#tw: billy hate

[dragonflylady77]

Absolutely pisses me off that [tumblr user] makes the most beautiful gifs of Billy, but they also absolutely hate him.

"You can hate someone but still think they're hot" <- No. Fuck right off with that. Take your hate and shove it and stop obsessing about our boy

[stevie-petey]

episode four: will the wise

“What do you want, Hargrove?” Steve asks, situating himself so that more of his body is in between you and Billy.  He sucks his teeth and then lets out a cold chuckle. “Nothin’, just didn’t know that this little sweetheart had it in her.” “Don’t call her that–” “I mean, her boyfriend runs off with your girlfriend?” Billy chuckles again. “I’m surprised Y/N Henderson ran into your arms, Harrington.”

summary: jonathan is gone for one day and suddenly all hell breaks loose, your hesitant friendship with steve is already rocky (thanks billy) but steve is hot when he's angry tbh, you become a couple's counselor to lucas and max (sorry dustin), and you're now officially the world's worst cat owner ever. and babysitter. but what else is new ?

Rating: general, swearing

Warnings: use of y/n, fem!reader, mentions of blood and scars and knives

Words: 5.7k

Before you swing in: hello ! happy friday, heres chapter 4 :) before i say more, i wanted to inform yall that i started doing blurbs for come home if youre interested in seeing more lil scenes between everyone. they can be found here x. anyways, i absolutely cannot believe we're already halfway through the season (im skipping episode seven obviously, since its just an entire el ep). this chapter we see a liiiil more of readers dynamics with the kids, so im super happy about that. next chapter we finally get steve, dustin, and reader so !!! hella excited about that. for now, pls enjoy &lt;3

-

Mike and Lucas split up and go outside while you, Dustin, and Max start running through the halls, shouting Will’s name. 

“Will!” You’re more pleading rather than shouting. It’s happening again. It’s fucking happening again. Your mind is running a million miles a second, you feel the cold hand of fear twist around your throat. The last time you felt fear like this was when you showed up at Jonathan’s house and collapsed in his arms right after finding out Will had gone missing. 

And now he’s gone again, but Jonathan isn’t here this time to keep you steady. 

Dustin cups both hands over his mouth. “Will!”

You all turn a corner but Will isn’t there. Nothing. 

“Dustin!” Joyce rounds the corner, alarmed. “What’s going on? Where’s Will?”

The woman is moreso asking you than the kids, but you can only shake your head at her helplessly. “I don’t know, Mrs. Byers.”

Joyce holds your gaze and you feel so ashamed of yourself. You’ve let her down again. She’s always been so trusting of you with her children, and here you are, once again a fucking wreck trying to find the son you’ve lost. 

Down the hall, a door flings open. “The field!”

The four of you turn and find Lucas standing there, panting and out of breath. He motions for you all to follow and in a heartbeat you begin to run outside after him. 

There, you find Mike in the field with Will standing next to him, and for a second you feel relief wash over you. He’s okay, he’s safe and isn’t in another dimension. But as you get closer, you notice the stiffness in Will and the way Mike is shaking his shoulder. 

Something isn’t right. 

“I just found him like this!” Mike is shouting. “I think he’s having another episode!”

This would make two in two days. 

When you reach Will, you finally grasp how dire the situation is. He looks horrible, his eyes have rolled into the back of his head and are spasming. His body shakes, his fingers twitch by his side and the veins in his neck strain. 

Joyce quickly grabs him and starts shaking his shoulders, pleading with him. “Will, sweetie, wake up! It’s mom!”

You cover a hand over your mouth as you watch, horrified. Dustin and Lucas stand next to you, each clutching your shirt in fear. Their fear grounds you, making you focus back on them and pull them closer to you. You try to give them as much reassurance as you possibly can, but you know it’s useless. All you guys can do is wait for the episode to end. 

Max stands across from you, watching the situation unfold with her own uncertainty. She doesn't understand what any of this means. Why this is happening to Will, and why you’re close to tears as Joyce pleads with her son to come back to her. 

The fear on her face is why you agree to Mike to not let Max into the party. They’re all so fucking young. Too young for any of this. 

“Will, can you hear me?” Joyce pats Will’s face and you pull the boys even closer to you. Mike refuses to leave Will’s side. 

“He’ll be okay,” you whisper to the kids, but you’re selfishly trying to comfort yourself. 

Tears form in Mike’s eyes and you just want it all to stop. Will isn’t waking up and Dustin is shaking against you and Joyce’s pleas have become more like begs and it’s all too much. 

Then, Will’s eyes snap open and he takes a sharp breath that hurts your own chest to hear. 

You release the breath you’d been holding. The worst of it is over.

Will looks around shyly, as if he already knows it’s happened again. Joyce exhales and kisses his cheek and wraps him in her arms. Mike and the others look around, uncertain but relieved, while Max stands off to the side. 

You wish you could explain it all to her, but it wouldn’t be right.

Slowly, once Will has recovered, you and the kids walk with Joyce back to their car. Dustin’s hand hasn’t left yours and you secretly wouldn’t let him go anyways if he tried. 

“Have the episodes always been like this?” You ask your brother, now remembering that he had to witness that alone on Halloween night. 

“Yeah,” Dustin responds, his voice small. 

You squeeze his hand and follow after Joyce. In your head, you’re creating a list of all the baked goods you can make with the ingredients you know you have in your kitchen. They all deserve some oatmeal raisin cookies after this.

When you get to the car, you break away from the kids and step in front of Will. He’s pale, paler than he’s been in a while, and it’s only now that you see the bags underneath his eyes. He’s gotten worse, how could you have missed that?

You should’ve seen the signs sooner. 

“Did I scare you?” Will asks, and you immediately grab his hand. 

“No, never. You just… gave me a reminder that I love you. Go get some rest, little bee.” You kiss his cheek goodbye and he quietly gets in the car. 

Joyce is behind you, and once Will is safely in the car you turn to face the woman. “Call me if anything else happens, please?”

She nods at you, already understanding why you need the reassurance. There’s a warmth in her eyes, even if every other part of her seems exhausted. “I will.”

“I know I’m not a scientist, or–or a licensed therapist but I just–”

“Sweetie, I understand. Apart from Hopper, you’ve done more research and reading than anyone else. If Will gets worse, I’ll call.”

You smile at the woman appreciatively. “Thank you.”

She squeezes your shoulders and then gets in the car, driving off. You stand there for a moment, needing a second to compose yourself, before turning around to join the kids standing on the school’s steps. 

They seem to have all forgotten about Dart, but you sure as hell haven’t. Dustin fiddles with his walkie and won’t meet your eye, which only reminds you of how weird he had been acting in the bathroom earlier when he conveniently couldn't find Dart.

The two of you are definitely having a code blue tonight. 

“Dustin, you’re my ride to work.”

“What?”

“Jonathan can’t take me, so I have to ride on your pegs.”

“Who’s Jonathan?” Max asks. 

You give the girl a thumbs up. “Love the enthusiasm to understand everything, unfortunately I need to get to work and lecture my little brother.” 

“Good luck, Dustin.” Mike snickers. 

Your brother waves him off. “Yeah, yeah.”

You say goodbye to the kids, giving a stern warning that if they find any signs of Dart to tell you immediately. “I’m looking at you, Wheeler.”

Mike groans and you leave him to wallow as you hop on Dustin’s bike pegs 

“She always this bossy?” Max mumbles to Lucas.

He shrugs. “Yeah, but she’s also always right, so.”

You blow a kiss towards the boy, and he blushes. Once Dustin is ready, the two of you head towards town. 

The bike ride is quick, one of the small perks of living in a small town. The entire ride, you and Dustin are quiet. You both know that you have many choice words to say, but Dustin still looks shaken up from Will’s episode and you’re not doing too well, either. 

When Bookstrordinary’s sign greets you, you tap Dustin’s shoulder to alert him to stop. You can walk the rest of the way, you don’t want him out too late in the dark. 

“You’re lucky I can’t call off tonight, otherwise I’d kill you right now.”

“You’re such a great big sister, Y/N.”

“Thanks, I try.”

You hop off the bike and sigh. “When I get home tonight, you and I are talking.”

Dustin looks down, but takes a deep breath and salutes you halfheartedly. You laugh a bit, salute back, and then tell him to bike home safely. 

– 

After a very long and anxious shift, you ask your coworker for a ride home.

Alex almost drops his keys and looks around, as if you could be talking to anyone else in the empty store. “M–me?” 

“Yes, Alex. I need a ride home.”

“Where’s Jonathan? I won’t like, die if I drive you, right?”

You roll your eyes. “No, he’d only kill you if you didn’t drive me home since it’s late.”

Alex exhales, relieved. “Okay, yeah. I can take you home, then.”

By the time you get home, it’s later than you anticipated. Alex was kind enough to drive you, but had you known he was a new driver who went ten below the speed limit, you would’ve just walked. 

You walk inside and all the lights are off. Your mom is on the couch with Mews, softly snoring while some program plays on the TV. She tends to do that now, fall asleep on the couch rather than her bed. Too many memories, she explained once to you. 

Quietly you take your shoes off and grab some leftovers in the fridge. Dustin’s door is closed and his own light is off, which you sigh at. 

“Shit.”

He could be tricking you into thinking he’s asleep, but you could just be overthinking it. Dustin has been having more nightmares recently, you’d feel horrible if you knocked on his door and woke him up from his much needed sleep. He’s been through enough today. 

You eat your dinner, alone at the table, and you wonder how exactly you’ve wound up here again. Monster on the loose, Will in danger, Jonathan off with Nancy. 

Seems like you can never have a normal November ever again. 

After you’re done eating, you tiredly head to your room and collapse on your bed. Except, instead of landing on your soft pillows, you land on a hard body instead.

“Oomph–” A voice groans underneath you. 

You fling yourself off, finding Jonathan laying there. “Jonathan Byers, what the fuck are you doing in my bed?”

He rubs his eyes. “Said we’d call tonight.”

You stare at him. “That doesn’t at all answer my question.”

“We said we’d call tonight, but then Nancy and I realized our calls could be traced here, too. To your house, but I promised to keep you updated, so… Here I am.”

“And napping in my bed was just something you had to do?”

Jonathan yawns. “Yup.”

You flick his forehead. “Scoot over.” 

He makes room for you on the bed so that you lay side by side. Technically he’s not supposed to sleep in your bed, but your mom never said anything about naps or cuddling. You nuzzle against Jonathan’s chest, allowing the fear and anger from today leak out of your bones as you rest them. He’s always had that effect on you.

Here, in Jonathan’s arms, you feel the safest.

“What did I miss today?” You ask once you’re settled in. 

Jonathan thinks for a moment. “Well, Nance and I got the tape recorder and then drove to her house. She called Barb’s parents, told them she had to confess something about Barb and to meet her tomorrow at Forrest Hills Park in the morning.”

“She’s a genius.”

“She is,” Jonathan lazily responds. He’s drawing small circles against your hand, which is splayed against his chest. His sweater, one you bought him for his birthday, is soft against you. Jonathan seems happy right now, or at least content, and you almost don’t want to ruin the moment. 

It’s so rare to have him like this these days. The old Jonathan, shy and quiet and bashful. 

But he has to know about Will and Dart. It’s only right that he knows. 

“Something happened today, at the middle school.”

There must be something in your voice, because the second the words leave your mouth, Jonathan sits up to look at you. “What happened?”

“My brother found a baby monster from the Upside Down, named him Dart, hid it from me, and now he’s lost.” Jonathan stares at you and you can only sigh. “Will also had another episode. His second one in two days.”

“Fuck…”

“Yeah. Got to the middle school and suddenly I was chasing around some lizard looking thing from the Upside Down. Pretty typical day, honestly.”

“I wish I could’ve been there, I’m sorry. I can help you look for Dart tomorrow–”

“It’s okay,” you reassure Jonathan. “If anything, this all just proves that you and Nancy are onto something. I mean, it’s been a year and we’re still dealing with so many fucking problems due to their carelessness. How the fuck does a creature from the Upside Down just happen to survive and find its way to my brother? I mean, what if someone else had found it?”

You shake your head. “Something’s going on. You and Nancy need to keep going. Expose those evil fuckers.”

Jonathan frowns. “But what about you? What if the baby monster has a bigger, angrier mom and you get hurt?”

You hadn’t thought about that, honestly. “Huh, that’s a great question.”

“Bug–”

“I’ll be fine, bee. Those assholes at Hawkin’s Lab need to pay.”

Jonathan throws his head back, closes his eyes, and sighs. He knows he can’t argue with you about this, you already willingly took over the role of babysitter, but he still doesn’t like it. Sometimes your selflessness makes him want to scream.

“I hate that you’re always right.”

“I personally love it.” You respond, and Jonathan laughs. He uses his whole chest, it’s breathy and deep and full of warmth, and you smile and kiss his cheek as he laughs. 

No other conversation follows, you and Jonathan are content with just laying there in silence. It’s been a while since you guys were this close. Limbs tangled with limbs, the warmth from the body heat almost too much to stand, yet just enough to love. 

He stays for a while, but eventually he kisses your forehead and tells you he has to go. “Early morning, but I promise I’ll be back the next day.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

Jonathan laughs again and untangles himself from you. He presses another kiss to your forehead, playfully tucks your blanket underneath your chin like a child, and then wishes you a goodnight as he leaves through your window.

– 

For some goddamn reason, you miss your four fucking alarms this morning and oversleep. By almost an entire hour. You’ve never, ever slept through your alarms this horribly before, and you’re blaming the Hawkin’s Lab people for it. 

Now, you know the real reason is because you’ve spent every night for the last three weeks obsessively researching post-traumatic stress disorder, but blaming Hawkin’s Lab makes you feel better. 

You get ready as fast as you can, and of course this happens the one morning Jonathan can’t drive you to school and you have to bike. Your mom and Dustin have already left, which. Fuck. You still have to talk to Dustin about Dart. 

Not off to a great start this morning. 

It takes a burnt piece of toast for breakfast, cramped calves, and a lot of prayers, but you manage to make it to school only minutes before the first bell rings. When you arrive, you have just enough time to notice that both Steve’s car and Bllly’s car are parked in the lot. 

Great. You have to deal with them both alone today. 

As you’re walking inside, you hear a few people whispering about Jonathan and Nancy. Seems like word has spread that they skipped fourth period together yesterday and still haven’t returned yet.

Awesome. Steve will definitely be in a great mood today once he hears about that.

He can’t seem to catch a damn break. 

And neither can you, because you quickly realize how weird it is being at school without Jonathan and Nancy. It’s lonely, and Steve still seems to be hiding from you. 

No, not hiding, you remind yourself. He’s still hurt, he asked for space and the least you can do is give it to him. You told him where to find you.

And find you Steve does. 

You’re in the lunchroom, staring sadly at your pathetic lunch consisting of a handful of granola bars, resolving yourself to a lonely lunch without your friends, when Steve’s body slides into the seat next to you. You look up, surprised, and he raises his eyebrows at you. 

“We need to talk.”

“Okay… About what? I forgot what topic we’re on. Are we still on the whole friends conversation?”

Steve isn’t in the mood for this. “Where did Jonathan and Nancy go?”

Fuck. 

You look around the lunchroom, scared that the wrong people could be listening in. “I… Okay, I know we just had a whole conversation about being honest and I begged to be your friend again but… I can’t tell you.”

Steve takes several seconds to respond. You know he’s doing everything he can to not completely snap at you. “You… can’t tell me where my girlfriend ran off to?”

“No…” 

“You recognize how fucking stupid that sounds, right?”

You swallow. “I do.”

Steve pinches the bridge of his nose. He’s so beyond pissed off right now. Yesterday you were in his car, reassuring him that he’s a good guy and charming and pretending to be his friend again. Now, you won’t tell him where the fuck his girlfriend has gone. 

Steve isn’t an idiot. He knows there’s more to why you ditched him this summer, something you refuse to tell him, and he respected that. He did. He hadn’t wanted to push you too far, but it’s pretty damn ironic that you’re trying to get back into his life while still fucking lying to him. 

You see the obvious frustration on Steve’s face, and you wince. You take another look around, deciding to risk it. This isn’t fair to him, he deserves to know because from an outside perspective, you’d also be incredibly pissed off if your girlfriend just up and left with the guy she has weird feelings for. 

“Listen,” you lean in close, whispering, “Jonathan and Nancy went off to get evidence about who really killed Barb.”

Steve whips his head back. “What–”

“Shh!” You reach behind his head and shove him back down so that you can whisper again. “That’s all I can tell you. There’s… There’s people who could be listening, bad people who could hurt us and–”

“Well, what do we have here?” A voice interrupts.

The hair on the back of your neck stands up. 

It’s Billy.

You and Steve break apart, but he places a hand on the back of your seat in a protective manner. You lean in closer to him, trying to make yourself smaller as if Billy doesn’t already have his eyes on you anyways. 

“What do you want, Hargrove?” Steve asks, situating himself so that more of his body is in between you and Billy. 

He sucks his teeth and then lets out a cold chuckle. “Nothin’, just didn’t know that this little sweetheart had it in her.”

“Don’t call her that–”

“I mean, her boyfriend runs off with your girlfriend?” Billy chuckles again. “I’m surprised Y/N Henderson ran into your arms, Harrington.”

Billy learned your name. 

You don’t want to know how. 

“I mean,” Billy shrugs. “It’s a genius plan. Scorned lovers pissing off their exes. But from what I’ve heard, the school’s sweetheart wouldn’t even hurt a fly.”

“Jonathan and I aren’t together.” You finally find your voice. 

This only seems to entice Billy. He takes a step forward and leans against your table. “So, you’re single then?” 

Steve’s hand tightens around your seat and you feel his body tense. Billy seems to notice this, too, and shakes his head. 

“I know I promised I’d leave you some, Harrington. But this one?” He leans in closer to you, his breath minty and cold as it ghosts against your face. “She’s cute. I think I’ll keep this one.”

A chair goes flying across the room as Steve stands up. He has his fist raised and you’ve never seen his eyes so cold before. He hates what Billy is implying about you, as if he has some claim over you, as if you aren’t a human fucking being. 

You’re so much more than that.

“Don’t talk about her that way.” Steve growls out, his face inches away from Billy’s.

Billy seems to come to life, having finally cracked Steve Harrington, and within a second he has his own fists raised. You’re aware of everyone’s eyes on you in the lunchroom and vaguely you remember Steve confessing to you how much of a hardass his father is on him about school. He can’t get into any more trouble, especially not because of you. 

You shove yourself between Steve and Billy, despite how much your body screams at you to run away for being so close to the other boy. You ignore him, and force Steve to look at you. “Not here. Please.”

Steve looks between you and Billy, sees the pleading in your eyes. He sighs and reluctantly backs down. 

“Seems like the sweetheart has you whipped, Harrington.” Billy remarks, a pleased smile on his face. “Makes me want her even more–Shit!”

Milk drips down Billy’s entire shirt. 

“Oops,” you say, without any ounce of sincerity. You set the empty carton down and give the boy a aren’t I such a clutz? look. “God, silly me! I can’t hurt a fly, but it seems I also can’t hold a milk carton properly.”

Steve stifles a laugh next to you, and around the room a few others are brave enough to laugh as well. You smile innocently at Billy, who looks five seconds away from flipping the table. “Sorry about that.”

Billy, knowing he’s being watched, forces a smile himself. “You’ll pay for that.”

“Oh, I’m sure the shirt was only worth $5 anyways.”

This time Steve lets his laughs out and it calms you, steadies the shakiness you feel as you stand off against Billy. You hope you’re hiding how fucking terrified you are right now. 

You wait for a response, but Billy only storms out of the lunchroom. It’s quiet for a few moments, but slowly the usual buzz in the room returns and everyone goes back to their conversations. You stand there, your heart still in your throat, and Steve’s hand brings you back. 

“Hey, sit.” He tugs you back down and you’re too numb to fight back. “That was awesome, but are you okay?”

“Honestly? No.” 

He thinks for a moment. “Alright, well. I’m still mad at you, so… Would it be shitty if I left?”

Despite everything, you find yourself laughing. “No, Steve. I understand.”

He lingers. “Are you sure? I mean, I can stay…”

“No,” you squeeze his hand. “We can talk more about this later. Alone, without possible psychotic spies around. Go.”

Steve bites his lip, but he’s still angry at you and he has so many things he wants to ask but you’re pale and still shaking from Billy. If he demands more from you, Steve knows it wouldn’t end well for either of you. You both need your space right now, that’s one thing he’s come to learn about you and relate to himself. 

Sighing, he stands up and, to try and make up for being the asshole who leaves a vulnerable girl alone, Steve ruffles your hair. “Stay out of trouble, will ya?”

“No promises.” You smile up at him, though you know it looks as tired as it feels.

He hesitates again, pauses for a few seconds, but eventually he leaves. And then you’re left alone again. 

– 

As soon as school lets out, you march straight over to the middle school, knowing the kids are bound to be there. Dustin, specifically. He’s managed to slip through your fingers three times now. 

Holy shit, you’re really losing your touch.

The second you find the little asshole you’re going to demand a code blue, doesn’t matter where you’ll be, and then interrogate him about Dart and figure out whatever the hell else he’s hiding from you. Then, you’ll make him clean Mews’ litter box for a whole month. 

You’re so lost in your revenge planning thoughts, you almost walk right past Lucas and Max arguing in the parking lot. 

“What is wrong with me? What’s wrong with you?” Max flies past you, her shoulder knocking against yours. You steady her and notice she’s talking to a very nervous looking Lucas. 

Oh dear. 

“I don’t understand!” He calls after her.

“Hey, what’s going on?” You try to intervene, but Max rips herself out of your grasp and gets in Lucas’ face. 

“No!” She’s shouting now. “I don’t understand! You guys act like you want me to be your friend but–but then you treat me like garbage?”

Huh. She’d get along great with you and Steve. 

Lucas looks over at you, helpless. “That’s not true!”

“Don’t look at me, buddy.” You tell him. 

“Yes, it is! You go and hide in the AV Club, keeping secrets like we’re in second grade or something…” Max’s words catch in her throat, giving you a glimpse of the hurt girl underneath her indifferent exterior. “You know, I thought you guys wanted me in your party.”

You step close to her. “Max, I know it might not make any sense but–”

“Don’t tell me you’re in the party but I’m not.”

Now it’s your turn to look towards Lucas for help. 

He sighs. “Look, we want you in our party, but it’s…”

“But what?” Max looks between you and Lucas, obviously becoming more and more hurt the longer this conversation goes on. 

“There… there are just things.”

“Things, yeah.” You unhelpfully echo, but Lucas glares at you. “Sorry.”

He tries again. “There are things we can’t tell you, alright? For your own safety.”

“Lucas,” you warn, scared he’ll say too much, but Max just gets angrier. 

“My own safety?”

“Yes!” 

“Because I’m a girl?”

Well, that’s certainly one way to look at it.

Lucas scoffs. “What? No!”

You step in between the kids. “Alright, no. That’s not it at all and this conversation will just keep going in circles.”

Max ignores you. “Did you keep secrets from El?”

You and Lucas share a look, and then, at the same time, ask, “How do you know about El?”

“Did you?” She presses, but she’s looking more at you now than Lucas. She’s expecting you to take her side, to tell the boys to be nice to her and let her into the party, but the scar on your upper arm burns and your ankle faintly throbs. Those wounds will never fully go away; you’ll carry them with you your entire life.

You know how shitty it feels to be left out, but you also know how shitty the nightmares are as well. Max can never be brought into the Upside Down. Not when she has the chance to live a happy and normal life, free from any danger and turmoil. 

“That was different,” you tell Max, trying to be as gentle as possible. “I really, really wish I could explain, but I can’t. It’s for your own good. If I could’ve prevented the party from going through what they have, I would’ve. But I couldn’t, and it haunts me every day.”

Max stares at you, and you admire how much spunk she has in her. You can see her thinking about what you’ve said, analyzing your words for any lies or deception, and you know she’s spent years doing this on her own. Your heart breaks for her.

Billy’s anger flashes in your mind. Max is an intelligent girl, but you know he’s the reason why.

When she can’t find any lies in your words, she just sighs and shakes her head. “You know what? Forget it. Okay? I don’t want to be in your stupid party anyway. I’m out. Have a nice life.”

Lucas stands there for a moment, processing what’s just happened. “Max!”

“You still stink, by the way.” She calls back, and you step back a bit from Lucas. 

“Not to make this worse, but she’s right.”

Lucas glares at you but then sniffs his jacket, cringing with repulsion. “Oh, shit!” 

He throws his hands up in the air and starts walking back towards the school. You don’t follow for a second, instead you watch as Max skates down towards the parking lot, where Billy is waiting. He has his arms spread against his car, and he seems to have noticed you long before you noticed him. 

Billy’s eyes pierce yours and you shudder. There’s a hatred in his eyes that you’ve never seen before, unlike anything else. Again, your heart breaks for Max. You can’t imagine having an older brother like him.

You force yourself to turn around and join Lucas up ahead. Gross, sleazy men are the least of your concerns right now. 

But then Lucas turns and makes eye contact with Billy before you can warn him not to. “Why is that guy glaring at us?”

You shove Lucas to keep walking. You don’t at all like the disdain in Billy’s eyes. “I poured milk all over his shirt today. Keep moving.”

The boy trips over a rock. “You what?”

“Long story, can we please just go inside and find Dustin? I need to talk to him.”

Lucas sighs, knowing that what he’s about to say will only anger you more. “I can’t find Dustin either. We were supposed to meet by our lockers after school to keep looking for Dart.”

You stop walking. “And he didn’t show?”

“Nope.”

“I’m going to kill him.” You know exactly where your brother is: at home hiding Dart and trying to figure out what to do with him. 

Lucas senses you know something. “Y/N, what did he do?”

“Nothing!” You cover for Dustin quickly, because he’s your idiotic brother whose problems are also somehow yours. You’ll always have his back, but you also hate lying to Lucas. “He just probably had to head home immediately. Our mom has guests over.”

“Guests?”

“Yeah! Totally unexpected, I know, but you know how our mom is.” You start speed walking towards the bike rack. You need to head home. Now. 

Lucas doesn’t believe you. “Y/N–” 

“I’m sorry about Max, by the way!” You call as you run towards your bike. “Talk to her! Obviously don’t mention the… Stuff, but just know if it doesn’t work then it’s for the best! We have to keep her safe!” You’re rambling as you unlock your bike and hop on. 

Lucas is not far behind you. “Are you seriously giving me girl advice as you’re running away from me to go cover for Dustin?”

“Yes. Bye, Lucas!” 

He lets out a frustrated groan and calls after you, but you kick up your kickstand and immediately pedal away, leaving him in the dust. You feel bad, you do. Lucas is one of your favorites to interact with, he’s always been the most rational, but right now you have to go make sure your brother doesn’t burn down this entire town.

You’ll bake Lucas brownies later. 

– 

“Dustin Henderson, you’re so dead!” You slam the front door, sweaty and out of breath from your frantic bike ride.

“Y/N! What’s going on?” Your mother clutches her chest, obviously frightened by your sudden entrance. 

You quickly walk towards Dustin’s closed door. “Everything’s fine, just sibling stuff.”

“Oh, well have you seen Mews?”

The door is locked. Of course the fucker locked the door. You start pounding on it. “Dustin, let me in before I radio all your friends.” Then, you call to your mother in the living room. “And no, I haven’t seen Mews, mom.”

You hear her sigh and mutter to herself where Mews could be, and you figure you’ll help her look after your idiot of a brother lets you into the room. 

Again you pound against the door. “Dustin, I swear to god–”

The door swings open and a hand grabs your shirt and flings you inside, before promptly slamming the door behind you. Once you’re inside, Dustin turns to you, worried. “We have a problem.”

“Damn right we have a problem, where the hell have you been–” There, behind Dustin, is his turtle’s tank, completely shattered. Bile rises to your throat. “Please tell me Yurtle suddenly got super strong.”

Dustin walks over to the tank and holds up what looks like slimy plastic. “So, I kept Dart.”

“Dustin–”

“And he grew. A lot. This is his old skin.” He throws it back down. Then, backing away from you a bit, he admits, “I also can’t find him.”

It takes everything within you not to strangle the kid right then and there. You start pacing the room, mumbling to yourself, “I’m a good sister, I’m a good sister, I’m a good sister.”

“Y/N, I’m sorry, alright? I just, I got excited and Dart likes me and–”

A loud growl cuts your brother off. In a heartbeat, he’s back by your side, clutching your shirt in fear. Instinctively, you pull him behind you and reach for your switchblade that you always keep in your pocket now. After everything that’s happened, you find comfort in having the weapon always close to you. 

Slowly, you and Dustin start walking towards where the growl came from. Your hand never leaves his back, ready to push him out the door in case anything happens. There’s horrible grunting noises coming from the corner of his room. As you walk closer, you see a trail of dark red scattered across the carpet and his chair.

It’s blood. 

The realization makes your breath hitch. 

The grunting gets louder as you approach the chair, and then, slowly, you peek behind it. There, you’re met with a gruesome sight.

Dart is eating Mews.

He's bigger than he was yesterday. Way bigger. Dangerously bigger.

You scream, unable to help it, and Dustin quickly covers your mouth so that you don’t alert your mother. The sound seems to alert Dart, however, and he raises his head from Mews’ stomach, covered in blood, and lets out a horrific screech. 

Its mouth opens the same way the monster’s did at Jonathan’s last year, the same monster that had almost killed you and your friends. The sight paralyzes you in fear as the memories come crashing back from that night. The scar on your arm burns again. Your ankle twings in pain, and you feel sick. 

Your cat is dead. 

And Dustin has been hiding a fucking baby demogorgon in your home. 

-

⌑ series masterlist

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[half-oz-eddie]

tw neil hargrove, slurs, toxic masculinity

I read this heartbreaking post about Neil being a neglectful father to an infant Billy.

Consider this though:

Neil was a great dad for the early years of Billy’s life. Billy was the apple of his eye. He thought he’d be special, maybe a baseball legend—a man’s man, just like his dear old dad.

But after the first 3 or so years, the novelty quickly wore off. Because Billy cries. He's a mama's boy. He’s sensitive. He's "coddled too much." He likes the beach and surfing and reading books. He loves the ocean because it's beautiful. “You’re turning our son into a faggot.”

Billy’s parents would fight over Billy’s clothes, his hair, his interests. “He needs to put those damn books down and go outside, play baseball, learn to be a man.”

And when Billy is nothing like Neil’s idea of him, Neil resents Billy. As much as Billy tries to toughen himself up to please his dad, Neil can see through Billy’s hard shell and he pokes and prods at him, breaking him down any chance he can get. Because Billy will always be soft and sensitive underneath. And Neil knows that.

He will never be the son Neil wanted. And Neil will never appreciate the son he has.

[luuxxart]

“you will always remember me, will you not?”

[onstrangerthighs]

Most hated also means most talked about, so you know what? Good for Billy.

[msookyspooky]

Fours a Franchise

Part 10

wordcount: 6,437

(Sorry for the very lengthy wait I had horrible writers block and kinda didn't want to write this 🥲 TW: Massive angst ahead and traumatic situations) 

✦

   Just like that…Just like that, your worst fear came to life. The entire reason why you didn't tell anyone just happened right before your very eyes and there wasn't a single thing you could do about it. Billy and Stu were gone and you were alone in the dark near that dimly lit barn. Randy ran off and never wants to see you again and everything was utterly fucked.

You didn't care at this point if Gale won a court case and took you to trial again or if everyone thought you really were what Stab made you out to be… Prison for possibly being an accomplice to murder or God knows what else they could throw at you wasn't even on your mind as much as it should be.

All you could think of was how the very few people you had left in this world would hate you. How you betrayed Randy even if you were only trying to save him and how he would never be able to trust you again. How Dewey would feel about this betrayal of hiding his sister's murderers or whatever family you had and what they would think. But right now? Randy stung the most because not only were you losing a good friend you've had through thick and thin for 10 years and on and off for 15…You were losing two 6 year olds that you loved. They were the closest thing to kids you had. And their mother, a woman that may not be your best friend, but you liked Karla. She was a friend in your eyes…And you just lost them all by one stupid mistake. One or two tiny mistakes that unraveled everything you tried so hard to hide…One dumb choice that revealed two major dumb decisions you've made; Billy and Stu. 

You were so tired. You wanted to just curl up in bed and sob your eyes out…Even if Stu and Billy stuck up for you; you didn't have them either. Billy barely tolerated you and it was kind of vice versa with how much bad blood you both had…And Stu? 

Stu was there for you a decade ago in his own fucked up way. He cared which was rare for someone like him and you tossed him away. You didn't feel you had a choice! He made so many threats and mistakes that could harm you or your friends in Hollywood. You figured it was best to cut ties! No more guilt, no more shame, no more secrets. Cut ties and pray you never see each other again…But after tonight…You really wish you could curl up into his lap right now and sob your eyes out like he would have gladly done for you a decade ago. Now? Not only were the stakes too high but a decade of you not reaching out stung enough that he moved on…

You were alone. You had nobody and no shoulder to cry on. Your lower lip wobbled as you sniffed hard to try not to cry. 

Randy wanted nothing to do with you…Billy and Stu looked at you as a thorn in their side. You were sure of it and things were too awkward now anyways…Gale was selfish as ever…Dewey changed to the point you couldn't fully trust him…You didn't even know if you could go back to Randy's house for your things. If he'd be willing to talk, even if it was him screaming at you, it was better than this. 

You could only take a few moments to cry; looking up at the sky for a moment to contemplate what to do. Vision blurry with tears.

Then you jerked when someone touched your arm. 

"Hey, there you are I can't find…" Kirby's face fell. "Oh… Are you alright?" 

You quickly nodded and turned away, wiping your tears knowing it's not the place nor time. In fact, time was of the essence now. Something she said made you pause before you turned back around to look at her. "Wait…Can't find who?" You sniffled out a bit trying to even your tone. 

"Randy. I thought he was with you? He told me to wait in the main barn but he never came back and they already killed the opening girl in the movie…Ya know, Stab on the big screen." 

You stared. "He was with me out here but…" You shook your head, mind racing. You thought he would've gotten back to Kirby. You had a sinking feeling at that as you told her. "Let's go back in and see if he's there, alright?" 

Kirby nodded and followed you.

✦

Randy felt that burning in his eyes and a lump in his throat as he tried not to cry. He had to hold it together, damn it! You were the one that did this! You were the one that lied and betrayed everyone!...And with…Them. With those bastards…The fact it was the people that killed your best friends, the guys that shot him, that killed his first love even if it was one sided, that ruined your life and made all of your lives a living hell. It just felt beyond unforgivable.

He stalked to the barn having every intention of telling Kirby to get in the car. To tell her to go drag you back to the car that you all were leaving but…He faltered when he looked at the barn and felt like he could break down any moment. Seeing the crowd of Ghostface's and loud kids. Everything screamed at him that he had to leave…He faltered before marching purposely to his car before he accidentally ran into…Judy. 

Judy looked at him. "Mr. Meeks? Everything alright? Where's YN?" 

He faltered, "Officer Hicks?...W-What are you doing here?" 

"Tracking you and YN while you both were sneaking off without a police escort…Now, where is Miss YN?" 

Randy's face soured at just the mention of your name. "...Don't know." He went to walk off and she ordered him to stay put before turning around and lecturing kids on drinking. The second she did, he stalked away mumbling. "Yeah right. Like Hell I'm staying here." 

He got to his car and looked under it, in the backseat, got in and went through the rules in his head. Breathing out to try and calm himself. "Under the car…Backseat…Rearview mirrors…Lock doors…" 

He felt a huge wave of guilt for a moment at leaving you before sneering to himself. "Stop being soft, Randy…Let Billy and Stu help her. They have all these fucking years." He grumbled to himself as his throat had a lump in it and his eyes burned.

He started his car and went to leave.

Randy didn't even make it halfway as all these angry emotions fueled him and he felt ready to just scream or wail or both. He felt like he never even knew you…His jaw clenched as he got out his phone and while driving down the long gravel driveway…He stared long and hard, almost calling you to rip your ass or tell you to get a ride with Kirby and get your shit and get out of his life. But God, the idea of hearing your voice made him sick. 

Not right now. He was too damn hurt and angry.

So…After staring at his starred favorite numbers in his contact list…He clicked on the one below yours…Dewey.

It rang a few times and he felt some righteous anger fuel him. You deserve this. Dewey deserves to know. He deserves to know how much you betrayed them and if he were to take legal action; you brought it on yourself.

As soon as Dewey picked up, Randy rushed out erratically with a crackle to his voice with unshed tears. "You were right…You were fucking right, Dew! T-Those guys…" He cut himself off with a shaky breath and clenched teeth.

Dewey was on the other line. "Randy? Randy, what do you mean? Where are you?" 

"The barn on Dilton Road. It's YN! Goddamn it, Dewey…YN…" He faltered again, just unable to get it out as he cursed under his breath.

"What?...YN?...Guys?…You mean our talk earlier? Did you see them? Who are they? Tell me and I can try to ID them and-" Dewey rambled off like the airhead he was and Randy's entire face scrunched up as he just… Hung up.

He couldn't fight the tears now as he hung up and sat his phone down…He couldn't do it. He couldn't turn you in. He couldn't tell Dewey. He just couldn't fucking do it.

He had his foot on the brake at the end of the driveway…He knew he shouldn't park there which was why he had it in drive and just braked it; ready to slam on the gas at a moment's notice if someone tried something.

…But he just…His lip trembled and he felt nothing but pain in his chest. You were his best friend, you were bonded together through the trauma as survivors, you were his kids' Godmother…At one point, he loved you in his own way…He could admit that to himself a bit. He fell in love with you or at least he thought he did till you both were together for a hot minute and he saw the whole time that you were…Distracted. Now he knew why and knowing it was Billy fucking Loomis on your brain just rubbed salt into the wound. As if him having Sidney wasn't bad enough, he had you too?! He actually did still love you but in a platonic way. He loved you like a sister. Karla was the love of his life and replaced any feeling he had for Sid or you the second he met her. It was something he thought would never happen but Karla did that. He loved you just in a sisterly way now…He might've even been closer to you than his own sister Martha…

…Just for you to do this to him? To hide something so astronomically fucked up? To lie to his face all those years? How many times were you sneaking Stu out of your back door? How many times was he there and Randy had no idea and could've died? Were you even telling the damn truth?! He had no idea and never would and that's what hurt so damn much. He couldn't trust you now.

He was trying so damn hard to reason your side of it but the pain of knowing you lied for more than 13 years and hid their identity from everyone including him stung too badly right now…Stu was at your cabin! Billy and Stu were in your fucking motel! He was only taking your word for it that you all weren't a couple or in cahoots together; he felt like he never knew you at all!

He released a frustrated yell in his car as the pain in his heart felt worse than the bullet wound he got 15 years ago. Worse than nearly dying from Mrs. Loomis 13 years ago…He was fucking devastated. Tears flowed freely as he quietly sobbed a moment before furiously shaking his head with a sniff. 

His voice was heavy and stuffy from crying. "NO!... No, I got kids and a wife…Fuck it! She's working with them? She can hitch a fucking ride too…I can't even worry about Kirby I just gotta get the fuck outta town and take a risk going to my family and fuck this shit!" 

He went to put pressure on the gas but froze when his phone rang. He frowned seeing it wasn't Dewey but an unknown number…It was you using Kirby phone for whatever reason, he just knew it. Probably a manipulation tactic just to talk to him. He hung it up…Then… It rang again.

He rolled his eyes and jerked the phone to his ear. "WHAT?! YN, I'm not fucking talking to you right now! I'm so hurt and furious and-" 

"Ooh…Trouble in the group… Randy?" 

Randy's face fell, the tears in his blue eyes feeling like they dried in an instant as he heard that voice…That damned voice…It sent a chill down his spine as he looked around; hand instinctively on the wheel as he looked around the darkness outside his car. 

"Friendships don't last forever. Sometimes, friends need to be…Cut…Off." 

He sneered as his stomach sank. "...We're really doing this right now? It's been a decade, don't you think it's time to hang it up here? I mean, Roman Bridger and Neil Prescott…You can't get more twisted than that. Pack it up and take the loss, newbie. "

"Oh but Randy. They weren't me. They were too old school wanting revenge as a motive. Mine is more modern." The voice practically purred out sadistically.

Randy rolled his eyes. "What? Fame? Money? Damn, at least Stu did it just because he liked it. You amateur edgey wannabes-" 

"Shut up or I'm gonna take that little bitch YN apart bit by bit and scatter her in your fucking front yard!" The voice angrily snapped as Randy froze. "Yeah…That's what I thought." 

He huffed before swallowing hard. "You're full of shit." 

"Am I?...Hate to call your bluff and you live with that on your conscience. Poor YN…She looks sad and scared. She's gonna die painfully, slowly, remembering that her friend hated her guts." 

He heard his phone pin, looking at it with the killer on a video call as his blood ran cold. He didn't see a killer…He saw you and Kirby walking, and unbeknownst to you both, the killer was a mere few feet away following you. 

"YN! YN BEHIND YOU-" 

"She can't hear you, Randy…Why not just watch the show as I slice her into bits? The final girl finally dies as the side character no one cares about. What a great twist." The voice chuckled darkly.

Randy panicked. "Don't!!" 

They hung up.

He almost instinctively got out of the car but quickly got a hold of himself…He wasn't leaving you. He knew they were baiting but he couldn't leave you. He put on a determined face and backed up faster than he should. Determined to get to you and Kirby. It was hard to see with only his tail lights in the dark before his heart dropped to his gut when he saw someone standing in the road and he didn't brake in time…Backing into them and over them. His car thumped as it hit someone.

Randy slammed on the brakes.

He sat there a moment in shock ... His face terrified…Did he just?...Oh God no…Oh Jesus no…What if he just ran over a teen in a mask drinking out here?...But what if he ran over the killer?...Either way…Dear God, he ran into someone!

He sat there for a moment. His breathing was labored. His palms were sweaty and he had wide mortified eyes.

He almost got out but shook his head. "That's stupid. Don't be stupid." He breathlessly mumbled to himself as his hands shook. He put the car in drive and drove in a sharp u turn so his headlights were on the figure. Slowly creeping to a halt to get a better look. Turning his high beams on to see…A mannequin. A mannequin with a ghostface mask on as its head was showing a blank white face and the mask was almost off its head. It was a goddamn prop and that meant the killer was out here. Somewhere. Watching him. 

Randy shook his head but laughed triumphantly as he drove around it back to the party. "Ha! You thought I'd fall for that?! Fuck you! Fuuucckkk you you goddamn weak ass freak!" Randy exclaimed to himself in his car as he drove. This wasn't his first rodeo and even if they weren't out of the woods. This felt like a giant 'Fuck you!' to the killers' face that they're amateur plan didn't work.

Randy tried getting ahold of his nerves, that tiny win was subdued as he realized…The killer really was here. He had to get you out of here. Anger be damned, he could give you the cold shoulder the whole way, but he still cared and you couldn't die. You just couldn't. 

He recited the rules to himself as he drove. "Rule one: Never say 'who's there?'. Rule two: Everybody's a suspect. Rule three: The killer always has a reason. Rule four: you can never have sex…Damn, ships done sailed." 

He swallowed and parked the car under an old pole light that still had that orange tint they used to have back in the day. Electricity was still being paid on even if the owner didn't live there. There was still farm equipment there in use.

He looked around but left his car. Shakily moving away with that mace you gave him in hand. "Rule five: you can never drink or do drugs…Rule..Rule six: Never say 'I'll be right back'...Because you won't be back…" 

He thought of franchise rules. "Rule one, kills are always more dramatic. Gorey and-" He gagged into a silent scream at the impact of something hitting him. No…Stabbing through him.

….

Randy faltered as his adrenaline was up but…. A searing pain hit him as he gagged and choked. He couldn't catch a breath and when he did it was a pained gasp for air. It hurt so much. He couldn't scream. Just staggered a few more feet before dropping to his knees in the grass…No one around as they were all in the main barn watching the movie. 

Randy released a cry finally, a groaning pained cry as he reached up to feel what hit him. What made moving feel impossible as he felt warm blood slowly trickling down his back…An arrow. A slim metal arrow that went deep into the back of his left shoulder almost through his collarbone at an angle. 

He was in shock but tried to get up and keep going. He forced it out of his lungs as he staggered as fast as he could. "H-H-Help! H-Help!!" He tried to wail out in a crackling voice. His body was in shock and the pain made it hard to speak before he yelped out again. A crossbow arrow missing and hitting the dirt next to his feet. He stumbled and got behind the wooden pole. 

He was too far from the barn and no one could hear him. He didn't dare even get the arrow out for fear of bleeding to death. He was being hunted like an animal right now…Against all the rules he followed it's like they didn't matter. Instead, he looked at his car and tried to go back. Running as his body could manage. If he couldn't get to the barn then he was getting in his car and going to a hospital.

He went to rush to his car when a sharp ungodly pain penetrated his side as soon as he reached it…A gagging type of gasp escaped his lips as the heat flooded his nerve endings.

He saw the mask, the robe, the knife caked in his blood still in his side before they slowly dragged it out with a tilt of their head. Randy released a strangled cry as that sharp blade slowly dragged over god knows what internal organs and seared pain through his skin.

The second the blade was mostly out; He grabbed the killer out of instinct and body slammed them against the car. His pain was there but his adrenaline was too high to focus on it. This Ghostface is shorter than he was…Robbie, Charlie, Judy, Kirby, Jill, the mom that attacked you the other day! His mind was racing at who this was as he knew he had to fight for his life now. 

As soon as he slammed them off of him and onto the car; they jerked the arrow out of him. He yelled in pain as hot blood gushed out and he instinctively grabbed the area…A feeling he hadn't felt in 13 years since he was at Windsor in that van with Billy's Mother. It knocked the wind out of him, it burned both icy and hot all at once as he dropped the mace from the pain.  They went to stab him and they missed as he was desperately lunging at the ground for the mace. 

The killer went to stab overhead as he quickly twisted on the ground and he sprayed it through the mesh eye holes of the mask. 

He heard a growling groan in a medium pitched voice; he couldn't tell if they were male or female. He didn't care right now! He had to get to the car, get to the phone, get to a hospital! He was going to bleed to death.

He kicked them away and scrambled to the car while clutching his dripping stomach only because it hurt the worst even if that arrow wound could be what makes him lose the most blood. Groaning and gasping with each movement at the horrible pain as he rushed for his life. That feeling of his own hot blood on his fingers…He had hoped he'd never feel it again.

He almost got in the car…Almost made it… when he felt a stab on his back…He couldn't even scream from the pain as a strangled gasp came out before his body fell…It was…He couldn't move, couldn't get up…It hurt so bad! He didn't know if they severed his spinal cord or hit a nerve or the pain was just that bad…

Randy's life flashed before his eyes as the masked figure loomed over top of him. All these images in his mind. His childhood in Woodsboro, him and Martha as kids, his teens and crushing on Sidney while being the dork in town, you moving in and all the fun memories the group had prior, the most traumatic night of his life, him blaming you for Sidney's death and cutting you off, his first time, college, his first girlfriend, all the Ghostface attacks and all of the fun he had with you and Dewey, meeting Karla, their first time kissing and making love and marrying…And Chad and Mindy being born. 

That last thought had him crying openingly. He had tears in his eyes as a croaking whisper sounded from him. He begged for his life. "P-Please! Don't do this…My kids need me, don't do this-" He silently sobbed while trying to backpedal or move or something if his body would allow it. 

He was able to start backpedaling. He almost got to the car door. 

The killer tilted their head almost…Taunting him. Like he actually had a chance. Before he released a gargled scream as the knife plunged into his chest. Over and over again.

✦

You gazed at the sea of Ghostface masks, heard the kids reciting Stab word for word, smelled hay and booze mixed together, felt heat radiating off of so many people in a small space. You instantly felt closed in and wanted to get out…But you couldn't. Not yet.

You moved past people, breaking through the crowd calling Randy's name. A few kids shhed you and you scoffed but ignored them.  

One was particularly pissy and Kirby turned to them with a mocking smile and muttered.  "Spoiler; Billy and Stu are the killers. The end. Fuck off." 

They groaned and cussed you out but you ignored them more. Your eyes scanned the Ghostface masks illuminated by the red party lights…It felt dizzying as you desperately tried to look for Randy's face. 

Kirby told you. "I didn't think I saw his car when we came in here. You wanna ride with me? I'm going back to my place and Jill said she might swing by with the boys." 

You were distracted. Hurt that Randy ditched you…You knew he was upset and didn't trust you weren't the killer but you didn't think he'd outright leave you alone during act 3 like this…Then again, maybe you did but it stung all the same. Your shoulders sagged as you solemnly nodded. "Y-Yeah…I'd appreciate a lift." 

You both walked out and your heart sank as Kirby was right…You didn't see his car…He left you.

Kirby scrunched her face and pointed. "Wait...Hey…Isn't that Randy's car?" 

You looked over at his car now parked in a different spot 20 feet away under the pole light…Practically touching it like he was in a hurry to park it.

You felt this dreadful feeling. Something wasn't right.

Kirby shrugged. "Maybe he just wanted to be under the light more? Ya know, murders and all." 

You knew that was true but you still had a bad feeling. "Stay here." You told her as you walked near the car. You didn't get 5 feet from it when you saw dark liquid in the grass that without the faint orange hue of the polelight you would've stepped right over. You bent down…And touched it shakily. You knew what it was, you felt a sickness overtake you but you still had to check. You brought your hand back up and saw the red on your fingertips. Still wet, still semi warm, and that metallic scent was undeniable. This was blood and god forbid…You now saw smears on the car too. There was a struggle.

'God no. Please don't be him.'

You quickly jumped up and yelled at Kirby. "Call 911! Right now! Get in the barn!" 

"Why?!" She demanded until you showed your blood smeared hand that touched the grass. 

Her face dropped. "Jesus Christ."

She went to do that when some kid yelled frantically. "Hey! Come on! It's this way!" 

You rushed over to Kirby, pulling her out of the way as a horde of teens rushed out of the barn. Rushing towards the area you and Billy and Stu talked at. You had a hold of Kirby's shoulder as you both gave each other odd looks but followed. 

Your heart thumped in your ears and your breathing quickened with each step as fear slowly gripped you more and more with each second. You expected a warning from the killer or some teen dead…Why did you all have to come here?

Kirby went up ahead of you as you stopped and called 911 on your phone. Even if you were the 20th call for this exact reason, you couldn't take that chance. Even a prank you couldn't disregard, and right now, this didn't feel like a prank.

You saw more kids rush past you and right when you went to follow to look at what it was. Kirby rushed to you, blocking the path with all the color drained from her face. 

Kirby begged you, grabbing your arm. "N-No, no, no YN. Don't." She choked out, tears in her eyes. 

You raced forward, trying to see what she was so scared of…And…You saw a human corpse hung by a rope with the barn doors wide open. Dangling 10 feet in the air.

…

You stared in so much shock…So much…Shock.

It was like a nightmare…It wasn't real…It wasn't fucking real.

There hanging from the rafters of the barn…Was a corpse that was clearly real…You saw the guts hanging a few feet below them. 

You rushed closer and clamped your hands over your mouth as a terror striken scream erupted from you. It was like you couldn't even control your own body responses now. 

You stared with wide eyed horror at what you saw…As the corpse slowly spun on the rope around his neck…And…When you saw the face. Your knees buckled. You stopped breathing. You stopped thinking. Every horrible emotion you could think of charged through you at seeing Randy Meeks hanging by a rope…Gutted…Stabbed…His eyes wide open and dead. His skin pale white almost blue from blood lose.

You just froze before you felt your breathing become just you hyperventilating. You felt like you should scream again. Scream like those women do in horror movies, some ungodly shriek to the top of your lungs. You felt like you should pass out. You felt like you should faint…But you just froze there hyperventilating as tears sprang to your eyes. You felt a pair of arms hold you close, pulling you to their chest. "Don't look! Please God, YN…Don't look." You heard Dewey choke out as he came onto the scene…You were so distraught you didn't even hear the sirens as you just realized blue and red police lights were reflecting off the barn's metal siding.

Dewey was trying to hold it together for his job but was just as shell shocked as you were. Your eyes stayed wide and unblinking as he held you…This couldn't be real. This couldn't be real!

Kirby put a shaky hand over her mouth as she looked at Randy hanging from the barn.

You suddenly felt a surge of…SOMETHING! Rage, devastation, terror. Something that made you shove away from Dewey and go forward to look. You had to see. What if it was fake? This had to be fake. This had to be fake! A horrible prank or bait or something! You heard Dewey begging you as you got as close as police would allow. They were already blocking off the crime scene…And you smelled the blood from here. You saw his eyes looking through you unfocused and glazed over. The color from his lips and face…And you knew.

You shook your head as tears leaked from your eyes and you put both hands over your face to prevent a wail from escaping. A shrieking pained wail at seeing your best friend like this. 

What snapped you out of it was hearing some teenage boys laughing and taking videos and something in you completely snapped. Without thinking you rushed towards them, smacking the ones phone out of his hands and swinging on him. You didn't give a fuck right now what charges there would be. The disrespect sent you over the edge as Dewey instantly grabbed you and you tried jerking out of his hold. Screaming in rage and wanting to do anything you could to make them stop recording. 

They turned and recorded you with shocked faces and disbelieving grins…And Kirby showed her age, playing the younger generations game by recording them instead. Uno reverse. 

Kirby yelled, hurting at seeing Randy like this too. "Wow, we feel good about ourselves douchebags?! Recording a woman grieving over her friend, you sick fucks! Maybe you're the killers and that's why you're laughing? How's this gonna look on your fucking college application, dicks?!" 

You saw them instantly stop recording, hide their faces and rush away from the crime scene as Kirby yelled after them. "That's what I thought, pussys!!" 

Dewey dragged you away with the help of another cop as Dewey shook you by the shoulders to snap you out of it. "YN!" 

Your lip trembled as you just hugged onto him and he rocked you a bit. You knew how badly he wanted to sob with you as you clung to him and cried against his body. This wasn't fair...This wasn't fucking fair. 

Dewey's voice cracked. "I-I had to hang up from Gale because of Randy calling me. He hung up on me and I rushed here as fast as I could while Gale was setting up stupid cameras in the barn trying to play hero and now she isn't answering …Damn it, Randy." His voice shook.

You realized something…Even in your grief…

Randy's words ran through your head. "No one is safe. Legacy Characters? Cannon fodder at this point. Once the Nostalgia has reached its peak? We're done! Main characters are completely expendable now. Either they die or the most fucked up shit happens to them" 

It hurt so bad. It's like he knew. No one was safe. After all these years, your luck was finally running out. 

Then Stu's and Billy's words rang out.

"Killer did it. Guarantee it. They're setting a trap and you idiots are falling for it." 

"if they're copying us; they'll kill soon. A big one. One that's going to distract people just like you did with the Principle while I entertained my party." 

It hit you…Randy was Principal Himbry. And Gale was supposedly alone in the main barn now setting up cameras.

You jerked away from Dewey and yelled at him. "Gale!" 

His eyes instantly widened in realization as you ran to the barn as fast as you could and he followed behind you. Gun ready as he screamed for his wife. You almost tripped running so fast in the grass as you rounded the corner with Dewey staggering as fast as he could behind you. 

You heard her cry out and saw a masked figure as you didn't hesitate to rush up there with your gun. "Hold on, Gale!" The second you reached up there…You looked around. Gale was scrambling against someone in the hay and you a warning shot. You saw that mask look at you and your adrenaline kicked in as you went to fire again and they dodged behind a pillar. 

You kept your gun aimed while rushing to Gale who stood up.

"You alright?" 

Gale grumbled. "I'm fine just-...WATCH OUT!" 

Dewey yelled your name from below as he finally caught up and heard the gunshots.

You whipped your gun around to fire before dodging a knife. It barely missed slashing you over the face as you gasped and stumbled back. You went to aim again and before you could pull the trigger you felt a heavy boot kick you in the sternum…It knocked the wind from you and sent you flying over the edge of the hayloft. You felt that rush of dropping with you unable to do anything but plummet. You released a pained groan when you collided on top of the drink table. Crashing onto the red cups and the punch bowl toppled over and you laid there in the middle of the table with it broken in half.

Dewey rushed in to you as you told you were fine as quickly as you could. With his gun aimed he was screaming for his wife's name as he went to climb the loft.

You tried to ignore the stiffness in your body as you jerked your gun up too…Right when you saw Gale get stabbed and roll herself off the loft as well. Bouncing off a straw bale before rolling onto the ground. Dewey aimed multiple times as a light went out and wood splintered near the pillars but he missed. You raised your revolver and fired. You saw them jerk and heard a person yell under that mask as they clutched their arm. 

You sneered to yourself and growled out. "Got you now, piece of shit." Before aiming for their head. They ducked in time and fled. 

You pushed yourself up, eager to chase after them. They had to pay…OH, they had to pay! You wanted them dead more than any other Ghostface thus far…You were so sick of this shit and seeing yourself get a shot in felt damn good. Randy would be cheering you on and that thought alone sprung more angry tears to your eyes but fueled determination in you. You pushed yourself up and sprinted to the ladder as Dewey yelled at you not to go as he ran after you.

"Damn it, YN! Don't be stupid!" Dewey's face was angry yet scared. A rare thing for him as he aimed his gun as well in the loft.

You raced to the loft with Dewey behind you just to see no one was there…Cursing to yourself under your breath realizing they had another escape route…A door swinging against the wall. You ran to it. Eager to put the remaining 7 bullets you had into this fuckers head.

You jerked the door open and looked down. The ladder kicked away and laying on the ground and no one in sight. Just cool night air hitting you as you stared. Your face twisted into contempt at the idea of Randy's killer getting away.

"FUCK!" You hissed out as you kicked a nearby straw bale in anger.

You bitterly thought the names of who you thought did this. Robbie and Charlie. They knew this barn and they knew it enough to host this party and to know all escape routes. You climbed down seeing Dewey had already practically jumped off the ladder to get to Gale. You climbed down to the ground and rushed over as you saw she was stabbed in her shoulder.

More cops swarmed in as Dewey looked up and ordered them. "Search EVERYWHERE! Every barn, the woods, cars, everywhere!!" All before his demeanor changed as he looked at his wife in concern. He put pressure on her wound with fear in his eyes. "Put pressure on that. Oh God, Gale. Honey, just hang on-" Dewey mumbled with a pained expression.

Gale put her own hand in place of Dewey's asking. "Did you catch him?" 

Dewey shook his head with a trembling voice. "No. Hopefully your cameras caught something." 

Gale informed him. "They're not the only ones. There's uh…A webcam." She croaked out in some pain. "There's a webcam; it's hidden up there. It was watching me." 

Dewey looked up instinctively and so did you. Your face soured. Just confirming who this was to you.

Dewey wasn't following. "Webcam? W-What webcam?" 

Gale drew out in a shaky breath as she held her bleeding shoulder. "He's recording the murders." 

Dewey still asked with wide eyes. "What?" 

You gritted your teeth, tears still on your cheeks from Randy's death as you drew out. "This time…He's making the movie. Even more than Roman did." 

Gale nodded at your understanding before she grimaced in pain. 

She grew serious as she winced at the pain. Choking out as sirens of an ambulance could be heard down the road. 

"…Get this fucker." 

[plistommy]

I’m a sucker for Regency romance fiction. Steve Harrington, only son of Duke Of Hawkins, falls in love with lowly stablehand Billy Hargrove, and they must keep it secret, ESPECIALLY from Steve’s arranged fiancée Lady Nancina Byers. But what happens when Billy’s drunken lout father Neil figures them out? What if he demands his whore son bilk the young Lord of all he’s worth if they don’t want to be found out by Steve’s father, or worse… the Ton…

TW abuse!!!

The sun was shining for the first time after weeks of cruel rain. The warm wind was soft on Steve’s face as he walked through the courtyard to the familiar stable.

It was a beautiful day for a ride.

”Good day is it, Lord Steven?

”Good day indeed.” Steve smiled at the stablehand as he opened the heavy door.

Billy.

The man had been working for his family for years now. Steve had come to know the man, too pretty for his own good with those beautiful blue eyes and strong body.

He was really the only friend Steve had. Or a secret one, at least. Steve really didn’t have anyone else to talk to than his family and his soon to be wife, Lady Nancina by arranged marriage.

Nancina was a kind woman. He liked her. He even thought they could be great friends. But he didn’t want to marry her.

His heart belonged to someone else.

But… his father demanded it, like he always did with everything. He was the Duke. And you never disobey the Duke Of Hawkins.

Especially if you’re his only son.

”I’ve got your mare ready for you.” Billy said, that deep voice making Steve warm in all of the good ways.

”Thank you.” Steve said softly, loving how the younger man's lips turned into a smile. A real one.

Steve brushed past the other, bending down to pick up his helmet, shining like it always did when Billy had cleaned it for him after every ride.

He heard a groan coming from behind him and he turned around quickly, concerned if the blond man had hurt himself, but all he found was those piercing blue eyes staring right at his ass.

”Those… are a sin.” Billy murmured, gripping the shovel in his strong arms tightly.

Steve blushed red, but smirked and gave a small wiggle to the other man before he finally stood up.

”Just for you.” He said with his charm and Steve loved the reaction it always got from Billy.

Okay, so they weren’t just… familiar with each other. Or just friends. They were more than that, had been for almost years now behind the closed doors.

Billy huffed a little before dropping his shovel next to the wall. ”Only you today?”

Your family isn’t around? Your fiance? Is what it meant.

Steve smirked and took a step forward.

”Yes. Father and…. others are gone today. Only me present.”

Steve wouldn’t be at the stables like this with his wedding coming up in six days. There were rare times when he could, but never this close to an ’important day’.

And Billy knew that.

He didn’t even blink before the other man was on him, arms wrapping around Steve’s waist as he picked up the Lord on top of one the tables. Steve happily spread his legs to get the other closer to him.

”You’re a sinful man, my Lord.” Billy moaned and it made Steve laugh.

”My Lord? Please, call me Steve… you know that, Billy.”

Billy groaned into the kiss and squeezed Steve’s ass that still had those unbelievably tight jodhpurs on.

”My Darling…” And oh did that name make Steve whine as Billy purred it into his ear.

He felt rough hands, working hands slip inside his trousers and soon a thick finger was teasing his hole as the man between his legs moved closer.

”Wanna make love to you, Sweetheart. Please?”

Steve’s head hit the wall.

”Please…” was all he could get out before Billy was removing their clothes.

If only they would’ve known they weren’t alone.

—

Billy was walking back to his home, a small and cramped wooden house close to his Duke’s residence.

He didn’t get a room like their servants did, but he didn’t mind that, he liked his own space and it wasn’t a bother to anyone. He was always early at work, always respectful and always quiet. That's how the Duke liked him to be.

When he got close enough, he could see a figure standing on his small porch and not just any fucking figure.

His bastard father.

”Took you long enough.” A grumpy voice said.

”Wasn’t expecting you, Sir.”

The old man took a long drag of his cigar, keeping his harsh eyes on Billy as he came to stand before him.

Billy was waiting for the man’s usual cruel words. How he was such a disappointment as his only child, a son and how he wished he would’ve left him to die when his mother had left them for a man over the seas. How easy it would’ve been to take him into the woods for wolves to share.

He didn’t let those words get under his skin. Not anymore.

”So tell me, son.” Neil took a step forward, towering over Billy’s frame as he blew smoke into his face, but he didn’t react. That’s what Neil wanted.

Instead, he stood on his ground. He knew how this goes, every single time.

”How long have you been fucking the Duke’s son?”

Billy’s eyes widened. And Neil smirked.

”What do you mean, Sir—”

”Do not lie to me, son!” A slap ”I saw what you dirty fucks were doing at the stables. Don’t think I haven’t noticed it before. How that ’Lord’ looks at you everytime you walk by and how you…” Neil grabbed his collar.

”How you beg to fuck him. Like a whore.”

Billy was fuming. He felt his whole body shake as his father looked down at him, still feeling the sting on his right cheek. He wanted to punch him, hell, murder him, but Billy knew he couldn’t. Was too afraid to and all he could do was to fucking take it and look straight into the other’s eyes so he wasn’t disrespectful.

”Now…” Neil said, breath smelling like alcohol ”You have to do something for me, son. For me to forgive you.”

Billy gritted his teeth.

”You don’t want the Duke to know, isn’t that right? Or the young Lord's precious little Lady Nancina? Don’t want to lose that precious job I got for you or your… ’Darling’.” he mimicked Billy’s words at him, but with disgust.

Billy wanted to kill this man. Fucking burn him alive.

But, he nodded ”Yes, Sir.”

”Good.” Neil said and finally let go of him.

”For this to go away, you’re going to leave him dry. Take everything. It’s going to be easy, you already have the whore in love with you, so nothing but sweet little lies and your cock can do the job.” Neil grinned ”Isn’t that right?”

He knew his father was a cruel and a disgusting man, but he didn’t think his father would go this low. Especially for his own fucking blood. He always had hope, but he should’ve buried it a long time ago, because the man would never change and didn’t want to.

Billy was used to getting punished. He was used to the words thrown at him. He was used to getting hurt.

But he wasn’t going to hurt Steve.

Not the man he loves.

The man who makes him the happiest he’s ever been just with his presence. The man who holds him close as they kiss. Who praises Billy for just being him even if he was just a stablehand for the other man.

He would rather die than to do this.

”Son.” He heard. It was a warning.

When he felt a hand on his throat and his back hitting the wall behind him, he yelled out ”Yes, Sir!”

His father held the hand for a while, making Billy struggle until he dropped it and gave him a small pat on the shoulder like he wasn’t just trying to kill Billy.

”Good. I’m expecting you in six days. Do not disappoint me.” And then he was gone.

Six days.

Oh fuck.

The wedding.

Billy’s breath got caught in his throat and he wanted to cry as he slumped down to his porch.

How could he hurt his beautiful Steve?

[nogitsunbae]

For a long time, after, Max hated fireworks.

They were too loud, too bright. It didn’t matter if Lucas held her or Will made her laugh. It didn’t matter if she put on headphones and turned the volume all the way up on an old mixtape she found while cleaning, the songs much too heavy and angry for her taste. It didn’t matter if she tried to ignore them completely.

For years, Max hated fireworks.

Then, after time, and healing, and acceptance, Jane took her hand one Fourth of July.

The fireworks had just really started, barely had begun to light up the sky. Jane took Max’s face in her hands and told her to close her eyes. And when she did, she saw him.

She saw him through Jane’s eyes, that night, when he had saved her, and Max, and everyone in that godforsaken town. She saw the colors light up his face, saw the reds of his anger and the blues of his sorrow, and finally she saw the purple of his determination.

She saw him give Jane one last look, and saw his eyes drift away for a second, to someone Jane didn’t see. And she knew it was her.

And after Jane let her face go, wiped the tears from her eyes, Max looked up at the sky, illuminated in all the colors that were Billy.

[martyreasemymind]

So we're really just saying Billy doesn't deserve to be loved BECAUSE he was abused and abandoned? Is that where we are now?

Buddy his parents did not "make sure" he didn't deserve love.

You did. You came to that conclusion on your own, don't blame them for it.

[every-dayiwakeup]

It's interesting that whenever this fandom goes "he would call you slurs" or just bringing up slurs in general they mention Billy, a character who not only never actually used any but got called one.

Really interesting.

They neglect to mention the characters who actually have used slurs, ya know, like Hopper or Steve.

They also seem to conveniently forgotten about Neil, who called his son a f*gg*t and slapped him.

Oh and how could I forget... they call Billy fans slurs.

The only real bullies here (remember Billy isn't real or a bully lmfao) are y'all.

The call is coming from inside the house 🤭

[shouta-edits]

Can I please get a shipboard for Stu and Billy from Scream? Themes of knives and blood and secrets if you can? :) Thanks so much!

[ambertea]

I Hate Suzie Too | Official Trailer 

[prettyboy-like-you]

what goes around comes around… f*ck you, neil hargrove.

[riickgrimes]

[ickypuppi3]

steve being the one with internalised homophobia is something i need to talk about more

[schrijverr]

I Found Myself a Cheerleader 5

Chapter 5 out of 28

Bumped to the lowest step on the social ladder after his fight with Billy, Steve gets roped in with the cheer team. What starts as a favor to help them out when one member breaks her leg in turn for protection from the brunt of the bullying, sets the universe on a different path.

In this chapter, the school year ends and Steve’s parents come back to town for graduation. The experience is anything but pleasant. And when Billy heckles Steve after the ceremony it turns into a nightmare as he is thrown out of the house after a fight with his father.

On AO3.

Ships: eventual steddie & buckingham

Warnings: child abuse, f-slur, homophobia, hate-crime, internalized homophobia

~~~~~~~~

Chapter 5: The End of the Year

Spring break rolls around and, while Steve still has a bruised nose, which hadn’t been fun to explain to Joyce, who fussed over him when he came to pick up Will. But with spring break also comes the news that the Hagen family is moving out of town.

Tommy is nearing the end of his senior year, but it is looking like he’s going to have to repeat it and his father has gotten better business opportunities elsewhere. They’re moving to a bigger city, so Tommy can go to a private school, because according to his dad it’s because Hawkins High employs imbeciles.

In all honesty, Steve doesn’t care what Tommy’s dad thinks of Hawkins High and its teachers, all he cares about is that they will not be in Hawkins should his parents return.

His parents are not made for Hawkins, Steve has long since learned that. The small business his father inherited grew quickly and is now too big for the respectability of Hawkins. He has more important people to brush elbows with than the high class of a small Indiana town. And his mother has always loved the glamour of Europe more than her son.

The only people they talk to when they are in town are the Hagens. This is because Tommy has been Steve’s friend since kindergarten and contact was thus required. His parents keep it up out of politeness, but they won’t put in the effort of finding their new address.

This all means that they only source that could tell them of Steve’s new hobby has just left town. It feels like a weight has lifted of his shoulders.

He spends most of his spring break allowance in the arcade on the kids and even takes them to a movie, managing to convince Hopper to let El come too.

The cheer squad still practices throughout the break, since competitions are coming up. Afterwards, he takes Lisa and Chrissy out for milkshakes. Lisa is excitedly talking about next year when she’ll be attending Yale. Apparently she is a legacy.

“What about you?” Chrissy asks, when Lisa is done. “Where are you going?”

“Uhm,” Steve pauses, unsure of what to say. He’s been ignoring the steadily growing pile of rejection letters on his desk, imagining the wrath of his father when he returns. “I-” he starts, then lets out a deep sigh. “I don’t think it’s happening for me, honestly. Seems I’m too stupid for college,” he chuckles humorlessly.

It’s quiet for a second. Steve doesn’t look up from where he’s playing with his straw. He doesn’t want to face their pitying faces. He knows that it’s not exactly great.

“Well, I’ll be happy to have my friend if you’re staying,” Chrissy tells him, bumping her shoulder against his.

He finally looks up and she is giving him a soft smile. There isn’t anything pitying in her face and he can manage a smile back. “Yeah, that’s good,” he agrees.

“And college isn’t everything,” Lisa adds.

“Nah, I can probably just work for my father,” Steve agrees, though the idea of having to work for his father for the rest of his life sounds worse than prison,

“See, plenty of silver linings,” Chrissy tells him, before finishing her milkshake and shamelessly sticking her straw in Steve’s drink. She’s been doing much better, which Steve is glad for. Her mother still hangs over her like a shadow, but she tries as best she can when she’s outside of the house.

Steve honestly doesn’t care if he goes to college or not. School has never really been his thing and the thought of it doing it for four more years sounds terrible, but his father is pretty adamant about it being part of his development.

He doesn’t want to imagine how the conversation about him not making it into college will go. Of course they have to be home in order for them to have that conversation, but that’s not the point right now.

The point is that college might not happen for him and he’s both terrified and a bit relieved. He doesn’t want to fight with his father, but he also doesn’t want to leave the kids behind. A part of him is still afraid the Upside Down will come back and if it does he needs to be here to protect them. To keep them safe.

Just thinking about the Upside Down makes him shudder, so he quickly shakes his head and tries to put it out of his mind. El closed the portals, he reminds himself, he should focus on surviving high school first. What are the chances of it coming back? No, he should focus on the now. Focus on staking his claim on his milkshake before Chrissy takes it all and focus on teaming up with Lisa as elders when Chrissy tries to start shit about it.

And so spring break passes them by and changes into the last leg of the school year, the last year of Steve’s high school career.

It’s the busiest Steve has ever been. He flits between classes, cheer practice, study sessions with both Sofia and Lisa and housework. However, all those things to do, keep his brain from the fact that no college accepted him. Not one.

Molly is running all of them into the ground along with coach Miller, but it’s paying off. Steve hasn’t been with the cheer squad for long, but he can feel how good this is turning out.

A moment of awkwardness emerges when it’s the cheerleaders turn to be photographed for the yearbook and Nancy shows up with Jonathan in tow. He hasn’t really spoken with either of them since he broke up with Nancy. It hurt, even if he never loved her like that, he had convinced himself that he had and for her to reject him? To blame him for Barb’s death? That hurt. However, he’s over it, but that doesn’t make it less uncomfortable.

None of them really know what to say to each other and Steve tries to stay in the background as much as he can.

He tried to get out of being in the picture, but Molly wouldn't hear of it. He was planning on skipping it all together, but then Chrissy had pouted: “Come on, it’ll be the only chance for us to be in the yearbook together. It’ll be fun.”

And because Steve has no spine, he is here, sandwiched between Chrissy and Lisa, the three of them smiling broadly.

Nancy wants a few quotes for in the book, but Steve makes sure to be as far away from her as he can. Better not to open that can of worms again and just grow apart naturally. He doesn’t really want to know what she has to say about the new crowd he runs with.

A few weeks later and they’re all at school on an early Saturday morning to go to the last competition of the season. They’ve made it quite far with their routine and Molly claims she can smell victory on the horizon once more.

She has mellowed out a bit in her competitiveness ever since she got her scholarship, but such drive isn’t snuffed out easily and she is nothing if not a perfectionist. So, Steve still finds himself with muscle aches after practice. Sometimes he’ll look back on his basketball days and ever wonder why he thought cheerleading looked easy.

It is a big competition and as they stretch, he spots the purple and white school from his first competition. With them is the boy. He is giving a girl a piggyback ride and talking animatedly with other team members.

“You could go up there and say hi,” Chrissy says, snapping him out of his thoughts as he realizes she caught him staring.

Fear creeps into his veins as his heartbeat quickens. Maybe a bit too quickly to be believable, he asks: “Why would I want to do that?”

Chrissy frowns for second, then lets the expression melt of her face as she shrugs: “I don’t know, I thought maybe some bro solidarity. It’s not like there are many guys walking about.”

Of course, Steve is an idiot, why would she think he would want to talk to the attractive guy otherwise. She doesn’t know. He blushes a bit and looks to his toes, now at a point where he can easily touch them. “Ah, yeah, course. But no, he’s the enemy here.”

He winks at her and Chrissy giggles, shoving him lightly. “You’re such an idiot, Stevie.”

“Why is he an idiot now?” Lisa asks as she sits down with them, handing both of them a juice pouch that coach Miller was handing out.

They take it as Chrissy explains that Steve’s machismo has dubbed the purple and white guy as the enemy, which makes Lisa laugh too. Fuck, he’s going to miss Lisa when she moves away to college in a few months.

Soon after their group is called to perform. They do their cheer, before getting into start position. He has gotten better at this, but there are always jitters right before they start. He used to have this with basketball as well.

Then the music starts and it all melts away in making sure he keep smiling and keeps his eyes on Chrissy as he sends her up into the air.

He catches her smiling face in the middle of a flip and remembers that day when they were practicing in his yard. Remembers Chrissy telling the kids: ‘Stevie makes me fly’. She looks like an angel now, flying through the air.

Before he knows it, it’s over.

They all stand there, breathing heavily, sweat coating their backs and smiles on their faces. They have done their routine and done it well. Now all they have to do is wait for what the judges say. It is crazy, Steve suddenly realizes, his life as cheerleader is over now.

He hasn’t been a cheerleader for long, only a few months. Yet it has become such a big and important part of him, that it feels kind of unreal that it is over now. He gained friends from this, a better school life, more comfort in his own skin. And now it’s done.

By the look of it, he is not the only one, who realizes this. Many of the senior girls on the team are crying. Heather and Molly are practically glued together with how tightly they are holding onto the other.

Lisa is not crying, but she does look emotional as she pulls Chrissy and Steve into a hug, something she rarely does. Steve hugs her back tightly, not letting himself cry as he basks in the closeness and understanding. Chrissy has no such limitations and is openly weeping about how much she’ll miss them and how cheerleading won’t be the same without them.

“I’ll stunt with you whenever you want, Chris,” Steve hears himself promise her. “You just gotta come visit.”

“Deal, so hard. Yes,” Chrissy cries, her hand buried in the back of his shirt.

They don’t win that day, but they come in second. No one is bitter about it, they’re all too busy celebrating what they do have and their history on the team. Even coach Miller isn’t too much on their ass in the bus to behave.

After that win, it is a race against his own brain as he crams for their finals and tries to make it through the last few weeks of high school.

Luckily everyone is. Even Billy is less of a dick, also trying to make it out of this shithole town like all of them want to.

Eddie isn’t around as much either. Steve heard he is getting held back again and has given up on the year, choosing to get high and skip school. Steve is both glad and sad about that fact.

His crush on the boy hasn’t waned in the slightest and he really wants to see those beautiful eyes and dramatic gestures for as long as he can, before he leaves school and he might not see Eddie ever again. However, he is also a bit relieved that he doesn’t have to feel those eyes on his constantly. It makes the hairs on the back of his head stand on edge and he’s anxious enough about the tests alone.

In the end, after all he’s been through in the past few years, the last bit of high school passes like any other person for Steve.

The week before his graduation his parents come back into town. While Steve knows they couldn't care less about him, he also knows that image means everything to them. Not showing up to watch him walk the stage is unthinkable. Steve mostly hopes they won’t stick around to talk to people who could tell them what he’s been up to.

Of course in order for that to happen, he has to live to his graduation, which isn’t looking likely right now.

It’s his own fault too, he forgot to throw out his rejection letters, having kept them on a pile as a form of self-flagellation. However, his father has stumbled upon them and discovered that his son isn’t going to college.

“You are such a disappointment, Steven,” his father hisses at him, the stack a crumbled mess in his hands. “I asked one thing of you to accomplish, just one. And that was to get into college. One of them would have been enough. You can’t even manage that.”

Poison drips of his every word, hitting Steve in his chest. He wants to cry, but he knows doing so will only invite more anger. So he swallows down the lump in his throat and says: “I’m sorry, sir,” knowing that an explanation won’t be welcome.

“Yes, you should be,” his father informs him coldly. “What will the town think, huh? When you’re still walking around here next year. A failure of a son.”

Fuck, if his father only knew what the town thinks of him now. If he only knew what they say about him when they think he can’t hear.

“I’ll do better,” Steve promises in vain, hoping it will quell some of his father’s wrath.

“I don’t think you can,” his father says. It’s so flippantly too, like it is just a fact to be stated and not a stab through Steve’s heart that his father has resigned himself to Steve being a failure.

It’s as if with the statement, resignation takes the place of anger. His father drops the letters to the floor and walks away. He stops in the doorway and turns around. “Your mother and I will watch you graduate, but we’re cutting off your allowance after that. We’ll come back if you prove you can be more than you are now.”

Then he is gone and Steve feels like he can’t breathe. He crumbles to the floor of his bedroom, around him are the scattered rejection letters. It feels as if he is being choked by the stiff clothes his mother had forced him into upon her return, telling him he looked like a slob. His bed next to him is perfectly made, every inch of his room clean.

But it isn’t enough.

It never is enough.

Tears start to fall and he can’t stop them, even if he knows he isn’t supposed to cry. So, he tries to muffle his sobs and hope his parents will keep up the trend of not caring enough about him to come close to hearing it.

Forty minutes later he finds himself in his bathroom, desperately scrubbing his face in an attempt to hide the fact that he cried. He needs to be down for dinner soon and he knows he’ll be in trouble if he doesn’t look presentable. However, the puffiness of his eyes is refusing to disappear and he’s getting water everywhere.

He changes clothes, before he can have a break down about it and goes downstairs. His mother has barely spoken to him since she got here. She gives him a disdainful one over, but doesn’t say anything, instead she huffs and goes back to plating the food.

The first thing she tells him that evening is: “Steven, it’s like you were raised in a barn. The food won’t just disappear. Have some dignity when you eat.”

Privately Steve thinks he might as well been raised in a barn with how much effort they put into his childhood, but he stays quiet and slows his eating pace. There is enough tension in the house that he doesn’t want to do anything that could upset the delicate balance that has been reached.

A few moments later, his mother huffs again. “No need to be dramatic, Steven. I said slow down, not turn it into a play. Behave and eat normally.”

Steve honestly doesn’t know what he’s doing wrong now, but eats a little quicker, trying to do anything to please her. She still doesn’t seem entirely happy – she never does – but it’s enough not to earn a comment again during dinner.

He does the dishes without being asked, which goes unremarked, before fleeing to his room, wishing the week could be over.

The next day he gets dragged to a fancy tailor, where he gets hoisted into suit after suit until his mother seems pleased. His opinion isn’t asked, but he didn’t expect it to. At this point the only way to please his mother is by being her little doll and he honestly just wants to make her happy and get it over with.

After hours of being dressed up his mother is finally happy with how he looks. The suit she picked is incredibly uncomfortable, but Steve is sure he can grit his teeth for a few hours tomorrow and survive his graduation.

His parents have an event to go to after, so they won’t be in town for long. It’s just two more days and then he’ll be blessedly alone again. A part of him wonders when he stopped minding the abandonment.

He drives his own car to graduation, not needing the last minute nitpicking that will make his nerves feel even more flayed. So, he won’t see his parents until after the ceremony. A fact he’s quite glad for as he joins his friends.

Steve isn’t standing close to anyone from the cheer team, instead stuck behind Billy, who is radiating murder vibes. Right now Steve hopes that because Billy will go before him, nothing bad can happen to him as he walks the stage. Though that doesn’t help the anxiety go away.

To distract himself, he looks into the crowd. He doesn’t search for his parents, instead scanning the crowd for red hair, because Chrissy promised she’d come. He hasn’t seen her all week, unable to get out of the house with his parents there. Luckily she understands that, but he still missed her.

She is in the middle somewhere, along with the rest of the cheer team, who aren’t graduating. They cheer for all their team members and most of the others too.

His own name is called and he hurries to the stage, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Still, he ensures he walks at a dignified pace, knowing his mother’s eagle eyes are on him. He smiles to the crowd, ignoring how the cheers are less than they’d been for Billy. Fortunately, the cheer squad is loudly calling out his name, which evens it out a bit. He prays his father will take a crowd of girls cheering for him as a sign and get off his case about a girlfriend.

And just like that Steve Harrington is a high school graduate.

He can’t believe how well that went. He walked the stage, got his diploma and no one died and nothing exploded. All in all, Steve is a free man and that is all he cares about right now.

Naturally such optimism must be crushed by the universe, because Steve can never fully leave a place unscathed.

He is walking with his parents, who have congratulated him as good parents are supposed to do, when Billy shows up at the other end of the parking. He is surrounded by friends and Steve is pretty sure his dad didn’t show up. It’s clear he’s angry about it, looking for a target to take it out on and Steve is right there.

Steve notices him before his parents and tries to hustle them along, but it doesn’t work. He cringes as Billy calls out: “I can’t believe your parents would want to be seen with you, fag.”

At the words, Steve freezes, feeling his father’s eyes burn into the back of his skull. He swallows thickly and yells back: “I’m not a fag. And it’s not like I see your parents around. What? They don’t want to be seen with you? Curious.”

“How fucking dare you, you fucking pussy,” Billy seethes. “Now you’re talking back? Huh, got daddy to protect you? Does he even know what a queer his son is?”

Oh god, no, Steve thinks, heart beating in his throat. He has to say something, has to stand his ground, or this won’t end well. He spits: “I’m not a fucking queer, Hargrove.”

“Yeah?” Billy laughs, knowing by his posture that he has him cornered. “Tell that to your picture in the year book. At this point I’m surprised they didn’t hoist you into a little skirt. You ruined a lot of wanking material by joining the cheerleaders.”

And there it is, out in the open. No matter Steve does, his father won’t let anyone say such things about him without finding out why. This is it. Life over.

He catches Chrissy’s eyes from the crowd. Her brows are pinched and she looks angry. Angry enough to do something stupid. He can’t let her do something stupid for him. So when their eyes meet, he shakes his head and hopes she’ll listen.

Chrissy deflates and it is the only bit of relief he gets, before his father snatches his yearbook out of his hands and flips it open. Steve is already backing away, before his father can reach the page, hoping he’ll be able to escape on time.

However, he isn’t fast enough. He knows his father has found the page, because rage overtakes his features as he throws the yearbook to the ground. Then, like the boxer he’d been in his youth, his fist flies out and hits Steve in the face.

He stumbles back form the force and the shock. In all these years, his father hasn’t hit him before, not ever. There has always been the threat of violence and a light spanking, but proper hitting? Never. Not once. Not until now.

Before he can recover, his father has grabbed his hair and is dragging him towards their car. Under the watchful gazes of the rest of the school, he is pushed in the backseat. The Harringtons have an image, they cannot let their son behave like that. They showed the public they don’t agree and are now taking him for punishment in private. It isn’t proper to do that on the streets.

Steve looks down in shame, cheeks burning. He chances one glance out of the window to the staring crowd. Most of them look like they agree and they’re glad something is done about it, but right there in the middle is Chrissy, looking horrified and guilty.

At home his father is completely silent, stony and cold. Steve is honestly terrified, his cheek is still throbbing from the hit and he is waiting for the shitshow that is about to come.

He watches as his father paces back and forth in the living room. Until he stops and turns to Steve, ice in his eyes as he demands: “How long has this been going on?”

“Not long. Couple of weeks,” Steve answers, wanting to shrink into himself and disappear. “I swear it was nothing, just something stupid. It was just a joke.”

“A joke?” his father repeats. “Do you know what is a joke? You. A Harrington, running around like some fag. Some dirty queer.”

“I’m not a fag,” Steve lies, hoping to save himself.

“You better not be, boy,” his father says, pushing into his personal space.

“I swear, I’m not,” Steve says again, as if it will make his case stronger. “I was trying to get this girl to like me. They needed someone. I thought it would get me in her good graces.”

His father scans his face, brow stern as he inspects Steve’s face. For a moment, Steve thinks this is the worst it is going to get. Then he’s hit in the face again and goes sprawling onto the floor. His father spits: “Don’t lie to me, boy.”

Tears well up. He has tried his entire life to be perfect for them, to be good enough. And he never was and he never will be. He can’t do anything right. He didn’t even choose this. He doesn’t want this either. He wishes he could settle down with a pretty girl and have a family like everyone wants him to.

He gets kicked in the side by his father, who screams: “You are nothing, but a worthless piece of shit and I don’t want you sullying the family name.”

Steve curls into himself, the uncomfortable suit he’s wearing making it difficult to do so. His father lands another kick and Steve lets out a whimper.

“Richard,” he hears his mother say and his father stops. They both look up at her. She is standing, glass of wine in her hand, looking quite unaffected by the spectacle before her. “All this noise is giving me a headache.”

A headache, Steve thinks shrilly, his world collapsing around him. He has always knows that his mother doesn’t care, but he always thought there would be at least some affection for him. But it seems not and it feels like his ribs are collapsing in his chest.

His father looks back down to Steve. He spits on him, right in his face, and snarls: “No son of mine will be a queer under my roof. You have five minutes to pack your stuff and get out.”

I didn’t even kiss a boy, Steve thinks wildly as he scrambles up to his room, throwing as many of his clothes into a bag and snatching the few mementos he has of the kids and Chrissy.

He stumbles off the stairs and out of the house. His mother has already wandered off again, but his father is standing in the doorway, arms crossed. “We’re having the locks changed, don’t think of coming back until you’re married and have a grandson for us.”

Then the door is slammed in his face.

Steve stands there for a few seconds, just staring up to the house that has been his home for eighteen years now. He’s still in the stupid monkey suit, bag at his feet and bruise on his face. Officially homeless.

It hits him all over again and tears well up. He lets them slide down his cheek and turns away. He doesn’t want anyone seeing him there. He doesn’t want this to be the new talk of the town.

He still has his car keys in his pocket. He saved a bunch of money in there, something he’s glad for now. The car is in his name, so they can’t take it from him. He shoulders his bag and starts walking to the school where he’d left it. Time to start planning what he should do now.

Everyone in Hawkins is at a graduation party, hundreds are held tonight. But Steve doesn’t care for any of them. He is just glad people are too busy to see him walk around.

His ribs ache with every step and he feels humiliated. He hates himself, he hates his parents, he hates Billy and he hates the world that made him so. He just wants to be normal. He just wants his parents to care. He didn’t ask for this.

When he finally gets to the school, his car is the only one in the parking lot. It’s completely covered in shaving cream and toilet paper. On the hood is painted fag mobile. Next to it lies his crumpled yearbook.

He picks it up, the smiling faces of the cheer squad stare up at him accusingly, his own among them as some sort of mockery of when he was still happy and his world hadn’t collapsed yet.

Steve is beyond crying at this point, so he throws his yearbook into the bushes, before staring at his car in defeat. Standing there in the parking lot by himself.

After giving himself a moment, he starts plucking off the toilet paper, before using his suit jacket to wipe away the shaving cream. He hates that suit anyway. It takes him awhile, but it’s mindless work that keep him busy, keeps him distracted.

Only the words on the front of his car remain. They stare at him judgmentally. He knows he should be lucky they didn’t break his windows, but it still doesn’t feel nice. He feels backed into a corner, watched, policed. It makes him feel terrified.

The suit jacket is already ruined and the paint is still drying, so he scrubs until his fingers hurt to get it off. He’s only half successful, but at least the words aren’t legible anymore. He vows to go through a car wash tomorrow, before driving a town over to trade his car. It’s a fancy one, he’s sure he can get a good price for it. Then he can drive something without people knowing it’s his. Without being a target.

But for now this is good enough.

He burns his suit, changing into a polo and some jeans in the back of his car. His radio goes off with Will saying: “Please, Steve, just reply. Jonathan said you got in a fight with your dad. He sounded concerned. Are you okay? Please, Steve, respond. Please.”

His heart aches to reach out. He wants to click that button and lie and tell Will he’s fine. Or maybe tell him he’s not and if he can come over to their house. To sink into the care of Joyce, who has always accepted her two boys, no matter how weird the town thought them to be. He aches to not be alone right now.

However, he doesn’t want the kids to see him like this. He is their strong protector and he doesn’t want them to know he got kicked out. He doesn’t want them to hate him. So, he turns the radio off with a decisive click.

Steve contemplates going over to the pay phone the school has and calling Chrissy. But she doesn’t have her own line and he doesn’t think Mrs. Cunningham will let him come close to her precious daughter if she knew who Stevie really was.

In short, he has no one to turn to.

So, he sits in the driver’s seat of his car and plays one of the tapes Chrissy left there when he drove her around last time. The music is way too upbeat for his melancholic mood, but it makes him smile and he needs that right now.

Once he has gathered himself again, he puts the car in drive and pulls away from the school. He hasn’t decided where he’s going yet, but he needs to move right now.

He finds himself passing the Hawkins sign, leaving the town. He hadn’t even realized where he was until he sees it. For a moment he contemplates driving on. To be the queer that ran in the eyes of his town. To go to a place where no one knows who he is and start again.

But he can’t. He can’t leave Chrissy behind. He can’t leave the kids without any defenses. He can’t leave Max with Billy as her only older brother. He can’t leave Dustin like his father did. He just can’t abandon them.

With reluctance he does a U-turn and drives back. Hawkins isn’t willing to let him go yet. There is something still keeping him there.

Steve thinks about going to Lovers Lake. The nature has always brought him peace and he can use some tranquility right about now. He is already driving in the direction when he realizes he made his favorite hang out place into a make out spot.

There will be dozens of couples in their cars trying to get it on there and equally as many cops looking into said cars to catch them doing it. The last thing he needs is Hopper showing up and asking what he is doing out there.

Maybe he should just keep driving, he thinks, just wander about until the sun comes up.

But he doesn’t want to do that either. He is tired. His bones feel heavy and his entire body aches, all he wants is to sit and stare into nothing. To reflect on all the places he fucked up.

Besides, the cops that aren’t scouring the lakes for teenagers doing the dirty are stopping cars to check if the occupants aren’t drunk. It’s graduation night, they know the kids are partying. It’s what Steve would have imagined himself doing a year ago.

So, there is not really a place to go. Truly a theme of his evening.

He’s about to give up and pull over to the side of the road when he sees a sign for the quarry. Ever since Will’s fake body was found there people have been avoiding it. If there is one place he’ll find some rest tonight, it’s there.

Relief courses through him that he’ll have a place for peace tonight as he starts driving towards the quarry.

Later, he’ll have to figure out a plan for the long term, because he can’t keep living in his car. He has some savings, so he’ll be fine for a few days, after that he probably needs a job. And a place to stay.

But that is a worry for later. Now, he pulls up to the small outcrop overlooking the quarry and gets out of the car. The weather is nice out, summer closing in on Hawkins. It’s quite a lovely evening that Steve would appreciate, were it not for the day that preceded it.

He goes to sit on the roof of his car, looking over the quarry. It’s calm, like he wanted, but he also feels deathly alone, sitting next to the huge chasm all by himself. Without his permission tears start up again and he curls into himself.

It’s not like he wants to be crying. He hates crying. But he can’t stop either. He has always known that his parents don’t care, that they don’t love him, and yet he still kept trying. Sure, he held a whole speech to Chrissy about why she shouldn’t care and he knows that he shouldn’t either. But that’s easier said than done.

Steve still remembers when he was little, when he became obsessed with sports and the classes weren’t as confusing yet. How easy it was to make his father proud. How he still looked cute next to his mother, instead of serving as a reminder that she was getting old. How she would let him sit at her side as she did her makeup and let her do his hair.

A part of him still can’t believe that they would kick him out like that. It’s not like they walked in on him with a boy, they have no proof other than Billy’s word and a picture in the yearbook. That was all it took.

He has suppressed his feelings for other boys for years, planned to ignore it for the rest of his life, so that he could be who they wanted him to be. And that wasn’t enough. He as a person, would never be the son they want.

There is something innately wrong with him and they can pick it up even without seeing him for months. It hangs around him. He can’t hide it.

Steve used to be able to hide it. Used to play the part. King Steve, lady’s man, who always had a girl on his arm. Who was on the basketball team. Who drove the macho car. Who pushed those around him that looked gay.

But he couldn’t keep being King Steve. He couldn't.

In junior year he was offered a choice. To keep being an asshole for the rest of his life, or to be someone he could face in the mirror. Right now, though, he wonders that if he could have looked into the future, if he wouldn't have chosen safety over kindness. If he would have shown up on the door to apologize.

He wonders if he would have been happy if he had. He wonders if he would be at a party right now doing a keg stand with Billy. He wonders if Nancy and Jonathan would have still been alive.

“Fuck,” he curses out loud. He knows he made the right choice. That he likes being friends with the kids, that he likes that he was able to befriend Chrissy and Lisa. That he can allow himself to glance at Eddie from time to time.

“That’s not very proper,” a voice behind him shocks him out of his musing.

Steve whips his head around, not wanting to be caught by surprise if this is another ambush. Instead he finds Eddie, grinning up at him, having appeared as if summoned by his thoughts of him. “What are you doing out here?” he asks.

~~

A/N:

Ngl, this chapter was difficult to write. I am so glad I have never had to go through this and my heart goes out to all of my queer siblings who have. I hope the world treats you more kindly than it has, because you deserve all the care in the world <3