to take off when I realized that he was waiting for me to get inside. At least he knew how to be a gentleman when it counted. I got to the front door and waved Billy off. He replied with a two-fingered wave as he started down the road again.

After giving myself a moment to take some deep breaths, I finally wandered inside the house, walking around woozily. I was immediately met with my very angry sounding father. "The game went until ten o'clock?" I turned to the living room to give him a teasing smile. He must have already known that I wasn't just at the game. "How was the game?" Dad asked.

"It was good," I said noncommittally.

"Did Hawkins win?" Mom asked.

"I don't know," I admitted.

My parents smiled at my honesty. "This mystery friend must be quite something. We can't wait to hear all about him," Mom said, walking up behind me and resting a hand on my shoulder. I hesitated, almost drink on my night with Billy. "Only when you're ready."

"Goodnight. Love you both," I told them.

"Love you," they called back together.

They were laughing at me as I hugged both of my parents and walked upstairs. I closed my bedroom door behind me and leaned against it as I looked out of the window. I wished for a moment that Billy's car was still out there, but I would have invited him inside and I knew where that would lead. I had a stupid smile on my face that I was positive wasn't going away anytime soon. As I walked to my bed I sighed at myself. I had only been in Hawkins for two weeks and had only known Billy for one, but I knew that I was already in deep.

A/N: A little background on this chapter. I was actually about three-quarters of the way through the update when I lost about ten thousand words, so that was terrible! But I was able to mostly rewrite it. I hope you all enjoy! Thank you to everyone for the hearts and sweet comments! Please let me know what you think! Until next time -A

WickedLovely121sweet: Thank you! I hope you liked this one!

Vincent FGS91: They really should hit me up for the rights! Honestly, I have such good ideas for these stories lol. Hope you liked this one!