The Twenty Year Triangle

Chapter Forty-One

*TW for anyone sensitive to sexual assault, avoid the memory in italics at the start of the chapter.

"Sure, we should've told her about Billy?" I ask Brandi. "I could see the hope in her eyes, which is exactly what Oliver was worried about."

Once Stephanie left us to go talk with Sara, Brandi and I headed outside to sit on the porch with some wine.

"I know it was," Brandi says with a sigh. "But I almost saw her smile tonight at the idea he could get out. She hasn't done that since the kids were little and Billy was here. She needs him... she could handle the every day when Billy was around to hold her up. He has been her safety since it happened, and without him, she always feels on edge, you know?"

"Yeah, that poor thing," I say with a sad sigh.

Billy and Stephanie grew close from the moment she started tutoring him at the start of Junior year, so much so that Billy stopped hanging with Gabe and Laine as much to spend more time with her. Billy was crazy about her, but Stephanie had told Billy she didn't want to have a boyfriend yet. She was a little peculiar in how she did things, very school-driven back then.

But a few days after junior prom, they became a serious couple seemingly overnight and inseparable, too. But it didn't fit with what she said before, and on top of it, Stephanie seemed off. She was dressing in dark and baggy clothes, with Billy's hats, and she'd wear the bill low to cover her face. It was like she was trying to look invisible or something.

Billy was always with her like he was shielding her, and if anyone tried to ask Stephanie what was going on, Billy barked them away from her like a damn guard dog. It was weird, but school was ending, and summer our last summer before high school ended was starting. I'm ashamed to say we all forgot about the two of them as we all went off to do our thing.

We learned what happened after the senior homecoming dance in the fall of 2002. The four of us, Hunter, Brandi, Olly, and I, decided to skip Laine's big after-party the whole class was going to. Instead, we went to Brandi's house for a few drinks and a little reminiscing.

 The dance had a few tense moments, but it was nice afterward just us. Brandi and I changed into pajamas, and Hunter and Olly were happy to change into jeans. We all relaxed as we chatted.

Stephanie and Billy were there, and they came and hung out with us. She seemed a little more alive than usual that night. She even talked a little and then...

***

Stephanie gets up to use the bathroom, and we all laugh as we recall one of Olly's embarrassing moments from debate club. A knock at the door startles all of us, and Brandi jumps up to get it.

"Probably one of your drunk friends, Billy," Brandi calls as she walks to the door.

"Doubt it, they'd be too trashed to drive."

"Leave!" I hear Brandi scream, and Olly stands up, followed by Hunter and then Billy.

"I just want to talk to you.."

"Is that?" Hunter asks. 

"Wade," I whisper as Brandi bursts into the living room. She spots Olly first, and ducks behind him as Wade follows her inside.

"You get the hell out of here now!" Olly yells at Wade without an ounce of fear. I bet he's as angry as me, as I feel my blood boil.

"Really, nerd boy? Back up so I can talk to Brandi," Wade takes a step closer, his nostrils flaring, indicating he is angrier than his casual tone would lead you to believe.