Still Time / Billy Hargrove

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

italics = flashbacks

•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧.˚ *•̩̩͙ ✩. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧.˚ *•̩̩͙ ✩. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧.˚ *•̩̩͙ ✩. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧.˚ *•̩̩͙ ✩. •̩̩͙*˚⁺‧

     JOYCE WAS FRANTIC. "Have you seen them?!" Jonathan, Addie, and Will couldn't remember the last time they'd seen her like that. Luckily, Bob came to the rescue, and located the keys in her room. Things were a little hectic in the Byers household on that particular morning. Addie forgot to set her alarm, Will slept through his, it seemed that Jonathan was the only one who was ready for the day.

Joyce approached her older son. "I know I said I'd take Addie and Will to school so that you could leave earlier but I'm so sorry can you take them? I cannot be late again, I'm sorry."

"He's staying over now?" Jonathan whispered.

Of course, luck wasn't on Joyce's side, and she'd gotten a flat tire just the day before. Her car was taken to the shop right away but she was told that it might be awhile before they got to it, because of how backed up they were. Also adding to their luck, it was Addie's week to drive her and Steve to school. He'd called her last night though saying he was sick and was staying home at least for the next day.

"Can you just take your brother and sister to school, please?"

"Jonathan you go on ahead. I can take them," Bob stood by the door, smiling.

"Will you make sure they get in okay?"

"Of course." Bob understood why Joyce was so protective of her children. "What do you say guys? Who's up for a ride in the Bobmobile?"

Addie and Will turned to each other and shrugged, smiling. "Okay, thank you."

"Was that either of you that I heard milling around last night, or do we have a ghost?" Bob attempted small talk with Addie and Will.

"Umm, me, probably."

"Nightmares?"

"No, at least not for me last night," Addie spoke up.

"Hey I ever tell you guys about Mr. Baldo?"

"Mr. Baldo?"

"That sounds like a clown name."

"Yeah! He was a clown actually. I was a little younger than you, Will, and I was standing in line at the Ferris wheel at the Roane County Fair. Suddenly, I feel this fat white glove tap me on the shoulder. I spin around, there he is. He grins and says "Hey kiddo, would you like a balloon?" You guys can laugh, I know it's funny. I couldn't get him out of my head. Every night, he'd make an appearance in my dreams. I always ran. And it got to the point where it was so bad that I had my mom stay in my room with me until I fell asleep. Every single night. This went on for months. One day, they just... stopped. Wanna know how?"

"How?" They asked at the same time, intrigued.

"I fell asleep, the nightmare started off like always, and Mr. Baldo came to me. Only this time, I stood my ground. I didn't run. I looked at Mr. Baldo, and I said "Go away. Go away!" Just like that, he was gone."