So, as requested, here is the prequel to âforgetâ.Â
Iâve literally sat all evening writing this. Let me know if you like it!
Listen to (x) (x) (x) (x)
The light scratch of a pencil chorused against Y/Nâs sketchbook as her eyes flicked up and down repeatedly, whilst she attempted to imprint the elderly womanâs image opposite her onto the naked paper. The occasional jolts of the bus on the uneven road deeming it more of a difficult task.
Clutched onto her shopping bags, the silver haired lady gazed out of the window, seemingly lost in thought as wind from an open window softly blew wisps of her locks around.
As Y/N recreated her almond eyes onto the page, she began wondering what things they had witnessed in their existence.
How many times had they shed tears of happiness or of sorrow? Did she inherit the colour of her irisâ from her mother or her dad? What did she find beauty in?
Y/Nâs pencil found itâs way to the centre of her face.
Rounding off her petite button nose and then to copying her sharp cupids bow. What was her mother tongue? Did she speak only kind words to others? What life lessons could she share?
The womanâs hand grasped the busâ pole nearby and hoisted herself up. Flashing Y/N a polite smile as she exited the bus.
I hope sheâs not going home to no-one.
Noticing whereabouts on route she was, Y/N flung her backpack over her shoulder whilst hugging her sketchbook into her chest as she hopped off the bus at the next stop.
Crisp autumn leaves danced along the sidewalk as the bus pulled away, revealing a familiar sky blue Camaro parked across the street, housing a dusty blonde haired boy who was grinning from his open window. Billy.
âYou following me, Hargrove?â Y/N shouted, in the direction of her boyfriend.
âIâm just making sure my girl gets home safely, is that a crime?â Billy questioned, smoke pooling from his mouth as the words escaped.
âNo, but stalking isâ Y/N smirked.
âJust get in, will you?â A deep laugh erupted through his body.
Running across the road, checking both ways for an oncoming vehicle, Y/N yanked the stiff Camaro door open and jumped in beside Billy.
A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her in towards the strong scent of smoke and cologne as Billy placed soft kisses upon her frost bitten lips.
Y/N snaked her hand around his neck, deepening the embrace and heightening the intensity as she played with the curls on the back of his neck.
Y/N broke away, catching her breath. âHiâ
âHiâ he whispered.
âWho was your target this time, creep?â Billy joked, motioning towards Y/Nâs yellow sketchbook as he took a drag from his cigarette.
Rolling her eyes in response to the question sheâd heard him ask a billion times before, Y/N flicked to the page that held the image of the old woman.
Billyâs eyes studied the grey image, taking the book into his own grasp for a better look.
âShe was just watching people pass by outside the window..â Y/N explained. âI hope she wasnât lonely. She had beautiful eyesâ
A smile tugged at the corners of Billyâs mouth, looking up at Y/Nâs face painted with concern as she eyed her drawing over.
He loved to tease her about her fixation on people, but honestly, it was one of his most favourite things about her.
Her sketchbook was almost like her mind imprinted upon paper. She was never without it. The drawings often had short lines of random poetry text Y/N had thought up about the particular person sheâd drew.
Her mind both fascinated and scared him - all at once.
Closing the sketchbook, Billy passed it back to Y/N and she hid it away in the safety of her backpack.
âFancy going for a drive somewhere?â
âUh, sure. Whereâre you thinking?â
âWeâll just see where the road takes usâ Billy smiled, his large hand brushing over her delicate one, encasing it.
The rhythmic sounds of Elvis Presley floated softly through the speakers on Y/Nâs vanity table in her bedroom.
âWise men say, only fools rush in..â
Y/Nâs pale pink silky night dress swayed along to the slow beat, her eyes sealing shut as the lyrics flowed through her.
A hand rising up to the gold pendant that dressed her neck, clasping the Virgin Mary engraved disc between her thumb and forefinger as she whispered the lyrics to her mothers favourite song. A waterfall brimming her eyes.
âDarling so it goes, some things are meant to be.â
âTake my hand, take my whole life, too..â a low voice sang from behind her, arms wrapping around her waist, causing her to jump out of her skin in shock.
âBilly!â She scolded. âGod. You frightened the shit out of me, you asshole!â
Billy chuckled deeply at his girlfriends reaction.
âYou do realise that my house owns a front door, right?â Y/N quizzed, walking over to close the window, trying to discreetly soak up any runaway tears with her dressing gown.
âiââm not sure your dad would appreciate me ringing the doorbell at 11 oâclock on a Tuesday night, do you?â Billy remarked, matter-of-factly.
âThen come over in the daylight like-â
âSshâ Billy brought a finger up to her lips.Â
âShut upâ Billy paused her, smirking. âDance with meâ
He stole her hand, clasping it with his and pulling Y/N close, her head resting upon his chest. The chorus of his heartbeat echoing throughout his body, a reminder of where her home was.
Billyâs hand rested upon her lower back, his thumb rubbing the area softly as they rocked back and forth.
âI canât help falling in love with you..â the song chimed on.
âWas you thinking about her again?â Billy questioned.
Nodding simply into his chest, Y/N wiped her cheek against his white tee.
A deep sigh left Billyâs lips and they swiftly found her forehead, dotting tiny kisses upon her hairline.
âWe donât have to talk about itâ he whispered into her hair.
âThank youâ Y/N mumbled through muffled cries as they continued to sway, Billy holding her close and allowing sobs to ripple through her for the duration of the song.
Billyâs car cruised through the curvy roads of Hawkins.
The Rolling Stones booming from the radio as Y/N and himself shouted the words to âCanât get no satisfactionâ in unison.
Y/Nâs legs dangled out of the passenger side window, allowing the ice cold wind to blow in. Fingers playing with Billyâs free hand, kissing each finger pad.
The Camaroâs roaring engine quietened as it slowed to approach an opening to Lovers lake, before turning a sharp left entering the tucked away creek.
Purples and deep blues painted the dreamy sky above, warning of duskâs arrival.
Twisting the radio dial to a lower, less ear-piercing setting, Billy peered over at Y/N once parked up.
âErm, Iâm not skinny dipping, Billâ Y/N protested, knowing full well what was going through his mind.
âDonât be boring, Y/Nâ. He teased, an entertained expression gracing his face. âDo I always have to be the fun one?â
âItâs like, minus 20 out there, you lunatic!â
Billy threw his head back in amusement. âItâs not that bad..â
Y/N scoffed. âOkay. Prove it, thenâ
The mullet-loving boyâs deep blues pondered the proposal, eyebrows knitting together in thought momentarily.Â
Within seconds, his denim jacket was being pulled off his muscular back. hauling his plain tee over his head, careful not to mess up his beloved mullet with Y/N stared in bemusement.
âYouâre crazyâ She laughed, shaking her head at the sight of him.
âOnly for you, beautifulâ.
He winked before his skin-clad jeans followed the rest of the fabric onto the vehicle floor beneath him, followed along by his boots, until he was left in nothing but his checkered boxer shorts.
âSee you in there, babeâ He flashed a cheeky grin, as Y/N watched with a dropped jaw as her mentalist of a lover ran into the teeth-chattering ice pool.
âOh, fuck itâ She mumbled to herself, undressing to only her lace underwear and mothers necklace.
Shoving the car door open, Billyâs eyes widened at the image of his semi-naked girlfriend jogging towards him, as she dive bombed into the lake.
Falling into hysterics as she popped up from beneath the icy depths regretful of her decision âF-fuck me, thats fucking freezing!â.
He quickly enveloped her into an embrace in an attempt to share body heat. âYou know, if it werenât so damn cold, Iâd have a boner as long as my arm right nowâ
Y/N howled in response, âGood to knowâ. Her arms wrapped tight around Billyâs neck, shivering, before smashing their lips together as he dragged them both underneath the water, earning a high-pitched squeal from Y/N.
The couple played around like little kids on vacation in the creek; jumping off of rocks and doing handstands beneath the current, until eventually the bitterness grew too much to handle. Running back hand in hand to the warmth and comfort of Billyâs car, they cranked up the heating and wrapped themselves in blankets that were kept on the backseat.
âOh man, I can actually feel my toes again! I have toes, Billy!â
âI can feel my dick again, look!â He gestured towards his upstanding member wearing an inviting grin.
After a quick session in the backseat in celebration of Billyâs penis regaining feeling, clothes were pulled back on and Billy started up the car again, pulling out onto the road and headed back home before Y/Nâs dad would start panicking.
The radio hummed low in the background. Y/N had her sketchbook back out, pencil held between her teeth as she gazed out at the towering trees that enclosed the winding roads.Â
Billyâs eyes traced over the image of his girlfriend beside him.Â
âWhat?â She smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her petite ear with a hesitant laugh.
âI love youâ He stated again, more confident this time. âWhen I look at you, when Iâm with you, everything just.. makes senseâ. Billy explained, his eyebrows creasing together in realisation of how deeply heâd fallen for this girl.
Y/Nâs eyes watching the man before her, the one who was renowned for not catching feelings by everyone, baring his heart to her. âWhen I first noticed you sat on that bench at lunch, sketching the wilting flowers in the schoolyard, i thought âwow, iâm going to love that girl foreverââÂ
Billy laughed lightly, âi, uh, i love you more than life itself, Y/N, and thats the beginning and end of everything and I, I just thought you should knowâ
Y/Nâs eyes brimmed with sudden overwhelming waves of emotion, scrunching up her sleeve to wipe away the leaking as Billy stared at the girl who brought purpose into his chaotic life - so complete with happiness.Â
And in that moment, nothing else existed.
Billyâs eyes fluttered opened from his dazed state, greeted to red and blue flashing lights illuminating his hazy vision.
Raising his hand in confusion to the pulsating ache on his head, his breathing hitched as he noticed scarlet blood covering his hands, trickling like a stream down his face.
Instantly, his neck snapped to the passenger side beside him and a heavy sickness wallowed in the pit of his stomach.Â
The image of the one who owned his heart, crumbled against the dashboard of his Camaro.Â
A black Ford pummelled into the door on her side, the windows now non-existent and her petite hand somehow wrapped loosely around her pendant.
âY/Nâ He called, pushing the hair out of her face and shaking her shoulder slightly.Â
âY/N, wake upâ.. He breathed, leant over her lifeless body, wincing in pain as he moved.Â
âWake up, Y/N. Iâm not fucking around, okay?â his voice cracking.Â
Billy placed two shaky fingers to her cold neck in a desperate attempt to feel for something, anything.Â
Hot tears pricked his ocean eyes and began trickling down his face as he placed kisses upon her blood strewn cheek. Shards of glass scattered over her body like delicate crystals. The yellow book, was thrown across the dashboard, decorated with splats of red, like violent paint.
âWake up, p-please. Donât do this to me, dont- no..â
Billyâs hands tugged at his curls in frustration, confusion, anger.
âSomeone fucking help!â He screamed out towards the paramedics helping the man who was in the other car.
âiâll carry my lonely forever, maybe to feel, is my only purpose in lifeâ Y/N recited a piece of poetry sheâd scribbled down into her book. It was enscrawled next to the image of a young woman sat on a park bench.
Billy propped up on his elbow as they were perched upon the roof of Y/Nâs house, the sun began setting as it allowed the moon to take over her shift.Â
âWhat do you think your purpose in life is, Bill?âÂ
The boy sucked on his cigarette, the amber tip reddening before he pulled away, inhaling then exhaling the toxins into the warm mid-summer air.Â
His lip scraped under his teeth as he pondered the answer to her philosophical question.
He draped his body over her lifeless physique, stroking her hair. âYouâre okayâ He sniffed, wiping his eyes on the shoulder of his ripped denim jacket. âweâre- weâre okay, right?â his voice breaking off in places as he whispered gently into her ear, âyouâre okayâ a desperate final attempt to convince himself that Y/N was just conscious, that it was okay, that everything was okay, that she was okay.
As ferocious wails crashed through his limp body, Billy refused to leave Y/Nâs side, only having to be forcibly dragged away, punching a paramedic who tried to remove his hand from hers, once his love was finally announced deceased.Â
~ âiâll never forgetâ