nine

work is so much more tolerable now billie hasn't been back.

on my break I walk down to a local ice cream store and buy myself some, sitting on a bench in the shadow of the sun so I don't melt in the bright sun.

I pull out my phone and scroll through billie's instagram, which ive been obsessively doing since she tried to follow me a week ago.

I don't have many followers because I don't have any friends and honestly im a private person.

I like to be myself on there and I like posting covers of songs without fear of judgement or the chance someone from my old life to see.

the only reason pirate doesn't have access to my account is because it's firstly my name, but there's also photos of my face on the account.

and also ive never sang in-front of anyone nor do I ever want to sing in-front of pirate.

id be so scared she thought I was a bad singer.

billie posted a photo today and I stare a her face, spooning more ice cream in my mouth.

she's so pretty.

but why doesn't she smile?

billie always weirdly captions her photo and I scan through some of the comments, calling her hot and 'daddy'.

she got hella followers too.

"stalking me princess?"

I grimace and hit the power button to shut my phone off, but the damage is already done.

she saw.

"how did you find me? you stalking me?" billie sits beside me and I sigh, turning to face billie.

"of course I am princess" she sits legs spread, leaning on the back of the bench, her body turned to face me. "if you wanted to ask me sum, ask"

"im good thanks" I start to gather up my stuff but with the ice cream still sitting in my cup, ive just sat down.

"you declined my follow request"

"im a private person"

"but you have no problem staring at mine?"

I sigh, not wanting to argue.

yes I was staring at her photos, so what?

"is there anything you wanna know?"

"not really"

there's too much I wanna know.

"why were you staring at my instagram?"

"I was just...curious"

"about me?"

I nod my head and billie smirks, lifting up her sunglasses to stare me in the eyes.

"I own a dance studio, I teach people how to dance, I live in my parents house with my dog pepper, I love taco bell, im gay as fuck and im single" billie finishes with a wink.

"where are your parents?"

"my moms opened up a charity and travels the country with my dad in a camper van which makes plant based food to combat the climate crisis"

"plant based food?"

"mhm" billie runs her fingers through her hair, glancing to the people walking by.

"ive been vegan and gluten free most of my life and my mom makes a lot of plant based foods"

"so you don't eat meat or anything like at all?"

"sometimes I eat cheetos and shit but no, I don't eat anything non vegan"

a large family stops in front of us and asks us for directions to an aquarium but I have no idea where it is so billie shows them on the map and points them in the right direction.

I don't want to bring up her parents again, especially if they're not home.

because I know finneas is close to his parents so I can imagine billie is close with her parents too.

and im not looking for a deep conversation right now, especially not with billie.

I try to think of something else to talk about and my mind turns to the vintage store.

"are you close with z?"

"we grew up together" billie squints "why? are they bothering you?"

"not successfully"

billies mouth twists and she chuckles softly licking her lips. "she ain't very bright, I do my best to keep my eye on them but.." billie cuts herself off shrugging, her head jerking to the left.

I would ask more questions but it seems like there's something going on I don't really need the details for.

her eyes look troubled, filled with some dark emotion I don't understand and it probably has something to do with what happened in the vintage store.

but I don't wanna get involved.

"why don't you work in the store? you know, with your brother?"

"I did, I grew up in the store, I know that place like the back of my hand, but I have my own dance studio to worry about, I don't have the time to work but I come in when I can"

"you own the dance studio?"

"yeah, I took over it after my moms friend who owned it passed away, ive been going there since I was a baby and worked there until I had my injuries"

her eyes light up when she talks about dance and it makes me smile.

"you must love dance huh"

"dance is my whole life, it's in my bones"

"is it hard, you know being a business owner?"

"not really, I have a lot of staff and they're all experienced and help me out. I feel like we all own it together, regardless whether it's in my name or not"

"don't you go to school?"

"I was homeschool and graduated early, that's the only reason my parents allowed me to work full time at the dance studio when I was fifteen"

"you graduated at fifteen?" my eyes widen and she smiles, nodding.

billie reaches into my ice cream and pulls out a gummy bear, shoving into her mouth.

oh so we're sharing cause we're best friends now?

but we're not friends.

and just because I asked her questions and listened to her talking about her dace studio, doesn't mean I forgive her for being an ass.

"aren't you gonna ask?"

"ask what?"

"about my injury?"

"if you didn't wanna tell me, I didn't wanna ask"

"I was at a dance class with some older kids, performing this hip hop number i'd been working so hard perfecting. some kids from other dance classes were stood around watching us and halfway through I ruptured my cartilage in my hip. I was fifteen and it literally ended my dancing career"

"so you can never dance again?"

"I still go to physical therapy but not really, not like I used to"

"damn im sorry"

I glance up to my watch and realise I need to get back to work.

when I look back up, I notice that while we've been talking, billie has been moving closer and now she's right up against me.

this is too weird.

"break" I finally manage to whisper out "I gotta get back"

im so embarrassed I drop my ice cream cup trying to get up.

I pick it up off the floor and throw it in the trash can, picking up my tote and rushing off, not looking back to billie.

she's like a big walking red flag and whenever im around her, im wearing rose coloured glasses.

im gonna get myself hurt.

✪pirate is online!

blossom: have you ever had a serious relationship?

pirate: yes. sort of? it depends what you qualify as serious?

blossom: I don't even know, why did yall break up?

pirate: we just weren't good for each other

pirate: not to mention he was an adult and I was still a minor

blossom: OUCH

blossom: how old were you?

pirate: I was sixteen

pirate: the only reason why we broke up is because he was hooking up with my best friend while I was out of town

blossom: ah shit, im sorry that happened

blossom: are you okay now?

pirate: yeah dude im good

pirate: ive been to therapy

pirate: im not the same person I used to be

pirate: im okay

pirate: what about you?

blossom: a couple of girls but it was definitely nothing major.

blossom: I pretty much look after myself....it's a full-time job.

pirate: one day you might need some help

pirate: and ill look after you