stranger things imagines {slow updates}

𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞

YOU TAPPED YOUR FINGERS AGAINST THE SHINY VARNISHED TABLE, GLANCING AROUND THE LIBRARY EVERY NOW AND THEN.

4:10. he was ten minutes late, and it was their very first session. you hoped billy had a hell of a first impression.

you'd been assigned to help the bad boy out with his failing grades in science and english - you were top student in both classes, so of course the teachers chose you. you wouldn't have minded much if it had been anyone else. literally anyone. in all honesty, billy frightened you.

you turned to the sound of the door slamming, and stifled a laugh as the librarian shushed the loud noise. your eyes caught hold of billy, and you subtly scanned him. he was a bit sweaty, and his hair was wet. at least he wasn't in his basketball outfit.

"sorry i'm late. practice was a bit longer than usual," he greeted, haphazardly slipping into the chair across from you. you were a bit surprised by the kindness in his tone - you'd expected him to be a bit rougher around the edges.

"it's okay, billy. we have about 45 minutes left, so let's make the most of it." you sent him a small smile, and he just stared back at you. clearing your throat, you organized the papers in front of you. when he didn't say a thing, and just continued to gape at you, you sighed, and pushed your textbook to the side.

"how about we just take today as a... learning session, for me. tell me what you have the most trouble with, so i can make a plan for tomorrow?" you offered. billy finally snapped out of his trance-like state, and he nodded, tossing his jean jacket off to the side.

"well... uh, i don't understand the most recent book we read. i don't get how it's about politics and stuff." he sounded nervous, and hesitant to continue. in order to show billy that you were listening, you shifted in your seat and motioned for him to keep going.

"um... in science, i don't understand the dna and rna stuff. oh, and how the proteins are made." you smiled as billy began to warm up to you. how could you have been so afraid, or even apprehensive to tutor him? he just seemed like a regular, nice guy.

"ok. i can totally work with that. for now, let's try to talk about the english book, and i'll bring notes for the science topic tomorrow."

•••

you didn't usually come home late, but you'd spent a little extra time with billy during the tutoring session just because he was so nice to talk to. you had seriously been expecting a total asshole, villain and any other scary concoction of words you could think up.

now, you were just regretting tutoring him because of how goddamn attractive he was to you.

"look who's finally decided to fucking show up! what took you so long?"

you flinched at the sudden shout, but immediately knew who it was. your pulse began to speed as you realized the sidewalk was completely empty if not for the two of you.

"patrick, please. just leave me alone," you whimpered, trying to stay strong. this was a pattern for you. you and patrick had dated for a year before things began to get ugly, and he started to become verbally abusive. you broke up with him, but the insults never ceased, and you had almost given up trying to make them stop.

he took a few steps closer to you, and you could smell the tobacco on his breath. "heard you were tutoring hargrove. what, did you stay a few minutes more just so you could fuck 'im?" his teeth were barred, like a wolf studying its prey. you swallowed hard, and furrowed your eyebrows.

"no. and even if i was, it's none of your business. would you please let me go home? i'm not your girlfriend anymore," you stated, clutching your books a little harder. when patrick didn't say anything, you tried to walk away, but he grabbed your wrist.

"you don't speak to me like that. do you understand?"

you yanked your arm, but his grip was firm. "let me go, patrick. you're hurting me." you felt your fingers begin to tremble and you cursed yourself for being so weak. that's all patrick ever told you, that you were weak, so much that you began to believe it.

"do you understand?" he repeated, his voice cold and flat, menacingly so. he'd never laid a hand on you, but the words hurt just as much.

"hey! what the fuck are you doing?"

you recognized the voice, and your stomach fluttered as you realized you were being saved. your head snapped toward your approaching savior and you realized it was billy; running straight toward patrick with a look of pure, unadulterated anger.

almost immediately, patrick's stone grasp on your hand was released, and you brought your arm to your side, wincing as you tried to roll your wrist. you took a few steps backward and leaned against the wall of a closed deli, trying to slow your heart.

"you better stay out of this. i'm her boyfriend, and -"

you gritted your teeth at his words. "i'm not your girlfriend! get it through your thick goddamn skull!" you shouted, finally fed up with patrick's constant control over your life. he whipped his attention toward you with a threatening fury, but suddenly, you heard a crack.

before you knew it, patrick was lying on the floor, blood dripping steadily out of his nose. billy stood over him, taking deep breaths, almost gawking at the scene he'd created. you hated violence, but instead of being afraid of billy, you suddenly felt a rush of gratitude and ran to envelope him in a hug.

"thank you," you whispered, fighting the tears. you had a feeling that patrick would leave you alone as long as billy was there to protect you. it took him a moment to comprehend what was happening, but you felt his arms wrap hesitantly around you.

"i guess that's how i repay you for the tutoring," he joked, his voice mumbled by your hair. you laughed quietly and pulled away, half smiling. did this mean your nightmare was over? had months of verbal abuse been halted by one single punch?

"i'll buy you a donut tomorrow if you drive me home." you motioned to his car, which was double parked messily - no doubt that he'd done a quick job to run and help you. billy flashed you the award winning smile that so many girls gushed about in class.

"you don't need to buy me anything for me to give you a ride. but a donut would be nice."