REDAMANCY [ BILLY HARGROVE ]

CHAPTER TWO

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warnings: none

     It was night time, and that meant it was time for Ruth to go back to work at the diner. Mondays weren't that busy for her, so she was glad that she got a break from people coming in and bothering her.

     Billy, on the other hand, had different intentions. He had convinced his dad to let them go back to the diner for dinner that night just so he could see Ruth again. Billy didn't know why he wanted to see Ruth again, he just did. He liked her for some odd reason, and her company was pleasing to him.

     Ruth was minding her own business, working on her homework during her shift while only a few people were sat in the diner. Her shift ended in an hour, and there probably wouldn't be dinner because she knew that Steve was having dinner with Nancy and Barb's parents. She felt bad for them, all of them. Barb's parents lost their only child, Nancy lost her best friend, and Steve was just someone who was hit in the crossfire.

     Ruth was pulled away from her thoughts as the bell above the door rang out. She shut her notebook and shoved her work under the counter, head picking up to see Billy standing across from the counter. He had the same clothes on that he'd worn to school, and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

     "I'm so sorry, sir, but we don't allow smoking in here," Ruth teased him, pulling out her notepad as a habit.

     "I like it when you call me 'sir'. Makes me feel good," Billy smirked, puffing out smoke to her. Ruth scrunched up her nose, leaning back to cough and wave her hand in front of her face.

     "What are you doing here?" she asked, setting her notepad on the counter.

     "Need the same thing as last night," Billy told her.

     "There's several other places around town that you could've gone to, but you came here. What you doing, Hargrove?" Ruth asked. "What's your game?"

     "No game. Just need some burgers," he shrugged, smirking at her with the same stupid smirk she'd seen the night before.

     "So you're telling me that your family loved the burgers from here so much that they needed to come back after a day, and they sent you to do it again?" Ruth questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

     "That's exactly what's going on," Billy lied to her. Ruth knew he was lying, and she was sure that he was joking with her. But, she didn't want to question it. He was attractive, and she hadn't dated anyone ever. How ironic that is. The Queen of Hawkins High School had never dated anyone, and was also a virgin. But she wouldn't dare let anyone know that part.

     "So, same order as before?" Ruth asked, grabbing her pen from her shirt pocket.

     "You bet, angel," Billy smirked. She rolled her eyes, writing down the order. She turned and gave it to the chef, then turned back to Billy.

     "That'll be-"

     "Ten seventy-two," Billy interrupted. He pulled out fifteen like the previous night, holding it out to her. "I've got it covered. Keep the change."

     "Thank you," Ruth said with a small smile. She began to put away his money, and this time Billy didn't walk away from the counter. As Ruth placed the change in the tip jar, her eyes glanced to Billy. "D'ya need anything else?"

     "Just wondering when you're free next," Billy told her with a smirk. "You know, there's still that party tomorrow night. I could pick you up, take you home."

     "Is this your subtle way of asking me out?" Ruth asked, raising an eyebrow at Billy.

     "What if it is?" he asked back.