Stella James was your stereotypical girl-next-door. She was an only child, raised by strict parents in the painfully small town of Hawkins, Indiana. She was born in Georgia but her family moved to Hawkins before she was 2-years old. It was the only place that she called home. She was known for being the smart, respectable, church-going young girl that parents in Hawkins could always count on to happily babysit their youngsters. But there was more to her than the good-girl persona that she displayed so proudly.
With her junior year at Hawkins High School behind her, Stella was eager to celebrate and have a little fun. She combed her long brown hair into a high pony-tail before giving her outfit one last look of approval and dashing down the stairs, bolting out the front door. "Bye mom!" She hollered before closing the door behind her, heading in the direction of Steve Harrington's house for the day. Thankfully, he was only two doors down from her as the sun beat down on her exposed skin. She walked to the back of Steve's house, where all you could hear were the sounds of her best friends, enjoying the cool water on this blistering day. After making her rounds and saying hello to everyone, she found a chair that was located by the pool before shimmying out of shorts until she only remained in her bright red bikini and laying out with her girls. Summer was in full swing but the feeling of trouble was in the air. It was her favorite time of the year. The topic of conversation between the three girls laying out seemed to change every 20 minutes as they switched positions, rotating from their backs to their stomachs before landing of the topic of Steve and Nancy. "I don't like her," said Tina without elaborating further. Stella couldn't help but laugh as she changed position to her back, fixing the wayfarer sunglasses on her face. She wasn't catty like her girlfriends but it was one of the things she loved about them. It was always entertaining. "I dunno. She seems sweet. I think she'd be good for Harrington." As soon as she spoke, the audible scoffs made her laugh yet again. It was very clear that her opinion was the most unpopular one. Before she could give her case, Ashley quickly interrupted. "Fuck Steve and Nancy. Can we talk about Billy 'sex on legs' Hargrove?" Tina was instantly intrigued, sitting up and touching Stella's shoulder, practically squealing as soon as the name was mentioned. Stella, however, was confused as she was nor familiar with the name or the apparent hysteria that followed it. "I'm sorry. Who?" Her brows were raised and her curiosity peaked as both of the other females seemed to have lost their minds. "Only the biggest asshole there is." Steve's voice took the girls completely off guard, causing her to jump before he took a sip of the beer in his hand. His tone dripped of disgust, which matched the expression on his face. Whoever this guy was, it was clear that he was an enemy. "Easy there on the testerone, Harrington." She gave him a playful push, wanting to hear all about his dislike for this stranger before one of the guys yelled out to announce that they were out of ice. "Of fucking course," Steve said, sighing before watching her rise to her feet, stepping back into her denim shorts and pulling them onto her hips without buttoning them. "You, sir, need to chill out. Give me your keys and I'll go get ice," she announced, following the brunette boy into the house, gently massaging his shoulders. "I don't know who Will, Bill, whoever the hell that is but don't let him ruin our summer." He gave her a half-ass smile, tossing her the keys as she cheerfully skipped out the front door.
While on the way to the closest convenient store in town, she blared every song that came on the radio, singing along to every word with the windows down. This is the reason why she volunteered to make the run on her own; she needed a break from the mindless girl talk and enjoy the fresh air without any interruption. She whipped into the lot of the Quick Way, not wasting any time putting the car in park and hopping out to head inside. Meanwhile, Billy was packing his newly purchased pack of cigarettes, leaning against his car when his attention was stolen by a pair of the longest legs that he had ever seen, which happened to lead into pair of skimpy denim shorts. He didn't know if it was that, the wind blown hair or the fact that she had nothing else on but a bikini top and flip flops, he was hooked. Line and sinker. He took a cigarette from the pack, placing one in between his lips before lighting the end and taking the first drag, his blue eyes glued to the door. After a few minutes, the angel reappeared from inside as she walked to the cooler, removing the hatch and reaching inside for a bag of ice. Taking one last drag, he quickly put out the butt with his foot before exhaling as he ran over to her. She savored the feeling of the cool air against her skin, grateful for the temporary relief from the warmth. "Let me get that for you," spoke a deep voice that Stella did not recognize. She was used to men fawning over her but when she turned to see the beautiful man to her side, her body instantly relaxed. His scent filled her senses as he leaned in, she studied his large hands, watching him grab a bag of ice before asking, "how many?" He stole her breath away with the cheeky grin plastered on his face. "Just two," she beamed, returning his grin with a bright smile as she turned on her heels, guiding him to the car. Fuck, even if voice is perfect, he thought to himself. She popped the trunk and watched him place both bags of ice into the space with ease. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him. She was captivated by his broad shoulders, muscular arms and thick thighs that were on full display thanks to the tight jeans that hugged his body in the most sinful way. The sound of the trunk slamming brought her back to reality. She extended her hand to him before announcing herself. "I'm Stella. To whom do I owe the pleasure?" He took her feeble hand into his own, giving her a gentle squeeze as he studied the features on her flawless face. He especially loved the freckles that danced across her nose and her dimples that appeared with every smile. "Billy Hargrove." As soon as he announced himself, she had to stop herself from saying the word 'fuck' aloud. Now the reaction from the girls back at Steve's place made perfect sense. He fucking is sex on legs. His voice once again caught her attention. "My family just moved here a few weeks ago. Where the hell have you been this entire time?" He couldn't help but take in the sight before him as she propped herself onto her elbows, leaning against the hood. His eyes fell down her body, drinking in her prominent collarbones, perfect cleavage and those goddamn legs. She shrugged innocently, watching his eyes dance across her body. "What can I say? My parents like to keep me hidden from our new neighbors, I guess." Her laugh was music to his ears. He bit his lip, taking one last look before biting his bottom lip, leaning in real close. "Well, kitten. I can't say that I blame them." Stella pushed herself off of Steve's car, allowing her shoulder to brush against his gently as she made her way to the driver's seat, swaying her hips just slightly more than usual. "I may have to make an exception for you though." She spoke softly, opening the door and slowly climbing into the driver's seat, his eyes never leaving her body. "I'll catch you again, Billy." He watched as she turned the engine, putting the car into reverse and just like that, she was gone. The way that his name fell from her lips echoed in his mind as he sauntered over to his car, desperately reaching for another cigarette after their brief encounter.
"Fuck," she breathed, feeling her heart race against her chest as she smiled from one ear to the other. She shifted in her seat, trying to feel a little friction as she replayed their run-in over in her head. He was beautiful but she could tell that he was dangerous. A combination that was always Stella's favorite. She couldn't wait to see how wild the blonde really was. Once at Steve's, she rushed inside and through the kitchen, tossing the keys on top of the counter as she made her way to the back of the house, towards her group of girlfriends. "Stell!" She heard Steve call. Without turning back, she hollered back, "Ice is in the trunk! Keys are on the counter!" Finally, she made it to her friends and took a seat. "Alright. Tell me everything that you know about that Hargrove kid."