Billie joes P.O.V

"Just fuck off mike!" I shouted.

"What is your problem!" He shouted back. "Why are you being so fucking angry at me?"

"Why do you think! Because of the party the other night!"

"Hey, you said you had a girlfriend of your own back, not mine!" He protested.

"Not that you idiot!" I sighed facepalming. "When you went into the closet with Payt!"

"It was spin the bottle dude I even said she could re-spin and they still said we had to!"

"What did you do in there?"

"Bro, nothing. You know I wouldn't do that to you."

"But how am I suppose to believe you?" I asked. He rolled his eyes.

"Billie I did not kiss your girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"No sorry you've already got a girlfriend apparently don't you," he scoffed.

"Both of your stop!" Tre shouted as he got off the sofa, finally having enough. "This is absolutely stupid! Billie listen to mike he didn't do anything with Payton in the fucking closet and even if he did-"

"-which I didn't!" Mike cut in.

"Yes mike we know, but even if he did she thinks you've got a girlfriend either way,"

"Fuck you're right," I said looking down at the floor, feeling quite ashamed.

"That really hurt her," Mike spoke up.

"It did?"

"When you said you had a girlfriend, she was stood next to me and she whispered 'a girlfriend?' And then she just decided she needed air and told me she was going outside. And she looked really hurt."

"Mike's right, she was silent in the car too, I know we all were but Payton really looked bummed when she said goodbye." Tre agreed. Tre rarely ever called Payton Payton anymore. He always called her payday. So when he did you could tell he wasn't kidding about.

I sighed and sat on the sofa. "What it does it matter," I said. "I don't even have a chance with her."

"Now don't say that Beej," Mike said putting a hand on my shoulder as he sat down beside me.

"Yeah, she obviously has some feelings for you if she was hurt when she thought you had a lady," Tre said sitting on the other side of me.

"But there's just one problem standing in the way," I said.

"Which is?"

"Her mom hates me. And who's to say she would even give me a chance? She still lives with her mom, and her mom is threatening her with if she catches her with me she's off to care. And I don't wanna be the reason Payton gets sent to another state? I'm so scared to fuck things up I've never felt so anxious about a girl before. I didn't even wanna kiss anyone else at the party so I lied and said I had a girlfriend and I've just fucked things up more." I sighed completely giving up.

"Come on Billie, you guys could make it work I know it."

"I just," I sighed again. What felt like the millionth time now. "I wish things weren't so complicated."

Payton's P.O.V

I was sat with violet in her room ranting to her. She had invited me over to see if I was okay... and I trusted her.

"And then when he said he had a girlfriend, my heart just sort of stopped. I've never felt this way before." I stressed to her tugging on the roots of my hair.

"Payton, you do know he doesn't actually have a girlfriend don't you?"

He doesn't?

"No?" I said questionably. "No one told me he didn't."

"Well, he doesn't. And if he did, I would know about her."

Things just keep getting more complicated for me and him huh?

"So why did he say he did?"

"Maybe he just didn't wanna kiss anyone else."

"You don't think he's still angry at mike do you?" I asked her. She shrugged.

"I don't think so, he'll get over it. You only kissed."

"But that's the thing!" I said quickly. "We didn't kiss! When we first got pushed into the closet mike said we didn't have to do it and I said thank god, then he said he didn't wanna be killed by Billie joe anyway but when I asked why would Billie kill him Nicole opened the door and mike never told me,"

"Does Billie know that?"

"No,"

"Maybe we should go tell him."

We left violets house and headed over to Tre's, where they normally all hung out at. And violet and I just walked in, well violet did anyway. Once we walked in I saw Billie sat on the sofa with his head in his hands, and mike beside him almost looking like he was trying to comfort him with the way his hand was on his shoulder and how Tre was at his other side looking over at him.

Once we walked in they all turned around to us.

"Hi guys!" Violet smiled. Tre grinned as he jumped up out of his seat and swooped her into his arms. Kissing her too.

"Hi guys," I said walking over to mike and Billie.

"Hi," they both said. "What are you guys doing here?" mike asked us both.

"Actually Payton wanted to talk to Billie," Violet said. I heard Billie mutter 'fuck' under his breath. Which sort of made me feel worse about it.

"Ah awesome, didn't you wanna talk to payt?" Mike said to Billie, Billie hit his arm. "Sorry dude I was just asking."

Finally, Beej got up and we walked into Tre's kitchen which was empty. Billie pulled himself up onto the counter as he sat there, then looked at me. We fell into an awkward silence. The type I hated.

"I feel like I need to say something before you smash a cup," Billie said, which earned a laugh from me. "So what did you wanna talk about?"

"Well actually, I think I should probably just clarify this but. Nothing happened between me and mike in the closet. We both agreed it would be so weird and I don't see mike in that way, so we just talked. But I thought I should just let you know I didn't kiss your best friend." I said awkwardly. "That's and violet made me tell you for some reason."

"Actually I should probably tell you something too," he said. "I don't, I don't have a girlfriend."

I know that violet had already told me. But just to hear it come from him made me feel so much better.

"You don't?"

"No," he said shaking his head as he jumped down from the counter and walked over to me. "I just didn't really wanna kiss that girl in the spin the bottle. And then I knew Nicole wouldn't let me get out of it, so I panicked- and I said something stupid and I just, I don't have a girlfriend. Mike just said you looked pretty hurt when I said it."

And instantly I felt myself become embarrassed as my cheeks heated up. "I was- I was only hurt cause you had never mentioned it to me before." I lied. He bit his lip and nodded sort of painfully. "I also owe you something else," I spoke.

"What's that?"

"This," I said as I put my arms under his and pulled myself into his chest hugging him. I felt his arms wrap around me securely as he held me tight. It was a loving and caring hug. And it made me feel so much better about every single thing ever.

"So what's this for?" He laughed. I pulled away and looked back up at his glowing green eyes.

"Thanks for- well stepping in with that guy at the party. I never got to thank you."

"Hey that's my job as a friend," he smiled punching my arm playfully.

"Well, it meant a whole lot you punched a guy for me," I said tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Hey what did I tell you? I said whether I'm supposed to or not I'll always have your back." He said extending a hand on my shoulder and smiling.

"Thanks, Beej, I really appreciate it."

"Also, since we're being honest now," he said moving his hand from my shoulder. "I should probably confess. Your jacket slipped at one point when we were outside. And I- I saw a bruise on your arm. I'm not gonna be mad but did you lie to me when you told me she didn't hurt you?"

Holy fuck, holy cow, holy shit, holy mother fucker, holy fucking moly. What am I supposed to say? If I tell him I could make my mom lose her job.

"Yeah," I whispered after a while. "I'm sorry Beej, it's not that I don't trust you it's just-"

"-you're scared she'll know I know?"

"How do you know?"

He pulled up his shirt slightly to reveal his stomach, which on its own made me blush again. But he pointed to a bruise on his ribs.

"Oh my god," I said as I moved my face closer to look at it. It looked so sore. "What happened?" I asked looking back up at him.

"My stepdad is what happened." He laughed. "But I won't tell anyone if you don't,"

"It sucks that we both have to make a promise like this when we both should speak up about this." I sighed as he pulled his top back down.

"I know Payt, but we're teenagers. They're adults."

"I wish things weren't so complicated for you and I," I spoke. He looked at me confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I just, I wish we didn't have to hide these things. I wish we didn't have to hide this shit. I wish I was allowed to be around you."

"Me too payt," he said as he put an arm around me.

"We should run away together." I laughed.

"You know we cant."

"Well, one day we should,"

"Maybe one day."