Stranger Love [Billy Hargrove]

Stranger Love - Chapter One

"It's day 366. A year and a day since you've been gone. Not much has happened really, It's like we always said, 'nothing ever happens in Hawkins'. Life has just gone on without you which I hated at first. I hated seeing anyone smile, remember when I screamed that at you a while back? I was in so much pain and people were smiling and laughing as if you had never existed, as if they didn't care. Of course I know now that it's just life. Life must go on.

So I still don't really know what happened to Barb. It's all very mysterious. I do think it's all connected though; Will Byers disappearing, you...and then Barb. I can't prove anything though, how could I? I wish I had answers. I really want to know why.

School is starting again tomorrow, I managed to fix up my car so it actually works now. Oh, and we got some new neighbours who moved in last week, still haven't really met them properly. I believe there is a young girl and a boy around my age, but that is all I know. Mom said she will bring them a welcome casserole so I guess she will drag me along for that.

Mom has still been drinking, a lot. She says it helps her cope. I need to tell her to stop but I am afraid, afraid she will do something more stupid and I will be left with no parents at all. The diner is fine, I work there after school every night and Charles is looking after it brilliantly. Don't think I could have kept it going without him. Wez still comes in every Friday for his coffee and pancakes, sometimes I think he has forgotten you are no longer there and he relives the pain all over again.

How is it on the other side? I hope you are having fun."

The young girl placed a single white snow drop against the head stone, the damp grass penetrating her light faded jeans. She had been sitting beside her father's grave for nearly an hour, like she did every week on Sunday.

Just over a year had passed since Jim Hopper, the chief of Hawkins Police, had knocked on their front door in the late evening. Removing his hat solemnly, the tall man had given them the most horrific news they had ever heard in their lives.

 Benny Hammond had been shot at point blank range... for the money in the cash register.

Well. That was the 'official' story.

Everyone knew Benny's. It was a local diner, in a small town where everybody knew everyone. Hawkins never had any break-ins, robberies, or murders. Not like in the city. So, when Anya Hammond had heard the story, she'd hadn't believed a word.

She still didn't.

Her father's death had been a great loss to the community, but even more of a loss to Anya. She loved her father, more than anything in the world. He had been kind, generous, loving and loyal. Her parents had been completely in love with each other since meeting in High School and were married at 19, Anya following swiftly. Her grandparents on her father side visited every three months since her birth, but her Mom's parents wouldn't. They never liked Benny, nor the fact he 'corrupted' their perfect daughter, who was supposed to marry a rich socialite and work in an office in the big city somewhere.

Patricia Hammond, her Mom, was beautiful. She had curly long locks of black ebony hair and pale, flawless skin. Her eyes were rounded, inset and framed with long lashes. Anya was practically a double of her mother, only looked younger. The similarities between the mother and daughter were so striking that people often thought they were sisters.

The past year, however, had not been kind on her Mom. Patricia seemed to have aged twenty years since her father had died; her hair greying, eyes wrinkling at the corners and a permanent frown on her full lips.

Anya had been the one looking after her Mom, looking after the house and the business as well. She would be damned if that diner closed, she owed that much to her Dad.