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staticscreenwriting · 6 years

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Strong hearts and concrete - Billy Hargrove

Synopsis: Billy is enough.

A/N: I thought this was cute. Enjoy. Gimme feedback if you feel like it :)

“ Love and great buildings will survive Strong hearts and concrete stay alive Through the great depressions Yeah, the best things are designed to stand the test of time Love and great buildings will endure Blue skies and bloodlines are the cure For the great deceptions in a world that's such a blur “

The room is silent except for the scrapping of the cutlery against the plates. Susan tries to start a round of small talk every once in a while but realises soon enough that neither party currently sitting at this table is particularly interested in taking part. Neil doesn’t care about Billy’s day as long as he didn’t get into trouble and Billy doesn’t want to share any information either. Partially because he knows no one gives a shit and partially because there isn’t really anything to tell.

Surely no one wants to know that he got an A in english literature but told Tommy he got a C+ because apparently guys like him don’t get good grades. They also really don’t need to know that he got a blowjob from Nikkie Collins in the boy’s locker room after basketball practice because that would be TMI and then he’d also have to explain that she slapped him afterwards for moaning a different name when he came.

He also doesn’t mention that he got a letter from a University. It’s probably a rejection letter anyway and it’s not like even told anyone he applied so there’s not need to tell ‘em about it if it ends up being a failure anyway. That would just prove his dad right in his believe that Billy is a no good asshole. And even if he got in it’s not the most prestigious of all universities so that’s also something his dad will be sure to point out.

So he doesn’t anything and munches down the dry ass meatloaf. Because despite it all, today is gonna be a good night. Because it’s his night, and hers. It belongs to them and them only. Him and (Y/N).

When Billy Hargrove was 12 years old he didn’t know very much about the world or life or death or anything really. What he did know though, was that people don’t miraculously get better and that his mother, despite her constant reassurance, wasn’t an exception to that. She was getting worse with every day and the fact that they had stopped with the radiation wasn’t a good sign either. They were preparing for the end. He was young, not stupid.

He’d spent a lot of time at the hospital, befriending the nurses, figuring out at what angle to hit the snack machine so it ended up giving him two snacks for the price of one, drinking slushies from the cafeteria. And then there was the chapel. He never gave much of a hoot about religion, neither did his mom or his dad. But one time he walked past the open chapel door and there she was.

She was just 12 years old herself, but she was the prettiest girl little Billy had ever seen. She was dorky looking and her hair was a downright mess and she wore a Scooby Doo shirt and jeans with bright pink paint stains on them. And she was there, talking to herself like she was having a proper conversation.

He wanted to walk past this chick, she looked like trouble, looked like a proper weirdo to be honest but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It was like suddenly 12 year old Billy’s world had found another person to gravitate towards. Like now that his mother was about to leave him, this girl was thrown into his life to keep him grounded. Stop him from tipping over the edge.

So he walked in and they talked. About the weather and the snack machine and the slushies. They talked about Scooby Doo and the Jetsons and Led Zeppelin. They talked about god and how she thought that even if it was all made up bullshit, that talking to a higher power was whack, it didn’t do no harm either. The worst that could happen was that no one heard her and then at least she had gotten her worries off her chest.

And then they talked about his mom and her dad and how they were both approaching the end of the road, slowly but surely. And about how they were both angry and sad and scared and overwhelmed.

And just like that, his life seemed a little less lonely.

It’s been their thing ever since, to meet up every year for the anniversary of their first meeting. To celebrate their friendship and remember their parents, together. For a while Billy had thought that this year they wouldn’t make it, that his move to Indiana was gonna be a problem. That he’d have to face his demons alone.

But once again, (Y/N) came through. The girl had booked a plane ticket even before Billy had fully moved to Hawkins yet. If something is important to her, if she cares about something or someone, there is no way anyone or anything can keep (Y/N) from making things happen. She is a force to be reckoned with. In Billy’s eyes she is a downright saint. A superhero. She is magic.

And maybe it is because he isn’t used to people caring so much about him but her spending her money on a plane ticket only to come see him, is nothing short of incredible to him.

“ Dad, I uh — I’m done. Can I leave ? “

He hates this. Hates that he’s constantly afraid to say the wrong thing. Do the wrong thing. Look at his dad in the wrong way. That’s not how it’s supposed to be, how a healthy father-son relationship is supposed to be.

And yet, that’s the way things are now. How they’ve been since mom died.

Neil chews his dinner. Slowly. And with every passing second Billy’s hands get more clammy and his heart beats a little faster. Tonight means everything to him. He hasn’t seen (Y/N) since they moved to Hawkins and he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do if his dad finds a reason not to let him go. He’s been on his best behavior recently. No fights, no detention, no talking back even when his dad was being a massive dick. Just so there’s no reason for Neil not to let him go out tonight.

“ You done with your schoolwork ? “

Billy knows he doesn’t give a shit about his schoolwork, he just wants to assert his status as the superior man in this house. The one who decides, who makes the rules. Usually Bill would answer with some kind of witty comeback that would surely get him into serious trouble. But not tonight. He will just have to swallow his pride. There is no way he’s gonna jeopardize a night with his girl for a moment of teenage rebellion. So he just nods.

“ Put your plate in the sink. Don’t stay out too late. I expect you to be on your best behavior. If you do some stupid shit tonight and I find out about it … “

He doesn’t end the sentence. Billy knows well enough what kind of consequences he means. He’s had a few black eyes in the last 5 years. If anything, at least they make him look tough. The chicks dig it. Some of them. Not (Y/N), never (Y/N).

“ Yes sir. “

Billy doesn’t count but he’s sure it can’t be more than 4 minutes and he’s out of the house. He called out a goodbye as he walked through the door but got nothing back in return. God, he hates this family.

He’s at the motel in the matter of 10 minutes. Hawkins is tiny but for the first time since he’s moved here that actually works to his advantage. He spots her from quite a distance. Maybe because she just sticks out. This radiant girl in a shithole like Hawkins. Or maybe it’s because he’s so insanely in love with her that he just gravitates towards her. Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter until he holds her in his arms.

She’s standing by the little playground to the side of the Motel. There’s swings and a seesaw and slides and it reminds him of the playground behind her house where they used to meet up when they were just kids. Where they met to grief, to laugh and cry and rant whenever things at home got bad. Where they had their first kiss and where they got drunk for the first time.

Those memories are everything to him.

He parks his car and hurries towards her like his life depends on it. And maybe it does just a little.

She’s in his arms in the matter of seconds and she’s warm and familiar and her hair is soft and smells like apple shampoo and Billy hates himself for being such a sissy but having her close makes him feel invincible. Like finally something in his life is right again.

“ You look ridiculous “ he says and points towards her Happy Days shirt.

“ Don’t hate on the Fonz, Bill. You’re the guy who’s wearing a mullet. “

“ You love the mullet!”

It’s not so much that she loves the mullet. She loves the boy who wears the mullet. Billy, in (Y/N) eyes, is so much more than he realizes. He’s deadly smart, undeniably charming and incredibly loyal to the people he cares about. (Y/N) hates Neil Hargrove for turning him into this shell of himself. This angry boy who doesn’t know how to deal with his emotions. This boy who feels so much but is allowed so little healthy outlet.

“ Good to see you, punk “ it’s as close to an “ I missed you “ as she’s going to get at this point. Maybe later when he’s had some beers and nostalgia seeps in. Maybe then he’ll say it. Because if ever anything has been true, it’s that he’s missed her.

“ You too. “

There’s so much they want to say, want to do. But most of all he wants to kiss her and never ever stop. Only you don’t just go and kiss your best friend even if it happened before. Multiple times. He doesn’t even know if she’s got someone at home, waiting for her to come back. Billy doesn’t think he wants to know.

“ So ? What’s the plan. What’s there to do in this — metropolis. “

He can’t suppress the scoff. If anything, Hawkins was a dirty smudge on the map.

“ You want me to be honest ? “

“ Always “

“ Absolutely nothing. “

“ Then let’s do that. I really don’t care as long as we do it together. “

And his heart makes a little jump. Is this what dying feels like ?

They’re sitting in his car with slushies from the gas station and burgers from that overpriced 24 hours diner. Usually Billy would never ever spend so much money on a fucking burger but today is a special night. He’s got his girl by his side and they’re celebrating the live of his mother and her father. If that isn’t a good enough reason to treat themselves, Billy doesn’t know what is.

There’s Led Zeppelin playing on the stereo and Fleetwood Mac and Abba. All their parents favorite songs. Billy thinks most of them are whack but he still has a vivid memory of his mother making peanut butter sandwiches in the kitchen singing along to Waterloo. He was embarrassed then. Now, would give everything to get that moment back.

“ I uh — I got something I wanted to show you “ he starts. He doesn’t know why exactly he’s so nervous. This is (Y/N), his (Y/N) and whatever the outcome, it doesn’t change her perception of him, he knows this. But maybe that’s it. This is (Y/N) and he wants to, for once in his life, show her that he can be more, can be better, can be enough.

“ I actually got something too “ she mumbles around a bit of her cheeseburger.

“ You wanna start ? “

“ Nah you go first “ and there goes his try at buying himself some time to work up some confidence.

“ Alright “ Billy nods and opens the glove compartment taking out the letter he’s stored there this morning.

“ What’s that ?”

“ It’s a — uh. Well when you told me that you applied to Berkeley I decided to apply for university too “

“ You applied to Berkeley ? “

“ Don’t be ridiculous, I could never get in “ Billy scoffs and nudges her side with his elbow “ no I applied to this tiny college that’s really nothing special but it’s about half an hour from Berkeley and I thought maybe if I get in we could, be closer and you wouldn’t have to buy a plane ticket every year to come celebrate today with me. It would make things easier you know. I doubt I got in anyway but I just — doesn’t hurt to try right ? “

(Y/N) softly touches Billy’s cheek and turns his head a little so he’s finally facing her. He does this thing a lot, where he gets insecure and looks everywhere but at her. She can’t comprehend why in the world he would think there’s anything he could do to make her judge him. She loves him, doesn’t he know this?

And then she realises why he does the things he does. And it all starts and ends with the absolute monster that is Neil Hargrove.

“ Billy, believe in yourself for once. I love this idea of our future. I want to do this with you. There’s no one I’d rather have by my side than you, in whatever happens. But god, can you believe in yourself for once ? You are so much smarter than you let people see. You are fiercely loyal and incredibly protective of the things that mean something to you. I adore you, you know that right ? They’d be stupid not to take you. “

No one has ever told him that, since his mother passed away. He’s just been — there. Like a footnote in what’s supposed to be his “family”. Having the one person he cares about, the one person whose opinion matters to him, tell him she adores him. Billy doesn’t know how to properly process that.

“ Why haven’t you opened it yet ? “

Because he was fucking scared, that’s why. Does he tell her that ? No. He’s sure she can read it on his face but he’s not gonna admit to being scared anytime soon. Not happening.

“ Dunno “ he says and shrugs and they both know what it means.

“ Then let’s do it now ” (Y/N) exclaims and takes the letter from his hands, opening it with a smile on her face.

Her eyes scan the letter and with every second of silence Billy gets more and more anxious. This could be the start of something great or yet another disappointment.

“ You got in ! “ there’s so much in her voice it’s hard for Billy to comprehend. But overall there’s joy.

And Billy himself ? He’s just at a loss for words. A loss for anything pretty much.

This isn’t how his life works out for him usually. Things don’t go his way and good things tend to avoid him.

“ Are you happy ? “

He doesn’t think happy really does it justice. He’s more than that.

“ I — yeah. “

“ Good because uh — I got into Berkeley. Felt like this was a good time to mention it.”

And suddenly the world seems even more bright.

Billy can’t help himself at this point. He knows he shouldn’t he really shouldn’t. But he does.

Her face is so soft and small in his hands as he places a long tender kiss on her lips. It’s been entirely too long since he’s got to kiss her and yet it feels so much like home. Like happiness and all things good in the world.

“ I’m sorry “ he says as he pulls away because you don’t just go kissing your best friend.

But she doesn’t mind, he thinks. He knows, as she pulls him closer for another kiss. And it’s just as good and Billy hopes that there can be, will be, more kisses like this in the future and that they always feel like home.

“ What did you want to show me ? “

“ Oh yeah “ she pulls away for a second and fumbles around in her purse before pulling out an old-ish looking piece of paper.

“ What’s that ? “

“ Our list “

And suddenly his blood grows cold again. They’d made this list just a few weeks after her father had passed away, when Billy’s mom was only a few days from dying as as well. They’d been angry and sad and overwhelmed.

The list, was a creation of all those emotions and the frustration about the fact that both their parents were taken too soon. Taken before they could live life to its full potential.

So they made a list of all the things they wanted to do before graduation.

“ We’re almost done with school. I think we should read it, see what we’ve accomplished. “

What she doesn’t know, is that after all the things they had written down together, Billy has made a little addition. Because 12 year old Billy had serious balls and thought that by now, surely he’d have made (Y/N) his girlfriend. Yeah that didn’t happen and now Billy was screwed.

“ Number 1 “ (Y/N) begins to read “ Go to New York City “

“ Not done that “

“ Me neither, well this is off to a good starts “ she jokes and places a kiss on Billy’s cheek. Just because she felt like it but also because she wants him to know that this doesn’t change how she feels, how excited she is for their future. Because it’s for certain that it’s theirs now. Together.

“ Number 2. Go skinny dipping. Hey we did that “

Billy remembers vividly. He still doesn’t know how he was able to successfully hide that boner but apparently she hadn’t noticed it then. Or maybe she just didn’t want to make things awkward, didn’t want to embarrass him.

“ Oh man, yeah we did. That was a good day “

And it was. He has nothing but fond memories, even the awkward ones he wouldn’t trade for anything in this world. Even the really sad ones seemed a little brighter if she was in them.

“ It was a pretty awesome day “

They go through more points on the list. Most of which they have experience together.

Sneak into the drive in.

Watch a really scary movie.

Eat fast food for a whole day.

Get a driving licence.

Have a Valentine.

Have a first kiss.

Get drunk.

Smoke a cigarette.

Smoke a special cigarette.

Go to a rock concert. and then there was one that Billy only now remembers they put on there. “ Fall in love “

“ Have you ? “ Billy asks and wonders if he even wants to know the answer. If his heart can take it, hearing that she might’ve been in love with another guy. Learning that she might be in this moment.

“ Billy “ she says in that special kind of tone that’s not condescending but that conveys a certain kind of “I can’t believe you asked this” vibe. “ You have to be blind or live in complete denial if you can’t see that I’m in love with you.”

He knows this isn’t what dying feels like. This, the way he’s feeling in that moment when she tells him she’s in love with him, that’s what living feels like.

“ You are ? “

“ Sure. I’ve been in love with you since I was 14 years old and I’ve loved you even longer. “

“ Since when ? “ he doesn’t ask to boost his ego or anything like that. He’s genuinely curious. He wants to know what made her fall in love with him, so he can do more of that.

“ You know, when you let me cry to you after my dad died. I knew I loved you then because you were the only one that could relate. Everyone else tried to make me feel better but you let me be miserable and sad and angry. But I was never alone in my grief. I loved you with all my heart from that moment on.”

Billy never thought that such a mundane thing as being there for her, something he didn’t see as a big deal at all, made her love him. It’s what friends do. Real friend. Those who give a shit.

But he gets what she means. He’s been through it. When his mom had passed away people tried to comfort him with words and nice gestures and weirdly enough, a shit ton of homecooked meals. But they didn’t know. They didn’t live his grief. They may have had good intentions but that didn’t help him much at all. All he needed was someone to listen. All he needed was (Y/N).

“ … and when did you know you were in love with me ? “

She laughs a little smile and interlocks her fingers with his. Billy thumb softly stroking the side of her hand.

“ You know, I wish I had some cute story to tell but really it’s not very romantic. It was when we were 14 and I don’t even remember what day it was but it was summer and we were hanging out in my backyard just soaking up the sun and doing nothing and that’s the thing. I was doing absolutely nothing with you and I felt happier than ever. I love you because we can do nothing and it’s still enough for me. I want to do nothing with you for the rest of my life.”

It’s like a shot in the heart, a good one though. Like an entire package of sparklers just went off inside his chest.

“ I uh — I love you too by the way. I’m in love with you too “

It’s the first time he’s ever told anyone he’s in love. Ever.

“ When did you know ? “

“ Look at the bottom of the list, (Y/N) “

And there in 12 year old Billy’s scribbly handwriting it said “ Tell (Y/N) I’m in love with her “.

“ You knew at 12 years old ? “

“ Well yeah. You were the best thing 12 year old me had ever seen and you got me and you didn’t make fun of me and you were so perfectly weird in every way and I just — something changed the moment we met. “

“ I was weird ? I wasn’t weird, you punk “ (Y/N) exclaims jokingly slapping Billy’s arm.

“ You were talking to god as if he was listening. Telling him about Scooby Doo and Abba. That’s not weird ? “

“ Ah, guess you have a point there “ she admits and lays her head against Billy’s shoulder.

“ You know what I said then ? I asked for something good. I knew dad wasn’t getting better and that I would have to come to terms with it and that miracles don’t happen. I just wanted one good thing for myself. “

“ Did you get it ? “

There’s something in her eyes then that’s always been there but for the first time Billy knows what it is and he lets himself see if, feel it. It’s love. For him. For a reason he still can’t fully grasp but he doesn’t question it. Not this time.

When her lips meet his it’s like life is right again. Good again. And he can’t wait for their future to begin. In a few months he is gonna graduate and leave behind this mess of a town. From then on it will be just him and (Y/N) and it will be good. He’s gonna be with the person he cares about the most and the only person since his mother that cares about him just as much in return. He can’t wait for that future. He can’t wait.

“ Yeah I did. I got something real good. I got you “.

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