Jessie with an i | Billy Andrews

Chapter eleven

A few weeks into the rehearsal, Mrs.Lynde wanted costumes to be started. I got a corner ready to measure the cast. I use my sketchbook as a place to record the measurements. Their name in a column on the far left. Then a row for each measurement. Head, neck, shoulders etc. But I soon learned that I needed an assistant. I see Ruby not doing much so I call her over.
"Ruby dear!" I say.
She walks over "yeah Jess?"
"Can you be a doll and help me?"
"With what?"
"I need someone to record measurements for me. So I don't have to go back and forth"
She sits down at a small desk where my sketchbook was. "Females on top, males on the bottom. I will call out the part then the number. Got it?"
"Got it"
"So if I say, Millie, head, 55 centimeters. Where do you write it?"
"Here" she points to Millie's row to the box under the column marked Head.
"Perfect! Your hired!" I giggle.

After about an hour of measuring shoulders and waists we where down to the last few people.
"Alright...Anne you are done" I smile.
"Thanks Jessie." She said
"You're welcome!" I smile.
Anne rushed off. "Ok Ruby who's next?"
"One more guy. Billy" she sighed.
"Don't worry he'll behave." I giggle.
"Why because it's you?" She asked.
"Yeah, we have an agreement" I walk over to her.
"What's the agreement?"
"If he's nice to me I promise not to make him look stupid" I giggle.
"Oh Jessie" she sighs.
I turn around. I see Billy with a long piece of wood over his shoulder and walking to the stage. Dangerously close to Cole on the ladder.
"Billy Andrews!" I call his name. He looks at me and gently puts the wood down near the stage before he rushed over to me. Now that felt good. Calling his name and he rushed to me. Just like he did with Josie on the first rehearsal day, but it was with me.
"Yes?" He asked
"I need measurements for your costume" I say. I unroll my tape measure.
"Yes ma'am" he smiled.
I look at Ruby "Ready?"
She nodded ready with her pencil. I begin at the head and wrap my tape measure around Billy's head with the metal end at his forehead. We where only inches away and I tried my best to keep from blushing. I tell Ruby his measurement for his head.
"You do have a big head" I smirk.
"Oh so I have to be nice to you but you can tell me I have a big head" he said.
"I never said I had to be nice to not make you look stupid" I say his shoulder measurements. I measure his shoulder to wrist. I say his measurements. "Arms up" he held his arms up while I measure his chest. He turns hearing something. "Hold still!" I say grabbing his shoulders and turning them back to me. I say his chest measurements. Being so close to him and touching him made me know how fit he was. He was hard as a rock on his chest and arms. I get lost in thought as I imagine what it would be like to cuddle Billy. Or just hug him. Soon I was done with his measurements.
"And...done" I say. I wrap my tape measure up and put it next to the sketchbook. "Thanks Ruby" I smile. "I owe you ice cream or something"
"No no it's ok! I liked doing it!" Ruby gets up and rushed to her friends.
I pick up the sketchbook and turn to see Billy was still there.
"I said you where done" I smile.
"I know. I was wondering if you needed any help" he said.
"No I don't. Thank you anyway" I walk to him.
"You're welcome" he smiled. "You wanna walk home together?" He asked.
"Sure. Is Jane coming?" I ask.
"No she is leaving early to get home. Mother needed her for something"
"Oh I see." I say.
"You don't mind us walking home together? Just the two of us"
"Yeah we've done it before haven't we?"
He nodded. "Oh right"

Once rehearsal was done, I put on my coat and I wait for Billy outside. Once he leaves and sees me, he walks to me.
"Ready to go?" He asked.
I nodded. "Ready"
The two of us walk down the path home. It wasn't too cold so we where both walking comfortably. He told me about his role. The owl. He would be the first person on stage and he would introduce the show. I already had ideas for his consume. Large sleeves to look like wings. I could paint feathers to look like owl feathers. I would make a hood also that would attach by buttons under his chin. To make sure it didn't fall off. I could make yellow shoe covers to look like talons. He would look exactly like an owl.
"Any ideas for my costume?" He asked.
"Yeah" I smile.
"Tell me" he said excitedly
"sorry you'll see it when I want you to" I say. "I haven't drawn it out yet"
"Oh come on" he looks over at me. "Please?" His brown eyes go big and his lower lip sticks out in a pout.
"No Billy" I say firmly. But his eyes made me melt and all I wanted to do was tell him what his costume was and how good he will look. But I had to stand my ground. The pout on his face disappears into a smile.
"Oh! I almost forgot" he stops and I stop too.
"Forgot what?" I ask.
He reached into his bag and pulls out a candy car. He holds it out to me.
"Billy I was joking about the candy" I say.
"Take it please." He said.
"How about we share it?" I ask.
He nodded "Deal"
I take it and open the package. I use my hands to break the candy bar in half it was pure milk chocolate with nothing mixed in. Good. I liked pure chocolate. I hand him a half and he takes it happily. We both begin to walk again as we nibble on our chocolate. We talk about the candies we like.
"Anything sour." I say. "And chocolate of course"
"Sour? really?" Billy asked
"Yeah. I hate spicy things but I love sour stuff" I say "What about you?" I bite into the chocolate
"Chocolate also. And caramels" Billy said.
"Noted" I mutter.
"What?"
"Nothing."
We made it to my house and the chocolate was gone. We both had finished it. We stop at the door before I walk in.
"Thanks for walking with me" I smile.
"No problem." He said.
"And thanks for the candy"
"Anytime. Even though you where joking about me getting you candy"
"Yeah it was tasty though" I chuckled.
He nodded "Yeah it was"
"Well see you tomorrow, in class" I say opening the door.
"Bye Jessie" he says.
"Bye" I walk in and close the door. I sigh happily before slipping off my shoes.