HAWKINS. FALL 1984.
A squeal sounded in your throat, though it was muffled by the music blasting in the van. You'd spilled your beer all over the floor of Eddie's van, though he was laughing like a mischievous kid anyway. "You're fucking cleaning that up," He shouts over the music at you and you flip him off, settling back against the passenger seat as your head dances with the swim of alcohol in your bloodstream.
Eddie was your best friend, and had been since kindergarten. You'd grown up together, two cute kids turned into rebellious teens navigating this shitty world together and honestly there wass nobody else you'd rather have around. He was family - especially when he so kindly took you home.
Well, took you home after getting you violently drunk at a lame party.
Still, he always took care of you and made sure you got home safe. The music was lowered as you entered the residential areas and you throw the boy a confused look. "Pfft-- are you being considerate of all the fine folk of this town? That's a first."
"Shut up and go back to not throwing up, it's 2am so I'm trying to be nice. For once."
You snort but take his advice, breathing heavily over the rising pit in your stomach that you were desperately trying to ignore.
In your haze, you hear the flick of a lighter and the scent of cigarette smoke fills the air around you. "Here," Eddie mutters and your lids flutter open so you can take the cigarette and pull a few drags. "Thanks," you respond, flashing him a wide grin. "That party sucked."
"Didn't stop you getting messy, as always." He quips, shooting you a dimpled grin before his focus returns to the road. You just roll your eyes and look out of the window, the cigarette draped between your fore and middle fingers. He had turned the music off and was pulling up to your house in the fancy neighborhood you lived in.
You could see a few curtain-twitchers clutching their pearls as he pulled in, your strict neighbors who disapproved of you and your friend keeping tabs on when you got home to no doubt nark on you to your parents. It only made you laugh as you flicked the smoke away, cracking the door open once he'd come to a stop.
"Hey, someone moved into the old Jenkin's house?" Eddie asks and you follow his gaze to the house across the street that had been empty - until today, that is - as you step out of the car. "Yeah, dad said some family was going to move in today. Wonder if they go to our school." You're wiggling your brows suggestively at your friend, who only groans in response though his grin doesn't falter.
"You're a bad girl, (Y/N). Go to sleep. We have school tomorrow."
With a snort, you lift your hand in a lazy salute at him, "Yes, sir. Night, Ed's."
"G'night, trouble. Need a ride tomorrow?"
"Nah, I'm good. See you in class." You slam the door and plaster a grin on your features as you see him curse inside, stumbling around the vehicle even though you were in flats. Shit, you were wasted.
Luckily, there were no lights on inside and your family was used to your antics by now so just left you to it. You finally make it inside and shut the door as quietly as you can behind you, ascending the stairs one at a time so you didn't fall.
When you finally reach your bedroom it's like entering heaven.
Warm and inviting sheets welcome you as you collapse onto them, already fast asleep before you can even think about taking your makeup off or change into fresh clothes. Or even get a pillow beneath your head, for that matter.
---------------------------------------------------------
"(Y/N), time for school!" Your dad calls, waking you from your sweet slumber into a world of pain. Your head thrummed in protest of the alcohol you'd consumed last night and your stomach begged for relief from the nausea you felt.
Sleepily tugging a singular eyelid open, you peer up at the clock. Shit! I'm late!
Groaning, you push yourself up to stand despite the rejection from your muscles. You change into your moth-eaten Hellfire Club shirt and a pair of ragged black jeans, torn and covered in band patches before finishing off the outfit with a denim jacket.
You risk a look in the mirror and almost want to call a priest in to exorcise whatever demon had taken over your body.
Instead though, you tidy your smudged eyeliner as best you can and leave your hair in the mess it is before slipping a cigarette between your lips and lighting it. On the way out to your motorbike, you grab your helmet and go to push the door to leave. "One second." Your mom calls from the kitchen and you scold yourself for not getting out quicker.
"What time did you get in last night ? Have you even showered?" She asks, features disapproving as she watches you from the kitchen counter over her cup of coffee. "I'm fine, mom. But I'm late for school. Can we do this later?"
She nods, but you know it wasn't over. You were likely to get a grilling about being drunk on a school night later. "Tell Eddie I want you home earlier in future. And sober. He knows your curfew." She sets her cup down, cutting in one last time before she lets you go, "I need you to babysit your sister tonight. We're heading over to meet the new neighbors and have dinner."
"She's old enough to babysit herself, I have Hellfire tonight." You couldn't just not go, Eddie would be pissed. "Can't you take her with? Maybe they have a kid she can play with?"
Your mom stares you down for the longest time, contemplating what you'd requested of her. "Okay. She can come with. Say hi to Eddie for me." She smiles at you as you relax, offering a small wave as you promise you will and say goodbye. You weren't grateful for much, but having half-decent parents was definitely something to be thankful for.
------------------------------------------------------------
Your engine hummed loudly as you pulled into the school parking lot, revving at the idiotic students who kept walking in the middle of the road.
Eddie's van was parked at the furthest end of the parking lot, but you head over there anyway and pull up next to him. He must have already gone inside since the van was empty. The sun was burning your retinas, so you sling a pair of sunglasses over your eyes after taking your helmet off and leaving it swinging from the handlebars.
A car pulls into the parking lot then, a stunning blue Camaro that roared like a lion as it approached. You vaguely remember it being in the driveway of the old Jenkin's house last night, though you had to admit most of last night was a blur so you could be wrong.
Lighting another cigarette, you hold it between your lips as you watch curiously at the new attendants to the school. Others were staring too and it wasn't surprising - Hawkins was a small town after all. New people were rare.
Smoke bellows around you as you watch a young redhead and an older blonde boy exit the car, the blonde catching your eye for a moment and flashing you a devilish grin. You scrunch your face up, shaking your head and toss your cigarette so you can head inside.
He was handsome, it was undeniable, but there was something about him you didn't trust. Didn't like.
He was going to be trouble with a capital T, and not the fun kind you always loved to indulge in.
YOU ARE READING
Middle Fingers Up // Billy Hargrove x Reader
Romance( TW/CW for this one since it's Billy : abuse, mentions of abuse, drug use, alcohol use, adult themes. ) ( Based at the start of S2 but doesn't follow the main plot. ) Y/N never expected to hate her new neighbor as much as she did. She never expecte...
