Stranger Things BillyxOC

Chapter 6

Later in the day, she gets a call from Billy and he says that he can't drive her to pick up her car but he won't tell her why. He sounds angry but also a little upset and Ruby gets a little worried about him but he hangs up before she can find out why.

After school has ended, she's able to call Steve and he says he'll come to drop her off to pick up her car.

She's able to cover most of her injuries with makeup and leaves her hair down.

When Steve arrives at her house, he looks upset.

"What's wrong, Stevie?" She asks, looking at his face.

"Am I bullshit?" He asks and Ruby looks taken aback.

"What? No! Of course not. Where did you get that from?" She asks.

"Nancy. That's what she said before we broke up last night. She said I was bullshit."

"You broke up? Oh Steve, I'm so sorry." Ruby says. "I should have been there."

"Why were you at the party? I didn't see you." Steve asks, wanting to change the conversation.

"Um..." Ruby mumbles. "My dad came back last night and I needed to find one of you to look after him for the night because I couldn't."

"Two questions. One, why not? And two, whose jacket is that?"

Ruby looks down and sees that she's still wearing Billy's jacket.

"It's a long story."

"Well, I've got time."

Ruby sighs. "Please don't hate me for not telling you."

Steve promises and Ruby starts.

"Jason beats me whenever he comes back. It started when I was fourteen and I didn't want anyone else to get involved so I didn't tell you. Last night, he came back and was really wasted and beat me more than he'd ever done before and I didn't want Kit to see me like that. So I went to the party to ask one of you to look after him but I couldn't find you before I passed out. But I did find Billy before I collapsed."

Ruby pauses to check Steve's expression. When Ruby says that her dad is abusive, Steve looks furious but when she mentions Billy, it turns murderous.

"Before you say anything, he found Jonathan and got him to look after Kit. Then he took me home and looked after me because I have a concussion. We both fell asleep late and woke up late so I skipped because I had work to do and he took me to a diner. I was cold so he lent me his jacket. Now you can speak."

Steve looks lost for words.

"Why didn't you find me?"

"I just said, I tried to but I passed out before I could."

"Why Hargrove?"

"I don't know why he was so kind but he really looked after me. And I didn't mean to collapse on him. It could have been Tommy or Carol with the state I was in."

"Show me."

"Dear God, why does everyone want to see?" Ruby mumbles.

"I want to see what he did to you so I know how slowly to kill him."

Steve pulls up to Tina's drive and looks at her.

Ruby sighs and carefully untucks her shirt and lifts it up enough for Steve to see the bruises.

He carefully touches the gauze that Billy taped over her cut last night.

"Billy was the one to patch me up. You obviously don't like him, but I do. And he probably saved me last night."