Empathy (Billy Hargrove)

1.4 - GYM CLASS

Jackie had to force herself to repress an audible groan at the sight of Billy Hargrove waltzing into her AP Chemistry class like he owned it. So far, she had two out of her six classes with him and knowing her luck, he'd be in her sixth period gym class too. She crossed her arms on top of her desk and buried her face in them, her long black hair splayed out around her.

"Well, well, well, look who it is," Billy's suave voice rang out. Jackie lifted her head slightly and her hazel eyes connected with his blue orbs. He stood in front of her desk, with his signature smirk directed towards her.

"Do you have to acknowledge me? Can't you just leave me be like most everyone else usually does?" Jackie asked seriously, raising her eyebrows at the boy. Billy leaned against her desk and got close to her face. The look he gave her, the charm he exuded, just his whole demeanor in general, would soak any other female's panties – Jackie Johnson was not any other female though, at least not like the ones in Hawkins. Even before her fall, she had never acted like Carol, Tina, or any of the other resident popular kids.

"Damn, Johnson. Do you use this charm of yours on all the guys? Or am I just getting the special treatment?" Jackie almost laughed at loud at that. She had to admit, this Hargrove boy could be witty. The fact that he was in her AP Chemistry class too meant that he was smarter than she – and probably a majority of the student body – gave him credit for.

"I'm definitely laying it on thick just for you, Hargrove," she couldn't help the slight curl of her lips with her sarcastic reply. Billy glanced down at the smallest hint of a smile on her lips and his own grin grew in satisfaction.

"Good, I thought so," he brought a hand up to Jackie's cheek, making her flinch. His eyes were trained on the dusting of freckles on her face as his finger gently traced over them. Jackie let out an unsteady breath and froze in shock. Billy pulled away and said lowly just for her ears, "Keep doing it because it's working, freckles." He winked before leaving her table and sitting down next to Jennifer, a sweet – albeit stupid when it came to the male species – girl who Jackie used to be friends with.

The Johnson girl's head was again spinning and fixated on their interactions, her cheek still burning from where he had touched her. What was Billy playing at? He had to have some ulterior motive to be nice to her and then tease her in a more friendly way than how Tommy H. did. Him and Carol were just ruthless to her anymore and though they didn't pull physical pranks on her anymore like they had months ago, their words still cut, even if Jackie didn't show it.

AP Chemistry flew by for Jackie with no issues. She just gagged a few times from hearing Jennifer's high-pitched giggle from something Billy would whisper in her ear or when he'd run his fingers over her leg. This Billy Hargrove was the one she expected to see – flirting with the general female population of Hawkins – his motives in plain sight. When he acted how he did around her though, it filled her with unease. Who was he really and what did he want? She didn't know what his intentions were or what he may have up his sleeve, which unsettled the raven-haired girl more than anything.

As soon as the bell rang, Jackie was out of her seat and heading to her next class. She had to grab her gym clothes and race to a bathroom stall in the girl's locker room to change. That's how it had been every time since her dad started taking his anger out on her. There'd be a handful of times where her dad would be on a business trip and the bruises would fade, but more often than not, Jackie found herself changing where watchful eyes couldn't see all the colorful marks upon her body.

As she walked into her gym class, jacket over her short-sleeved shirt to hide the bruises down her arms, she caught a glimpse of curly, golden hair styled into a mullet. Jackie's urge to hit her head against the wall increase by tenfold as she took a seat in the bleachers and away from everyone else.