Come Away.

Can I Come In?

The school dance or Snow Ball, Steve dropped off Dustin. While Marlowe dropped off El. Billy drove up to the school really fast. Seeing Marlowe, Billy pulled next to her. Marlow was smoking as Billy turned off his car.

"Didn't think you'd be a smoker."

She chuckled as she blew out her second to last puff. "I need to stop."

"Why?" Billy turns off his car.

"Well, El doesn't like it. And my granny as well."

"El your sister?"

"Nah. Taking Hoppers kid."

"Oh really?" With a quiet laughter, Billy got out of his car. "I didn't think, that you would be taking a chief's kid anywhere."

Her last puff from her cigarette. "Of course I would. She's a special kid, like any of these kids." Throwing her cigarette on the dirt and then stomping on it. "Her dad smokes more than I do. You did t hear that from me."

His hand went up a bit as his cigarette  was in his mouth. "My lips are sealed." Putting them back down, he quickly placed his fingers tips on his cigarette. Taking it out, blowing out smoke. "How did you get stuck with her?"

"Stuck with her?" She mocked Billy playfully. "You mean... Why am I in the position? Let see... When I first met El, she was being bullied and I had enough of it so I knocked the shit out of the bully. Let's just say I owe Hopper a lot of things to keep me from jail." She bumps her right shoulder to his.

Billy wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or not. "Well I hope I don't piss you off." Bumping her shoulder right back.

Shrugging her shoulders, looking up at the stars. "The way your going with beating the crap out of Steve, we might have a problem." Then looking back at Billy, his head was down. "You know.... My granny has a guest bedroom for guest that needs of a place." Hopping that Billy would get the hint.

Still looking down at his wheels. "Meaning what?"

"Meaning, whoever or whatever that is going on at home.... Or... I'll just leave it there." Marlowe sighs.

"Why would she open her home up, to kids who have troubling home situation?"

"You know why. Besides I would want to get away from the person who beat the living crap out of me."

Blowing out smoke from his nostril. With hand gestures. "And let's just say I'm having a hard time at home... Will she open up to me?" Knowing that no one would want him at their place. Cause of all the shit that he went through and still is.

"Yup." Marlowe wanted to touch Billy's face, the bruise that his father gave him, must had been painful. Keeping to herself, looking away. "It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, her arms are open even if people are rude and curl to her. Yet she doesn't care and still stands strong."

Billy would probably been one of those assholes to be mean to the old lady. "Who would ever want to be mean to such a nice lady?"

"I know." Keeping an eye on the time so she wouldn't be late taking Jane home. "No cares on how they treat an old lady." Crossing her arms against her chest. "Ready for Christmas?"

Billy sighs as the subject had been changed. "Eh, I'm not much of a Christmas person." Cause it's always shitty. Susan woul do her best to make it the best for Billy and Max. Neil on the other hand couldn't really care less. Holidays always felt like shit to Billy.

"I'm not much a Christmas person myself. The only holiday that I love, like really love. That never failed me, is Halloween." Laughing softly at herself. "My granny loves it, she goes all out. Well for her grandkids, and I think for grandad as well." Turning to fully face Billy. "I don't care if you like or don't like hearing stories, your going to hear one. My uncle Buster.... I think he just need guidance, anyways Buster got this tree, and this tree would sing anytime that you move around it. When granny would talk it would talk right back to the point where she wanted to psychically want to fight with it."

Billy couldn't believe that, wanting to fight a tree that was doing. "Why because it was doing what it is as made to do..."

"Well we would turn it off and somehow it would still talk. Don't know why, but we all grandkids took a bet on how long it would last."

Now he was more intrigued. "Who won?" Hoping that it was her.

"Steve." Watching Billy rolling his eyes. "Granny fought with the tree and burn the tree cause it had to many light because of jealousy for her sons mother in law." It wasn't time yet for the dance to be over. "Christmas can be a shit show, other times it okay and we're hopping for the next would be a little bit better." Marlowe remember who she was talking to. "I'm sure that you have a date."

Shaking his head as Billy finished up his cigarette. "No. After that shit show finding Max with you guys, I'm in charge of staying here until she is ready to go home."

"I wish things didn't escalate so fast." Marlowe faded her loudness for being out going.

"Why? It was all a fucking mess including kids thinking that they are so mighty, that they could fight me."

Marlowe rolled her eyes. "Billy, he didn't want you to hurt Max. Hell I don't want you to hurt her."

"You think I hurt her?" Now he totally lost all interest. "You know nothing about me!" If Marlow wasn't a girl, this would had ended up in a blood bath.

"You're absolutely right California. I know nothing about you. Cause you don't let anyone in. You just beat the shit out of them or you look the other way." Marlow took a step away from him in case he wanted to hit her. But she would fight back not matter what.

"You are so lucky that you are a bitch."

"Cause if I wasn't you beat the shit out of me? What you think that would scare me, like it would with anyone.. okay I'm scared California." Marlowe sighed rubbing her head. "I'm sorry that I upset you, I didn't mean to. I just wanted to let you know you have a safe place."

"A safe place? Why would the fuck I need a safe place? Oh!!" Being sarcastic. "Cause you think my dad is beating me! I forget!" Now he's shouting at her. "Cause you know everything about abusiveness!" He angerly  laughed at her. 

Marlowe placed her head down, facing her full body towards her car. Unlocking her car. "Okay California, you win." It wasn't worth the fight any more. Opening the car door billy shuts it.

"Now you're running away." Shouting at her.

"I'm not!" Shouting right back. Changing her tone. "I don't want to fight that's all." His hand was still in the way. "You're right I know nothing about being hit by the people who is supposed to love you and protect you..." Looking at his hand that was shaking because he was angry. Placing her hand on to his. "If you want to hit something or shout... There are places for those." Her hand was cold as ice. Yanking his hand away from hers. Billy let's Marlowe get into her car. Locking it up so Billy wouldn't try to do anything, she just sat there.

Billy just stood outside watching her. It always ended up in a fight with him or a girl that he's been seeing. Marlowe placed her hands on the steering wheel, one hand over another one. Kicking his car as he tries his best to calm down. Not wanting to let anyone else in because whoever he lets in will judge him or leave him for it.

Claiming down after he starting calm down. He shouldn't had overacted. Knocking on the window of Marlowe's car. Rolling down her window. "Can I come in?"  Marlowe unlocks her car.