𝕕𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕕 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕤: 𝕒 𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟚𝟜: 𝕄𝕒𝕤𝕜

Max was used to Billy coming home late, especially now in the summer. It meant he was out with friends or with a girl, she just hoped that girl wasn't Darcy. She had to tell him she was dangerous, even though they hadn't really spoken since their fight at the Byers' house. Besides, he'd probably brush her off. Yet, she couldn't risk anything happening to him, especially things he and the rest of Hawkins are unaware of.

Max heard the front door of the house open and shut. She glanced at the time: 1:41 a.m. Not unusual, Billy sometimes came home much later, especially if he stayed the night.

"Max? Max!"

Max rolled her eyes. He was probably drunk again, and now she had to haul him to his room so he wouldn't collapse and vomit at the front door. Again. Max climbed out of bed, trudging towards the front door. "What, Billy—"

She froze at the sight of a fresh gash on Billy's head, his broken nose, his disheveled appearance, and most of all, an unconscious Darcy in his arms.

"C'mon, help me!"

Max rushed over to help Darcy onto the couch. "Is she...?"

"No, she's not dead." Billy walked over to the bathroom, turning on the faucet. "You go and watch over her. I'll be back."

Max watched Darcy and the slow rise and fall of her chest until Billy returned from the bathroom, his wounds cleaned and bandaged. The two of them stood over Darcy, just watching.

Max took a deep breath, all thoughts of warning Billy about Darcy vanishing. "What happened?"

"She visited me at the end of my shift at the pool. She wanted to apologize and explain what happened during our date." Billy explained to Max all that Darcy told him about her cold hands and memory, about him driving Darcy to her house, and about how she attacked him and brought him to the steel mill before he paused.

Max tilted her head to the side, crossing her arms. "What happened at the steel mill?"

Billy shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me."

"Just try."

Once Billy had explained himself, Max gave him a glass of water and an aspirin for his headache. "Why are you telling me this?"

Billy didn't answer until he swallowed the aspirin with a few gulps of water. "Because I don't know what to do."

Max took a moment to study her stepbrother. Billy, who buried his true emotions underneath a mask of confidence, was visibly lost and confused. This wasn't the normal type of confusion she saw, like when he struggled to fix his Camaro. He was completely and utterly clueless about the truth surrounding Hawkins.

She turned her gaze to Darcy, still lying unconscious on their couch. "When she wakes up, she won't remember that she tried to kidnap you and feed you to that spider monster or whatever it is that you saw?"

Billy nodded, rubbing his temples. "If everything she says is true."

Max considered the plan in her head. "Well, we can't take her to the hospital. She could probably hurt too many people without realizing it."

"So we take her to the police station?"

Max shook her head, entering her room and turning on her walkie-talkie. "The police won't be able to handle her. But I know a few people who can." She narrowed her eyes at Billy, speaking sternly. "But you better stay the hell away from them and keep your mouth shut." 

A/N: I highly enjoy writing from other character's POV... so who's POV should I write from in the next part (who isn't Billy, Darcy, or Thirteen)? 

;) As always, vote and comment to read more parts! See you in the next one!