tick tock

five

billie and i splash around in the water for hours. the sun had set at least three hours ago, and after much convincing, billie finally agreed that it was time to go home.

our hands were practically glued together as we walked through the water. once we reach the same rock I'd left my jeggings, i dig in the pockets for my cell phone.

17 missed calls from Gram

6 voicemails from Gram

"fuckin' cunt," i curse, my neck jerking immediately when i see the notifications.

"what's wrong?" billie asks, one of her arms being throw over my shoulders.

"my grandma's freaking out," I mumble, shaking my head slightly as I stare at the notifications in shock. "the school probably called her."

"fuck the school," she says, brushing my now frizzy hair behind my ear. "I'll tell them you were with me. the principal is good friends with my mom."

I nod once, pulling my jeggings up my legs. my neck jerks once again, and I groan in annoyance. "just when I was relaxed and happy for once."

her hands move to cup my cheeks. "remember to breathe - if anything, I'll tell my mom that I'm staying over and I'll just sneak in through your window."

I let out a soft laugh at her words and grin, leaning into her soft touch. "where will you put your car?"

"oh, dragon?" she asks softly, looking down the path we took to get here. "I'll figure something out."

I nod once and drag my tongue over my bottom lip, looking into the girl's crystal blue eyes. "will your mom be okay with it?"

the girl shrugs and trails her hands down my arms, grasping onto my own hands. "my mom is pretty chill."

with that, we make our way back to her matte black challenger. we both get in and she connects her phone to the bluetooth, blasting another song I dont know.

she flips a bitch and speeds in the direction we came from, the loud bass rumbling in my chest.

about thirty minutes, a few simple directions, and a stop at taco bell later, we're pulling up in front of my freshly moved in house. the four bedroom house seemed so small from the outside, but the chaos that was probably happening inside made me anxious.

I look over at billie, my neck jerking harshly. "my room is in the very back of the house - the window should be unlocked; theres an alley back there where you can park dragon."

she nods at my words, her hand squeezing mine tightly. "remember to breathe. I'll be in your room as soon as you get in there."

I nod and take a deep breath, opening the door grabbing my backpack and silently walking up to the front door. my neck jerks and a soft mumble of, "motherfucker," leaves my lips as I push the door open quietly.

I close the door as silently as I can, and the living room light turns on as I turn the lock.

"where have you been?" my grandmother spits, her curly white hair a mess on her head. "do you have any idea what time it is?"

"I l-lost track of time, gram," I say quietly, hanging my bag on the hook by the front door. "i made a fr-friend today."

"is it the same friend you skipped school with?" she says angrily, her voice gradually getting louder as her hands fumble with her blue nightgown.

"i  w-was panicking, gram," i try to explain, but she cuts me off quickly.

"i dont care if you were panicking, viviana," she takes a step toward me as she continues to speak, her hands smacking against each other. "you don't skip school for any reason."

I look down at my feet, my neck jerking sporadically as curse words leave my lips in spurts.

"watch your mouth, girl," she says lowly, shaking her head in disappointment. "just wait until your father hears about this."

I stay silent as I make my way through the long hallway, my neck still jerking harshly as I open my bedroom door. I let out a surprised squeal as i feel arms snake around my waist.

I almost forgot billie was here.

"are you okay?" she murmurs into my ear, her chin resting on my shoulder.

I nod slightly, leaning into her embrace. "I'm f-fine."

"you dont seem fine," she observes, her warm breath hitting my neck. "talk to me, viv."

I sigh deeply, my eyes filling with tears. "shes gonna tell my dad," I say quietly, my voice breaking. "and when he finds out I skipped, he's gonna make me go to church with him for a month."

billie presses her lips to my clothed shoulder, a soft laugh being muffled by my skin. "you're upset because you're gonna have to go to church?"

"no," I groan, my hands pressing to my forehead as my neck jerks. "my dad stopped taking me to church because of my ticks."

"that's a dumb ass reason to stop taking someone to church." billie rolls her eyes and turns my body so I'm looking at her.

"I was in the choir, I was doing fundraisers and being the perfect daughter of the pastor," I say, my neck jerking even more now that I'm getting worked up. "my ticks started getting worse, and curse words started coming out of my mouth when they happened, and daddy said, 'i cant have a potty mouth in my church, especially if that potty mouth is my daughter.'"

billie rolls her eyes again and brings her hand up to her hair. her lip tugs upward slightly and her head jerked forward a bit as she murmurs, "your dad seems like an ass."

I nod once and pull away from the girl slightly. "turn around - I need to change."

"I gotta piss," she says, a soft laugh leaving her lips.

"we both need showers anyway," I say quietly, grabbing one of my bigger hoodies and a pair of sweatpants for billie and a simple tshirt and shorts for myself. "let's go."