𝑩𝑳𝑼𝑬 - Billy Hargrove [1]

TWENTY FOUR

TWENTY FOUR|CODE RED PT.2

Bernadette stood beside Max, leaning on the random car as the ginger girl watched her step-brother through a pair of binoculars. She squinted her eyes, noticing the boy was wearing a shirt on shift.

"I don't know." Max sighed, moving the binoculars away from her eyes. "He looks pretty normal to me."

"Normal?" Lucas questioned her word choice. "How many times have you seen him with a shirt on?"

"That's very true." Birdie agreed, tilting her head as she watched Billy with sad eyes. "I don't remember a shift with him wearing a shirt. And we've been working here for a good month or so."

"I mean, it's a little weird." Max sighed, agreeing with the pair.

"More than a little." Mike added, reminding her why they were there. "He was in a tub with ice. The Mind Flayer likes it cold. Plus everything else."

"But he's lounging at the pool, which is, like, the least Mind Flayer thing ever." The ginger girl argued back, passing the binoculars to Birdie.

"He owns a shirt with sleeves?" Birdie questioned aloud, pulling a strange face as she put the binoculars down. Slowly she was starting to agree that he was the new host and slowly it was eating away at her.

"Not necessarily." Will replied to Max, trying to remember his time as the previous host. "The Mind Flayer likes to hide. He only used me when he needed me. It's like you're dormant. And then, when he needs you, you're activated."

"Okay, so we just, wait until he gets activated." Max suggested, shrugging as she glanced at the others.

"No. What if he hurts someone?"

"Or kills someone?"

"We can't take that chance." Mike stated, becoming determined to stop the Mind Flayer once again. "We need to find out if he's the host."

"Where are you going?" Eleven questioned, watching Mike walk away through the car park.

"I have an idea." He called back, gesturing with his hands for the boys to follow. "Boys only."

"Seriously?"

"Just trust me on this one."

Bernadette rolled her eyes, knowing not to say anything as she looked at Billy again through the binoculars. She watched him carefully, tears pricking her eyes, bottom lip chewed between her teeth as she realised how much she missed him. The pieces slowly began to fit together. How he broke up with her, acting distant and avoiding her as if he wanted to protect her. But that could all be in her head.

The boys quickly rushed back to the girls, telling them their plan and getting Birdies permission to go through with it.

"As long as he doesn't get hurt." She reluctantly agreed, sighing as she slid off the bonnet of the random car. Her and Max stayed by the car, letting the others run off to grab supplies while they kept watch.

"Mike?" Max lifted the walkie talkie to her mouth, wondering what was taking the others so long. "Where are you guys?"

"He hasn't moved." Birdie updated Max, passing the binoculars to the ginger girl.

"God, I hope it's not him." The girl sighed, silently questioning how Bernadette was holding herself together after the storm of emotions she had the previous days. "I really hope it's not him."

They waited till it became dark, hiding in the tree line as everyone left one by one, Billy being the one left to close up the pool. Birdie twirled her work keys on her finger, waiting for the signal to let them in through the locked gate.

"Let's go." Mike nodded to everyone, leading the way after Birdie opened the gate. They slowly slipped into the male changing rooms, the older girl peeking through the glass window on the door to check it was all clear.

She paused in her actions, head tilting as she watching Billy drop his towel and slip his jeans over his tanned legs. Her eyes focused on how his back muscles flexed, wet hair sticking to his neck.

"Focus, Birdie." Max whispered, clicking her fingers in front of the distracted girl.

"Sorry." She mumbled, flushing bright red as she realised she had been caught. "Okay, that's him not naked. You can initiate the plan. And remember, don't accidentally kill him or I'll make Els powers seem mediocre."