AT LAST, I COULD BREATHE | billy hargrove

we're the kings and queens.

chapter song: You Shook Me All Night Long - ACDC

we're the kings and queens.

The last bell rang and I damn near jumped out of my seat. People here were insufferable—so nice it made me suspicious. Back in Chicago, no one took shit from anyone, and that's how I'm still planning to live out the rest of senior year in Hawkins. I think I make it pretty clear who I do and do not fuck with anyway.

I weaved my way through the hallways towards my locker, switching out the books I didn't need for the ones I would when I felt a slap on my ass. Without even looking to see who it was (all I could tell was that they were male—I hadn't had my ass grabbed by a girl before), I lurched forward and grabbed my assailant's nethers.

"Ahhh, fuckkk!" He yelled, tensing up as I squeezed. I looked up to see my best friend, Freckles.

"Freckles, we meet again. What lovely circumstances, don't you think?" I sassed, popping a bubble of my gum in his face.

The fear etched on his face and in his eyes made me smirk. "I'm sorry," he muttered, slightly shaking and breathing extremely heavy.

"Are you?" I asked, mocking him with my head cocked to the side. His friends stayed quiet—everyone in the halls looking at me squeezing the life out of Tommy Hagan's balls shamelessly.

He nodded profusely. "I..I'm...I shouldn't have—"

"Woah, woah, woah, what's goin' on here, Hagan. New chick already got the hots for ya?"

Tommy looked to Billy and mouthed 'Help me'. I didn't respond to the blonde but rather looked to Tommy for a more sincere apology than I knew he was pretty much incapable of giving me. It was fun watching him squirm, though.

"Freckles?"

Tommy's attention came back to me, while Billy watched with his eyebrows raised.

"Touch me like that again, and I'll actually rip your balls off. Do I make myself clear?"

Tommy gulped audibly and nodded.

I squeezed a bit tighter and raised my voice this time. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," he coughed out, voice wavering in fear.

I released him from my iron grip and he fell backward ungracefully. I turned to the rest of the people in the hallway, still standing there, staring in shock at what I'd just done.

The girls and guys just sort of stared at me and Tommy on the ground. "The bell rang? I think everyone should go the fuck home now? Maybe?"

Everyone started moving again at my words, whispering and snickering at Tommy Hagan. My back was to Billy as he leaned against the locker and spoke while I tried to get my shit out of my locker again.

"Quite the show, you put on there. What'd he do?"

"Slapped my ass—"

"Oh, come on, that warrants that? Can't say I wasn't thinking about it: you're fine as hell."

"Oh, I'm flattered," I said, fanning my face as if to say I was incredibly attracted to Billy. He scoffed.

"You didn't let me finish. He slapped my ass without permission. A boyfriend or a boy-toy is allowed to do that, not some crusty-ass, horny douchebag," I continued. Billy ran his tongue across his bottom lip, shaking his head at me with that look in his eyes again. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" He feigned innocence.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't lie, Hargrove. It's that stupid lip thing you do that makes me want to pull you into the janitor's closet and fuck you senseless." His lips formed an 'o' at my words while his eyebrows raised suggestively. "So don't do it because I want to get into a good college and that can't happen if I'm screwing you during class."