Here's chapter 13, hope you enjoy! I do not own Stranger Things

By the way this chapter is going to take place in 1980 and 1981, more BillyxPetal content before we get back to 1986

April 1980

The school year was slowly but surely coming to a close, and Billy couldn't fucking wait to be out of school. He liked it well enough for getting him out of the house, but he was beyond tired of having to share Petal. They were still going strong, closing in on the one year mark and there was only one bump in the road that he could see; she'd started to ask about meeting his dad again. He'd put it off, saying anything he could "He's out of town on business", "he's got a date that night", and the classic "He's not in the mood for company". The longer he gave her answers like that the more oddly she began to act around him. She'd started to look at him strangely when he'd show up with a bruise on his arm or something, she'd started asking about them. When he'd tell her his cover, he'd fallen or he'd gotten into a fight with someone at school she'd accept it...but she'd have that skeptical gleam in her eye.

One night his dad had had a few too many and Billy had come in late from her house and it set it off. The next morning when he walked by her house to walk with her to school he knew he'd hear about it. The dark purple bruise was blossoming over his left eye and his bottom lip had been split. He waits at the end of her walkway, not wanting her dad to see either. He begins to fidget as he waits, pulling at the zipper of his jacket when she finally comes out of the house he sees her face fall almost instantly. He gives her a weak smile and waves, maybe just maybe she wouldn't mention it. As she sprints down the steps, her red hair flying behind her he knew there was no chance of that.

"What happened?!" She says, gingerly taking his face in her fingers. Her thumb brushed his bottom lip and she winced with him as though she'd felt the hurt.

"I got-"

"Do not even say that you walked into a door. Or that you got into a fight at school. You know as well as I do that you aren't a klutz and that if you got into a fight at school you'd have been caught like that!" She snapped her fingers as she spoke, glaring accusingly at the bruise, seeming to blame it for its own presence since she had no culprit.

"Honestly Pet I'm good-"

"You are not! He's been hitting you hasn't he?" She says in a hushed tone, her eyes shining with worry for him. He grimaces at that, pulling her fingers away from his face. "I'm fine. Don't go spreading that crap!" He tangles their fingers together and begins to drag her along their path to school as she sputters. He starts to ignore her, hoping she'd just let it go. He needed her to just let it go.

"Billy we have to tell someone! He can't just-" She's getting more shrill now and he rounds on her, not dropping her hand. "Pet. Think about it, you tell someone, they look into it, I get put in some over crowded children's home far fucking away. You think I'll still be walking you to school? You think I'll still be teaching you how to surf? Think I'll be able to bring you to any stupid dance or party that you beg me to go to?!" He's whispering harshly, eyes glancing at the houses around them, making sure that no one buts their nose into his business.

"Your safety is more important to me!" She cuts back, glaring at him. He raises their joined hands "You're looking at the best thing in my life. I've got just about fucking nothing to look forward to...except you Petal. So you'll be taking the only thing that matters. And I wouldn't forgive you for that!" She stops, her furious expression is obliterated by her look of deep sadness "We could still-"

"What? Send letters?! Have a phone call once a fucking day?" His voice cracks violently and he blushes. "Don't Petal...it's...I don't have to deal with it all the time. So...just please keep it quiet." He looks at her emploringly with his one good eye. "Please"

She goes quiet, looking at her shoes and trying not to cry. "But-"

"No buts" He starts pulling her to school again despite the tears he can almost see spilling from her grey eyes. They turn the corner and begin to walk past the last neighborhood before the school when he sighs, he heard her sniffle. He turns back and she's hurriedly brushing away her tears, smearing her eyeliner and making her look like a raccoon. He sighs one more time "Fuck...Pet...I'm sorry I yelled at you"

"That's not why I'm upset." She looks away, still holding his hand tightly. "I just...I want you to care about you." Billy pulls her into a tight hug "Why? I've got you to care about me" She giggles halfheartedly into his chest. "How about we skip today Pet? I've got a little cash from walking Mrs. Kern's dogs so I could get us some snacks and we'll spend the day at the beach."

"That sounds ok..." She smiles weakly "Will...will you think about what I said?"

He gives her his most charming smile, hiding the absolute lie that slid off of his silver tongue. "Of course Pet."

July 1980

The school year had ended without any more serious hits from his dad and for that he was thankful, the summer had even started out pretty nice. He'd gotten a job as a paper boy so he had more cash than he'd had the year before. His dad had more reasons to be pissed as the state had cracked down on tobacco sales. No one under the age of 16 could purchase cigarettes anymore so no more cigarette runs for Billy. But thanks to the new job he was out of the house before his dad would wake up. He and Petal were still going strong, he'd even met her dad formally for dinner a few weeks back. Since then their nights were usually spent on the beach, watching the sun set and kissing. He smirked slightly, he'd gotten pretty good at it if you asked him. But then the worst thing could have happened for him. His dad got a new girlfriend. Now that in itself wasn't the worst, it meant the focus was officially off of him...except she had a kid too. The fucker was 9 and an annoying little shit. His dad had decided that in order to get any time for himself and the new lady, he'd have to have a babysitter for the kid. And of course, why pay one when you had a now 13 year old in the house?

So every fucking day he had to get up at the ass crack of dawn for his paper route, go back home make breakfast for the little shit, and then take her everywhere he went. He just thanked god that she wasn't an actual baby. That probably would have been worse. It did mean that most of the time he didn't get a second alone with Petal. It annoyed him to no end to watch Max and Petal talking like they were the ones meant to hang out, especially when just weeks before they would have been swapping spit on the beach.

The one time he'd tried to get some time with her they were in a movie theatre with Max. Max had been nice and focused on her candy and the movie, he'd slung his arm around Petal and moved in for the kill. But he'd only gotten as far as running his tongue along her bottom lip before she'd pulled away. "Little eyes" she'd whispered, a blush evident on her cheeks. He'd pouted, he'd even tried one more time when he saw that Max had fallen asleep but she'd still stopped it. After a month he felt like he was going nuts. Nothing was going right. His voice was downright embarrassing, squeaking and squawking like a clarinet whenever he talked, he'd gotten taller but still looked scrawny as all hell, he couldn't ever get a second alone with his girlfriend of almost a year, and he had to be back home by 8 every single night for Max's bedtime.

Finally, his dad came to him one night with a hard look on his face "Billy." He'd said in his perpetually confrontational tone.

"Yeah?" Billy looked up from his comic book worriedly

"Susan's got a wedding to go to this weekend. She's taking Max and I'm going with her to meet the family. You're staying here. We'll be gone Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and we'll get back Monday night. So don't break anything, don't have anyone in this house, and don't piss me off" Billy nodded silently, in his head he was punching the air with excitement at the chance to be alone for nearly four whole days. It wouldn't be the first time he was left home alone in recent times but now he wouldn't have to babysit some little kid.

He'd been excited to tell Petal but the little shit had ruined that too. She'd run straight up and into the arms of the older red head, giggling over being invited to a wedding. He'd probably have brooded over it had it not been for the excited grin Petal had given him. "So you're going to be on your own all weekend?"

"Yep, no little ears or eyes. Just us." She'd blushed at that but kisses his cheek sweetly all the same before turning to the hyperactive little one they had to watch.

Their weekend had come and gone all too soon for Billy, they'd spent nearly every possible moment with Petal. She'd refused to any farther than some over the clothes petting but he wouldn't have traded it for the world. Monday afternoon had rolled around and they were splayed out on her bed, talking about the upcoming school year. He'd talked about his dreams for when they got into high school. He was going to save up all of his petty cash to get the best car he could find. He was going to drive her anywhere she wanted. Things were going to be different. What he was really dreaming about was moving the fuck out...but talks like that would bring up college...he didn't want to bring up something he knew she could do...and he probably wouldn't. He knew he'd be a teenage dirtbag...he just hoped she never realized it. Their little vacation from babysitting ended as he spied his dad's car driving past the house and down to the corner. He bade her a goodbye with one final kiss before he trudged back home, back to babysitting, and back to the asshole who raised him.

June 1981

Billy was brooding. He had thought that maybe, just maybe things were starting to look up. The past year hadn't been ideal. His dad had proposed to Susan so he knew Maxine was bound to be in his life in a much more permanent seeming way...but that had meant that there were more wedding planning weekends where Max was required and he'd be free. He'd joined the basketball team at school and had begun to work out more often. He was finally beginning to fill out his skin frame, little by little, but there'd been progress. Petal and he were still together, and although she'd dragged him to every dance he'd rather skip, he was happy. She'd even joined the cheer squad just so she could be on the bus with him for away games. Max, now being 10 was allowed to be on her own a little bit more, meaning more time he had out from under his father's pressures...but then Petal had dropped the bomb. One afternoon at the beach they were watching Max play in the water when she'd turned to him, looking worried. Although, to his later chagrin he hadn't noticed her expression. He'd been admiring her form in the bright sunlight. She'd begun to fill out much like he had, but his had come slowly, hers had hit her like a bus. She was wearing a bright yellow bikini on this day, and he couldn't help but take her in. Her pale skin was almost blinding in the light but he didn't much care.

"Billy?" She'd said quietly

"Hmmm?" He slid his hand over hers and gave her a smile "Yeah Pet?"

"I've got some bad news..." She mumbled

"Yeah?"

"Dad...dad and I are moving back to Indiana...in July..." She pulled her knees to her chest and looked at him, seeming to see the raging fire in his eyes through the aviator shades he wore.

"When did he tell you this?" Billy tore his glasses off and looked at her petulantly.

"Last night...I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier...we were just having such a good morning..." she bites her lip "Are you mad at me?"

He runs a hand through his hair that he'd allowed to grow out. "There's no changing his mind?"

"The house is on the market..."

"This is some fucking bullshit" He grabs his bag and pulls out a cigarette he'd stolen out of his dad's stash and lights it. Petal scrunches up her nose "I wish you wouldn't smoke..."

"I wish you weren't moving. So you're dumping me?" He's no longer looking at her. Instead, focusing his anger on the younger red head who was now building a sand castle with some rando.

"No!...I thought we could talk about it...I know you don't like not being able to...to do things because of Max...do you want to break up?" She's set her chin on her knees and she too focused her gaze on Max.

"I don't want to break up. But if you're just going to head off to meet some other-"

She groans and buries her face in her knees. "I never said anything about moving off to meet other boys. That's you putting ideas in your own head again."

He takes a drag off the cigarette and laughs almost coldly, reminding her heavily of his father in that split second. "What the hell else are you going to do? Send me kisses through the mail?"

She blushes and turns her gaze to her sand coated feet, "I want to stay in touch Billy...but if that's not what you want-" He shoots her a glare and her jaw clicks shut. "Petal-" He starts but stops, he could feel his blood boiling, he tried to shake it off, taking another drag before he spoke. "I don't want to break up...but I don't think long distance is going to fucking work."

"Do you want to try?"

"No." His heart was thumping in his chest as he said it, slamming against his ribcage as it argued with him.

Petal returns to burying her face in her knees as she blinks back her tears. "Ok...I guess we're broken up." She sniffles for a second but then she moves to get up, stopped only by his hand on her wrist. "Don't...we don't have to be broken up yet...do we?"

She sniffles again "Will...will you think about long distance? Just...just think about it?"

He looks up at her, her cheeks were tear stained and she'd knotted some of her red hair in her anxiety riddled fidgeting. He nodded and she sat back down, this time laying her head on his shoulder. He presses a kiss to her head and throws an arm around her. Hating the relief he felt in his heart, even if it was short lived.

Moving Day

Billy stood stony faced in front of the sold sign in front of her house. He watched as the moving truck was shut and secured, her entire life inside...minus her boyfriend. He didn't react as her father gave him a look of pity and a comforting slap on the shoulder. He watched blankly as she hugged and kissed Max goodbye who'd cried all morning at losing the older girl. Then Petal turned to him tearfully, they'd talked the night before and he'd said he couldn't do a long distance relationship...it would be too hard. Her bottom lip trembles under his gaze before she throws her arms around his neck and holds him tightly, like the world itself was dragging her away. He couldn't help but wrap his arms around her in return, burying his nose in her hair for one final whiff of her scent before he lost her for good. "I'll miss you Billy...I'll write when I get there ok?" He nods, not trusting himself to speak and not squeak. When she finally pulls away from him she pulls an envelope from her back pocket and hands it to him. "Think of it as my first letter?" He nods again and she sighs "I...I lo...I'll miss you. She kisses him softly on his lips, for the final time. She got into her dad's car and wouldn't look at him, instead focusing her wave at Max who was still tearfully crying for her to call her every week. When they started the car and the moving van he told Max to go home, he'd sat on her former steps and stared down the street, almost hoping it had all been a joke. An elaborate prank before their two year anniversary. He fiddled with the envelope in his hands, and as the sun began to set he found the courage to open it.

Billy,

I understand why you don't think we can make a long distance relationship work...I know we've argued...but I understand. I just didn't want to. I know that you are nothing if not a physical person...and I can't be there for that anymore. But you are important to me. You weren't just my first friend in California, you were my best friend. You were my savior. You were my first boyfriend. You were my first love...and I'm sad that I never told you. I was a coward...But even if I can't have you as my boyfriend anymore...I want you around as my best friend. I want you around as my confidant...and no matter what...you will always be my first love. Was I your first love? I'll miss you like crazy, you and Max. Give her all of my love and remember that it isn't her fault. She's still just a kid.

All of my love,

Petal.

Billy held the letter gingerly in his hands, marveling in the smooth loopy writing she'd left just for him. He blinked back the rising tears, his father's voice booming in his head "Don't be a bitch!"

He shoved the letter into his pocket and began to walk down the steps, with each step away from the house he could remember another benign moment that he wished he'd held for just a little longer.

Their first sweet kiss in the middle of a middle school hallway.

Their first real date at the roller rink, he'd fallen on his ass more times than he cared to count but her giggles had made it all worth it.

The first time she'd slid into his lap on the beach, almost knocking the both of them over in her awkwardness. She'd giggled in his ear as she'd apologized.

A hundred dates were running through his head by the time he got to the walkway up to his house. A thousand moments were pulling at the strings of his heart, calling out to him to chase down her car, to call the number she'd written for him and Max, to write her enough letters to fill a book. Full of sorrys, full of regrets, full of I love you's...But he didn't listen to it. Instead he shoved the letter in a memory box his mother had left him and listened to the all too familiar voice in his head Don't be a bitch.