Ahoy Ladies ➵ Steve Harrington x Reader

Chapter Twenty

Hawkins Pool was a few blocks away from y/n's house, just close enough that she was able to walk there after Steve had dropped her back home.

She knew he had wanted to stay, to help her clean up and make sure it was safe but y/n knew he had to go home and see his parents. They were probably already waiting for him to get back, looking out the window with worried expressions as they wondered what he was doing.

Y/n didn't wait long after Steve reluctantly drove away up the small street and around the corner, she knew there mustn't be much time before Billy finished his shift as a lifeguard at the pool.

The sun was still out, thankfully setting late in the evenings in summer which gave y/n enough time to find her way around on foot. Hawkins Pool wasn't a very big place - with only two changing rooms, a small sauna, a couple storage spaces and the local pool, the only place she consciously avoided until now.

She didn't really know what she was going to say, y/n wasn't thinking very hard about her plan of action - just that she needed an explanation. She was sick of not knowing.

Y/n snuck around the back, pushing hair from her face as she crouched behind a bush to get a better look at what was happening. Everything inside her just wanted to stalk right in and yell at Billy but she knew better than that, y/n at least needed to know all the exit routes just in case.

Billy was perched on his lifeguard post, with his usual curly mullet, a baseball hat and sunglasses. However, he wore a long sleeve white sun protection top and a towel over his legs. Looking rather uncomfortable as he shifted in his seat, eyes darting across the pool uneasy.

She had never seen him so covered up from the sun. The Billy she knew was always topless at any chance he got, especially lounging by a pool or the hot Cali beach, with nothing but thick sunglasses and questionably short swim briefs.

Y/n made her way a little closer, hidden behind by a nearby tree, she waited in silence. He was holding what appeared to be a paper cup, which was seemingly normal at first glance. But when he reached his hand inside, y/n realized it must have contained ice cubes. Something Billy never bothered adding to his drinks, even in summer.

Just as she took a long breath, mentally preparing herself for seeing him again - a voice whispered from behind her.

"Y/n? What are you doing?"

She whipped her head around in shock and jumped to her feet, her fists raised in case she had to protect herself but y/n quickly breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed her defensive position, it was only Max and her four friends.

"God you guys scared the shit out of me" y/n muttered, grateful that it was them and not someone or something else.

Y/n hadn't seen much of them in the holidays, occasionally El stopped by and she'd seen Will hanging around with his older brother Jonathan a few times at the mall but she'd only met Lucas and Mike once before.

As for Max, y/n had always wanted to get to know her. She seemed like a sweet kid when she passed her skateboarding in their California school car park. However, Billy was so adamant they didn't associate themselves that y/n hardly ever went to Billy's house if anyone was home, especially when Max was there. Y/n only really caught glimpses of her through the kitchen window.

"I could ask you four the same thing" y/n said, pointing to the binoculars in Max's hand and their up-to-no-good expressions.

Mike shared an uneasy look at Lucas and it didn't take an expert to know there was something they weren't telling her. Y/n remembered how Steve had said that weird things had happened in Hawkins before but he'd never gotten round to tell her about it.