Shared Trauma (Stranger Things AU)

[1]

OCTOBER 16TH 1984

Billy stared at the girl who he caught rummaging through the trashcan outside the house, her having frozen, eyes wide like deer in headlights.

She had a slimy, dirty dress with an equally dirty jacket, her messy pixie cut hair tangled and untamed.

Shit...

"Hey!"

She flinched, dropping whatever she had in her hand and bolted to the woods.

"Hey! Fucking, you little shit, get back here!"

He ran after the girl, grabbing onto the girl's wrist-

When she pushed him across to a tree, his head spinning when he groaned, cursing under his breath.

The girl hides, shaking.

"Jesus Christ, you little shit, I want to help!" Billy yelled, rubbing his head.

Silence.

He sighed.

"Fine! Starve for all I care! Not like I care anyway."

He turns, leaving when he hears footsteps coming behind him, causing him to smirk as he felt a scared presence follow him from behind.

Good thing Maxine is at the arcade.

X

He makes the mysterious girl shower in his bathroom, leaving a pair of clean clothes on the counter (an old t-shirt of his and one of Max's sweats), leaving to the kitchen to make the girl something to eat.

He opened the freezer and found a box of Eggos that he and Max are NEVER going to eat so he prepares that for her, putting them in the toaster.

He got the peanut butter out, opening it up when he hears the 'tap, tap' of footsteps.

"Hey, you little shit."

He looks up to see the girl, now free of the dirt, had scars covering her face and her arms. He almost flinches at the sight of them.

"Fought a bear?"

She furrowed her eyebrows.

"The scars."

She looks at them, widening her eyes before hiding them behind her back.

She shakes her head.

"Where did you get them?"

No answer.

"Okay, don't talk. I don't really care."

He does, a little.

What kid, that looks like Maxine's age, has scars like those?

She walks closer to him, and Billy notices more.

Freckles sprinkled across her cheeks and nose.

Bright, blue eyes.

Tannish skin tone.

Dark brown, wavy hair (he thought it was black, probably from it being dark and the dirt).

She looks to the box of Eggos, and widened her eyes, familiarity in her eyes.

"Had them before?"

She turns to him and nods.

"Good, 'cause you're eating that today...and peanut butter."

She furrowed her eyebrows.

"P...Pee-nut But-r?" She asks, catching Billy by surprise.

"Well, you do talk. Yeah, peanut butter. Lots of protein."