As the weekend rolled around the uncertainty, Alice had felt when agreeing to a date with Billy started to fade into excitement. She could hardly wait for tonight. Borrowing the chevy, she gathered what little money she had been saving, and drove into town, hoping to find something nice to wear; she knew that her date was going to give it his all; she wanted to do the same.
Hawkins, in her opinion, needed a Mall. The only few mom-and-pop businesses in town sold clothes that catered to women in their mid-thirties and housewives, but there had to be something that would suit her. Alice was determined to try every store until she found something.
As she parked the truck in the lot outside the first store, she noticed a familiar redhead walking down the sidewalk. What was Max doing in town on Saturday? Perhaps she was with her friends. She appeared to be alone at the moment, however; this was the second time Alice had seen her without her skateboard. She thought nothing of it as she left the truck and walked up onto the sidewalk. Giving her a brief wave, Alice reached for the door to the store, but she called out to her.
"Alice!"
The said young woman raised a brow.
"Hey, Max. How are you?"
"Do you think you could give me a ride home?" She asked, ignoring Alice's question.
Where was Billy? He usually picked Max up when she went to the arcade. Perhaps her mother or Billy's father dropped her off instead.
"Of course. I have some shopping to do first though."
"I'm not needed anywhere," Max uttered.
Alice raised a brow in question, opening the door for her. What was she hiding? As she searched around the store, peeking through racks of clothes, Max stood by her side.
"What happened to your skateboard? I don't normally see you without it," Alice asked in an attempt to make small talk.
"It broke," Max merely answered.
Alice hummed.
"Do you need another one?"
"Do you know how much they cost? High-quality components aren't cheap," Max explained.
Was a skateboard that expensive? The fact her brother had tossed his in the basement kind of pissed her off.
"I can give you my brother's board. He doesn't use it anymore," Alice suggested. "It may not be as well maintained as your last skateboard but I'm sure you can fix it."
"Really?" Max asked.
She averted her eyes and for a moment she was silent, almost like she was arguing with herself, then she shook her head.
"I don't need it. But thanks."
"It's there if ever you do," Alice mentioned, returning her attention to the racks.
Resting a bright yellow dress against her chest, she tried to imagine wearing it.
"Does this look tacky?" Alice asked.
"Not if you're a duck," Max replied with a grin.
She was right. Alice sighed in annoyance and put the dress back. There had to be something there that she could wear.
"What are you shopping for?" Max asked.
"I have a date tonight," Alice mentioned. "My first ever date."
She snorted.
"You've never been on a date before?"
"Have you?" Alice asked genuinely.
Max narrowed her eyes.
"No, but it doesn't matter."
"I don't suppose now it does, but later it might. Dates are a fun way to get closer to the person you like. Is there someone you like?" Alice asked.
Max curled her nose in disgust.
"No."
Alice hummed and returned to her search.
"But if I did like someone; it's not like he could like me back," she mentioned suddenly.
"How so? Is he forbidden from likening you?" Alice asked with a snort.
Max shook her head.
"Yeah, it feels that way."
Alice sighed and turned towards her.
"Max, no one has the right to forbid a person from getting close to you, except you. If you like someone, then ask them to the school dance; I hear the middle school is having one in December. I'm chaperoning."
She eyed Alice a moment then shook her head.
"What would I even wear?"
"Wear whatever Max would wear," the young woman answered with a grin. "Within the dress code of course."
Max snorted and rolled her eyes.
Noticing a cute blouse with frills, Alice yanked it from the rack and leaned it against her chest. It was promising.
"Now this I can work with."
She took the blouse over to the front desk to pay.
"Let's get you home," Alice declared as she turned to Max.
A sense of eagerness consumed her as she left the store. Alice couldn't wait to try on her new blouse with the pants she had at home. Once she and Max were in the truck and buckled up, she pulled out of the lot, driving towards Max's house.
"You can't be this serious about one date," Max mentioned widening her eyes in disbelief.
Alice hummed.
"I am. Or maybe I'm totally scared of what might happen. I've never dated a guy like Billy before, and I probably shouldn't be; he goes through women as he goes through cigarettes."
Max agreed with a nod.
"He seems to like you more than the others, though."
Did he?
Alice felt her face heat up. But why?
"He's not an easy person to like romantically."
Max raised a brow.
"Then why do you waste your time with him? You have more brain cells than the other girls he has dated."
That should be an easy question, but honestly, she didn't know.
"I want to know him better before I decide. There's more to a person than just what they allow you to see," Alice answered.
Who was Billy Hargrove? She wondered this question the entire ride. Perhaps tonight she would learn the answer.
Checking the time again, Alice sat on the couch, darting her eyes from the window to the clock. It was almost time and yet she was nervous that Billy had changed his mind.
His car wasn't in the lot when she had taken Max home. It didn't bother her at the time, but as the hours ticked down, she began to wonder if he was somewhere else; somewhere more important with someone else.
All afternoon she had focused on getting ready, and five minutes before the allotted time, the wicked thoughts in her head had come back.
Alice stood up with a sigh and walked into the kitchen for a drink, pouring a glass of water. As she sipped at it, her mother came into the kitchen in a hurry.
"I saw headlights," she mentioned.
Alice widened her eyes, accidentally spilling water onto her blouse. Shit! Faye laughed at her clumsiness.
"I'm a mess," she uttered.
Ripping a sheet from the paper towel roll, Alice dabbed at the damp splotch, but it did little to dry it.
"He's here!" Clark shouted from the living room.
Groaning in frustration, Alice tossed the used sheet into the trash and tore through the living room like a bat out of hell, opting to wear a thin coat over her blouse; at least until it dried.
"I'm leaving!" She shouted.
"Be home before twelve, or else you're sleeping outside," Clark clarified.
Alice understood. Saying goodbye, she walked out onto the porch, grinning as the Camaro sat in the driveway, engine idling. She hurried to the passenger side door, getting inside.
"Hey," she uttered.
Billy looked rushed, but incredibly handsome. Red was a nice color on him and seeing his button-down open caused her face to heat up.
"Buckle up," he ordered.
Was there something wrong? Alice frowned, sliding on the seat belt as he tore out of the driveway back onto the road.
"Where are we going?" She asked, hoping to start a conversation.
"To see Mike Wheeler," he answered.
Who? Alice raised a brow. Did he mean Nancy's kid brother? The car ride was silent as Billy drove to the Wheeler residence, parking the Camaro by the curb.
"Stay here. I'll be in and out," the blond ordered.
Before Alice could ask why he opened the door and left the car. What was going on? She watched him walk to the front door and knock. Seconds later a gorgeous blonde woman opened up. She must have been Nancy's mother.
Billy followed her inside and Alice sighed in annoyance, playing with the radio as she waited. Whatever was going on is starting to make her regret ever agreeing to date him. Did he treat all his girlfriends like this?
Five minutes later, Billy left the house and got back into the car, starting the engine.
"Are you going to let me in about what you're doing?" Alice asked.
Billy sighed and reached for her hand.
"We just have to find Max and then we can start our date."
Alice raised a brow.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing you need to be concerned about," Billy answered. He squeezed her hand. "You look gorgeous."
Her face heated up. She wasn't sure whether to be mad at him or not. He could have informed her about the situation before he gave her the cold shoulder.
"Where is Max?" Alice asked.
"At Jonathan Byers' house," Billy answered.
What was she doing there? Billy released her hand and drove towards the Byers' house.
"Can you light me a cigarette, babe?"
She hummed and spotted the pack and lighter on the dashboard. Reaching for it, she took out a cigarette and sat it between her lips, lighting it. The taste made her curl up her nose in disgust, but Alice inhaled to keep the tip burning before handing it to Billy. He hummed in appreciation.
It was darker out as the Camaro pulled into the driveway; the moonlight poured down from the gaps in the trees; an eerie atmosphere, in Alice's opinion.
Once the car was parked Billy opened the door and stepped out, just as Steven Harrington walked out onto the porch.
Alice widened her eyes. Oh shit!
"Am I dreaming or is that you Harrington?" She heard Billy ask.
Steve answered back, but Alice couldn't hear him from inside the car. Whatever he said caused Billy to remove his coat, tossing it into the driver's side seat.
"Billy!" Alice shouted.
He held up a finger and shut the door, walking towards Steve as the latter came off the porch. Shit! This wasn't good at all. The two seemed to talk to one another for a minute before Steve turned around, looking at something behind him. When he turned back around, Billy pushed him to the ground.
Alice gasped and open the door, rushing to the blond's side.
"Don't do this," she begged him.
"Listen to your girlfriend," Steve mentioned. "She seems to have more sense than you."
Did he want Billy to punch him? Alice rolled her eyes in disbelief.
"I told you to plant your feet," Billy mentioned, kicking Steve in the stomach.
Turning to her, he pointed to the Camaro.
"Get back in the car."
"No," she disagreed. "You're acting like an animal."
Billy sighed.
"Max is in there, in a stranger's house. Now, do as I say."
Alice watched him walk towards the house and slam open the front door, going inside. Leaning down, she checked on Steve.
"Are you OK?"
"I'm just fine," he uttered in pain. "But it's not what it looks like."
What was it then?
"Can you help me up?" Steve asked.
Alice hesitated for a moment. Should she? Groaning, she pulled his arm over her shoulder, helping him to stand. She couldn't leave him like this.
Steve was a bit wobbly at first, like a newborn fawn, but once Alice managed to get him to the door, he slammed it open.
Two teenage boys and Max were in the hall watching as Billy had another one pressed against the wall at the other end. What was going on here?
Alice watched in shock as the dark-skinned teen kicked Billy in the balls; the blond groaned in pain and then stood.
"You are so dead Sinclair, you're dead."
Steve rushed past the three, leaving Alice with them. Max gave her a shocked look then turned around in time to see Steve punch Billy in the face.
"Steve!" Max shouted.
Billy laughed and stood up straight; his nose was leaking blood, but he didn't seem to care.
In the meantime, Sinclair rushed over to Max and the others.
"Are you OK?" Alice asked him.
He nodded albeit he was out of breath and scared.
She stood in front of them, hoping to keep them from being dragged into the meaningless fight.
"Looks like you got some fire in you after all," Billy remarked. "I've been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody's been telling me about."
As he walked up on Steve, the latter pushed him back.
"Get out," Steve ordered.
Alice feared where this would head next.
Billy took a swing, but Steve ducked and tossed a right hook into Billy's face, knocking him against the kitchen table.
The teenager wearing the ball cap cheered for Steve, but it was far from over.
As Billy stood, Steve hit him again two more times, inching him further into the kitchen and against the sink; all the while Billy was laughing in excitement. It was a gruesome show of masculinity, one Alice feared Steve was going to lose.
Billy picked up a plate and smashed it against Steve's head, then came at him as Steve tried to move away; a bookshelf caught a stray punch that almost hit the teen wearing the ball cap.
Alice maneuvered them out of their way as Billy caught Steve in the living room.
"No one tells me what to do," the blond snapped as he knocked him onto the floor.
Alice never expected such anger from him; he was exactly like an animal. What had happened to Billy to make him this way? She watched in horror as he hovered over Steve, throwing punch after punch into his face.
"Stop it!" She shouted. "You're going to kill him."
Then out of the corner of her eye, Max rushed passed her and stabbed Billy in the neck with something. Alice gasped as she realized that it was a needle.
"Max. What-"
Billy stood and pulled the needle from his neck staggering toward Max. What did she inject into him? He teetered back, then hit the floor with an oomph.
Alice watched as Max grabbed a baseball bat with nails stuck in it and raised it like she was going to strike Billy.
"From here on out you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?" She asked.
"I'm not scared of you," Billy weakly replied.
Max slammed the bat down between his legs; the nails stuck to the floor, but she yanked it free and raised it again.
"Say you understand!" She shouted. "Say it. Say it!"
"I understand," Billy uttered.
Max shook her head.
"What?"
"I understand," Billy repeated.
He groaned and then closed his eyes as whatever was in the drug overpowered him.
Max tossed the bat down, then bent down and retrieved Billy's keys from his pocket. As she turned, she looks at Alice.
"I'm sorry for your date."
The said the young woman didn't know what to say. As Max and the teens helped Steve up, Alice sunk beside Billy, searching for a pulse. He seemed to be alive. Whatever Max had injected into him must have been a sedative.
"Where are you going, Max?" Alice asked her.
"I'll explain it later. I promise," she replied.
She and the others walked Steve out of the house, leaving Alice alone with Billy. What should she do? She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair. This entire experience painted him in a new light. Alice wasn't sure that she wanted to know him anymore.
Tears blurred her eyes. Perhaps Robin was home. Alice needed someone to lean on. And someone to help her take Billy home.
What a horrible first date.