Uh oh

The four of us ate out for lunch then all piled into our cars. This time Mac was with Erin in her car an Billy was with me in mine. For some reason it felt awkward to me, for years I had daydreamed about the day I would finally get to see him again. And now that he's finally here, in my car, I was having a hard time believing it was real. It just seemed too surreal, things like this didn't happen in real life. High school girls don't just volunteer to be mothers, and their best guy friend doesn't just happen to show up that same weekend. My life is just one big fiction novel after another.

"So," Billy says, I can hear the smirk on his face in his voice, "did you miss me?" I glance over at him, and sure enough there's got a cocky little smirk taking over his surprisingly handsome face. I make a breathy laugh, "Did my display at the coffee shop not tell you?"

He gives a short laugh. "Yeah, I thought you were going to punch me. You looked mighty angry for such a Little Lady." Now his voice seems a little nervous. And in all honesty, I was angry. He had stayed away when I needed him most for eight years. I mean I know he had problems with his dad, but I had problems too. "I was crying, that doesn't seem," I pause for a minute. "Mighty angry," I imitate his accent, he laughs and I continue, "to me. Does that seem like it to you?"

"That's not what I meant Beck and you know it."

I sigh, he just won't let up. "Eight years. That's all I'm saying." It's quiet for a minute. "I know Beck, I tried." He reaches his hand over to rest on my leg. "Where were you?" I demand, spitting the words out like venom. He doesn't even flinch, "You did fine. You made it through." I shake my head, exasperated. "No thanks to you." He doesn't respond, he knew better than that. "You could have come." I finally say, my voice smaller now. "You didn't need me. Look at what you've done. And all without me. You didn't need me here. And you know that if you did I would have been here in a heartbeat." He starts to rub my leg with the hand that he had resting on it. I take in a shaky breathe, trying desperately to control myself, then I nod.

"No more disappearing?"

"No more disappearing." He promises. And I can finally relax.

"Pull my phone out of my purse would you? Call Jake and let him know that we are almost there. He'll need to unlock the door for us." I tell Billy and he nods and takes my purse, fishing for my phone. He finally get's it out and calls Jake, putting the phone on speaker. There's a mischievous glint in his eyes that makes me suspicious. He just grins at me. "Hello?" Jake's voice greets us from the other end of the line. "We are almost home. unlock the door for us. See you in a few." Then Billy hangs up before Jake can answer.

"What are you up to you meddler?" I question him. He grins for a moment then gets serious. "I thought I told you to stay away from that kid. He's not good for you." I huff, "Billy, we aren't back together. And he's twenty, hardly a kid. He's older than you!"

"Age and maturity are two very different scales to go off of." Billy says quite seriously. I roll my eyes. "I seriously hope you aren't talking about yourself. Because you are not as mature as you think you are buddy." He holds a hand over his chest, gasping in mock pain. "I'm hurt that you could say such a thing about me. And here I thought you loved me." I laugh. "William O'Brian. You sir, are doing nothing to help your case here boy. If anything you are just proving my point even more."

Billy grumbles and glares at me suspiciously, "So then you love me for my amazing looks then." I laugh at this, "Your looks?! That's a good one." He looks hurt, "What? Lots of girls think I'm cute."

"Yeah buddy, girls. Not me."

He huffs, "Well then, why do you keep me around?" I give him a sly smile as I park the car. "Well it must be because you are just sooooooo charming." The confused look on his face sets me off and I laugh so hard I have to clutch at my aching ribs, struggling for air.

"What's so funny?" Erin asks as she climbs out of her car and walks towards us. "I think this guy over here is more confused than the last time I saw him." I tell her as Billy and I climb out of my car. Erin looks Billy over who's still in a confused daze. "What did she tell you?" She asks him. "She said I'm charming."

Erin nods, "Beck you know, I think you finally discovered that one can overdose on sarcasm." I look at her, shocked, "Impossible. You can't overdose on sarcasm." Erin points to Billy, "I beg to differ." Mac nods in agreement.

I snap my hand in front of Billy's face, "Hey snap out of it." He doesn't respond, as in he is still caught in a daze. I sigh, "I really didn't want to have to do this." Then I grab the collar of his shirt and yank him closer to me and give him a kiss on the cheek. He pulls away quickly trying to wipe it off his cheek, "Ew! Gross Beck! Did you really have to do that?" I turn my back to him and start for the front door, "Yes I did. Now come on."

I open the door and walk in, my friends following me. I drop my keys on the counter and find Jake in the kitchen, sitting at the counter. He smiles up at me, then Billy walks in and he frowns instantly. "Who're you?" Jake demands. Billy looks at Jake then to me, "Really girl?" I roll my eyes at him. "If I wanted your opinion on the guys I dated then I would have asked you."

"But you did, after that little, short problem." Erin snorts a laugh in response to Billy's description. I ignore her. "That was after-" I try to say. Of course Billy cuts me off, "I don't care. That's not my problem." I roll my eyes at him.

"Excuse me but who are you again?" Jake asks angrily. Billy turns to look at him. "Oh, I'm Will. Beck's best friend since like ever. Well since she was born."

Mac inches towards me. "Are you going to do something? Or can we watch them fight?" Mac whispers to me and Erin laughs, obviously having heard her. It seemed to me that Billy had heard her too because he was smiling slightly, but you wouldn't notice it unless you knew him. "Mac!" I hiss. "No she's right. Can we? My money's on Billy." I stare at Erin, slightly surprised that she was saying such a thing. But then, it is Erin. I don't tell her to not bet on them, because honestly my money would be on Billy too. He may look like nothing more than a twig with skin and long black hair, but he was a lot tougher than he looked. Tougher than Jake, I'm sure of it.

"And Jake, you better not try to make a move on my girl." Billy's voice is steel. I mentally facepalm, why oh why was he doing this? "Your girl?" Jake asks. "Did you know that your girl came to me willingly. Did you know that we share a room, a bed." I flinch, ouch Jake, way to make it sound like we're sleeping together.

Billy turns to face me. "WHAT?!" he roars. I smile sheepishly at him, "Well, y'see it's not it's-" He cuts me off, "Rebecca! You promised you would talk to me before doing something STUPID!" Something in me snapped then. "Stupid? STUPID? I know I did not just hear you call me that. If you could shut up for just a MINUTE then you would know that what you just ASSUME isn't true." Billy looks surprised, I've never yelled at him, in all the years I've known him, not once. I turn to Jake then, still breathing heavy. "And you. You need to BACK OFF. He has earned a lot more respect from me than you have. Me and you are not together. So it doesn't matter if I'm hanging out with another guy. Besides, me and him can't be together." Jake looks at me, "What do you mean you and him can't be together."

I turn my back on the room, "He's my cousin."