MELANCHOLY [S.T. B. Hargrove]

31

"So, you and Billy are dating?" is the only thing Lucas could ask.

"Dude!" I complain. "Not important!"

"It's very important!" Mike argues. "Billy's an-"

"Asshole, yeah, okay. I know," I brush it off. "Will.. you're the only one I want to talk to right now."

Will fiddles with his fingers. "Why Billy?"

"I don't know. I was thinking the Mind Flayer just wanted someone like.. physically stronger? Maybe he-"

"No, I mean why are you dating him?"

I put my hands on my hips and look up at the ceiling. I take a deep breath to keep my frustration at bay.

"How are you so sure that Billy is even the host?" Mike asks.

Finally.

"He's acting super weird-"

"Billy is super weird," Lucas reminds. 

"Weird like he didn't show up for our.. thing. Then-"

"So, you think Billy is like.. possessed because he didn't show up for your date?" Mike questions.

"Let me talk!" I cry out.

I look to Will again.

"Max and El saw ice bags in his bathtub. There was a bloodied bag and whistle from one of the other lifeguards, but she was like.. totally weird and creepy-calm." 

"Creepy calm?"

"Like a white, rich, dull housewife," I confirm, causing Lucas to snort.

"Anything else?" Will asks.

"I went to El to see if she could find him with her mind thingy. She saw his car with a broken windshield. Then, he like.. sensed her."

"Sensed her?" Mike repeats. "I sense El all the time when she spies on me."

"Yeah, but you two are gross in love kids," I remind. "You have a bond."

"She broke up with me, though."

Oh, yeah..

"From what I heard, she 'dumped your ass' but okay," I shrug and turn my attention back to Will.

I felt bad just seeing the turmoil on his face. I sit on the coffee table in front of him.

"I've known Billy since we were younger than you guys. And that thing.. that thing is not Billy," I tell Will. "So, please.. please, Will.. Help me out. I know he's not the greatest in your eyes, but.. he's important to me. And it sounds selfish but.. Will, I can't do this without you. I need you."

Will takes a deep breath. "I don't know.."

I bite at my lip nervously. "Will.. the whole reason I stopped talking to him last year was because I was trying to protect him from all this. Now, it has him. He probably has no idea what's happening to him."

I inhale shakily. Tears spring into my eyes, but I try to not let them fall.

"When I looked him in the eyes.. I saw Billy for a second. My Billy. Then, it was like that thing took over again and he was just.. gone. He's in pain. He's scared.." I wipe the tears away. "Please, Will."

Will rests his hand gently on my leg. "Okay.."

"Okay?" I repeat.

"Let's get that thing out of him," he agrees.

Through my emotions, I jump up and tug Will to his feet, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you," I cry. "Thank you, Will. Thank you, so much."

"Should we get Max, El, and Dustin?" Lucas asks.

I pull back and kiss Will's cheek. "Yeah.. try and find Hopper, too."

--

I parked the car on the other side of the pool parking lot to give us coverage. Billy was in the lifeguard's stand. But.. still just as strange.

He had a hat on. A towel wrapped around him.

Mike, El, Lucas, and Will went into the area to make a plan. Max and I were on 'Billy watch' to make sure we didn't lose him. Plus, if he saw me or Max, he would react. Or.. he wouldn't react at all. I wasn't sure which would hurt more.

Steve wasn't answering- even at the shop. Dustin's radio was off. Hopper and Joyce were MIA. Nancy and Jonathan were gone.

It reminded me of last year, Steve and I were the main babysitters. But, luckily, I was used to it from watching them all summer.

I look down at Max. She was just staring at Billy through Lucas' binoculars.

"Max.." I whisper.

"I don't want to talk about it," she denies.

"I was just going to ask if you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?" she scoffs, dropping the binoculars and looking at me.

I look over at Billy. "Because he's not okay."

"We don't know that for sure. I'm sure he's just.. being himself."

"This is the farthest thing from himself."

"Being super weird? Two-timing girls? Pretending like we actually get along in front of other people so his reputation doesn't suffer?"

"Even if he's not raising any red flags, why can't you take my word for it?" I ask. "You know me. Why would I make up some story like this if it wasn't legit?"

"Because the only possession that has taken place is Billy and his super creepy obsession with you that makes you forget about everyone but him!"

"I wouldn't lie to you about the Mind Flayer! That's not shit to fuck around and joke about."

"Why can't you accept the fact that he just stood you up because he's screwing Heather?"

I go to speak, but cut myself off. I take a deep breath.

"We're not arguing about this, Max," I state, firmly and final.

Max rolls her eyes and looks back through the binoculars.

"We have to at least entertain the idea that this is real. That's the least you can do, Max," I request. "You can tell me all the 'I told you so's after we find out for sure. Until then.. we have to treat it as worst case scenario."

"Whatever," Max huffs.

I lean on the hood of my car to keep a better eye on Billy.

Behind the binoculars, Max sniffles. For a second, I thought she was crying. But, then decided Max wouldn't shed tears over Billy.

"I hope it's not you," she whispers, so faintly I almost didn't hear her. "I really.. hope it's not you."