Private Eyes- Billy Hargrove {Stranger Things}

12

Billy:

I walk up on the doorstep and knock loudly. I can't wait to see my baby girl today, she is the best thing I have. It's nice that Neil and Susan like her too, so I don't have to fight them on it. I really do love M.D. a lot. There is no answer at the door when I first knock. I knock again and her father, Ben, answers.

"Well, hello there young man. What can I do for you?" He asks politely. And I return the favor by responding politely.

"Hello, sir, I was wondering if your daughter is home, I'm here to take her to school."

"Oh, I think she may have left early and caught a ride with Nancy Wheeler, she's not here." Her father invites me in by gesturing and I decline. I wonder why she didn't let me know she was catching a ride with Wheeler. And, ugh, Harrington.

"Thank you, sir, but I better catch her at school. Have a nice day sir." He closes the door as I walk down the steps and hop in my car. I turn up the radio so loud that my ass can feel the bass of Billy Idol. I take a few sharp turns and pull into the school parking lot. Nancy and Steve are standing there grouping each other whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears. Just what I needed to see. Thanks. I walk over there in a kind matter and clear my throat. They stop and turn to me, giving me a hard ass look.

"Where's Marlowe?" Harrington asks, putting his hand in his front pocket.

"I was just about to ask you the same question. You guys haven't seen her?" I sounded worried. Man, Marlowe is actually turning me into a human.

"No, not since yesterday," Nancy says. She sounded worried too. Steve and Nancy look at me like I'm a lost puppy trying to find my owner. Huh, I guess Marlowe is kinda like my owner. That's kinda funny.

"Did she seem off to you?" I ask.

"Not at all," Harrington replies.

"Well if you see her, let us know okay?" Wheeler gives me a half-hearted smile. I nod and make my way into the school. I look for her at her locker and she's not there. Where is she?

.............................................

The rest of the dull day passes by with a blur. As I walk into my house, my shithead sister is already home and she glares at me. I actually give her a smile and she asks what's wrong.

"You haven't seen Dallas have you?" I sit down and take a cheeto from her.

"No, what did you do?"

"Nothing, I just don't know where she is." We both give one another a worried look. She touches my arm and gives me a smile.

"She'll turn up, don't worry." I hope.

"So where's dad and Susan?" I get up from the table and get a beer.

"They won't be home for a couple of weeks. His work is taking both of them out of state."

"So I'm stuck with you," I say and she nods her head.  I shake my head in return, disgusted. "I'm going in my room, don't want anything, got it?" Max nods her head yet again and gives me a wary look.

Instead of going into my room and not being bothered by the psycho step-sibling, I decide to jog (ish) over to M.D.'s to see if she stayed home and hid from her parents. When I get to their doorstep the door is unlocked and it looks like no one is home. The lights flicker and then turn all the way on. "M.D. are you here?" No answer. I try again, "Babe, you in your room?" Still no answer. I go upstairs and she's not in her room and all the doors like the bathroom door are closed. I go back home and I hear the little shit scream.  I run inside the door to find Maxine frozen in one place.

"Billy!" She whispers softly.

"What, what is wrong?" I actually worried about her. Something is going on. First Marlowe, who I love and Max, who I hate with every fiber of my being cuz she ruined my life, but still. This something is happening and it has to stop now so I can find my girlfriend and stop my step sister from talking to me.

"Marlowe." She says quietly.

"One word? Really, Max, that's all you're giving me?"

"Marlowe said something to me, she said two things."

"What, Max, spit it out. What did she say?"

"Barb and Will." She unfreezes and sits down at the table again, still staring at me clueless but like she knows everything and I know nothing. Which in this situation, it's true. But really, Barbara as in Barbara Holland, the one who died? And Will "Zombie Boy" Byers? That's she said to her?

"Well, where does Will hang out? We need to talk to him." She replied with the Arcade and we hop in the car and speed over there.

"Hey, Max." The black boy with the dirty hands says. Apparently, his name is Lucas. But does it sound like I could give two shits? NO. I just want to find my lady.

"Hey, is Will here?" Max replies. I look at the black kid and he looks back at me. I raise my eyebrows and he then replies.

"Yes, he's in the corner playing an updated version of Dig Dug." I nod. And all of the stupid kids follow me. Will looks scared when I approach him- as he should be.

"Do you know where Marlowe is? I haven't seen her." He looks at me funny and then freezes the same way Max did at home.

"What is it Will?" Nancy's brother says.

"She's here." Will says, staring at me blankly.

"What do you mean she's here? I don't frickin see her." I yell. Everything is silent.

It stays silent until Will says slowly and quietly, "Take my hand." I take the kids' hand and he squeezes hard enough to turn both of our knuckles white- pure dazzling, pearl white. Red and blue colors swirl around me as I feel specks sticking to my skin one by one and the air is dank and moist. The fog surrounds Will and I. I see a figure in front of me and the hand touches me shoulder, rubs lightly and pulls me closer. It's what those kids talk about, The Upside Down. It's her. It's my babygirl. Her laugh sounds fresh and sensual.

"Billy."

"Marlowe."

"Save me."

"From what baby?" The tears come across both of our faces.

"From that." The tall monstrous figure stands over Marlowe. And then she's gone.

What the actual hell.