𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 // 𝐁.𝐇

05

When I get home from a long, dreadful day at school I don't dare bring up the Nancy hang out. But somehow mom manages to find out as she nags at me.

"Go on with her Lia. You rarely leave the house, she seems like a nice girl." Mom says, fixing her apron looking at herself in the mirror.

Her shift would start in 20 minutes.

"But what will Paul sa-" I'm interrupted, I'm sure she loves doing it.

"I'll handle him alright, if he asks it's a project for one of your classes." She smiled and kisses my temple before gathering her small purse and heading out with a small wave and 'bye'.

I grab the small notebook that laid next to the telephone and looked for Nancy's number. I quickly dial it and she answers after a couple seconds.

"Hello?"

"Hey nance, it's Lia, my parents said it was okay for us to hang out on Friday." A smile plays on my lips because to be honest, I was kind of looking forward to it.

"Yay! That's great so I'll get the movies and popcorn then, I'm excited, I've missed our hangouts." She says and I imagine her smile over the phone.

"Yeah me too, I'll catch you then, for now, I have to go. Bye" I cut the call short, wanting to have a smoke.

As soon as she says 'bye' I'm on my feet and in search for my lighter. I grab my cigarette box, lighter, and head out into the front lawn.

I take one of the few I have left, I need to go buy a couple boxes more. It takes about four strikes for it to finally lit up.

I seriously have a smoking issue, I laugh at the thought. I've been smoking for too long, it's a way to relive stress whenever being with someone isn't an option.

I inhale and it's almost as if all my problems have melted away. I feel at peace for a couple seconds until I exhale.

The sudden urge the cry comes clawing at me, begging to let the tears loose, but crying was the last thing I needed to do.

What I needed to do was get my shit together.

I close my eyes as I repeat my previous action, inhale, relax and exhale. For a moment the world held still, waiting for me to catch up, but nevertheless reality came back. I was losing the race in catching up, almost as if I took my time, time was the last thing I had.

Footsteps are heard near me but I ignore them, as I close my eyes and inhale, it was probably just some random person walking, going out and about their day.

A chuckle escapes, but it's not from my mouth. My eyes open and I regret it when I see the one and only, Billy Hargrove standing next to me with his own cigarette in hand.

"Little late to be out alone, don't you think?" His deep voice is heard followed by a smirk.

"I'm fine. It's Hawkins nothing ever happens around here." I roll my eyes and continue inhaling and exhaling.

"C'mon, you know my name, everyone does, so why don't you tell me yours doll?" He asks.

Maybe it's the sound of his deep voice, his asshole look or maybe the scent of cigarette and his cologne mixed that makes my body stiffen. I clear my throat and figure that giving him my name wouldn't hurt anyone. "Lia. Lia Collins." I answer with an unamused expression.

"Is it now? I've heard a lot of things about you." He replies.

"I'm flattered, really, but I don't understand why you think I care." I fake a smile.

He notices the smile and almost blows smoke in my face before I turn around to avoid it. "I pictured you different," He looks me up and down, "better." He lets out an unamused laugh.

I scoff, "I guess we don't always get what we want." I say before dropping my cigarette to the ground and putting it out with my heel, turning to leave before his voice stops me.

"Leaving so early? Can't handle more? Seems to me the tough girl thing is just an act." He chuckles.

"Listen, Hargrove, I could say the same for you. Let me tell you this though, pretty boys come and go all the time, don't flatter yourself." I say with a smile.

He only laughs at my failed attempt, "We'll see about that, doll." He still has his stupid smirk.

I sigh and roll my eyes, "Whatever helps you sleep at night, baby." I decide we can both play at the name calling thing.

"Feisty, I like it." He chuckles and drops his cigarette, stepping on it and turning to me, "Gotta go, doll face, catch you later." He licks his bottom lip and winks before heading off.

Maybe it was in the moment, or just the fact that I've been lacking feelings, but my breath caught in my throat at that stupid wink, something he's probably done far too often.

I let the breath out and head home, knowing whose number I wanted to call. Some people would call it using one another but me and Steve called it, "fooling around whenever we need a distraction" he'd come to me just as much as I'd go to him.

What we had was nothing serious, I didn't like serious, and he'd been left scarred after Nancy.

"Hey-" before he can finish I'm quick to interrupt.

"It's Lia, can I come over? I need someone and you're the only one-" before I could finish he interrupts.

"Yeah, come over. I was going to call you too." He says, sounding tired and I immediately feel bad.

"If you're not up for it, then I can-"

"No, please come over." He says and I can almost imagine him grinning.

"Alright, see you in a bit." I hang up with a smile on my face.

I was glad we were on the same need and desperation. I hated feeling needy or desperate but after the events of today,

I needed a way to stop suffocating in my mind.

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