Stranger Love [Billy Hargrove]

Stranger Love - Chapter Seven

Stranger Love

Chapter Seven: Only in the rain

"I just had my first birthday without you. Mom and Gemma planned a party, which I think was mainly to distract me and keep my mind off the fact that you aren't here.

Not that anything really could.

I totalled my car last week and ended up in hospital. You probably would have laughed in the end. Our new neighbour... Billy, he helped me. If you had met him Dad you'd know he isn't the type to just help people so, I don't know what came over him.

I know exactly how you'd react to Billy Hargrove. You'd agree what a pain in neck he is, but I know you'd give him the benefit of the doubt. You always saw the best in people, even if they didn't themselves. I sound so cliché right now, I know, but it's the truth.

I could really use your advice right about now. Boy advice.

Yeah, don't roll in your grave. This is the point where you would say 'go ask your mother' and make a swift exit. I just really and truly don't know what to do with these god damn feelings. Why can't I be as attracted to Johnny as I am that nutcase? Life is seriously not fair.

I am eighteen years old and don't know what I am doing with myself. If I get into college, how will Mom cope on her own? If I don't get into college, will I live the rest of my life wishing? Wishing I had done more?

You have died at a really inconvenient time in my life and I am beginning to resent you for it. I need you right now Dad!" Anya exclaimed, a few tears falling down her face. "God. I am so sick of crying, I just feel so miserable all the time. I hope it's better where you are, all this life stuff is starting to get on top me to be honest." She stood up, reaching over and placing her gloved hand on the top of the stone. "One day soon, I will sit here and tell you why."

Walking Bracken back through the fields, Anya let her mind drift. Her party lasted well towards 1am, before they had to call it a night so as not to disturb the neighbours any more than they already had. Steve and Nancy stayed behind to help Anya make a start on the clean, whilst Gemma was far too wasted, so fell face first into Anya's double bed.

She'd woken up at around 6 in the morning desperate for a pee and with a mouth dryer than gravel. Tiptoeing through the house, a shadow had caught her eye through the living room window. She looked through a gap in the curtain, towards Billy's house, to see Tina stumbling out of his back door. She turned towards him for a parting kiss but he pushed her away, saying something to her angrily before closing the door. Tina threw up her middle finger before tinkering away in her ridiculous heels, still clad in her leotard.

Anya didn't know how to feel. Part of her could care less; Billy was a player and was making his way through the Hawkins high school girls one by one. She felt a tiny bit sorry for Tina. The girl needed to stop needing male validation, it wasn't healthy. There was a very tiny part of Anya that felt jealous, but she squashed that thought like a bug very quickly indeed.

Going straight back to sleep, Anya awoke later to the smell of bacon and coffee. Both Steve and Nancy had slept on the couch in the back room, and were cooking up a hangover cure breakfast. Anya gave them both hearty kisses on their cheeks whilst Gemma threw up down the toilet.

Bracken's barking interrupted her deep thinking. Anya scanned around her, only just noticing Chief Hopper walking towards her from the opposite direction. He bent down and gave Bracken a good stroke, the dog's tail wagging furiously.

"Hey Hopper," Anya said.

"Oh hey there Anya, how you doing?" The tall man asked in his deep gruff, giving Bracken a few pats on the head on before standing straight again.