Hold Me Tight, Don't Let Go, chapter 2

The Armstrongs had no trouble settling into their new house as the days went on. And Billie who was especially hesitant about moving was quite content especially with his new friend. From the minute he woke up until the second his head hit the pillow he was always thinking what mischief that him and Sinteria would get into. Even though her family was devotley catholic and she was being wisked off to church almost everyday Billie would wait for her parents car to pull up so they could play together. It wasn't long until the kids in the neighborhood knew about the new kid. Billie was liked right away he had a charm that parents and children alike loved and couldn't hate even if they tried. What his parents loved best was his devotion and caring for his what seemed obvious to see best friend Sinteria. He would stick up for her if he saw the kids making fun of her and would never play a game if she wasn't invited to play. It was heartwarming and adorable to see even though he got teased a great deal about sticking with a girl he learned very quickly to let the comments pass and not care. The last few days of summer he spent with his father and Sinteria in the yard playing until sadly enough Billie's first day of school started. He had gone to pre school yes but this was Kindergarten but it seemed like his mom was taking it harder then Billie was. He was actually excited about starting school at Hillcrest Elemantry he could go on for hours about how if he had the same teacher as Sinteria how they would talk and play and help each other.
"Billie I think you like Sinteria."
"Yeah! she's my friend why wouldn't I like her?" he said putting his hands up in confusion when his older brother Alan walked into the room.
"No I mean you LIKE her like her." Again Billie's face was flushed but he simply stuck his tongue out and said
"Nu uuhh you don't know what your talking about you're just like Annie." He said shrugging his brother off continuing his one sided conversation with his father who just nodded and continued reading his newpaper chuckling at how his youngest son was so much obsessed with his friend. The doorbell rang a few seconds after Allan left the room and he answered.
"Hi Alan!"
"Oh hey Angel how are ya?" He lifted her up giving her a hug.
"I'm good can I play with Billie ?" She asked him Anna walked in the room looking at their guest.
"Hey cutey you came to play with BJ?" She said smiling following close behind her brother Sinteria looked back and answered her with a big grin,
"Yes."
"He's with my dad maybe you can get him to go get us all some ice cream."
"OK"
"Dad the girls are plotting against you."
"Snitch." Anna smiled smacking him playfully he put Sinteria down and she jumped on the couch on the otherside of Billie's father.
"Oh really?"
"As a matter o' fact yes um we were gonna get Sinteria to beg for an ice cream so you could leave go into town leve us the house that way we can throw a wild party and lock the kids in the closet." Anna joked
"Well if I had known that part of the plan I never would have snitched."
"Oh well now I guess we have to cancel...Dad you know anyone who would want fifty kegs?" his father looked at his older childeren throwing the paper at them.
"Very funny."
"Hi Sin!"
"Hi Billie!" They don't know if it was because of Billie or because she was just shy when she met new people but Sinteria was a completely different person from what they expected she was just as upbeat and happy and out going as Billie not at all the little mouse they had first met.
"Well is that true Angel were you going to help them?" He looked down at the little girl.
"Uhm no? I just wanted ice cream."
"Well in that case you want one too Billie boy?"
"Yes yes yes!!!" He nodded his head violently jumping up and down the couch.
"Ooh me to."
"I want some." Annie and Alan both joined.
"We'll sell the kegs and with the money left over buy yourself a whole gallon of ice cream!" His father poked fun at them.
"DADDY!!" Annie whined
"Dadddy." He mimicked.
"You're mean I'm telling mom."
"I'll go with you." They smiled leaving the room.
"They're big tattletalers aren't they?" Billie looked and Sinteria.
"Mhmm."
"Angel why don't you go ask your mom if you can go with us to get some ice cream and we'll wait for you to come back."
"Ok."
"I'll go with you!" Billie offered jumping off the couch running after Sinteria they walked across the street to Sinteria's housr this was the first time Billie would see the inside of her house. She opened the door and he looked around he instantly saw how religious her family really was there were crosses all around and a big portrait of the last supper in the living room. he felt sort of timid walking into the house it seemed cold and he didn't like it. He was quick to snap backfrom his trance when Sinteria seemed to leave him behind.
"Wait!" He whispered not wanting to disturb anyone he even felt talking to loud would disturb the artifacts in the house. He could tell her mother appreciated the finer more classier and fancy things in life. In other words she liked to spend money on things that apparently served no purpose but for show. He saw a huge mahogonay cabinet with glasss doors that was filled on the inside with china and fine crystal. He was so focused on why anyone would ahve so much of that and still staring at it he went face first into a wall.
"Ow."
"BJ are you ok?" Sin helped him up checking him to see for any blood.
"Yeah I'm Ok." She made sure then continued on walking into her parents bedroom where her mother was wearing a white robe.
"Mommy?" She had reverted into her shy timid fearful look almost as soon as she had opened the door,
"What is it Sinteria?" Her mother said with annoyance in her voice.
"May I please go with Mr. Armstrong and Billie to go get some ice cream.
"NO!" her voice boomed she turned back to Billie and before she could say anything to stop him he spoke.
"Please Mrs. Santos we won't be long.." Her head shot straight to the doorway where Sinteria was biting her lip and Billie was looking at her with pleading eyes.
"Billie I had no idea you were here ...Fine yes she can go but let me talk to her alone for a second Sinteria ven paqa." Billie moved aside as Sinteria lowered her head walking into the room closing it behind her. While the door was closed he explored the rest of the house and found Sinteria's room. It was painted pink and seemed to be the least religious room there was in that house. The only thing Billie could see was a cross over the head of the bed with a rosary on it and another rosary on the nightstand. The room was pink and she had a collection of barbie's and stuffed animals on her shelves and bed. He sat on the bed waiting to hear the door open. When he finaly did he got off the bed and felt that he needed to fix the bed so as it wouldn't have any creases just like he had found it. Before he walked out Sinteria walked in wiping away some tears forming in her eyes.
"What's wong Sin?" He asked putting an arm around his friend she looked at him confused.
"What are you doing in my room?"
"I wanted to see, it's too girly." He scrunched up his nose making a funny face.
"I know I hate it."
"Then why do you have it like this?"
"My mommy did my room and I can't change it til im 10 she said."
"Why ten?"
"I dunno." she wiped away some more tears and he looked at her his arm still draped over her.
"Why are you cryin?"
"Nothing I uhm hit my foot and it hurts I need to get my jacket then we can go mommy said not to leave without my jacket because it's going to be night time." Billie hugged her and kissed her cheek tasting the remains of the tear she had just wiped away. She smiled and made sure that her long eylashes weren't still wet and dried her cheeks.
"Billie don't tell I was crying kay?"
"Why not?"
"Cuz please?"
"Why?"
"Billie pleasee" She pleaded fresh tears forming.
"Ok I won't tell Sin but did you really hit your foot?"
"No."
"Did your mommy hit you?"
"NO!" She said loudly.
"Then why are you crying?"
"Just cause."She grabbed a jacket from her closet and put it on.
"Let's go get ice cream!" She said smiling.
"Ok." Billie looked at her worried but she pushed him out the door closing the door to her room and walking out the door. Walkiing past her parents room Billie felt an even colder tingling don his spine then he had before he almost ran out of her house. When they got back Andy looked at his son and his friend.
"What took so long?"
"My mommy wanted to talk to me."
"Well can you go?" Andy said looking at her.
"Uhuh." He sent Billie up to grab a jacket and took Sinteria to his truck fastening her in the middle. When Billie cam out he fastened his son in and off they were.
"What kind of ice cream areyou gonna get?" Andy said looking at Sinteria.
"Uhmmmm Rainbow!" She said.
"And you?"
"Chocolate!" Billie said
"Just what you need more sugar."
"Are you gonna get Al and Annie ice cream?" Sinteria asked Andrew.
"I don't know should I?"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"I agree with Sin we shouldn't be mean to them Billie wouldn't you want ice cream if I had brun Ann and Al instead?"
"But Daaaad."
"No son you can pick the flavor if you want."
"OK!" Sinteria laughed at how easy Billie was bought over by his father she by no means had a relationship like this with her parents. Her father was rarely home and if he was he never noticed her existance and her mother seemed to hate her no matter how much Sinteria tried to be the prfect little girl for her mommy it seemed that it would just never work.
"We're here." Sinteria looked up at the Thrifty's in fornt of them and undid her seatbelt hopping out the car into Andy's arms.
"Hey that's my dad!" Billie pouted.
"Oh really i thought that this Angel was but your right my kid is a little devil." He laughed and put down Sinteria who waited by the truck for Billie to get out when he did Andy took both thier hands and walked across the parking lot into the store to buy the ice cream.
"Hello I would like to buy two single scoops and two quarts of ice cream." Billie said to one of the cashiers who sent a person to the ice cream counter.
"Alirght what flavors should Annie and Al get?"
"Uhm hmm that one!" He pointed to the rocky road in disgust but smiling.
"Ok I'll take the rocky road in the quart and the second one I want to be strawberry." He waited while the woman got the ice cream in the quart containers then looked at the kids and told her what flavors toget for them.
"In a cup or cone?"
"Cup we don't need any sticky accidents in the truck." The woman smiled and waved good-bye as they walked out the door.
"Here son put this down there." He gave Billie the bag of ice cream and told him to put it below his feet and then they were off back home. By the time they got back it was dark and the street lights were on.
"Ok out we go." He took out Sinteria then Billie who grabbed the ice cream.
"Your back yes! where's the goods?" Annie said picking up Sinteria who was the first one thru the door.
"Your dad has them."
"Well she's no use how about we throw her out back and see if the dogs eat her." Al said grabbing her.
"You don't have dogs."
"We bought some and they love eating little kid."
"Stop scaring the poor girl." Their mother walked in scoldng them.
"Hi Mrs. Armstrong." Sinteria said as Al put her down.
"Hi Angel."
"Hi darling." Andy said walking in.
"I wasn't talking to you."
"Oh that hurts and here I am buying the whole famiyl ice cream."
"OOh Ice cream!" Alan took the bag putting down the kids ice cream then grabbing hte rocky road.
"Hey one of those is mine and your mothers!"
"I got the rocky road."
"I'll get the spoons."
"Use bowls!" Her mother demanded.
"Why then it'll be more to wash."
"Kids." Ollie said rolling her eyes hugging her husband.
"Here Sin." Billie said pulling up a chair for Sin to sit down and setting her ice cream down.
"Thank you BJ." She sat down after taking off her jacket grabbing a plastic spoon that was in the bag for Billie and herself. They had a good time eating joking and talking but when Sinteria had finished her ice cream she knew it was time to go.
"I gotta go home now." She said when she came back from throwing her stuff away.
"Why?" Billie whined.
"Cuz tomorows the first day of school and I got a bed time." She said pulling her jacket back on.
"I'll watch her home." Andrew said opening the door for Sinteria.
"See you tomorow!"
"Bye Billie." She said as she walked outside and across the street to her home.
"OK Billie your done now go upstairs take a bath and lets get you to bed vause youhave school tomorow."
"Do I haffta bath?" He pleaded
"Yes now get your butt up to that bathtub."
"Fiiiinne." God bathtime sucked.