Scars

A Physical Scar

Nov.5, 1985: Steve's House

It had been one year since the chaos at the Byers' home and Steve still wasn't ready to hear the name:

Billy Hargrove.

Billy equaled humiliation, loss of friends, breakup, fear, pain and scars.

No Billy equaled tunnels, demo dogs, explosion, saving Will from the mind flyer and closing a gate to the upside down but also happiness, dances, moving forward.

But today was the day Billy was being released from the psychiatric ward for his attack on him and Lucas.

Billy had supposedly spent the last twelve months working on his anger and other issues.

Max had been staying with him since Billy went in.

The only request Billy made before going into the psych ward was for Max to be removed from Neil's house. 

Hopper asked the judge to have it looked into and when they found out about the abuse Billy had undergone they removed Max.

Steve of course volunteered to have her stay with him. He had the room plus a job. He also liked the company.

Max had spent all morning worrying about what would happen to her brother.

He had no place to go and no friends. His car was the only thing he had and she was afraid he and his car would be long out of Hawkins before she would even see him.

Steve wouldn't mind that.  The town didn't need a hot head like that around and Max finally seemed to be a normal kid.

"I will be going with Hopper to pick up Billy" Max called down the hall.

Steve opened his bedroom door and said "are you sure Max, you don't owe him anything and plus you're finally on the road to recovery. Your grades are doing well plus your relationship with Lucas is so much better".

Max just looked at him. Thoughts upon thoughts racing through her head.

After a couple minutes she straightened up and said with resolve "he's my brother Steve. He at least deserves someone in his family to be there when he is released. Plus I'm guessing he will hightail it back to California once he gets his car back from the Byers and I want to say goodbye".

Steve sighed and nodded. "Alright but tell Hopper I want you home by dinner alright," he said and went back to his room to get dressed.

He heard the blaring of Hopper's horn and the front door open and close.

Slumping onto his bed Steve forgot about getting dressed. It didn't really seem that important to him.

Sighing at the realization the world was still spinning and he had things to do, he got up and started combing his hair.

That's when he saw it.

The scar that followed his hairline right above his left eye.

Steve suddenly felt dizzy and the world went dark. All he heard was sounds.

The sound of that damn blue camaro coming up the gravel path. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

The sound of Billy's mocking voice.

The sound of the door to the Byers house being kicked open and the kids inside screaming.

Then came the pain. Hit after hit he tried to keep up but he couldn't. He might've been the taller one but Billy spent his whole life training to hit things.

He couldn't move. He didn't want to move but then he heard Lucas scream and everyone begging Billy to leave him alone.

That made Steve stir. He grabbed a plate and hit Billy with it. Billy stumbled and went back to pummeling Steve until Max knocked him out with sleeping drugs in a syringe meant for Will.

After Jane closed the gate to the upside down they told Hopper what happened. He went down and found Billy still unconscious and took him to the hospital.

While Billy was there a judge decided a psychiatric stay would help him the most.

Steve spent two weeks in the hospital and then the next few months in therapy. He would break down whenever he heard a car on gravel or saw the scar on his forehead.

The creaking of floorboards or the moving of plates would once again send him hiding in the corner trying to escape the next hit.

He was finally returning to normal. He could go about his daily life without having those attacks.

The light in the room started to come back slowly. He had another attack.

Steve used the bed to help pull himself up from the floor and laid down.

No he wasn't ready for the fucker to be out of the psych ward. He belonged there. He should just live there.

But it was happening and he couldn't stop it but he would make rules that's for sure. He wouldn't be allowed at the house and Max was to be supervised anytime she was around him.

That little pep talk gave him the strength to finally get up and get dressed.

He had some shopping to do before Max got home and he wanted to stop by and hang out with Robin for a while outside of work.

Grabbing a breakfast bar on his way out Steve took another deep breath, grabbed his keys and was going to pretend that Billy Hargrove just didn't exist.