melancholia. [ ALTERNATE SPIN-OFF ] [ BILLY HARGROVE ]

xiii. CHAPTER ELEVEN

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warning: mature language
Present

     Mary took a second as all of the information sank in. She wiped the tears from her cheeks quickly, looking to her hands in guilt and sadness. She took a deep breath, head picking up to look to the ocean again. 

     "It's not your fault, okay?" Billy said, looking at her. "It wasn't your fault at all." Mary didn't respond, just keeping her eyes fixed on the ocean water and not tearing away. Billy studied her face, recognizing it to be the one that he was familiar with. She was angry, but she was most feeling guilty. He had spent so much time with her that he could tell her mood based on her expression. That gift never left him. 

     "You've got your scar... I've got mine," Mary said with a nod. "Since you showed me yours, I guess it's time to tell you about me." 

     "What are you talking about?" Billy asked, his voice soft and confused. Mary pushed herself off the car, pulling up her shirt to show him the scars that the monster had left. He nearly gasped, pushing off the car and going to her. "Mary, what the fuck?" 

     "It doesn't hurt," she told him. "If that's what you were wondering." Billy covered his mouth with his hand in shock, then reached to the scars and touched them lightly. His hands felt rough, and Mary nearly shuttered at his touch. Billy noticed her stiffen up, and he took his hands away slowly. "And that's not the only thing I've got." 

     "There's more?" Billy asked, shocked with her words. Mary held up a hand, and at her command, it began to glow red in color. Billy's eyes widened at the sight, and he took a small step back from Mary. 

     "It was the only way I could escape," Mary told him, her voice cracking. "If there was another way, I would've taken it, but I could only get out if I..." She trailed off, wiping her eyes as her hand stopped glowing. "I had to get these powers to get out so I could get back to you." Billy shook his head slowly, wiping his face. For the first time, he was beginning to think this wasn't real. Mary could see the change on his face, and her eyes sank at it. "You have to believe me, Billy." 

     "This isn't real," he muttered. "I knew it. I shouldn't have been so stupid." He opened the palm of Mary's hand, grabbing the keys from her. "I was an idiot to think that I could be happy. This is probably just a dream." Mary gasped at his words, following him to the drivers side door.

     "Billy, no, I promise you that this is real! I'm real," Mary pleaded, trying to grab his hand. He pulled away, turning to face her. 

     "I'm going to wait for this horrible dream to end, and then I'm going to forget this ever happened. You're not Mary-" 

     "Yes, I am! Billy, you have to believe me! I didn't come all this way for you to forget about me!" Mary yelled at him. He kept his eyes on her, bouncing slightly on his feet in hopes that the small movement would wake him up and make him stop crying. "Two years, Billy. Two of the longest years of my entire life I have been suffering without you. You were the first person that I wanted to get back to because I loved you more than anything! You made me happier than anyone else ever could have!" 

     "Why do you keep speaking in the past tense?" Billy asked, his teeth gritted together. Mary grabbed his face, Billy not flinching away this time. 

     "I love you," Mary told him. "I love you more than all the stars and the moon. R-Remember the day... December 13. You came to my window around ten-thirty at night. You were crying because of your dad, and you came to my window while it was snowing hard. The second I pushed up the window, you apologized to me like it was the last words you would ever say. The next day, December 14, was the day we started dating and the first time we kissed. You pulled me out of my chair, and we danced to Elvis. You remember that, right?" Billy nodded slightly, tears streaming down his face. "You pulled me out of my chair, and we swayed together while you explained how sorry you were for hurting Steve, and Lucas, and Max, and even me. And then I kissed you. It was that one kiss that I knew that you were the only person I ever wanted to spend my life with. Billy, it's me. I promise." He looked like he was going to lose his strength, Mary placing her hands on his forearms gently. "It's me." 

     "What happened in February and March of 1985?" Billy asked, biting his lip. Mary frowned, knowing what he was talking about. 

     "February was the first time you ever took me to the lake," she told him. "But it was also when Alex Gold returned to Hawkins. His dad threatened to kill everyone I loved if I didn't break up with you, so I did what I had to to protect you. You snapped at him one day, got the shit beaten out of you in the parking lot, and then Alex and his dad got sent to jail. It was also when you gave me my ring." Billy nodded slowly, shutting his eyes as the tears leaked out. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the exact ring Mary was talking about. His hands were trembling as he stared at it, shutting his eyes. 

     "Tell me... Tell me how I gave you this ring," he said, opening his eyes to look at her again. Mary just nodded, taking his free hand in hers. 

     "It was just like any other day. After school, we went to Pie's Diner, picked up our food, and then left for the lake. Every single day we spent there, I tried to find something new in my surroundings. Things that had meaning," Mary began, remembering each thing she could about the lake. "The small cave at the top of the cliff, a rope that hung on a branch for cliff jumping, the rocks, the tire hanging from the tree, the broken wood post." She smiled lightly, placing her other hand against his cheek. "You asked what I was thinking about. I told you it was just some stuff, and you asked 'what kind of stuff'. When I answered, you kept pointing to things I'd already noticed until you finally pointed to the glowing little glare on the ground. I picked it up and saw the inscription. 'I love you. B.H.'" Mary took a deep breath, running her fingers through her hair. "I ran to you and kissed you, telling you I loved you, too. And we sat against your car for hours, and I loved every second of it." Billy just nodded slightly at her, tears falling from his cheek. "I could never forget that day." He leaned down and kissed her with all the passion he had. He finally knew that it was her, he finally knew that it was his Mary. His girl. 

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y'all 
my babies
are officially
BACK
THEY'RE BACK BITCHES
WHOO
FUCK YEAH

anyways...
i hope you enjoyed :)