Summary: Billy finds companionship in his next-door neighbor after she witnesses him being punched by his father.
Author’s Note: The things being broken are hearts. Just so you know. Just short of 4k words
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A new family had moved in next door nearly a year earlier. The Hargroves. I suspected they were a blended family, judging by how the siblings got along. Max, a girl, couldn’t be older than 14. She rode her skateboard around the block all the time. She came off as polite, but spunky. Her mother was also very proper, quiet and reserved.
Billy was the oldest sibling, my age. He had a hot rod car and a bad attitude. Although, he played it up more than he cared to admit. When the family came over to introduce themselves, he offered me a modest smirk, shaking my hand.
Come to learn that this was how Billy treated everybody. When he was in front of his parents, anyway. Without the oversight of his father, he was a crude, callous boy. Despite his prickly personality, he managed to win over the hearts of every girl in the school. Turns out teenagers really value the important life skill of being able to do the longest keg stand in Hawkins history.
With the Hargrove’s arrival came a few new echoes in the neighborhood. A skateboard on the asphalt, the rumble of a car engine… and screaming.
Every day, at eight o’clock in the evening on the dot, the screaming started. Short, sporadic bursts of hollering came throughout the day and continued into the night. But eight o’clock was invariably the loudest. A male voice, occasionally two, could be heard rattling the walls of the Hargrove’s house. But the second voice always quieted, frequently punctuated with a bang. Occasionally accompanied by Billy staggering out to his car and speeding off down the road.
Tonight, at eight o’clock, the screaming started again. It could be heard from my kitchen window. I could see into the Hargrove’s kitchen from there. Nothing much exciting ever went on, other than the occasional appearance of Mrs. Hargrove doing the dishes.
But this time, I noticed Billy. Neil had him pinned up against the fridge, some of the magnets had bounced to the floor. His father stuck an accusing finger in his face, ultimately forcing his closed fist across Billy’s cheek.
Billy instinctively reached up, cupping his face where he had been struck. This was followed by a terse conversation, leading to Billy picking the magnets up off the floor before heading to the front door.
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