The Bet

She leaned back into the couch. She wasn't in the mood to deal with him right now. It was the weekend and she just wanted to be alone for a few days. It seemed to be too much to ask for lately. She sighed before focusing back on the phone call.

"I know I did promise, Dave, but I don't think it's the best thing right now."

"But you promised, Shay, and you aren't one to break a promise."

She rolled her eyes at his answer.

"Okay. I'll come before you make me feel guilty."

"Thank you baby. I'll see you in an hour then. Love you."

"Bye Dave."

Weeks earlier, before any of this had started to happen, she had promised Dave she would go to the first annual football party at Matt Beeler's house. He was right, though, she wasn't one to break a promise.

She stretched, standing up from the couch, and smiled at a sudden idea that entered her mind. She giggled excitedly to herself as she could only imagine what this night could offer her.

*

Billie stared at the cup across from him. If he missed this shot, he had to double the amount of what he had already had to drink because Mike had made a bet with him.

"Come on, Mr. Hot Shot. Show us your beer pong skills."

"I'm concentrating," he explained. "I need to be focused."

"We both know you're not going to make it, so just throw already!"

Billie grunted. He threw the quarter too hard and it bounced off the table.

"Fuck!" He growled, looking down at the plastic cup that greeted him. For some reason he felt sick just looking at the alcohol. He picked up the red plastic cup and took a big gulp.

"You didn't seem happy about having to drink that." A voice spoke to him as he focused on the vodka. He turned slightly, surprised to see Shayla before him, and stopped drinking when he saw her breasts were popping out and looked utmost appetizing.

He spit the rest of his gulp back into the cup and set it back down on the kitchen table.

"Uh, yeah, it's straight vodka. I usually drink with a chaser." He nodded a few times, as if what he were saying was interesting.

Shayla giggled, shaking slightly, causing her breasts to bounce. Billie opened his mouth to talk but closed it as he tried to contain himself from staring.

"I wouldn't know the difference. I don't drink," she explained.

Billie furrowed his eyebrows slightly. Their last encounter hadn't been the best, but here she was, seeming happy to talk.

"Why are you talking to me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he picked up the plastic cup and finished the rest off.

Her face fell.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, I'm just asking. Last time we were around each other, you hit your locker."

"You saw that?" She felt her cheeks heat up.

"No, I heard it. I just know it was you now because your cheeks are very red."

As he smiled at her, she relaxed a bit. He wasn't judging her.

"Oh, well, yeah. I was frustrated. But the reason I'm talking to you is because I want to. I don't want to be anywhere near Dave. I promised him I'd come to this party, but tonight when he called I never said I would talk to him." She smiled triumphantly. "I'm here, and that's me fulfilling my promise."

"Clever." Billie laughed, noticing that she was still shaking.

"I like to think so." She bit her lip lightly, looking around the kitchen.

"Are you cold? Because we can go outside or something," he offered.

"Yeah, okay." She smiled, and they moved across the kitchen without another word.

Once they were outside, Shayla spotted a gleaming swimming pool. She looked at Billie, who was pulling a beer out of a cooler next to the door.

"Have you ever been swimming at night?" Her questioned seemed to catch him off guard, for he furrowed his eyebrows.

"I may be tipsy, but I can tell there is something different with you. What's going on?"

"Nothing," she muttered. She could feel herself slowly going back into her shell.

"You're not acting like yourself. You're not as scared and reserved as you usually are."

She intertwined her fingers and stared down at her chipping nail polish. When she didn't speak, Billie stepped closer to her.

"Because I'm becoming comfortable," she confessed, looking him right in the eyes.

"Around me?" He arched a brow.

"Yes."

"Doesn't that usually scare you though?" he asked, trying to figure out what he knew about her so far.

"I'm not focusing on the scary part anymore," she shrugged.

Billie smiled. "I have a question then."

"And that would be?"

"Have you ever been swimming at night?"

She smiled, shaking her head.