Chapter Text
In the middle of downtown Woodsboro, the annual fair had been set up again. Bright lights flashing in every color imaginable, kids running around with cotton candy in their hands, screaming in the distance and laughter set the atmosphere into a familiar and nostalgic feeling. Different vendors stood at their booths, shouting out the games they offered, luring kids and their parents into spending way too much money for junk toys bought for a fifth of the price one paid to play one time.
Somewhere in the crowd, a tall blond boy with a lazy grin tugging at his lips stood out from the crowd. Rather unnoticeable was the brown-haired boy next to him. Sharp jawline, with slightly greasy hair kept in a neat middle part. Normal 18 year old boy to the outside, but sure enough his mood didn’t match the atmosphere at all. His brows were pulled together, and an irritated expression was slapped across his face. Billy Loomis. He was Stu’s best friend since middle school, but honestly, for those who didn’t know their dynamic, it might have seemed like he hated Stu’s guts. Billy’s expression didn’t change as Stu tugged on his sleeve, pulling him along while pointing at a candy stand on the left side of the walkway.
“Dude, look! They have chocolate covered strawberries! That stuff is like liquid gold at fairs,” the blond boy exclaimed and chuckled before scrambling in his pockets, searching for his wallet. The so-called wallet was a plastic bag with a couple coins and a ten-dollar bill. Billy didn’t look very fond about the way Stu was going to spend way too much money on something he could’ve just made himself at home for half the price. “Seriously, you’re going to spend 3$ on old strawberries and rancid chocolate?” Billy asked with a dry and unimpressed tone, “You could save that money and buy a new CD or something…”, he muttered and rolled his eyes. Stu wasn’t the brightest, but he simply lived life to it’s fullest and didn’t really care about regretting an purchase he made later. His parents didn’t really care about him, Billy knew that. Sometimes it seemed like they were relieved when Stu returned late or was stayed over at Billys’. The blond boy didn’t really register the behavior of his parents as dismissive or neglecting, because for him, if they gave him money to take care of his needs, he was happy. Stu was out for most of the time anyway, lurking around in the forest, or hanging out at the school yard, waiting for his girlfriend Tatum to finish her cheer training. The thing that made him the happiest was to make plans with his friends, because who needs caring parents if you have a great group of friends to get in trouble with?
While Stu munched on his overpriced strawberries, Billy was weirdly anxious, fidgeting with his rings as he turned his head every now and then, as if fearing that they were being watched. Stu noticed the strange behavior about three head-turns in, and raised an eyebrow, “Since when are you so paranoid? Didn’t take your schizo meds this morning?”, the blond boy mumbled through his full mouth. Billy on the other hand now faced him and gave him a cold glare “You don’t get to talk like that while looking like a toddler who’s about to get a sugar shock,” he added and took a deep breath, which he let out as a sigh. Stu shrugged his shoulders and didn’t let the words get through his skin. He knew Billy was moody and easily irritated or annoyed. After Stu had finally finished his cup of strawberries, his fingers were covered in chocolate, and his lips looked like he threw himself face-first into a chocolate stream. “Disgusting;” Billy growled and shook his head with a snarling tugging at his lips. God, if Billy could just be nice to him ONCE it would maybe cancel out a little bit of the insults and negative things he said to me… Stu thought as he snorted at Billy’s claim.
The evening sun painted the whole sky in an orange and pink color. Beautiful. Stu looked up into the sky and smiled. Billy looked up as well, but quickly let his eyes settle back on the crowd, which was now slowly shrinking by size. Once the sun set completely, Stu shivered and pulled his shoulders up to his ears. “Ah crap, I left my jacket at home,” he complained, “I’m freezing here,” the tall boy whispered. He didn’t want to seem weak. Especially not in Billy’s presence. The brunette didn’t turn his head, “Well, then you should probably go home,” he stated in a matter-of-fact tone and side-eyed Stu, “don’t want your parents angel getting sick because of me,” he added and a humorless chuckle followed. Without another word, Stu started picking up the pace again, walking in the opposite direction than where they came from. He didn’t wait for Billy. No, he was annoyed. Why was he always getting picked on by Billy? Sure, Stu was not even half the brain Billy was, but still, he was supposed to be his best friend. From what he knew, Sidney and Tatum didn’t talk to each other in that way either, because best friends didn’t treat each other like that. Right? The whole way back to Stu’s neighborhood, neither of them said a word. The awkward silence gnawing at Stu the entire time. Did he react wrong? Should he have agreed with Billy and talked down on himself? No, he swore he wouldn’t do that to himself again after spring break, when Billy embarrassed Stu in front of the whole class, by telling him to just go to a special ED class if he couldn’t read the answer out loud, and Stu in the tension of the moment just chuckled and agreed.
Now, Stu stood at the gateway of the driveway to his parents’ house. A beat passed, where the two just stood there in silence. Then, Stu turned on his heel, and faced Billy. It was dark and the streetlights were too weak to allow the blond boy to see a clear expression on Billy’s face. With a sigh of annoyance from Billy, which finally broke the silence, Stu spoke up first right after. “Look, I’m sorry, I should’ve just told you,” Stu started, “I really don’t like how you treat me like a doormat sometimes. I could literally say anything based on my opinion, or just literally anything,” he huffed and threw his hands up in a frustrated gesture, “and you’ll find a way to insult me or make me look like an idiot. Every. Damn. Time.” Stu said with his voice slightly more raised than his usual calm tone. That was what really got Billy. Not what Stu said about him treating Stu like shit, no, it was the fact that Stu got frustrated, and the reason of his frustration was Billy.
The words hung in the air for at least a minute, which felt like hours to Stu. God, did I just ruin our friendship? Is he going to be mad at me now? Were the questions that flew around in Stu’s head like a bullet going off course. But Billy, Billy actually nodded and kept his gaze fixed on Stu, not breaking eye contact. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I didn’t mean to upset you. Ever,” the brunette boy said with an easy going voice. Stu was honestly too stunned to speak. Since when could Billy, THE Billy Loomis, be nice? The taller boy swallowed the lump that had built up in his throat, and cleared his throat before speaking up again. “I thought you might get mad at me. I know that you like being the one in charge and telling me what to do. That’s kind of how our friendship has always been, am I right?” Stu asked with a small voice and now stared down at his brown Converse shoes, breaking the eye contact abruptly. “Look, there has been a lot going on recently, and I didn’t really want to tell you, but I feel like you can keep secrets. Stu? Hello I’m talking to you!” Billy groaned annoyed and snapped his fingers in front of Stu’s downwards tilted face. Stu’s head snapped back up and his eyes locked on Billy’s face, which looked very… concerned? That was weird. Either way, Stu quickly nodded and crossed his fingers “Promise, you know you can count on me,” he replied and forced a small smile on his lips. For now, the night seemed to have turned from a frustrating tension- to a curious one, because Billy usually always came up to Stu, telling him everything without making a big deal out of it. The night took an unexpected turn, and what the two didn’t know was, that their dynamic was about to shift into a completely new direction as well.
Authors Note:
Alright guys, I’m so sorry if this was bad. I started writing it during class, and I kind of started overthinking the plot over and over again. Anyway, let me know how you like it or if you have any ideas what Billy was about to tell Stu!
I’ll try to work on the 2nd chapter tomorrow morning, and probably upload it this week at some point. I promised my friend to start a Heated Rivalry story as well, so I’ll see how and when I get time to work on both of them. :D