pretty boy like you // harringrove

15.

Karen thought that she'd never take Ronnie up on his offer - crashing at your dealer’s house is generally not looked well upon - but her dad had found her stash and been more angry than she'd seen him in a long time.

“Bitch -

“Liar -

“Stupid -

“Whore -”

“Fuck.” She rang Ronnie’s doorbell again, praying that he had mean what he said. She had gone to Steve's earlier and she was crying and her nose was still bleeding but she had been about to knock on the front door and she had seen Billy trying to throw popcorn into his mouth and kissing him afterwards and they looked so happy and she couldn't barge in on them like that. She wasn't sure if she should try again later but then she saw Chloe walk out into the living room with drinks and she decided to fuck off to Ronnie’s.

His daughter, a freshman named Elizabeth, opened the door. “Hello?”

She wiped the blood off her nose and swore. She hadn't taken into account that staying with Ronnie meant staying with this poor fucking little girl. “Hey. Uh. I know your dad, Ronnie is a friend of mine, I guess. Yeah. Is he home?” Liz popped her bubblegum and frowned.

“You a friend from work?” She didn't look too trusting and Karen couldn't blame her. A random girl shows up beaten bloody on your doorstep and claims to know your father? Not great.

“No. I mean, yeah, that's how we met, but I don't work with him. I'm a… client.” Karen sighed at how desperate she sounded.

Liz blew another bubble and crossed her arms. “Dad says no clients, if that's what crackheads are calling themselves now, are allowed here.”

Pathetically, she started to cry. “Please. He knows me. I would never… look. He told me if I ever needed a place to stay I could crash here. Just tell him it's Karen and that I got kicked out.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Listen, kid. Your name is Elizabeth. Your dad had you with his girlfriend of three months when he was sixteen years old. You're named after her. He needed money after your mom died so he turned to gangs. He moved to Hawkins to get away from the violence but he had to go back to drugs because he couldn't get a job. He hasn't had another girlfriend since you were born and he swears he won't. He calls you ‘Lizabeth, because Elizabeth will always be associated with your mom. My name is Karen. I know your dad. He's like a father to me. My own dad just beat the shit out of me and told me to get lost. I think I have broken ribs so please just tell your fucking dad to let me in the goddamn house.”

Elizabeth looked shocked and called to her dad upstairs. “Dad, this chick Karen is here! Says she knows you!” He was barreling down the stairs in a heartbeat and wrapping Karen up in a hug.

“Hey, Karen, baby, oh God. You're bleeding - Liz, can you get bandages? - what happened?” He led her into the living room, sat her down on the couch and rubbed her back while she sobbed.

“It was my dad, he, he found my stash. Told me I was a bitchliarwhoregoodfornothing loser, just as bad as my brother. So I got mad. Told him that he drove my brother to do what he did.” She let out a loud hiccup. “It's true. It's fucking true! They said it was an accident but I saw him, okay? He walked in front of that car and it was selfish and shitty but if dad never… if I never…”

“You couldn't have stopped him, Kay. There was nothing you could have done. He's dead but that doesn't mean you have to keep killing yourself like this.” He cleaned up her face gently, sighed.