chapter twenty-four
ruby rising

🖤

STEVE'S CAR HURTLES DOWN the road, lines of evergreen trees snaking up to the sky on either side of the tarmac. See, he normally likes the drive home from his shift at the mall. He likes the emptiness — the mall closes an hour and a half before his shift finishes, thanks to his clean-up duties, so the road's empty of all shoppers — and he likes how his car radio can blare, and that's the only sound for miles. Just him, his radio, and the open road. He keeps on considering doing a road trip this summer, maybe, with Ruby. He's sure he can find someone to lend them a van, and he gets enough holiday to take a couple weeks off. It just depends if (a) he can afford it, and (b) if Ruby can find two weeks spare, too...

But this time, he's got these two shitheads interrupting his perfect, peaceful silence. There's Robin, who almost fought Dustin to sit shotgun, and Dustin, both talking on and on about this Russian message. He keeps on thinking about Ruby. See, he could tell them to shut up, and they wouldn't listen, but his girlfriend? They'd be scared to death. He's also worried about her, and wishes they figured out a way to leave her car at the mall overnight. Would it be too extreme for them to pierce one of her tyres, so the car had no choice to stay parked?

He drops off Dustin first. As he walks away, and he and Robin drive off, her house the next drop-off, Steve lets out a sigh. He'll finish dropping them off soon, then he can go to Ruby's.

The radio's playing some weird old song. His ears prick up, almost, when the song starts going, "Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, baby," and he wonders if he's gained powers. Ruby's always said that periods can sync up, maybe this is the same... but it's him... getting her powers...

OK, OK, he's tired, shut up.

Robin must've noticed the song, too, because she glances across at Steve, and tells him, "I'm sure she'll be fine, whatever's going on..."

"If that's you asking what's wrong—"

"It wasn't!" She pauses. "OK, it was, but I'm just confused!"

"Well, I can't tell you!" he says, annoyed. He remembers being the person out of the loop, begging Ruby to tell him what was going on with her, and he knows it sucks for Robin, but this is different. Ruby is his girlfriend, she was his best friend for years — they know everything about each other, they've been there for each other at every fork in the road. It was weird that he didn't know something about her. Robin doesn't know Ruby like that. Not to mention, he doesn't even know if they like each other...

Robin sighs. "She just seemed... upset, that's all." And Steve wants to correct her, because it wasn't that Ruby was upset, it was that she was scared. She's scared of the Mind Flayer. "I've never seen her like that."

Steve has, countless times. Mostly when she was seeing the demogorgon, before she told him about that. He'd find her in tears, all colour gone from her face, her body — not in that way, he was being a good friend by hugging her — boiling hot. He keeps on thinking about that time they ate those brownies, and she went to the Upside Down by accident, and he held her the rest of her night. He keeps on thinking he'll find her like that... He hopes that's how he'll find her, not like Byers (not Nancy's one, gross, he means the kid one) last year...

"Yeah, well, don't go telling anyone about this," he warns her.

"I'm... not?" says Robin, tilting her head in confusion. "I spend everyday with you, who am I gonna tell?"

"I dunno," he says.

He's just got to cover all bases, by telling her that. What if people think Ruby's a weirdo because she's going through something, and when she's dealt with it, she comes back to reality and she's the town freak? That's the number one thing she's afraid of. (That, and bats, but that's completely beside the point.)

"OK..." says Robin, as they pull up to her house. "Let me know if Ruby's OK tomorrow, please? If she's not hanging out again — which I enjoyed! I'm not saying that in a I-didn't-like-her-there because I did! And now that I'm saying this, it sounds super like I didn't, but I super did! She's really nice! I just don't know if she likes me, or if she's OK—"

"You're so weird about her," says Steve, raising an eyebrow.

"She's just..."

"Perfect?"

Robin sighs — longingly, almost, which makes no sense. "Yeah."

"Look, if you wanna be friends with Ruby, you've just got to accept it," says Steve, and — listen to this, because this is actually very funny and smart of him — he adds, "It's like someone designed her to be perfect, you know."

"Totally," says Robin — again, in a strangely longing tone.

Anyway. Robin gets out of the car, and Steve makes the final drive to Ruby's. He turned off the radio earlier, the song freaking him out, but decides to put it back on. And — weirdly — he hears the same annoying old song.

"I'm gonna steal you away from all those guys..."

He changes stations.

"Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, baby..."

He changes again.

"Ruby, Ruby, when will you be mine?"

He changes again.

"Made a bet—"

Again.

"How I want you—"

Again.

"Like a ghost—"

No.

Steve turns off the radio.

This is fucking weird now.

First, his girlfriend is acting weird. And now, this weird old song with her name in it is playing on every single radio station. That can't be a coincidence. It's not as if it's a new Wham! song. It's an old song. It shouldn't be on every station. Unless this is directed towards him — is this the Mind Flayer messing with him? Trying to freak him out, make him distracted changing stations that he doesn't watch his driving, so he crashes and dies? That could happen. Ruby wouldn't do this, would she? Why would she does this? That would be weird, right? To make him listen to an old song with her name in? That's fucking weird, even for this town's standards.

He pulls up to her house, and immediately notices that the lights are off. Her car's there, though. So she must be in...

Steve gets out of his car, and doesn't hesitate before making his way up the steps, onto the porch. He goes to knock, but the door's ajar. Ruby had a monster chasing her for years. She wouldn't leave the door unlocked.

He steps inside, trying to look for her.

"Hey, Rubes...?"

The house is eerily quiet. He knows Ruby's aunt should be back tonight — and she is, her car's on the driveway — so there should be loud music coming from the kitchen, the TV on, her aunt walking over to greet him. And yet, there's nothing. Steve questions if he should back to his car and get his bat.

"Ruby...?"

"Steve."

He jumps backwards, the silhouette of his girlfriend standing next to the stairs. How long had she been standing there? Why is she standing there, in the fucking dark? He wants to go towards her — he feels a weird pull towards her, not the normal lust he feels whenever he's around her, but a strange, overwhelming desire to go towards her. Like a magnetism. But there's a voice in his head, telling him to stay put. With all of the weirdness of this week, he decides to stay put.

"Are you OK?" he says.

His girlfriend steps forwards. He feels the desire to step back.

"I'm fine," she tells him.

"Are you... Are you sure...?"

She's standing right in front of him now. He can barely see her, but saying that, there's something wrong with her. Her face — it's her face, but something is off about her. Like her eyes are darker, or something. She's so still, he wonders if she's even breathing. Her lips are dark, too, something smudged around them, and he realises it's a nosebleed covering them, dried to her mouth. His Ruby would never leave herself looking like that.

"Ruby, your nose..."

He has to fight against every human urge to reach his hand out, to try and wipe the blood away. But this is his girlfriend, his best friend — he doesn't care if something is wrong, if he doesn't feel safe. Ruby's upset.

His hand rests against her face, his thumb lightly grazing her skin to wipe the blood.

And this is when Flayed Ruby loses control.

Ruby — the real Ruby — reaches forwards in her mind, and throws the imposter out of the driver's seat. The Mind Flayer may want to kill the world, but Ruby is not hurting Steve.

Ruby's eyes blink, and she stumbles backwards.

Then, she looks up, at her boyfriend.

"Steve," she says, and he notices that she sounds normal again.

Ruby can hear the voice of the Mind Flayer, already trying to take back control of her body. She can hear the God-awful voice taunting her. "I'll just kill him, you stupid girl — do you think your little boyfriend can help you? With what I've got planned—"

She looks at Steve. She can barely see him, because the Mind Flayer likes the lights off, but she tries to memorise what she can. If this is the last time she sees him, she wants to remember his face. Maybe it's too late for her, but she'll do everything to protect him.

Steve can't see Ruby's face, but he can tell she's panicking. "You need to go."

"Why?" he asks. "What's going on?"

"Please—Go."

"I'm not going until I know you're OK—"

"Come back, Ruby..."

Ruby tries to think of the best excuse to keep Steve away.

"Eleven's watching over me, my aunt's with my dad, Eleven knows what to do and I'm staying here until she's killed the Mind Flayer — do not come into this house until it's over. Please! Steve. I'm fine. I'm going to be fine—" She breathes in, and almost chokes, the Mind Flayer trying to shut her up. She splutters and fights through it, looking at her boyfriend. "Leave now."

"Your time is up," the Mind Flayer tells her.

Her gaze focuses on her boyfriend, her desperation to keep him alive fighting the Mind Flayer away.

Steve begins, "Are you—?"

"I love you, Steve," she says, her voice breaking. "Please go."

She has to use her entire strength to keep her consciousness intact, watching as her boyfriend leaves her house. Ruby glances to the side where the kitchen is, knowing that's where her aunt's body is now lying, the Mind Flayer having killed her just before Steve arrived. She keeps herself still, so that all of her energy can concentrate on staying un-possessed. But she knows her hands are wet with her aunt's blood. And that the floor is red, her clothes stained. Thank God Steve didn't see that.

The door closes. The car engine turns on. Steve drives away.

Ruby breathes a sigh of relief — and in her second of weakness, Flayed Ruby snatches back the reins.

🖤

WHAT TO DO, WHEN YOU'RE IN POSSESSION of the world's greatest human?

That's what he is wondering, as he watches over Flayed Ruby. He sifts through her memories like they're documents in a filing cabinet. He remembers his time at that laboratory, all of those files on all of those children. He thinks about the file on Ruby — the file that grew into a section, that grew into a drawer, that grew into a cabinet, then a room. She had a special room, just for her. It was decorated nicely, and whenever he entered, he felt a pang of jealousy, a wish to use his powers to kill the man behind it. Why should the old man have his perfect granddaughter, and let his greatest weapon rot? Humans are so weak.

This is why Ruby was his first target. The perfect human, now his. If only Brenner could see her now.

That's something he learned, too, being in this dimension. Brenner was presumed dead, sure, but that's not true, another lie Brenner's people made up to cover their tracks. His plan is to destroy Hawkins, and then go for Brenner. He has the most beautiful image in his head, of little Flayed Ruby showing up to Brenner's house, killing him clean. Maybe Ruby would approve of that.

(Instead, he hears Ruby's thoughts — he realises they hear each other's thoughts, now — as she pathetically goes, "My grandpa's alive?")

"Not for long," he tells her.

But first, Flayed Ruby must destroy Hawkins...

The question is, who to Flay first?

🖤

FROM THE SWIMMING POOL, EVERYONE — the kids with sunblock plastered across their faces, the greasy middle schoolers, the hot moms — can hear the sound of a car stereo. Blondie's One Way or Another carries its way through the car park, over the fence, around the pool. Billy Hargrove hates their music; he thinks Debbie Harry's voice is too whiney. His ex-girlfriend Ruby would always force him to listen to them, though, which at the time he despised but now missed. "They're amazing, don't be so stuck-up!" she'd tell him, pushing his cassette out of his car stereo, making space for her own. She'd make copies of her favourite songs for him to listen to... Sometimes, he asks himself if she does the same for her new boyfriend, which always causes a jealous sting throughout his body.

He's sitting at the lifeguard stand, bored. His mind's already on her now, so he gives in and thinks about his ex, the hottest girl in school that — for some reason — chose some has-been over him. She's modelling now, apparently. He tries to distance himself from talk about her, which is difficult in a town that worships the ground she walks on.

He remembers when he first moved to Hawkins. He dated girls, sure, but he never really cared about them. And then, his first day here, he walks into lunch, determined to make his mark, and there she was, leaning against a lunch table, rolling her eyes at something Brad Cooper was saying.

Billy had walked up to Tommy — the dickhead that befriended Billy on the spot, thinking his car was cool — and had asked, "Who's she?"

"Oh," Tommy whistled. "Ruby Brenner. But don't even bother, she's turned down every guy since her and Harrington ended things."

"Harrington?"

"That douche," and Tommy nodded towards a guy with a massive head of hair, and sunglasses on indoors. He walked past Ruby, who gave him a dirty look, but watched him anyway. "He used to be the king around here. Now he's some loser with no friends."

"I see," Billy had said.

He remembers thinking at the time, if that girl used to date the king, she's my way in. Plus, she was hot, and he hadn't done anyone in a while. Later he learned that she was only friends with Harrington, but Billy always had suspicions that there was something there, even if it was just friends with benefits. Like, come on. How could someone spend that much time with a girl like her, and not fuck her, at least once?

So, Billy took his chances. He walked over there, and overheard her go, "I don't care enough to make an excuse, I just don't want to go out with you."

"Is he bothering you?" Billy had asked, stopping at their table.

Ruby looked across at him. He remembers this still — she looked him up and down, slowly, eyeing him up, as if asking herself if he was worth it. She narrowed her eyes, and asked him, "Who are you?"

Billy held out his hand. "Billy Hargrove."

Ruby looked down at his hand, and slowly, extended her own to shake his.

"Ruby Brenner," she said back.

He put his other hand over hers, and gave his normal smile — he wasn't booksmart, but he knew how to get his way with chicks, that's for sure.

But Billy knew he had to play his cards right, so he looked at Brad, and he told him something threatening to get him to clear off. Billy can't remember what now, he's threatened a lot of people since. But it was enough to get Brad to leave them alone. Ruby was watching Billy the whole time, surprised, before she asked him to sit with her at lunch.

Fast forward one week, and they were parked out by lover's lake.

Now, in the unfortunate present day, he lets out a sigh, sinking into his chair. He's still angry that he lost the hottest girl in school to Harrington — and he can't even beat him up over it, because his sister forced him to make that stupid pacifist promise. No other girl has been like Ruby, too, which pisses him off. When she'd turn off his music for hers it was charming. But when Tina did it? Fuck, did it annoy him. Tina and Becky and Tammy all did it to be cute — he thinks they were trying to act like Ruby, aggressive in a hot way — but Ruby did it because she didn't care, she wanted to listen to her music.

Maybe that's why every girl here bores him now. Ruby did something to him. And not just put him in line — although, and he'd never admit this, she did do. He felt shitty when she broke up with him... He wouldn't admit this, either, but he think he sort-of liked her. Plus, he always felt territorial around Harrington, so for Ruby to leave him for Harrington? That hurt like a bitch.

He looks at the swimming pool, when he sees the girl in question — Ruby Brenner, in a small red bikini, sauntering past the kids in the pool. Billy starts to climb down from his chair.

"Brenner, twice in one week?" he says, walking towards her, his usual charming smile appearing across his face. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

She stops walking. Flayed Ruby hears the Mind Flayer go, "That's the one."

"Me and Steve broke up," says Flayed Ruby.

Billy raises his eyebrows. He didn't expect that.

"And, you know," she continues. Flayed Ruby makes her voice higher, trying to gain sympathy. Billy looks too stunned, though, from her apparent breakup to notice. "I remember you saying if there was ever a problem, to see you..."

There's a split second where his brain goes, is this not odd? Ruby Brenner, the girl of his dreams, the girl that has actively ignored him, shunned him, for the past six months, interested in him again? This girl — who until now, was so madly in love with her new boyfriend that Billy thought they'd be married by '87 — wanting to fuck him. Because, come on, he knew it, she knew it, you only say, "if there's ever a problem to see you," when you want to fuck someone. Especially when that someone is your ex-boyfriend.

She's freshly single and she wants him to comfort her? Let him be her guest.

He places a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go somewhere quieter, shall we...?"

Billy doesn't run — only losers run, and anyway, it's against pool rules — but he certainly walks faster to find Heather, the other lifeguard working today. When he finds her, she's leaning against the counter at check-in, blowing bubblegum. She raises her eyebrow when she sees Billy.

"I need to go on break," he tells her.

Heather argues, "Uh, why?"

"None of your business," he snaps.

He turns around, and Flayed Ruby is standing there, hands on her hips. Billy's about to drool.

"I thought she was with Harrington...?" says Heather, from behind him.

"Was," says Billy, with a shit-eating grin. "I'm just gonna, uh, show Ruby where the women's locker rooms are..."

He walks away, and he hears Heather go, "Ew." But Billy doesn't care. He's finally done it. He's got Ruby Brenner back. The hottest girl in school — the final thing that proves he's the King of Hawkins — back by his side. Harrington never stood a chance against Billy fuckin' Hargrove.

"So, how are you feeling, then...?" says Billy, trying to sound like he cares. He puts an arm around Ruby, directing her towards the locker room, and licks his lips. If he pretends to care, comforts her for a little while, he's got it in the bag.

"I mean, I'm a little upset, but it's all for the best," says Flayed Ruby, pouting. "The distance was just gonna be too difficult..."

"I bet," says Billy, as he opens the door into the locker room. He watches her walk past him, eyeing up his next meal. But, as she steps past, their arms grazing past the other, he notices how cold she feels — which would be bizarre anyway considering the weather, but he remembers Ruby being famously hot. "I'm hot in all ways, it's whatever," she would tell him when they were dating. But, now, she's freezing.

He keeps on looking at her, because something feels off. For a moment he wonders if it's because this feels out-of-character. Would Ruby Brenner, hours after breaking up with Harrington, go straight to fucking someone that Harrington hates? Billy reasons with himself that Ruby did the same to him last year...

... But, annoyingly, Ruby and Harrington were different. They were solid, one moving force together. Billy never had that with her. This whole thing is starting to put a bad taste in his mouth...

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asks.

Behind him, the locker room door quietly closes. But, normally, the locker room doors slam shut — they're massive pieces of metal, he's convinced they can't close softly. He looks around, just as the door locks itself.

"What the...?"

"I thought this is what you wanted," says Flayed Ruby, her voice emotionless.

He turns back around, the change in tone confusing him.

"I thought Tina and Becky and Tammy weren't as good as me...?" she says, and he remembers what he was thinking earlier. That's fucking weird. "They were aggressively hot to be cute, to be like me."

Her eyes look black, he thinks. He thinks she had brown eyes, but no, this is something else. Her skin looks void of all colour. She's standing still, watching him. The steam from sauna is instead an icy chill, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Ruby, baby..."

"Oh, I'm not your baby..."

She moves her hand, the lights flickering. They switch off for a second, and when they turn back on, there's a large, black monster standing behind her, its long legs resting either side of her.

Billy tries to step backwards, to scream, but he's being forced to stay still. Forced by... Ruby?

As he struggles, a menacing smile cracks across Flayed Ruby's face.

"I'm not even Ruby."

flayed ruby is kinda hot pass it on (also do u see why i called this ruby's body after jennifer's body hehe)

i hope u guys enjoyed!! i hope the changes in perspectives isn't confusing as well?? but i wanted to write other people as the narrators to show that ruby isn't narrating/conscious anymore. so we got a billy pov!! i wanted to show that he kind of had feelings for ruby, but obviously bc he's a dick he oversexualises her in a gross... lowkey misogynistic... way? bc if he's racist he'll sure be sexist!

let me know what you thought!!<33