"Okay, so...You really go play board games with 12 year olds?" Billy asked, raising an eyebrow, not believing what I was saying.
"Yes. Dungeons and Dragons, it's called." I tried to explain to him.
"And you're...Uh...Part of their 'Party'?" he continued, looking at me in disbelief.
"Yes. Mike is the Paladin, Will is the Cleric, Lucas is the Ranger, Dustin is the Bard and El is the Mage." I smiled, looking at him as he drove us to school.
"And what are you, babe? The charmer of the group? The Fox?" he chuckled, looking at me.
"There's no Foxes in DnD, you, idiot." Max grumbled from the backseat.
"I'm the Rogue...A Tiefling Rogue. That's why they called me Fox. Rogues are sneaky and sly." I grinned at him and continued."I think you'd make a fine Bard. You have charisma, dexterity and strength." I try to hype him up, but he only smirked at me with a confused look. "Uhm...You can go around and smack people in the head with a lute." I grin at him, making him slowly start smiling at how weird it sounded, then chuckled. 
"I'll buy a lute just for that." he let out an amused breath before looking back at the road.
"Why did they let you in the Party and not me?" the poor redhead pouted.

"Would you want me to talk to them? You see, some of them may have some...Issues, but it's nothing personal. El, our Mage...She disappeared just a few ago and we kinda miss her. I guess they may be reluctant to have anyone else join us because they miss her." I told her in a soft voice.
"Why couldn't they tell me that in the first place?!" she leaned frontwards, between mine and Billy's seats, looking at me.
"Well...To put it simple, Max...It's a problem among all ages. We lack one fundamental skill that could solve more than 80% of our problems and that is, drum roll...Communication." I say dramatically, making her giggle confused.
"What do you mean by that? We all talk so much, don't we?" she asked again, very curious.
"Yes, but that's different. When you talk, you can either hear, just like you do with any noise, or listen, which you only do when you actually use your brain. Thing is, Max...Most of us don't know how to Communicate. Your problem with the Idiot Party could have been solved very easily if only they were up for communication, but they're a bunch of silly nerds. Really. Many people pretend to listen, but they don't and you realise that only when they get busted." turning to look at her, I smile and pat her head. "I'd say don't take it personally, they're just boys, they're stupid...But I can talk to them. Believe me or not, I know how to make them listen."
"Whoa, really? You can do that?" she gleamed and practically radiated joy.
"That's why they call me Fox, remember~?" I wink at her with a chuckle, before realising we've already arrived.
"I say, the way things are, my sister's gonna charm you before I do." he scoffed, seeing Max skateboard to her classes.
"Awww, come on, Billy, don't be like that. She's a real sweetheart. I like her around me, just like I like you." I nudge him slightly, despite not even budging him. "Besides, it's nice to finally have proper conversations, y'know?" I shrug a bit, looking away.
"Say, babe, wanna see me at practice today? You can cheer for me as I beat the shit out of that Pussy Harrington." he boasted, putting an arm around my shoulder.
"I...Hope not literally, but at the game." I chuckled nervously, looking up at him slightly.
"Fine, fine, whatever you want." Billy raised his arms in defeat in a joking manner.
"Billy! That was mean!" I grinned, trying to stifle my laugh.
"Now, there, toots, is where you are wrong and you don't even believe yourself. I heard your sweet giggle." he poked my cheek, making me blush slightly and look down.
"What time?" I asked, sighing, hoping that nothing will interfere.
"First class after lunch." he flashed a charming smile my way.
"I guess that can work. Sure, I'll be there. But, uhm...Apart from the fact that you gotta score...I know literally nothing about Basketball." I confessed awkwardly.
"Well, you got the gist of it. Leave the rest to me." he winked, putting his shades on his head. "Project, after?"
"If you want to, sure!" I smiled

With that, I went on with my daily at classes, and gotta, time flew by pretty fast, and before I knew it, lunch began and I went outside to eat, just as I always do, listening to music on my cassette iPod.
An hour went by fast and I had to go see Billy's practice match, his team against Steve's, and for once, I was a tiiiiny bit intrigued by sports.

I enter the P.E. room shyly, seeing how everyone was busy doing the warming up, and I sit on the bleachers, opening my book and reading "The Lord Of The Rings", my absolute favourite fantasy book, before the match began.

"Hey, Black, this place is for sweating, not reading! Give that here!" a voice yelled in my ear, making me yelp, before they took the book from my hands.
"Give me my book back, please!" I stand up quietly, trying not to draw attention to myself.
"Why are you here? This is hardly a proper place for you." Steve scoffed, looking at the book. "Psh, what's this rubbish? You're really reading this? Nerd." he rolled his eyes, holding the book above his head, barely out of my reach. "If you want it back that badly, reach up!" he continued, laughing.
"Come on, please, give it back! I didn't come here for trouble, I just wanted to cheer for a friend!" I tried to say, trying to reach my book.
"Friend? You? Of all people? Don't be kidding." he scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, lookie here, King Harrington! Too afraid to face me and you prefer harassing a girl? You're such a pussy." Billy's voice echoed from behind Steve, as he easily got the book from his hand. "Why don't cha come on the field and fight someone your size?" he smirked, getting in his face.
"I won't let you win, Hargrove." Steve sneered, annoyed, before bumping his shoulder into Billy's and going to field to his team.
"So, you came to cheer on me. Guess now I can't lose, huh?" he smirked, flexing a bit as he took off his shirt.
"Be careful out there. If you flex and show off too much, you might forget you're playing and not trying to find your next hook up." I smirked slightly, gingerly taking my book from his hand. "Thank you. I appreciate you standing up for me...Again." I smiled softly, rubbing his arm a bit, as a way to both say Good Luck and Thank you.
"Who needs a hook up when I have to charm the pants off of ya?" he got closer to my face, in a teasing manner.
"Go fuck them up...Babe." I whisper lowly in his ear, as the smirk never left my face, and yet, I back down and looked away slightly.
"Great, now I'm turned on and it's entirely your fault." he shook his head, biting his lip as he jogged to court, ready to start the game.

The game soon started, and while I have to admit I had no idea what was going on, I would cheer every time Billy would score. I think that's what I'm supposed to do, right?

The whistle blew and Harrington had the ball, dribbling left and right, until Billy came in front of him, looking intimidating as ever, and they seemed to be...Talking? Do people talk during games?
They would bump into each other a lot, before Billy somehow threw him to the ground and got the ball, showing off again as he marked yet another point for his team, then turning to wink my way as he saw I was clapping.

What a jerk.

The whistle blew again, one of the shirtless guys was dribbling the ball and Steve was blocking him, but, of course, since he's the best player in our year, Billy managed to easily secure the ball and dribbled it away from Steve, but then stopped and started taunting Harrington.

"King Steve! King Steve, everyone! I like it, play it tough today." he got closer to his face, annoying Steve.
"Jesus! Do you ever stop talking?! Come on!" Steve tried to make Billy shut up, but to no avail.
"What? Afraid the coach is gonna bench you now that I am here? Huh?" Billy laughed as easy going as usual, then dribbled and pushed past Steve and stop ANOTHER point.

This time, instead of looking at me, he went to Steve, offered to help him get up, but told him something in a very intimidating voice and let him fall to the ground again, before coming in front of me, putting his arms on his hips, smirking cockily and panting.

"Liked the show, babe?" he asked, his chin up.
"I have no idea what I watched, but hey, I think you won, right? Congrats! It looked like you did all the job, so I guess I know why the teacher likes you." I clapped my hands in front of my chest, praising him.
"Look at her being so cute. Didn't I tell ya you were melting my heart? Come 'ere, gimme a hug!" he approached me, but I yelped, giggled a bit before stepping back.
"No, no, no. Go take a shower first, then I'll hug you, okay?" I put my hands up to signal him to stop moving, but he only chuckled.
"One of these days, I won't be the only one sweating, babe." he teased in a low voice, making me blink and tilt my head in confusion.
"I...I don't do sports, Billy, what do you mean?" I smile at him.
"You...You didn't get that, did you?" he sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Uh...No, sorry." I grin awkwardly.
"Never mind. Wait for me by the car, will ya? Unless you wanna join me in the shower." he winked, giving me a charming look.
"Okay, I'll wait you outside. See ya!" I said cheerfully, walking to his Camaro.

However, before I reached the car, I saw Max and Lucas arguing and I ran to them, putting my hands on her shoulders.

"Hey, guys! What brings you here?" I asked, trying to calm down the waters a bit.
"Lucas, here, and the rest of his stupid party, don't understand anything! They act like they want me to be their friend, but then they treat me like garbage!" she yells at him, annoyed.
"That's not true!" Lucas tried to defend himself, but Max refuted with a simple "Yes it is!"
"Is this about the AV club meetings?" I went between them, looking left and right.
"Yes! They can't stop keeping secrets from me and it's so annoying! We're not in 2nd grade anymore!" she shouted, very angry, making me sigh.
"Okay, kids, calm down. First of all, Lucas, I really need to talk to you guys about this. Max deserves to be in the party too, okay? She'd be a great addition. Secondly...Is this about...About Will?" I ask the second question a bit quieter.
"Yes, yes it is! Don't get me wrong, I want Max in our party, but we're 6 in our party, not only me, and I can't decide by myself! You, me and Dustin want her, but is barely around anymore and Mike declines every time, because of El!" he raised his voice at me, making me smile in annoyance and sign for him to calm down.
"Okay, kids, okay, I understand your problems and while I do think Max should be in our party, I think we should talk, the 6 of us...Like, have a REAL talk, because things have gone out of control these days and I wasn't able to stay in contact with you too much because of school stuff, as you know. Now...Uhm...You should have told me Will wasn't okay. El is not the only one like that, if you remember. I will tell Max everything that happened to us so none of you will be able to complain again." I said sternly, looking at Lucas, who widened his eyes.
"Wait, why would you do that?! We're supposed to keep it a secret from everyone! We're already 6 people and Will's mum who know these things! You know how words spread! It's a small town!" he tried to protest, worried, but I only shook my head.
"I trust Max with my life and I vouch for her. She won't spread our secrets, I'm sure of that. She just wants to be your friend, morons. Oh, Max, your brother is here. Let's go home, shall we?" I asked her softly, leading her to the car.
"Sure. Oh, and, you still stink!" she shouted past he shoulder, letting him panic there all alone.
"Boys can be real jerks, huh?" I shrugged, rolling my eyes. "Don't worry, I will show you something you'll never forget."
"Yes, please~!" she grinned up at me until we got in front of Billy, who looked pretty annoyed.
"Hey, King Billy, how are you feeling after such a glorious win? I mean, I think it was glorious, considering how relaxed you were every time you showed off so shamelessly." I teased him, motioning to Max to get in the car.
"With you cheering for me oh so pretty, what was I supposed to do?" he asked, flexing a bit.
"Mind if I come over? Or are your parents home? Max asked me to chat and do some girl stuff. Is that okay with you? If not, she can come over at mines?" I smiled at him sweetly.
"Awe, come on, toots, stop smiling at me like that, y'know I can't refuse you. They ain't home yet, you can come over. But don't think the little twerp can have you all for herself all day." he winked in approval, which made me hug him tightly.
"Thanks, Billy! You're the best!" I say, kissing his knuckles before rushing to the passenger's seat.
"Whoa, babe, what was that? Shouldn't I have been the one to do that?" he asked slowly as he got in his seat, looking at me a bit weirdly.
"Does it matter? I think it's sweet no matter who does it. It was my way of thanking you." I give him a soft smile as I lean back on my seat, closing my eyes.
"Hmm...Hey, toots, can ya hold somethin' for me?" he asked as he started the car and left the parking lot.
"Of course." I replied absent-minded.

Without realising, something warm softly lifted my hand a bit, and as I opened my eyes, I see Billy's hand pressed to mine, his fingers intertwined with mine.
He wasn't looking at me, instead, his eyes were fixed on the road, an almost invisible blush gracing his sun-kissed cheeks, making me smile at him.
I was debating whether or not I should say something or not, but I settled for just squeezing his hand a bit and turning the music volume a tad higher, which made him grin.

We sang the lyrics to the songs, which made the ride home pretty fast, like usual.
When we got out of the car, Max went to my side and dragged me inside, making me chuckle at her eagerness.
We both sat on her bed and she looked at me with such curious eyes that she made want to hug her constantly.

"So, uhm...This is all gonna sound very crazy. It's gonna be SO crazy that you will think I'm lying, but honestly, out of all those idiots, I'm the person you'll believe and I'll show you why, at the end." I began, smirking a bit at her reactions. "The secret the guys hide are...Like a real life DnD campaign. With the Demogorgon and all that. I know, I know, bullshit, huh? Well, I can't show you one YET, but by the time I grind some sense into those idiots...Well, I mean, hopefully you WON'T get to see any monster, they are super scary, but like...Basically, there's this monster that kidnapped Will and got him in other world and uh...We found his body, but he this one is the real one, and uhm...Well, we managed to get rid of the monster...I and El, more like, and the way I saw Lucas today, I think something's happened to Will. Bad enough that maybe the monster managed to find another way here." I took a deep breath after ranting all that out, making the girl look at me like I just said the Earth was flat.
"Okay, okay...So then...Let's say I believe you. You have no reason to lie, unless you're schizophrenic or something. First of all, who is this El? And secondly, how did you stop the monsters?" she asked skeptically, but wanting to be proven wrong.
"Well...El...El is short for Eleven. She was an experiment who managed to escape and we found her." I explained to her with a big smile.
"You expect me to believe that?" her incredulous look only made me chuckle at her.
"Do you know what my real name is...Well, was, actually?" my smile turned into a smirk as soon as she shook her head. "My name was Three. Do you wanna know why?" again, her vigorous nod made me continue my story, as I pulled up my Tshirt sleeve, revealing the "3" tattoo. "Because I, too, was an experiment who managed to escape...That was 5 years ago." I explained with a chuckle, seeing her mouth agape as she gingerly touched the tattoo.
"Whoaa...And what did they do to you?" she asked again, looking as she was going to jump up and down from excitement.
"What they did to me...Well, a lot of things. But that's not the right question, Max. Y'know what the right question is~?" I teased her, before continuing. "What resulted after what they did to me~!" I smirked at her.
"What happened? Did you get super powers or something?!" she screamed before I shushed her.
"Do you see that notebook on the desk? Well..." I chuckled lowly before I made the notebook come into my hand. "It's not there anymore, now, is it?" I winked at her when she started cheering and jumping on me.
"OH MY GOD, THAT WAS SO COOL! DO THAT AGAIN! DO THAT AGAIN!!" she yelled excitedly, making open her wardrobe's door, before slamming it back and then opening the window, making her literally jump and clap at me.
"THAT'S SO COOL!! WHO NEEDS WONDER WOMAN, WHEN WE HAVE YOU?! Imagine that! America's Hero, Katrina Black, otherwise known as The Fox! Oh, look at her, she's saving the day again! Whoooo!" she made a superhero pose, but I told her to stop in her tracks for a second.
"I haven't really used my powers in a very long time because...Well...It's not really something you'd want to go out in the open with some people. But...Uhmm...Let me try to make you fly, or, uhm, well, float. Want that?" I asked shifting in a better position so I won't screw up or anything.
"You. Can. Do. That?!" she jaw-dropped, making me blush a bit.
"Well...Kinda? Like...Just like how I managed to get the notebook, I can move you in the air. But it's more difficult so it takes a bit of a strain, so if my eye or nose start to bleed, don't worry, it's normal, okay?" I assured her.

Taking a deep breath, I extend my arm towards her and focus, making her slowly raise into the air, moving her left and right as she giggled and pretended to be a superhero or that she was swimming.
I couldn't help but laugh with her, but I had to put her down before a headache would hit me and I could lose focus and drop her.

"Sorry I got you down, I was afraid I might drop you. I can do that again a bit later, if you want." I cleared my throat, before ruffling her hair. "Is there anything else you want to hear? I should go to your brother and ask him if he's up for some tutoring. I mean...I was supposed to give him a test yesterday, but I couldn't come over yesterday, so I told him tomorrow...But I said that not realising tomorrow is Friday and he has a Basketball match, so that's out of the question." I scratch awkwardly at my neck.
"Say...Do you like my brother? He's more tolerable to be around since you appeared and...When you're with us, he's weirdly nice. Like...I would have never expected him to hold a girl's hand like that. He's such a man whore and he's so violent! ...But I guess I kinda get him, in a way. His dad is really...Really...A huge asshole." she murmurs the last part before flunging herself down on her bad.
"Do you...Want to talk about it?" I lean on my arm, petting her hair softly.
"If you want to listen...Yeah. Maybe this way you'll understand Billy better. Who knows, maybe you can tame him or something, I dunno." she sighed, burying her face in her pillow.
"You know...Billy has saved me from bullying twice since you came. And he's been very sweet with me so far. I...I know he whores around a lot and he's very violent...And gosh darn it, he flirts with me more than he breathes, I think...But I really appreciated that he didn't beat up a guy when I asked him to. He had him by the throat, and I begged him not to punch him...And he didn't." I confess, putting my head on the pillow next to her.
"Woaw...Sure that was my brother?" she chuckled, turning on her side.
"Haha, yeah, I promise, it was him." I grinned softly.
"So...So, I don't really know everything, okay? But...But Billy is afraid of Neil. He's always screaming very aggressively at Billy and it can't be a recent thing. And I think he sometimes hits him too. He can't accept my mum as his mum, which I can understand, but he hasn't had someone in his life who has been as nice as you are since his mother left him." she explained, smiling sadly.
"Well...To be fair, I was expecting something like that. Childhood trauma usually manifests in two ways...Either like me, or like him. But...But I think...Maybe I can somehow handle this." I brought her into a hug, which she reciprocated.
"He's been a part of my life all this time and I don't know him as something more than a violent guy...But can you help him? I know it's a lot to ask, but..." she trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Don't worry, Maxi, I will see what I can do. I'm kinda stuck with him the whole year whether I like it or not, so I won't let him get worse than he is." I giggled at her, but before she could say anything, the door opened, revealing Billy, his shirt halfway unbuttoned.
"There's so much love in only one room, but what 'bout lil' ol' me~?" he slurred in a supposedly sexy way, leaning on the door.
"Billy! Remember how yesterday I was supposed to give you that test, but I couldn't come over? Like, I said I would give it to you tomorrow, but I didn't realise tomorrow is your match and...And like, you have to celebrate your victory, so I won't stress you with a test, clearly. But like, you want to take it today, or do you want on Sunday?" I ranted on as I got on the edge of the bed, but before soon, he just chuckled and picked me up bridal style.
"Let's take that test. I've been staring at your lips all day, Kitten, and today I'm even more motivated to find out their taste." he laughed, getting me to his room and gently pulling me on the bed.
"Are you sure, Billy? There's no rushing...I mean, you can have a few days more to revise...And this chapter is not the easiest one, so I won't blame you." I smiled nervously, looking away.
"Nahhh, s'okay. I was prepared for the one yesterday, so bring it on." he told me with the most confident smirk in the world, as he sit down on his desk chair.
"Okay, so uhm...Yesterday I stood after class with Mrs. Green to create the test for you in a way that it would be structured the same as the final exam is, which is why I couldn't come over. But...Here you go. You can write in your notebook and I will correct it afterwards, I have the point-grading right here. I'm asking again, Billy - Are you absolutely sure you're up for it?" I asked him for the millionth time, putting the test in front of him.
"Yes, babe, I am. I'm a man of my word. Responsibility and Respect." he muttered, scanning the test paper.
"That sounded a bit robotic...But I won't ask you about it now. Good luck and focus. You have 2 hours from...Now." I told him, getting on the bed and doing some improvements to the project.

Two hours passed by faster than the blink of an eye, making me get up and go to Billy, patting him on the shoulder and telling him that time was up.
He looked at me since we were about the same height with him sitting down, and in his eyes I could see a certain...Restlessness. Like a fight of emotions was going on, but he didn't know what to do. I blinked at him twice before cupping his face and frowning.

"Are you okay, sweety? You look upset. Did something happen?" I said in the most gentle voice I could managed.
"It's nothin', babe, don't worry for nothin'. Go check my test and tell me if I'm worthy of you or not." he grumbled, puling away from me.
"Billy...If you want, I won't look and you can retake is on Sunday. It's okay if you fail from time to time, it's not the end of the world, you can always try again later." I try to reach out to him, raking my fingers through his soft hair.
"Nah, babe, failing isn't manly, it's for pussies. I can't afford that." he sneered, gripping his hands into tight fists.
"That's not true, who told you that? To fail is human and it can happen to everyone. It's not a masculinity meter!...Billy, look at me, please...Billy. Please." I pleaded again, putting my arms around his neck, but he only got up and went away.
"That's what he always said, okay? So what the hell else am I supposed to fucking DO?! If I don't listen, I'm fucked! That's how it's ALWAYS fucking been! But you wouldn't get it, would you?! Your parents probably bought you that house so you could stay alone and study at your leisure, their pretty little treasure, and you could fuck everyone you wanted there and nobody would say anything! Why the hell are you even here?! Huh?! It's only 'cause of that teacher, ain't it?! And 'cause I've always been the idiot to save your weak and pathetic ass! Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you DID boast that you fucked me!" he raged around the room like an angry tiger in his cage, trapped.
"Wh-What do you even know about my life...?" I managed to usher softly, as tears welled up in my eyes and I backed towards to wall opposite of him.
"Well, fuck, Katrina, I don't know, it seems like after today, I know absolutely NOTHING! Care to fucking enlighten me? Care to tell me why are you the high school's fucking whore?!" he yelled, stomping towards me, which only made me glue myself to the wall, sobbing.
"I-I'm not...I'm...Not...I...I..." I choke out, but since I couldn't say anything coherent, Billy slammed his hands on either side of my face, trapping me, screaming "WHORE" in my face, which made cower and shield my face with my arms. "Don't hurt me! Please, please, please, don't hurt me! I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me! I promise I'll be good, please, don't hurt me!" I barely managed to squeak out between my sobs, my legs shaking like mad and I could barely breathe.

My ears were ringing from the silence in the room, save for my pitiful sobs, flashbacks flooding my head so much that my throat and lungs were burning like a wild fire.
After what felt like hours, he slowly guided me the bed, making me sit down, and by instinct, I let myself fall down and started unbuttoning my shirt, with trembling hands.
I didn't even dare look up to meet his face, but his hands gripped my wrists all of a sudden, which made me meekly raise my gaze a bit and see he was frowning, but somehow, confused.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a low, somehow dead-pan voice.
"It's what you want, isn't it? Rather than doing it by force, just do it with no violence. I told you I won't bother struggling, it's meaningless anyways." I whispered softly, biting my lip.
"Did I say I wanted to fuck you right now?" he sat down on the bed as I cringed at his question, only shaking my head slightly. "Then why did you do this?" he asked, but since he saw I wasn't answering, he continued. "I'm not mad, I'm not going to hurt you, ever, so just answer."
"I'm sorry I upset you...I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to." I whispered as he lifted me into a sitting position. "You're the only one who puts up with me, and if you got angry at me, I deserve it. I'm sorry, so please, don't get angry at me and leave." I continued, closing my eyes.
"Kat, come here." he patted his thighs, motioning me to sit on his lap, which I did, but I still wouldn't look at him. "Kat, look at me." he said softly, putting his hands on my face, as I previously did to him. "Who hurt you so much, Kat? Tell me. I'm not angry at you and I won't leave you, either." he uttered, trying to calm me down. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you or said those things to you. I know they were lies, but I got frustrated. I should apologise, not you." he confessed, making me look at him with glistening eyes, shaking my head briefly. "Kat, tell me. Please." he whispered in my ear, making me start to cry again and throw my arms around his torso, crying in his chest, still trembling slightly.
"I don't know, Billy, I don't know! It's always been this way! I don't get it, what did I do wrong? Why does everyone hate me? Do I look that weird? Is my personality that garbage? I-I don't understand!" I began, feeling him rub soothing circles on my back. "I never had a family, Billy! I'm a runaway freak! I ran from an experimental base 5 years ago! I didn't even have a name, I was just a number for them! And...And I ran here, and a policeman found me and put me in an orphanage under a name that I made up! Katrina Black, not Three anymore! And...And when I got with my new family, it was no difference than in the orphanage! Always the same thing! Nobody wanted me, I was just a waste of time and I did nothing good to contribute to my family!" I managed to say, clutching his shirt tightly.
"Shhh, it's okay now, Kitten, I'm here." he whispered in my ear kissing my head. "Don't be afraid."
"I worked a lot for 4 years, and with the policeman's help, I managed to get my own little house and a motorbike. Not the perfect family anymore, huh?" I tried to laugh, but it came out more as a choke.
"And...And...I...I just...I just wanted my Happily Ever After, Billy...I...I didn't want to be alone anymore...They faked it...They faked everything just to fool around with me...They pretended to love and care about me...They pretended that they were good and protective boyfriends...But by the time I realised that what was happening wasn't normal, it was too late and the damage had already been done. And I can't erase it no matter how hard I try..." I put my hands in my hair, pulling at it in desperation.
"I just want to forget all the disgusting things that happened, all the lies I hear, all those hands on my skin...I told you so many times before, no matter how much you struggle, it doesn't do any good. Well, now you know the story behind it." as I said that, he gently pulled away my hands and made me raise my head up again, and I could see anger and sadness in his eyes...He, too, seemed to want to cry, but tried very hard to stop it.
"Tell me who did this to you and I'll kill them. I'll get revenge on them for you. If you couldn't get out, neither will they." he growled, looking me in the eyes, but I only shook my head and hugged his neck.
"Don't...Don't go...Don't leave...Don't bother...What's done is done. Yeah, of course, he only fucked me once, did other super gross things, whatever and now I'm somehow the biggest whore of the high school, whatever. Hey, really, I somehow magically fucked you in your sleep, or something, hell if I know. And if that wasn't enough, after that first guy, two more came by. 'Know what happened?" I looked at him with a self-deprecating laugh, making him motion for me to continue talking. "The first one made me realise what happened wasn't okay. Think is, I told him I wasn't interested in any fucks. What he did? The next day he started asking me about what positions I liked and stuff. And the next thing I know, he realised that I'm not a virgin, but he is, and says something along the lines of...How did he say it, now...Ah, yes. 'Why do the bad guys always get the good stuff?'. Yeah, like, thanks mate, very smart." I rolled my eyes, every word completely dripping with sarcasm.
"I kinda like it when you finally talk from your heart and you're not scared of everything around you." Billy said with a small smirk.
"Well, then maybe you should love me by now. The third guy was very sympathetic with me and supposedly very protective of me. Turned out he was high-key flirting with my then-friend, making out/fucking her, all whilst continuing to insult me, but never letting me break up with him. He was a notorious liar. The biggest liar in the world, I kid you now." I snorted bitterly.
"Did they beat you?" he asked in a very low voice.
"No...But...They would get overly possessive and jealous and would argue with me big time. It's not like I have many friends, y'know? Just the kids. And Jonathan Byers, kinda. They would yell at me a lot and get super moody and mean. Hell, even on my birthday. Really...Fuck off." I scoffed slightly, pouting as I leaned back a bit.
"Did you calm down, Kitten? Feeling any better after letting your feelings out?" he caressed my cheek softly, which made me look down and snort a bit, trying to stifle my giggle. "What's goin' on, Kitten? Why you laughing?" he asked with a soft smile.
"I...Well...It might sound super weird, okay, but...But I can't stop laughing thinking about it. Just...He...He always boasts around how much of a mess I was because of him, but, like...I literally didn't even realise when he got inside me and when he finished, like, what the hell!" I started laughing loudly, wiping my tears with my wrists, which made Billy start laughing as well, not having expected me to say something like that.
"So my little Kitten can have a sense of humour when she wants to, huh? I never expected you to say any of the words you said the whole day, I swear, you're surprising me with each day." he put his arms around me, hugging me tight as I put my arms around his neck and calmed down.
"I know I'm a mess, and as I said a million times, I'm sorry that you have to put up with me. But, Billy, if it were after me, I'd have already given you a chance by now, but really, I'm just scared that the whole chaos is going to happen again. And I'm just so tired of everything that I don't think I could handle another betrayal." I confessed softly, putting my forehead to his.
"I said I was gonna prove you that you're not wasting your time, and I'm not backing up from that promise. If it's time you need, we have all the time in the world. I won't be a shithead again like today. I lost control and it was my fault, I'm sorry." he promised, looking me in the eyes as he put a strand of hair behind my ear.
"It's okay, Billy. I know you have it rough too. I don't know the details, but I can sense what's going on. You don't have to tell me, but I know your father is a...A douchebag. I'm sorry for using that word. But, really, it's one more year and you'll be free of him! You'll have a scholarship and you'll be studying at a cool University whatever you wish to study and...And...I...Well...Maybe...Maybe we can...Y'know...We may be able to study in a place close to each other. Maybe even the same city. Hawkins Scholarships are usually more or less addressed to certain Unis in certain states." I said with a shy smile, which in return, made his features soften up like never before.
"Sounds good to me, babe." he said, before burying his face in my neck, holding me tight as I played with his hair, calming him.
"Billy." I called out after a few minutes, when I felt his heartbeat calm down a bit. "Would it be okay with you if I corrected your test now? Don't worry about the result, it just means that I will have to explain some stuff better, so it's no problem. It's as you said, we have enough time for everything. I don't want to hold you off for too long since tomorrow's your match and you should sleep well." I say gently, making him sigh and nod.

I told him to stay in bed and lean on the bed post before I got up, took the test and a red pen from my bag before hopping next to him, cuddling to his side.
We corrected the test together, explaining to him each mistake he made and why it was wrong, how to address the question tasked and so on, and it seemed like he understood and he was aware of his mistakes and how to solve them.
It's true, he didn't make it to 75%, but it wasn't too far away from that mark.
He was frustrated, but I managed to calm him down and tell him that he will definitely do better next time and that first tests are always so bad.
By the time we were done, outside was pitch black and we realised it was already past 10pm, which made me bite my lip.

"It's okay, I can walk home, it's no big deal. Just stay here and sleep well, okay?" I smiled at him reassuringly, but he only shook his head.
"Just sleep over, I'll sleep on the floor no big deal." he proposed, shrugging, making me gasp.
"Are you insane?! You, sleep on the floor? It's YOUR house! Damn it, Billy! I should take the floor! Well...I could sleep in Max's room, actually." I realised, but he shook his head.
"No, no, no, I'd rather sleep outside than seeing you do either of those two. I said it before, didn't I? She won't have you all for herself." he said, making me chuckle.
"You could just say you wanted to sleep cuddled with me, y'know? You liked that hug more than you'd admit in your life." I teased him with a soft smirk.
"Fine, babe, y'got me. So, what band do ya want?" he asked, going to his wardrobe to look for a Tshirt for me to sleep in.
"Woaw, always ready to give a girl your band Tees, huh?" I chuckled, hiding my mouth slightly.
"Nah, not 'a' girl. You. Anyone touching my band tees will get burnt." he smirked, leaning on the door.
"Flattering, Billy. D'you have AC/DC?" I asked softly.
"Do I breathe air?" he asked, throwing the Tshirt at my head, making me laugh.
"Thank you. I love the design...Oh, Jesus, how much cologne and cigarettes did you have while wearing this?" I laughed, hugging it too my chest.
"Too much, maybe." he shrugged. "I'll turn around so you can change. Don't worry, I won't peep. Yes, you can kill me if I do." he chuckled as he turned around, stretching a bit, giving me enough time to change and remain into his Tshirt and lady boxers only, thanking every deity existing that he was much larger than me and the Tshirt went mid-thigh.
"Okay, I'm ready. Thank you...And, uhm...This is really weird and embarrassing." I sighed as I put my clothes neatly folded on the chair.
"Ah, fuck, you're so hot, I knew it." he smirked, raking his fingers through his hair. "Okay, fine, my turn. But I don't mind if you watch." he winked at me, making me hmpf a bit as I got in bed, putting the blanket over my head.
"All clear, I can't see a thing!" I chuckled, giving him a thumbs up with my arm out of the blanket, making him sigh.

It took less than two minutes for him to snatch the blanket from my head and snatch me into his arms tightly to his chest, playing with my hair loosely.
I smiled softly and snuggled to his side, feeling warm and safe in his arms and I completely ignored the fact that he was only wearing a pair of boxers.

Godamn it, Billy.

With a kiss on my forehead, he muttered in a low, guttural voice a simple "Good night, Princess" before closing his eyes and going to sleep. In return, I could only smile and kiss his neck, being closest to me, and wished him "Good night, Billy" before I let sleep take over my senses.