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Billy survives.
He doesn’t want to just return home to Neil- especially not after all that had happened. Since the government wants everyone to be very hush-hush about Starcourt, he’s going to use their need for silence to his advantage.
He starts to barter with the officials who are breathing down his neck for answers, saying he’ll tell them all that he knows and what happened with him if in turn, he gets a new identity and a place to live. He wants the public, wants his father, to believe Billy Hargrove is dead, so he can take on a new name and a new identity to be as far away from Neil as he can be.
The officials begrudgingly agree. Once Billy is released from the hospital to his new apartment, he’s instructed to stay in for at least a few months to a year until everything completely calms down, and frankly he’s bored as shit by the third week that rolls around. He’s stuck on his own without much to do, but he thoroughly enjoys having the chance to sit in the living room for once and watch some shows on TV that pique his interest, even if he ends up flipping through the channels after a few minutes. Plus, having his groceries and other necessities delivered to him every two weeks or so was a convenient addition- he just wished they’d give him some cigarettes.
Once a month rolls by, he gets a call. He’s allowed to have visitors now, and he wants to laugh at that because who the hell would want to visit him? The person on the line says they’ll be informing at least one member of his immediate family, and his bitter amusement is cut short as he blanches at their words. Would they be notifying his father of his whereabouts?
The call is over before he can ask, and Billy sits the next few days in tense silence, ever awaiting for Neil Hargrove to barge into his new home, shattering what was supposed to be his long-sought safe place. He feels scared for the first time in a while, and it makes his still healing scars ache.
Then, one quiet, early morning, the doorbell buzzes. Billy is awoken by it, and he drags himself out of bed to throw on a shirt, barely conscious until he takes the first step out of his room, a jolt of fear waking up him.
Was Neil at the door?
His blood runs cold, and he almost reverts back to the same terrified child he once was when his mother left. He feels the prickly sensation crawl up his stomach to his throat, can already feel the grip on his neck from the enraged man he once resided with. He couldn't do shit to fight back before, and with his injuries...he doesn't want to think too hard about what would happen.
Billy continues to walk, footsteps silent even on wood, and he slowly, slowly unlocks his front door.
As it turns out, Max stands in front of him instead, a tall woman in a pressed pantsuit hovering right behind her. She’s holding a plastic bag in her hands and seems very tense, barely looking at Billy when he opens the door enough to see them better.
Billy can breathe again.
“Max,” he says, glancing at his younger sister before looking away just as she did. “Didn’t expect you to be the one coming.”
Max doesn’t respond, but even with her avoiding eye contact, she's clearly on the verge of tears. Before Billy can say anything more, the girl throws her arms around him, trying so hard to hold back her sobs that her body trembles from the effort. Billy’s chest tightens and he places a hand on her back, unsure of how to react to her onslaught of feelings- feelings for him of all things.
They eventually make their way into the living room, and Billy is…uncomfortable. He and Max barely spoke to one another even before the Byers incident, and while the woman standing off to the side and keeping a close watch on them both didn’t help, Max being an open emotional mess was the weirdest thing for him. He’s seen her cry a few times, sure, usually because of something he did, but this was different. Her tears weren’t due to fear or anger, they were happy. He could tell it was rather new to her too. She seems to have a hard time keeping a hold of herself even as she tries to talk to him normally.
“Me and my friends all chipped in,” Max gestures to the bag she placed on the coffee table with shaking hands. “I mean, Steve did most of it because he has- well, had a job. we thought you’d be bored since you have to be in hiding for a while.”
Reaching into the bag, she pulls out a box, stark white, stylized letters that read “VIDEO COMPUTER SYSTEM BY ATARI”. Billy can’t decide whether to laugh or cry.
“These things cost a fuckton,” he says instead, in utter awe that his sister and her brat friends and King Steve all bought him a whole gaming system. “Why not just keep it for yourself?”
Max played with the tape on the box, it was obviously already opened, they apparently couldn’t resist playing it themselves before having to give it away. “I prefer the arcade, it’s easier to focus.” she says, a sudden but very familiar distant look in her eyes that sends an icy stab through Billy’s veins. She was alone with his bastard old man.
Leaning forward, he lowers his voice down so only Max could hear. “Has he done anything?” he asks, worry clear in his features. Max shakes her head, then shrugs.
“He’s a lot quieter, but…” she tries to laugh, the sound coming out painfully forced. “You know how he is when he’s pissed.”
“Max,” Billy speaks slower. “If he’s hurt you…”
“No, no,” Max shakes her head again, more firmly, earnest. “He hasn’t done anything like that to me or my mom.”
Billy leans back, watching Max closely for any tell that she wasn’t giving the whole truth. She seems to be relaxed, as relaxed as she could be at least. “If anything goes down, stay with the Sinclair's.”
Max looks up at him and stares, shocked. “What-?”
“Listen, I still don’t like that kid.” he cuts her off. “But out of all of your weirdo friends…his family seems the most normal.”
Max slowly nods, a pensive expression passing over before she returns to the original topic at hand, not wanting to further expand on anything else. “There’re a few games already inside the box, you’ll probably think they’re lame, but it’s something to do.”
She offers the box and Billy takes it to look it over himself. He’s unable to stop the smile that creeps its way onto his face, even though it feels weird and ill-fitting. “Didn’t know my stepsister was such a dweeb- but I should’ve guessed it by who you hang out with.”
Max scoffs. “Being a dweeb is more fun than being a loser like you.” she jabs back, tone too playful for it to be a serious attack, and it makes Billy laugh. The air clears up just a bit, but they still fall silent, unable to look at each other directly. They both knew they had the same thing in mind, to try out the game together- but the woman standing guard cleared her throat, bringing their attention to her before they could work up the courage to ask one another.
“Maxine, it’s time to go.” she says, tapping her watch for emphasis as she attempts a warm smile that just came out too wide and too fake. Max visibly slumps as she stands and shuffles her way over to the woman, Billy hastily placing the game console to the side to make his way over to the door along with them. He stiffly opens it for the both of them, watching them both trek down the hallway away from his apartment, his chest feeling loose yet empty all at once as he realizes he has no idea when or if Max will be able to visit again.
Then, she stops in her tracks, her hands tightening into fists for a moment before she forces them back into a relaxed state, whirling around to finally face Billy directly.
“Thanks,” Max blurted out. “For…not being dead.”
Billy was caught off guard to say the least, and he felt a heavy pang hit his heart. “Uh, yeah. Thanks for the Atari.”
Max gives a pressed smile, turning away for the final time and wiping at her face before rushing to join with the impatient woman who stopped just by the corner. Billy waits until they're completely out of sight to close the door, taking a beat to redo all the locks, his vision blurring while his hand shakes on the last latch.
Thanks for not being dead.
Billy didn’t know just how much he needed to hear that someone was glad he was alive. He doesn't know what he'll do with himself after his year of waiting is up, but he feels a moment of hope come to him for the first time in a while despite it all.