The Bet

Dave's scowl deepened the longer he watched the scene before him. It was one of the warmer autumn days and half of the senior class decided to sit outside in the courtyard during lunch. Shayla sat across the lawn wearing the midnight blue sundress he had loved to see her in whenever they would spend long afternoons at the park over the summer. His stomach twisted into a knot as she laughed along with the three stooges.

He felt a hand touch his shoulder. "Bro, you can't worry about her anymore. She broke up with you."

"You're right." He slipped off the top of the bench and turned around to face the rest of his friends. "But if I can't have her then neither can he."

*

Shayla's stomach ached from all the laughter. Every time Billie or Mike sung the wrong song lyrics, they had to take a shot of the pepper hot sauce John had with his burrito. Wiping a finger under her eye, she watched Billie's crooked smile expand on his face as Mike fanned his mouth. She felt as though happiness radiated from her.

"Mike, drink!" She held out her bottle of water. Billie was sitting closest to her, and his fingers brushed over hers as he took the bottle from her grasp and threw it at his best friend. His eyes lingered on her own until Mike tossed the empty bottle back. It hit Billie in the face and the laughter erupted once more as he blinked in surprise.

Shayla's smile slowly disappeared as she saw former cheerleader and old acquaintance, Mia, approaching their half circle. Murmured conversation between John and Mike died out as four set of eyes landed on the pixie girl. Shayla always liked Mia enough, but from Billie's squirming, she got the impression that those two had history. But today, Mia's attention was directed at Shayla.

"Hey, Shay." Mia waved.

"Hey yourself, Mia." She forced a friendly smile.

"You're in my history class," Mike interjected, pointing.

Mia jumped in surprise. "Yeah, I am."

"Have you finished your report? It's too much reading for the deadline he set...."

Mia knelt down in front of Mike, who started discussing the reading for the class they shared. John chirped in too, so Billie twisted on the ground until he faced her, their knees touching.

"That was weird."

"Yeah..." Her eyes flickered between Billie and Mia. "Have you two...engaged in physical activity?"

Billie ran a hand through his hair. For a moment, Shayla didn't think he was going to answer. An awkward silence settled between them until he said, "Almost. We weren't able to...start."

"Oh." Shayla looked away quickly.

"No!" Billie exclaimed, realizing how it sounded. "No, not like that."

"Then how weren't you able to start?" Shayla felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. Billie smirked, reaching out and running a hand down her cheek.

"Oh, innocent Shayla..."

"Not that innocent." Shayla crossed her arms.

Billie raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"We're talking about you," she said, changing the subject quickly.

Still, his smirk remained. "We were going to but then I got distracted by an Agent Orange flier I had picked up from Gilman."

Feeling her eyebrows come together, she said, "Sounds...normal..."

Billie hit her in the leg with the empty water bottle. "You're enjoying this way too much. I was distracted because it reminded me of that Agent Orange shirt you had been wearing when I came your house to check on you."

Shayla's smile fell. "Oh, you couldn't because of me?"

"No." He ran a nervous hand through his hair. "I could with you on my mind, but I was thinking about asking you to attend the show with me and I got nervous and I didn't want to...be in that situation anymore."

"Oh."

Shayla was thankful for the abrupt "See you tonight!" from Mia as she stood up and waved at the four of them before walking away. Confused, Billie turned and looked at Mike curiously.

"Tonight?" he asked. "We have band practice tonight."

"I know. She's coming to help me with our history assignment afterward." Mike's suggestive smile made Shayla's stomach churn.

"Dude!" Billie exclaimed, holding his hands up.

"She's got a nice ass, man."

"I've seen it," Billie said. "Not that great."

Shayla stifled a laugh behind her hand as Mike's mouth fell open. John high-fived Billie.

"I'll come too," she offered.

"At least there will be one person with a nice ass at our practice," Billie said.

Shayla looked over her shoulder, glancing down at her backside. Shrugging, she turned back toward them as the bell signaling the end lunch sounded. Before she went off toward the art wing, she grabbed Billie's elbow and said, "I'd love to go to the show with you."

*

Shayla and Mia sat next to each other on a couch in Billie's basement. Spots were covered in duct tape and the cushions were worn from the years of use. Billie, Mike, and John were setting up their instruments as they passed around a joint. The smoke seemed to hover above their heads and Shayla tried not to gag at the scent. Mia pulled her legs up beside her and took the joint from Mike's hand.

"Cool." She smiled, bringing the joint to her lips. Shayla denied the offer and Mia passed it back around to Billie.

Something poked at her back and she wiggled uncomfortably, reaching behind her. She felt the familiar feel of spirals on a notebook. She leaned back further, pulling the notebook out from the crack of the cushions.

"What's that?" asked Mia as she brought the notebook around.

"I don't know." She flipped the notebook open and saw multiple scribbled song lyrics.

"Billie, is this yours?" She held up the blue notebook. Billie's eyes widened as he rushed over to them.

"Don't look at that!"

"Sorry." She started to shut the notebook, but not before seeing: Are you locked up in a world that's been planed out for you? "I didn't know it was private."

He took the notebook from her hands. He placed it down on the side table next to the couch. "No, it's fine. There's just something in there you can't see."

Shayla's heart fluttered. "Something I can't see? Like, a song?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I can't say. But you can find out at our next show."

"Oh," she whispered. Dave had never done anything as romantic as writing her a song. The blush that Billie seemed to cause every time they were around each other appeared. Smiling, he pointed at her cheeks.

"You're turning a little red there."

Once Billie turned back his to them, Mia leaned in and whispered, "He's totally into you."