BAD GUY 。BILLY HARGROVE

1: Welcome to Hawkins

It was a bitter autumn morning when Kayla Matthews arrived in Hawkins. A myriad of splashes of magenta, orange and yellow rolled around Kayla's feet as she stepped out of the moving van and into the spiced air of October.

A gust of wind twirled Kayla's blonde locks in the air as she held a cardboard box between her small hands. A framed photo of the teen's dark past and multiple ornaments and heirlooms sprouted out from the edges of the box like confetti. Kayla's furrowed brows twitched slightly at the sudden change in scenery. In front of her towered a large house with three stories and a grand door. It looked like a palace of terror as imaginary screams erupted in Kayla's dark mind. Dark circles lounged under her brown eyes as her backstory was written across her body like a book. Her wrists scarred and her lips chapped from too many chewing sessions and bruised knuckles from late-night brawls with her bedroom wall.

"This place is a dump, do I really need to stay here?" Kayla's nose scrunched up as she caught sight of several dead mice and birds littering the uncut grass inside the gate.

"Maybe if you knew how to control your emotions better, you wouldn't need too," Kayla's mother, Jemima, stated — her withered figure folding up like a deck chair. Her arms crossed across her deep stomach as she slowly pulled her cardigan further across her front. Her short blonde hair blew in the breeze as she joined her daughter in looking up and down the house. Her scarlet eyes stood out on her face like blood on paper as they scanned the ancient building. Crows circled the sky above like vultures circling an animals corpse.

"Could this get any more cliché?" Kayla thought aloud, rolling her eyes over to her broken mother. The woman refused to look at her daughter in fear the past would flash through her eyes again. The things the Matthews family saw that night were unspeakably horrific and could cause anybody, especially a parent, to go insane.

"So, are we going inside or are we staying outside, that tree over there looks perfect to sleep in," Kayla stated bluntly, readjusting the box in her hands.

"Don't get smart with me, remember why you're here," Jemima reminded her daughter sternly, approaching her and pushing her towards the gates.

Talking came from around the back of the house but Kayla was too shy to try and find the source, so instead, she followed her mother towards the house.

Jemima placed her boney finger to the bell and released it, setting off an alarm, warning the housekeepers of guests. Not a moment later did the door swing open, revealing a tall boy, blonde and extremely dashing.

"Can I help you?" He asked rudely, pulling the door closer to his side, almost as if he was hiding something. Kayla moved her plump lips to speak but her mother beat her to it.

"Yes actually, we're here to see Miss Volstak, I'm Jemima Matthews and this is my daughter Kayla," Jemima spat, catching the attention of Kayla and the mysterious boy. His eyes drifted from Jemima and onto Kayla, moving from her face to her body and back onto her face again.

"Yeah, I'll go get her. Come in," He gestured, pushing the door back and away from him as he wandered further into the creaky house.

"Mortica!" The boy screeched up the stairs, alerting the mistress of the house.

And then the floorboards began to groan from above the trio. The groaning led to the top of the stairwell and descended. Kayla groped her jacket in anticipation as the climax rose. Kayla and Jemima shared a tense glare as they both fidgeted in their own way. Then, when the relatives turned back, on the stairs stood a tall woman with a high, raven ponytail. Her suit blazer and grey skirt complimented her white shirt and black shoes. A foul smirk painted the woman's lips like lipstick and hunger lurked in her greedy eyes. Kayla had always stayed away from people like Mortica Volstak, but now that the teen would be living with her, things would be a little tense. It was people like Mortica Volstak that had daughters like Krista Adams.

"Welcome," The woman smirked in starvation. Her eyes drove straight through Kayla in humour as she waved Jemima over to her office. "Would you like to come with me, it's Jemima right?" And the women were cut off by the office door slamming.

"Welcome to your first day in Hell," The boy scoffed, exiting the room swiftly. Kayla stood in awe in what had just happened and how overly dramatic the moment was.

"Hey, no, wait, who are you?" Kayla chased the boy in a delay.

"What's it to you?" He continued to march away, the poor teen on his tail.

"Well, I thought that, if, well, we're gonna be living together, we might as well get to know each other you know?" Kayla stumbled on her words and her feet patted against the dusty floor, eager to learn about the mystery boy.

He turned around in a storm and smiled at the girl.

"No."

And then the door slammed inches from Kayla's small nose. She breathed heavily as she backed away in astonishment at the boy's rudeness. Kayla had never been treated with so much disrespect by anybody before. Kayla debated on whether to have a tour of the house, but decided against the thought, finding it quite rude considering she technically wasn't living there yet.

She returned to the main hall in a hurry, unaware of her mother's absence. When the girl arrived, Mortica was stood around, almost like she was awaiting Kayla's return from her small adventure, except she didn't look too happy. "I really don't know what you think you were doing wandering around my house without permission, most probably snooping at things you shouldn't be, but now that you're under my roof, you'll be doing as I say. Am I clear?" Mortica slowly approached the girl, arms folded across her flat stomach in fury.

"Wait, what? What about my mum? Where is she—?" Kayla ran her long fingers through her beautiful locks in distress.

"She's gone," Mortica informed her.

"Without even saying goodbye?" Kayla's voice broke under the pressure of knowing what was going through her sick mother's head. She knew exactly why she didn't say goodbye.

"Now that has been taken care of, why don't you follow me to your room? After that, you can take Jin and Seon with you to the kitchen where you'll start on your chores. There are many rules in this house but there are only a few you should really be sure to keep in mind. No romantic rendezvous with any boys within or outside of this household. Do not disrespect me or the boys, just because you are all in the same boat, doesn't mean they haven't been here longer than you and earned my trust. No stealing," Mortica span around on her heel and smiled a shit-eating grin, "Any questions?"
Kayla looked around the corridor, dull photos of sad children hung on the ripped wallpaper and stains drowned in the filthy carpet.

"Yeah, who are they?" Kayla's finger jeered in the direction of the photos of children. Mortica turned rapidly, hoping that Kayla hadn't uncovered any of her filthy secrets. Mortica's eyes expanded in horror as she immediately began to stutter as she tried to make up a lie. "They were, um, my, uh, passed children."

"Past or passed?"

"PAST, definitely past!" Mortica practically shrieked, turning away and continuing down the corridor. Kayla stood dazed for a moment before also following her.

In a tornado, Mortica spun and forced her hands into Kayla's shoulders, forcing her to crash into a door and fall through into a tiny room with a double mattress as the flooring. Kayla's fall was cushioned by the mattress, that expanded right across the floor of the room. Two pillows lay messily accompanied by a duvet, also messy. The bed looked as if somebody had just gotten up in the morning and never got back into bed, or at least, never got round to making the bed.

Kayla sat up and groaned to herself, holding her dizzy head in her hands. "Jin! Seon!" She shouted, getting up and walking down the corridor.