ocean eyes ✧ Billy Hargrove

[ 021 ]

Tina and Daphne settled onto the couch, Tina grabbing a blanket and tossing it over their laps. Daphne appreciated the gesture; it was the kind of small comfort she desperately needed right now. Tina handed her a mug of hot chocolate, the steam rising up and mingling with the cool air.

"Alright," Tina said, turning her body to face Daphne more fully. "Spill it. I know you too well—you've got something on your mind."

Daphne stared down into her mug, watching the way the liquid rippled slightly with each breath she took. She could feel Tina's eyes on her, patient and probing, and finally, she sighed, giving in to the inevitable.

"It's Billy," she said softly, as if saying his name out loud might somehow make everything more real.

Tina's eyebrows shot up, her interest piqued. "Hargrove? What about him?"

Daphne hesitated, her thoughts still a jumbled mess. But she knew Tina wouldn't let it go, and maybe talking about it would help her make sense of the chaos in her head.

"I gave him and his stepsister Max a ride home" Daphne began, her voice steadying as she spoke. "And... it was weird, Tina. He was—he wasn't the Billy he showed me. He was so harsh with her, almost cruel. But then, I saw something else in him, too. It was like he didn't want to be that way. Like it wasn't really him."

Tina looked at Daphne, curiosity lingering in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Daphne took a deep breath, trying to put her swirling thoughts into words. "We were at the arcade, and Max was talking to Lucas. I didn't think much of it, but when Billy saw them together, he got really mad. Like, seriously pissed off. It was like a switch flipped in him, Tina. He didn't say much at first, just gave Max this look that... well, it scared me, honestly."

Tina frowned, leaning in closer. "Billy got mad because Max was talking to Lucas? Why?"

"That's the thing Tee—I'm not sure," Daphne said, shaking her head

Tina didn't respond right away. She took a sip of her hot chocolate, clearly thinking through everything Daphne had said.

Finally, she put her mug down on the coffee table and looked Daphne in the eye.

"Daph, you've got to be careful with guys like Billy," Tina said, her voice gentle but firm. "I know he's got that whole 'bad boy with a mysterious side' thing going on, and that I was the one getting you involved. But that doesn't change the fact that he's trouble. You can't fix him, no matter how much you might want to."

Daphne bit her lip, her fingers tightening around her mug. "I'm not trying to fix him, Tina. I just—I don't know. I feel like there's more to him than what we see. I think a lot of it has to do with his dad."

Tina tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "His dad?"

Daphne nodded, her thoughts drifting back to what she knew of Billy's home life. "Yeah. When I was at Billy's house, I witnessed what his dad does to him, he hits him Tee. He's probably the reason why Billy acts the way he does. It doesn't excuse his behavior, but it makes me think there's more going on beneath the surface."

Tina sighed, pulling the blanket tighter around her. "Maybe there is, Daph. But that doesn't mean you should get involved. I mean, you don't really know the guy, and what you do know isn't exactly reassuring."

Daphne nodded, knowing Tina had a point. But deep down, something inside her wouldn't let go of the idea that Billy was more than just the school's resident bad boy.

She had seen a glimpse of vulnerability in him, a crack in the armor he wore so tightly around everyone else. It intrigued her, drew her in, even though she knew she should stay away.

"I get what you're saying, Tina," Daphne said finally. "But I can't help it. There's something about him... something that makes me want to understand him better. I don't know, maybe I'm just being stupid."

Tina gave her a sympathetic smile, reaching out to squeeze Daphne's hand. "You're not stupid, Daph. You're just intrigued. But promise me you'll be careful, okay? Don't let yourself get sucked into his drama. Guys like Billy can pull you in before you even realize what's happening."

Daphne squeezed Tina's hand back, appreciating the concern in her friend's eyes. "I promise. I'll be careful."

But even as she said the words, Daphne knew that her thoughts would keep drifting back to Billy. Despite everything, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to him than anyone knew, and that she was just beginning to scratch the surface of a much deeper story.

They spent the rest of the evening in relative quiet, watching movies and talking about lighter things. Tina did her best to keep Daphne's mind off of Billy, and for a while, it worked. They laughed, reminisced about old times, and even joked about some of the ridiculous rumors that always seemed to float around Hawkins High.

And when the night grew late, Daphne finally made her way home, tired after all the events of the day.