𝕕𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕕 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕤: 𝕒 𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟙𝟝: ℂ𝕠𝕠𝕝 𝕆𝕗𝕗

 Darcy learned three things about Billy at Dell'Amante:

1.) He slurps his food. Even when he thinks he's trying not to.

2.) He uses Farrah Fawcett hairspray. Darcy knew because she used the same hairspray for her hair, and definitely not because she caught a whiff when he opened the door for her to the restaurant.

3.) He hates fine dining. And he wasn't even trying to pretend to like it.

She watched as he mindlessly pushed his meatballs around swirls of spaghetti, shifting restlessly in the velvet booth. Besides talking about their lack of important plans for the summer and deficits in plans for college, they hadn't talked about much else. Darcy sighed. "Why did you even bring me here?"

Billy shrugged, sipping from his drink. "All the girls dig Dell'Amante."

Darcy leaned across the table, smirking. "Wrong. All the girls in Hawkins High dig Dell'Amante."

Billy raised an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting, Darcy?"

Darcy stood up from the table, loosening the collar of her shirt. "A better place to eat."

Cool Off was an ice cream shoppe founded by the Hawkins High graduating class of '54 as a way to, well, cool off after their final exams with their fellow classmates while sharing an ice cream float. More than thirty years later, Darcy and Billy now sat at the shoppe's worn-out vinyl stools, glancing at the menu together.

Darcy peered at Billy, failing to hide a victorious grin. "Admit it, this beats Dell'Amante."

Billy scoffed, shaking his head. "By a long shot. What do you recommend here?"

"I usually get the Cola Float, but I think I'll stick to a Bananas Foster Milkshake tonight."

"Cola Float it is."

Darcy pushed the menu aside, leaning toward Billy. "So, what about you?"

"I just said I'm getting the Cola Float."

She rolled her eyes. "I meant, what about you? You're not from around here, are you?"

Billy raised a brow. "How could you tell?"

Darcy smirked, her hand brushing against his as she reached for a couple of napkins. "When I cut in front of your car, I noticed the California license plate. I didn't know you were a Valley girl."

"I'm not. I'm from San Diego." Billy's tone sharpened, the playful spark in his eyes dimming slightly.

Darcy pursed her lips, fiddling with her stack of napkins. "I see." She glanced around the ice cream shoppe. "The, uh, bartender should be coming around right about now."

Soon, the bartender, a Hawkins High alumni from '69, shuffled to a stop in front of Billy, his back turned against Darcy. "What can I get you tonight?"

"A Cola Float, and she'll have the Bananas Foster Milkshake."

The bartender squinted at Darcy over his shoulder. "We don't serve criminals here."

Darcy swallowed a lump in her throat. How could she have forgotten that all of Hawkins blamed her for Tommy's disappearance?

Billy cocked his head to the side. "I said, she'll have the Bananas Foster Milkshake."

The bartender crossed his arms, glaring at Billy. "And I said, we don't serve criminals here."

Darcy sighed, standing up from her stool and grabbing her purse. "Let's go, Billy."

"No." Billy slammed a fist against the counter of the ice cream shoppe, towering over the bartender. "If she wants a Bananas Foster Milkshake, she's going to get a Bananas Foster Milkshake!"

The bartender stood his ground, unbothered by Billy. "Well, if your girlfriend wants her Bananas Foster Milkshake, she'll need to prove that she wasn't involved in that Hagan boy's disappearance."

Before Billy could fire back an angry retort, Darcy placed a firm hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "Billy, let's go."

Billy gave the bartender one last disgusted side glance before leaving the ice cream shoppe with Darcy.