Even Stranger Things

"Harrington! Hey, Harrington! God damn," Billy lunged forward to grab Harrington's arm, "just fucking stop for one second."

Billy had fucking waited all day, all through classes and through practice. Billy waited for everyone else to leave and banked on Harrington fucking with his hair after practice. Then the dude took for fucking ever and Billy had shit to do.

Harrington spun around and Billy didn't blame him for the tight muscles and the click of his jaw when he set it. Any other time and Billy would be fine using Harrington as a way to scratch his itch for a fight. But Billy had a hot date and that hot date was not going to fucking happen if he started shit with Harrington.

Which was why Billy had waited all day to say what he planned on saying.

"What?" Harrington asked sharply when it took Billy a minute to gather himself. God, only fucking Sirianna could make him do some dumb shit…

"That shit with your locker? It wasn't me," Billy said. He had seen it, the marker across the locker, but it was stupid and childish - Billy would have called him a cock sucker to his face. Sirianna had glared at Billy as if he had already broken his word when she saw it.

Billy did not break his fucking word, it was all he had most days. If Billy gave his word, he kept it. It was why he never gave it.

Until Sirianna pulled some wicked witch bullshit and manipulated him into giving it. If she wasn't so fucking gorgeous when she was riled up, Billy might not have. He almost didn't, he told her he wouldn't change and he meant it, but to walk away from her? Nah. That'd be choosing picking on Harrington over Sirianna and Billy might be a dumbass, but he wasn't stupid.

Harrington didn't make it easy when he yanked his arm out of Billy's grip and scoffed at him.

"Siri isn't here for you to impress," he said - sneered it, really. Billy's calm mask he worked so hard on wearing twitched in irritation.

"Don't call her that," Billy said, the only warning he'd give. Billy wouldn't say shit about Harrington daydreaming about dudes, whatever, but Sirianna didn't like people who weren't her brother to call her Siri. So Billy could and would chip a fucking tooth over that without breaking his word.

"Whatever. Just leave me alone, alright? I don't like you, you don't like me, we can go our separate ways," Harrington said, taking the speech right out of Billy's mouth.

"Works for me, amigo," Billy said, mocking Harrington some. Harrington was failing Spanish hard, he was complete crap at it. Billy wasn't bad, he heard it enough back home that it was one of his easier classes.

Harrington huffed quietly, acknowledging the insult Billy didn't even have to say, and Billy grinned. And, with his word kept and something of a truce called, Billy pulled a cigarette from his pocket and sauntered outside to wait on his girl to get done with her own practice.

Billy really hoped she practiced in the tight white little outfits the cheer team wore at pep rallies. God, that would make his whole fucking day.

Course, if he could see her in even less… but Billy wasn't stupid. Sirianna wasn't going to be like any one of the many skanks at Hawkins. She wasn't going to fall down with her legs wide open.

It didn't hurt anything to think about that being a real possibility for his night though.

Billy's practice had ended right at five, the cheer team didn't end up leaving until damn near six. That didn't give Billy a lot of time, he'd have to pick Max up and have them both home by eight. Depending on Neil's mood, Billy might be able to leave again after dinner.

If Neil was in a shitty mood, he might drink enough that he would never hear Billy climb out his window. If Neil was in a fucking great mood - a rarity, but not unheard of - he would give Billy permission to go out.

It was fucking annoying, planning his night around his dad, but Billy had enough practice at it. And it was worth it anyway, especially when Sirianna finally walked out of the school and Billy got to see a whole lot of leg.

Not a whole lot, she was short as fuck, but with her shorts on and her shirt tied up at the waist, it was a lot more skin than he had seen before. Billy whistled at her, made sure it was real loud so she saw him. There was a thing she did, when she saw Billy, where it was like she lit up and became ten times brighter.

It was cute, made Billy crazy. Like she was so excited to see him. Even with her knowing more of his bullshit than he wanted her to, she still got all excited to see him. Well, she had been, but when she got closer and Billy got a good look at her face - all the makeup washed off from a shower and her hair laying down her back - she didn't have that spark in her eyes.

"I didn't do it," Billy said right off the bat. "I told Harrington I didn't do it."

"Do what? Oh, his locker?" Sirianna flipped her hair back, God, it was fucking long. "I know. I assume if you were going to call him a hateful name, you would have said it out loud."

It was nice sometimes, having someone around who knew Billy well enough to know what was and wasn't his style.

Billy half-heartedly reached a hand out to Sirianna, to see if she'd take it or not, and she did so he pulled her up close against his chest.

"What's got you in a mood then?" he asked. He didn't care if there were chicks giggling when they walked past, Billy still tilted his head down and kissed the side of her neck. She smelled fucking amazing and Billy liked the really quiet sound she made when he kissed her.

"Nothing," she said, giggling when Billy must have found a spot she was ticklish at. "It's silly. Harry's waiting though, he can't leave until I'm back so El isn't alone."

Billy pulled away slowly, trying to make that make sense.

El. The magic not-sister with the shaved head. The one that lived with Sirianna. Who Sirianna was apparently supposed to babysit when Billy had a lot of different plans for the night.

"How old is El?" Billy asked.

"No idea."

Right, yeah, okay.

"You think she likes video games?" Billy asked. He kissed Sirianna impulsively when she gave him a look of ‘if I don't know her age, what do you think?'

"Guess we'll find out," Billy said. "Hop in, kitten. Let's get you the night off."

Because Max owed Billy, fifty freaking times over. How many times did Billy get his ass kicked because she wanted five more minutes with her group of geeks? Billy drove her ass around the entire town every day, the least she could do was babysit a brat for two hours.

Billy waited outside while Sirianna went to coax the kid into a couple of hours at the arcade. It was only a minute after Sirianna went inside that Harry walked outside and looked around. Billy raised an eyebrow at the black jeans, black sweater combo he was rocking.

"All you're missing is a ski mask," Billy called to him, a joke that clearly didn't land.

"Oh. Hello." Harry walked down the porch stairs and there was something different about him, something Billy couldn't put his finger on at first.

Then Harry got closer and Billy realized what it was.

"Jesus, are you trying to fucking smile?" Billy asked. It looked fucking painful, like a grimace twisted up into something almost morbid.

"Is it not working?" Harry asked, speaking with his mouth still all fucked up.

"No." Billy didn't laugh, because it was Sirianna's weird ass brother. He did take a deep breath before smiling, showing Harry what a normal smile looked like. Harry squinted his eyes at him and Billy held the smile while Harry slowly fixed his fucking face.

"Like this?" Harry was smiling, almost normally, and it almost looked like Sirianna's smile. Except hers was blinding and Harry's still looked sort of painful.

"Yeah, champ, you got it," Billy said. He leaned back on the Camaro and looked Harry over slowly while Harry kept dropping the smile then trying it again and again.

"You've got a date," Billy said the second it clicked. He didn't even wonder what baby bird would be up to when Sirianna said he was leaving, but maybe Harry thought all black was date attire or something. He was definitely going on a date.

With who?!

"Er… no. No, I don't," Harry said, but he was stuttering and his face was red as fuck. "It's not - that."

"Oh, it totally is." Billy chuckled and got comfortable, he could help Harry out until Sirianna got the kid ready to go. "Alright, where you going?"

"Er…"

"Don't know?" Billy guessed. Yeah, Harry wasn't the kind of person to plan something. "Chick or dude? Dude," he nodded to himself. Harry could stick ‘Gay' on his forehead and it still wouldn't be as obvious as it was. "Don't let him take you to the quarry unless you're trying to get smashed in more ways than one."

"Smashed?" Harry frowned and Billy decided he needed a cigarette to explain the concept to him.

"You know…" Billy lit up and waved his cigarette, trying to find a way to break the news. "Get your rocks off? Get laid?"

Harry fucking blinked at him.

"Just stay away from the fucking quarry," Billy told him. "No backseats, nobody's house, stay sober." The kid was innocent as all get out, whoever the fuck he was going out with better not try any shit with him. Harry was like a kid, a weird fucking little gay kid.

Jesus, it was fucking weird to think anyone would even want to date him. Which… actually… maybe they saw the same oblivious innocence that was blinking in Billy's face and thought it would be an easy lay.

"Hey," Billy pointed at Harry, serious as fuck, "if they try any shit at all, if they're not the most fucking respectful person, get your ass out of there. Got it? If you can get to a phone, call here and I'll give you a ride back or whatever."

"Er… got it?" Harry said. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. If he got back and Billy was still there, Billy could get the details. Some sick fuck wasn't going to take advantage of Sirianna's beloved fucking brother on Billy's watch.

Not only would that piss her off, but it would probably piss him off too.

"And go change your shirt," Billy told him. He tried to remember the flashes of clothes that Sirianna had tried to show him when they left the mall on Monday. "You got one of those sweaters in green? Like a dark green? You can't wear black on black, it clashes. It's fine if it's got black print, but it can't be solid black."

Common fucking sense, man.

Harry still looked like he was testing his new smile the entire way in the house and Billy shook his head once he was gone. Jesus Christ, man. The kid wasn't even his brother and it was pissing him off to think about some perv trying to get their rocks off with him.

Thank God that Max was too young for shit like that. It was bad enough she only seemed to hang out with the same group of boys, maybe it would be good to toss another girl in the mix, keep Max from getting any bright ideas while she was still a kid.

Billy looked up when the front door opened and nodded when Harry started to walk out in a new sweater. It was a green one with black lines on it, a hell of a lot better than what he had on. Harry stopped on the porch and turned to look down the road, drawing Billy's eyes in that direction too.

Good, he'd like to — son of a bitch.

It was fucking Harrington. Fucking Harrington was driving his ugly ass BMW down the street and - God damnit. Billy gave his fucking word, but there was Harrington, parking on the street across from the house, disrespectful as fuck. Yeah, Billy was in the driveway, but there was room for another car too. Harrington was being a pussy and Billy called out to Harry when he started to head right for his car.

"Hey! You tell him next time he can pull in the driveway like a God damned man," Billy told him. "And I mean what I said, he pulls any shit at all and you fucking get me."

Because Billy gave his word and his word was good. But if Harrington fucked with Harry, there was zero chance that Sirianna didn't okay Billy kicking his ass.

"Right," Harry said. He turned his back to the car and flashed a smile, almost normal, at Billy. Billy shot him a thumbs up and almost regretted giving the kid any advice. Billy certainly wasn't trying to pave the way for fucking Harrington.

Billy made it a point to stare Harrington down after Harry got in the passenger seat and they pulled away. Billy almost flipped him off, but thought Harry might not realize that it wasn't aimed at him.

The second the car turned at the end of the block, the front door opened again and Sirianna bounced out of it with the kid behind her. Sirianna was fucking sparkling she was smiling so brightly. Now that was a smile.

Sirianna bounced right to Billy and he certainly wasn't complaining when she threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down to kiss. It was enthusiastic, Billy absolutely pulled her close and tried to add some finesse to her enthusiasm.

The thing was, Sirianna wasn't a technically ‘good' kisser. She was quick, eager, needed some guidance. But Billy couldn't count on five hands how many people he had kissed before - and hers had something special about them. Which was sappy as fuck and he wouldn't say it even under torture, but maybe it was because Billy knew she hadn't been around the block much, if at all, and clearly wanted to with him.

Just him. Even after getting to know him a little too well.

"You're amazing," Sirianna said, pulling away too soon and looking up at Billy like he hung the fucking sun.

"Yeah, I am," Billy grinned even if he was a little confused. "Tell me what I'm doing right so I can do it again."

Sirianna pointed at the house and Billy wasn't sure what she was pointing at until she spelled it out for him.

"I was listening to you and Harry, it was very sweet in a sort of terrifyingly threatening way."

God damn it. Billy didn't realize the window was fucking open the whole time. He wondered if he was supposed to apologize or something? She said ‘sweet in a terrifyingly threatening way'? That didn't sound great, but she was still directing the not-sister into the backseat of the Camaro after Billy absently opened the passenger door for them.

"Am I supposed to say sorry or something?" Billy asked. He stopped on his side of the car and raised a brow at Sirianna across the top.

"Say sorry?" Sirianna's smile that had been so sunny and pretty turned into her own little smirk of amusement. "I didn't say terrifyingly threatening was a bad thing, Billy."

In reverse of Sirianna, Billy's smirk slipped into a smile and he had to shake his head again before he got in his car. She was something else.

The arcade wasn't exactly booming when Billy pulled in the lot and he wasn't surprised to see Max outside with most of her geek squad. There was Curly, the black kid, and - Wheeler's little brother was the only one missing.

It wasn't a shock or anything, the Byers kid had seemed closest to Wheeler when Billy had seen them before Byers bit it.

Or maybe he didn't, according to Sirianna who said she would ‘catch Billy up' when they had time to talk.

Either way, Billy might understand Wheeler not wanting to play games with his buddy possibly laying in a casket somewhere.

"Billy?" Max started toward Billy then stopped when she saw Sirianna climbing out of the car to let El out. "Do I - is it time to go home? I thought we had until eight?"

"You do. You and El have until eight." Billy pointed at El, planned to introduce her to the geek squad, but Max's eyebrows flew up on her forehead as soon as she saw her.

"El? You're alive?" Max rushed to the girl and threw her arms around her, acting like they were long lost buddies when Billy knew for a fucking fact that Max had never hung out with her before. Billy knew all of Max's friends, made it a habit to. Weird magic girl with no words and a shaved head? Wasn't one of them.

Billy could ask Max about it later though, he had other places he would rather be.

"Seven forty-five, Max," Billy told her, changing the time just enough so he could drop El back with Sirianna before hauling ass home.

"But you just said eight!" Max cried.

"And now I'm saying seven forty-five," Billy snapped. "Don't be late. And don't lose El."

"El, you're okay here for a while?" Sirianna asked, hovering by the passenger door.

"Good," El said in her weird monotone voice. It creeped Billy out, honestly.

"Great!" Billy patted the top of his car and flashed Sirianna a grin. "Let's go!"

Sirianna was hesitating, Billy could see it.

"Hey, Max and her geeks hang out here all the time," Billy told her. "She'll be fine. Hell, shouldn't she be hanging out with kids her age? It'll be good for her."

"Yeah, okay." Sirianna finally returned Billy's grin and he clocked the nerves in it, the slight edge it gained. "Let's go."

Billy shook it off, figured Sirianna had gotten attached to the not-sister the same way she did her brother and had a hard time letting either of them out of her sight. She could relax for a couple of hours, see that nothing horrible happened - God help anyone who fucked with that plan - and it would be fine.

Sirianna seemed to loosen up as soon as Billy kicked the radio on and they took the long way back to her place. Billy looked over at her, watched her laugh while she tried to keep her hair from flying around, and… fuck.

It was her laughter and the radio and the stupid amount of effort Billy put into trying to spend the evening with her. It made him feel dumb, in a good way. Just sixteen and cruising with his girl in the car, Judas Priest on the radio, blue skies in front of them.

Billy wasn't in any big rush, he knew Sirianna wanted to tell him about something that happened Tuesday night at Byers' place, but they had time to kill. They wound up finding some backroads to fly down and Sirianna wasn't a bitch, she nearly had her head out the window to feel the wind as Billy drove as fast as he could without hurting the Camaro or Sirianna.

"I used to play quidditch!" Sirianna yelled to him when Billy eventually turned the car back toward the town.

"Yeah?" Billy laughed because it was just a day where he kind of felt like laughing. "The fuck is that?"

Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

If Billy thought Sirianna lit up when she saw him, it wasn't anything compared to how excited she got to talk about ‘quidditch' which was like soccer played in the air. On broomsticks. Which witches ‘and wizards' apparently really rode.

Sirianna clearly missed it though, like Billy did surfing. It made Billy think of a trip they could take to Cali - nothing but the sun and the waves, Billy in the ocean and Sirianna in the skies.

"Why don't you go back?" Billy pulled his car in the driveway at Sirianna's place and asked her what he had been thinking since she mentioned the school she used to live at. She sounded like she liked it, Billy couldn't imagine why she would choose to stay in Hawkins if she could get back to a place where she had been happy.

"I think… it wouldn't be safe." Sirianna twisted her fingers up in her lap with a small shrug. "We were taken, by wizards, and even if nobody at Hogwarts knew about it, what's to stop the White Coats from finding us there?"

Billy leaned his seat back, made himself comfortable, then looked over at Sirianna with a deadpan expression.

"Who took you from where and who the fuck are white coats?" he asked. He knew about magic, and he knew about quidditch, and he knew Sirianna was from England - and somehow that was it. Sirianna knew more about Billy than anyone else in Hawkins, and he realized that he barely knew shit about her.

"It's… something of a long story," she said.

Billy flipped the car on so the radio was lit up with the time and he could turn the music down to just play in the background. It wasn't like he had actually planned on getting laid, and there was always later to see how far she was ready to go.

"We've got time." Billy pulled his pack of cigarettes out and lit one for her before taking one for himself. He bent one arm beneath his head and stared up at the car ceiling while he waited. Billy could be patient, when he had to be.

It didn't take long, Sirianna was the most talkative fucking person he knew.

"So… so I guess it started when we finished our first year at Hogwarts, the school for magic…"

Billy should have guessed it, but it wasn't exactly a great story. A batshit insane one, sure, but not great.

Sirianna burned through their time while she told him about being fucking kidnapped, held hostage by some magical branch of government in a cell where she was tortured. She didn't say ‘tortured' but Billy could read between the lines on his own.

"We were supposed to die, both of us… and instead…" Sirianna shook her head as she stared out the windshield. "We escaped. Harry got us out of there, then I think I apparated us - that's where you sort of travel from place to place - to New York? We caught a bus and Harry said he had a good feeling about Hawkins, so we came here."

Billy snorted quietly about anyone having a ‘good feeling' about Hawkins. That was the only funny part of the whole damn story though. The rest of it had Billy's heart pounding in his chest while he thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

What kind of sick shit was that? Fucking kidnap and government authorized experiments on kids? They didn't commit a fucking crime, they were playing God damned hopscotch, they had no reason to be locked in a cell for years.

"And now they have Will." Sirianna sighed and Billy could tell she hated it - hated that some kid was in the shoes she just escaped from. "But… that's it. That's the whole story, really."

"Some story," Billy said. He checked the time, it was nearly a quarter til.

"Are you… okay?"

Billy looked over at Sirianna and saw that she was completely serious. She was looking at Billy like he was the one who just talked about being forced in a cell and experimented on for kicks. Like Billy was the one who was supposed to fucking die at fifteen.

She was looking at Billy like he was going to tell her to get out, that her shit was too much, he didn't care, fuck off. Billy knew that look, he owned that fucking look.

"Me? I'm good." Billy turned the car all the way on, figured it was about time to go get the brats. The second he was on the road in drive, he reached over and took Sirianna's hand in his.

Sirianna wasn't in a cell anymore, she wasn't being fucking tortured. Her shit wasn't too much, it wasn't going to scare Billy away. So, yeah, he was good.

"I think I've sort of ruined our… um…" Sirianna trailed off and Billy couldn't help but to grin.

"Date," he told her. He winked at her, liked it when she blushed. "It was a date. Not a great one, but we've got time to improve, babe."

Billy could see it, scarily enough. Billy could see earning some cash, picking Sirianna up in his car. She wouldn't want to do something boring like every other loser in town, she'd want to go cruising together, singing along to the radio. Sirianna couldn't sing for shit, but Billy wasn't exactly James Hetfield himself. Maybe he'd toss some food and drinks in the Camaro, a blanket too, and they could find a place to just lay on the ground and watch the stars.

It was pathetic too because Billy couldn't even see himself getting laid, but he knew he'd have a good time anyway.

Sirianna's thumb tapped on Billy's hand while he easily drove through town, trying to not think too much about little Sirianna and Harry locked up like dogs. It wasn't until Billy was about to pull in the arcade that he remembered the night didn't have to be over already.

"Hey, I might be able to come back over after dinner," Billy said, casually, like it didn't matter if Sirianna didn't want him back around. "When's the Chief get home?"

"Um… I'm not sure, late, probably?" Sirianna kept tapping her thumb even when she gave him a fake smile. "You should come back over, if you can. If you won't get in trouble."

Billy tried to figure out what had her worked up under the fake ass smile. If she didn't want to hang out, she could say so.

"I don't have to," he said. "I just thought you might not want to sit in your house all alone while baby bird's off on his own date."

Sirianna said sure, but Billy couldn't figure out why it almost sounded like a no. Did she think Billy was going to pity her? Start handing her tissues for her sad as fuck story? Maybe she just thought she didn't want to see him anymore, like Billy had when she saw him fucking crying. Well, too bad. Sirianna wouldn't scram when he told her to, Billy wasn't interested in scramming either.

The girls were shockingly waiting outside when Billy pulled up. He opened his door so Sirianna didn't have to get out and Max was talking her head off to El the whole drive back to Sirianna's place.

"So next time I'll totally teach you to play Frogger. Ignore what Dustin says, it's totally a kick ass game. Oh! And I'll bring some magazines? They're dumb, but you'll like some of the pictures in one of them. I guess I'll see if Mike will come too, he's bummed about Will, but he'll be happy to know he's not really dead."

"Not dead?" Billy looked at Sirianna since Max wasn't exactly being quiet. The school had made a whole announcement the day before, talked about a vigil to be held while they waited for services. Byers wasn't at school the last two days, Billy figured the kid was dead. Sirianna said he was taken, Billy assumed he was dead.

"Not dead," Sirianna said. She turned in her seat to stare at her not-sister hard. "But maybe we should keep that to ourselves for now, El."

"So you didn't tell Billy?" Max asked her, taking the wrong fucking tone in Billy's opinion.

"I trust Billy," Sirianna said - like it was nothing at all. She trusted him, so what? That was the way she said it.

"Trust Max," El said.

Billy didn't think about it, but there were four chicks in his car and he was so not listening to a cat fight over who got to know what secrets.

"What if anyone sitting in the backseat," Billy looked up at the rearview mirror so Max knew exactly who he was speaking to, "shuts the fuck up?"

It worked just fine. Max crossed her arms with a little huffy sound and Sirianna still had her hand in Billy's. It was El who had one more whispered comment to make —

"Shuts the fuck up," she whispered, almost quiet enough for Billy to not hear.

"Oh, good." Sirianna thumped her head back on the headrest of her seat. "Chief Hopper's going to love that."

Wellll, Billy never expected to be a big hit with the Chief of Police.

Billy walked Sirianna up to her door, taking a second to get away from Max, who crawled up in the passenger seat the second Sirianna got out of the car.

"If I can't make it back tonight, I'll still pick you up in the morning," Billy told her. "And if the Chief's car is in the drive, it might not be a great idea for me to stop back by."

The point was, Billy would be back. If not after dinner, then in the morning for sure.

"Be careful," Sirianna said. She leaned up and Billy put his hand on the side of her face- she was so soft for someone who had been through hell. She didn't feel fragile, just… soft.

"Sure thing, kitten." Billy kissed her slow, took as much time as he dared with it. That returned some of the sparkle to her eyes, told him that she didn't want him to fuck off forever.

So she unloaded her shit on him, Billy did some of his on her. She was kind of screwed up, Billy was kind of screwed up. Maybe it wasn't witchcraft or whatever, maybe it was just something good. Good for them both.

"You're smiling," Max said. She had been fucking gawking at Billy since the second he got back in the Camaro.

"No, I'm not," Billy said, fixing his face so he didn't look like an idiot. "Shut it, Max."

"You like her, you actually really like her!" Max laughed, all giggly like little girls did. "You have a real girlfriend! El said she's awesome, well, she didn't say that, but you could tell that's what she meant. So that's good! Plus you can just tell she likes you too, which - ew - but okay."

"Maxiiiiine, I'm going to break your fucking wrist if you don't shut up," Billy sang threateningly, trying to not fucking smile. Course even Max could tell Sirianna liked him, it was obvious. She liked Billy.

It was crazy, but it wasn't the craziest shit Billy heard that day.

"Oh! You know what you should do?" Max clearly wasn't going to shut up and Billy sighed loudly so she knew she was annoying him. "Take her flowers. She seems like she's the kind of girl to like flowers. Maybe roses? Those are like romantic, right? Here! I've got a bunch of quarters leftover that Mom gave me, you can have them!"

Billy looked over and watched Max empty her hoodie pocket of probably twenty quarters into the cup holder of his car. That was probably her entire arcade allowance for the rest of the month. The arcade was Max's favorite place to go, always had been even back in Cali. Her mom, Susan, gave her a few rolls of quarters on the first of the month and Max rationed them out like a nerd to make sure they lasted all month.

"You can't play your games without quarters, they don't run off charity," Billy told her.

"Yeah, well… I know your dad took your cash, so you can use these to buy your giiiirlfriend flowers." Max waved her hand, like it didn't matter at all. "I don't mind watching my friends play, they could use some pointers anyway."

God damn it. Billy hated the fucking corner Neil had him backed into. Yeah, it would be cool to take Sirianna flowers, something he could add a line to to make her smile, but the only place Max was allowed to really go was the arcade, and there wasn't any fun in standing around watching other kids play games.

"Keep your quarters, shitbird," Billy said without any real heat. He was just tired, tired of being in a corner with only a twelve year old kid to ask him if he was okay, did he need money, or to act excited for him to have a girlfriend.

"If I want to get her flowers, I can find some field and pick some," Billy told Max when she insisted he took them. "I'll wait, figure out what her favorite color is or something."

"Oh, it's red," Max said with more confidence than she should have.

"How the fuck do you figure that?"

"Um… she had a new backpack? And shoes? And they were both red? Girls do that, buy stuff in their favorite color?"

Billy looked over at Max, glanced down at her blue sneakers and thought of her blue backpack. Max's room was blue too, so was the underside of her skateboard.

"Huh." Maybe she was onto something there. Billy didn't pay attention to stuff like that, but he had a habit of buying light blue stuff, so it made sense. "Alright, so she likes red."

Sirianna liked red, and Max and Billy had sort of the same favorite color. Not that any of it mattered, Billy just never considered it before.

They made it back home two minutes before eight and Billy was shocked to find that Neil seemed to be in a good mood. Susan was all happy about it, smiling and laughing while she served pot roast to everyone. Billy waited until he was sure he wouldn't get his ass chewed and quietly cleared his throat.

"Dad, I wanted to ask if I could go out tonight," he asked, all polite and respectful. He even tacked on, "Please."

"A date or party?" Neil asked.

"Date, sir."

"Girl at your school?"

"Yes, sir."

"What's her name?"

Damn, Billy really hoped that wasn't going to be a question. It didn't matter, probably, but Billy felt sick talking about Sirianna with Neil.

"Susan Hopper, it's Police Chief Hopper's niece that he adopted."

Billy looked away from his dad to where Max sat across the table from him and lied with a perfectly straight face.

"Susan! That's a wonderful name!" Susan said, smiling stupidly while Max calmly met Billy's gaze. "Like father, like son, I suppose."

Great, Billy was going to actually be sick. Max lied to Neil and if he found out, Billy was in for it and Susan - Susan was a brainless idiot.

Neil bought into it though, he actually laughed with Susan about Billy dating a chick named Susan. Maybe, if Susan didn't crack a joke about it, Billy could swear that Neil misheard Max if it came up later. As it was, he was fucked.

"You'll be home no later than midnight?" Neil asked him. "You still have to drive yourself and your sister to school tomorrow."

"Yes, sir, I will," Billy swore. Like he'd risk being late to school with Max.

"And you'll need to be quiet when you get back, don't wake everyone up and make me regret this, William."

"Yes, sir." Again, like he dared.

"Alright then, sounds fine to me. No reason a young man shouldn't be out with proper young ladies, hm?" Neil nodded and settled in to finish his meal while Billy made it look like he still had any appetite left at all.

"That's the problem with most of these parents these days, they can't trust their children because they didn't raise them right…"

The hardest part was Billy keeping his mouth shut while Neil went on one of his tangents about everything wrong with the world. In his opinion, it was shitty parents who didn't teach respect, then the blacks, then queers. They were ruining America, ruining the world.

Billy was more concerned about piece of shit kidnapping wizards, but he wasn't going to share that with dear old dad.

Billy raced through washing the dishes that Max brought him from the table as soon as everyone finished eating. The sooner he was done, the sooner he could get out of there.

"Nice going in there, Max," Billy muttered when Max started rinsing the dishes for him. "What am I supposed to do when Susan Hopper doesn't exist?"

"Uh… tell him… fuck," Max whispered the swear and Billy prayed Neil didn't hear. "I didn't think about that, Billy. I'm sorry. I just… I hate him and she makes you happy, I didn't want him to ruin it."

Billy splashed her, just enough so she knew he was still irritated. It wasn't really Max's fault, not her problem to tiptoe around Neil and his shit.

"Whatever, forget it," Billy said. It was his problem, not hers. "Just keep your mouth shut about her, okay?"

"Okay." Max finished rinsing the dishes and rocked on her feet while she pulled on a lock of her hair. "Can I - can I use your radio while you're gone? I'll be really careful with it, I swear."

Billy wiped down the sink and tossed the rag in the dirty hamper by the laundry room. Everything was done, he looked great, he had hours before he had to be back.

"Yeah, you can," Billy told Max. He pointed at her, made sure she knew he was serious, "Don't break it, Maxine, or I'll find a woodchipper for your skateboard."

"I won't! Thank you!" Max leaned forward in a moment of stupidity and hugged Billy. He didn't shove her away, she was too quick for it. "Have fun!" she cried, running straight for his room and slamming the door shut behind her.

Shit head.

Billy was still shaking his head about Max taking off to use his radio when he climbed in the car and saw that she must have moved her stack of quarters from the cup holder to his seat sometime after dinner. It was crappy, using her arcade money to buy Sirianna flowers, but… clearly she fucking wanted him to.

It wasn't like Billy couldn't pay her back once he got going on some odd jobs around town though. Maybe he'd even add interest and see about getting her some new wheels for her skateboard, they hadn't been replaced in a while.

Fine, whatever. If she was going to insist then Billy would just remember he owed her one.

Billy stopped by a stupid little flower shop downtown and charmed the old lady behind the counter into giving him a bouquet of mixed flowers for four dollars and fifty cents, she even wrapped it with a red ribbon for him. It wasn't a dozen roses or anything sappy, but Billy still felt like a sap when he pulled back up at Sirianna's place.

The Chief wasn't there so Billy gave himself a quick spritz of his cologne before he walked up to the door and knocked. It only took a second before Sirianna threw the door open with an apron tied around her.

"You're back!" She smiled at him and opened the door a little wider for him.

"Told ya I would be," Billy said. He held up the bouquet and winked, "I tried to find something as pretty as you, this was the closest I could get."

"That's…? Oh."

Damn if Max wasn't right, Sirianna looked at the bouquet as if Billy was offering her a diamond.

"Thank you." Sirianna looked at Billy like he was Superman, then she kissed him like - like… like it was Billy's first ever kiss, it had him feeling light and stupid, better than any drink he'd had.

"Do you want to come sit?" Sirianna asked, breathless when she broke away. "I've got to finish cleaning up. Harry's still not home."

"Yeah, alright." Billy let Sirianna pull him to the kitchen like a dog on a leash. He might as well bark, he felt like a bitch anyway.

It was sort of worth it though, because Sirianna looked as thrilled as anyone when she carefully put the bouquet on the dining table and said Harry would make her a vase when he got home.

Because, yeah, that was a thing.

"Are you hungry? I made this chicken thing, it's a casserole? El said it was good, but I think the picture in the cookbook was better than how it turned out. I think I put too much cheese on it. Do you like cheese? Oh and I couldn't find any tomatoes so I used green peppers, I think it was spicy, but —"

Billy didn't mind listening to Sirianna ramble, she liked to talk, no sweat. But she was rambling about a casserole and suddenly wasn't looking at Billy and there was something that had her enough on edge that it put Billy there too.

"Hey, could you shut up and look at me for two seconds?" Billy asked. She didn't, she turned and still didn't meet his eyes. Billy started to stand up, he wasn't going to stick around if she really didn't want him there. Hot and cold wasn't a game he wanted to play, not with her.

"I can go," he said. "If you didn't want me here, you could have just said—"

"I don't know how to have sex!"

What. The. Fuck.

Sirianna looked at him then and she had fucking tears in her eyes like she committed to a crime. And, yeah, that was kind of a stupid thing to say because - what? But also she spent years locked up in a cell, Billy didn't think she had any experience at all.

Billy was pretty sure he had been her first kiss, which kicked ass.

"And that's got something to do with a fucking casserole?" Billy asked, clearly missing something somewhere.

"No, but… but you told Harry… um… that if someone invited him to their house it meant - that they want… you know." Sirianna was bright red and stuttering while she looked ready to bawl. "And that horrible Ashley told me at practice today that you and her had… had sex… but I - I don't know how!"

"Jesus Christ." Billy didn't know if he wanted to laugh or go smash the windows of Ashley Sander's car. He didn't laugh though, because Sirianna probably would have started actually crying if he did that.

Billy sort of moved his arms at his side while he took a step toward her, not really sure what he was offering, but happy enough when she closed the gap between them and wrapped her own arms around him.

"If you think I thought we were screwing tonight then you're fucked in the head," Billy said bluntly. Sirianna's hair was loose and Billy kind of put his hand on the back of her head and felt how soft it was. "I'm not stupid, babe. We can, you know," Billy couldn't even believe he was fucking saying it, "take it slow, or whatever."

Witchcraft. It was fucking witchcraft and Billy would swear on it until the day he died. And if it wasn't Sirianna, Billy never would have said it.

"And Ashley's a jealous bitch," Billy added. "She fucking begged me to take her out again and I wouldn't."

Ashley tried to get clingy, Billy told her to fuck off in those exact words. She'd been easy to charm, easy to fuck, easier to forget.

Sirianna was muffled by Billy's chest, but he was pretty sure she said, "Chrissy said she's got a pizza face."

"So don't listen to jealous bitches with pizza faces," Billy said. "Is your sister asleep?"

"She's watching TV in Chief Hopper's room."

"Great." Billy snatched Sirianna up, grinned at her red face when she yelped as he cradled her in his arms. "Let's go not fuck on your couch then."

"It's not funny!" Sirianna cried while Billy shut the sink off and carried her little ass toward the living room. There was an ashtray on a bookshelf that he snagged when he passed, clearly the Chief didn't mind smoke in his house.

"It's actually funny as hell," Billy argued. He sat on the couch and arranged her on his lap so he could see her face. "It's the stupidest shit anyone's said all day to me. I didn't even bring a condom, Sirianna, I wasn't here to get laid."

"So… so you're not just ‘going through every girl at Hawkins High'?" Sirianna asked, so fucking bashfully that Billy doubted those were her words.

He was going to find a way to ruin Ashley's fucking life for that. What a jealous bitch.

It also put Billy in the uncomfortable position where it felt a lot like Sirianna was asking about his feelings. Which he didn't have. But she had her big green eyes and there was a strand of her hair loose on her forehead that Billy focused on tucking behind her ear while he tried to answer at least enough that she'd shut up about Ashley Sander.

"I mean… God damn, what do you want me to say? I kind of thought we were steady or whatever. You were the one talking about double dates with your friends and you wear my jacket and - and I brought fucking flowers, Sirianna. Do you think I buy those for anyone? Ever?"

Never. Never ever. Billy did not do flowers. Billy didn't do letting chicks take his jacket and pull him around like a bitch. Billy didn't give chicks his word about stupid shit and he didn't do taking it slow. Not for anyone else. If Sirianna told him to fuck off then and there, Billy wouldn't do it again.

Billy felt like his insides were breaking out in a rash he was so uncomfortable while Sirianna started to perk up because she was a sadistic fucking witch.

"So - so I'm like your girlfriend?" she asked.

Was she fucking serious?

Billy's jaw tensed with confusion, irritation, and too much fucking - fucking fondness. It was the type of mix only Sirianna caused, probably the reason why he put himself through it all. He already sounded like an idiot once though, if she didn't get it then that was on her.

Actually she was locked in a cell for years, so maybe Billy really did have to spell shit out clear as could be.

Instead of answering right away, he yanked her closer, his hand sliding to the back of her neck as he crushed his lips against hers. It wasn't gentle, she didn't seem to care about gentleness either. It was messy and heated, he tightened his grip on her hair, didn't pull it though. She dug her fucking nails in his shoulders when Billy flicked his tongue out to give her a hint of what he was trying to do. It took her a second, but she slowly opened her mouth just enough that Billy could show her the only goal he had for the night.

‘I don't know how to have sex', Jesus fucking Christ, man.

Billy's frustration and irritation at having to say so much melted when she scooted as close to him as she could and moved one of her hands to the back of his head to tangle in his curls.

When he finally pulled back, his breathing was rough, and Sirianna looked fucking dazed with her lips slightly swollen and her cheeks the right shade of pink.

"Yeah, babe, I thought that was really clear," he said. "Which means if some dipshit tries to ask you out, you're busy with your boyfriend."

"And if Ashley talks to you, I'll probably hit her," Sirianna breathed.

"Do it anyway," Billy said. Before Sirianna could say anything else though, or before Billy gave her a list of chicks he'd slept with just to see her throwing fists at all of them, he pulled her back to him. Instead of picking up where they left off, Billy kissed her slow, sweet, simple.

Billy was sure he'd fuck it up eventually, he always fucked up a good thing. But she was there and she was fucking perfect with her own fucked up shit - ten times worse than any shit Billy carried around - and she was his.

Yeah, Billy thought that had been really clear already.

They had a good hour to themselves, spent most of it glued to the couch while Billy took his time kissing her, kissing her neck, biting it when she seemed to be into it… he had his hands up and down her back, on her sides, trying to keep them in PG enough places. Not that Sirianna gave a fuck, she fucking popped a button off his shirt when she slid her hands underneath it to fondle him.

When there were a pair of headlights that lit up the living room after ten, Billy about lost it. There was no good time for him to meet the Chief of Police outside of the few interactions they already had - but a real fucking bad time would be when he couldn't even button his shirt up and Sirianna had a fucking hickey on her neck.

"Gotta go." Billy pecked Sirianna on the lips quickly before shoving her off his lap. Best case scenario, the Chief took a swing at him. Worst case, he took him home and told Neil any number of stories that would ruin the rest of Billy's week.

"Billy!" Sirianna hissed at him when Billy headed toward the back of the house, planning to go through the back door and hide out until it was clear to grab his car. "It's Steve and Harry!" she said.

Oh.

Shit.

"Oh. Shit." Billy stopped his quick escape and knew he looked like a dumbass little kid when he walked back in the living room and grinned at Sirianna. "I thought your dad was home."

"He is not my father," Sirianna said, rolling her eyes like the distinction would save Billy's face if they got caught making out on the Chief's sofa. "Honestly, did you think if it was him that he'd storm in here and start screaming?"

Screaming? Nah.

"Can't be too sure with cops," Billy said, breezy as anything. He leaned against the doorway, figured he'd stick around to see that Sirianna's brother made it back alright. "You think they made it to first base tonight?"

"First base?"

Billy didn't get a chance to explain before the door opened slowly and Harry tiptoed inside. Billy started to look him over, didn't make it past his face before he was frowning.

"Why the fuck are you covered in dirt?" Billy strode forward because he was pretty fucking sure Harry was bleeding too and he would kill Harrington.

Then he saw Harrington behind Harry and he looked just as much like shit with dirt all over him, a scrape on his cheek, and a fucking leaf in his hair.

"Harry?" Sirianna was lunging for her brother while Billy easily sidestepped him and grabbed Harrington by his shirt.

"The fuck did you do?" Billy yelled, slamming Harrington against the porch wall. The two of them looked like they got in a fight and Billy was fucking positive that it hadn't been Harry who would have started it.

"Oi! Put him down!" Harry, all twenty fucking pounds of him, tried to shoulder Billy away from Harrington while Sirianna didn't say a word - Billy knew she'd let him beat Harrington's ass if he fucked with her brother. And Billy was going to, he was going to beat the shit out of Harrington, but that was before Harry so helpfully defended his little boyfriend.

"He didn't do anything! We were burying a body!"

Billy dropped Harrington, only in complete and utter shock that he was starting to think only Sirianna and her brother could cause.

Because what… the fuck… did Harry just say to Billy?

"Harry…" Sirianna seemed as shocked as Billy was and she grabbed Harry's hand to make him look at her instead of glaring at Billy with all the force of a newly hatched, and filthy, baby bird. "Bubby, what the fuck did you just say?"

It didn't seem to be Billy's night because Harry fucking repeated himself - "We were burying a body" - at the exact same time as the Chief of Police Cruiser pulled up in the driveway, the headlights washing over all of them on the porch, and blocked Billy's car right where it was.

The cherry on the shit storm sundae that Billy was stuck standing in the middle of was when El walked out on the porch and looked around at them all and —

"The fuck?" fell out of her mouth.

Best case scenario was starting to look like the Chief pulling his gun and putting ten bullets in Billy's chest.