𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄
OCTOBER 31ST, 1984

As Henry walked into his house, the familiar scent of cigarette smoke filled his nose. He rolled his eyes a bit at the familiar scent, annoyed he hadn't gotten used to it yet. The boy cringed as he realized the familiar scent meant Billy was around, probably getting ready for a night of trouble.

"Hey, Hargrove!" Billy's voice boomed from the living room, slouched on the couch with a cigarette dangling from his lips. "What are you doing home so early? You going to hide in your room all night or actually do something fun for once?"

Henry clenched his fists, feeling the familiar surge of anger rise within him. "I'm not in the mood, Billy," he shot back, trying to sidestep the conversation. He didn't need this right now. The last thing he wanted to do was his night to get ruined because Billy was gonna press him about Halloween. It's the same thing every year.

"Not in the mood? It's Halloween, man!" Billy laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "What? You thinking about sneaking out to go trick-or-treating? Like last year? Don't think I forgot." Billy sneered at his brother.

"I told you, I'm not going trick-or-treating," Henry replied, frustration creeping into his voice. "I'm just going to hang out with some friends. It's not a big deal." Henry began making his way to his room, his actions being stopped by his brothers voice.

Billy leaned forward, the amusement draining from his expression. "You think I don't know what you're doing? You're going to hang out with that Harrington girl and her little group of losers, right? You think they actually want you around? You're just their charity case, Henry."

Henry felt his heart race, a mix of anger and hurt bubbling beneath the surface. "At least I'm not sitting here getting high and acting like a jerk," he shot back, unable to hold his tongue, a bit shocked he just snapped at his brother like that.

Billy's eyes narrowed, a predatory gleam flashing in them. "You really think you can just walk away from me, don't you? Just because you're pretending to fit in with them? Newsflash: you're still a Hargrove. You don't get to escape that." Billy snapped at his brother, now standing up and a few inches away from him.

Henry took a step back, his pulse pounding in his ears. He didn't want to get into it with Billy; he just wanted to leave the house without a fight. "I'm not like you," he said quietly, but with a firmness that surprised even himself.

Billy snorted, his laugh low and dangerous. "Yeah? We'll see about that. Just remember, you're still my little brother. You don't get to act like you're better than me." With that, he walked back and leaned back into the couch, blowing out another cloud of smoke, leaving Henry to navigate the suffocating tension hanging in the air.