#sad-brunnettee

It all started when he helped your injuries after a game.

He didn’t care about your well being but the feeling he got afterwards of knowing someone depends on him, made him realize he wanted to do it over and over again.

As much as you tried to not have any interest in him, it was hard. The two of you were in a world where everyone was the enemy yet you felt comfort in him.

You didn’t see him that often, due to the two of you going to separate games. Since you weren’t part of the beach, you chose what games to play on your own luck.

Chishiya was smart enough to act like a good doctor around you but never once did he tried to befriend you or invite you to the beach.

That only left you wanting more, unlike the other players. He didn’t persuade you into forming an alliance or tried to help you besides your injuries.

One time, before the start of a game you told him that if the two of you survive, you would want him to take you to his hideout.

Which was exactly what happened, you’re not sure what you were expecting. But getting taken in a car to a luxury hotel was not what you had in mind.

At first everything seemed fine with Chishiya, he showed you the room you’d be staying in and also gave you some warnings about the militants.

After that, he kept his distance but it was driving you crazy. To the point where you just wanted to be by his side. And without you knowing, you fell into his manipulating trap.

You had no other choice but to follow after him like a lost puppy.

He gave you mixed signals, he wanted you to leave him alone yet the words he used made you want to stay with him.

Afraid of what would happen if the militants saw you alone. Not just that but you trusted him with your injuries that you were afraid of what you’d do without him.

It wasn’t until a few nights later that you realized how stupid this all was. You were doing just fine without him.

Yet whenever you tried to leave, he always pulled you back.

Especially when he would fix your injuries without you asking, protected you from niragi and always included you in his plans on how to get out of a game alive, (even if in some cases you were the bait).

When you did bring all of this up to him, he was nonchalant. He even agreed to it as he continued tinkering, paying no attention to you.

And that was exactly what you did, the following days you kept to yourself. Even if you did enjoy your alone time, you couldn’t help but miss Chishiya’s presence.

Even if all he did was make comments that made him seem better than everyone else. You couldn’t help but feel empty and afraid, not knowing if you’d be able to survive the next game.

Unbeknownst to you, Chishiya had told Niragi during one of their encounters that you were no longer going to be following him around.

Of course, Niragi saw this as the perfect opportunity to torment you.

It started off simple, a few teasing words that later on escalated to being pushed and threatened by his gun.

Even though you were beyond scared, you tried to act tough. Although that didn’t work out when he started blaming you for almost costing his life during a game.

Everyone crowded the two of you and did nothing to help. You were almost sure that you were going to die then and there.

Until you saw something white from the corner of your eye. As you looked, you were greeted with Chishiya’s smirk and cold eyes.

You know you should hate him but you have finally came to the conclusion that there is no escaping chishiya shuntaro.

“For the last time Billy, I wasn’t flirting with him. He is dating my cousin and just wanted to talk.” Your nails were digging in the palms of your hands. The only thing able to keep your feet grounded.

Your response didn’t help the situation because even if it was the truth. It made Billy feel dumb.

He let out a laugh while shaking his head. “I don't know why I put up with this.” He didn’t mean it but he didn’t want to lose this argument.

“Put up with what?” You asked, afraid of his response.

“With this, you. Us.” Billy regretted saying that as soon as the first word escaped his mouth but he let them out.

Your eyes were starting to tear up but you kept on looking forward. “Pull over.” Your voice was loud and clear.

Billy felt a tug at his heart. “What?” He asked, hoping he misheard you. He looked at you briefly before turning his attention back on the road.

“I said. Pull over!” Your voice was now louder.

Even if Billy didn’t want to, he still listened to you. He thought maybe you just needed a second for the both of you to calm down before continuing to drive. Yet he was proven wrong when you unfastened your seatbelt. Your right hand grabbed the handle and pushed the door open but didn’t step out.

“If you don’t know why you put up with this, then we should break up.” You stepped out of his car and shut the door, without thinking you started walking.

Billy stayed seated, begging his legs to get him out of the car and chase after you. Yet he didn’t, because even though he hated the outcome, he knew it was the best for you. He let out an angry breath and smacked the steering wheel with both hands. Putting the car in reverse and now driving in the opposite direction to his own house, he muttered a few curse words to himself. All he wanted was to go home and lay down, hoping that all this was just a nightmare. The same one he always dreaded of coming true.

You regretted not bringing a sweater with you to the party. Your house was about a 30 minute walk away but it was better than staying in the car with Billy. You kicked some rocks that crossed your path but stopped when you heard the rustling of leaves ahead of you. Even though it was windy, it sounded like someone was there. You stopped walking in order to hear better, not just that but you were prepared to run in the opposite direction in case someone came out of the shadows and went after you.

An animal-like noise was heard and a tail emerged from the bushes. You remember Claudia telling you she couldn’t find Mews and to keep an eye out for her.

“Mews?” You asked, hoping to see her jump out but nothing happened. Only more rustling was heard, you took cautious steps towards the noise. Since you still weren’t sure what it was.

As you got closer you didn’t see anything, making you even more confused. Sure you had a few drinks but you were sober enough to understand what was going on. Just as you were about to keep on walking something grabbed your ankle. It took you by surprise and you couldn’t do anything other than scream. Hoping that whatever or whoever it is, will let you go. Better yet, you hoped someone will drive by and help you.

No matter how hard you thrashed around, it held a tight grip on you. You were now on the floor, attempting to get away, your nails were filled with dirt as you tried to hold on to something. Yet nothing worked, the last thing you remembered was the pain you felt as something got inside your body.

—

Billy couldn’t sleep, for once, he wanted to go to school. Not to learn, but to see you and hopefully win you back. He felt empty without you, making him regret the way he treated you. He’s not sure how many cigarettes he smoked, he just needed something to keep his anxiety at ease.

Max was surprised to see Billy awake this early, he sat on the couch in silence staring at the wall. As far as she knows, you and Billy only have small fights. Although, something tells her that’s not the case this time. She’s even scared to find out that he will go back to being an asshole to her and everyone around him.

“Billy, are you…okay?” She asked with hesitation.

She received no response, but noticed how his muscles tensed. Meaning that he heard her but wasn’t going to open up, not that she expected him to.

“Hurry up and finish eating, we’ll be late.” He stood up and walked out, leaving behind a very confused Max. It takes them about 10 minutes to get to school, and it was too early. There was definitely something up with you and Billy’s relationship. She didn’t have time to sit there and figure it out, she ate the rest of her breakfast and quickly walked out of the door. As she reached the Camaro and got in, her door wasn’t halfway closed when Billy started to drive.

Any other day she would’ve said something but not today. The drive was quieter than usual, there was no music coming out of the radio and no bickering from either step sibling.

Once they arrived at school, Max got out of the car, leaving Billy alone with his thoughts. He tried his best to relax against the seat but it was hard to do so. Especially because your presence was missing. You weren’t there to play with his hair or talk to him about your morning.

—

Throughout the day, Billy didn’t see you. It wasn’t like you to miss school, he started to get worried. That was until he remembered that you have a low alcohol tendency, you most likely stayed home to recover from your hangover.

That day, his parents wouldn’t be home until nighttime. He decided to drop off Max and then go to your house. As much as he tried to lie to himself saying he was only doing this for you. He knew it was far from the truth but he had to convince himself that: it wasn’t because he still had feelings for you and wasn’t planning on giving you an earful. It’s simply because you have always been far too sensitive and he had to make sure you were fine.

When he got to your house the first thing he noticed was how empty the driveway looked with your car being the only one parked. He’s not sure how long he stayed there playing different scenarios in his head. He tried to get his legs to move but they didn’t, instead he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He didn’t realize how long he stayed there for until he noticed how dark the sky was. Meaning that it was late and he had to go home soon before Neil and Susan came back.

With an annoyed groan, he drove off back to his place. If only he would have gotten out of his car and walked up to your door would he have been able to see the new you.

Aside from the sky being dark it seemed as if your room was darker. The curtains were pulled, not even the slightest bit of moonlight could be seen. You didn’t want anyone to see you in this state of mind. Your bed was undone, the sheets were on the floor and your drawers were about to tip over. This was the first time you were able to act like yourself yet you felt a dark presence inside of you.

Your face was wet, a mixture of tears and sweat. “What do you want?” You asked, hoping it would get you some answers. Yet it didn’t, making you feel more anxious. All you could do was sit on the floor and cry while your world fell apart.

—

The following day was warmer than usual, while everyone else wore shorts and tank tops. You had on a pair of jeans with a long sleeve as well as an adjustable hat. You found the hard way that the sun burns your skin. It left you a nasty burn on your right forearm that wasn’t visible to anyone but it still made you feel exposed.

As you walked in the hallways you felt everyone staring at you as they gossiped. Some were glad that you and Billy broke up while others took pity on you. Yet it didn’t matter, the darkness that now consumes you has given you a task and as you walk by everyone you hear a whisper. “Build” being repeated over and over. It didn’t scare you and you didn’t question it either.

The voice got louder when you came face to face with a guy Billy used to hang out with. He was average height with broad shoulders and his hair was short but suited his face. You believed his name was Jacob. The two of you never spoke and aside from him being an asshole, he respected your relationship with Billy.

As your eyes met you could see a spark in them as he saw you alone. You kept on walking towards your locker, in order to grab the books you will need for the next class. As you did that, Billy had just walked by the corner in time to see you. Part of him was happy while the other part felt anger. He wanted to storm up to you and yell out words with no real meaning behind them.

Just as he had finally mustered up the courage to walk over to you. A group of girls surrounded him, giving him fake compassion. All they wanted was his body, any other day he would flirt back. Not today, as he was watching you intensely.

He let out a small smirk when he noticed you struggling to open your locker like always. Yet he felt his smirk fall as he saw Jacob trying to help you. It was something small but it made him realize that you have started to move on.

With minimum effort, you were able to open the door to your locker causing it to be loose. This caused everyone to stop all movements and look in your direction. Even Billy was caught off guard with what happened. He liked to think that it was normal and it only happened from all the times you and Billy hit it from exasperation. Yet he had a feeling that there was more to it, although he had no time to figure it out as he saw you get your stuff and walk to class. While Jacob followed after you like a lost puppy.

-

All that happened on the last day of school before summer break and Billy lost sight of you. As much as he hates to even think of it, he knows that he has to let you go. After all, he was the one that pushed you away. He has no reason to be jealous. The only way he has been able to keep your face out of his mind was when he smoked or blasted music until he could no longer hear his dad yelling at him through the door. He has also gone back to having sex with any girl that threw themselves at him.

In fact, that was something that he has grown to hate. It doesn’t feel the same as when he did it with you. He’s not sure who's at fault but he blames you for it. Today was no different, he was meeting up with a girl from his biology class and if he’s being honest he already forgot how she looked. He’s just glad that nobody else is home, he wouldn’t want to show a stranger his personal life.

Billy’s not sure how long the two of them have been in his bedroom for but he hopes it’s almost over. Distant footsteps could be heard but he tells himself it was just his heartbeat and mind playing tricks on him. Yet an obnoxious knock on his door tells him otherwise. He debates on ignoring it but when the knocking becomes more frantic and he hears Max’s voice quivering, he knows he has to open the door.

He got out of bed and quickly put on some sweatpants he had laying around. Behind him he could hear the bed squeaking and blankets moving. He opened the door wide enough for his body to fit through. In front of him was a teary eyed Max who looked up at him with fear.

“What?” Billy tried to sound mad as usual but the worry behind his eyes said otherwise.

“It’s y/n.” Max said quickly but Billy was able to understand. He took a small step back and gripped the doorknob.

“Look Max if this is another one of you little tricks to get me to go see her, it’s not going to work.” He said as he went to close the door but wasn’t able to as Max’s hand made force against the door.

“It’s not, she’s…in trouble.” She couldn’t say anything else knowing there was someone else in his room. Billy wanted to listen to her but had trouble letting his guard down.

When he still didn’t budge she decided to beg. “Please.” She said with so much pain that Billy had no option than to help out.

Billy breathed out of his nose to show his annoyance but Max saw how his eyes told her otherwise. His grip on the door loosened and said, “fine, wait in the living room.” With that he closed the door and told the girl who was holding a blanket up to her chest to get out.

Max didn’t tell him where they were headed but upon seeing the many trees that surrounded them he knew where they were going. The last time he took this same road he was drugged by Max. It was a night he wished to forget but it’s a memory that he constantly thinks of. Max could see from the corner of her eyes how tense he got as he recognized his surroundings and she couldn’t blame him.

If anything, she felt guilt but knew better than to ever bring that up. As they reached the house, Billy saw Wheeler's car which made him get second thoughts about driving there. Nonetheless he decided to park his car because even though he wouldn’t admit it, he worries about you.

Max quickly walked out of the car and headed towards the door, Billy wasted no time and followed right behind her. He had his guard up high, ready for whatever would happen when they walked in.

Both stepsiblings observed as the kids, Hopper, Joyce, Jonathan and Nancy were all sitting down in the living room with solemn looks on their faces. Once Billy closed the door behind him that's when all attention was on them.

“Him?” all kids exclaimed with eyes wide as they stared at Billy. 

“That's not who I had in mind when you said you knew someone who could help.” Dustin said with an angry expression on his face.

“Look…” Max started as she placed a strand of hair behind her ear and walked closer to the group. “...I know he hasn't been the nicest to you guys but-”

Max was caught off by Dustin and Mike, “he tried to run us over.” 

“What?” Both Hopper and Joyce spoke as they looked at Billy with disbelief. 

Max knew she had to act fast before Billy ran off and without knowing what was going on. 

“Everybody quiet!” She yelled out. 

She didn't think it would have worked but luckily for her, it did. 

“I know that not everyone here likes Billy, but he's the only one that I know who will be able to help us.” She pleaded with them. 

It seemed that everyone was taking it into consideration as they looked at Billy before sharing looks with one another. 

-

After everyone told him what happened with Will, Barb and everything Eleven had to do to make sure no other monsters attacked Hawkins. Billy felt fear, not just because it could happen again but Max could get hurt someday if things got out of control.

But when he heard that the monster was indeed back and you were its new host, he was filled with so many emotions. The worst part was when he found out what test the kids had put you through made everything feel surreal. He couldn't believe the risk you were put at during the sauna test and the fact that they didn't know where you were, made it worse.

Everyone held their breath as they waited for Billy's reaction. It felt like an eternity before they heard him let out a breath and looked at them with no emotion. 

“What about Jacob?” He asked as he practically spat his name out.

“Max and I went looking for him, but…” El said as she looked at Billy before making eye contact with Max.

With a low sigh, Max continued for her, “...We went over to Y/n’s house and found his jersey--covered in blood.” Her voice was quiet but to Billy, it felt like she screamed it right in his ear. It was all making sense now, why he wasn’t in class or at basketball practice. He had thought the two of you had ditched to hang out, just like he used to.

He felt his blood run cold and his breath slightly picked up, he couldn't believe what he heard. Of course you didn't kill him, the mind flayer made you do it. Yet the thought of you possibly getting forced to do something like that again, it made him feel uneasy.

-

After that meeting, the kids gave Billy a walkie talkie as that would be the only way he would speak with them. Yet it wouldn't always work that way, sometimes they receive a short response while other times there wasn't any.

During the first days he still didn't believe anything the kids told them, there was no way that you were under control of the mind flayer. It was just a stupid thing they came up to taunt him for everything he has done to them. Last time he checked, it was all from D&D something that could never happen. 

A few more days passed by and everything slowly started to sink in. He couldn't remember the last time he saw you, if it weren't because of the dreams he's had, he's sure he would have forgotten how you look. 

It came to a point that Max didn't even recognize him, his eyes looked almost empty and she's not sure when was the last time he ate a proper meal. Even though they were never able to have a proper sibling relationship, she knew she now had to speak with him and try to comfort him as best as she could. 

“Billy?” she said as she knocked softly on the door but as expected, there was no response. She thought that maybe he was laying on his bed as she heard no noise.

With a sigh, she rested her head on his door, unsure of what to say. “Billy, I know this is really hard but I know we could all find a way to-” She stopped as the door opened abruptly and for once saw Billy with clothes other than his pajamas. 

He didn't glance at her, simply walked out with the walkie talkie in his left hand and car keys on the other. 

Max barely had time to register what was happening but had to walk fast to catch up with his strides. 

“Where are you going?” She asked once she managed to catch up with him. 

“To find y/n.” He answered as if it was the most obvious thing. 

“But we don't know where she could be, we agreed that we would search for her.” She tried reasoning with him.

“Oh yeah?” He asked sarcastically as he stopped and turned to face her. “And how is that going so far?” he didn't wait for her response, simply turned away and walked out the door. 

Max knew this was dangerous but no matter what she could say or do, he would still go out and search for you. 

She looked over her shoulder and looked at her moms bedroom door that was left open when she left for work. She tapped her foot in exasperation before closing the door and ran after Billy. Without saying anything, she got in the passenger's seat and buckled up. All Billy was able to do was look at her with furrowed eyebrows. 

“Neither one of us knows what could happen and I want to help you find her.” Was all she said. Billy was debating on telling her to leave, that he could do this on his own. Yet he knows she is just as stubborn as him and even if he hates to admit it. It makes his chest erupt with happiness knowing he doesn't have to face it alone. 

“Where should we start?” He asks as he puts the car in reverse and leaves their driveway. 

-

Max took him to all the places she remembers the demodogs hiding, hoping you or Jacob would be there. With no sign of either of you, this scavenger hunt seemed to have no ending.

The two step siblings were at a gas station buying snacks and putting gasoline in the car's tank. It had gotten dark but the two were willing to keep on searching. 

Billy was sipping on his drink while Max was eating her chips, trying to figure out where you could be and what they would do when they found you. 

Both jumped slightly in their seats as Dustin’s voice came through the walkie talkie that two had completely forgotten about. 

“Billy, do you copy?” He asked a few times, hoping he would answer. 

Max looked at him from the corner of her eye and thought he was too deep in thought to have heard it but as she reached over to grab it Billy's voice stopped her. 

“Leave it…” he said as he got comfortable in his seat and took another sip. “...he probably wants to know if I still have the damn thing.” 

Without a response from Max, she retreated her hand and stared ahead while mindlessly grabbing another chip. 

“We think we found y/n.” Dustin’s voice sounded once more which caught the attention of both Max and Billy. Their heads whipped fast toward the walkie talkie, Max was the one that reached to grab it. Billy was thankful for it as all of the words got stuck on his throat.

“Come over to the abandoned Brimborn… over.” Dustin said.

Billy did not need to know anything else as he slammed his foot on the accelerator without a second thought. Max didn't say anything but she was scared, one hand was holding the chips to make sure none would fall on the seat and risk Billy getting mad at her. While her other hand was gripping onto her seat as she didn't even have time to put on her seatbelt. 

This was the fastest he has ever driven but to Billy, it seems as if he couldn't go any faster, he attempted to make his car go faster but it seemed as if that was the fastest they could go. 

Aside from them passing all the trees by a blur, there was something about this place that seemed familiar to Billy but he was not sure why. It wasn't until he drove by a gravel part of the road that had a pothole that it dawned on him. This was where you had gotten out of his car after the two of you argued. With each tree they passed by he felt his heart break and felt the urge to yell.

From the passenger's seat, Max could see a change in his face but thought it was because he might see you being in control of something outside of everyone's reach. 

Once they reached their destination, Billy’s car lifted dirt everywhere to the point where neither of them could see in front of them and Max was afraid they would run over the others who were waiting for them. 

Without a care of how he parked his car he got out and with squinting eyes he managed to distinguish someone's figure in front. Once the air got cleared out Max got out of the car and walked over to stand next to Billy who was greeted with glares from everyone. 

“Are you crazy”, “You could have run us over”, “What is wrong with you”. Were some of the things that the kids yelled out to him. 

Of course he didn't care as he scanned the group in hopes of finding a glimpse of you, when he didn't he started feeling sick to his stomach. 

“Where is she?” He asked, hoping he would see you emerge. 

The only thing the group did was look at each other in confusion until Dustin took a small step forward. 

“So uhm, well…” He stammered trying to explain himself. 

Billy started walking towards him and it was enough to make everyone scared. 

“You told me…” He started off as he held eye contact with Dustin, “...that you found her, so, where is she?” 

“I did say we think we found her.” Dustin said in hopes of getting Billy off his neck. 

Max wasted no time walking closer and grabbing Billy’s arm, in hopes of being able to give Dustin enough time to run. 

Steve and Nancy both stood in front of Dustin, knowing Billy would do anything. 

Before anything else could happen, Hopper and Joyce walked out from the building with flashlights pointed at them. 

“Hey guys, quit chit chatting and come over here.” Hop said. 

Dustin was the first to run up them and walk down the stairs. Whatever was down there is sure to be less scary than Billy. 

Everyone else rushed to follow Dustin while ignoring Billy’s glare, he reluctantly followed after them. 

Hop passed everyone a flashlight and as they all got to the bottom of the stairs, they all stayed frozen. 

There were so many people with a blank expression on their face almost as if they were under a spell and even though their eyes were open, it seemed as if they did not see the group in front of them. Steve was the first to step forward, flashing their eyes but they didn't blink, not even when he waved in front of their face, nothing. 

Everyone else walked around and recognized some old acquaintances and neighbors. They were from different ages who had families wondering why they have been acting differently and where they could be now. 

No matter what the group tried, they could not get them to come to their senses. It wasn't until a distant roaring was heard that they all blinked and moved slightly. From the corner of Nancy’s eye, she saw a little boy scared and looking all around him. Without thinking, she rushed over to his side. 

“Build, build, build.” Was all the little kid kept on murmuring. 

“Are you okay?” Nancy asked once she got closer to him and even though her voice was soft, it caused the little boy to jump. 

He grabbed her arm as if his life depended on it, “He will attack, tomorrow, you have to stop him…please.” He said. 

“Who will attack?” Nancy asked 

“The mind flayer…” the boy said when suddenly his eyes fell on El. “...he wants to destroy her.” with a shaky finger, he lifted up his pointer finger towards El. 

“Come on, we have to get you out of here.” Nancy said but before the boy or anyone could say anything a popping sound was heard from their right which then was heard on their left side and soon enough all around. 

Nancy tried to pull the kid with her in hopes of saving her but he stayed still, knowing what would happen. It seemed as if he wanted to say something but before he could open his mouth, he too turned into goo. Some of it got on Nancy who watched in terror as the goo seemed to have a mind of its own and started moving towards a hole on the back wall. Once the group realized it was all headed in the same direction they all walked out and followed it. 

“Maybe it's going to the mind flayer, if we follow it we can find y/n or the portal.” Dustin shouted out. 

The group wasted no time in running back to their cars and followed the goo in hopes that Dustin was right once again.

-

Billy was determined to find and save you, he's not sure why the mind flayer wants to attack Hawkins and destroy El but he's willing to fight it. The moment the kid told them about El being in danger, he saw the fear in Max’s eyes and even though the two of them don't get along he will do anything to keep her from witnessing that. 

Nobody knew why the goo led them here but they knew the mall was sure to have the portal hidden somewhere. 

In the middle of the mall there was the mind flayer; it seemed as if it was asleep while all the goo that they had followed made its way through the closed doors in order to become one with him.

“There, look.” Lucas said while holding a pair of binoculars up to his eye and pointing to the right side of the mind flayer. 

Without the need of the binoculars, they all followed his finger and saw more goo coming from there. 

“Is it just me or is anyone else getting chills?” Robin asked. All she received in response was a look from Steve with furrowed eyebrows. “Yeah, look.” she said as she tried to get him to look at her arms. 

“What's the plan?” Billy asked as he kept on staring at the mind flayer, it was much bigger than he expected. 

They had all decided on splitting up. Billy would be with Max, Mike and El. Steve would go with Erica, Robin and Dustin. Nancy would be with Jonathan, Lucas and Will. They all got to work fast, hoping they could get rid of the mind flayer while it was asleep. 

-

Unbeknownst to everyone, you were also in the mall. The mind flayer could also feel the presence of the others and when the time was right. It would make you do all the dirty work of making sure nobody is able to attack him and bringing him El. 

It seemed as if everything was going good for everybody and they were sure the nightmare would be over soon. It was the perfect opportunity for the mind flayer to send you over to Billy’s group while still being under his power. 

When you finally got to where they were you walked over as the mind flayer spoke. 

“Billy?” you said.

Billy was the first to turn around and all words got stuck in his throat, he was relieved to see you. He rushed over to you and held your face in his hands. It was enough to cause you to come back to your senses but not strong enough to pull you away from the mind flayer. 

“We have to get out of here.” You said as you moved away from Billy to stand in front of the kids. “Follow me.” You said as you walked in front of them and led them through some doors. The lights were dim which would help with your plan of separating El from the group. 

After a few minutes of Billy desperately trying to get your attention, their walkie talkie went off. Billy rolled his eyes, thinking it was Dustin but to his surprise it was Will. 

“Guys I can feel the mind flayer as if he was telling me that he knows we're here.” Will said while holding onto his neck and feeling that tingly sensation. 

“We don't have much time.” Mike said while holding the walkie talkie.

“You don't.” you said as you snatched it from Mike’s hand and dropped it on the ground in order to step on it. You had enough force to break the walkie talkie in pieces.

Max was fast enough to put El behind her. Billy took notice of this and stepped in front of the two girls. 

“y/n, if you can hear please try to fight this…thing. I’m here.” Billy said while looking at you with tears in his eyes. 

“Were you there for me when this happened?” You said as you looked at him with hatred. “If you had believed me that day in the car, this wouldn't be happening now Billy.”

Billy knew that you werent the one speaking but it broke his heart to hear that, the mind flayer was right. If he hadn't gotten jealous and said that hurtful thing to you, the two of you would be enjoying the pool now or doing other things the two of you enjoy. 

Aside from the tears threatening to fall off any minute now, he walked up towards you and held your hand lovingly and caressed your hand with the back of his thumb like he does when the two of you were alone. 

The two of you looked into each other's eyes and for a moment he thought that you were back to yourself. The mind flayer felt it as well and took it upon himself to send some goo to make a barricade to allow you to take El with you. The two of you heard their pleas and no matter how hard your mind tried to break free from the mind flayer it was too strong. The iron grip you had on El’s arm made it impossible for her to free herself, she scratched and hit you but you stayed put. The only sound that was heard apart from the goo was your hand making contact with El’s face. It was hard enough to knock her out and with that you carried her in your arms and headed towards the mind flayer. 

Nancy’s group were the first to spot you and they were fast to get in contact with the other groups, except for Billy’s and seeing as you had El with you. They all hoped that they would be able to make it to you on time. They were all close to achieving their own goal except for Joyce and Hopper as they were having some problems. At this point everyone was desperate for a miracle, in order to try and gain some time, they started to throw lit fireworks at the monster. It was able to catch its attention as well as cause it pain which was also inflicted to you and Will.

It was at this point that El regained consciousness and as she stated up in front of her she backed up in fear of what could happen. From the corner of your eye you saw her try to get away to which you were fast and grabbed her ankle dragging her towards you. It caused a yelp to escape her mouth from pain and fear, El wasn't able to use her powers and even if she did it would pain her to see you get hurt by them even if it is a necessity.

Between the sound of the mind flayer and the fireworks, you were still able to hear Billy yell your name as if he was next to you. Taking a shallow breath, you looked over your shoulder to see him trying to get to you but getting held back by Max and Mike. 

El was able to recognize that look on your face when you saw him and knew what she had to do, she just hoped it would work. She placed a soft hand on your shoulder which caused you to look down at her. From then on she told you about the memories of you and Billy she was even to say things the two of you never shared with anybody. 

The memories were strong enough to make you have full control of your mind and it brought a small smile and chuckle to erupt from El as she saw how your pupils changed and the tears that were starting to form in your eyes. 

“I’m so sorry El, I-I really didn't want to do it.” You said through sobs, and as you looked over towards Billy you couldn't read his expression but you hated yourself for all the things you have done and what you put them through. 

“We have to leave now.” El said as she sat up and tried to stand. 

You could see she tried to hold a wince for your sake but you still noticed, it made your heart drop.

Quickly you stood up and helped El stand up by putting her arm around your shoulder.

As everyone else watched you, they all felt relieved to see you being in full control of your mind. They were all too busy looking at you to not realize that the mind flayer was still a threat, Hop and Joyce still haven't been able to close the portal. It was then that a painful roar caught their attention, it wasn't from the fireworks or your ability to be able to fight him. It dawned to everybody that the portal had been closed and they had to get out, fast. 

As they all started running down the stairs trying to get out, the mind flayer started moving everywhere, causing pieces of the building to start falling down. Billy was able to free himself from Max and Mike in order to run towards you.

“Billy!” Max’s scream reached him loud and clear. He looked up just in time to see the monster collapse but not before making a tentacle hit you and El. Causing the two of you to go flying, El landed roughly on her left shoulder and she let out a piercing scream. You, on the other hand, hit your head on the edge of the counter from a small kiosk. The last thing you heard before losing consciousness was Billy's voice followed by a ringing sound that seemed to get louder. 

-

It had been weeks since you got sent to the hospital and each day Billy stayed by your side even sleeping on the uncomfortable small chair that was in the room. He hadn't had a proper meal or had time to look after himself. The most he has been able to do is shower and sometimes sleep in his own bed only because Max has been able to convince him but when that doesn't work. Steve has to go to the hospital and drag him out. 

“Y/n wouldn't want to see you like this.”, “if you won't do it for yourself, at least do it for her.” they would say, making it sound as if you had died. He has made it clear that he would stay there until you wake up, his suffering is nothing compared to what you went through and as he feels guilt for knowing how you got in that situation in the first place.

Neil and Susan have stayed far from the hospital since their last visit when Neil tried to drag Billy to his car. It had gotten very intense and if it weren't for Hopper pulling up to check in on you, Billy would have also been laying on a hospital bed. Hopper wasn't very fond of Billy due to the way he has treated the kids but after watching that interaction he knew why he acted that way. 

So every morning he would go in and sit next to him, sometimes convincing him to go down to the cafeteria with him because he didn't like eating alone. 

No matter what Hopper did to try and distract Billy, he knew the boy wasn't listening to him. His arms rested clasped on the table and he played with his ring. His right leg kept on bouncing and he had a hard time keeping his eyes focused on Hopper's face. 

After a while, Billy started warming up to Hopper and soon enough, the two of them were talking as if they have known each other a long time. The two had stayed in the cafeteria longer than usual and by the time they got up from their seats, the sky was painted in dark colors. As the two walked up to your door, they could hear voices, it didn't take long for Billy to recognize your voice, he barged in, scaring you and the nurse. 

“Y/n.” Billy said in a soft voice. 

“Billy.” You responded with a weak voice and tried to sit up, embarrassed of how weak you were.

“Remember, you have to take it easy.” Said the nurse as she helped you.

-

Now that you have been out of the hospital, everyone has tried to go back to the way things were before the mind flayer. It hasn't been easy seeing as you still feel uncomfortable in your own skin, always trying to hide when you go out but always being the center of attention. 

Billy has been there for you, as a friend, he is happy to see you back as you but still cant help and feel guilt when he looks at your scars or your eyes that no longer hold the same light as before. Even though he loves you, he knows he needs to give you space. Still, each day he wakes up to be by your side and wishes he could go back to that night and prevent all of this from happening.

-

Placing the cigarette on the ash tray he walked to the door and opened it. His dad was standing there, next to Susan, who as usual reminded him of a lost puppy. He honestly didn’t know what his father saw in her. Maybe it’s because she’s docile or actually a nice person. Billy would never know, his father never properly introduced them.

“What’s wrong?” Billy knew this attitude will get him in trouble but he was in a rush to get out of the house.

“Why don’t you tell us” his dad always felt like he had the upper hand and his way of speaking showed it.

“Because I don’t know.” Again Billy knew he should just keep his mouth shut. Yet he kept on talking.

“We can’t find Maxine.” Finally, Susan spoke but as usual. Neil took over. “And her windows open…where is she?”

Fear came onto Billy but after a few seconds of thinking, he realized she must’ve snuck out to meet with her friends. Yet he wasn’t sure if she did because even if he did act like an asshole she always asked for a ride.

“I don’t know” he responded truthfully.

“You don’t know?” His dad scoffed while taking a step into his room.

“Look, I’m sure she just went to the arcade or something. I’m sure she’s fine.” Billy turned away from his dad and continued to get dressed.

“You were supposed to watch her.” His dad spoke once more causing Billy’s blood to boil. He’s not sure how his dad expects Billy to be the perfect brother when he never got that kind of care from his dad.

“I know dad I was. It’s just you guys were three hours late, and, well, i have a date.” Billy almost wanted to laugh, this was no date he was going to.

He put on his jacket and fixed his hair before turning to face his dad, who was closer than he expected. “I’m sorry, okay?”

No soon after did the spiteful words and strong hands came to him. There was no reasoning with him and all Billy could do was take it all. He just hopes that whatever Max is doing is worth all this trouble.

Meanwhile, you were at the Wheelers house putting Holly to sleep. Even though you were typically her nanny when Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler were out. You were called by Mrs. Wheeler to come take care of Holly urgently, claiming she needed some alone time.

As much as you wanted to say no, your family really needs the money with your mom, Joyce, having to work two jobs. Luckily your older brother, Jonathan, also started working a while back. Yet it still wasn’t enough, not after what happened to Will. You’re not sure how many appointments he’s had but the bills that keep accumulating serve as a reminder.

So here you were, telling Holly her favorite bedtime story. Hoping she will fall asleep soon, after all, this was your last resort. You’ve tried countless of other things to tire her out but none seemed to faze her one bit.

The story you’re reading was pretty dumb and you weren’t sure why she liked it so much. Its about a pink mouse that goes to adventures and aside from her being drawn as tiny and skinny. She is strong and is able to lift up heavy things. It’s the same one she asks you to read every time you look after her, you’re sure she’ll get tired of it eventually.

Aside from this, she has you wrapped around her little finger and you do what she says because even though you have a you get brother. This is the closest you’ve been to having a sister.

As you read her the story you began to play with her hair, in hopes that it will help. Which it did because soon after she got comfortable. She brought her plush animal closer to her chest and hugged your arm. Still, you knew she wasn’t asleep and you kept on reading, only stopping when you heard her small snores.

You set the book down on and tried to pull your arm. You were able to do it but shortly after, the doorbell rang. Causing her grip on your arm to tighten, leaving you back in square one. You weren’t sure if she did this on purpose or if she was doing so subconsciously.

Once more, you heard the doorbell ring and you tried to free yourself from Hollys death grip. You thought that maybe it was Jonathan coming to pick you up, considering how late it was. You didn’t want to keep him waiting, slowly but surely you were able to free your arm. Still, you slowly stepped back in case you needed to go back and help her go back to sleep. You really hoped Lilly, her plush animal, will help keep her asleep. It will be a pain getting another phone call from Mrs. Wheeler asking you to come by again just to help Holly go back to sleep because ‘she listens more to you than to her own mother’.

You made sure to walk carefully, not trying to step on any toys laying around. It felt like walking around eggshells, one wrong step and it was all over. Finally, you reached her door and as you stepped out you prayed to all the God’s above that she wouldn’t wake up after hearing the door creak. Luckily you heard no movement which made you sigh in relief.

You turned to face the staircase and walked down slowly. As you got near the bottom you heard Mrs. Wheeler’s voice and a male’s voice. Which didn’t sound a thing like Jonathan’s or Mr. Wheeler’s. As you reached the floor you were able to perceive the voice as his. The one and only Billy Hargrove, you never spoke to him but you knew enough about him due to the gossips going around school.

You’ve heard many girls cry in the gym locker room. Saying that after they went with him to have a quick fuck, that’s all they were to him. He didn’t call back and ignored them whenever they passed by him. It surprised you to know he was here, you didn’t know Nancy would stoop so low.

You were starting to feel awkward and just wanted to get out. Letting out a deep breath you told yourself you’ll only walk into the kitchen, tell Mrs. Wheeler that Holly is asleep and that you’ll be leaving.

She was the first to notice you as you stood a few feet away from them. “Just wanted to let you know that Holly is asleep and I’ll be leaving now.”

Yet it felt as if your voice fell upon deaf ears. “Oh y/n, Billy here, is looking for his sister..” Mrs. Wheeler spoke as she had a smile on her face and pointed at Billy as if they were friends.

“Step sister” he corrected her with a charming smile

“Right, he is looking for his step sister and I was wondering if you could help him find her.” She finished explaining as she attempted to hide the lust in her eyes.

“Mrs. Wheeler here, told me I could find her at the Bylers house… are you up for it?” He turned his full body towards you while leaning on the counter. He grabbed a cookie and tried to it seductively. Which made you feel a little weird seeing that he was behaving this way while a mom was behind him.

“Yeah, sure.” You regretted it as soon as the words got out of you mouth but there was no turning back now.

With a wink in your direction he turned back to Mrs. Wheeler and thanked her for her help. You also turned towards her and wished her a goodnight before heading for your bag and followed after Billy.

You got inside his car and as soon as he turned the keys the car came to life causing you to get nervous. Jonathan’s car sounded nothing like this but what really got you to jump was the volume of the music. It was so loud you weren’t sure how he didn’t have any hearing problems.

Of course Billy caught sight of this and gave you a small chuckle. “Sorry sweetheart, didn’t mean to scare you.”

A small ‘it’s ok’ was all you were able to muster. Never in a million years did you think you’d ever be in Billy’s car. You felt out of place, the only girls he ever allowed in his car were the girls who he used as a quick fuck. Them and his step sister, Max, who went to the middle school next to Hawkins High.

The ride was fairly silent except from the times you gave him directions. Aside from that, you could only hear the song playing in the background.

“Take a right turn here and just continue on straight.” You spoke and you hoped it will be the last thing you said to him.

“So tell me…” he started and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes, this night couldn’t go any worse.

“Are they really freaks like everyone says?” He asked while glancing from you to the road.

“What do you mean?” You tried to pretend to not know what he was talking about. Yet you had the feeling that he is referring to your family.

“The Byers, I’ve heard many people say they’re freaks. Especially after the youngest…Will I think his name is. Everyone said he was dead but was then found. Tell me, do you actually think his brother had anything to do with it?” He asked with a smirk on his face, it was as if he found all of this amusing.

You didn’t know why his comment bothered you so much. It was what you’ve heard ever since Will got taken.

“Is that all you’ve heard?” You asked because even if you always kept to yourself and sometimes people forgot about your existence. You thought they might’ve mentioned your name when talking about your family.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Well I guess we’ll find out soon.” You said as you cleared your throat.

Once the two of you reached your house Billy turned off the engine and couldn’t help but groan at the sight of Steve.

You on the other hand, were slightly confused. When Jonathan dropped you off you it was still daytime, meaning nobody else was at your house. Your mind started running circles, as you grabbed your bag you quickly opened the passenger door and got out.

“Steve is everything alright?”

He was so fixated on Billy that he didn’t notice you were also in the car. “Y/n, why are you with Hargrove?” He asked while putting one hand on his hip and pointing with the other.

“He gave me a ride. Is my mom home?” You asked as you held onto the strap of your backpack.

“No she uh, she just left. Jonathan too oh and Will.” He tried to make it sound as if it was a normal conversation. Yet he failed miserably at it, if anything, you were now scared that something might’ve happened to Will.

“So what? I’m just supposed to stay home?” You asked.

“We’ll figure something out, just go inside.” He said but his eyes never left Billy’s, still trying to figure out what he was doing there.

You took notice of this “he’s just here for Max, is she here?” You asked once you stood next to Steve.

Throughout the interaction you had with Steve, you could feel Billy’s eyes staring at you. He wasn’t sure why you were talking to him as if the two of you were close. Sure he’s seen you around school here and there but not once did Steve talk to you.

“Yeah… Max. Hey Max!” He yelled her name out hoping she will be able to hear.

The front door opened quietly and you could hear her soft footsteps. It reminded you of a kid who knew would get in trouble by their parents for getting a cookie before their bedtime.

“Well, she’s here. You can now leave Hargrove.” Steve wrapped an arm around your shoulder and headed to your house.

“Wouldn’t want anyone to know you talked to a freak.” You barked at him, you couldn’t control the anger that kept on bubbling in your chest any longer. No matter how beautiful his stupid face was, he didn’t know the full story. That didn’t give him the right to talk like that about your family.

Billy was so fixated on trying to figure out your relationship with Steve. That it barely down on him what you said. ‘Is my mom home’ he tried to pretend to not care about it. It wasn’t as if he wanted to get close to you yet he felt his heart drop as he realized he just lost his only chance.

Max wasn’t sure what had happened between you two prior to showing up. Yet the look in Billy’s eyes held the same emotion each time Neil would beat him for something that was out of his control. It was a mix of sadness and confusion.

“What do you think Hargrove?” Tommy’s obnoxious voice made him narrow his eyes at him. It didn’t seem to faze him, that or he was too much of an idiot to notice.

“That works for me, when do we leave?”

Tommy and Carol stood up from their positions and put on their shoes. “Right now, we have to buy some beer in order to not pay her stupid entrance fee.”

As they left Tommy’s room, Billy was surprised as to how quiet his household was. His parents don’t seem to care too much about him, might be the reason why he’s an asshole. In some way Billy could see himself in Tommy but just at the thought of it, it made him want to gag.

“Hey babe do you know where I left my keys.” Tommy asked as he patted the pockets of his jeans in hope of finding them there.

“Tommy I’m not your goddam babysitter, I don’t know where you leave your shit.” Carol rolled her eyes but nonetheless started to look around.

Billy was starting to loose his patience and was debating on whether to leave them here on their own or help them. Taking a deep breath he chose on helping them, he didn’t have his car. Even if he did, he didn’t know where to head for the party.

He turned towards a small table near the door that was filled with papers and framed pictures. As he moved them with one hand, there was a picture that caught his attention. It showed a girl about the same age as Tommy with a bright smile that made her freckles stand out. She was beautiful and Billy felt the way his breath was caught in his throat.

“Tommy, who is this?”

Tommy couldn’t help but groan as he realized who Billy was talking about.

“That’s my sister, y/n. She thinks she’s the shit just because she’s smart and goes to Park Tudor School.”

Without saying anything else he left to continue his search.

“Where are you off to Tommy Tom?” A voice was heard behind them which caused all movements to stop. Billy’s heart rate increased and he felt his palms sweat. He was standing in front of you and he thought you were more beautiful than what the picture showed.

“Fuck off, I’m looking for my keys.” Tommy used the same tone Billy used on Max. Yet he felt like punching Tommy for that.

“Oh, you mean these.” With a smooth movement you pulled out his keys from behind your hand. Raising your hand to wave them in front of Tommy in a taunting matter.

Just as Tommy was about to snatch them from your hand you pulled them once more behind your back. Giving him a smirk you took a step back, making it harder for him to get his keys.

“I’ll give them to you, on one condition.”

Huffing, he crossed his arms “which is?”

“You take me with you.”

Tommy couldn’t help but scoff at you, he wasn’t sure why you would want to go with them. Until he realized the power Billy had over girls. Sure it was gross for him to even think of Billy getting in your pants but if that’s what it will take for you to give him the keys. He’d hand you over to him like a sacrifice.

“Why? You want to impress Billy here?” He asked as he stretched his arm and pointed towards Billy. If you were being honest, you hadn’t gotten a good look at him but now that he was in your view. There was something that caught your attention and you just wanted to get close to him.

“He’s good looking but no, I just genuinely want to spend some time with my sweet brother. Is that too much to ask?” You gave him your best sweet voice that does nothing but anger him more.

“Look idiot-”

You gasped dramatically and lifted a hand to cover your mouth. You have heard him call you worse things but you wanted to have fun messing with him.

“Daddy! Tommy’s being mean to me.” You screamed as you faced upstairs. Looking back at Tommy he looked like he was about to shit himself. His parents always let him get away with anything but as soon as he disrespects his sister all hell breaks loose.

Heavy footsteps were heard coming down the stairs and you heard Carol mutter a small ‘shit’ while turning away. Billy was confused as to why Tommy could be scared of his dad, he has never heard him complain about him.

Finally his dad came to view, his eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes never left Tommy’s face. As much as wanted to put a brave face he felt small compared to him. Their height difference had that affect.

“Why are you being rude to your sister?” A protective arm was wrapped around your shoulder. It was then that Billy noticed your height, your head barely reached your dads shoulder. He wondered how tall he is compared to you.

“I wasn’t, we were looking for my keys and she started to bother us.”

“Is this true y/n?” Your father asked as he looked down at you.

“No, I came here to give him his keys and when I asked if I could go with them he said no. And called me an idiot.”

Billy had to admit that if anyone else acted the way you did he would have to control his anger. Yet it showed how cunning you are, it was driving him crazy.

“You’ll take her with you, hopefully some of her smartness will rub off on you.”

“Thanks dad, I’ll see you later.” You turned to face him again with that smile that helps you get your way.

As your dad walked back up the stairs, you turned to Tommy and threw him the keys before walking out the door. The first one to follow after you was none other than Billy who was practicing his charm in his head. Wishing to whisk you away.

He stopped in his tracks as you kept on walking away from Tommy’s car. Tommy and Carol also took notice of this, even if they were confused they didn’t say anything. That was until they saw someone with a motorcycle standing a few feet in front of you.

“Y/n, you missed the car dipshit.” Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he cared for you. In his own weird way.

“I’m not going with you guys” you looked over your shoulder to give them a nasty glare.

“Where does she think she’s going?” Carol asked as if anyone knew the answer.

They all felt their stomach drop as you gave the guy in the motorcycle a kiss before putting on the spare helmet. As you climbed on the motorcycle, you wrapped your arms around the waist of the stranger in front of you.

With a roar the motorcycle came to life as the both of you took off. They all watched as you left without looking back.

“Your dad’s going to kill you Tom.” Carol was the first one to speak.

“Fuck it, she’s no longer my responsibility.”

As they drove to the party, Billy couldn’t help but curse himself for not knowing about you before that other idiot. Now he had to form a plan to get to know you.

Zoro would be ready to jump into action. As soon as he hears a small whimper or the ruffle of the sheets, he opens his eye. He stays still and listens attentively, waiting for another sound that lets him know where it comes from. When he hears it again he reaches for his sword and is ready to fight. That is until he notices that you’re the one making those noises. He lets out a breath of relief but starts to get nervous again when you once more whimper. It seems as if you’re having a nightmare judging by the way you’re moving relentlessly. He’s not the best at helping others so he sits there looking at you thinking of something, anything that he could do to help. He tries calling your name but when you don’t response he starts to consider ignoring you and going back to sleep. But he knows he’ll eventually feel guilty, he scoots closer to your sleeping form and just holds you. He’s for sure sweating but all he wants to do is help you. After what felt like hours (but was really mere minutes) your movements stopped and you were silently snoring. As much as he likes to poke fun of you about it, he’s happy to hear them at the moment.

Sanji was probably on his way to your shared room after making sure the kitchen was nice and clean for the morning. He laid down next to you but wasn’t able to go to sleep. His ears perked up after he heard his lover whimpering and breathing heavily. He hates seeing you in pain and even though he knows it is just a nightmare. He just wants you to always be happy. He takes it upon himself to wake you up, it takes a while but when you open your teary eyes at him, there’s a part of him that breaks slightly. He asks if you want to talk about it and depending on your response he doesn’t persuade you. Once you have calmed down he helps you get out of bed to put your shoes on. He then walks with you to the kitchen, where he has you sit on a stool while he prepares you a tea. In order to fill up the silence in the room, he shares with you his own experiences with nightmares and what he did to calm himself down. Chef Zeff is the one who told him that tea helps soothe the nerves. Which then helped him go to sleep. The two of you stayed there until you finished your tea. When the two of you went back to bed he held you close to him, claiming he will keep you safe. After you have gone to sleep, he still lays there awake, making sure you don’t get another nightmare.

Law was reading a book with a dim lamplight keeping him company. You had fallen asleep as you gave up on trying to get him to lay in bed. The submarine was quiet as everyone else was in their rooms. The sea around them brought Law peace but it wasn’t enough to get him to go to sleep. It was then that he heard you moving. He didn’t think much of it until he heard you crying. It dawned to him that you were having a nightmare, something that he’s too familiar with. With a deep sigh, he closed his book and walked over to you. It took a while but you eventually woke up. His eyes held sympathy for you as well as concern. The doctor in him thought of ways to help calm you down. He offered you sharing your nightmare with him but change the ending. He said it was called image rehearsal therapy, even though that did help. You still felt uneasy which is why he offered to read you the book that was laying on his desk. You agreed as long as he sat next to you, which is exactly what he did. Eventually you fell asleep and shortly after, so did he.

-

You were so embarrassed and on the verge of tears and he felt bad because he didn’t plan for that to happen

He helped you up and offered to pay for your food which you declined because it was embarrassing enough to get bumped into by an attractive guy

Even though his thoughts were getting the best of him, he never stopped being a gentleman

He treated you for some ice cream in an attempt to get to know you better

He was confused when he found out you didn’t have a boyfriend because to him, you were a goddess

Part of him was glad because that meant he could have you all to himself with no problem, oh and you live all alone with no family nearby? Win-win

That night he made you food that you’ve never tasted

He really wanted to feel like he’s the one for you which is why he would spoon feed you in order to see the flustered look on your face. From time to time he would let his finger travel inside your mouth all you did was ask him why he did that with your big doe eyes staring at his full of lust

Sure his experience with women wasn’t the best, but he just loved how shy and timid you are which allowed him to try new things with you

You ask him if he wants to stay the night and he agrees

As much as he would love to lay with you he takes the couch

The next morning when you woke up, he was gone but he left breakfast prepared and a small little note thanking you for your hospitality

As sanji was back in the sunny, the crew questioned him what happened the other day. Afraid that the marines might’ve caught him

He gave them brief answers and continued to make breakfast as if nothing happened

Throughout the day Nami and Robin were confused as to why he didn’t flirt with them or made them snacks

Usopp joked that maybe he found a girl which Sanji didn’t think it was funny because it felt as if they were making fun of you

It resulted in a small fight between the two, it didn’t escalate because Chopper mentioned needing to go back to the market and buy some medicine

Sanji jumped to the opportunity and said he’ll take care of it

Once Sanji got the list he’s off to the market and he’s surprised at himself at the fact he didn’t get any nosebleeds or fawn over women

After getting all the things in the list he heads to your house hoping to find you awake but he never expected to see you near a bookstore, talking to a guy

He couldn’t hear the conversation but judging by the guys body language, it was clear that he was flirting with you

Without thinking, he went up to the both of you and put his arm around your shoulder

“Oh sanji, I thought I’d never see you again.”

Your sweet voice managed to calm his anger but it wasn’t enough to ease the jealousy he is feeling

“Hi sweetheart, I was on my way to your house right now. What are you doing here?”

He tried to make it seem as if he was asking you, but in reality he was referring to the guy that stood in front the two of you

When you explain to him that you came to get some fresh fruit and you were asking for some recommendations from the guy in front of you he felt at ease

Sanji walked with you to buy some fruits and even put some inputs

As the both of you walked back to your house, Sanji was thinking of ways to make you his and make it clear to other guys that they had no chance with you

Later on that day, he told you he had to go take care of something. Without explaining he took the supplies back to Chopper and started his hunt for the guy you were speaking to. He was about to give up when he saw him walking ahead of him. Without thinking, he ran up to they guy and started to kick him at a rapid speed all while proclaiming his love for you.

He thought about hiding the body but then realized he could leave it there for you to see that it’s not safe for you to continue living there. Your only option will be to go with him.

You were getting ready for bed when Sanji walked in covered in blood and you let out a small gasp followed by a concerned look on your face

“Sanji, what happened?”

“Nothing darling, I just fell but I’ll go wash it off. Would you like to join me?” He asked as he extended his hand.

“Why? Do I smell bad?” You asked with a tilt of your head

He felt a nosebleed coming but managed to cover it with his hand. He never thought you’d be that innocent but decided to take it slow with you. Which meant that as much as he wanted to shower with you, he’d have to shower on his own.

While the two of you were asleep you kept on hearing him whimper and move close to you. You took this as him having a nightmare and moved closer to him in an attempt to calm him down. As much as Sanji wanted to mark you as his he knew he still couldn’t do that.

The next day you woke up to screams that scared you half to death. You gripped onto Sanji’s arm which made his heart flutter, for him, this meant you trusted him and needed him.

You were falling for his trap without realizing.

“Come on, let’s go home.” He grabbed your hand and ran the opposite way from your house

“B-but Sanji we’re going the wrong way.” You tried telling him but he didn’t stop

Once you reached the sea you felt how your heart was beating heavy. It was as if something was wrong but you weren’t sure what it was

Not once did he let go of you, in fact, his grip was getting stronger

“Sanji…you’re hurting me.” You whined out yet he still didn’t say anything just looses his grip a little.

He helped you get on board and you followed him with shaky legs wondering what would happen

You would’ve never expected to come face to face with pirates, Sanji never told you that he was one

Your grip on his hand tighten but the pain didn’t fully reach Sanji as his hand was bigger than yours.

After an argument between sanji and the rest of the crew. They agreed to let you stay with them after Sanji convinced them you were in danger

As the days passed Sanji kept you hidden in his room (let’s pretend they all have their own rooms)

Whenever anyone would ask about you, he’d say you were too scared and shy to come out and hang with them. Unfortunately, they were getting suspicious so he decided to bring you out

But not before he told you that his crew could really hurt you if you spoke to them for a long period of time. He suggested for you to just give out short answers

That night as he walked with you to the deck, he felt how your hand was gripping his arm harder by the second. As the two of you stood in front of everyone you felt all eyes on you, making you nervous.

Regardless, you would answer their questions just how Sanji told you.

Steve parked the car a few houses away from where the counselor lives. Max was the only one who got out while the rest of you stayed put. Your headache stopped hurting which caused you to sit up straight and lean your head back. Billy leaned forward and kept his eyes on the house where Max went.

Lifting up your arm to draw small circles on his back you saw as he slowly relaxed. You knew he was worried about her and so we’re you, there’s only one thing that helps ease his nerves. You began to play with his hair while humming Caribbean Queen by Billy Ocean.

Once Billy recognized the song he started to chuckle causing you to stop your movements.

“What’s so funny?” You asked knowing what his response will be.

“I just don’t understand why you like that song so much.” He said with a shake of his head but there was a small smile laying on his lips.

“I love it, it’s super catchy. Plus I’ve told you that it reminds me of you. His name stage name is Billy as well and his last name is ‘Ocean’. You come from Cali, I’m sure you’re smart enough to make a connection.”

“Hm, yeah i guess that makes sense.”

You both have lost track of how many times you’ve had this conversation. It always ended the same way:

“Some rock music would be better.” As he spoke he glanced at you before returning his gaze back to the house. Noticing that Max was on her way he let out a sigh of relief.

Max explained her plan to everyone of course not everyone was onboard with the idea. Knowing this was the only way to get answers everyone agreed much to your disapproval. It was one thing to steal keys from a staff and it was another thing to break into school.

While you five waited for it to be nighttime you all decided to head to your house and go over the plan once more. Your parents weren’t home yet which gave you all enough freedom.

Pecking Billy on the lips you told him you’d be right back, just needed to go to the restroom. Walking away from the group you could still hear Dustin and Steve arguing over who knows what.

Opening the door, you walked in and it was as if you suddenly walked into another dimension. Your breathing started to speed up, the chiming of a clock made you jump. You heard someone trying to open the door and you walked to open it.

“Billy?” You asked but when you did a loud scream escaped from your mouth at seeing the monster in front of you.

You somehow managed to close the door and lock it before it got inside. Backing to the wall you slid down and couldn’t help but start to cry.

You closed your eyes and prayed for everything to go back to normal. Another knock came to the door and when you opened your eyes you noticed you were back. No longer trapped.

“Babe, you ok? You’ve been in there for a while.” Billy was finally here, knowing how concerned he was about Max you decided to not tell him what you just experienced.

“Yeah- I’m fine just felt a little nauseous.” You had to clear your throat before continuing. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

With that you got up and washed your face with cold water in an attempt to get rid of your red face.

Opening the door you jumped once more when you noticed that Billy was there waiting for you. He walked up to you and cupped your face. His eyes were filled with concern and there was a small furrow on his eyebrows.

Shit, you didn’t mean to make him more worried that he already was.

“I’m ok, they’re just cramps.” You tried to think of something believable. Which seemed to convince him.

“Let’s get you some Tylenol.” He wrapped an arm around your waist and walked you to the kitchen. You couldn’t help but glance back to the bathroom, waiting for the monster to attack again.

A few hours have passed and it was time to go back in Steve’s car and break into school. As you sat in the backseat next to Billy you held onto his hand. You wanted to tell everyone about what you saw when you were back home. Each time you opened your mouth to say something, the words got stuck in your throat.

Max got out of the car first followed by the rest. For someone who never broke into a building she seemed pretty confident, she pulled out the keys and unlocked the door.

You never thought you’d ever break into the school you once went to. Being there brought you good and bad memories.

Once Max opened the door that led to Ms. Kelly’s room you all walked in and noticed a lot of cabinets and papers on her desk.

“What exactly are we looking for again?” Steve asked as he held some papers on his hands.

“Anything that mentions Chrissy, we have to know what she spoke to Ms. Kelly about.” Max was holding a flashlight on one hand and used her other hand to open a cabinet.

You walked over to her and helped her look through the list of students. There was one that caught your attention, it read ‘Fred Benson’. He was the second teenager found dead near the trailer park.

“I found Fred Bensons file.” You said as you got it out and started to open it.

“I found Chrissy’s.” Max said as she also took out a file. You both walked over to the desk and set both documents down. Max started to flip through them until she got to a certain page. There in Ms. Kelly’s handwriting said ‘symptoms’ followed by a short list.

Max reread them over and over again until finally looking at you guys.

“The same symptoms that Fred and Chrissy had before their deaths. I’ve been having the same for a while now.” She looked up at her eyes were filled with fear.

“What are the symptoms?” Dustin asked

“Headaches, nosebleeds, nightmares and past trauma.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing, deciding to take a look for your own. You grabbed the papers and confirmed what Max said. Noticing that you were also suffering the same symptoms you started to get nervous.

“I’ve also been having these… visions but it doesn’t say here anything about that.” Max’s voice broke you out of your thoughts.

Looking up to her you asked “what kind of visions?”

She looked at you and then at the rest who also wanted to know.

Taking a deep breath she said “It’s almost as if I was transported to a different dimension. Everything is dark and you’re all alone but then a creature. A monster, shows up and there’s no way of escaping. I’m not sure how I got out of that trance if I’m being honest.”

As she finished all of you looked at each other with worry. But there was something you wanted to know.

“Did you also hear a clock chiming?” Your voice was low yet they all heard. Their heads looked up towards you rather quickly.

“Yeah I heard it, how do you-“

“I’ve had the same symptoms too.” You cut her off and looked towards Billy who was nodding his head.

“Now that you say it, you have been whimpering in your sleep and have had nosebleeds.”

The following day Nancy and Robin had a plan to visit Victor and hopefully be able to get some answers. While they did that, everyone thought it would be a good idea to stay over at your house. Although everyone was anxious, it seemed that Billy was suffering the most. Not only could he potentially loose Max but now you as well.

“Do you guys want a snack?” You asked as you stood up, ready to head to the kitchen and grab something.

“Some chips will be nice, thanks.” Dustin spoke but received a light punch on the arm by Steve.

“I-I mean no thank you I’m fine.” He said as he went back to playing with his shoe laces.

“We’ll I’m going to get some popcorn, let me know if you change your mind.” You started to walk when Steve once again hit Dustin.

“I can go ahead and do that for you y/n” He got up quickly and softly kicked Steve before turning towards you and offering you a smile before leaving.

You had no other option but to sit back down but as you did, everything went dark and you once more heard the chiming of a clock. The only difference was that now you heard a voice, one you’ve never heard before calling your name.

“Y/n I’m here to take your pain away.” The voice spoke and it sent shivers down your spine. Turning your head you came face to face with the monster. You screamed and tried to run away but the vines on the ground stopped you from going anywhere.

“Y/n do you want caramel or buttered popcorn?” Dustin came out from the kitchen holding up two packets on both hands. Upon getting no response from you everyone became aware of your eyes rolling behind your head as you sat there.

Everyone got up and started to shake your shoulders hoping you would come back. Nothing seemed to work as you stayed there.

“Dustin where’s your radio? We need it damn it where is it?” Steve started yelling while getting up and looking around.

“Please leave me alone, leave us alone.” You begged as tears rolled down your face.

You felt a pointy finger caress your cheek “Poor naive and weak y/n. You were never capable of fighting back.”

You continued to whimper while trying to get away from his touch. Suddenly you could see some bodies on the vines next to you. It was Fred and Chrissy, you were sure you would be joining them soon.

Vecna closed his eyes and placed his large hand over your head, he raised you above the ground only to have more vines wrap around your body. He lifted his hand higher, his way of choking you.

“There’s no escaping now y/n”

“Robin, Nancy do you guys copy?” Dustin’s voice was getting raspy, he wasn’t sure how many times he has screamed. Begging for them to answer.

Slowly your body began to rise and they knew they were running out of time.

“Robin, Nancy! We don’t have much time, y/n is levitating!”

Finally Robin was able to answer.

“You have to play her favorite song!”

At this point everyone’s attention went from you to Billy. Urging him to think quick and tell them what your favorite song is.

“It’s-its Caribbean Queen by Billy Ocean.” As he said that everyone ran over to your vinyl collections.”

You couldn’t help but keep on begging, you weren’t ready to die. You had suffered enough when Billy almost died and you couldn’t imagine the pain he would suffer.

She passed by me in painted-on jeans

And all heads turned ‘cause she was a dream

Your eyes were wide open when you heard the song coming from somewhere unknown. Looking behind Vecna, you saw through a portal as the group stood below you.

Vecna also looked and couldn’t help but laugh, he raised his hand higher causing your body to raise higher and for your breath to come out in short gasps. You saw as Billy raised the volume, hoping it will help you come back to them.

Now we’re sharing the same dream

And our hearts they beat as one

Except yours, your heart would soon stop beating. You had to fight back somehow and return back to Billy.

Electric eyes that you can’t ignore

And passion burns you like never before

You managed to give Vecna a hard kick to his stomach which caused his hold on you to stop.

You took this as your opportunity to start running towards the portal.

Billy’s eyes that always look at you with so much love now only held sadness at the thought of you dying.

“Please, please come back to me I’m begging you.”

No more love on the run

I lose my cool when she walks in the room

You ran with all your strength wanting nothing more but to be held in Billy’s arms. Laugh with Dustin, argue with Steve over something stupid and take care of Max.

With a gasp of air you fell from the air and landed on top of Billy, knocking yours and his air out of your lungs. You held onto him for dear life and cried on his shoulder.

She’s the Queen

My Caribbean Queen

“It’s ok I’m here, nothing bad will happen to you again.”

“Nothing.” Max said while staring ahead but she could still feel Billy’s gaze on her. It was enough to get her to speak again, “Jesus could you look at the road while driving? She’s just my tutor.” Even though it was nothing bad, Max wanted to keep you away from Billy. Afraid he will talk to the school and make you stop tutoring her.

If Billy was being honest he believed Max and after much thought. He realized that she has been doing a lot of homework lately which has then gotten her praises from her mom. Without saying anything else he continued the drive home.

He knew he had to keep an eye out on Max whether he liked it or not. As he laid on his bed he tried to remember if he has seen you around school. When his mind came back empty, he started to worry again. He knew asking Max again wouldn’t get him anywhere. He’d have to wait until tomorrow to ask around.

In the meantime, he was stuck listening to Susan’s praising and words of affection towards Max. All while Neil would go to Billy’s room and start throwing insults. As well as saying he wants to see the same grades on his report card.

—

Morning couldn’t had come any sooner but Billy was ready to go to school and figure out who you were. For all he knew, you could possible not even be a student. He’s not sure if he wants to help Max because he cares for her or because otherwise his dad would kill him.

As they drove to school neither of them said anything but Max could practically hear his thoughts. Once they arrived, Max gave him no time to open his mouth. She grabbed her stuff and walked over to the middle school.

Throughout the rest of the day, Billy looked around in all of his classes. Seeing if he caught a glimpse of you. But nothing, not even during lunchtime or during gym class when some girls would skip their classes to watch the boys play. He was debating on asking Tommy or Carol but was afraid of what rumor they’d start if he said anything.

When he waited for Max after school he didn’t see her talking to you. He didn’t question it but that didn’t mean that he would let it go. If anything, he would have to try harder.

When they got home, Neil and Susan were putting food and clothes in boxes. Max and Billy shared a look of confusion, Neil looked between the two of them and it was enough to get Billy to walk over and help them out. With a roll of her eyes, Max stood near her mom and began helping her.

For Neil, coming to a new town meant being a new person. Ever since their arrival he took it upon himself to be seen as a saint. Always helping out in the church and being a volunteer. If anything ever happened to Billy, he knows his fake image would have many people be on his side. Without meaning to, Billy walked right in to that trap. Everyone knows him as the troublemaker as well as a heartbreaker.

Today they would all go to the church and help hand out food and clothes to those in need. What Billy didn’t expect was to see Tommy and Carol there. Unlike Neil, they showed their true colors no matter who was watching. It seemed as if a lot of families, along with their troublesome kids, were here to help the community.

“This blows.” Said Carol as she carelessly let a spoon drop on the bowl of hot soup.

“Cheer up Carol, we’re helping the community.” Said Tommy in order to get her more mad. Which only earned him a push that caused him to laugh.

To make matters worse for Billy, an older lady came and asked him if he could help Carol and Tommy to serve food. As much as he wanted to deny, he knew he had no other choice. With a mere nod of his head he followed her to the small kitchen area.

“Now, you will each be responsible of serving one thing. I’ll leave you guys to choose.” The lady said and was about to walk away when Billy said. “Wait, there’s four containers of food but three of us.” He said

Before she could answer, Carol spoke. “Y/n, is actually coming, she’s just running a little late.” Just as he was about to ask who that was, you came rushing in with a box of gloves.

“So, what are we serving?” You asked getting ready to start working. Knowing Tommy and Carol, they would sneak out and end up leaving you with everything.

“Same as last year.” Tommy said with a tight smile while he put his gloves on.

You weren’t exactly friends with Tommy and Carol but due to your small reputation of always getting into trouble by always speaking up. It has brought you a small acquaintance with the two.

Billy was about to open his mouth and ask you questions, when Max came from around the corner with a frown on her face. When she suddenly saw you and her face light up. “Y/n?” She asked surprised, “what are you doing here?” She said as she got closer to you.

“Hey Red, part of my punishment. You?” It was true, after your dad found out you back talked to a teacher who clearly didn’t know what he was teaching. He thought that brining you down here would be a good form of discipline.

“Mmm, pretty much the same reason.” She said with a small smile but it vanished as soon as she looked at Billy’s face.

“So…” Billy said, as he looked between the two of you. “You’re her tutor.”

“Mhm.” Was all you said while you moved to stand next to him as you would be serving the rice.

“And what exactly do you tutor her in?” He asked you which caused Max to roll her eyes and step in front of him. “Billy just leave her alone.”

Yet he ignored her as he kept on looking at you who seem to not care about what he was saying. “It’s just that I’ve never seen you around school, and…”

“Jesus…” you cut him off while letting out an exasperated laugh. “You know, for someone who always has his dick wet. I thought your flirting would be better.”

The look that he gave you it seemed as if he was half amused half frustrated. Meanwhile Tommy and Carol were trying to stifle their laughs behind his back.

You turned to face Max who had her eyebrows raised in amazement. She knew that you were capable of handling yourself against Billy but your response (aside from grossing her out), amazed her since you didn’t seem interested in him. “Come on Red, I need your helping with something.” Was all you said as you walked with her to grab some plates.

“You know Billy, you may not trust y/n but…” Tommy said as Billy did nothing but pretend to be interested in the gloves. “She is the smartest girl in our grade, I even heard she got accepted to a college across the state.” Tommy said rather excited which got him a glare from Carol.

Even if what Tommy said was true, Billy couldn’t help but feel weird about you being Max’s tutor. He’s not sure if it’s because of your reputation or because you have been able to form a decent relationship with Max. Something he’s been wishing to earn for the longest yet he always pushes her away.