2 months later
THE EVENING STARTED OUT quiet, with everyone trickling into billie's house in a casual, laid-back way. the familiar faces-finneas, claudia, danah, olivia, sabrina, gracie, zoe, jane, ava, and conan-were all there, but the energy was still calm at first. the snacks were laid out, and drinks were on the counter, but everyone was still getting comfortable, sitting on the couches or gathered around the coffee table. billie and valerie were already settled on the couch, looking at the game options that were set up, ready for whatever the night had in store.
"so, what are we playing?" valerie asked, her voice light, glancing at the board games sprawled out on the table.
"monopoly," danah said, almost as if she had been waiting for that very moment to speak. "but we're making it interesting tonight."
everyone groaned, but billie smirked. "i'm in."
"oh, fuck no," valerie laughed, shaking her head. "you're ruthless when it comes to monopoly."
"that's the fun part," billie teased, giving her a side glance.
the game started, and the usual banter began. but as soon as danah got into it, the entire house turned into a whirlwind of chaos. the game, which was supposed to be relaxing, quickly became competitive-way more competitive than anyone had anticipated.
"i swear, if you land on my property one more time, i'm going to flip this goddamn board," danah yelled, her face turning red with frustration as she looked at zoe, who had just rolled the dice.
zoe laughed, clearly unbothered. "relax, it's just a game."
"just a game?!" danah shot back, her eyes wide. "this is war, not a game!"
everyone else burst out laughing, but the chaos didn't stop there. at some point, claudia started singing the lyrics to some random song, but loud enough to drown out everyone else's voices. sabrina, sitting next to her, started mock-singing along, and it became this funny, impromptu musical number. gracie and conan started bickering over whose turn it was to roll the dice, while ava and jane were practically falling off the couch from laughing too hard.
"who the hell is on my team?!" danah shouted, standing up, hands on her hips. "if you think i'm going to lose this game, you're wrong!"
billie was sitting next to valerie, trying to contain her laughter but failing miserably. she nudged valerie playfully, whispering, "do you think she actually believes she's going to win?"
valerie shrugged, grinning. "i wouldn't put it past her. she's on a whole different level of competitive."
"no one is taking my properties!" danah screamed, pointing at the game board like it was a battlefield. "if you land on my hotels one more time, i'm flipping the table!"
billie, still laughing, watched as danah's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "someone call her down before she really does flip the table," she said, glancing at valerie with a mischievous grin.
valerie shook her head, smirking. "this is wild."
as the game progressed, so did the chaos. people were shouting over one another, laughing, and making random comments. it was as if the whole house had erupted into a loud, energetic storm of noise. billie and valerie stayed close to one another, their hands brushing together, exchanging little smiles amidst the madness.
finally, after what felt like hours of intense (and not-so-serious) game playing, danah threw her hands up in the air and yelled, "i give up! i'm done! no more monopoly for me!"
everyone burst out laughing, and billie leaned over to valerie. "maybe we should just get pizza and hang out now," she said, still wiping tears from her eyes from laughing so much.
"that sounds like a good plan," valerie agreed, squeezing billie's hand.
after the game ended (with no clear winner, thanks to danah's dramatic exit), everyone moved to the kitchen, grabbing snacks and chatting. billie and valerie stayed close, talking quietly as the others joked around. claudia was telling a funny story about finneas's habit of taking forever to make decisions, while gracie was teasing zoe about her "secret" love for pineapple on pizza. it was chaotic, it was loud, but it was exactly what everyone needed-time to unwind and enjoy each other's company.
eventually, as the night wound down, people started leaving, but the energy didn't change. billie and valerie still stuck together, chatting about random things, making each other laugh. it had been a long time since either of them had felt so relaxed, so at ease. the madness of the night, with danah's competitive rants and everyone's chaotic energy, had only made them feel closer.
as the last few guests trickled out, billie and valerie found themselves alone in the living room, lounging on the couch. billie turned to valerie with a grin, her eyes shining.
"i don't think i've ever laughed this much in my life," billie said, her voice light and playful.
valerie nodded, a soft smile on her face. "same. this was actually the best night."
billie leaned over, resting her head on valerie's shoulder. "we need to do this more often."
"definitely," valerie agreed, wrapping her arm around billie's waist. "this was perfect."
the house was quiet now, the echoes of the laughter still lingering in the air. billie and valerie sat in the peace of the moment, the remnants of a wild, chaotic game night behind them. everything felt right-easy, comfortable, and filled with love.
"you know," billie said, after a pause, "i'm really glad we have nights like this. i feel like i can just be myself with you."
valerie smiled, her heart swelling at the sincerity in billie's voice. "i feel the same way."
they sat there in the quiet, savoring the warmth of being together after such a fun, chaotic night. in that moment, with the world still spinning outside, it was just them-happy, content, and completely at peace with each other.