Her room is pink and filled with teddy bears. Billy never pegged such a flirt for having such a childish room. He looks at the teddy bear on the ground. That poor thing experienced such an unholy act.
He focuses on the makeup that's smeared on her luminous pale skin. He sighs. What's her name? Becca? Jennie? Fran?All he called her was 'Babe'. He buckles his jeans back up and walks to the door.
He leaves her room and walks out to his car. He sits there a minute before he starts his car and heads home.
As he drives he can't help but think to himself how he'll be heading to college in the fall. He graduated with A's in gym and shop, B's in reading and social studies, and C's in math and science. He's never been the best in math or science but his dad made him give a shit about keeping those grades up. He needed to get away from Neil.
It's another twenty minutes before he reaches the quarry. He knows it's too late to go home so he pulls into the open area and turns off his car. Billy puts his head down on the steering wheel and groans. Looking back up he takes off his jacket and shirt. Might as well get comfortable. He lets his seat back and takes off his belt.
He looks at the silver necklace he put on his mirror before he went in the girl's house. The moon reflects on it slightly. "Goodnight mama," Billy whispers. He misses the sound of her voice. The way she used to be so calm and the gentle way she said his name.
Lorelei looks at the dark sky over head. Nathan's driving. They've been taking turns on driving the car. When they passed the sign that read Welcome to Hawkins Lorelei switched places with Nathan to let him drive.
"Lore," Nathan says feeling the car jerk. "Something's wrong."
Lorelei looks at him and that's when the car dies. "Shit," Lorelei says sitting up. "Come on. Get out. We gotta push it to the side."
Nathan takes off his seatbelt and gets out after Lorelei. He looks at her as they walk to the back and start pushing the car. It takes a minute but they get the car safely to the side of the road.
"Strip the car. I'll take care of fingerprints. Just get the clothes and money," Lorelei says grabbing a towel, that was in the car when they found it, to start wiping it down.
Nathan grabs the bags from the back. They'd stopped by the Salvation Army when they left Georgia. They grabbed a few articles of clothing, two satchels, and a small fringe purse to keep the money in. Nathan moves away from the car so Lorelei can finish wiping down the car.
"You ready," Lorelei asks as she closes the car door with the rag. Nathan only nods and hands her the purse and the bag with her clothes in it. They start walking again.
Twenty minutes into walking and the sound of a car speeding through the night catches their attention. Lorelei grabs Nathan's arm and pulls him to the shoulder of the road. She sticks her thumb out and notices the car slow down. The headlights shine bright in their eyes. Lorelei's pupils are gone and her eyes are deeper than the ocean. Nathan looks away from the light.
When Lorelei can focus on the car she notices the fact that it's a '70 chevelle ss. The car stops next to the two. A middle aged man with salt and peppered hair looks at them. Well, he focuses on Lorelei in her dress.
"You two okay," the man asks. "I'm no expert but I think you two shouldn't be out this late in the middle of nowhere."
Lorelei puts on a smile, "Our car broke down. We're just heading back from visiting our grandma."
"Do you need a ride," the man says, "I'm heading out but I can turn around."
"If you wouldn't mind," Lorelei says. "Our mom wants us back before twelve though."
Nathan cringes slowly. He can feel his left arm turn cold.
"Leave him alone Kevin! Leave him alone!" The woman yells at the man.
"No son of mine is going to be a queer!" The man's face is red and he pushes the small boy to the ground. Nathan looks in his eyes. "No faeries in this house," his father says as he stomps down on his son's left arm. The woman rushes over to her son and is immediately slung across through room. She's out cold.
Nathan looks up at Lorelei. Nathan is actually taller than her, but with her heels on she's taller. She's staring down at him.
"Get in. I'll have you home by then," the man says reaching over to open the front door. Lorelei nods and grabs Nathan's arm so she can pull him into the car.
When they're settled and the car starts to roll Lorelei bends over to grasp her heel. The man is talking to Nathan, but Lorelei doesn't listen. She takes off her heel and hits him in his adams apple. The man swerves and grabs his neck. Lorelei then elbows him in his jaw and socks him in the nose.
The man doesn't know how to respond as Lorelei punches him one last knocking him out. Lorelei pushes him out of the car and takes control of the car. She turns the car around and speeds back the way the car was leaving.
Billy wakes up to the sunlight in his eyes. He looks at his watch. Nine o' four. He sighs and looks at himself. His back and neck are stiff.
"Shit," he says and opens the car door. His little friend is stiff, not hard, and he has to piss. "Come on," he says as he pulls his friend out of his pants. He releases his bladder and feels himself stiffen a little more at the cold morning air.
He positions himself back into his jeans when he's done. He zips them up and gets back in his car. He looks at his watch again. Only two minute pass. He might as well go and pick up Max. She's going over to someone's house again. Hopefully not to the house where he was drugged and left. Oh boy was he pissed to walk home that night and then get the shit beat out of him again almost.
Max doesn't know about that. Neil always gets him when Max isn't there or around. Susan knows what Neil does. She's always knew. When the affair started she knew, when the divorce went through, when she introduced her own daughter. She knew exactly what could happen. Except Neil always wanted a daughter.
Billy was supposed to be a girl. Louise after Neil's mother. When Billy came out, they named him after Sarah's father.
Billy looks at his reflection and notices the makeup he was wearing last night rubbed off. The yellow bruise on his jaw visible. Saying a few curse words under his breath he starts the car and drives home.
Lorelei wakes up to the sunlight peaking through the window. Nathan and she drove until they met an opening to a clearing. They parked the car and locked all the doors. Lorelei jumped in the back with Nathan. The boy laid on top of her listening to her heartbeat while she ran her fingers through his hair. Ever since he was a baby she would do this. It was the only thing that got him to sleep and God knows Helen, his mother, was going to do this. She was too strung out half the time.
Lorelei was his mother. She changed him, fed him, and bathed him. She's still his mother. When he started school he used to call Lorelei 'mama'. Teachers didn't pay much attention to it. They thought it was a joke. Lorelei had to teach him to say her name though. Lorelei couldn't stand to be called it.
Lorelei feels Nathan jerk awake. His eyes meeting hers. They don't speak. He gets off of her and Lorelei sits up. They sit in silence until they're fully awake.
Billy pulls up to the house and notices both Neil's and Susan's cars are gone. He turns off his car and gets out. He enters the house and notices Max is in the kitchen. She's eating a bowl of cereal.
"Where's Susan and Neil?" Billy asks.
"Work or breakfast I don't know. They left early." Max says looking at a comic book. She's been looking through them lately trying to understand half the nerdy shit those boys say.
Billy nods. "Am I still taking you to one of your friend's?"
"Yeah, whenever."
Billy looks at the clock on the wall. It's only ten. "I'm gonna take a shower. Don't, don't break or burn anything." Billy mentally slaps himself. How the hell do you talk to children? The seventeen year old walks to the bathroom and locks himself in.
It takes Billy half an hour to shower. He gets out and walks to his room. He closes his door and walks to his mirror. He notices the light dark circles under his eyes from the mascara. The light bruises on his jaw line are still fading. Still gotta keep an image, Hargrove. Billy begins his daily primp.
After teasing, applying a little makeup to cover up the bruises, and adding in his cologne, he walks to his closet and pulls out an old black T-shirt and some old jeans. He quickly dresses himself and slips on his boots and jacket.
He leaves his room and walks into the living room to see Max sitting there on the sofa. Some game show on the tv.
"You ready," Billy asks.
"Yeah," Max says. He watches her walk out of the door first before he follows. They get in the Camaro.
"Where," Billy asks.
"Dustin's."
Billy nods and starts the car. The car ride is quiet. It's not uncomfortable but it wouldn't be bad if they talk.
They never really talk and if they do talk it's a small argument. Back in California they would exchange a few words. That's when he was just a dick and not angry. He would ride the bus with her until he was able to drive. When he was able to drive they sat in silence or he'd ask how her day was and leave it at that. Then they moved here. It was all her fault Billy convinced himself. If it wasn't for her stupid dad wanting custody or her mom wanting to get close to Billy it wouldn't have happened. But Billy didn't have to do what he did. Taking his anger out on that guy or the police officer. His dad was to blame for that anger. Why couldn't Billy have been born with only his mother's traits? Why couldn't Neil accept that his soldier of a son was actually afraid of so many things?
It was Neil's fault. It was his fault Billy couldn't be happy. His fault that Billy had problems with commitment. His fault that Billy can't feel accepted. His fault that Billy didn't have a mom...
"Baby Boy," the pale woman said keeping her eyes on the tv. Billy sat next to her. He was only fourteen. He looked at the phone next to him. Neil had called to tell him that he'd be there soon.
"I love you," she said. Billy kept his eyes on the tv. He refrained from saying 'If you love me then why do you stick a needle in your arm when I say stop.'
He looked at the family on tv. They were smiling. If only his family was okay like that. Then there's a gasp. Billy looked over at his mom. She was still and porcelain pale. Billy reached over and grabbed the phone. He dialed the three digit number and waited for an answer.
"9-1-1 what is your emergency," the lady says.
"My mom's not moving," he said calmly. "I think she overdosed on something." Not just something. Heroin. Billy knew what it was. "I think she overdid her sleeping pills."
"Can you tell me where you are?"
Billy gave her the address and hung up. He looked at his mom. So small and pale. He got off the couch and picked her up. Neil had been making him train for wrestling. He told Billy that volleyball wouldn't get him any further.
He took her to her room and put her on the bed. He grabbed the needle from her bedside. She used all of the contents in the container, but he picked it up and put it in his pocket. He looked at her arm and takes off the band around her arm.
To finish the job he took out the sleeping pills in her nightstand and put a few on the ground. With the rest of them he stuffed them in his pocket and dropped the container on the ground.
"I love you too mama," he said walking out of the room and to his room to get ready for his dad to arrive.
"Can I ask you a question," Max asks breaking the silence. Billy jumps a little due to her sudden desire to talk. He stiffens back up as he regains control of himself.
"What," he says looking at the road.
"Don't be an ass when I ask this," she says hesitating. She fidgets a little with her hands. "How do you know if you're...if you actually really really like someone?"
Billy looks at her this time. He sees that she isn't going to look at him. He turns his attention back to the road. How do I answer that? Billy asks himself. He can't. "Uh," he says trying to come up with something. "I guess when you realize that you can't be without them. You need to see them or you're crushed for the rest of the day. You need to know how they are. It's like you can't live without them."
"Like you and Tyler," Max says. Billy stiffens. He tries to remain relaxed. His anger slowly rising at the name. The image of Tyler's pale, small body lying next to him enters his mind. He did love her. He loved her blue eyes and dark brown hair that curled up at the ends.
"Tyler," Billy says swallowing, "was just a friend." It was true. He couldn't be with her anyways. They couldn't be physical, but he didn't care about that. He wanted to be with her. She was the one who didn't want to date him. She didn't like blondes she would say. "But," Billy says. I love you, William James. I love you too, Tyler Anne. "Yes. It's like that."
The girl nods and the rest of the car ride is silent.