Array
(
[text] =>
030. 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵
𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀.
“𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐕𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐀 𝐁𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐄.” Lori spat. “As if this fuckin’ night couldn’t get any worse.”
She recognized the sound of that blue Camaro right down to the bone. She’d heard it on her first day of school, she’d heard it at the Halloween party, and now here— pulling up outside the Byers’ house in the middle of the night. Wherever that Camaro went, the boy came with it. The arrogant, obnoxious, and downright dangerous Billy Hargrove was always the one behind the wheel, revving the engine and speeding down the road leaving his trails of smoke. She’d only seen him a few times, but those few times were enough to know that he was too arrogant for his own good— too filled with pride and charm.
The headlights of the blue Camaro beamed through the windows, streaming the kids’ faces with white light as they huddled on the couch to watch. Max’s eyes were wide and panicked, and she could only look at Lucas who was beside her.
“What the hell does he think he’s doing?” Lori tore her burning eyes away from the window, looking to Steve. “What the hell is Billy Hargrove doing here at this time of night?”
Everyone knew the answer: he was coming to get his sister, Max. But Lori couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t just here for her, and she couldn’t ignore the thought that wherever Billy went, trouble followed.
She wasn’t scared of him, not in the slightest bit. But if he even got close to hurting any of them— she was going to have to do something about it.
Steve stared forward, his eyes fixated on the door. Lori could tell that there was a hundred thoughts running through his head, but only one was clear— he needed to do something. He had that look in his eyes, the same one he had back in the bus before he’d gone out to Dart. His eyebrows were narrowed, that tense look he always had when he needed to do something— when he thought he needed to be the fucking hero.
Before she could do anything, before she could go out there herself and confront Billy, Steve broke from the group. His steps were hard on the floor as he marched for the front door.
“Stay in here.” he glanced back at her, and only her, as he pulled open the door.
She nodded, knowing that he meant she was to keep the kids inside, too. She nodded, pressing her lips together firmly.
When the door shut, she drew in a tight breath and crossed her arms. Dustin was still beside her, standing near the door. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet.
“Did I tell you about that time,” Dustin swallowed, not looking at her. “It was Halloween, right after you ditched us at the pumpkin patch and biked off for that party,” he paused.
She looked down at him with narrowed eyebrows. “What about it,” she said, slowly.
Dustin’s eyes sort of grew wide. “Billy, he— uh, he was about to run us over, I think,” he said, still not looking at her. “Me, Mike and Lucas. But he veered off the road. Maybe it was a practical joke, but, I just,”
“Why the hell would he do that?” Lori’s eyebrows narrowed even further, her jaw clenching.
Dustin shrugged, emitting that he didn’t know.
She followed his gaze, eyes landing on Max and Lucas.
“But I know he doesn’t like Lucas,” Dustin admitted, and finally looked up to his cousin. “Really, really doesn’t like him.”
Lori stared back at him for a moment, and then pressed her lips together again.
“Get behind the blinds,” she ordered to the kids, because they were huddled close to the window. “For fuck’s sake, get behind the blinds— you morons.”
She marched up to the window, and pulled down the thin blinds— assuming it would block their silhouettes out just a little bit. She stood at the window, eyes narrowed hard as she fixed them on the back of Steve’s body facing the infamous Billy Hargrove.
Meanwhile, as Lori and the kids tried to watch discretely, Billy took a drag of his cigarette and puffed out the smoke.
“I’m looking for my stepsister,” He said, his low, raspy voice dragging out over the silence. “Little birdie told me she was here,”
“Huh, that’s weird,” Steve said, unamused. “I don’t know her.”
“Small? Redhead?” Billy said, through his smoke, “Bit of a bitch?”
“Doesn’t ring a bell, sorry buddy,” Steve drowned out.
“What the hell are they talking about?” Dustin asked, from inside the house.
Lori squinted her eyes. “I dunno, seems like Steve’s just tryin’ to tell him to go home,”
“Why are they still talking, he should be gone by now,” Max whispered.
Billy took a long drag of his cigarette and tilted his head. “Y’know, I don’t know, this… this whole situation, Harrington, I dunno,” he gestured, clicking his tongue. “It’s giving me the heebie-jeebies.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that.” Steve stared at him.
He pulled the cigarette from his mouth. “My thirteen-year-old stepsister goes missing all day,” he paused, putting his hands out to Steve. “And then I find her with you, in a stranger’s house,” he looked to the house distractedly. “And you lie to me about’it.”
Steve let out a faint chuckle of disbelief and looked away. “Man, were you dropped too much as a child, or what?”
Through the smoke coming from his mouth, Lori could see the devilish smile grow on Billy’s face, and his tongue peeking out between his lips.
“What the hell is taking him so long,” Lori pressed, impatiently. “C’mon Steve,” she tapped her foot on the floor.
“I don’t know what you don’t understand about what I just said.” Steve spoke, monotone, watching Billy carefully. “She’s not here.”
Slowly, Billy looked up from the ground, rose his hand, and pointed his cigarette directly at the window. “Then who, is that.”
Lori gasped as his eyes landed on them, and immediately she hopped away from the window, pulling the kids down with her.
“Shit! Did he see us?” Dustin exclaimed, from the couch.
“Of course he saw us, dipshit!” Lori shouted, trying to catch her breath.
She only spent a second crouched on the floor before she stood back up again, needing to see what was going on now that he spotted them.
“Ah shit,” Steve breathed, “Listen—” as he turned his head back around, he was cut off by an aggressive shove that sent him flying to the ground.
Lori’s breath hitched as his body collided with the pavement, and her heart jumped to her throat in anger as Billy stepped over him, speaking down. Then, his foot came up, and kicked Steve hard, right in the stomach.
“Son of a bitch.” Lori spat, and pushed herself from the window. “Everybody stays inside!” she shouted to the kids, without looking back at them.
“Lori— where you going!” Dustin called after her, as she marched to the door. “Lor!—”
She didn’t reply as she ripped the door open, letting it swing in her grasp as the cold air hit her in the face. She didn’t even bat an eye to Steve as she slammed it behind her, feeling the threshold rattle underneath her feet as she did— her eyes fixed directly on Billy.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Hargrove,” she exclaimed, her voice hard and strong.
Billy slowed down his steps when he saw her. An immediate grin slid onto his lips.
“Ho-ly shit.” he grinned, putting his hands out, “I can’t believe this— Lori Philbin, comin’ to save the fuckin’ day, is that right?”
“Save it, alright?” she spat. She didn’t even add a thought to how he knew her— or why his grand entrance mock was even a thing, since she’d never done anything to him to be granted one.
“This is a sight for sore eyes!” His smile was dripping with sarcasm, and his eyes were fierce even in the dark. “This… this, is what I call a turn of events— isn’t that right, Harrington?” he shouted back to Steve, who was groaning on the ground. He flicked his cigarette.
“Cut the bullshit— your big show’s over, pencil dick, got that?” Lori stopped in front of him, her eyes never leaving his face. “You need to leave.”
“First King Steve, and now you,” he said, inching closer to her. The smile fell from his face and replaced with a hard look, “What the hell has that little shit gotten herself into,” he shook his head for emphasis, referring to Maxine.
“I said go home,” Lori pressed, her voice rising.
He bit down on his bottom lip, “And who, huh,” he stopped to laugh, mockingly, “are you to tell me what to do.” he leaned his face close to hers, and she could smell the smoke from his mouth.
He formed his lips into an ‘o’ shape, blowing a huff of smoke right into her face.
She clenched a tight fist.
Lori Philbin hated the smell of cigarettes.
Pushing her over the edge, she didn’t even think twice before she swung her arm and struck the side of his face with her knuckles.
The punch echoed in the air, and he stumbled back on his feet. For a moment, he was taken aback. Billy Hargrove reached up to feel the spot she’d hit, his fingers hovering over his cheek as it immediately throbbed. His cigarette fell from his fingers, landing somewhere and burning out.
She hit him real hard. She could tell by his surprise, and by her immediate pulsating fist.
He let out a loud whistle, “Damn, Philbin.” he looked up to her, “Matter o’ fact , I do like when my women have a little edge to them, d’you know what I’m saying?” he stood back up, and spat on the ground.
And then that devilish smile came back on his face, his dark eyes locked back onto hers— and she wanted nothing more than to punch that smile right off his lips once more.
Before he could say anything else, her hands collided with the leather of his jacket and she pushed him back, sending him stumbling again.
“Get in your car, and drive away.” she ordered, her chest heaving from the rush of adrenaline. “Don’t make me ask again.”
He stumbled back again, his eyes growing even darker with anger. This time, he didn’t whistle, he didn’t smile, and he didn’t say anything.
Because suddenly, he was rushing right up to her as if she hadn’t just punched him in the face seconds ago.
His hand wrapped around her wrist, grabbing her with a grip so tight that it stopped blood flow almost instantly. He twisted it, twisted her wrist so roughly, to where she let out a loud grunt of pain.
“Let go of me!” she shouted, trying to push him away. “Piece of shit!”
She yelped in pain as he twisted her wrist further, his face breathing hard against hers. She rose her leg, kicking his knee with her foot. He didn’t budge.
His face burned with aggression as he grabbed her other shoulder with his hand— pushing her to the side like she was a feather. He lost contact with her wrist, automatically easing the pain— but still, it throbbed along with her knuckles as she stumbled on her feet.
With her out of the way, he wasted no time in charging for the front door. Breathing heavily, Lori grabbed her wrist and looked down at the deep red finger marks that were engraved on her skin.
The front door flew open, and Billy said something. Then it slammed closed behind him.
“Steve,” she realized with wide eyes, “Oh shit, Steve!” she called, as she turned to him, hopping on her foot.
“Follow him,” Steve called back instantly, as he got to his knees— crouched over in pain. His arms were wrapped around his stomach. “Go, inside!”
Lori’s face flashed with anger as she switched her attention back to Billy— who’d already gotten inside. She rushed for the door as screams echoed on the other side, her hand wrapping around the doorknob before shoving it open.
Her eyes went wide when she caught sight of Billy pinning Lucas up against the far wall of the kitchen. He had a firm grip around the boy’s jacket, and pressed him against a cabinet— knocking a few plates off and letting them clatter on the ground. He was saying something, his voice low and dangerous, but Lori couldn’t hear through the shouts that the kids were throwing.
She rushed up to the kids, pushing past them and standing a few feet from Billy. Her wrist was aching, throbbing with discomfort.
“Oh my god, get off of him!” Lori yelled at the back of Billy’s head, her voice loud and stern. “What’s wrong with you— get off of him!”
Dustin, Max, and Mike screamed for him to stop, but unable to interfere. Lori lunched forward, hitting his back with her hands. But it didn’t do anything.
“I’ve had enough of you, Philbin!” Billy only turned his head a little bit, “One more damn word from that little mouth and you’re next— you hear me!”
He shoved Lucas harder into the wall.
“Stay away from her!” he yelled to the little boy, his voice cracking in the middle. He was talking about Max. “Do you hear me?” he repeated.
“He’s a kid!” Lori yelled, “Get the hell away from him! You wanna fight someone— fight me, or Steve!”
“I said get off of me!” Lucas yelled to his face, and rose his knee. He kicked him in the crotch, sending him a few steps back in pain.
Billy hunched over, letting out a constricted breath of air, teeth clenching. He rubbed his hands over his jeans, and slowly tilted his head up to Lucas.
“You are so dead, Sinclair!” he yelled. And then his voice got quiet and his eyes got darker again. “You’re dead.”
Before Lori could do anything, before Billy could charge for the poor boy again— two hands wrapped around her waist and pushed her to the side with the kids.
Steve marched past her, aggressively turning Billy around. “No.” he said, as he clenched his fist. “You are.”
The room collectively gasped when Steve lunged forward, his fist coming into direct contact with the side of Billy’s jaw. Right where Lori had hit him.
Lori’s hand flew over her mouth, partly because of shock, and partly to hide the growing smile on her face from seeing Steve get a hit on him. Still, her heart leapt into her throat as Billy stumbled away, hunching over from the impact.
“Steve!” Max called from behind them.
Dustin let out an impressed chuckle.
Steve shook off his hand as Billy rose, bending backwards now in a laugh. He cackled, the sound of it booming off the walls.
“You okay?” Lori whipped her head to Lucas who’d joined his friends in a tight hug. He gave her a quick nod, and she switched back over to the boys.
Lori gulped when she saw the blood coming from Billy’s nose.
“Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh?” Billy shouted, acting as if this was humorous.
Steve pushed his hair back, breathing heavily.
“I’ve been waiting to meet this King Steve,” Billy put his hands out dramatically, “That everybody’s been telling me, so much about.” he stopped, a foot away.
Steve placed two fingers on Billy’s open chest, pushing him back ever so slightly. “Get out.” he said, quiet, but so stern.
Nobody spoke, nobody moved, as the two boys simply stared at one another.
And then Billy swung, but Steve ducked. He rose back up and wasted no time in punching Billy on the other side of his face this time, grunting loudly as he did.
“YES! KICK HIS ASS, STEVE!” Dustin hollered from behind them.
“Get him!” Mike screamed.
“Stop it!” Max was yelling, “Guys, stop it!”
Billy let out a laugh, as blood spilled from his nose.
His laugh was cut short when Steve landed another punch on his face, sending him to the counter.
“Get him! Now!” Dustin was shouting.
Lori clasped both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide and mind trying to keep up.
Billy held onto the counter, letting out another loud cackle— as if this whole thing was a joyride to him. The shouts soared when Steve stepped closer and swung again at his chin. Billy bounded backwards, stumbling right into the sink with a hard thud. He let out a yell of amusement, tilting his head back.
As Dustin yelled, and Steve prepared his next punch— Lori noticed Billy reaching for something beside him. And as her mouth opened to warn, it was too late, and the shouts clouded her words anyways.
Billy swung a plate right at Steve’s head, and it immediately broke in shards all over the floor.
“STEVE!” Lori screamed.
“Steve!” the kids called.
“Billy!” Max yelled, angry.
Steve stumbled over, his steps wobbly as he grabbed his head. He was crouched beside the kitchen bookshelf when Billy hopped on his feet and approached him. Billy let out a grunt as he swung in the air, missing Steve as he ducked down. Billy’s fist came into contact with the bookshelf, and he ripped it out as Steve scurried into the living room, the kids following behind.
“Stop it! You’re going to kill each other!” Lori hollered after Billy. “Would you stop?!”
She was close behind him, keeping a safe distance out of fear. Billy reached for Steve’s jacket, grabbing him by the collar and bringing his face close to his.
“No one,” Billy said through heavy breaths, “Tells me what to do.”
Screams echoed throughout the room when Billy’s head came into contact with Steve’s. He pushed Steve to the floor, and he slid across the drawings of the tunnels.
“Whoo!” Billy screamed, and shook his hands out before stepping on the living room floor. “Get up.” he spat at Steve.
The second he started marching towards Steve on the ground, they knew this was at its worst.
“No! No! No! No!” Dustin yelled.
“Oh my god, oh my god,” Lori panicked. “Holy shit! Shit!”
And then it seemed like time smeared into slow motion— as Billy hunched over Steve, and pounded relentlessly at his face.
The screams were so loud. Lori’s throat hurt from yelling. She was standing there, behind the boys, watching as Steve’s face pooled with blood from every hit, and as Billy’s fists charged deeper and deeper at his skin. She drowned out the sounds of the yelling, the grunting, and the sound of his fists against Steve’s face.
Another hit.
Another hit.
Steve’s eyes shut, and he stopped responding to them.
Another hit.
And another.
Within seconds his face was flooding in blood, mouth completely engulfed.
Another hit.
Lori stepped forward, reaching for Billy’s shoulders in hopes to pull him off, but Dustin’s arms wrapped around her before she could get there.
She yelled and shouted as Steve lied there, unconscious and taking blows to the face.
Another hit.
Just as she was about to turn to the telephone on the wall, call the cops, do something— she noticed Max approaching in the corner of her eye.
Max squeezed past Lucas and Mike, holding one of the needles that they’d been using on Will to keep him sedated. She seemed to be moving in slow motion as she ran up to her brother, grabbed his shoulder, held her hand up high before bringing the needle right down into his neck.
Quickly, her thumb pressed into the syringe, letting the liquid in.
Lori’s eyes went deer-wide when the needle pierced into Billy’s neck. She grabbed Dustin’s shoulder, squeezing hard as a gasp escaped her lips.
Billy’s hand immediately fell from swinging. He sat there for a moment, hovering over Steve, his body turning in realization. Everybody paused as he stood up, slowly turning around. His eyes were pinned on Max, eyebrows narrowed in confusion, nose bleeding. With heavy breaths, he reached up for the needle in his neck. He winced as he wrapped his bloody knuckles around it.
“The hell is this,” Billy said, lowly. He took a few steps towards Max, who backed away. “You little shit, what’d you do?” his words slurred.
And then his eyes rolled to the back of his head, he lost his balance, and fell right over onto his back.
Lori looked away from Billy, darting her eyes to Steve.
“Steve,” she said under her breath, and broke away from the group as Billy let out a laugh.
Quicker than ever, she rushed over to Steve, who was lying there on the ground, completely unconscious. She fell to the floor beside his body, immediately placing a hand on his chest and the other on the side of his head.
Behind her, Max was grabbing the bat of nails, and stepping over her brother. She was saying something, something about leaving her friends alone— but Lori wasn’t listening.
“Steve,” she whispered, panicking, “Steve, oh my god, Steve,”
Her eyes trailed around the open wounds all over his face, and the blood spilling from his mouth and his nose. It was horrid. And she hated every part of it. Her vision became foggy as she trailed her eyes all over, her hand gripping onto his arm that was lying limp at his side.
“Steve, can you hear me?” her voice cracked in the middle of her sentence. “Oh my god, can you hear me? Steve— It’s Lori, can you hear me,”
“SAY YOU UNDERSTAND!” Max was screaming at Billy. “SAY IT. SAY IT!”
Lori swallowed hard at his lack of answers. Frantically, she reached for his wrist, accidentally dropping it from speed. She let his wrist rest in her lap as she scrambled to feel his pulse. An immense wave of relief washed over her entire body when she felt the bump of his heartbeat beneath the pad of her fingers.
“Okay, you’re okay,” she whispered to him, but also to herself. “Oh my god, you’re okay,”
Keys jingled behind her, and the floor creaked. Everything was quiet now.
She gripped his wrist in her hand to continue feeling his pulse, on her lap, and she realized that the room had gone so very quiet. She finally looked away from Steve, and up to the kids. Max was holding car keys in her hands, and the kids were exchanging glances.
“Hey,” Lori said out loud, grabbing their attention. “Hey!” She sniffled hard, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, “Where do you think you kids are going,”
Dustin noticed the glossy layer over her eyes that she’d just quickly wiped away, and her hand holding onto Steve’s wrist.
“He’s not dead, right?” Dustin asked, his eyes wide.
Lori didn’t have the energy to roll her eyes. “Where the hell are you going,” she asked again.
“We have to help them.” Dustin spoke out, after a long moment. “We have to, Lor.”
Lori looked down at Steve, the blood on his face. She looked down at her hand on his wrist, and her own wrist that was still throbbing and had a red hand mark on it. Her knuckles were tinted crimson now.
She knew that they had to help the others. They had to go to the tunnels. There was no stopping them now.
She swallowed, hard, and shut her eyes for a good moment. When she opened them, all eyes were on her, all attention was on her. Waiting for her next words.
She looked over to them. “Do any of you kids know how to drive?”
[text_hash] => ef0c1a50
)