Stranger Things 4 (Billy Hargrove) | ON HOLD

CHAPTER TWO. THE BOY THAT LURKED IN EVERY SHADOW.

CHAPTER TWO. THE BOY THAT LURKED IN EVERY SHADOW.

"You'll never guess who I saw," I said to my dad as I got into his car.  He was parked right outside of the arcade, and if he would have parked any closer he would have been inside of the arcade itself.  I buckled my seatbelt, feeling the car roar to life as he revved up the engine as if he were in a race, "Max Mayfield."

We sped out of the parking lot and onto the road, my eyes looking back at the arcade through the side mirror as it became smaller and smaller in the distance.  The car ride was mostly silent, the only sound to be heard being my dad's hands gripping tightly on the leather steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.  He looked through the rearview mirror, a frown on his face before he spoke up.

"I don't want you talking to her."

I tilted my head in confusion, "Why not?"

"Because remember how he hurt you," he said, his usually vivid, gleaming blue eyes turning shades darker at the mere thought.

"But Max hasn't hurt me," I raised my hands up in defense, but he interrupted me by grabbing my wrist tightly, making me turn to face him in shock.  I whimpered slightly at his harsh touch, trying to yank free from his grasp.  The darkness in his eyes vanished as he realized his actions, causing him to let go quickly.  He wiped his hand on his plain, grey button-up collared shirt.  I looked away from him, staring out the window as we approached our neighborhood.  "Besides I haven't seen Billy around yet."

"Well," my dad started, a jarring rasp escaping from the back of his throat as he spoke, but his eyes were still glazed over with softness, "I don't want you talking to either of them.  They're no good.  Do you hear me?  That's an order."

"Yes, father," I said sarcastically, biting hard on my lower lip.  I crossed my arms, closing my eyes to prepare to brace for the worst at my next statement, "Also I have a date tomorrow night."

We pulled into our driveway, my dad slamming on the breaks.  Both of us lurched forward, my dad turning to look at me with bulging eyes.

"You have a what tomorrow night?" he asked, a vein pulsating from his neck; the same one that always appeared when he was angry.

"I have a date," I said slowly, unbuckling my seat-belt and getting out of the car.  I headed towards our front door, noticing that one of our hall lights were still on.

"No you do not," my dad fought back, rushing up to the front door to meet up with me.  He pulled the house key from his back jean pocket, holding it in his hands tightly.  "You will have to cancel."

I kept my arms crossed, but I what I really wanted to do was grab the silver key from his hands, unlock the door, and run to my room so he wouldn't bother me anymore.  I looked up at him, his shadow of a frame looming over me menacingly, "Dad, I'm going on this date.  This guy is nothing like Billy."

"I don't care who he is or isn't like," he said, finally putting the key in the door to unlock it.  When he opened it, his hand was on my shoulder as he led me into the family room, "I don't want you going on a date."

"Please," I begged him.  Then a thought popped into my head.  I bumped into his side lightly, nudging him, "I won't ever talk to Max again if you let me go out on a date.  Just one, that's all I'm asking for."

I gave my dad the side eye, a smug smile forming on my face as I watched his face contort with different emotions, considering my compromise.  He sighed heavily, then asked, "What's his name?"

I squealed happily, leaning in to give my dad a hug, "Thank you, thank you!  His name is Steve Harrington.  He works at the arcade, and he's actually a bit of a nerd."

"Oh that's very reassuring, Camille," he said with a small chuckle, rolling his eyes.  He made his way over to the shabby brown couch - that had pieces of fabric falling off of it - and sat down.  I walked over to him, handing him the remote from the coffee table and sitting down next to him.  I leaned in to him as he turned on the TV and began clicking through the channels. 

"I promise you, he's really sweet," I said, my face heating up at the thought of Steve.  He truly was the exact type of person I needed in my life right now: funny, lighthearted, cute, and he seemed like he wasn't in any type of drama that would put more unnecessary stress in my life.

"I'm going to want to meet this Steve kid," my dad said, putting the remote down at his side and leaning back into me further.  I rested my head on his shoulder, a small smile forming on my pink lips.  "I don't want anything to happen to my girl."

"Dad, nothing will happen to me," I laughed, staring at the cartoon, "Tom & Jerry", on the TV screen, "Hawkins is a safe place now."

"Camille, someone literally graffitied the words, 'HELL' with red spray paint on the welcome sign when you enter the damn town after all that government shit happened," he said.

"Well, that was a year ago.  Now it at least feels safer than Malibu," I shrugged my shoulders, trying to focus on the TV.

"Not with Billy Hargrove lurking around here," he said, making me roll my eyes, but deep down I knew he was right, he always was. 

Billy was dangerous again, Max's friend, Lucas, confirmed that to me.  If he found out I was in Hawkins, with my dad no less, he would find me.  He would find my dad.  I knew what he was capable of, and he wouldn't just stop at beating up my dad.  He wouldn't just stop at killing my dad.  Billy always fought with the blind rage that struck his heart. 

He would stop at nothing to prove a point.

Last time Billy was this dangerous, he would lurk around every shadow of the neighborhood.  I'd often find him standing around my house, a cigarette hanging loosely in his mouth.  I would come home to find him, the same fire in his blue eyes that would ignite in my dad's.  He was just like my dad, in some ways, unaware of the damage he would cause to those around him until it was too late to change, to go back and be normal.

But Billy didn't try to change until it was too late.  Billy was worse than my dad used to be.  Before, I used to go to Billy about how my dad would hit me, shove me, yell at me.  Then I started going to my dad about how Billy would scream at me whenever he lost his temper.  Obscenities of the highest degree; his words would bite into my skin, my heart, my soul like a snake.  When Billy's words were strong with venom laced in his deep voice, I knew he had spiraled out of control.  For a while, I thought he was gone for good.

That was until that fateful February night.  After that night, he begged for forgiveness - from both my father and I.  He sought help from every person in his life, but not many could help him.  He was a shadow to everyone.  Looming silently over them, his darkness tried to overthrow every corner of their life and of his life.  He was too powerful, his personality overwhelmed everyone around him.  

Except for me.

But even I wasn't enough.  I couldn't help him like he wanted me to.

And now he was somewhere in Hawkins, and even if he didn't know that I was in the same town as him again, he would find out. 

And he would be waiting for me.    

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A/N:

Hi friends.  This chapter is shorter, but do not worry because most of the chapters will be quite long!  I'm hoping to do it in true Stranger Things style and only have about 12-13 chapters AT MOST.  So a lot of the chapters will be much longer and jam packed!

Anyway hope you are enjoying this all so far.  I'm still not over Season 3 and I never will be.

Anyway don't forget to vote, comment, follow, and add to your library to keep so you can follow the updates!!

I'll hopefully have the next chapter done by Wednesday.  Friday at the latest! Tuesday at the earliest (lmao).

Let's get back to it.

- Danielle Loveday