SERENDIPITY ~ BILLY ANDREWS

02

Chapter 2
Dinner guests and uncomfortable teenage boys.

Four days had passed and each day I attended school, each lunch Anne and all her friends would sit with me,
A constant glare from Josie and silly little comments Billy thought got on my nerves;

"French Mongrel,
Rat,
Mutt.."

I just stared back at him, no emotions showed, no sadness..
what was there to be sad about? I knew I would get him back,
I feel he only tried to annoy me as not only a class mate but a neighbour,
Yes, unfortunately my mother had to choose the most lavish house in town, the largest and most beautiful...
Right next to Billy Andrews house.

Mother had become aquatinted with Mrs Andrews and had decided that tonight of all nights would be the night she finally invited them into our home for supper.

Each sibling Billy had, I had one to match..
my older brother Jeremy was definitely older than Prissy but whilst living next door she seemed to have gained quite the lot of admiration,
Jane had made friends with my younger sister who was homeschooled and that left me for Billy, I was positive he wouldn't act so disgustingly in front of both mothers and his father,
This was my time.

The day had finally ended and before Mr Phillips could even make a move to keep me back I had bolted for my bicycle and raced home,
It took me 10 minutes to ride home as quickly as possible,
I struggled to breath in when I dropped my bike in the front yard and trudged inside, my mother stood at the stair case fixing a flower bouquet on the small table near by,
She turned to look at me, her face instantly warm with a smile.

My beautiful mother.. she was not blood but would always be my family,
Her white blonde hair was curled and held mostly in a bun with clips and her bright green eyes shone.
She had taken in my brother and I a few years ago, after our real parents had died.
Amelia, the youngest was her real child,
Mother was once happily married; a widow now, she had married for love even against her mother's wishes.. that's why she seemed to understand why and when I broke the rules accustomed to females of this generation.. why she understood that I wore pants and boots instead of fancy puff sleeve dresses.
It's why I loved her so dearly..
I knew I burdened her sometimes.. she felt the need to move countries to make things easier for me..

"Bonjour ma chère mère"
{hello my dear mother}

"Bonne journée mon petit moineau"
{Good day my little sparrow}

Little sparrow, a childhood nick name she had given me when she found my brother an I.

"Prepare for our dinner guests, yes?"

A sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it,
mother rolled her eyes at the quick gesture,
"Please behave tonight, no trouble making.."

Climbing the stairs to change I thought about how I would get inside the head of Billy Andrews, I had to be cunning.. sly even..
I had no remorse, even if I broke his measly little heart,
I had done it to plenty of boys back in Paris.. this boy was no different.

I stared at myself in the mirror, mother had told me to wear my best,
A cream silk dress was slipped over my body, just flowing out slightly at the hips. Nothing fancy but nothing I would normally wear,
My lips were painted my favourite dashing red colour, sure to catch the boys attention and my short black hair combed with a slight wave to it.
I stared into the full mirror, it was strange.. a sharp feeling in my chest, I couldn't quite determine what it was for though, nothing to do with a sickness.. almost like guilt.