The Next Day....
Austin and Billy stood in the staff room, Austin silently bracing himself for whatever chaos Billy was about to unleash. Morning drama seemed inevitable with Billy around.
Billy approached Amy's desk, his expression unusually serious. Amy looked up, visibly confused by his presence.
"I am sorry, Miss Anderson," Billy began, his tone firm and sincere. "Yesterday, I acted recklessly. I never intended to stalk you or make you uncomfortable.
Standing a few steps back, Austin was frozen in shock. He had figured that when Billy asked him to come along, it would be for something minor. This? Totally and utterly this was not expected. Amy's expression was a reflection of Austin's shock.
Billy took a little step forward and lowered his voice, but it remained level of conviction. "I really mean it, Amy ma'am. A lot of thinking has gone on from my part about my actions and how it must have affected you. I am not apologizing because I have to; it is because I respect you genuinely and regret much what has occurred.
Amy sighed, her expression softening. Slowly, a gentle smile appeared on her face, and the tension in her posture eased. After a moment's pause, she spoke.
"Alright, Billy Scott, you're forgiven," she said kindly, her tone sincere.
Billy blinked his eyes wide in relief and disbelief. He really hadn't expected things to go so smoothly this time. "And I'm sorry for accusing you of stalking me yesterday," Amy added, her cheeks adopting a faint blush.
"It's okay, ma'am. It was my mistake. I scared you unintentionally," Billy said sheepishly, forming a small smile as the weight on his shoulders lifted.
Amy nodded slightly. "So, we're good now, right?
Billy nodded eagerly; gratitude seemed to radiate from his expression. Amy gave him a faint smile before returning to her work, signaling the conversation was over.
Billy turned and headed out but was stopped by Austin still standing like a statue, his face fixed in disbelief.
"Come on, let's go," Billy said, grabbing Austin by the arm and pulling him out of the room. His voice carried an unusual excitement, leaving Austin even more confused.
As they went into the hall, Billy pulled out his phone, and began scrolling through a mysterious spam account that had been sending him messages.
"Alright, spill it," Austin said, finally snapping out of his daze. "What's gotten into you? Did you drink last night and forget to sober up?"
"Nope," Billy replied with a grin. "Last night, I made a new friend. Thanks to them, I was able to get on Amy's good side today."
Austin raised an eyebrow, confusion deepening. "What? A new friend? Who? And how did this happen without me knowing?"
Last Night….
Billy sat on his bed, staring at his phone. He just got a message from a spam account with some random username.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he typed back:
"So, who are you, really?"
The reply came instantly:
"I've wanted to talk to you for a while now.
"What?" Billy typed back, perplexed.
"I saw you confess to Professor Amy. Everyone else laughed at you, but I saw the sincerity in your words."
"So?" Billy replied cautiously.
"I messaged you because I hope I can find someone with that same sincerity in my life."
Billy narrowed his eyes. "Wait, is this some kind of prank? Are you messing with me?"
No, I swear to God I am not. I even created a new account just to contact you. That's how much I wanted to speak to you."
Billy groaned and let his eyes roll. "Look, I really am not in the mood for meeting someone. Honestly, I'm not even remotely interested in anyone else."
"Why not? Professor Amy already rejected you.
"She slapped me—that's it. She didn't say I was rejected. So technically, there's still a chance," Billy replied smugly, adding a smirking emoji.
"How long are you going to keep chasing someone who doesn't notice your feelings? Maybe you should give a chance to someone who actually likes you."
Billy hesitated for a moment before responding:
"I know she doesn't notice my feelings, but I don't care. I'll keep trying for her until she does, whether it's a day, a week, a month, or even years. She's precious to me."
The narration was silent for a while before reacting again:
"I'm not saying you should give up, but I think you're going about it the wrong way. Amy isn't someone who'd be swayed by big gestures or dramatic confessions. She's smart, reserved, and mature."
Billy frowned. "What should I do, then?"
"Start by getting on her good side. Build a relationship slowly. Apologize to her for yesterday. But this time, keep your emotions in check. Think about what you can gain from apologizing, rather than how you feel in the moment."
"That's easier said than done. I get emotional whenever I see her."
"Do you want Amy or not?"
"I do."
"Then swallow your emotions and apologize properly."
Billy hesitated again before typing:
"Why are you helping me, though?"
"Let's just say I hope the sooner you realizes she doesn't have her feelings for you, the sooner I can make my move."
"Sorry, that's not going to happen."
"We'll see."
Billy paused before asking: "What's your name?"
And after a moment, the reply came:
"Bella."
"Thanks, Bella. I'll try your suggestion tomorrow." Billy sent the message and closed the chat, feeling a strange mix of confusion and gratitude.
Present…
So, what you're saying is that last night, after this completely random girl messes with you through messages that said she likes you, she proceeds to help you apologize to Amy?" Austin asked incredulously, his mouth hanging open in shock.
"Accurately," Billy answered with a grin.
Austin ran his hand over his hair, irritably. "How can you trust some random spam account so easily?" he asked, his voice incredulous.
It was as if no big deal. "I don't care who Bella is. What matters is that they helped me solve things with Amy. That's enough for me."
Austin frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "And what happens when Bella's advice backfires? Or worse, when they ask you for something in return?
Billy laughed, shaking his head. "Dude, you are overthinking this. Bella has never asked for anything from me. They just seemed really happy to help"
Austin let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, whatever. But if this Bella starts asking for weird favors, don't say I didn't warn you."
Billy smirked. "Relax, Austin. I can take care of myself." He reached for his phone to check for any new messages from Bella but saw nothing. "Besides, Bella hasn't messaged me since last night so it's not like they are being clingy or anything."
Billy continued walking to the classroom but Austin lingered there for a moment, watching him. He mutters to himself, "What is this guy thinking?"
Nearby, Celeb drinking his juice overheard Austin and couldn't help himself. "Man, your little brother sure knows how to keep things interesting," he joked.
Austin shot him a look, unimpressed. "First, find out who this Bella really is. For all we know, she might know more about Billy than she's letting on," Austin said, his voice laced with suspicion.
"Got it!" Celeb joked with a grin before resuming his juice sipping.
Meanwhile, Billy was on his way to class, typing out a message to Bella. "Thanks, Bella. Because of you, Amy will always see me on her good side now."
Bella's reply came quickly. "Keep at it. You're doing great."
Amy Anderson put her phone down next to the laptop, shut it, and rose to leave. She had a small smirk as she said under her breath, "Good job, idiot," but then softly chuckled.