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Fifteen

Allison had spent the days following Billy's visit, hiding in her bedroom, only leaving to eat or use the washroom. Eleven and Hopper had both tried to coax her out on multiple occasions, but she had stood her ground, refusing to open the door.

Then came the night when Hopper returned to the cabin with important news, barging through the front door and straight towards Allison's bedroom. She let out an audible sigh as he banged his fists against the door, refusing to stop until she acknowledging him. His eager thoughts told her what was happening before he had the chance to open his mouth.

I have big news. Amazing news. We're finally going to be a real family. Please don't shut me out.

"I need to tell you and Eleven something important. I want you at the table in five. You hear me? Five minutes!", he demanded, his harsh tone masking his excitement.

Allison rolled off her bed and slowly opened the door, where she peered out towards the kitchen, to find Eleven and Hopper sitting at the table waiting patiently. They both turned and watched as she walked over and sat in the empty chair beside them.

Hopper kept a stoic expression on his face as he reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper. He put them down on the surface of the table and slid one towards each of the girls, his eyes darting back and forth as they tried to understand what had been put in front of them.

Allison was the first to realize what the paper meant, rereading the bold print at the top, Birth Certificate, and the smaller lettering below it, Allison Hopper.  Beside her, Eleven had gone wide-eyed, staring down at her own paper that read, Jane Hopper. Tears welled up in Allison's eyes as she looked towards Hopper, who was trying to fight back his own. 

"Papa?", Eleven whispered, looking across the table, her bottom lip quivering slightly.

"Or Dad?", he suggested, preferring the sound of it, rather than the name that they had used when referring to Dr. Brenner. "Or you can keep calling me Hopper, whatever makes you comfortable.", he shrugged, watching both girls stand up.

He let out an audible gasp, followed by a sound that resembled a combination of a laugh and a cry, as they wrapped their arms around him. Once they had all taken turns crying happy tears, they sat back down and began to bombard Hopper with questions.

"When can we go out?", they asked in unison, grinning at each other.

"I expected that, and you aren't gonna like the answer.", he sighed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table.

"When?", Allison repeated forcefully, balling her hands into fists, her fingernails digging into her palms.

"I was told that we should wait a year-"

"A year!", Eleven shouted angrily, cutting him off. Allison took a deep breath and placed her hand on top of Eleven's, trying to encourage her to stay calm.

"Listen! I trust both of you, and if you can be responsible I'm willing to make some exceptions. Maybe for something like the Snow Ball?", he proposed, making Eleven's eyes light up.  "And Allison, maybe you can pick a night and go out with Nancy and Johnathan, or Steve?", he began to list the names of her friends, intentionally avoiding Billy's name.

Eleven jumped out of her chair and began to dance around, while Allison remained seated, trying to force a smile. Hopper chuckled, amused by Eleven's excitement before noticing that something was wrong with Allison. He told Eleven to give them a moment alone, suggesting that she call Mike on the two-way radio and tell him the news.

"What's wrong?", he asked, his voice just above a whisper. Allison shrugged and averted her gaze, causing him to slam his hand down on the table to get her attention. "Is it because you'll be over eighteen by the time you're free to come and go? I wish I could give you your teenage years back, but I can't. I'm trying my best here-"

"It's not that!"

"This had better not be about the Hargrove kid."

"His name is Billy.", she shot back defensively.

"I don't care what his name is, and if you want me to let you go out, you need to promise that you won't go see him.", he ordered, leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I can't promise that."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because friends don't lie.", she stated matter of factly, pushing her chair back from the table and jumping to her feet.  

"Don't be like that!", Hopper called after her as she turned on her heel and began to walk to her bedroom. 

"Then tell me why I can't spend time with him!", Allison spun back around to face him, demanding an explanation.

"Because I'm trying to protect you. I grew up around guys like that, and guys like that only want one thing."

"What thing?", she inquired, tilting her head to the side slightly. Hopper was taken back by her question as he struggled to come up with a suitable answer. His mind was racing and as he panicked, his thoughts spilled out, where Allison could easily hear them.

Sex. Only sex. Shit. I really hope it hasn't happened already. Should we have the talk? Maybe I'll ask Joyce to do it for me.

"I already told Billy that I wouldn't have sex with him. Why would that be all that he wants? And what's the talk?", she began to question him, and he shot her a look of disappointment in regards to her reading his mind. 

"I'm glad you told him, no, but he's a teenage boy and sex is all that they think about. He'll make you feel special until he gets what he wants, and then he'll move to the next girl. I don't want to see you get hurt.", Hopper's face turned bright red as he spoke, and Allison could tell that his concerns were genuine.

Until then, she thought that she and Billy had a real connection, but maybe she was wrong.  Maybe he was just using his tragic backstory to earn her sympathies, to make her vulnerable, to get what he wanted. She knew that his pain was real, but she didn't want to be used as a temporary fix.

"I'll stay away from him. I promise.", she whispered, unable to hide her disappointment as she turned around and continued towards her bedroom. She began to pace back and forth, fighting the urge to enter the void and spy on Billy. When her curiosity got the best of her, she laid down on her bed and closed her eyes, sinking into the darkness.

Billy's dark blue Camaro appeared up ahead of her and she slowly walked towards it. The entire car seemed to be gently rocking back and forth, and she could make out movement through the fogged-up windows as she stepped closer.

She reached out to wipe away the condensation with her hand, making a clear path across the glass. Her stomach dropped as she leaned in closer and peered in through the window. Billy was pressed back into his seat, while a girl that she didn't recognize, straddled him, rocking her hips back and forth.

"Oh, Billy!", the girl squealed, leaning in to kiss him on the side of the neck. Allison wanted to turn away, disgusted by the sight in front of her but was unable to move. "Is this okay? Do you like that baby?", Billy's latest conquest continued to moan in his ear, as he stared up at the ceiling looking irritated.

"Fuck! Just stop talking.", he groaned, grabbing a fistful of her blonde hair and pulling her head back as he began to thrust into her mercilessly, causing her to cry out. A rage grew inside Allison until she couldn't take it anymore and punched the window in front of her, making it shatter. 

"Oh my god!", the half-naked girl cried out, as Billy pushed her off of him and stared at the broken window. Allison knew that he couldn't see her but as he stared at the hole that she had made, it felt like he was looking directly at her. Tears began to stream down her face as she forced herself back into her bedroom.

Once she was back on her bed, she curled up into the fetal position and began to sob, loud enough to alert Hopper. He rushed across the cabin and pounded on the door, which she opened willing, allowing him to come inside. 

"I went to see him. I didn't want you to be right...", she trailed off, as Hopper sat down on the bed beside her.

"I'm sorry, kid. But at least you found out before it got too serious.", he sighed, trying to comfort her the best way that he knew how. She nodded silently, staring at the wall ahead of her, as he patted her back.