Jailbird || Stranger Things

forty-seven ➵ happy families

It wasn't hard to find the post box. Even though Teresa had never visited, she'd chatted with Heather enough to get a roundabout description of where she lived, what the house looked like. Driving down the long stretch of road, Max's bicycle rattling in the trunk the girls remained silent. They weren't sure if they were on edge or if they were worried, but none of it felt right.

"I don't like this," Teresa mumbled, pulling up in front of the house.

"Wait in the car."

The eldest in the car immediately turned to her sister, but El's expression was set.

"Stay here. We will call," she added, pushing the door open and getting out with Max. Teresa, in response, cracked the window open and watched them go up to the house. She wasn't sure where El's confidence came from, but she knew enough to trust her when it came to the Upside Down things.

What greeted the girls inside once El forcefully opened the door was beyond Teresa's nightmares. Max was sure.

The laughter came from the dining room, calling for the two girls. There was a track of upbeat music softly playing in the background, coming from underneath the bottle of whiskey and an assortment of glasses, already telling Max all she needed to know.

"He's so funny!"

Even El felt herself shiver at the words, especially once they came in view of the dining table. the sight of Billy Hargrove sat with a buttoned up shirt and a tidy appearance between the adults they recognised as Heather's parents from the photos around the place was enough to strike fear into the girls.

The atmosphere stilled, Billy speaking up in a voice so unlike his own—So polite.

"Max."

"We didn't mean to...Barge in," she began, noticing the shock on the parents' faces as they put down their glasses of wine and looked the soaking girls up from head to toe. "We tried to knock, but—Maybe you didn't hear us over the storm."

"I'm sorry," Tom Holloway, editor of the Hawkins Post, began, "who is this dripping over my living room right now?"

El continued to stare, confusion settling in. But there was a dark feeling swirling in her gut, one that Teresa, outside and still in her car, also felt.

Unaware that his ex-girlfriend was sat outside, Billy let out a chuckle. "I'm sorry. Janet, Tom, this—Is my sister Maxine," he smiled, getting up to approach the girls.

"Oh!"

"What on Earth are you doing here?" he continued, a large smile on his face as he played the true best boy to introduce to your parents. "Is something wrong?"

Max knew even Teresa didn't know this act, though.

"We just wanted to make sure everything was okay," she replied, suddenly wishing they'd invited Teresa in.

"Okay?" Billy asked, worry seeping into his tone. "Why wouldn't it be okay?"

"Where is she?" El asked, recognising the look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he turned a little firmer, "Where is who?"

"Well, they're a little burnt, I'm sorry—"

"Heather!" Billy exclaimed with a large smile as the girl walked in, holding a tray of chocolate chip cookies, startled as she stared back at Billy with a fake smile. "This is my sister Maxine," he indicated to the red head, before he folded his hands in front of himself and stared at El, "And, I'm sorry, I did not quite catch your name."