Jailbird || Stranger Things

forty-two ➵ trouble coming

The sun was especially bright that day which had been a reason Teresa found herself relieved to be missing a day at the pool. Although, perhaps it was the beginning of the end, because for once, the pool was really not managing to function without her. Or, at least one person at the pool.

Billy had woken from a restless sleep in the morning, and he knew he didn't recognise the feelings in his body. He was full of something he couldn't name. Something told him it was an innate need to wait to be wanted. Needed? He just couldn't explain what was so wrong with him.

And he was angry. So angry, he knew only one person had ever seen him so, and for once he knew he couldn't talk to her about it, and he wanted to stick to it. This time was the time he really shouldn't have listened to that little bit inside his mind that said to respect Teresa's space.

Breaking up had been hard, even the kids understood that. But what it really created in their little slice of Hawkins was that Billy turned inward. He turned to other girls (or rather, women), and he turned to cigarettes, and he turned to alcohol. But most of all, he turned away from Teresa Hopper.

Meeting up on occasion had been her idea. He wanted to leave her. If she left him, he wanted her gone, but nevertheless, she was the best thing in his life. He knew he didn't deserve her, but she constantly wanted to stay.

He didn't understand why she wasn't like his mother, leaving at the first opportunity.

Instead, she stuck around, offering a patient ear, listening to anything he wanted to say. It changed Billy, on the inside but also allowed him to rethink a lot of things about his life. Unfortunately, appearances had to be kept up, so it never seemed like he changed, but for once, even Neil had less bad things to say. They argued less, Susan started supporting him more.

Things were still tense but the bruises on his body had slowly receded in number.

But now, nightmares were haunting him, both while he was awake as well as when he was asleep, if the previous night said anything. How exactly did he get home? Did he even meet Karen in the motel? Did he make it to the motel??

If the way he'd dismissed Karen in the store room after daydreaming his numb body hitting her in the face was anything to go by, he was pretty sure he'd never made it out of the steelworks.

So how was he at the pool? And why was everything so damn hot?

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"She knows I'm lying. She knows I'm lying!"

Mike Wheeler continued to pace the length of the sofa in his basement, Lucas sat in one of the armchair as Will continued his efforts to set up his campaign on the table. Regardless, the two boys who still (hopefully) had girlfriends, were too busy debating whether Mike's love life was about to go down the toilet.

"I don't even understand. Why lie?" Lucas asked, looking up from his hands as he watched a nervous Mike pace up and down.

"Hopper, he—He threatened me."

"Did he say he'd kill you?"

Mike stopped, turning on his heel to stare incredulously at his friend. "What?! No!"

"So then, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is if I don't do what he says, then he'll stop me from seeing El. Like, permanently," he replied, gesturing wildly in frustration as Lucas dropped his head into his hands. "You don't understand, Lucas. He's crazy. He's lost his mind."

"Hey, guys, I'm almost set up here," Will chimed in from behind the two, but his voice fell on deaf ears.

"I had no choice, Lucas, I really had no choice."