It was the third time Billy had seen her that morning. He didn't know who she was, but she was gorgeous, and there was something about her that drew Billy's eyes straight over to her, even with all of the other people milling about the halls. He nudged his friend Jim in the side, as they passed by the chestnut-haired girl, twisting the combination on a rusty sky blue locker. The locker rattled as it popped open.
"Hey, who is that?" He gave a short point and nodded his head in the girl's direction.
"Oh, that's Kat Strafford," Jim said. "She's in my English and Algebra classes." Billy, being an athlete immediately recognized the popular name.
"Is she related to the Stafford brothers?" Billy puckered his eyebrows. This girl seemed to have come out of nowhere. Billy hadn't heard of a girl in the family, all the talk was always about boys.
"Yeah, I think it's Scott and Sean's sister. I see her and Scott talking sometimes before school. Their friend Miles drives them in." Jim answered.
"Is she going out with anyone?" Billy asked. He stared at her. The way she moved her body, so placid and smooth as she exchanged books in her locker. She seemed somehow removed from the chaos around her. There was another girl leaning against the locker next to hers. This girl was chatting away and gesturing energetically. Kat nodded here and there, and listening intently, but her energy was very different from that of her friend. She slid books and notebooks that she needed into her backpack, hardly saying a word.
"I don't know," Jim said. "I haven't talked much to her. She's usually pretty quiet. I can find out though. Why are you asking anyway? Aren't you still going out with Brittany?" He asked curiously.
"No reason," Billy answered hurriedly, He looked away rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just wondering...that's all." Billy hitched his backpack up higher. He had to find out more about this girl, a Stafford girl, pretty and mature. How was it that she just seemed to appear out of nowhere?
Billy picked up his pace and changed the subject to something much less likely to get him into trouble. He didn't want to start any rumors or create any problems with Brittany.
~§~
Billy dropped a brown lunch bag on the long table. He sat down across from Jim at the brown, formica lunch table and looked at him expectantly. Jim raised an eyebrow and smirked. Billy knew Jim could see right through him. Jim knew that Billy was interested in this new girl. Best of all, Billy felt confident Jim would keep it to himself.
"Yeah, I found something out," Jim replied mischievously.
"And?" Billy pressed.
Jim smiled and leaned forward, lowering his voice, so that he was speaking just loudly enough for Billy to hear him amidst the lunchroom chatter. Billy was glad Jim was taking the time to be so discreet. Then again, they'd been friends since Kindergarten. They could both read each other really well, and they were able to tell what the other one meant, even when much of their meaning went unsaid.
Jim shot a quick point to the wall, to keep the conversation discrete. Billy set his sandwich down on the table and picked up a napkin. Billy rubbed the napkin between his hands and crumbled it into a ball, then tossed it on the table.
The two strolled over to a quiet area against the wall. Billy leaned one shoulder against the painted brick wall displaying a mural of the school mascot.
"What?" Billy asked curiously. It was great having a best friend understand enough to get information for you and keep it low because they didn't want you to have drama.
"Wait until you hear this," Jim murmured. "People are saying that after the Strafford's dad died, their mom just up and left them. They were all living at home by themselves, had a party, the police came and sent her and Scott to a foster home. Now they're back home, because their older brother, Steve, came home from college, and now he's raising them."
"Wow," Billy murmured. "No wonder she seems so quiet." She sounded like she had a lot of baggage, but who doesn't. Most kids just hide it well. But she was still hot as hell and a Stafford.
"Yeah," Jim agreed.
"So, she's not going out with anyone then?" he asked. Billy raised one eyebrow. He put his hand on the mural of the wall beside them to hold himself up, getting comfortable for next bit of information.
Jim shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it," he said. "But listen to this, she was seen at a party with Ron."
"Ron? Are they going out?" Billy scowled. The thought of Ron going out with her turned his stomach. Damn, how did he miss the boat on this girl. Crap, anyone but him. She either didn't know what a jerk he was yet, or wasn't as cool as he thought.
"No, they're not. I heard he tried to kiss her though, but everyone says she wasn't having it. She almost fell backwards trying to get away from him." Jim said with a grin.
Billy belted out a laugh and clapped his hands together as if a joke were being told. A gorgeous girl not being taken in by the jerk, Ron.
"What did Ron do?" Billy asked. His eyes glowed. This was getting good. She rebuffed him in front of everyone. This girl had guts and good taste. She sounded perfect. This was exactly what he wanted to hear. Jim shrugged.
"Not much from what I heard, but the guys I talked say he still thinks he has a chance. And the guys who watched it all go down said that Kat left really soon after that. Steve stormed into the party and made her leave."
"Yeah, I heard that some girl's brother came into the party and took her home," Billy recalled. "I didn't know it was her though." There was almost a bit of excitement in the challenge of it. Going out with a popular Stafford's sister, her brother's had to like him and better yet, she was pretty.
The thought that he and Ron both took interest in her meant she had something. It was a bit surprising though, that she didn't want Ron, but he had a strong personality, maybe she was into a more subtle person, like him.
"Yep," Jim said. "It sounds like her brothers watch every move she makes. Good luck trying to go out with her."
Billy pried his shoulder off of the wall. It was great being on top of all the school gossip. Knowing everything that was going on. He could always count on Jim to find out everything. Jim was open to being friendly with everyone, sometimes Billy thought it was just for the gossip.
"Thanks man." Billy clapped Jim on the back. The two of them rejoined the conversation with the rest of the guys at the table, but Billy found himself not saying very much. He was far too distracted by his own thoughts. Thoughts of this mysterious brown-haired girl.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
