Innocent// billy hargrove

five

"Barb, where are you? Barb!"

There was no sign of her.

I quickly walked around the car to check if she was just hiding, but she wasn't there.  My eyes glanced at the woods.  She wouldn't go in there, would she?  I slowly took a few steps forward into the woods and looked around.  It was hard to see as dark as it was, but I would be able to see the outline of a person if there was one. There was not.

I walked a bit further in and kept looking around.  Where could she have gone?  I didn't want to, but I was slowly giving up hope in finding her tonight.

The sound of a car horn honking made me jump.  I looked over my shoulder to see headlights.  Cautiously, I walked back over to Barb's car and looked at who honked.

Billy smirked, a cigarette stuck between his lips.

"What are you doing out here all alone, dollface?"  He stepped out of the car and leaned against the door.  My mouth gaped open at his presence.  First he makes fun of me and now he's here, in the middle of the night, next to the woods.  "Huh?  You gonna answer me or no?"  He blew a puff of smoke in the air. "Guess not," Billy walked around his car to the passenger side and opened the door. "C'mon, get in. I'll take you home."

"I- I can't...". He sighed and closed the door.

"And why the hell not? You got someone else driving you?" He nodded over to the empty car and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I d-did... but now she's...". My words faded out as I glanced back at the woods behind me.  Billy must have noticed the fearful expression on my face because he looked toward the woods, his posture straightening up.

"Now she's what? Did you lose her in there or something?"  I looked down at my feet, slightly embarrassed because that's exactly what I did.  "You did, didn't you?"  His normal attitude was back, and I quickly found out I preferred the glimpse of his serious/ protective side more.  "What was her name?"

"Barb..."

"Who's that?"  He gave a small chuckle, inhaled from his cigarette, and smirked at me. "Well, I guess if you don't find her it won't really matter.  She kind of seems like a nobody to me."  I don't think he realized how hurtful his words were.  Whether he knew her or not, I cared about finding her.  She was one of my best friends.  I wasn't going to give up that easily.

I turned away from Billy and walked into the woods again.

"Barb!!...... Barb!  Where are you? Barb!"

"Listen here, sweetheart. I'm giving you ten seconds to get in my car and I'll take you home. Safe and sound.  Or you can stay out here all night, possibly get attacked by wolves or something while searching for your friend that you're never going to find, and probably die in the process.  Your choice, princess. Ten seconds now."  I quickly went over both situations in my head. 

If I let Billy take me home I would be safe and comfy in my own bed and out of these woods very soon.  If I stayed out here to search for Barb, I could possibly find her and make sure she's safe, and then go home with her.  But staying out here would include being cold, being scared, searching for someone I don't have a very big chance of finding in the dark.

"Time's up. You're coming with me."  Billy grabbed my arm and walked me to his car.  He opened the passenger door for me and gently pushed me in.  I looked at the woods one last time to make sure I didn't miss her.

Where could she have gone?

-blazingdemon