Protection

"You're paranoid, Prue."

     Prudence and Billy go everywhere together. An underground it-couple at Hawkins High. They live life unbothered.

     "Are we going to Casey's party tonight?" Prudence asks, holding a shirt up to herself in the mirror.

     "I wasn't planning on it," Billy shrugs.

     "Well, now we are." Her words are set in stone. He likes it when she gets bossy.

     "Fine. Wear that skirt I like." He winks at her, sending butterflies through her whole body. Her bruises are nearly invisible on her arms and legs, though her abdomen still needs time. She wears a short leather skirt that drives Billy crazy and an old band shirt, giving her ginger hair the 80s special she knows he loves.

     The sun sets and the two outcasts make their way to the rager just two streets over. Music blares from every window of the house. The yard is covered in cars and plastic cups are discarded after they fulfilled their purpose. Billy makes a display of his arrival, a small moment of peacocking that always makes Prudence giggle. The two are inseparable. They enter every drinking game and demolish anyone they play against in beer pong. A dream team. Nothing can come in their way until a voice books louder than the music.

     It's Jason. He was trying, and failing, to get Chrissy back and it devolved into a yelling match. He's almost belligerent and she's not much better off. Once some bystanders get Jason to calm down, Chrissy excuses herself to the kitchen, looking for a ride home.

     "Billy, are we drunk?" Prudence pulls him by the sleeve down to her level.

     "I'm not, you're shit-faced though."

     "We gotta give Chrissy a ride home," she looks up at him with large, begging eyes.

     "Babe, we just got here," he checks his watch. "Oh, shit. No, we didn't." He looks over at Chrissy who is dramatically crying, surrounded by other girls. "She'll be fine, babe."

     "Billy." She deadpans. "It would really piss off Jason." And that's the end of it. Billy walks right up to Chrissy and valiantly offers her a ride to her house with his girlfriend so she'd be comfortable. Her drunken eyes sparkle as she looks up at him, thankful to get away from this atmosphere. She's not even sure why she came.

     Prudence makes a point of sneering at Jason as she walks out with Chrissy carefully tucked under her arm.

     "Don't worry, Chrissy. We'll get you out of this bullshit," she announces boastfully. Jason seethes through his teeth, wincing at the still ever-present pain of Billy's retaliation. After Chrissy is safely inside her home, they head back to Prudence's place.

     "Thanks for doing that for Chrissy," Prudence smiles, wrapping her arms around the back of Billy's neck in a warm hug.

     "Anything to make that little prick squirm." He plants a quick kiss on her lips.

     A week or so after the altercation between Jason and Chrissy at the party, she stops coming to school. Her car remains parked at her house until a For Sale sign dawns on her yard. Prudence tilts her head, wondering what could've possessed the Cunninghams to move so suddenly. She's passing by on a midday walk when she sees Chrissy loading a box into her car. Her face is beaten and bruised, very similar to Prudence's just a while before.

     The two ladies make eye contact and Chrissy looks down, speed-walking inside. Prudence turns her attention back to her walk, minding her business and respecting Chrissy's privacy. Already knowing enough from this interaction alone.

     "Babe!" Prudence calls as she comes through the front door. "I just saw Chrissy Cunningham, and-" she stops in her tracks when she sees a shattered window in her living room. "What the fuck?" She picks up the brick from the floor and looks outside. There's no one to be seen.

     She looks down at the brick in her hand, looking for some sort of note or explanation, but there is none. Though she is already pretty certain it's from Jason Carver. Realizing Billy isn't there, she quickly cleans up the mess and stages an entire accident involving trying to move a tall floor lamp. Billy buys the story and even helps her set up an appointment to have someone come fix it.

     "Sorry, I was gone, doll. I ran out of smokes," he places one between his lips as he follows her out on the back porch.

     "Don't worry about it," she smiles. "Hey, did you drive by the Cunningham's today?"

     "No, why?"

     "I went on that walk, right? And I passed by her house and it looks like they're moving." Prudence explains.

     "Really? Before the school year's out?" Billy chuckles. "Why?"

     "I don't know, but I saw Chrissy. I think Jason hurt her."

     "Seriously?" He furrows his brow. "Guy's got issues."

     "It must've been bad for her whole family to just up and leave," she starts. "I mean, we've all seen her after he's had a bad game day. This has to be something worse, right?"

     "You're paranoid, Prue." Billy blows a cloud of smoke into the wind. "He wouldn't think of trying it with you. Not now. You're mine."

     His words fill her with a sense of safety, but she also worries for Chrissy. She wonders if her behavior caused Chrissy's misfortune. What could Jason have said to her to make it so important to get away? And if he'd do that to his prized girlfriend, what would he do to someone he despises?

     As much as she tries to focus on the serene moment with her boyfriend, Prudence's mind always wanders back to the shattered window. How far will it escalate from here? Pushing the thought as hard as she can to the back of her mind, she takes his hand and they sit in silence for a while. Billy could bask at this moment forever. The entire time they're sat, he's stealing glances at her. Admiring her face and eyes, all the way down to her lashes. He takes another drag off his cigarette and exhales a cloud of smoke and rage, quietly imagining Jason trying to hurt her again. He wouldn't dare.