Billy Hargrove might rule the corridors of Hawkins High as the bully. Yet, behind closed doors at home, he's the victim, tormented by his own father. His mother abandoned him, so he has no defender against his abuser.
But at school, Steve Harringto...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The night is a patchwork of shadows and moonlight, and the stars silently observe the dance of emotions unfolding beneath them.
Steve slides into the driver's seat and inserts the key into the ignition. The engine roars to life. He drives, drowning in his feelings. Carol's mum's words, still impossible to forget, had hit him like a punch to the gut. Billy is having an affair with her.
The words reverberate in his memory. Each syllable carves a deeper wound. It isn't just the affair itself that is shaking him. It's the realisation that after what happened at the beach, and after tonight, Billy kept such a significant secret from him, like it wasn't a big deal. He withheld such crucial detail.
Maybe that's all Billy wants. One fling after another. More than one at the same time. No strings attached. But it's not what Steve wants. He could never ...
His chest caves in on itself. His vision blurs, and he blinks back tears.
During his past relationships, all Steve secretly longed for was a real connection, to grow closer and open his heart to someone he genuinely wanted to be with. He had no idea that it would suck, that it'd fucking hurt this much.
Steve would never have guessed that the memory of his ex-girlfriends would now mean a time when everything was simpler, without the intricacies of feelings involved and the possibility of heartbreak.
Steve navigates the winding streets, trying to shut it off, but snippets of the conversation continue to flow within him.
Divorce.
Billy and Carol's mum free to be together.
The idea of Billy with someone else is unbearable. A visceral ache gnaws at his gut.
Billy and Steve shared moments of vulnerability and passion, but they were also careful to maintain a certain distance, a boundary never explicitly defined. Maybe it was stupid to entertain the possibility of a romantic relationship with Billy.
Even if it makes no sense, if he has no right, if it's crazy ... that's how it feels.
The road stretches out before him, a never-ending ribbon of asphalt. He's torn between the desire to confront Billy and the fear of what that might reveal.
