Billie The Bully, chapter 5
''So, uh, Jess," Mike blushed, "Do you wanna...go and get a drink?"
Lucy laid back on the grass next to Tre and smiled to herself. It was so cute that Mike and Jess had clicked like that. Mike was acting really cutely, all shy and that.
"Don't you think they make a great couple?" Lucy asked Tre as Mike and Jess walked off hand in hand to the cafe near the park library.
"Yeah," Tre said.
"She is kinda..." Billie said.
"Hot?" Tre offered.
Billie Joe shook his head. "Not hot, just...goodlooking."
Lucy sat up and raised an eyebrow at Billie. "What's up Billie? Wish you'd gotten in there instead of Mikey?"
"I only have eyes for one girl, actually." Billie huffed.
"Ooh, do tell." Lucy giggled.
Billie made a motion of zipping his lips and Lucy rolled her eyes.
They stayed in the park for hours, talking and running around and just laughing and stuff. When it got dark the girls had a laughing fit as Tre got scared, then they headed home.
Jess and Mike linked arms, then Tre linked arms with Jess, and Lucy with Tre. They walked along, giggling and laughing, just generally happy for no particular reason.
Lucy looked back. Billie was trailing along, kicking a can, his eyes on the floor. She stopped, looked at him, then unlinked her arm and fell into step with him.
"Why don't you walk with us?" She asked.
He looked up. "Dunno."
She watched him walk. He really was a weirdo.
"Aw, come on."
"Why? It's only walking."
Lucy scowled at him even though he wasn't looking at her. He always, always had to be so stubborn. It frustrated her so much!
"Just grow up." She said. "Get a grip, BJ."
He looked up at her again. "Get a grip? On what? There's nothing to get a grip on, is there?"
She grabbed his arm and he winced. Her eyes widened. She pulled the arms of his hoodie up and found his forearms smothered with cuts, bruises and scratches. He shoved her hard and pulled the sleeves back up.
The others were far ahead in front. He leaned up to her, pushing her hard up against the wall.
"You didn't see anything." He hissed. "Don't ever, ever tell anyone. Do not do that again. If you tell anyone - Mike, Tre, your sister, a teacher - I'll kill you." He gets out a knife and he shows it her, letting it shine in the pale moonlight. "I'll get this knife and I'll slash it straight across your pretty head faster than you can say self-harm. Get it?"
With that he pulled away from her. She looked into his eyes, tears brimming from her own, and ran back to Tre, who was stood waiting for her.
She collapsed into his arms, crying her heart out.
Billie Joe watched her run into Tre's arms. He saw him look at her, scared, worried, asking her what was wrong, why was she crying. He saw her tremble and look at back at Billie, now hidden by darkness, and then walk away.
Walk away.
She'd just be another one of them who'd do that to him. They all said they cared, but they all just walked away when it got too complicated or hard. Sure, Mike and Tre were the best friends a guy could have...but even they wouldn't understand. They wouldn't understand why he felt unloved, useless, unneeded, why he harmed himself on a daily basis and why he needed someone to set him free. And he thought Lucy was that person. He really did. But...he'd realized now. If he hurt himself, it'd hurt her.
He knew she liked him. He wasn't stupid. Well, at least when it came to girls. She hated him, sure, but she also really, really liked him, even if she hadn't realized it yet.
And God how he liked her. He loved her. She was beautiful, kind, nice, she could stick up for herself. She was his perfect girl.
He sank to his knees and curled himself up on the hard cold street pavement. He'd ruined it. He'd threatened her!! How could he have done that to her?
Maybe he should just end it all. Right now. Jump off a cliff, shoot himself in the heart, set himself on fire. He didn't care. He just wanted out.
"Lu, you've gotta tell us." Mike persisted. "If you don't...we can't help you."
Lucy had brought Jess, Mike and Tre back to her house. She'd walked silently up to her room, followed by her friends, sat on her bed...and collapsed into tears. How could he have threatened her like that? She knew he was evil, but God.
The look in his eyes. It wasn't anger. It was...
Fright.
Billie was scared. Something was happening to him, and he needed help.
Lucy stopped crying and thought.
"Oh my God." She whispered.
Lucy stumbled off of the bed and ran out of the door.
She had to help him.
Lucy laid back on the grass next to Tre and smiled to herself. It was so cute that Mike and Jess had clicked like that. Mike was acting really cutely, all shy and that.
"Don't you think they make a great couple?" Lucy asked Tre as Mike and Jess walked off hand in hand to the cafe near the park library.
"Yeah," Tre said.
"She is kinda..." Billie said.
"Hot?" Tre offered.
Billie Joe shook his head. "Not hot, just...goodlooking."
Lucy sat up and raised an eyebrow at Billie. "What's up Billie? Wish you'd gotten in there instead of Mikey?"
"I only have eyes for one girl, actually." Billie huffed.
"Ooh, do tell." Lucy giggled.
Billie made a motion of zipping his lips and Lucy rolled her eyes.
They stayed in the park for hours, talking and running around and just laughing and stuff. When it got dark the girls had a laughing fit as Tre got scared, then they headed home.
Jess and Mike linked arms, then Tre linked arms with Jess, and Lucy with Tre. They walked along, giggling and laughing, just generally happy for no particular reason.
Lucy looked back. Billie was trailing along, kicking a can, his eyes on the floor. She stopped, looked at him, then unlinked her arm and fell into step with him.
"Why don't you walk with us?" She asked.
He looked up. "Dunno."
She watched him walk. He really was a weirdo.
"Aw, come on."
"Why? It's only walking."
Lucy scowled at him even though he wasn't looking at her. He always, always had to be so stubborn. It frustrated her so much!
"Just grow up." She said. "Get a grip, BJ."
He looked up at her again. "Get a grip? On what? There's nothing to get a grip on, is there?"
She grabbed his arm and he winced. Her eyes widened. She pulled the arms of his hoodie up and found his forearms smothered with cuts, bruises and scratches. He shoved her hard and pulled the sleeves back up.
The others were far ahead in front. He leaned up to her, pushing her hard up against the wall.
"You didn't see anything." He hissed. "Don't ever, ever tell anyone. Do not do that again. If you tell anyone - Mike, Tre, your sister, a teacher - I'll kill you." He gets out a knife and he shows it her, letting it shine in the pale moonlight. "I'll get this knife and I'll slash it straight across your pretty head faster than you can say self-harm. Get it?"
With that he pulled away from her. She looked into his eyes, tears brimming from her own, and ran back to Tre, who was stood waiting for her.
She collapsed into his arms, crying her heart out.
Billie Joe watched her run into Tre's arms. He saw him look at her, scared, worried, asking her what was wrong, why was she crying. He saw her tremble and look at back at Billie, now hidden by darkness, and then walk away.
Walk away.
She'd just be another one of them who'd do that to him. They all said they cared, but they all just walked away when it got too complicated or hard. Sure, Mike and Tre were the best friends a guy could have...but even they wouldn't understand. They wouldn't understand why he felt unloved, useless, unneeded, why he harmed himself on a daily basis and why he needed someone to set him free. And he thought Lucy was that person. He really did. But...he'd realized now. If he hurt himself, it'd hurt her.
He knew she liked him. He wasn't stupid. Well, at least when it came to girls. She hated him, sure, but she also really, really liked him, even if she hadn't realized it yet.
And God how he liked her. He loved her. She was beautiful, kind, nice, she could stick up for herself. She was his perfect girl.
He sank to his knees and curled himself up on the hard cold street pavement. He'd ruined it. He'd threatened her!! How could he have done that to her?
Maybe he should just end it all. Right now. Jump off a cliff, shoot himself in the heart, set himself on fire. He didn't care. He just wanted out.
"Lu, you've gotta tell us." Mike persisted. "If you don't...we can't help you."
Lucy had brought Jess, Mike and Tre back to her house. She'd walked silently up to her room, followed by her friends, sat on her bed...and collapsed into tears. How could he have threatened her like that? She knew he was evil, but God.
The look in his eyes. It wasn't anger. It was...
Fright.
Billie was scared. Something was happening to him, and he needed help.
Lucy stopped crying and thought.
"Oh my God." She whispered.
Lucy stumbled off of the bed and ran out of the door.
She had to help him.
