Chapter Ten

Lila was awaken by 'I' playing from Eleven's room. Groaning, she rolled over shoving her head underneath the pillow.

It seemed to only get louder.

Lila huffed before stomping out of her room and into El's. Mike and El sat on her bed, mid-kiss.

"Hey! You can't knock?" Mike shouted as Lila unplugged the radio.

"Too loud!" Lila shouted back. "Sleeping!"

"Maybe you shouldn't stay out all night munching faces with Billy!" Mike retorted.

Lila squinted her eyes. Mike fell onto the ground, bumping his head on the way down.

"Hey!" He moaned as he sat up.

Lila walked back to her room, crawling back into bed. She sighed as the house was finally quiet. She dreamt of Billy, of course. She always did. Her brained never failed to picture that blonde haired boy as soon as her eyes shut.

When she woke up again, Eleven and Mike were standing over her. She blinked, rubbing her eyes as pulled the covers off of her.

"Hopper said wake up and go with us to the pool." Eleven stated, shaking her towel in her hand.

"Why?" Lila groaned.

"Cause clearly, he can't trust us to have alone time." Mike snorted.

"Get out." Lila mumbled before standing up.

"Are you going to take us?" Mike asked throwing his hands up. "You're loverboy is there."

"Yes! Get out!" Lila snapped as she walked towards her dresser. The two kids retreated, shutting Lila's door behind them.

"Feel not good." She mumbled to herself as she looked in the mirror. The last thing Lila wanted to do was put on a bathing suit. She hadn't felt pretty since she began hanging around Billy and his friends from school. They wore pretty makeup and pretty hair. Cute clothes and shoes that Lila didn't have. She couldn't understand why Billy wanted her and not them.

Lila sighed before pulling her bathing suit on. She turned around so she couldnt see her reflection and grabbed her shorts and hoodie.

When Lila appeared, Mike and El were confused.

"A hoodie? It's summer." El said as she stood up from the couch.

"So?" Lila shrugged. "Feel not good."

"Like sick? Please don't throw up." Mike cringed as they walked out the door.

"Shut up." Lila mumbled.

-

The pool was crowded. It made Lila uneasy.

She searched the crowd for Billy. But he was nowhere to be seen. She frowned before findng at empty seat and sitting down. Mike and El had run off, leaving her to be by herself.

"Oh hi, Lila." Vicki Carmichael smirked towering over her. Carol and Tina stood behind her, with the same evil grin plastered across their faces.

"H-hi." Lila stuttered looking up at them.

"You do realize it's the middle of summer?" Vicki asked, motioning to her hoodie.

"Yes." Lila replied.

"So what's with the hoodie, freak?" Tina snarled.

"I-I-I..." Lila stuttered once more, unable to give them a proper answer.

"Why would Billy want to be anyone that looks and acts like you?" Vicki hissed. "We would be such a good couple!"

"Mouthbreather." Lila mumbled, leaning back into the chair and pulling her knees to her chest.

"What'd you call me?" Vicki shouted grabbing Lila's wrist.

"Let me go!" Lila shouted back trying yank her wrist from Vicki's grip.

A whistle blew in the distance followed by a familiar voice shouting.

"Get lost, Vicki." Billy sneered as he walked towards the girls. Vicki scoffed before dropping Lila's arm and walking away.

Lila held her wrist, looking up at Billy with tears brimming her eyes.

"Hey, no tears." Billy sighed sitting on the end of the chair. "What're you doing here anyways?"

"Mike and El." She mumbled. "Hopper's rules."

"Mike's mom is literally here." Billy scoffed, rolling his eyes. "They're teens. They can look after themselves."

"I know." Lila replied.

Billy stood up, holding his hand out. "Come on. My shift is over."

"Where?" Lila asked as he pulled her up from the chair.

"I don't know. Want some ice cream?" He asked as they walked towards the gate.

"Oh yes!" Lila squealed, squeezing his hand tightly.

Billy opened the car door, letting Lila climb in before shutting it. She buckled her seat belt and folded her hands over her legs.

Billy climbed in and started his car. He pushed the tape into the tape deck before turning the volume knob up.

"What's with the hoodie, sweetheart?" Billy asked, glancing over at Lila.

"Not pretty." She said quietly.

"Lila." Billy sneered. "If you weren't pretty, I would not be with you."

"Together?" Lila gleamed. This was the first time Billy had ever admitted that they were an item. And it'd been almost six months.

"Aren't we?" He laughed.

"Yes!" She shouted in excitement.

"Together."