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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THEY WOKE UP EARLY AND MADE THE TREK BACK TO HAWKINS. Neither of them acknowledged that the second bed was left unused that night. Instead, they pretended as if they hadn't spent the whole night entwined under blankets.
Monday came, and despite their small reconciliation, Dylan never looked for Steve in the Hawkins High halls. She kept to herself as she had the last year, walking confidently yet quietly through the hallways. Last year this time, she was crowned Snow Queen at the winter dance. This year eyes hardly followed her as her heels clicked down the tiled floor.
Speaking of, a flyer for this year's winter dance was taped haphazardly against her locker — Come join us at Hawkin High's very own Winter Wonderland was printed across the top in a Christmassy font. She tore it off the metal door and tossed it in the bin beside her.
"What's with you and flyers, huh?"
Dylan squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath before turning around. "Billy."
"Dylan." He grinned cockily. "Now why do you keep tossing away these flyers? I heard you were crowned queen the last three years in a row."
"Well, this queen no longer reigns," she sighed. "Somebody else will be Snow Queen this year 'cause I'm not going. Maybe Carol. She'd just love that."
Billy followed her as she continued down the hallway to English. "She doesn't stand a chance against you, doll. She ain't got the spark — come with me. We'll be king and queen."
"What do you not get about keep what we have private?" She hissed quietly, looking straight ahead. "And on top of that our little arrangement is over. I told you that."
"You're still on that? C'mon, it's been two weeks — I gave you your space."
She rolled her eyes. "The fact that you even said that just cements what I said further. Go away, Billy."
"C'mon." He pleaded.
"Why do you care?" She asked, pausing to glance up at the boy. "Aren't you too cool for this stuff? Do you even have tickets?"
Billy reached into the back pocket of his Levi's and pulled out two tickets, shoving one into her palm. "You think I'm some sort of cheap date?"
"I'm sure the girl you go with will be very lucky." She attempted to pass the ticket back but Billy held his hands up.
"Billy, I'm not going!"
"And I'm not taking that ticket back until you do."
People passing by began to stare at the two, whispering under their breaths. Dylan frowned at the forming crowd and shoved the ticket into her sweater pocket.
"Fine. I'll go," she unwillingly agreed. "But only because you're causing a scene. I'm not happy about this."
"You will be," he replied, side-stepping her to go the opposite direction. "I promise you'll be a very lucky girl."
She shook her head and watched the boy retreat down the other hallway.
"That was romantic." Steve said, causing Dylan to jump. "Nothing like pressuring a girl to go out with you."
Dylan hit him in the chest for sneaking up on her. "Like you're any better."
"I thought whatever thing you two had going on was done. Over. Finished." Steve replied, ignoring her previous statement.
"That makes two of us."
The two teens walked into their English class and took up seats in the back corner.
"I don't get his appeal," Steve continued to rant about Billy and Dylan only half-listened. "What does he have that's so special? That's better than me?"
Dylan shrugged. "I don't think he has anything better than you. He's just single — you were tied up with Nancy all year, girl's need someone to swoon over, Steve."
"I'm single now," he all-but-pouted, "Where's my hype?"
"You lost some appeal when you domesticated yourself," she explained, a teasing tone to her voice. "Before you were the unattainable ladies man. Now you're the cute take-home-to-momma guy. It's just not the same."
"Any girl here would still, nine chances out of ten, love to go on a date with you — you're just not King Steve anymore, to quote Billy."
"Yeah," Steve frowned. "Please don't quote Billy."
Dylan let out a laugh and leaned over to dig for her math book in her school bag as Mr. Phillips walked in the door.
"Good morning class," Mr. Phillips drowned out in his southern drawl. "Today we're going to cover..."
"What about you?" said Steve, his voice had significantly dropped in volume at the arrival of Mr. Phillips.
Dylan's brows knit together, "What about me?"
"If I asked you out."
She scoffed loudly, earning a warning class rom their teacher. "I'd say 'keep dreaming, kid, you're delusional.'"
Steve shrugged, leaning back into his seat and staring straight ahead.
"Why?" She asked hastily.
He didn't answer audibly. "Research," he mouthed.
"You are so weird." She mumbled. She turned her attention to Mr. Phillips and began scribbling down what he had written on the board.
The bell rang after what felt like years. Dylan waited for Steve to pack up before leaving.
"Meet me after school." She told him. "We're going down to the strip."
He gave her a look of a confusion. "So are we back to being friends or...?"
"We'll see," she chirped. "But for now I need a dress to this stupid dance and I don't want to go alone."
Steve let out an exaggerated groan. "Why did I want to be friends again?"
"Beats me."
Out in the hall, the usual crowd had gathered as everyone began to move classes. She spotted Nancy and Jonathan in the corner of her eye. The two now-lovers had their hands entwined tightly and Jonathan bent down to place a brisk kiss on Nancy's forehead, the girl grinned widely and leaned into the boy's body. Dylan begrudgingly found it adorable but she knew Steve's opinion would differ largely.
Dylan and Steve were supposed to split in opposite directions for 2nd period but Dylan pulled on Steve's sleeve before they could part ways.
"Hey, how about we just say screw it and skip?" She suggested with a tight smile. "I'll get there before everyone else, less wait times and better dress selections."
Steve's face lit up. "Yeah, let's get outta here."
Dylan let out a sigh of relief when they started walking away from Nancy and Jonathon.
EXCITED TO POST THIS because this means I can finally post the first chapter of my Billy book called TUSK. So please check that out for me, loves ♥️
