dream » stranger things.

iv. radio

wendy sat across from billy, staring at him in silence.
"can you stop staring at me?" billy asked, snapping at wendy.

"well, you're not saying anything!" wendy snapped back.
"are you one of those clingy girls that gets jealous when i move onto another girl?" billy asked out of nowhere.

"what? no! all we did was make out." wendy looked at him.

the two were having lunch while they waited for the repair shop to fix wendy's car.
"i know, but you seem like one of those girls." billy defended.

wendy scoffed.
"well, you seemed like an asshole that i wouldn't be around, but here we are." wendy stated.
"seemed? have you changed your mind about me?" billy leaned forward in his seat.

"no. you're just...different, i guess." wendy shrugged.
"different?" billy asked.
"yeah. first, you tried to kill me and now we're sitting here having lunch." wendy responded.

she sighed and looked around. her eyes fell upon the clock in the diner, and she gasped.
"shit, it's three fifteen! i have to go pick up my little sister." wendy stated.

billy shook his head.
"i'm not taking you to pick up your sister." he stated.
"you have to get max anyways!" wendy responded.

billy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"how do you know about max?" he asked.
"she's in my sister's class. come on, billy." wendy groaned, slamming money down on the table.

billy looked down at the money. he knows that he should have paid, but oh well.

|||

billy's car came to a halt, tires screeching as he rolled down his window.
"max, get your ugly ass in the car now!" he barked, causing wendy to look at him.

she hit his arm slightly.
"don't talk to her like that." wendy whispered.
wendy also told susie to get in the car.

"fuck off, wendy. she's my step-sister." billy glared at wendy as the two middle schoolers got into the car.

"hi!" susie waved towards billy. he looked back at her, and ignored her greeting. billy put his car in gear and drove off from the middle school.

susie carmichael sighed and sat back in her seat. wendy scoffed and folded her arms over her chest.
she made another mental note about billy—he's hostile towards children.

billy's hand reached for the radio, blasting the music. his hand returned back to the steering wheel as he gripped it hard.

wendy observed billy's behavior, and then she looked back at max. the redheaded thirteen year old huffed out in annoyance as she looked out of the windows.

then, wendy turned back towards the front, seeing that billy was driving incredibly fast.
"billy? don't you think you should slow down?" wendy asked.

billy only ignored her, unable to hear her soft voice due to the blasting music. wendy's hand reached out to touch the volume dial, but billy grabbed her hand roughly.

wendy's hazel eyes traveled up to billy. he had a darkness in his eyes that she had never seen before.
"rule one of riding in my car; don't ever fucking touch my radio." billy barked harshly.

wendy's eyes widened slightly as she yanked her hand out of billy's grasp. she had never been talked to so harshly before in her life.

wendy carmichael blinked a couple of times, trying to process what had happened. then, she looked up, seeing street names.

"turn left at the next sign." she stated, quietly.
"what?" billy asked, annoyed as he turned down the volume.

"turn left at the next sign." wendy stated again.

from the back seat, maxine mayfield watched as her step-brother pushed around the teenaged girl. max looked over at susie, seeing that she had wide eyes as she watched billy hargrove and her sister altercate.

soon, the car arrived at the carmichael house. susie got out of the car before the car could fully stop. wendy scurried out of the car shortly after.

"bye max!" wendy tried to plaster on a fake smile. the car zoomed away, and wendy looked down at her sister.

"wendy, are you okay?" susie asked, looking at her sister.
wendy nodded, lying.
"i'm fine, suz, he didn't hurt me," wendy lied straight through her teeth.

"susie, can you do something for me?" wendy asked. the youngest carmichael nodded in agreement.

"never tell mom and dad about what happened in that car. okay? promise me." wendy pleaded.
susie carmichael stared up at her sister,
"i promise."