CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE DATE

A wave of déjà vu flowed through Jess as she sat in her car outside of Billy's house. Delilah stayed behind to clean the house but the brunette started to wish that she stayed behind as well.

What do you say to the boy you really really really like that you fucked up? "Oh, my bad that I exploded on you. It was my Mercury moon."

Jess dropped her head into her hands and took a deep breath. She couldn't put it off any longer, Billy may have already moved on. Oh God, What if he had a girl in there? What if she was too late? She ruined everything. It was all her fault.

No. Jess yanked the keys out of the ignition and stepped out of the car. She wouldn't let her negativity block yet another good thing in her life.

With confidence settling comfortably on her shoulders and bravery powering every step, the teenager walked up into the porch and didn't waste a second knocking on the door.

Max, Billy's stepsister, opened the door. Immediately, her pale face lit up with a bright smile. Her freckles moved with her smile and her fiery red hair created a halo around her head.

Jess was actually happy to see her. Max was chill for a middle-schooler and mature way beyond her years.

"Y-You're here!" Max laughed. "Um, Billy is in his room- let me get him!"

Before Jess could say anything to the girl, Max turned around and shouted, "Billy! Your girlfriend is here!"

"Well- " Jess lifted her finger to stop her but she heard heavy footsteps deep inside the house and every ounce of courage and confidence she had slipped away.

Billy came around the corner in a pair of jeans and nothing else. Jess could feel her heartbeat rattle in her head, pulsing with each step Billy took closer to her.

Uneasiness floated around Billy, like a gloomy aura. He looked like he hasn't slept in days and Jess noticed that his weights have been pushed to a corner and a sheet covered them.

Billy looked like hell.

But his face softened once again when he saw her standing in his doorway. She looked apprehensive and didn't know if she should come in or not.

"What are you doing here?" Jess swallowed hard at his question. It didn't sound accusing, but she felt guilty nonetheless.

"I came to apologize..." Jess took a deep breath and stepped inside the house. Billy didn't take offense so Jess stepped in further and closed the front door. "You deserve to know everything too."

"What happened? Did I do something?" Billy looked like a kicked puppy as he came closer to Jess to hear her whispering.

"No," Jess laughed dryly. "You didn't do anything- it was just that... I heard some things and I shouldn't have believed them but I guess I was just looking for anything to invalidate what we have- had- and I'm really sorry."

"What did you hear?"

"It was from Carol..." Jess winced when Billy took a sharp breath. She knew that she was acting crazy and that she shouldn't have listened to that bitchy redhead but she couldn't help it. "She kept talking about how you and her used to make out like a gazillion times and it never amounted to anything and I let it get to me. I'm really really sorry."

"You thought that I would just use you then leave?"

"I mean... Billy, you can't really blame me. You have had sex with every girl in our homeroom!"

"But I thought you would see past that! I- " Billy looked away and onto the hardwood floor. "I thought you were different than that."

"Billy..." Jess walked up to him and placed a hand on his bare shoulder. A shudder or a flinch went through his body, Jess couldn't tell. "It doesn't change the way I feel about you. And I trust you with my whole heart. I felt attacked and... I'm really really sorry. Please forgive me."

A few seconds of silence swallowed the pair up and Jess closed her eyes and squeezed them tight, not wanting to be in the position she was in. After a beat, she felt a warm palm engulf her whole hand and then a squeeze. She looked up to see Billy still tightly shutting his eyes but he held onto her hand for dear life.

Jess made the first move and shifted herself so that she was standing right in front of him. Billy opened his eyes, but he didn't make eye contact with her. It wasn't her, and Jess knew that, so she cupped his cheek and made him look at her as she brought him close for a kiss.

The brute immediately accepted, holding her as close as he could. He couldn't stay mad at her for long at all, she was his everything.

All of Jess's fears of not being brave enough in front of Billy slipped away as she melted into a work of happiness. Billy forgave her and she was happy. She was truly happy.

They went into Billy's room and shut the door. Billy laid down on the bed and Jess followed immediately after, laying her head in his chest to listen to his heartbeat. Both of the teens' moods lifted instantly as they basked in each other's presence.

Soon, the pair started to drift off, dreaming about each other together.

-

When Jess woke up, it was almost dark out. The sky looked a bit darker and the sun was on its way down. She looked over at Billy who was busy taking out a cigarette to light it. Once he inhaled a puff, he turned to admire Jess when he saw that she was awake.

"Hey," Billy smiled at her. A blush erupted into the brunette's cheeks when she felt the timber of his voice vibrate throughout her body. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help but wonder what he was like in bed.

"Hey," Jess said after she cleared her throat. Billy threw his cigarette carton aside and stalked towards her, offering her a smoke. Jess laughed and shook her head no. She felt too groggy to even consider killing herself slowly from cancer.

"I was thinking- " Billy plopped down next to Jess and let her rest her head on his shoulder while he stroked her hair. "- we could go for an actual date right now."

"Where would we go?" Jess asked softly, her eyes half closed as she melted into Billy's chest once more.

"I have an idea, c'mon," Billy got up and yanked on the girl's arms, making her sit upright. Jess groaned and cursed at the dirty-blonde, making him give up and throw her over his shoulders.

"Billy! What the hell do you think you're doing? Put me down!" Billy laughed and he grabbed a maroon button-up and left his room to his car. He placed her in the passenger seat and shut the door. A small smile played on the brunette's lips as she thought about where he was going to take her.

Billy slipped his arms through his button-up and didn't even bother to button it. He started the engine and peeled out of the driveway as quickly as he could.

"Busting out the button-down I see," Jess nodded in appreciation.

"Figured I should dress for the occasion..."

It was that sentence that made Jess nervous. What did he mean by that? If an open button-down meant dressing for the occasion, then the occasion must be...

Oh God. I know I was wondering what it would be like earlier but... oh my God.

Jess didn't feel not ready, but she felt as if she could throw up and she didn't know what to think of that. Of course she wants Billy. She loves him-

Her eyes widened at her train of thought. She did not just think that. First Carol made her insecure about their relationship and now she has to think the "L" word. She keeps on fucking things up.

Jess glanced over at Billy who was busy driving down the long country road, oblivious to the internal war inside her brain. It was how she felt, though. She wasn't going to say it to him, they haven't even had their first date.

It didn't matter anyways since they slowed down when Billy pulled up to a lake. Jess got out and glanced over at the heart-shaped body of water.

"Lover's Lake..." Jess turned back to Billy. "I didn't know you knew about this place."

"Eh," Billy shrugged. "I heard it was one of the most romantic spots in Hawkins."

"Awww you are a romantic," Jess laughed as she wrapped her arms around Billy's torso. Billy didn't try to rebut as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

After, Jess turned her head to watch the sunset beam across the lake, lighting an aura of soft pink around the couple.

"This reminds me of the pacific back home," Billy mumbled. "You'd love California."

"I think I would too. One more year and then we can go there as many times as we want." The two stared out onto the lake and for the rest of the night, they put truth in its name.

-

"Okay," Jess tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she laid on top of Billy in the back of his Camaro. "What about college?"

"What about it?"

"Well where are you going?" Billy gave a short, nervous laugh.

"Um, I'm not going. If anything, I'll go to a trade school."

"Oh, trade school. That's still an education," Jess nodded.

"More like a certification, but it'll give me a job," Billy sighed as he raked his fingers through Jess's shoulder length hair. "It'll help me support..."

Billy trailed off, not wanting to freak Jess out, but she only smiled at him and gave him a sweet kiss. "You're adorable. What type of trade school? Electrician? Carpenter?"

"Nah, mechanics. I love cars, what can I say?" The brunette gave him a cute giggle and squeezed him tighter.

"What about you? What do you want to study?"

"See, I had no idea for the longest time, but I think veterinary school could be interesting. I like animals so that would be cool," Jess shrugged. "And my mom promised me an internship in Arizona. They have one of the best clinics in North America."

"You're leaving after senior year?" Jess shrugged.

"It's in Phoenix, which is only a five hour drive from LA which is where I assume you're going for school." Jess gently grabbed Billy's chin when he started to look away. "We'll be fine, okay?"

"I'll miss you like crazy," Billy mumbled, unconsciously pulling his girl closer.

"I'm already missing you just thinking about missing you," Jess said, crawling closer so that she could lay comfortably on his chest. "I have to go soon; I left Delilah to clean up the party."

"Alright," Billy sat up and threw on his shirt before opening the door to get to the front seat. Jess just climbed into the front seat while she stretched into her sweater.

"Thank you for this date, now we can officially say we are together," Jess laughed. "Drove me crazy not knowing what we were."

"And now that you're my girlfriend... I can finally say that I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing," Billy teased as he drove onto the freeway.

"You're doing everything right," Jess assured him. She rested her hand on his while he set the car comfortably in fourth. Billy in turn squeezed her hand before bringing it up to his lips for a kiss.

"So gentlemanly," Jess blushed.

"If you tell anyone I did that, you're dead." Billy's threat dissolved within Jess's laugh.

"You can't do that to me, I'm telling everyone!"

"And by everyone you mean Delilah," Billy pointed out. Jess slid down her seat and started to sulk.

"Well now that you remind me that I don't have any friends, it's not fun to tease you anymore."

END OF PART ONE

a/n stay tuned for part two coming soon! introduction on the next page! i am also going to be updating the gifs on each chapter and possibly the sign-off gif too