Experiment 000: Billy Hargrove X Reader

Chapter Six

  "Inject substance 235 into subject 000." Papa's voice rings in your ears.

   No, you couldn't be back. Papa couldn't be alive. You saw his dead body on the ground of Hawkins Middle School, right? Your palms are sweating and your body is shaking.

"No, Papa! Please! Not again! I'll be good, I promise! I'm sorry!" You shout in fear of what the substance could do to you.

Papa walks up next to you, his tall form hovering over your small one. "You must be punished." He says before turning around.

"Papa!" You shout. "Papa, please!" You start to sob as you shake. "Papa!"

"Zee, Hey! Wake up!" The voice that had become familiar says faintly. "Zee!"

You jerk yourself up as your breathing quickens, your palms sweating like they did when you would get tested on in the lab. Your eyes find Hopper's worried blue ones as he places a hand on your shoulder, attempting to calm you. Your heart rate starts slowing along with your breathing.

"Another nightmare?" He asks, sitting next to you while taking his hand back to himself.

You nod as he wraps an arm around you and brings you close to him. Yeah, another one. Ever since you got out of that damn place the nightmares just flowed in like water pushing through a dam. But those nightmares are actually memories. Memories of a painful past that you want to forget.

"You don't have to worry about them anymore." He pauses, kissing the top of your head. "You're safe." Hop gives your shoulders a little squeeze.

You hate when he says that. You know that you're safe, and yet he won't let you go out and do anything aside from the occasional grocery run. "If I'm so safe, why can't I go out and go to school?"

He sighs, stands up and wipes a stripe down his face. Hop hates when you ask about school. Sometimes, he lets you and only you go out to get groceries, but you have to be sure that no one you know sees you.

"You know what we talked about." He says as he walks to your bedroom door. "The less people know about you, the better. We don't know who's out there and who wants to hurt you."

You shake your head, uncover yourself, and stand up. "Hop, I'm tired of always staying inside.  I'm eighteen years old, I'm a big kid now." You fold your arms over your chest like a child.

  "Zee, I care about you. I don't want you hurt. Think about El. You don't want her here alone, do ya?" He explains as he takes a few steps closer to you, leaning down a bit so he doesn't tower over you too much.

"Hop, I wanna go to school. I wanna be a normal teenager for once. No one besides Steve, Nancy, and Johnathan know about me at the school. Everyone else would just think I'm new." You attempt to persuade him, thinking you've made a damn good case.

His eyes roll with a scoff. "We're not talking about this right now." He argues as he walks out of your room.

"You always say that, Hop!" You exclaim. He always puts it off and never says anything about it later. Hopper always claims to be tired after work.

"I know what's best for you, Zee! I'm not putting you in harms way again!" He raises his voice as he grabs his hat from the chair.

"Hopper, I am harms way! I'm pretty sure I'll be okay for awhile while I'm at school!" You're getting irritated and you're sure Hopper is too. 

"Drop it!" He demands as he steps to the door.

  "No! I always drop it! We never talk about it later because you don't want to!" You shout, your hands clenching down by your sides.