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{Isadora}

I was undeniably nervous, and excited in a way that made it impossible to stand still.

Tonight was my first real date with Billy, and just the thought of spending a few uninterrupted hours with him sent a flutter through my stomach. I stood in front of the mirror longer than I meant to, running my fingers through my hair, as I tried to decide whether I actually liked what I was wearing or if I was just overthinking everything. Billy had found me after basketball practice earlier that afternoon and told me he'd changed his mind. He had a plan, something better than the drive and pizza he'd originally suggested.

Of course, he hadn't told me what the plan was.

So now I was stuck trying to dress for an unknown destination, caught somewhere between wanting to look effortless and desperately wanting to impress him. After far too much deliberation, outfit changes, and second-guessing, I'd finally settled on a pair of well-fitted jeans, a light pink t-shirt, and my favourite denim jacket.

I had just finished fixing my hair when there was a knock at the front door. My heart jumped instantly. I took one last look at my reflection in the mirror, smoothing my shirt and checking my hair one final time before grabbing my handbag. I drew in a breath, trying to calm the nervous excitement buzzing through me, and made my way downstairs.

When I opened the door, I froze.

Billy stood there with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. His hair was tousled like he'd run his hands through it one too many times, and that familiar, charming grin tugged at his lips the second our eyes met. The sight of him like that, standing on my doorstep, flowers and all, made my heart skip a beat, then race wildly in my chest.

I hadn't expected this, and somehow, that made it even more perfect.

"Hi," I smiled.

"Hi," Billy replied, holding out the bouquet. "I got these for you."

I took the sunflowers from him, my fingers brushing his for just a second, "Thank you."

"Kendra told me you loved sunflowers," he added, a hint of nervousness sneaking into his voice, "So, I hope these are okay."

"They're perfect," I said honestly, my smile widening.

His eyes flicked over me then, "Wow, you look hot."

Heat rushed to my cheeks, but I couldn't stop the flutter in my chest, or the way my smile turned just a little shy.

"You don't look so bad yourself," I said, unable to stop the smile tugging at my lips. "So, where are we going tonight?"

I stepped aside to let him in, moving toward the kitchen to find a vase for the sunflowers. As I set them carefully on the counter and filled the vase with water, Billy lingered nearby, his eyes drifting around the quiet, empty house.

"You'll see soon," he said, before glancing back at me. "Are your parents ever home?"

I shrugged, keeping my gaze fixed on the counter as I adjusted the flowers, "Uh, yeah, sure."

"Is?" Billy prompted gently.

I straightened and turned back to him, "Let's get going, shall we?"

He studied me for a moment, like he knew I was dodging the question, but then he nodded, and let out a quiet, relieved sigh. I followed him out of the house, pulling the door shut behind me before turning back with a smile.

"So," I asked again, unable to help myself, "where are we going?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, Love," Billy smirked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

I turned back around to lock the door, my fingers lingering on the key as I tried to ignore the way my heart fluttered at the sound of that single word.

"Fine," I said, pretending to pout. "But I'm still curious."

He just laughed, clearly enjoying this far too much, and something told me whatever he had planned was going to be worth the wait.

We made our way to the car and got in, and as we did, my eyes immediately landed on Billy's sunglasses resting on the dashboard. I reached over and snatched them up, grinning as I slipped them onto my face.

"What are you doing, Princess?" Billy asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched me, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"I think they make me look cool," I said, checking my reflection in the rearview mirror and adjusting the shades until they were just right.

"I think they suit me better," he countered, crossing his arms and putting on a mock-serious expression that made me laugh.

"Oh, no way," I said with a grin. "They definitely look better on me."

Billy shook his head, chuckling, "Alright, you win this round, but I'm reclaiming them later."

I set the sunglasses back on the dashboard and turned to him, "Hey, did I tell you that we got an A+ on our project?"

"What?"

"On the project," I repeated, unable to keep the smile off my face, "We got an A+."

"And?" He prompted, raising an eyebrow.

"Come on," I laughed, "Can't you at least to pretend to be happy? I mean, not that it matters now, but you didn't even have to do any of the work, I did it all."

"If it doesn't matter now, why are you even bringing it up?" He said, feigning offence. "And I was going to do my part, Isadora."

"I just thought you'd want to know, and I don't totally believe you were actually going to help."

"I'm offended, Princess," he said, placing a hand dramatically over his chest.

"Please," I teased. "You literally told me you were just using the project as an excuse to talk to me."

"That –"

"— is the truth, Hargrove," I cut in, laughing. "And we both know it."

"I was going to help," he insisted, though the look in his eyes told me I wasn't entirely wrong.

"Uh-huh," I laughed, turning to look out the window as he drove through Hawkins, the town blurring past us in streaks of colour. When the fairground came into view, memories of summer spent at the Santa Monica Pier flooded my mind, and the sound of my sister's laughter filled my mind. I blinked back my tears before turning to look at Billy.

"The fair? We're going to the fair?"

"I hate these things," Billy admitted as he parked the car, "but I thought it might be fun."

"How can you hate the fair?" I exclaimed, already stepping out of the car. "They're the best. I used to go all the time."

"You did?" He asked, rolling his eyes playfully as he followed me. "Yeah, I figured you would love the fair."

I smiled as we walked toward the entrance together, and when we reached the ticket booth, Billy didn't even hesitate. He paid for my admission before I could reach for my bag, waving me off when I protested.

"I've got it," he said. "Just enjoy yourself."

I nodded as I let it go, smiling as we walked into the fair together, our hands brushing as we stepped into a swirl of colour and noise; bright lights, bursts of laughter, and music floating through the air like something magical.

"Wow," I breathed, tilting my head back to take it all in. "It's so beautiful."

"Yes, you are, Princess."

I froze for half a second before realising what he'd said. My heart skipped, then raced, heat rushing to my cheeks as I turned back to him. He was smiling at me like he knew exactly what he'd just done, and I couldn't even be mad about it. Just then, my attention was stolen by a nearby game booth stacked with stuffed toys.

"Oh, come on," I said, grabbing his hand. "Let's try this one."

"Alright," he laughed, letting me drag him over.

I paid for both of our turns before he could argue, stepping up first with more confidence than skill. When I missed completely, I groaned, folding my arms as I watched Billy step up and have a go, managing to win effortlessly.

"That's so unfair."

"What?" He teased me. "Little Miss Perfect can't handle losing?"

I swatted at his arm playfully, "I hate you."

"No, you don't," he murmured, leaning closer to me, his breath against my ear.

A shiver ran down my spine as my face heated up, "N-no, I don't."

"You can pick whichever prize you want," he said, as he took a step back from me and gestured towards the prizes. My eyes lit up instantly, and I chose the pink bear I'd been staring at since we arrived, hugging it to my chest like I'd won something far more important than a game.

"I'm going to name her Berry," I announced proudly. He laughed, shaking his head as we walked away. That's when I spotted the Ferris wheel towering over the fair, glowing against the night sky.

"Come on," I said, tugging on his arm. "We have to go on it."

"Sure," he said, smirking. "But I'm paying this time."

I laughed, nodding as we joined the line. Billy bought the tickets, and soon we were climbing into our seats, excitement fizzing between us. As the wheel began to rise, I hugged Berry close, staring out at the fair below us, all lights and colour and movement.

"It's such a beautiful view," I said softly.

"Yes," he replied, but when I turned toward him, I realised he wasn't looking at the fair at all. He was looking at me.

"What?" I asked, my heart fluttering.

"I'm admiring the view," he said quietly, leaning in. Then he kissed me, and the world seemed to fade out for a moment, until the Ferris wheel jolted forward again and I tipped slightly, but Billy caught me instantly.

"Careful there, Princess," he teased, "We wouldn't want you falling now, would we?"

"Oh, no," I giggled. "That would be very bad."

Billy chuckled, before kissing me again. After the ride came to an end, we went and grabbed some food and found a bench to sit on. I placed Berry between us, took a few bites of my food, and then glanced over at him.

"Do you ever miss it?" I asked quietly.

"Miss what?" He asked, turning toward me.

"California."

He thought about it for a moment before shrugging, "I don't really think about it much."

"The fair just reminds me of the Santa Monica Pier. I used to love going there when I was younger, before –" I trailed off, before shaking my head and forcing a smile, "I'm sorry. I just miss it sometimes."

"Are you okay, Is?" He asked gently.

"Yeah," I said, though tears slipped down my cheeks anyway, but I wiped them away quickly, "I really did have a great time tonight."

"I'm glad, Issi," he smiled before looking around. "I guess the fair wasn't so bad."

"See? I knew you'd like the fair," I teased him. He rolled his eyes at me, but I saw the concern in his eyes as I wiped my cheeks again.

I stood, clutching Berry to my chest, "Come on, let's go back to my place."

He blinked at me, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm not ready for this night to end, and there's no one home."

He hesitated only for a second before smiling and standing. We walked back to the car together and then drove back to my place, and for the first time in a long while, I felt alive.

♡ ⋆。˚☽˚。⋆ ♡

The next day, I tried to focus in class. I really did, but no matter how hard I concentrated, my thoughts kept drifting back to last night; to the fair, and to the way Billy had looked at me like I was the only thing in his line of sight.

My notebook lay open in front of me, pages filled with messy, half-legible notes that barely reflected the lecture happening around me. Every time the teacher asked a question, my hand shot up almost on instinct, like I was determined to prove, to myself more than anyone else, that I was paying attention.

I wasn't, not really.

When the teacher asked another question, I raised my hand again, only to hear a loud, exaggerated groan from behind me, and I lowered my hand as heat creeped into my cheeks.

"Princess," Billy murmured, "why don't you let someone else have a turn?"

"Well," the teacher said, clearly entertained, "since Mr. Hargrove seems so confident, why don't you answer the next one?"

"Yeah," I said sweetly, as I turned toward Billy with a grin. "Go on."

"You're enjoying this way too much." He scrunched his nose, shooting me a playful glare, before turning toward the teacher. "Sorry, what was the question again?"

The teacher didn't miss a beat. "Who was the captain of the Titanic when it sank on April 15, 1912?"

"That's an easy one," Billy said casually. "Edward Smith."

I blinked, then turned to stare at him, "Okay, first of all, how did you know that?"

He glanced at me, lips twitching, "You remember that book you were talking about? The one you thought I wasn't listening to?"

I raised an eyebrow, "A Night to Remember? The one where I was convinced you'd tuned me out after two minutes?"

"Guess I was paying more attention than you thought," he smirked. I rolled my eyes and smiled at him, my heart fluttering at the thought he'd been paying attention to what I'd been saying.

By the time the bell rang, the classroom erupted into noise. Chairs scraped back, books slammed shut, and I packed my bag, still thinking about the way Billy had smirked at me when he answered the question, like he knew I was impressed. We spilled out into the hallway together, Billy falling into step beside me, while Kendra and Steve walked just ahead of us, chatting away.

"So," Billy said casually as we walked, bumping his shoulder lightly against mine, "still mad I showed you up in class, Princess?"

"You answered one question," I shot back. "And it was an easy one."

"Was it?" Steve asked. "Because I definitely didn't know the answer."

"You should know the answer," I said, shaking my head. "We've talked about this multiple times."

Before Steve could respond, Billy nudged my shoulder gently, and I turned toward him.

"I'll see you later, Princess," he said quietly.

Then he was gone, disappearing down the hallway before I could say anything back, leaving me standing there, staring after him with a stupid smile on my face and a heart that refused to slow down.

The second he was out of sight, Kendra leaned closer to me, "Oh, you have it bad."

I groaned, but I couldn't help smiling as we stepped into the cafeteria, before grabbing trays and going to pick some food options. There was a generous spread of food and I scanned the options, before my eyes landed on a sandwich and a small stack of cookies. After a brief internal debate, I reached for them and put them onto my tray.

"Isadora Jones," Steve said slowly, staring at my tray, "are you eating something that isn't a chicken salad?"

"Yes," I replied, as I grabbed my lunch and stepped aside so Kendra and Steve could get theirs.

"I don't think in the two years we've gone to school together, I've ever seen you eat anything besides chicken salads," Steve continued as we walked over to our normal table and sat down.

"Oh, come on," I said, rolling my eyes. "We've had this argument before. I do eat other things."

"What are you two bickering about?" Hazel asked as she slid into an empty seat, her gaze bouncing between us.

"Why weren't you in class?" I asked, taking a bite of my sandwich.

"I had an appointment with the guidance counsellor," she said. "So, what's the argument?"

"Whether or not Isa eats anything besides salads," Kendra supplied.

Hazel tilted her head thoughtfully, "I mean, I've seen her eat my cooking, but at school? Yeah, it's usually salads."

"See?" Steve said.

"I guess I just like salads at school," I shrugged, taking another bite and trying not to think too hard about how my mind kept drifting ahead to the dance. I stood to grab a fruit salad, then returned and popped a piece of pineapple into my mouth. As I did, Steve leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"My parents have paid for your school lunches for the rest of the year."

"Oh, uh, t-thank you," I whispered, staring down at my hands before looking back up at him. "I'll pay them back. I promise."

"Is," he said quietly, "you know you don't have to do that."

"What are you two whispering about?" Eddie asked, eyeing us suspiciously.

"N-Nothing," I said quickly, heat rushing to my cheeks as I focused very hard on my fruit salad instead. Just then, a younger boy appeared beside our table, clutching a bouquet of bright yellow sunflowers that looked almost comically large in his hands.

"Um, are you Isadora?" He asked quietly.

I blinked, "Yeah. That's me."

"These are for you," he said, holding the flowers out to me.

"Oh, thank you," I laughed softly as I took the flowers, and I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.

Steve leaned forward, squinting at the boy, "Why are you giving Isadora flowers?"

"He asked me to," the boy said, pointing toward the cafeteria entrance. I looked over to see Billy casually leaning against the wall near the doors, arms crossed, a little smirk on his face as he watched me realise exactly what was happening.

I excused myself from the table and walked over to him, clutching the sunflowers to my chest, "Are you making freshman do your bidding now, Hargrove?"

He scoffed dramatically, "I am not carrying flowers through the school."

"Oh, why?" I teased. "Would that ruin your reputation?"

"Oh, most definitely."

I raised an eyebrow, "Pretty sure your reputation was already ruined when you sang onstage."

"Issi, I wanted to ask you something properly," he said softly.

My heart started racing.

"I know I mess things up sometimes," he continued, eyes locked on mine. "And I know I don't always say things the right way, but I like you, a lot, and I don't want to pretend anymore."

He took a breath, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation. "I'd really like that."

His face broke into the biggest grin I'd ever seen before he leaned in and kissed me. Everything around us faded, until it was just him and me. When we pulled back, I noticed our audience. A few students were whispering to each other, and Amanda was glaring at me from across the room, but I didn't care, not even a little.

"You know," I said, unable to resist, "this means you'll have to be seen with me. Your reputation is probably completely ruined now."

"Yeah," he chuckled. "I think I can live with that, Little Miss Perfect."

I rolled my eyes and hugged him tightly. For the first time in a long while, I felt genuinely happy, and I had no idea just how fragile that happiness was about to be.

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Hello,

I'm back with another update and it's a happy chapter for a change. 

Enjoy! Xo

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