Blue Billy

Chapter Seven Inside out and Upside down.

Chapter Seven- Inside out and Upside down

Standing in the Kitchen on another Monday morning, I pour cereal into a bowl as my Dad catches my mom up on the latest Hawkins News. About Mr Lemounts boys throwing rocks at cars again and Doris Driscoll calling the station a few times this week. I had drowned most of it out until something he said caught my attention. "Wait, what did you say?" I asked, acting causal. "Oh Ms Driscoll, the old nut keeps calling." He sat sipping his coffee as my Mom reads the paper "no, no the other thing about the vines?" he nods.

"Oh, I was on duty near the trailer park, and behind a few abandoned ones are some vines; they smell awful. I didn't have time to check them out", he shrugs. I nod my head and eat my cereal. "I might go back before work today; take a look," he says as he stands. "No!" I yell out. My parents both stop and look at me perplexed "uh, they are just vines, Dad, don't waste your time", I say, trying to act calm. I wonder if I sold it.

Steve's car beeps in the driveway, and I run out, climbing inside. "Jesus didn't think you would be in such a hurry for the English essay today", Steve jokingly teases. Still, I don't have time for it now. "Steve, they're back, the vines, they're back." "What do you mean the vines are back?" He looks at me, eyes wide. "Drive to Forest Hills trailer park. I'll explain on the way" "great", Steve exhales, worry and sarcasm in his voice.

Billy waits near his car as the bell rings. He looks at the car spot Steve almost always parks in.

It's not there; we didn't talk at school only if we could get a moment alone, but we would watch each other silently, talking through our eyes; we know what we had and what we did no one else needed to.

As Billy heads inside, he sees Robin. "Robin!, he calls out to her, but she stays in her place. "What do you want shit for brains?" Billy smiles at the name-calling. "Where's your boyfriend and girlfriend? Leave you here alone, did they?" Robin stares him down "what's it to you?" 

"Just wondering lets just call me a concerned citizen." Billy tries to play nice.

Robin isn't buying it. "Right? Dick weed It's none of your business why do you care?"

Billy, over this game of wit, folds his arms. "Look have you seen them, Y/n and Steve? Have you seen them?"

Robin goes to walk away, and Billy grabs her arms. Robin looks him over, pulling her arm free "Jesus, weirdo, there probably skipping. I'm just bummed they didn't take me too, so I didn't have to deal with this interaction." She points between the two of them. "Now back off" Robin, with a face of disgust, walks away.

A frustrated Billy hits a locker on the way down the hall and out the school doors.

"Why is it all ways us? No one else gets to stumble on this stuff", an annoyed Steve walks with a flashlight around the side of the trailer. "Because when they do, Steve, they die" I shake my head as I look around the edge of the forest. "Look, if we know about this stuff, and we don't do anything about it, it's on us, great power comes great responsibility." Steve stops and walks up to me, flashlight now off. "Did you just quote a Spiderman comic to me." 

"Maybe look it doesn't matter."

Steve stops me holding his arm out "what?" I question; we both move slowly around the second abandoned trailer, the first coming up clean, Our arm hairs stand on end, and I can hear my heart beating out of my chest we inch closer and.... nothing? "You sure this is where your Dad said the vines where?"

We both wander abound the three abandoned trailers looking them over, and we see nothing, no vines, no smell, "well, if we leave now, we can get back before your English test... Y/n? Steve looks around for me. With both my hands cupped, I look through the window of the beaten-down old trailer, trying to see inside. Steve walks up the steps and puts his hand on the door handle, turning it.