#karen wheeler tw

[cbrosa-archived]

the only k*ren and billy scene that i would accept:

[harringroveera]

Steve has concerns…for the car

[shieldofiron]

Steve who’s convinced that Billy is straight. I mean convinced. He was the only lunatic in the world who would start liking a girl more after she waved a gun in his face… And it turned out that after Billy apologized to Lucas, Steve was next on the list. And he was having some kinds of feelings about it.

Goes through all seven levels of hell because he’s had guy crushes before sure, but it’s never been like this. Not when Billy’s apologizing in the parking lot, spitting fire with a black eye that Steve doesn’t remember putting there. Not when Steve finally stutters out the explanation he came up with Hopper when they all got back, and Billy had cracked, patting a hand on Steve’s shoulder. That shoulder felt warm for the rest of the day.

And then he saw Billy leaning over Aimee Parkinson and his whole body turned to ice for a second. It was probably just a break up thing. Like his feelings were just acting up. After all Steve still likes girls. Still got interested… but then sometimes he would think about that warm shoulder, about hands that never had scrapes on them. Billy just had really nice hands, ok?

He was able to ride that explanation for another few months, hands shaking when they made contact in gym or when he handed him a beer those infrequent nights when he’d go on a drive and find Billy’s car out by the quarry. Just getting over Nancy still, the feelings spilling over. And sometimes guys get man crushes when they want to be friends. Right?

It’s only that day at Starcourt when he sees Billy drive his car into Mrs Wheeler’s station wagon to try to stop her from hitting Nancy that it hits him. This shit isn’t going away. Not that there’s much time to think of it. Between the fireworks and Steve’s throbbing head there was Billy. Billy hustling El away when Mrs Wheeler dragged her to the monster and promptly melted into it, absorbed. Billy, who was the first person to hug Mike Wheeler after, telling him it was going to be ok, that his mom loved him, Billy knew she did.

Between late nights at the hospital, and waking up to one of those nice hands laid over his. They were friends. And it was a level of hell as of yet unimagined.

Friends, as it turned out, got jobs together. Fucking Keith loved Billy. Thought he was a laugh riot because Billy could quote some stupid British movie from memory. Because Billy was a nerd, underneath all the swagger and the unbuttoned shirts. And even that made Steve’s knees weak.

Eventually Robin clues him in. Gives him a word. Turns out liking guys and girls and basically whoever he likes is not the singular suffering of one Steven Alessandro Harrington. And it’s nice to have the word for it, even if he can’t do jack about it.

And then one night they’re shooting the shit after a late shift. Billy’s got his shirt off and his family video vest on, because he’s a demon from the fifth dimension. And Steve’s got extra cologne on because they’re hanging out. And they’re talking about how El wants her powers back and… Billy starts crying.

He starts babbling about Mrs Wheeler, how it’s Billy’s fault, all of it. Because she was driving out on that road to meet him.

Steve turns to ice again. Because he knew Billy was straight but… this…

But Billy keeps crying. Talking about his dad, how his dad always wants him to be a man. That he had to lie he had a date tonight just to be here. And how Billy thought if a rumor started with the moms in town it would finally get back to his dad, and his dad would believe it and lay off him. Believe that Billy is straight.

Steve lays a hand on Billy’s shoulder. And it burns, burns like hell. What did Billy always say. Looks like there’s some fire in him after all?

“What if you weren’t lying to your dad?”

Sniffles. Wiping tears away from blue eyes with his own hands.

“Whad’ya mean, Harrington.”

“This could be a date.”

Billy doesn’t move away. Those hands curl into Steve’s vest collar as their lips meet. Billy makes a noise, a sweet heavenly noise.

“You can call me Stephanie,” Steve whispers when they finally pull apart for a second. “If that makes you feel better.”

Billy snorts. “I could never want a girl like this. Sorry, I’ve only had my eye on one guy in town. Maybe you’ve heard of King Steve?”

Steve runs his hands up Billy’s shoulders, tangles in his hair, slotting their knees together. Billy can be very convincing.

[will80sbyers]

Mega recap post, today we got a video from the rainbow room:

They are also doing the vfx stuff for the season

We got Karen's stuff for when she takes her baths and the wine is non alcoholic for some reason ( tbh I think she's too old to get pregnant and it wouldn't make sense so idk what's going on - update no one is pregnant thankgod ) there's also something that kinda looks like a spyglass behind the red radio but I'm not sure

Ross at the Wheeler's house filming something, the painting in the corridor is the same that was in season 4 and not the one that was in season 1 so it should be the present, it also kinda looks like there's a hand in the shot on the left in the monitor but I'm not 100% sure that it's a hand... I'm not sure but it seems that maybe they are filming where the fireplace is because there's a color like flames there... idk maybe these are scenes with Holly?

[tvstrangerthings]

Stranger Things | 4.07 The Massacre at Hawkins Lab

[intothedysphoria]

Going from a social outcast to seemingly universally desired was a change that Billy found himself sorely lacking the capacity to deal with.

It felt like barely a year ago he was just the fat kid with the asshole dad. The kid who was more comfortable speaking Irish than English. The weird kid who couldn’t sit still in class and had “outbursts” that would leave a classroom completely overturned.

Now he’d lost weight (not by choice), had to speak English if he didn’t want to be uprooted for a third time and was supposedly taking his adderall post ADHD diagnosis. Neil was still an asshole but that would never change.

He was desirable now. A hot commodity. Had the approval of everyone apart from his own fucking dad.

In short, Billy was absolutely miserable.

He missed California a lot. He missed Belfast even more. He missed being fat. He missed his mam and grandad. He missed everything.

Showing any signs of weakness was how it started though. So Billy did what he always did. He adapted.

Harrington was weird. Taking the crown from him was almost too easy. For all the talk he’d been fed about King Steve, what Billy got was a teenager who couldn’t make eye contact, spent an hour reading two pages of a textbook and walked like a penguin when nobody was watching.

Good thing Billy didn’t mind weird.

The usual taunts didn’t really work. All it really achieved was getting Harrington flat on his back on the gym floor and that got Billy thinking about sex which wasn’t helpful.

Harrington just stared up at him with these big startled eyes. Like a damn deer. The pointed star he wore around his neck swayed as Billy let him up. Jewish maybe. Billy felt his hand unconsciously drift down towards his own pendant, the one his granny had given him.

The one that would help him find his way back home.

They fought within a week. Arsehole had Max holed up in a strangers house. It made Billy’s skin crawl just thinking about it. Especially after having to flirt with Karen Wheeler just to get any answers, All he could remember was that he was winning then the world started going black.

When he woke up there was a dead something in the fridge. He probably hadn’t woken up at all then. His body took that hint as a sign to collapse again.

He woke up again. A small woman with mousy brown hair and a nervous tic was cooking. Billy could hear The Clash drifting from another room. Christmas lights were scattered across the wall. It was the first place in Hawkins that had actually felt like home.

The woman’s name was Joyce. The house he’d found Harrington and Max and the nightmare in had been her house. She was dressed practically and smelled like paint and reminded him so much of his own mam that his heart hurt.

She was a good cook. The soup wasn’t like anything he’d ate before, probably Polish but it was fantastic. She asked if he wanted to stay the night. He said no.

Neil would be waiting. He always was.

Neil had burned the damn book. The one Billy had wrote when he was seven, colouring all the words in orange and white and green. It hurt more than any punch every could have.

He was under house arrest again. Only let out when Max needed a fucking taxi to a Christmas dance. Harrington was a couple of cars away, fussing over a boy of about thirteen who could have been his younger brother.

They weren’t biologically brothers. But Henderson was his cousin. So they were in spirit. Those were some of the things Billy learned from a few strained sentences of conversation.

He apologised in a way so Billy reluctantly returned one. Apparently he hadn’t realised how fucking dodgy he’d looked with Max.

Billy was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Neil kicked him out of the house on Christmas Day for hanging an Irish flag on his door. Billy went to the Byers. Joyce’s family didn’t exactly celebrate Christmas but she still gave him a present.

She gave him gorgeous Polish cakes which were fucking delicious and some of Jonathan’s old vinyls which he didn’t listen to anymore.

That day Billy discovered The Specials and tucked the vinyl under his weed stash in the Camaro boot. Somewhere Neil would never think to look.

Harrington was tolerable after Christmas break. Tolerable in an infuriating way because Billy still wanted to fuck him. The queerness wasn’t something he’d told anyone about though apart from Patrick McKinney so he kept those thoughts to himself.

He spent more time at the Byers, learned what Shabbat was, came out to Joyce in a flood of tears, kissed Harrington, wrote a letter back to Ireland for the first time in two years and made a plan to get the hell out of Hawkins Indiana.

Harrington managed to pass high school with a lot of bribery and tutoring and kissing at his place. Jesus but Harringtons house was a bloody mansion. Billy had spent his first eight years in a terraced shared accommodation where his entire extended family had lived. Harrington had five bathrooms and his own television. Not even in black and white.

Billy got his predicted mix of A’s and B’s so he was happy and spent most of the weekend post graduation floating on his back in the Harrington pool, beer in hand. He couldn’t afford to slack off completely though. So he got a summer job.

Working at the community pool was fine. As long as Billy didn’t think about the middle aged women staring at him like a piece of meat. Fucking perverts. Heather was fun though. Funny. The only lesbian he’d met in Hawkins apart from Buckley.

Neil had started acting even weirder than usual after a night Billy had slept over at his boyfriends. He’d taken to ice baths and Billy swore he’d seen the man drinking bleach. Ugh.

Max was pretty obviously freaked out though so Billy slowly phased her into spending most nights at the Byers or the Sinclairs or Steve’s. Susan wouldn’t budge. Something in Billy’s chest felt a bit sick about that.

The Fourth of July they were in the mall, the one Steve worked at. Something even more hellish than the thing in the fridge stood above them. And Neil just stood by with blank, hateful eyes and let it happen.

He died. Billy killed him. Stabbed him in the chest then the monster went away.

Steve was gripping his shoulders as he stood there, Neil’s blood on his jacket and he cried.

Susan left.

Social services took Max. Billy cried a lot that day. She was living with some family in Michigan. They promised to keep in touch.

Billy went to therapy twice a week. A guy from County Mayo who Billy trusted immediately.

There was no point really in Joyce adopting him as he was over eighteen. Besides she didn’t need to. Billy knew who his family were.

A letter came back from Belfast. Inviting both him and Steve back to his grandparents house. Steve had never left the US, had never really left the Midwest actually. Billy wanted to show him everything.

The years went by and Billy regained weight. He stopped speaking English as much and was determined to teach Steve Irish. He still sometimes forgot to take his adderall and had awful nightmares but Steve was there to make it better.

He was alive. And life was pretty ok.

[weird-an]

tw Karen Wheeler trying to flirt with Billy

El wants to go to a pool for fun and no way in hell Jim is going to trust Mike Wheeler not to let her drown. She maybe have been in water tanks for telepathic shit, but he doesn't know if she can swim good enough. If it's okay, she can come here with Mike next time. Under supervision, of course.

It's a sunny day. The community pool is crowded, a bunch of kids are screaming and Jim eats his second ice cream to calm himself - it's terrible. Urban horror at its best.

El's eyes are big, she's happy and she's trying to convince Jim to swim a few laps, but Jim hates water. It's just too wet.

So he's walking over to the lifeguard to have a better overview, when he stops dead on his tracks. Karen Wheeler is standing next to the lifeguard, a manicured hand on his arm like she's trying to feel him up. She's smiling, all pink lipstick and blue eyeshadow. Like she dressed up to go to this ratty community pool full of annoying children.

Billy Hargrove stares at her, a frozen grin on his face. Jim can see his jaw working. He looks like a deer caught in the headlight. Karen would probably notice, if she wasn't to busy staring at his abs. He's so fucking young. He's the same age as her daughter.

Jim's temples throb. This isn't right. He clears his throat.

Karen turns around, but her fingers are still digging into Billy's skin.

"Oh, hi!" She's all saccharine and sweet. Jim feels sick. She doesn't notice how wrong this is.

"I need to borrow Billy for a moment," Jim says.

Karen tilts her head. "In a minute, okay?"

"Now," Jim says. He wishes he'd wear his badge and uniform right now and not his swim shorts with a bunch of hibiscus flowers on them. "You can talk to the kid another time."

That seems to sink in a little. Karen lets go of Billy. "I'll be out of your hair."

Billy stares at Jim. He's rubbing his arms where she touched him.

"What do you want?" he asks, blue eyes squinted a little.

"For her to stop touching you," Jim answers. It's the truth, why bother making something up?

"Oh," Billy says. He's still eyeing Jim warily, like he waits for Jim to grab him, too.

"Does she come here often?" Jim asks.

A tiny nod. Almost shy, like he doesn't know if he should really tell.

"Good thing my daughter wants to come here more often." Jim searches the pool for El. She's waving at him. Like she just waited for him to look over.

"Usually Saturdays," Billy mumbles.

"Maybe you could give El swimming lessons in return."

They watch El swim a little. She doesn't have any technique, but at least she's not drowning.

"She isn't doing too bad," Billy says. "You could easily-"

"I hate pools," Jim interrupts him. "Just as much as people like Wheeler."

He didn't ever except for Mike Wheeler to come only the second place for Wheeler he hates most.

"Alright, Chief." Billy clears his throat. "Thanks."

"No problem," Jim grumbles. They stand there in awkward silence for a second. A kid running along the poolside saves them.

Billy blows his whistle. "No running!"

Jim decides to join El at the pool. He'll keep an eye on Karen a while longer.

[every-dayiwakeup]

The way Billy acts in the Holloway house mirrors how he acted when he was around Karen in that same season.

We don't ever see teen Billy's real smile, except for when he's on the court.

This smile is relaxed and carefree.

For example, his smiles here are all fake. Forced. There's an overly polite expression he wears, and it's shown in how he talks, too.

In both cases:

his facial expressions are controlled, except they're caused by different things.

he's been put in a position where he has his autonomy stripped from him.

his eyes look like they're screaming for help.

His job and car are two things that grant him what he cannot get at his house (which would be some freedom and control of his environment/himself). Karen takes that away from him, and so does the Mind Flayer. She shows up at his work with her friends and preys on him. He drives to meet her and gets caught in another predator's web.

And after, when he's driving his car, he's no longer behind the wheel. It's his car, and he has to sit there while he's being taken control of.

[starry-eyed-steve]

The streets (twitter) say that Karen is gonna get killed off. I just saw the supposed leaks and wow. Don't get me wrong, I don't really care about the Wheelers, esp the parents, but I think it's some sort of justice after Karen went after a teenage boy to cheat on her husband. Idk what the Duffers were thinking, making her out to be a pedophile, and then never touching on it again or condemning it in the show. Think what you will about Billy. This was extremely wrong and disgusting. It ruined her character for me.

However, I would really hate this to happen for Nancy and Mike. Especially Nancy already suffered so much. First, her best friend, then another friend she worked with, her bosses tried to kill her and then died a gruesome death in front of her. And now they gonna take away her mom (possibly her dad as well) after everything? I mean, if she snaps and goes on a rampage, I wouldn't blame her. Poor girl has suffered enough.

[jacksonseymour13]

Captains of the "Protect Billy at all cost" Gang. Are you a member?

[cbrosa-archived]

"happier than ever was max's pov towards billy this and that blah blah" shut the fuck up already.

actually, that song is billy's pov towards neil and karen how about that.

[harringroveera]

Jim finally took matters in his own hands and did what was needed to be done

[shieldofiron]

Moving In Stereo

Many moons ago I applied to the Harringrove Zine with a concept: what if Steve was a lifeguard with Billy at the pool. I ended up writing a completely different concept for the zine after way too many talks with @adelacreations but Lifeguard Steve has been waiting in the wings, ready to promote the Zine Preorder that opened today! The zine is made to support charity and there’s many ways that you can back it and read the crazy thing I had to write after finishing this, and all the incredible stuff the other contributors have come up with. We’re so excited to share it with you. And now without further ado: lifeguard Steve

Billy Hargrove had a new title: King of the Poolside. The whole town fawned over him, all the suburban moms who asked Steve about Billy’s schedule and blatantly stared at his body, all the teen girls who made eyes at him. Even the little kids liked him. Whenever Steve would sub in the aquatots class there would be a chorus of questions about, “Mr. Biwwy.”

It was starting to piss Steve off.

Steve didn’t mind not being King anymore. Billy could have the crown, shove it up his ass for all Steve cared. But they didn’t know the real Billy Hargrove. Despite a teary, drugged apology that night when Steve drove him home after the Byers, and the occasional conversation in the break room, Billy Hargrove remained as he always was: an asshole.

“Stick to your stand, ” Steve grumbled when Billy leaned against Steve’s leg, one golden shoulder pressing into Steve’s calf. Billy was hot all the time. Steve swore he could see steam rising off Billy’s shoulders when he rose out of the pool. Somehow he managed to do it in slow motion. The asshole.

“You can see all of the pool from your stand, though,” Billy smiled and snapped his gum, his eyes hidden by mirrored aviators.

“Then we’ll switch.”

He had to remind himself that Billy was an asshole, because for one millisecond Billy frowned and he almost looked hurt.

“Can’t be near me for even a second, huh?” Billy looked up, but his face was impossible to read behind his sunglasses. They only reflected Steve back to himself. His pink cheeks from Billy standing too close. His slightly wilted hair, curling at the ends from the heat. Billy was so shiny, chest gleaming, golden hair glassy and lustrous. Steve could see himself reflected in all the weirdest ways.

Steve shrugged. “Not my job to tell you what to do.”

Billy snorted, “You act like it enough.”

“Whatever,” Steve rolled his eyes. “One of your fan club is coming over.”

It could be splashing, but it nearly sounds like Billy muttered, “Showtime.”

It’s Karen Wheeler, tottering in a new swimsuit and heels that seem frankly dangerous close to the water’s edge. Steve twitched, the heat from where Billy’s shoulder was pressed to his leg almost throbbing with awareness.

“Hello, Steve,” She smiled too warmly. “Billy.”

“Dig the new suit, Mrs. Wheeler,” Billy pressed his sunglasses up his nose and gave her a toothy smile.

“Thank you, Billy,” She preened, and stretched out on a towel next to Steve’s stand. “The sun’s moved over here, so…”

Billy nodded, leaning into Steve’s leg, “Oh, yeah. Gotta chase those rays.”

She laughed like it’s the funniest thing she’d ever heard, and for some reason Billy did too, his white teeth gleaming.

Steve shuffled in his seat.

“Thanks for your help, Harrington,” Billy punched his leg softly, and Steve glared at him. “See you later Mrs. Wheeler.”

“Bye, Billy,” She called out hopefully. She has a bag slung over the back of her chair that reminded Steve of when Steve and Nancy used to date.

She looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, and asked him what he’s doing now that he’s graduated while her eyes lingered on his chest hair. Steve gritted his teeth before draping a towel over himself.

Billy Hargrove was an asshole. But Mrs. Wheeler was starting to wig Steve out pretty bad too.

That afternoon, he was still in a sour mood. The stalls at the community pool have these wimpy curtains. They barely gave the illusion of security but King Billy always acted like he couldn't see that this stall was occupied.

“Whoops, sorry, Harrington,” His voice echoed off the tiles and Steve slipped, hand waving out in the middle of nowhere to help him catch his balance.

Billy’s arm shot out and caught him by the elbow

“For fuck’s sake Billy,” Steve’s voice was higher than he wanted, and kind of breathy. Billy was stark naked except for red flip flops. “This is the third time this week.”

“Sorry, compadre, I have a lot on my mind,” Billy nodded and turned, throwing the curtain closed behind him. “Really didn’t mean it.”

“Like what? It better be good, because if my… fucking dick is going to be exposed it better be for a damn good reason,” Steve groused.

“Nothing I didn’t see in school, chill out, baby,” Steve can practically hear that toothy grin.

“What’s on your mind?”

Billy doesn’t answer right away. But the shower next door turns on, and Steve can hear the slap of Billy’s flip flops.

“How do you know if you’re in love, Harrington?”

Steve’s mouth fell open and he got a mouthful of the nasty pipe water.

“What?”He asked.

“Like… I never been in love before,” This was followed by the patter of flip flops. “So I’m trying to get some perspective.”

“I… you think you’re in love?”

“Probably,” Billy doesn’t sound happy about it. Water splashes on the tiles around Steve and he imagines the water splattering across Billy’s chest, heat rising like steam. Slow motion.

“What makes you think so?”

“I’ve been saving money,” Billy said. “I’m very close to getting back to California. I could go. But there’s this person…”

“So… tell her how you feel?” Steve expected that he would be fucking elated to find out that Billy was leaving, but instead it feels kind of empty and blank.

Billy laughed, a short firecracker burst of a sound, hitting the tiles all around Steve like a whip’s crack. It was very different from the way he laughed earlier.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Just trying to figure myself out, you know.”

“When would you leave?”

Billy sighed, “Sooner is better. They’re never gonna feel the same way. I’m kidding myself, you know?”

Steve scrubbed a hand through his hair, waiting too long before responding. “I’m sorry, man.”

“Don’t worry about it,” This laugh sounds more like the Mrs. Wheeler laugh, loud and, Steve’s starting to suspect, fake.

“You could still give it a try,” Steve offered weakly, “You’ve got nothing to lose, right?”

The laugh got louder, “You’re a riot, Harrington. Really, you are.”

Steve drove home with his head weirdly muddled with this news. He should be psyched about Billy's leaving. And if Billy got with his crush, he would have less time to piss Steve off or flirt with everyone in town. It was a win win.

It’s only when Steve was in bed later that night, the smell of chlorine still hanging in his nose slightly, that he wondered. Why Steve said she, but Billy said they. Like it could be anyone.

Like it could be a guy.

He watched the next day, the way Billy hung back from the crowd of girls, always holding himself apart. He slid away from a girl who was practically falling out of her swimsuit, smile frozen on his shiny face. Mrs Wheeler is staring at him, and Steve is uncomfortable to think how he’s not much better.

Come to think of it, he’s never seen Billy really hang around a girl that long. Oh he talks to them, goes on dates. He sleeps with them, or so Steve has heard. He’s never attached to any of them, he never seems to linger around one more than any other. Steve used to be part of SteveAndNancy and SteveAndMichelle and SteveAndChrissy. Billy wasn’t Billy and anybody.

It’s pretty easy to keep an eye on him because the only place Billy seems to linger is around Steve’s stand. He hangs by Chet at the gate sometimes too, giving him sunny smiles that make Steve’s chest hurt. Eddie Munson rolls by sometimes at closing, sitting with Billy in the back of his van.

Steve started to stare so hard he swore he was getting blinded by the glare off of Billy’s necklace, the gleam of his fake smile.

He showered and started to lock up in a fog, when he heard a splash in the water. The pool is closed… Steve’s blood runs cold. He promised himself if he took this job that nothing like what happened to Barb would ever happen again.

He groped under the check-in desk, coming up with the plank that they use to prop open the window when the weather is stifling, and crept out into the pool area.

“Jesus, Harrington,” Billy bobbed in the water, “What the fuck are you doing?”

Steve exhaled a shaky breath, “Fuck, Billy. I thought you were like a wild animal or something.”

“Who says I’m not?”

Steve dropped the plank to his side, “What are you doing out here?”

Billy leaned back in the water, his hair floating out in a dirty blonde halo, “Taking a dip. It was hot as hell today. You wanna come in?”

“I just showered.”

Billy shook his head, “Haven’t seen you in the pool all summer. Can you even swim?”

“How do you think I got the job, asshole?” Steve frowned.

“So prove it, asshole,” Billy grinned.

Steve grumbled, hating Billy for baiting him and hating himself for rising to it.

“There’s that King Steve spirit,” Billy smiled smugly. “Feels good, right?”

Steve floated along, annoyed that it did actually feel good. He tried not to think of the mass of swimming kids he’d seen opening their mouths underwater in the pool all day, and just enjoy.

“Did you talk to your crush?”

“Talk to them every day,” Billy replied with a laugh.

That ruled out Eddie Munson.

Steve frowned, bobbing closer, “You talk to them every day and you don’t know if they like you?”

Billy smiled ruefully, “I know they don’t.”

Steve rolled his head back into the water, “You could tell them. What’s the harm, if you might leave soon? No regrets, right?”

Billy doesn’t respond, but Steve was content enough to wait, his face turned up towards the late afternoon sunset, eyes closed. He hadn’t gotten into a pool for pleasure in so long.

It almost felt like the water lapping up, brushing Steve’s face. A warm press, something soft brushing his lips. If it hadn’t been for the stifled moan, Steve might have thought it was the pool.

He opened his eyes, and Billy was covering his mouth with his hand, swimming backwards. Steve could see his own shock reflected back in Billy’s bare blue eyes.

“Sorry,” Billy said, “Fuck, I’m… I’m sorry.”

Steve blinked at him, his brain still catching on to what happened.

“I’m so-” Billy swam swiftly to the edge of the pool, pulling himself out, shaking his head.

He kissed him. Billy kissed him?

It didn’t make sense. Steve’s game has been shot. He hadn’t gotten a single date this summer, nor a single kiss. He’d been a dick to Billy, snapping at him with the slightest provocation. He wasn’t King Steve anymore and Billy could have anyone he wanted.

He was slammed out of his reverie when the gate slams shut, leaving Steve alone, bobbing like a cork.

Billy didn’t come to work the next day. Or the next. Steve felt like he was going through his days under water, in slow motion.

“He quit,” Heather raised one perfect brow, “Will you mop up in the boys bathroom? Some kid threw up a hot dog.”

Steve didn’t exactly want to clean up hot dog but it wasn’t like there was Billy around to hang out with. Billy to jostle and scowl at, Billy to float on the water with. Billy to kiss…

Later, Billy asked Steve when he realized, when he decided he needed to rush over to Cherry Lane right away and bang on the window until Billy opened up. Billy asked when Steve decided to kiss Billy then and there, in front of God and everybody.

Steve didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was when he was mopping up chunks of hot dog, chlorine clogging his nostrils, nothing to do but think. Billy had said he loved someone. Someone he talked to every day, who didn’t like him much. Someone who could be a boy. Someone like Steve.

“You’re an asshole,” Steve laughed as he flopped through Billy’s window and wrapped his arms around him. Billy didn’t gleam like he did at the pool, all shiny surfaces. But he kissed Steve like he meant it, reflected back all the mixed up feelings swirling in Steve’s chest. All of this and in slow motion too.

[local-redhead-bookworm]

It is not misogynistic for people to have a problem with Karen grooming Billy for nine months and stalking him to the point of having his work schedule memorized. It’s not misogynistic to have a problem with Cara seeing no issue with the dynamic and actually pushing for more.

It IS misogynistic to only ask Natalia about ships and to reduce Nancy to a love triangle, to harass Grace off Twitter over the idea of Eddie being with a girl, to only write Robin as existing around Steve.

It’s also both misogynistic and victim-blaming to take Karen x Billy and paint Billy, the teenaged boy who has been so starved of motherly affection that he’ll seek it in the form of sex, as the aggressor and a “homewrecker” while simultaneously painting Karen as a harmless ingenue who has no control over her emotions. And to paint “Karen decided not to sleep with a teenager because she doesn’t want to get caught and ruin her family” as a girlboss move is beyond weird.

[intothedysphoria]

One of the things that really gets me about Billy’s story the more I think about it is the idea that he looks older than he is.

And obviously this isn’t a stroke of genius on the Duffer’s part, all the older teens look older than they are because they’re all in their twenties. But there’s this pervasive theme in the narrative that because he “looks older” he deserves what happens to him.

Billy looked older than seventeen so obviously he’s old enough to be physically abused by his father

Billy looked older than seventeen so obviously he’s fair play for Karen Wheeler

Billy looked older than eighteen so obviously he was old enough to die so that an entire town could live

Idk, it’s just something I picked up when I thought about the story of Stranger Things again and I wonder if Dacre intentionally threaded those narratives in through the way he played Billy. We know he’s introspective enough about his characters to do that.

[onstrangerthighs]

The Ugly Truth

Despite wishing her mother good night thirty minutes ago, Nancy’s eyes refuse to shut. Whenever she starts to drift off, she sees Barb crawling out from underground to blame her for what happened that night. Nancy would argue her case, but there’s no defense. She failed her friend. Barb hadn’t even wanted to go along in the first place! 

I’m going insane just lying here. Maybe some warm milk will calm me down.

She passes the bathroom on the way to the stairs. Mom’s not in the tub? I didn’t hear the water go off. Huh. 

The front door is open, and there’s the boy from Tina’s party who came speeding into Hawkins High School’s parking lot with his car radio on full blast. The boy Steve keeps staring at like a stunned fish. She’s shit with remembering names. Ben… something? 

Curiosity gets the better of her. She stays very still on the second step, ears and eyes peeled. 

Mom answered the door in her bathrobe? Nancy shifts her attention to Ben- no Billy, his name’s Billy. He seems… tense. Fidgety. 

“I’m Nancy’s mother.” 

“No.” 

For some reason, Billy saying that in a clearly sarcastic tone makes her mother twirl her hair and giggle, “Yes” like a schoolgirl with a crush. 

You’ve never acted this way with Dad. 

“Mrs. Wheeler.” 

“Um, I’m sorry, and you are?”

“Billy. Billy Hargrove.” He extends a hand for her to shake, and when she does, he puts his other hand over hers.

What the fuck is happening? Why aren’t you pulling away? 

“You must be here for Nancy.” 

“Nancy? No, no, no.”

One no would’ve done the trick. 

“Not my type.” 

Nancy snorts into her hand. 

“Uh… No, actually I am looking for my little sister Max. Goes by Maxine. She’s been missing all day, and, uh, to be honest with you, I’ve been worried sick, you know, so…”

“Oh.” 

You sound almost… disappointed. Why would you be, unless… No. Surely not. 

“I thought she was at Lucas’, but Mrs. Sinclair said your house is the…the designated hangout, so, you know… Here I am.” 

This has got to be the worst pretend pickup line I’ve ever heard. He’s got no interest in you, Mom. You know that, don’t you? 

Billy comes in, and if he notices Nancy lurking at the top of the stairs as he goes into the kitchen, he doesn’t say anything. 

“Their driveway is pretty dark this time of night,” Mom says, scribbling down an address for him. “So drive slowly.”

“Always.” He pockets the address and takes an extra bitter oatmeal cookie for the road. 

Under the kitchen light, her mother dies, and all she sees is Karen Wheeler biting her bottom lip as she watches him walk away, her eyes glued to his ass. 

Nancy doesn’t remember when her gun appeared in her hands, but her brain is surprisingly clear when she pulls the trigger. A bullet goes right between Karen’s eyes. 

Killing people is surprisingly easy when you see who they really are. 

Billy lies flat on the floor, hands cupped over his ears. 

“I’m not going to shoot you.” 

“You killed… your mother. God, Hicktown is fuckin’ crazy!” 

Boy, he really catches on quick. 

“You don’t know the half of it.” Nancy steps over Karen’s body and dials the number of Hopper’s secretary. She’s more likely to pick up than the Chief himself. “Hi, this is Nancy Wheeler. I need to talk to Chief Hopper. It’s important.”

She hears a grunt, and prepares the crocodile tears. Billy stares at her with a mix of awe and horror as her lower lip begins to tremble. “My mother st-started acting really strange. She turned the air conditioner down because she “liked it cold”. She-she loved the house being warm. Her voice came out all-all deep and empty. I looked into her eyes, and I knew my mother wasn’t…” she takes a shaky breath for added effect, then continues, “I knew she was gone. So I… I shot her. I don’t want to go to jail! I’m so scared, Chief.” 

“You did the right thing, calling me. I’ll stop by your house and take care of things, okay? Do you have anywhere else to go tonight?”

“I’m not sure. I-”

 Billy’s not on the floor anymore. His headlights are on. Crap.

I need to make sure he knows not to say anything. 

Nancy gets into the passenger seat and he sends her a dirty look. 

“You should really start locking your doors. It’s a safety precaution.”

“... I will keep that in mind. Now get out of my car.” 

“You said you were looking for your sister, right?”

“She’s not my sister.”

“But you said-” “I know what I said. Look, I’d prefer to forget everything said and done in your freakshow house, Wheeler.”

“Nancy.” 

“Fine. Nancy.” 

“I know where Max is.” 

“I’m not giving you shit in exchange for that information.” 

“Well I should hope not.” Has this sort of thing happened to him before?

“I know how to keep a secret. I just… why did you do it?” 

“We were always arguing. She never heard me. What pushed me over the edge was how she was with you. It made me want to puke. She should’ve stuck to her own age group.” 

Billy goes eerily quiet, hands gripping his steering wheel until his knuckles turn white. His shoulders slacken, and he unclenches his jaw to offer her a weary, appreciative smile. 

“Max is at the Byers’ house. Mike’s there, too. I can’t take him back to that house. He didn’t know… I don’t suppose you have room where you live?” Billy tenses up again. 

She takes that as a no.”

“I’ll be your guide to the Byers’. I’m sure Mrs. Byers wouldn’t mind us staying over.” 

He gives her a terse nod.

“Us includes you, Bonnie.”

Billy blinks several times, temporarily breaking out of his grim state. “Bonnie? Hold on, why the fuck am I not Clyde? Clyde’s a man.”

Nancy lets out a long sigh. “Do you actually care about that crap?”

“... No. I don’t,” he admits. “Bonnie has better hair anyway, so it fits.” 

“You think you’re funny, huh.” 

“I think I’m a fucking riot.” 

“Humor is subjective.”

“It was your joke!” 

****** “Am I dreaming, or is that you, Harrington?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Don’t cream your pants.” 

Okay, now I wish I’d shot myself instead. 

“Nancy???” Steve exclaims, dragging his eyes away from Billy’s chest. 

So that’s why Billy took his jacket off. 

She snickers, shaking her head. Steve Alexander Harrington, you haven’t changed one bit. 

Billy seems to be glowing from Steve’s attention. Dorks. 

“What’re you doing here, amigo?”

“Yeah, I could ask you the same thing, amigo.” 

Oh, Steve, you’re not fooling anyone. 

“Looking for my stepsister. A little birdie told me she was here.”

Nancy awkwardly waves. I doubt they’re even aware I exist. 

“Huh. That’s weird. I don’t know her.”

“Small, redhead, bit of a bitch?”

“I heard that!” a girl yells from inside the house. 

“I wanted you to!” 

“You guys are going to wake up the whole neighborhood!” Nancy yells.

“I think we’re a little quieter than a gu- guy who’s bangin’ his wife.” 

“Are you two… friends or something?” Steve says, squinting like he’s come face to face with an impossible math problem. 

“Amigos in crime.” 

“You didn’t tell him any embarrassing stories about me, did you? Nance?” 

“Stories? What stories?” 

“It’s a school night. We should all head inside and get some rest.”

“Nance!” 

“Shut up, Steve.”

“Yeah, shut up, Pretty Boy.” 

“Keep the flirting to a minimum, there are children present.”

Steve’s jaw drops. “WHAT? FLIRTING?”

Billy cackles, slapping his knee, his face matching the color of his shirt. 

New hobby unlocked. 

*****

“Does Mrs. Byers have any grub around here? I’m gonna check the fridge.”

“Billy, I wouldn’t do that if I were you-"

“WHAT THE FUCK-”