Love me •|Billy Hargrove|•

•|15|•

I jump as I hear slight yelling in my kitchen. Billy sits up too.

I climb over him and rush to my door, opening it. Billy is by my side as I step out and stare at the people yelling.

It's Joyce and Hopper. Hopper's hair is wet and he is wrapped in a towel. He does have his uniform shirt on. Joyce looks extremely frustrated. Little magnets cover the floor in front of the refrigerator.

"What's going on?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. All I'm visibly wearing is an over sized teeshirt and all Billy is wearing is sweat pants.

"Nothing, Hon," Joyce says quickly, only offering us a quick glance.

Hoppers scoffs loudly. "It's not nothing. You ditched me for Scott Clark!"

"The kids science teacher?" Billy asks.

"That's the one," Hopper shouts mockingly.

"Scott was able to demagnetize some of the magnets and he thinks-" Joyce continues.

"I don't care what Scott thinks!" Hopper yells.

Joyce continues to argue whatever point she is in the middle of making. "He thinks that a large scale magnetic field could be built using some sort of machine or- or experimental technology."

"He's brilliant isn't he?" Hopper smiles. Jealousy written across his face. "He's really brilliant. Is he single too?"

Joyce scoffs as Hopper walks towards his bed room.

"What if it's them?" She says.

I send a glance to Billy in confusion. His eye brows are furrowed.

"To build a machine like this, you need resources. You need scientists and funding. It can't just be a coincidence, Hopper. It has to be them. It has to be the lab." Joyce rants.

I feel my mouth drop into a deep frown. I thought we were done with the lab. Flashes of what happened to Bob flicker through my brain.

Hopper looks at me as Billy lays a hand on my shoulder. "Joyce, stop it." My dad snaps at her.

"Prove it to me. Take me back there. To the lab!" She pleads, standing in front of Hopper.

"Because some magnets fell off of your fridge?" Hopper says, skeptically.

"Yes!" Joyce says strongly.

"We could meet up there. Like tonight seven o'clock," Hopper says. There is sarcasm and anger in his voice. "Of course, unless something else comes up, which you know, it will." Hopper shuts the curtain that is his bedroom door.

"After everything that's happened, this is no joke!" Joyce yells.

"No I don't think it's a joke," Hopper continues on the other side. "I think that when I asked you out, I think you got scared, and now you're inventing things. You're inventing things to get worked up about so that you can push me away. Because, God for bid, any of us move on! Because that would be too much right Joyce?"

My heart hurts for him. It hurts for Joyce too. She hurries out of the cabin with tears in her eyes. Hopper continues to call for her. Finally, he realizes and leaves his room, dressed and headed to the front door, still calling her name.

I can hear them yelling outside about her going back.

"Let's just get ready and go to the mall," I sigh out.

"What about our shifts?" Billy asks, following me back into my room.

I take the oversized shirt off, faced away from him. I grab for my red swim suit. I then turn back to him, over my modesty. There's too much to do to be modest and I at least have underwear on.