Was he serious? Was he seriously, serious? Was Theo Dorian looking at her right then, with adoration and shock as though she was a cat and had just spoken to him through the art of the English language, only to say;
"You're Bilbo Bowman."
Billy never hated the nickname, in fact, her parents wanted to name her Bilbo when she was born, but decided that the name would probably cause teasing, and they gave her the chance to decide if she wanted it as a nickname. She did. She loved it.
She never actually thought that one day in her life, she would have someone, a very nice looking someone, looking at her as though she was some mystical creature over it. Never mind the fact that it was Theo Dorian and it came after the most childish display she would never expect from him.
Billy straightened up, shaking her head quickly and said, "Yes. Yes I am. But, I actually prefer Billy now." She said, narrowing her eyes, "Please, call me Billy."
"But, Bilbo - "
"Is a personal name. Reserved for family and friends." She said loudly over him. Theo visibly drew back at that.
"Excuse me?" There was a tentative voice from the bed that Billy knew was Kieran, "Can I call you Bilbo?"
She looked at him sharply. He flinched back as if she had stung him, and she wet her lips. He drew back into the covers. "Never mind." he muttered.
Billy wanted to smile at Kieran's actions. After the Voldemort and Sargent sex joke, Billy knew she'd get along with him. She wheeled back on Theo, her stomach fluttered and her heart jumped a small leap of joy when she looked at him and took in the dumbfounded expression on his face. The way he simply stared at her with his jaw slack made her want to laugh out loud. He looked like he was caught between punching her in the face and lowering his head, tucking his tail and leaving to lick his wounds.
The combination of it all actually made Theo Dorian look like he was in the early stages of having a meltdown. Theo suddenly let out a long sigh.
"Listen," he started, moving towards her slowly as though she was a wounded animal. She raised her brow at his advances as he continued, "I'm – I'm not saying that I don't – that I doubt you per se. I'm just saying that I doubt your ability to do this – to break into the home of one of the richest kids in school, go through his personal belongings and successfully steal a journal that's been locked away in a safe in the back of his closet."
Billy blinked at him, slowly with pursed lips for more of a dramatic effect. Waiting and gauging the situation.
"So," He sighed again. God, this guy and sighing, "I'm not... doubting you, I'm only - "
"Sargent Goldsmith." Billy interrupted. She had had enough of this guy, the boy she never even met in person before now, standing in front of her telling her what he believed she couldn't do. It really pissed Billy off. So, she decided it was time to shut him the hell up.
"Born Sargent James Goldsmith on January 17, to Joseph and Margaret, formerly Murphy, Goldsmith. Honour student beginning from seventh grade and on. Popular, smart, took part in many extra curricular activities such as drama club, math club, vice captain of the debate team, and captain of the swim team. Also liked to volunteer reading to sick children in the cancer ward of the children's hospital."
"He reads to dying kids?" Beau asked, covering his face in his hands and Billy continued.
"Personal information; Being bullied during his time in middle school, in my opinion, probably had a major part in how he is today. Almost two years ago, Sargent got involved in some things that were beyond his control."
"Are you trying to get us to feel sorry for him?" Beau asked, "Because, it's almost working. Like, what's next? Does he adopt cats from the shelter?"
"He is actually the owner of one cat, who he named Gold." Billy looked at Beau and said, "And adopted from the shelter."
Beau dramatically threw his arms into the air, "Nope." He said and he began to pace and Farin took his turn to speak up.
"What kind of things did he get involved with?" Farin asked, and Billy took note of how Theo seemed to lean in, his own curiosity evident. She marked it down in her brain as interesting.
"Who cares? Evil incarnate has adopted cats!" Beau wailed at Farin, waving his arms. "He saves unloved, dying kittens!"
Theo stared at her. "How the hell do you know all of this?" He asked, and Billy regarded him, trying to read him, while keeping her guard up around herself. The mental files that she kept so well, flipped through her mind as she thought about it. How much to tell and how much to keep. How deep did she want to go, and how much was worth it.
"Close the curtains," She said. Blaine moved to do it quickly. She reached into her light brown leather messenger bag and pulled out two files. One was blue and the other was tan. She held them in her hands and Theo looked at them. She didn't need them. She didn't need to read them to know what she knew, but the young men in the room didn't know that, and they never needed to know.
"Are those police files?" Beau asked, his eyes narrowing at the folders in her hand. Billy didn't answer. She just looked over at him and lifted a brow that she knew spoke louder than words. Beau let out a low whistle.
"How did you get those?" Theo asked. He reached for the files and she pulled them away from him. A quirk of her brows sent a silent threat that stopped Theo in his tracks. He let his hand fall with a warring expression.
"The same way I'm going to get that journal and whatever else you think you might need." She slipped the files back into her bag, "And, the same way I'm going to be returning these tonight."
"You just walk around with peoples files in your bag?" Theo asked, looking at her like she was carrying nitroglycerine in her bag, "Like it's nothing? Like it's no big deal that you just have people's personal information on your person? What happens if you dropped them, or forgot your bag? What would happen if someone got them off you? Do you think about this?"
"Actually, Theo Dorian, I do. But, as you already know from, personal opinion and judgment." She stepped forward into his space, deliberately so they were almost touching. She looked at him hard, and unwavering and went on, "I am not very assuming, I'm easily over looked. And the only people that know that I have these files or have ever touched them are currently in this room right now. So, unless one of you have loose lips, I should be fine."
"You really trust us with that?" Kieran asked. Theo stepped back from her and Billy held in the sigh of satisfaction before looking at Kieran.
"I do." She replied.
"Why?" This time it was Farin.
"I like Ollie, and I like Blaine. And, Beau isn't too bad himself." Beau smiled and Billy's lips twitched in a quick smile, "And, from what I've heard, I can like and trust the rest of you. So, that's that."
"But, why should we trust you?" Theo asked, crossing his arms. "You've just proven yourself to be a bit of a sneak. And I don't think I like you. Dwayne, do you like her?"
Dwayne didn't look up from the spot on the carpet that he was investing a lot of concentration upon when he answered.
"Do you know what Blaine called this whole thing?" He asked. Theo looked confused and Billy smirked.
"Yes, I do." She answered and Theo's confusion was overthrown by anger when he realized that Dwayne was disregarding him to talk to her.
"What do you think of it?" He asked again.
"I think it's idiotic." She answered honestly. Dwayne snapped his fingers and pointed at her. Finally looking up at Theo.
"I like her." He said. Theo let out a cry of frustration and threw his arms into the air. Billy rolled her eyes.
"Trust me, because I didn't look any of you up." She said loudly, trying to gain Theo's attention. He looked at her and she shook her head. "And, I never will."
The two of them looked at each other for a few painful moments after. She didn't soften her demeanour, but she felt her gaze lose a touch of their fire as Theo's blues softened on her. He slowly began to nod.
"Okay." he said, "Okay. Call me stupid, but, I'll trust your ability to do this. I'm not one hundred percent doubt free, but that's a start."
"That's a start." Billy repeated, stepping back and giving Theo his space. An action that screamed peace. The intimidation wasn't necessary anymore. Theo sighed again and Billy rolled her eyes.
"So, what is the plan, burglar?" Theo asked, looking at her.
"Well, you, all of you, are going to stop calling me that right now." She said puffing out her cheeks before blowing the air out of them harshly, "Then. You and I are going to go have a chat. Alone."
"Alone?" Theo sounded confused and looked it too, "Why?"
Billy moved towards him, stood on her toes. She felt him go rigid and she spoke quietly into his ear, "Do you want to talk about the personal aspects of you and Sargent here?"
"I'd rather not talk about them at all." He snarled back.
"Well, You have baggage and it needs to be dealt with." She whispered.
"Bil - "
"Are you seriously arguing with me?" She said, moving back flat on her feet. She could see the confused and curious expressions of the other boys around them. She saw Kieran and Farin shake their heads at Theo from the corner of her eye. She lifted her brows.
"Well?" She asked.
"No, Miss." Theo said and Billy smiled.
"Good. Now, lets go. I have places in mind and a serious lack of coffee." She turned on her heel and went to leave the room, when she heard Kieran speak up.
"Well, what are we going to do?"
"You're young. It's summer. Think of something." She called over her shoulder. She turned quickly and peeked back into the room. No one had moved. She looked past everyone and at Blaine.
"Suzie wants you to call her, by the way." She looked back at Theo, "Do I have to pull you by your ear?"
Theo moved quickly towards her. She looked him over once more and with a swift nod of her head, she motioned him to follow as she made her way back down the stairs. She stopped by the front door and slipped on her plaid flats.
"What exactly are we going to be chatting about?" Theo asked as he bent over to tie up his shoes. She looked down at his hunched form. He was a very nice looking someone. It was a shame they wouldn't know each other much past this one thing. The feeling lasted only for a moment before Billy made it vanish and Theo stood at his full height in front of her.
"We won't just be chatting." She said, "I have an entire afternoon of fun filled activities planned just for the two of us."
"Like what?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. It irritated Billy.
"Just things." She said turning towards the door. "We need to make a stop at the hardware store and the nearest coffee supplier." The sun made her squint and it had grown considerably warmer from when she first left her house to meet Beau and Ollie. She heard Theo behind her, calling out to his aunt before following her outside.
"Wait. What?" He asked, as she moved over to his car and stood by the passenger door. He came to a stop at his own side, but didn't unlock the car. "Coffee I get, but..." He fumbled with the fob remote on his keychain and when the car beeped indicating it was unlocked, he continued. "Why a hardware store?"
"We need a crowbar." Billy said simply. Help the boy with his broken heart. Steal a journal. Do a job, and do it well. That's all she needed to tell herself and that was all there was too it
"Why do we need a crowbar?" Theo asked, harshly.
"To deal with pent up breakup feels, of course." She said finally, getting into the passenger seat and it took nearly a whole minute before he followed and Billy took that minute to breathe. He was very into questions. Conversation and sharing. When he joined her, started the car and set up the music, the bagpipes took Billy by surprise. Fighting the interest and the want to smile at him, she kept her face simple and didn't allow herself to fully look at Theo.