Even Stranger Things

"See this little one? It's going to point at the three and that's when I'll be home."

"Three."

"Three."

El made a nearly silent sound of distress and stared up at Harry with big sad eyes. Sirianna was so - so… proud? Yes, Sirianna was so proud of her brother though because he hitched his bag up on his shoulder and shook his head.

"You'd hate it," Harry told El. He pointed again at the clock that he took off the wall of the living room to give El. "Three."

El pulled her legs up to her chest with the clock smashed between her torso and knees and nodded rather miserably. It was sad, Sirianna very nearly said that Harry should stay home with her.

Harry would like that, Sirianna was sure. El would like it as well. Sirianna would not like it though and neither would Chief Hopper who very firmly told them they had to go to school before he left for work that morning.

He also sighed at them and made ‘a face' —

Sirianna groaned when someone knocked on the door. It had already been rather uncomfortable, sharing a bed with Harry and El.

How could she not though? When Harry told her about his nightmares and the fears that kept him awake when they were apart? He only mentioned it for a second, but if he mentioned it at all then it was important to him. So Sirianna happily piled in bed with Harry and El and was once again kicked all night long.

They had nightmares, Sirianna could tell. She did not. Ever.

Sirianna lifted her head in time to see the door being shoved, the dresser in front of it sliding as it moved. Chief Hopper poked his head in and narrowed his eyes at the bed.

Harry had a leg dangling off the side, El was curled in Harry's side like a sweet little kitten. Sirianna had El's legs trapping hers to the bed.

"Seriously?" Chief Hopper whispered loudly, obviously referring to them all sharing a bed. "There's a fucking couch and recliner."

There was, but Harry couldn't sleep without Sirianna around. And it wasn't kind to make El sleep alone when she would be scared and wanting Harry.

Sirianna said nothing, she didn't want to wake up the other two before she had to.

"Jesus Christ." Chief Hopper sighed and then made a face. It wasn't necessarily angry, but it certainly wasn't happy. "Whatever. You and Harry need to go to school, take your new sister shopping with you afterward. Harry's in charge, got it?"

Sirianna couldn't fathom why Chief Hopper would want Harry to be in charge. If Harry were truly in charge, they would never go shopping or to get him an eye exam.

"Sure," she said placatingly. "Um…" she tilted her head, thought Chief Hopper seemed to be headed to work. "Have a good day?" she offered.

Chief Hopper snorted at her.

So they had to go to school and Sirianna was so proud of Harry for taking care of El before they left. He gave her a clock to keep track of the time, he laid out food and drinks in the kitchen for her.

It reminded Sirianna of how he used to dote on their owl, Hedwig. Except El wasn't a bird, or their sister, but a scared girl who really was quite sweet in her own strange and silent way.

"We'll see you at three," Sirianna told El when she heard Billy's car horn beep outside. "Don't forget to take a shower and eat, okay?"

El stared at Harry pleadingly and Harry gently shook his head.

"Hop said I had to go," Harry said quietly. He reached out to squeeze El's fingers briefly. "You'd hate it."

Like Harry did, was what he didn't say. Harry hated school, he hated the teasing and the cruel comments. Harry hated when Sirianna let go of his hand and Harry - Harry…

Harry hated feeling as if he were being left behind.

"If you're too old to share a bed with me, but I'm not… does - it doesn't make any sense. We're the same age?"

Sirianna wasn't trying to leave him behind. It was so difficult. It was impossible to walk the line she was on. Harry might feel better about life, about freedom, if he had the things he used to have - classes he enjoyed, friends to laugh with, something to occupy him. But if it was making him unhappy then what was the point in trying to force those things?

It was an impossible line and Sirianna didn't know what was best for him.

"We have to go," Sirianna said when there was another honk, somehow sounding rather impatient. She grabbed Harry's hand and pulled gently. "We'll be back," she promised El.

"Three," Harry called over his shoulder.

Sirianna heard El's quiet little "Three" as they hurried for the front door and it made her sad. Harry was right though, El would hate school. And it might not be safe for her to even go - not if they were close to where she had been held at as Harry sort of told her was true.

It was all a mess, though Harry oddly thought that Chief Hopper would somehow fix it. He had filled Sirianna in on what she missed while she had been with Chrissy, then said that ‘Hop' was going to rescue Will Byers.

Sirianna highly doubted that anyone could rescue Will Byers if he was taken by the White Coats, but she hoped he could all the same.

"Are you ready?" Sirianna asked Harry, trying to make it sound all very exciting. Harry sort of mimicked Sirianna sometimes, maybe if she was more upbeat, more peppy, then Harry would act happier.

If he acted happy, maybe he would eventually be happy.

Harry nodded. Unhappily.

Sirianna would try harder. There were lots of reasons for her to be happy - she was free, Harry was free, El was free. Sirianna had a friend, she had a first kiss, she could be a part of Chrissy's cheerleading team if her audition during gym went well.

Will Byers had been taken by White Coats and Benny had been killed… but Sirianna couldn't do anything about that. Sirianna couldn't save Will Byers or bring Benny back.

She could paste a smile on her face and trick Harry into being happy though.

It wasn't altogether hard at the moment, not with Billy's jacket still wrapped around her - she might never return it. And certainly not with Billy leaning out his window, staring at her through his dark sunglasses.

"Better move it, kitten, or you'll walk," he yelled over the rock music playing.

"Terrifying threat, really," Sirianna drawled. She opened the passenger door and moved the seat so Harry could get in the back with Max. She stretched up on her tiptoes, pretended to squint toward the school. "What is it? Four blocks? Five?"

Billy shifted the car in drive and jerked it forward, causing Sirianna to yelp with a laugh as she had been holding on the open door.

"You shit hole!" Sirianna started to quickly climb in the car only for Billy to drive it forward again. "Billy!"

It was hard to not laugh, it was ridiculous.

"God damn, are you getting in?" Billy complained. "We're going to be late. Can't be late, you've got that shiny medal of attendance coming."

Sirianna tried to glare at him and then quickly jumped in the car just as he had been about to pull off again. She slammed the door, checked in the backseat - Harry was staring out the window, Max looked - well, rather shocked actually.

"Your brother is an arse," Sirianna told her.

"Step-brother," Max and Billy said at the exact same time.

Sirianna really didn't understand the difference - step-brother still had the word brother in it? It probably wasn't her business though, and she had a more pressing issue.

"Are you busy today?" Sirianna asked Billy, hoping very much that he wasn't. "I don't know - um… if there's a bigger town close by? Harry needs an eye exam, Chief Hopper told us to ‘find a ride and take care of it'."

Technically he told Harry to find a ride, carry a checkbook, and to deal with it all alone. Which was daft. If it were up to Harry to find them a ride, they would have to walk and Sirianna didn't know how far it might be. Hawkins didn't seem likely to have an eye doctor or a clothes store.

… a clothes store.

"Today?" Billy hummed and lit a cigarette, one he passed to Sirianna before lighting himself another. "Nah, I'm free."

"Billy," Max spoke up from the backseat and she leaned forward, "You can't today, remember?"

"Maxiiiiine," Billy sang his sister's name in a way that managed to be mocking. "Shut the fuck up."

"But your dad said—"

"Oh shit!" Billy slammed on the brakes, knocking everyone forward before he abruptly sped up, pushing them back in the seats. "Did you see that? Fucking crazy!"

Max huffed and settled back in her seat with another muttered comment about Billy's dad. Sirianna checked on Harry quickly, annoyed that Billy had jerked her brother around, and saw that his eyes were closed and his head was tilted forward on the glass.

"Nevermind," Sirianna said, sinking down in her seat. "I'll ask Steve."

Steve and Harry were friends, if nothing else. And Sirianna couldn't ask Jonathan, not with his brother — it just wasn't right to ask him.

"I said I'd do it," Billy said. He didn't, actually.

"Steve doesn't jerk my brother around in his car," Sirianna said, cooling her voice. It didn't matter how fit Billy was or how much Sirianna liked him, if he didn't care about Harry's safety then Sirianna wouldn't ride in his car again.

Billy, for whatever stupid reason, snorted. Sirianna was sick of being snorted at.

"You are an arse," she told him, scowling at him and purposefully blowing a lungful of smoke at his face.

"I must be going deaf." Billy cupped his hand around his ear and leaned toward Sirianna as he pulled in the middle school parking lot. "You said I've got a great ass? Thanks, kitten, yours is fucking fantastic."

Sirianna turned a dark red color, darker than Max's hair that flew behind her as she positively ran from the car when Billy moved just enough to let her. Sirianna looked at Harry, but he still seemed far away.

Chief Hopper would put Harry in charge of such important tasks - why didn't Sirianna know Harry's eyes needed examined?? - on a day when Harry didn't want to be there.

Billy turned back out of the middle school parking lot and his voice relaxed with Max gone.

"I'll drive you," he said. He placed his hand on Sirianna's knee and there was a thrill at the contact, a little spark that traveled from her knee to her chest. "I won't hurt a hair on baby bro's head."

"You have to swear," Sirianna huffed. It wasn't a joke, it wasn't silly. Cars were very dangerous, Billy couldn't slam on his brakes and act crazy behind the wheel when Harry was in the car. He shouldn't do it with his own sister or himself either.

Billy rolled his eyes, Sirianna couldn't be sure with his sunglasses but it seemed like he rolled them.

"The shit I do for you," he said. It was sort of sarcastic and quiet, but… but it was also sort of romantic. Billy didn't say anything else until he parked, very carefully actually, but then he turned to her and flipped his sunglasses down so she could see his eyes.

"I swear," he said.

Sirianna smiled slowly, feeling sort of giddy at Billy's swear. Billy didn't seem to take many things seriously, but Sirianna needed him to take Harry's safety seriously. It was no laughing matter and even if Harry hit his head on the window, Sirianna would be furious for him to get a headache.

"Thank you," she said, meaning it.

"Don't mention it," Billy said casually. He squeezed Sirianna's knee where his hand rested and smirked at her. "Wanna skip first hour with me?"

Very much so.

"I can't, Harry needs me," Sirianna quipped. "I'll see you - um…"

"At lunch," Billy said when she trailed off. "Sit with me."

Sirianna's smile wasn't faked then - it was very, very real.

English was Sirianna and Harry's first class of the day and Sirianna subtly watched Harry during the class. It kept her from having to look at Jonathan too often, she was sure he would see her guilt and grief that she knew where his brother was if she did look at him.

And Harry's eyes were bad, they were bad and Sirianna never noticed before. Harry opened the textbook when they were all told to, going through the motions, and when he tried reading it then Sirianna could see what Chief Hopper must have seen the night before.

Harry squinted. He was squinting at his textbook. After a few seconds of that, he noticed Sirianna watching him and simply closed it.

‘Sorry,' he mouthed silently before laying his head on his book and closing his eyes.

Sirianna stretched her leg out, twined their ankles together.

Harry didn't need to apologize. He needed to be happy.

Their second class was better, Harry must have napped or he really enjoyed their prompt they were meant to write because after Sirianna whispered the prompt off the board, his hand was flying as he wrote.

It was an interesting prompt, though Sirianna felt more sad than anything as she followed it…

If I could talk to my first best friend in life, I would tell him thank you. I would tell him thank you for being my friend, thank you for liking just Sirianna. I would tell him that I miss him, I miss pillow fights in the common room, and I miss sneaking around and laughing together at night.

Sirianna wondered what Ron would be doing while she wrote during class, having to pause occasionally when their teacher explained different ways to express emotion through writing.

What OWL classes did Ron take? Did he still think Hermione Granger was the worst? Was he happy when Ginny started Hogwarts or did it mean that there was yet another Weasley for him to compete against?

Did he miss her? Did he ever think about Christmas morning when they ate a whole case of chocolate frogs together and then Ron threw up during their snowball fight?

It was a long letter, full of questions and carefully altered memories.

"Did you know the teacher reads those?" Harry asked Sirianna when class ended. He ripped his paper out of his notebook and hastily shoved it in his pocket while Sirianna sighed.

"I assumed so," she said patiently. It was a class, their notebooks stayed in the room. It was why Sirianna never mentioned magic or anything that would cause questions.

"Did you not know that?" Sirianna asked. Harry shook his head and Sirianna linked their arms together for their walk to pre-algebra. "That's okay, I don't think she reads them very carefully. Do you want to sit with Chrissy in pre-algebra? She said we could. She's really nice, Har, you'll like her."

Harry made a very soft sound and Sirianna pretended that it was total agreement.

"Brilliant!" She hugged Harry closer to her side and made sure they made it through the corridor without being jostled. They usually sat toward the back, but Chrissy said —

And she did.

Right beside where Chrissy sat in the middle of the classroom were two open desks, one beside her and one just behind her. Chrissy smiled and waved and Sirianna was quick to return the smile, quicker to pull Harry over to the desks.

"Oh my gosh, I have so much to tell you!" Chrissy whispered as soon as Sirianna sat beside her. "So Tammy called Katie and Katie called Lisa and Lisa called me, right? And she said that cheer is a waste of time and totally tried to get everyone else to quit the team. So I called Jason…"

Sirianna settled in and listened intently while Chrissy caught her up on the - actually rather confusing - gossip about the other girls that might be Sirianna's teammates. Sirianna didn't think that cheerleading would be much fun, it wasn't exactly thrilling, was it? But when she went to practice with Chrissy on Sunday…

Chrissy seemed to be a more strict captain than Oliver Wood had been, which had been entertaining to watch. The other girls on the team were sweating by the end of their practice and Sirianna missed that, she missed being sore and happy from an excellent workout.

It would - it would be amazing if she could take the open spot on the team… Sirianna wasn't very hopeful, but Chrissy said that she only needed to bring high energy, a bright smile, and ‘good attitude' to the ‘emergency tryouts' that day.

Sirianna didn't think she had any of those things really, so she really wasn't hopeful.

The girls kept up their conversation that had been paused during algebra on their way to home economics. Billy passed them in the corridor and winked at Sirianna, setting Chrissy off in giggles.

"He's like hot scary," Chrissy said. "Do you like him, Harry?"

Harry tripped over his feet when Chrissy leaned past Sirianna to smile sweetly at him.

"Er… what?" Harry shook his head, clearly not expecting to be asked anything.

"Billy?" Chrissy repeated herself, staying so perfectly polite. "What do you think about him?"

"I don't," Harry said. "I don't think about him."

Sirianna looked at Harry's serious expression, then Chrissy's confused one, and she laughed again. It wasn't a laugh to make Harry laugh, it was just funny.

It was turning out to be such a lovely day, one where Sirianna didn't feel forced into smiling, that she helped Chrissy scoot their tables together during their fourth hour class. Everyone had made their shopping lists for their project, all they were meant to do was write out instructions for baking.

They could do that with Chrissy and Steve - it wasn't exactly difficult.

Sirianna was seated across from Chrissy, beside Harry, and had a notebook open, though she was busier talking than writing, when Steve walked in. Chrissy waved at him and Steve - Steve gave Harry a funny look.

"I totally forgot!" Chrissy grabbed Sirianna's arm and leaned over to hiss at her very quietly. "We've got to talk after school, I might have news with a capital N. Jason says I'm crazy, but I told you I get feelings about things."

"Okay," Sirianna said, bemused but excited. "Oh, wait," Sirianna couldn't meet after school. "I've got things to do today, can we - can we talk tomorrow?"

Chrissy nodded solemnly before leaning back in her seat and smiling breezily at Steve.

"Hello," she said brightly. "How are you?"

Steve slumped down in this chair and flipped up the hood of his sweater, electing to lay his head down rather than answer.

So not well, probably.

It made Sirianna nervous, he had seen Harry… he didn't say anything, Harry said it didn't matter, but what if it did? What if Steve thought that Harry was dangerous and that was why he was acting oddly?

Or maybe he was just mimicking Harry, who also laid his head down and closed his eyes.

"Long weekend?" Chrissy whispered to Sirianna when neither boy spoke all through class.

It had been, actually.

"The longest," she confided, a heavy exaggeration. "Though I have no idea what his problem is," she added, gesturing to Steve.

Chrissy's eyes twinkled like maybe she knew what Steve's problem was and Sirianna very much wanted to find out when they had a chance to talk alone.

Not during lunch though, because Sirianna was sitting with Billy.

The twins were shoved some in the hallways, shoved by stupid boys rushing to lunch, so they weren't early. Sirianna scanned the cafeteria until she saw Billy, sitting alone in the same corner as last time.

Jonathan was there as well, in the opposite corner of the room with Steve.

Sirianna saw it as an excellent opportunity to encourage Harry to be happier.

"Harry." Sirianna grabbed his hand and squeezed, then waited for him to blink and focus on her. She smiled brightly, as warmly as she could, and pointed at Billy then at Jonathan and Steve.

"Do you want to eat lunch with me and Billy or do you want to eat lunch with Steve and Jonathan?" she asked. "I would be happy to eat lunch together, and I won't be upset if you want to sit with your friends."

There was really no possible way for Harry to misinterpret that. It was excellent communication, really. Sirianna didn't realize how much Harry misinterpreted things she said until they talked at Steve's house.

Sirianna could do better, make sure there wasn't any wiggle room for her little brother to think he wasn't the most important person in any world.

"You," Harry said. "If - if I can."

"Of course you can," Sirianna assured him. "I always want you to sit with me."

Sirianna smiled, Harry smiled. It would get better, it had to.

"You are my brother," Sirianna explained while they lined up to get their lunches. "It doesn't matter if you ever want to sit with your friends or if I want to sit with mine, we are always brother and sister. It's okay if sometimes you do, I didn't stop loving you when you had to eat with the Slytherins."

Harry nodded briefly, the only acknowledgment that Sirianna received from her brilliant attempt at communication.

It had been a long weekend though and Sirianna was sure that Harry was worrying about El. It was fine.

Sirianna waved at Jonathan after they had their trays and he waved briefly, though Sirianna thought he seemed quite amused by something. She considered asking Billy to move to where Jonathan and Steve were, then reconsidered since Billy and Steve seemed to fight every time they were alone.

Which was strange and needed to end, honestly. If Harry wanted to be friends with Steve and Sirianna wanted to - to… to keep spending time with Billy… then Billy couldn't fight with Steve all the time.

"You have to be nice to Steve." Sirianna sat down across from Billy in his corner table, a bit surprised when Harry sat beside Billy instead of her. She reached her foot out, touched it to Harry's, and focused on Billy.

Billy dropped his chin in his hand and blinked lazily.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because Steve is Harry's friend," Sirianna said, truly on a roll with communication. "It would be nice if we could all eat lunch together."

"Yeah, no, we should absolutely do that," Billy said sarcastically. "Go ahead and get him, it'll be great."

"Don't you both play basketball?" Sirianna asked, searching for something they could bond over. "On the same team?"

"For now, until Queen Steve eats a bench."

That. That was exactly what Sirianna meant.

"Billy…"

"Sirianna," Billy mimicked her in a whiny voice that she did not have. "Look, you're fun, but if you think I'm going to start hanging out with fucking Harrington and his dumbass friends then you've fucking lost it. Feel free to go sit with them though, since he's such a good friend to Harry."

Sirianna narrowed her eyes at the tone Billy used, the meaning she couldn't pick up on.

"You really don't need to be a shit hole," she told him. "I like you better when you're nice."

Billy smiled, widely and not nicely at all.

"Be disappointed then, babe."

Sirianna was sort of disappointed really. It would be nice if Billy could be the laughing and carefree Billy that she had seen glimpses of all the time. But… but maybe those glimpses wouldn't be as special then; private moments just for Sirianna's memories.

Still, Sirianna swore it was another thing she would work on. Sirianna could be extremely stubborn when she wanted to be.

Sirianna's next two classes seemed to fly by. They were both rather boring - World History and Health. The only thing that made history notable at all was that Chrissy's boyfriend, Jason, said hi to Sirianna and elbowed his friend when he started making cruel jokes about Harry.

It was nearly enough for Sirianna to actually feel excited and not terrified for her audition. Chrissy had received permission from their gym teacher - who also taught health and coached the cheerleading team - to hold auditions during gym since most of the sophomore, junior, and senior girls attended the same gym class.

Hawkins High School was much smaller than even Hogwarts.

"Okay, you've so got this," Chrissy said when everyone was changing and Sirianna was regretting agreeing to audition. Sirianna did not know how to dance. She - she knew how to fly, it had nothing to do with dancing!

"If you can't remember the routine from yesterday, don't try it," Chrissy went on, chatting while Sirianna changed into the gym clothes Chrissy had given her. "Just do your own thing, maybe show how flexible you can be? Mostly just be loud and happy, okay?"

"Loud and happy," Sirianna repeated.

How was she meant to be loud and happy?!

Chrissy must have seen some of her panic because she said that Sirianna should go last, watch the other auditions and check to see if Chrissy gave a thumbs up or down so Sirianna knew if she should do some of what they did.

"Just be yourself," Chrissy said when everyone else rushed out. "You'll be amazing. And I'm like two thirds of the vote anyway, so you've got this."

Sirianna could either be loud and happy or herself.

The gym was buzzing with energy and music while the cheerleading team lined up, Chrissy in the front, to begin auditions. Their coach told the girls to get in two groups - girls who wanted to audition and those who didn't. Sirianna joined the other two hopefuls and tried to ignore the little giggles they made when they watched her follow them.

The rest of the girls were meant to be running, but they were mostly walking laps, laughing and watching the auditions. Nancy Wheeler wished Sirianna luck when she walked past, which was kind, as did another girl whose name Sirianna didn't know.

That horrid Carol flipped her off when Sirianna had been pulling her hair up in a ponytail with the sparkly pink scrunchie Chrissy gave her.

"Okay! Let's see Jessica!" Chrissy said, smiling at the girl with very curly blonde hair. "You've got sixty seconds and can do anything. Go!"

Sirianna watched Jessica as she did tumbles and twirls - she also watched when Jessica chanted and waved her arms a lot in between her tumbles and twirls. Chrissy kept her eyes on Jessica, but Sirianna could see her thumb secretly flipping upward and downward —

Tumbles and twirls, bad.

Chanting, good.

Brittany was next and Sirianna thought she was amazing. She was pretty and happy - exactly the type of person that would fit perfectly on the team. Chrissy didn't seem impressed with her though, she kept giving her a thumbs down every time Brittany wiggled too much.

"And Sirianna!" Chrissy smiled at Sirianna when she was the last one left and Sirianna - she faked it.

Sirianna made her smile as bright and happy as it could be and made herself add a little bounce to her step when she took her place in front of the cheerleading girls.

Sirianna was one of the youngest seekers in a century, she had been chosen by Professor Minerva McGonagall herself. Sirianna was the daughter of a muggleborn witch who ended a war with her love and her magic.

Sirianna slayed monsters, faced down the most dangerous beasts and survived.

"Let's go, Tigers!" Sirianna chanted, keeping her head high and smile big. She did a sideways shuffle and looked past the cheer team to the empty benches, imagining they were full of people who needed energized. "Fight hard, play smart, Tigers really have the heart!"

Sirianna didn't actually remember almost any of the moves the girls had done during their practice the night before, but she did remember the chants. And the words she couldn't remember, she made up. It wasn't very hard.

There weren't any turns or tumbles, not a lot of wiggling and looking terribly pretty, but Chrissy still shot her a thumbs up when her minute ended.

"Give us like five minutes, girls!" Chrissy told Sirianna, Jessica, and Brittany. "And rad job, everyone, I wish I had three open spots!"

"She didn't mean you, Brittany," Jessica whispered to the other girl the second the team turned away. "Have you ever heard of salads?"

"Have you ever heard of rhythm?" Brittany shot right back in a harsh whisper of her own. "You looked like some virgin on their wedding night."

It was as if everyone spoke a different language than Sirianna, she was constantly confused by barbs and jokes and - and —

And maybe that was how Harry felt all the time.

It wasn't a great feeling.

It did distract Sirianna from her nerves and the way that everyone stopped and stared when Chrissy turned around and spread her arms wide.

"Let's go… SIRIANNA!"

Sirianna's smile wasn't faked, it wasn't forced.

It was probably one of the happiest smiles she had.

Sirianna and Chrissy talked the whole rest of the hour about the schedule for cheer practice, the extra practices that Sirianna would need to catch up, and about Sirianna getting her very own uniform.

Chrissy also swore that it wasn't just her choice for Sirianna to be added. Apparently Tammy was a ‘flier' and Sirianna had the ‘right build' for it.

Which sort of made Sirianna the seeker and tripled her excitement over it all.

"This is going to be so fun!" Chrissy squealed. "The first basketball game is in two weeks and - oh, Siri! Jason and Billy will both be on the team! Isn't that so romantic? We should double date after the games! The boys always try to find the best parties, but maybe we can convince them like every other one or something!"

Sirianna didn't usually like people to call her Siri that weren't Harry, but she didn't mind when Chrissy did it. And that did sound terribly fun, except Sirianna repeated what Billy told her about being disappointed if she wanted him to be nice and Chrissy huffed over it.

"Boys are stupid," she said, her arm linked with Sirianna's as they walked their laps. "You can't tell him to change, you need to train him. It's like, well, okay, so I told Jason I don't like hickeys, right? And what did he do? He left a freaking hickey on my neck. So I stopped leaving notes in his locker until he apologized."

"Like - like blackmail?" Sirianna asked, trying to understand.

Chrissy nodded solemnly, "Exactly like blackmail."

Sirianna needed to keep track of all the advice Chrissy gave her, she was sure it was useful. Chrissy was some sort of cheerleading and relationship genius.

Sirianna sort of adored her.

"Guess what?" Sirianna grabbed Harry's hand as soon as gym ended and they were finished with school for the day. "I made the team!" she squealed.

Harry flashed a smile, brief but it was there.

"I knew you would," he said. Which was kind of him to say since Sirianna didn't even know Harry listened when she had talked about it before.

"Thank you." Sirianna was beaming, on top of the world really. There were a few girls from the team - the team - that had congratulated her after gym and - and there were plenty of reasons for her to be excited.

One of those reasons were leaning against his blue car in the parking lot, smoking a cigarette with his hair wet from what must have been a quick shower. Sirianna felt nervous for a moment, hoping very much that Billy would be happy to have her cheering at his games.

"Hi." Sirianna twisted the fingers on her free hand behind her back, crossing and uncrossing them over and over. "I made the cheerleading team, I'll be cheering for your games," she blurted out, all at once.

For a second, just one second that reminded Sirianna of the moments when Billy was more genuine with her, Sirianna saw something warm flicker in Billy's gaze. It was gone just as quickly, but it had been there.

"‘Course you did," Billy said smoothly. He dropped his cigarette, crushed it under his boot, and took a few steps toward her, closing the gap. "Guess I'll give you something to cheer for," he said in a low voice with his head tilted and a small smile on his lips.

Sirianna blushed and for a moment she thought Billy might kiss her - she wanted him to.

Then Harry cleared his throat quite pointedly.

"Three," he said, startling Sirianna and reminding her that he was literally right beside her.

"Yeah, kitten." Billy flicked his glasses down and waved toward his car. "It's three, let's get this party on the road."

Sirianna had forgotten, with everything else that the day had already included, but they were going shopping.

Which meant it was basically the perfect day.