Chapter Text
CHAPTER 2.
If you would have ever told me that I would be dealing with real life supernatural beings and that monsters were real I would have told you to lay off the drugs. Hawkins Indiana is a small town where the most exciting thing to happen is when the grocer gets new ice cream flavors or the movie theater in town changes the advertisements out. Now the town is being run with evil scientists who do experiments on kids and even fake the death of children. Oh and did i mention monsters too?
Will was my favorite of the kids I babysat. He was quieter but we understood each other on a different level than everyone else. When the news broke that Will Byers was the second child to go missing in Hawkins you could feel how on edge everyone was. Parents were being extra strict with where their kids went as well as Chief Hopper placing a mandatory curfew on the town. I was watching the boys when they introduced me to this little girl they met named Eleven or El for short. I was ready to call Hopper before Mike told me she knew Will.
Eventually though they found Will’s body over in the lake confirming he was dead. Mike flipped out on El claiming she was using them and ditched her. Regardless of the sadness I felt that Will was dead, I couldn't just leave El alone if what she said was true, she had no family or home and its the middle of the winter and the poor girl was barely covered. I brought El back to my house and let her clean up a little and feeding her her favorite food eggo waffles. That little girl could put them down better than some of the boys. El explained to me about papa and how he experimented on her, telling me about the upside down where she heard Will.
Jumping forward, we eventually figured out Will was alive and his body was a doll that they pulled from the lake. We found the real Will after fighting some monster plant things. It came at a cost, Steve got exposed to this world when he was trying to get Nancy back. We did get Will back but he was traumatized by what he went through being kidnapped into another dimension. We also lost El, she sacrificed herself to stop the monster from hurting Mike and the other kids and closing the door between our worlds.
It’s been about a year since then. I still get nightmares from that monster thing trying to kill me. Steve gets nightmares too and wont even go near his pool anymore since that was where Barbra got taken before Will. Steve had successfully won Nancy back and they were going strong. My relationship with Steve seemed to be becoming less everyday. I knew I was losing him. Mike is having a hard time missing El, he calls out to her using his walkie talkie but she never answers.
Some nights I don't even get to sleep because of the memories. I feel as if that demogorgon is lurking in the shadows of my home waiting for me to let my guard down and kill me like it almost did last year. Its the start of a new year though, my junior year to be exact and I need to focus more on my grades to get into college. Steve usually picks me up on his way to school but now since he and Nancy are together I have to drive myself.
I was in my car listening to the radio while re-reading the chapter for my English class when a car comes whipping into the parking lot into the spot next to me. The guy driving missed my car by a few inches, I study him as i don’t recognize the car. The boy gets out of the drivers seat wearing jeans and a jean jacket. He puts out a cigarette as he steps out the car, smoking is disgusting and can kill you. He has dirty blonde curly hair that is styled as a mullet. A little red head gets out of the passenger seat slamming the door before making her way across the street to the middle school. Must be his sister or something.
This mystery guy catches a few of the popular girls checking him out and he smirks before winking at them. I roll my eyes he’s a cocky son of a bitch. I hear the bell ring and get out of my car as he is about to head into the school. He must have not noticed me because his eyes widen slightly as i get out of my car. He looks me up and down before smiling at me, playing with the corner of his lip. I look at him before rolling my eyes and heading inside the school. I can already tell what kind of guy he is and my bets are he i going to be friends with Tommy Hagan and become a popular guy. That is not my cup of tea, I have no time for someone like him.
The mystery man runs up to me, “ hey wait a second, my name is Billy Hargrove. I’m new here if you haven’t noticed and I would appreciate you directing me to the office sweetheart.” I stop to look over at him. He’s smiling at me as if he’s waiting me to do whatever he wants, he’s probably used to that wherever he is from. I smile back at him tightly. “ Actually I have to get to class. Once you head inside, turn left its about 3 doors down from there. You’re a big boy I’m sure you can figure it out yourself.” I say smiling as I walk away.
Billy stands there stunned for a moment. “ I never got your name!” He yells out. I turn back, “ I know.” The warning bell rings as i make my way into the building and i take off to my first class of the day. I sit down in my normal spot, the back of the class nearest the window and grab my class materials for the morning. I begin taking notes from the board when the teacher starts class. “Good Morning class, we have a new student joining us this year from California. I expect you all to welcome him.” I don’t even have to look up to know who it is. Billy Hargrove is standing at the front of the class with a bored expression on his face. He begins to scan the class and when he makes eye contact with me a smile begins to form on his face.
I mute the rest of the teachers introduction of him to the class, continuing to write my notes. i know he is being instructed to find a seat i also know there is a seat open in front of me do i think he’s gonna take any other empty seat in the class? No not at all. Does a girl hope and dream? Yes. As you can assume with how cliche this whole situation is and to sum this up he tries to get my attention and i ignore him regardless of how annoying this child is.
The school day ends and i meet Steve out front of the school for his basketball practice. Nancy never stays to watch him or the team practice but i never miss it. It’s been a tradition since we were kids. He smiles at me as i walk out the building towards the parking lot as he says goodbye to Nancy. She gives me a warm smile wishing us a goodnight before heading off the meet her mother in the pick up car line.
How was your day? Steve questioned. I give him a shrug. It was okay, there is a new kid that started today and he’s kind of annoying. He’s from California and we met this morning in the parking lot. We also have all or classes together which is so much fun. I answer sarcastically. When i found out that Billy had every class with me i thought it was a joke. All my classes except my morning class are honors classes. He didn't seem the type to care about school enough to be in the honors classes.
Steve wraps his arm over my shoulder as we walk towards the gym. I heard we got a new kid, what’s so annoying about him? He questions. Steve is in the grade above me so he hasn’t seen Billy as of yet or had the pleasure of dealing with him like yours truly has. He’s just really cocky and full of himself. He reminds me a lot of Tommy just less of a dork. He expects everyone to do as he says and pine after him just because he’s hot.
Steve looks over at me with a smile. “What?” I question. “I didn't say anything that needed to show a smile this kid honestly annoys me.” Steve shakes his head, “you think he's hot?” He questions. I roll my eyes. “I mean yeah i can appreciate when someone looks good but that doesn’t mean he needs to be an ass. I like his face not his personality.” Steve lets out a loud laugh. I continue to explain to him how annoying Billy was today as we make our way to the gym. “And to top it off, we got paired up for the school project together. I can’t get rid of this guy!” Steve begins at assure me that its going to be okay when the man himself walks up. “You’re breaking my heart princess.” Billy says. I jump not knowing he was behind us and groan before replying. “ I can’t catch a break from you can i? What are you doing here now?” I question him. He eyes Steve’s arm around my shoulders before looking at me. “I’m here to try out for the basketball team. If you’re already going to be there I would love to hear you cheering my name” He says with a wink before heading into the locker room.
Steve begins walking again towards the gym. “Alright he is kind of an ass but he’s probably just trying to stand his ground or some shit like new kids do. Assert his dominance or some shit.” I give Steve the “are you kidding me look.” “This isn't some teen movie Steve. He knows he is hot and that girls are going to fawn over him and he is expecting everyone to do it and I will not.” Steve smiles pulling me a little tighter. “Just focus on you, not him and you’ll be fine. You do though seem to have the bad boy type.” Steve says with a laugh.
I lightly shove him in the ribs before heading over to the bleachers to sit down for Steve to begin practice. As I’m scanning the team I notice Billy stretching directly in the center of the gym. There are so many girls in this school I honestly don't understand the appeal with me. Is it because I was the only girl who didn't fall at his feet? I can just tell the type of guy he is and its not someone I want in my life. He reminds me to much of someone else, someone that almost killed me. I guess Billy felt my eyes on him, he looks up and winks at me before focusing back on the practice. This is going to be a long year.