Private Eyes- Billy Hargrove {Stranger Things}

23

Marlowe:

When all of this started, we had no idea that it would last this long. I mean me, dating Hawkins' new king? I was just waiting for all of the snarky comments to follow, and so was Billy. But Billy was the more 'I do what the fuck I want if I want you, I'll have you, let them say what the fuck they want' kind of person. Now, how did we get here? Well, let's go back to after the chaos that entailed with Billy, David and myself.

TWO MONTHS EARLIER:

"Mari, there's someone at the door for you." My uncle calls from downstairs. I pace myself down the stairs to the door. I open it thinking it's one of the girls I hung out with yesterday, Kerry, but no, it's Billy fucking Hargrove. At my- well my uncles' door, in California. His eyebrows are raised, cigarette in between the lips I used to kiss every day. Every day until I fucked it up. Those really tight jeans- and I mean really tight, that hug every crevice of his sexy body- he has on. Not like I'm noticing or anything...

"Did you even hear me or are you too busy eyeing what you used to blow?" I snap out of my daze and still see Billy standing in front of me.

"Uh no, I didn't hear you."

"I asked if I could come in." His are nice and kind. I contemplate for a second, thinking about how this would play out at the end of the day. But his eyes, those blue piercing eyes that I love to look into when I'm happy, sad, the eyes that calm me down when I am angry, are looking at me, into my soul, and I'm putty in his hands.

I let out a hesitant tone, "Umm... sure." I let him walk inside.

"So..." He lingers on that word. I rub my sweaty hands on my jeans. I know I'm not the only one that is nervous for the possible conversation that we will have.

"Awkward." My Uncle says in a sing-song tone.

"Stop it." I groan. Billy and my Uncle exchange handshakes and I tell him we are going up to my room. We go up the stairs and as we get to the top, I trip, Billy catches me and pushes me back up. "Thank you," I say, breathless, I look back and he nods. I hear the doorbell when we step into the room.

"I got it..." My Uncle yells, "She's up there." I can hear his voice faintly. I open my door that Billy closed.

"Hey," I say to the boy in front of me that isn't Billy. It's Darin, a boy I met at Kerry's party last weekend. I've only been here since last Thursday and I met a lot of people.

"Hey, Marlowe." His voice was raspy and his dark black hair swooshes across his face, uncovering his forehead. Darin points at Billy and then realizes he knows him. "Oh my god! Hargrove is that you?" Billy's face is now pale white. I look back and forth between the two male figures who are frozen like stone, and none of us speak. I hear a sigh come out of Billy's mouth and I sit down on my bed. After a few minutes of being absolutely quiet, Billy speaks up.

"So what are you doing here?" He asks Darin.

"I was just about to ask you that same question." Darin laughs lightly.

"Answer mine first."

"Why?" Darin says all defensive.

"Just do it, Darin." I chime in.

"I came to get a book from Marlowe." He points at the bookcase by the desk in the corner

"I'll get it to you before you leave," I say quietly.

"I came to talk to Marlowe," Billy says flatly.

"Are you still living in California?" Darin asks him. Billy pops in a piece of gum and blows a small bubble.