Watched Stranger Things, wrote a story, uploaded two chapters. Promptly forgot about this. Was shocked by the amount of interest when I returned from the grave. Thank-you for all your reviews, I have loved reading every single one. What I'm trying to say is: I am back and ready to finish this story for you all. Something has to get me going until the release of Season 3 which is a day and forever away.

I should throw out a warning that there are mentions of child abuse and domestic abuse in this story, but nothing graphically violent. The M rating is *not* for violence.

This is it. This is the final day she had to forcibly spend with Billy Hargrove. After this they delivered the punishment assignment, and she was free. After that it was smooth sailing throughout the rest of her year. She could graduate and go to a good college at the opposite end of the country, far away from Hawkins.

As she waited on the football field after school hours her foot tapped the freshly mowed lawn with giddy impatience. The Twilight sky was a deep orange and maroon. Each puff of breath was illuminated under the football stadiums bright lights. She wrapped her arms tighter in an effort to conserve her body heat. Even throwing on a winter jacket wasn't enough with her grey cable knit sweater and ankle-length dark skirt.

Billy wasn't supposed to arrive for another half an hour, but Diane had ended up finishing her schoolwork earlier than expected at the library. This time she wasn't staying in the library past its open hours. She paced back and forth, hoping to pass the time somehow. If she had been smart she would've checked out a book before the library closed.

Someone came towards her. She was shocked if her accidental partner in crime came earlier than he said he would. Punctuality was the plight of the apathetic.

It wasn't Billy. She was shocked however, to see Steve walking straight towards her. Just in case she looked behind her, but there was no one else.

"Hey Diane." He said, giving an awkward wave.

"Hey Steve?" It was as much of a question as reply. They had barely exchanged any words in years, and certainly weren't on friendly enough terms anymore to warrant an out-of-the-way greeting like this.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Haven't heard yet? I've been accused of plagiarism because of Billy Hargrove - that new kid - and now we need to work together on an an assignment.

Steve looked intensely annoyed at this information. "No, I didn't hear . . . Been a bit, uh . . . Preoccupied. Jesus, what a total douchebag."

"There's nothing I can do about it now. Just one more night and I'm done working with him." She replied. "What are you doing out here?"

"Forgot something in my locker. Was getting back when I saw you out here. Far as I know you're not really the uh, cheerleading type, so couldn't really just ignore you, could I. You shouldn't be outside at night, but especially not by yourself."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Wow, coming back to school voluntarily. Nance really has changed you."

Steve got that look in his eye she loved seeing in relationships. Unfiltered love. Steve and Nancy was a relationship she hadn't seen coming, and yet, seeing them together it was simultaneously the least shocking thing. Life was weird. "Guess she has."

For a long drawn out moment the silence was comfortable as it was between old friends, before they came to the realisation at the same time that they weren't old friends. At least, not anymore. Awkwardness creeped into the silence.

"Dee, you shouldn't be out here alone. Especially at night." He lamented, eyes flickering between hers in concern.

His newfound concern caused her to bristle. "I didn't realise we were friends again."

"Oh come on," His hand rose in exasperation. "Listen . . . I know that we don't hang out anymore, but I'm only trying to look out for you."

"Like you were back then?" She asked. He didn't look like he was going to give up this conversation. How did he have the nerve to suddenly start acting like he was concerned for her? "Steve what's really going on? Look I'm on school property and nothing ever happens in Hawkins, right?"

"I . . ." He ran a hand through his hair roughly and scanned the outskirts of the stadium, right where the lights stopped and the piercing darkness began. "Nothing ever happens here. You're right."

"I know."

"Just be careful anyway, there's been reports of weird animals around Hawkins." He said, not seeming to be in the mood to eave her alone any time soon. "Just don't do anything too exciting and you know - in the dark, or whatever."

"Thought me being boring is why we stopped being friends." Right around the Eighth grade when Carol, Steve, Tommy, Andie and Amy had begun experimenting with drinking and picked up smoking. If she had been caught doing anything she shouldn't, well, her parents probably weren't in the State anyway to help her out. She wasn't going to spend eternity in jail, withering away. In her avoidance of jail, she was ousted from the group.

"Didn't realise the royal King Steve was going to join us on our date." A voice called, making them both look sideways. Billy was here, hands stuffed in the pocket of his leather jacket zipped all the way up. With a red scarf thrown over his attire either he didn't feel the cold or had no proper clothes for this weather.

"He's not, and this isn't a date."

The boys locked eyes with each other and sized each other up and Steve joined them with his usual swagger. They stood only a foot away from each other. A small, dangerous grin began forming on Billy's face. Then Steve looked behind him to Diane, conflict clear in his eyes. But he made a decision and threw her a look of caution. "Night Diane, take care of yourself. Just - take what I said into consideration."

"Evening Stevie-boy." Billy gave a half-mocking bow.

"Oh shut up." Steve sighed, moving out of his way and trudging back towards the parking lot on the other side of the school.

Billy looked Diane up and down like the clothes she was wearing were appealing."And good evening to you too."

"Ready to f-"

"Finish the assignment?" He completed for her, already predicting her words.

"Yup."

"Well are you going to stare at me or tell me what we have to do?"

Of course he didn't read any part of the assignment. So far she had done most of it, after all. Adding the final part wasn't too much of a stretch. Instead of reciting the paragraph of instructions to him she opted for compressing it in an effort to keep his attention span. "We need to measure the area of the field, so we're taking the width and height of the field. If we're fast we can be done in ten minutes or less."

"We're waving around a tape measure?"

"Yeah, we have to measure the football field. Look," she pointed, "the bleachers are within the line."

They marched to the bleachers, and then behind them. The line went halfway under the bleachers before ending. The buzzing of the bleacher lights amplified the closer they got.

"So what did Hawkins High Golden Boy have to say?"

"I didn't know you cared about gossip."

"A town this boring can't have any good gossip. Most scandalous thing that happens around here is the crops wilting. I just wanted to know what got our King in a twist back there."

"Why are you so mean to Steve?" She asked. Sure Billy wasn't always pleasant to be around, but he had gathered quite a base from the basketball and football players and he didn't target them half as harshly as he targeted Steve, who avoided confrontation with him. The stadium light flickered.

"Sticking up for loverboy?"

She looked at the field. "We used to be friends."

Billy snorted.

"Before you start with a mean comment, don't." She said before walking over to the corner where she could start measuring the field. Even if he did, she wasn't going to engage with him. She was making it her mission to be diplomatic.

Billy's hair was slightly tousled and she had a sneaking suspicion the reason he had called to extend the time of their meeting was over some girl he had probably taken to the Lovers Lane.

He caught up with her quickly, slowing down his pace to keep with her shorter one. "How were you friends with Steve? You're better than him."

"I can't believe I'm above King Steve on your list." She teased.

"Hey underneath all those layers I bet you're a sight for sore eyes, Dobler."

"I don't think anyone wants to see underneath that." She replied.

Billy grinned. "Don't be so insecure, its unappealing."

"I'm not insecure. I just don't have time to deal with all this, you know, this High School stuff." She replied. "And I'm not trying to attract you so what I say and wear doesn't matter."

He laughed softly. "So this is what you're all about. Diane Dobler, too mature for the rest of us. Too good for the rest of us. Got the whole world figured out before the rest of us even thought about it."

"You're one to talk about being too good for the rest of us; you walk around here like you own the place."

"At least I'm honest." He said.

"Are you?" Something about him had always struck her as fake. Not fake like the popular girls who had flashed off their Lacoste shirts before anyone else in Hawkins at even thought of buying them. Billy felt fake like . . . Like those sunglasses at Marty's Convienence Store downtown that gave the world a different tint.

"Well maybe I hide some of that honesty because people like you couldn't handle it."

"Being rude and honest aren't the same thing." She said, and a small smirk flashed on his lips. Not at her . . . But like she had misinterpreted what he had said so wrongly he was almost proud of it. Like he was in on some dark secret she wasn't and never would be.

"You're not as mature as you think you are, Dobler. I think you're afraid." Billy said.

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

"There's a Halloween party this Friday. Some kids parent's are out of town. You wouldn't have any problem joining then would you, since you're not afraid."

"I don't have a costume." That was the end of that discussion.

He turned around. She had stopped too and didn't move when he was a foot away. He was a little over a head taller than her. He smelled of cigarettes, faded leather and a rich cologne infused into the jacket. Reaching out he rubbed a lock of her golden hair between his fingers. Billy's eyes glanced down to her lips. Her feet were rooted to the spot as he leaned forwards, breath warm against her ear. "You could always go as a virgin."

He pulled back with a lop-sided grin. He knew? Was it really that obvious? Her face went a deep red of humiliation. "You jerk."

"Well hey I was just kidding, but I'll that as a yes." A wicked grin appeared on his face. Her face was flaming. "Don't worry, it doesn't show . . . much."

"Jerk." She repeated again, too mortified to think of anything else.

"You just going to stay frozen or we going to measure this field?" He asked, and immediately she began walking to the bleachers. She forced her feet to move forwards. They were not going to freeze in place ever again because of Billy Hargrove.

The white benches loomed over her as she entered beneath.

"I bet you've never even been behind the bleachers before." His voice was low, right behind her. She whipped around, and nearly collided with him.

"We're not in Commie country, Billy, we do personal space here." She took a large step backwards.

"I can't help it you find me so distracting Dobler; being born with looks like these is a curse sometimes. Not that you'd know anything about that."

She gave him a withering look. "Lets just get through tonight. And then we never have to talk again."

"You're right. Just another hour of focusing and we'll never be together again. Just wait a second."

Billy began fishing through his back-pocket of his jeans. He threw a pack of tissues at her and her fingers desperately grappled with catching them. After three haphazardly attempts that had the pack slipping further and further from her hands they hit the ground. Sighing she kneeled down and picked them up. "Why are you throwing these at me?"

"Figured you were going to tear up once we go our separate ways. Heard some girls even die from heartbreak."

Rolling her eyes she pocketed the tissues. "You are so full of yourself. Here, just take this measuring tape and go to the other side and tell me how far the edge is away from the bleacher in that corner, and I'll take the other corner."

With a heavy sigh laden with sarcastic despair he took the ruler from her. "So you know in advance, I never open the letters girls give to me. It's nothing personal, except it is."

Diane refused to dignify his comments with a response, knowing she was playing into whatever game he was playing. He would just have to do that alone. Soon his footsteps were becoming more distant as he trudged to his side of the field.

Taking the tape measurer to the edge of the field near the darkness she knelt down to place it at the white painted line. She finished up quickly, pocketing her notes.

Billy was taking his sweet time. He only got up from his crouch when she was a few steps away from him. But something in his body language changed so sharply she slowed down in caution. He was staring at something in the darkness.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, speaking quieter than she had intended.

He squinted and muttered, "What the hell is that?"

Looking around she took a moment longer to identify. There it was. Someone at the very edge of the forest. Was Steve still here - and lurking at the edge of the football field?

No. His movement was too jerky for that. Her hair stood on end before she could figure out why. "Billy, who is that?" She muttered, her voice dropping to just above a whisper.

"I'm not Superman, do I look like I have better sight than you?"

"Seriously, who is that?"

"You're asking a hell of a lot of questions you won't be getting any answers to."

"That's not . . " She leaned forwards, not realising she was peering over Billy's shoulder, using her hands to balance herself on his arm, "That's not a person?"

It was a question of uncertainty that she was desperate for Billy to vehemently deny. That of course, it was a person. Because only people walked out in the woods. That was the rule of sanity.

At her words he leaned forwards too. "You lost or something?" He yelled.

She whacked him, before she even knew why. The thing went so still it looked frozen. Then it bounded forwards in two steps straight towards them and froze again, causing both of them to stand still as uncertainty was replaced with horror.

"That's not human. That's -" The words died in her throat. No, not human. Too thin, too tall, and too twisted. Billy took a large stumbling step towards the school, his eyes not leaving the creatures. The creature's dark mouth opened like flower petals. A grainy screech emitted from its mouth.

"Run. RUN!" Billy yelled.

Turning sharply around he began sprinting towards the school building. She followed after him, heart beating painfully hard against her ribcage. "No!" She wanted to scream at him, "The door's locked." But the was only enough to get gasping breaths of air into her lungs as she ran towards the building in desperation. Billy's faster pace began widening the gap between them.

She felt like she was running too slow, like she was in a nightmare and her feet were stuck in quicksand. The thudding run of the creatures paws became louder behind her as it was catching up.

Billy got to the door before she did and he yanked on it one, twice. He swore loudly, then whipped his head around to see Diane. His eyes widened and she knew it was right behind her. "Follow me!"

She didn't have to be told twice as he took off, skidding around the corner. They were at the Eastern most part, furthest away from the entrance. Blood roared in her eyes as she sprinted. There! There was a door slightest open, it seemed Billy had spotted that before she had because he had already narrowly adjusted his course to get closer to the door.

The door was propped open with a broom-handle, he yanked it open and held it open for her. "Go, go go!" He roared.

She didn't look behind her as she nearly collided with Billy as he shut the door. He swore rapidly beneath heavy pants as he fumbled with the lock. Her hand gripped his arm in fear as she got ready to yank him back, abandoning all hope at locking them in.

Then the lock click. He grunted as a thud rattled the door and she fell onto the ground as he stumbled backwards. She cried out on impact.

There was another loud thud, like the creature was throwing itself against the door. Then there was silence. Billy looked down at her, then at the end, then back at her and reached out his hand. She gripped it and he pulled her up swiftly.

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the gymnasium's storage room.

"We need to go." He said, and then began dragging her along the room and into the gym. He stood still for a second, scanning the place and then speed-walked over to the exit. They wandered through the dark hallways. She never realised how creepy and unwelcoming the school became when it was abandoned.

The lights flickered on for a brief moment and they looked up. "Is someone here?" She whispered.

He didn't say anything. The lights flickered on and off, on and off. His eyes darted down the hallway. Then the lights went haywire. He swore under his breath, then gripped her tighter, almost unconsciously. "I saw its shadow there at the end."

He pushed her into the closest classroom and swung the door shut, careful not to slam it. They whipped around for somewhere to escape to, but they were stuck. The windows had no opening. "Hide." He grunted, diving for the desk. The lights inside the classroom began flickering too. Diane dove in after him, pressing against him as they both curled up beneath the teacher's desk, contorting their bodies to be small as possible. A light shattered and glass sprinkled onto the ground. She covered her head with her arms and bowed into Billy. His arms slid around her as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. A shiver of terror ran up her spine.

This was death. This was it. It was bleak and hopeless and made breathing hard. Soon she wouldn't be breathing at all. Billy's fingers were digging into back, hard enough to bruise. But she didn't even register the pain as adrenaline pumped through her body, fuelling her desperate survival attempt.

A wailing shriek of frustration from the creature right outside the door caused her to bury her head deeper into her knees as she let out a small sob. They were going to die.

Then there was silence. The lights began flickering less after about a minute. Then they flickered once more. Darkness took over the room again. There was only their heavy, shallow breathing and the monotonous ticking off the clock above the door. For five minutes neither moved.

Billy began wrestling away from under the desk as Diane gripped him harshly, desperate to hold him there. "Let go of me. Diane get off. I think it's gone. Let me go look."

"No!" She hissed.

"I'm starting to get cramps." He protested. That still sounded more bearable than being murdered by a demon. In the end his strength won and she lost her grip on him.

She watched as he neared the door cautiously, her fingers pressed to the linoleum floor. Pressing himself against the wall his hand gripped the door-handle. Slowly he pulled down, and then inched the door open. Everything in her was hysterically demanding she scream at him to close the door and come back. He peaked out, and then put his whole head out, looking up and down the hallway.

Then he closed the door again, less gently before. He strode over to the window and peered out, looking left and right, and even up. But there was nothing. "The coast is clear. Whatever that was is gone."

She paused as she digested his words, then crawled out. Her muscles trembled every few seconds as the adrenaline continued pumping through her veins. They stared at each other. Billy's eyes were bright and the rise and fall of his chest was shallow. The artery on his neck beat furiously. He ran his hands through his hair. Sweat caused the unruly strands near his face to stick to his skin.

"W-we need to go to the police - tell them what happened - oh my God - we need too-" Her breath was coming in uneven bursts. "What the fuck was that thing?"

"A lot of things happened tonight, but most shocking was that Diane Dobler just swore." He sounded distant.

She looked up at him. "How can you be joking right now?"

At the terror in her eyes his expression softened. "Diane, the police don't listen. They never do."

Her brows knitted together and she swallowed hard. She shook her head in disbelief. "No, they do. They always listen, that's their job. They'll understand. I-I mean even if they don't, they'll try to."

Something flashed in his eyes, something dark and volatile. "Trust me," his voice had gained a hard edge, "they don't."

Then he turned around and yanked the door open, striding out. She rushed after him. "Billy, wait."

But she had no choice but not follow him as he stalked the schools empty hallways. His head whipped back and forth at every junction they passed, but he ever slowed his pace. Soon she realised he was navigating to the front of the building where he'd have parked his car.

At the front entrance's door she grabbed his arm. "Wait. We don't know if that thing is out there."

"It's not." He said confidently.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Didn't you see the flickering lights? The closer it is the crazier the electricity goes."

Now that he said it, she did see the connection. But she was blown away by how fast he had put those two factors together. Diane was still processing the demon creature that made her want to curl up in fear. If not for Billy she didn't know if she'd ever have connected the lights to the proximity of the creature.

He opened the front door after unlocking it. "Don't make me carry you to the car."

"I-I'm coming."

They headed quickly towards the car, not quite running but not quite walking either. The second she was in the car he was racing out of the school lot and she had never felt gladder to leave the premise.

The engine roared as they sat silently. She didn't know where they were going, and her mind was too scattered for her to ask. Billy lit a cigarette with trembling fingers. He inhaled sharply and held the smoke for a long time, then exhaled roughly and shook his head.

Halfway through his cigarette he glanced at her. "Listen, I can't go home like this."

"W-what?"

"Like this." He waved at himself. "You got blood on my jacket. Know what kinda question's that'll raise? The ones you don't want answers too."

Diane looked down at her hand. She could see the blood now on her palm. The pain was beginning to settle in, slowly but surely. It must've happened when she fell. "Oh. Right. Okay, we can go to my place."

Diane felt like she was in a dream and was going to wake up soon. Everything around her felt like it was floating and that she was living in a world delayed by five seconds. She directed him to her house on the other end of town, voice distant as she looked outside into the darkness. But all she could see was her own haunted reflection, and next to her, Billy furiously smoking through his third cigarette.

They arrived outside. The living room light was on. "Your parents awake?" He asked, staring up at the sprawling house that towered over the two of them..

She trudged up to the porch, Billy taking the steps two at a time. She inserted the key into the door. "They're not home."

He shut the door behind him and looked around curiously as she turned on the light. "Where are they?"

She lead them into the kitchen. As he eased himself into the mahogany chair he let out an impressed whistle. "You're loaded. Look at this mansion."

"You talking all the time kept interrupting the bragging I always planned on doing." She answered as she put a beer on the table. She opened it and took a sip, nose wrinkling at the taste. She pushed it towards him, uninterested in the beverage.

He eyed it, then grabbed it and chugged half the bottle. After wiping his lips on the back of his hand he took out the pack of cigarettes and placed them on the table. He lit his fifth one since they got in the car.

She pointed at the cigarette. "Can I take it?"

Billy threw her a skeptical look but then handed her the cigarette. Billy shrugged out of his jacket, throwing it on the table. She held the cigarette between her fingers like she saw everyone else do and then held it to her lips. She inhaled and immediately began hacking, handing it back to him. Her lungs burned.

With an amused snort he took it back and took another puff.

Once her throat cleared she spoke again. "So now what?"

"Not what? Nothing, that's what."

"But-"

"Now I wash my jacket. Then I go home. That's all." He got up and dragged his jacket with him. She watched with unseeing eyes as he scrubbed his jacket sleeve under the running water. After a string of muttered curses he began scrubbing harder. He wasn't talking about what had happened and she couldn't form the words without her throat closing up with fear.

"Billy," she got up and took a hold of the jacket, "Let me."

His eyes were wild with frustration which was amplified from the horror of the demon creature. "Fine, just get it off." He snapped.

Taking soap she lathered it in between her hands before setting to work on the jacket. It was a fairly large smear, but she was sure she could get it out.

She sighed, but before she could speak Billy started to talk. "We don't know what we saw."

The blood was coming off now, slowly but surely. Her voice was small. "What - what if it comes back?"

"We deal with it then." His answers were breezy, like it was a minor inconvenience and not a horrifying creature that had tried to murder them.

"What if it comes back here?" The thought of being alone in the house with the thing prowling around Hawkins had her palms growing clammy again.

"It won't come into your house and it won't know if you're here when you're upstairs. Just keep the doors locked." He jammed the bud into the previously clean ashtray on the table. "When are your parents coming back?"

She dried his jacket and handed it back to him. "It wont dry for a few hours, but at least its clean now."

His eyes narrowed for a second, acutely aware she was being evasive where her parents were concerned. But like he kept telling her, he didn't care about her. So he wasn't going to press for answers. And they were done with the group project.

Right. She closed her eyes. The project. Pulling the notepad out of her pocket she slid it over to him. "Here, write down the measurement and I'll just finish the project."

"I can't."

"Don't worry about it. I'll just do both our parts and turn it in. You'll get full credit."

"Listen, Dobler. I don't have the number. Got a little distracted, you know?" He shrugged on the jacket.

She rubbed her eyes. "I'll make up a number."

"Drinking alcohol, trying cigarettes, faking numbers all in one night? I'm startin' to think I'm a bad influence on you."

"And you saved me. What does that say about you?"

Suddenly she was cornered as he placed both hands on either side of her on the table. Her chest nearly brushed his. His brows flashed up as he said, "That maybe you got me wrong."

In their proximity she felt breathless as she stared up at him. The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them, "Maybe you could stay over, just for tonight? N- not like that. There's a couch. But you can also-"

"Dobler," he murmured, looking at her lips and letting his gaze linger before travelling up to meet her eyes again, "At least buy me dinner first."

"That's not what I mean and you know it."

"I have my step-sister to look after." He said, before leaving. It was the first personal thing he had told her. Even though she knew he did have a sister in the middle school as a fact. But she didn't know they didn't share the same parents. She watched as his car left her driveway, plunging it back into darkness as he turned the corner.

She checked the lock twice just to make sure it was definitely locked.

As she curled up into bed she stared at the wall with posters of art her parents had collected from their usual trips all over the States. Sleep wasn't going to come easy, if at all. What the hell was that? And did Steve already know about it?