#before;

“Now, Nancy, come on,” Billy crooned, his hands dangling by his sides as his fingers flex and unflex into barely restrained stillness. “You know you’re not goin’ anywhere. You don’t have King Steve to protect you anymore, now, do you? ‘Cause from what I hear, you told him exactly what you think of him, didn’t you?” His full lips curled into a wickedly delighted little smile. 

“So, I’m gonna ask you again.” Step by step he pressed in on Nancy. 

❥     𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌  𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘  𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒  𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓  𝐎𝐍𝐄  .

“Now why,” Billy began, and propped up a brief, pained, dry little smile. “the hell would I be afraid to meet new people?” His hand dropped off the mantlepiece as he took a step forward. The party swirled around them, with drunken teenagers dancing and touching and laughing. “Hell, I’m here meeting new people right now, aren’t I? Aren’t I, Nancy? Huh?”

Any trace of amusement dropped from the grave lines on his face and with barely a look he snatched the beer out of a passerby’s hand and took a long swig. He sighed roughly as it slide into his stomach. 

❥     𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌  𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐘  𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒  𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓  𝐎𝐍𝐄  .

“I swear to God, if my grade didn’t depend on driving your scrawny ass to this protest, Wheeler–” Billy drawled, one hand draped lazily over his steering wheel, even as his eyes stayed locked with irritation on Nancy’s elfin face. 

Beer spilled from the corner of his lips, ever in excess, ever pushing too far, taking too much, as Billy loped forward. He could sense more than see a circle forming behind him, hemming him in. No backing out now. He wasn’t a fucking pussy. 

Billy laughed as he crushed the empty can in one hand, tongue flicking out over his lower lip, and then he tossed it idly to the side. Someone else was going to have to clean up this hellhole anyways. 

"What’d you say, you lil’ punk!?" Beat blurted, grabbing Joshua by the collar of his shirt and pulling him close. "I gots the guts t’ do whatever I want, yo!"

Josh didn't even bat an eye when Beat grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him forward, he stared evenly and raised an eyebrow, smirk still there. "You heard me," he said, voice even, "If you really think you do, then prove it."