youre halfway through the restaurant when you see billie tucked in the back corner, leaned against the table like its her living room, legs stretched out and hand propped under her chin. shes wearing an oversized ftp shirt, jeans so baggy they puddle over her sneakers, and that stupid green bandana shes somehow made iconic over the years and yet she still looks exactly like the girl who kissed you for the first time behind a gas station when you were sixteen

her eyes lift lazily when she sees you, that sly smirk curling at the edge of her lips like no times passed at all. like you didnt break up two years ago and that this isnt the first time youve called something a date since

“hey” she says with her voice low and warm

you slide into the booth across from her, trying not to stare too hard as you reply softly and a little breathless “hey.. you look.. exactly the same”

she grins “you dont. you look older. grown. hotter”

your brow arches “you trying to flirt with me on our little nostalgia tour?”

she picks up her orange soda can, takes a sip like shes got all the time in the world “i dunno. you trying to fall for me again?”

you laugh and god it feels too easy. that was the danger of billie. she was always the type to pull you right back in with a look, a joke, or a lazy smile that said 'i still know you'

you gesture to her outfit, eyeing the shirt draped over her like a curtain “did you even try to dress up?”

she shrugs one shoulder “you didnt fall for me in silk and diamonds. you fell for me like this. dont act brand new”

you bite your lip, eyes lingering a beat too long on the way her fingers drum on the table “yeah. i did”

she leans forward then, resting her elbows on the table while looking at you with a quiet, curious kind of intensity

“do you ever think about it?” she asks with her voice a lot more gentler now “back then?”

you nod “sometimes. not always in a sad way though”

she tilts her head, watching you “what about now?”

you smile, eyes flicking down, then back up to hers “ask me after dessert”