Chapter Text
Hawkins High always smelled like pencil shavings, floor wax, and anxiety. The kind that settles in the air right before midterms. You clutched your binder to your chest, weaving through crowded hallways plastered with Go Tigers! posters, trying to ignore the jocks yelling inappropriate jokes and the cheerleaders gossiping loud enough to echo down the stairwell.
You weren’t invisible. You just… didn’t stand out.
A “nerd,” according to half of Hawkins High. Smart enough to survive, awkward enough to be targeted, quiet enough to get overlooked.
Your English teacher, Mrs. Kinley, waited at the front of the room with her usual tight smile that said, “I haven’t slept in 12 years.”
“Alright, class. We’re starting partner projects today,” she announced. “I’ve assigned your groups already.”
The entire room groaned.
You slid into your seat, flipping open your notebook. You didn’t mind partner projects, as long as your partner could actually work.
Mrs. Kinley picked up her clipboard.
She goes through most of the groups, leaving you with a deep pit in your stomach, normally you can sort of predict who your paired up with, leaving you to do all the work, but you don’t mind. (That much..)
You waited for your name.
“And lastly…” Mrs. Kinley said, clearing her throat with a dramatic pause, “Billy Hargrove and… (Y/N) (L/N).”
Your stomach dropped straight to the floor.
Billy Hargrove turned in his seat so slowly it was almost threatening. Blue eyes sharp, narrowed, and way too intense for 9 a.m. He tilted his head, lips curling into that irritating half-smirk.
“You gotta be kidding me,” he muttered, not even quietly.
A few snickers rose from the classroom. You stared down at your notebook, cheeks warming.
This was the worst possible outcome.
Billy was loud, cocky, rude, and allergic to effort. He was also terrifying in that pretty bad-boy who could run you over with his Camaro way.
Mrs. Kinley clapped her hands. “You’ll have two weeks. Presentations are mandatory.”
Billy leaned back in his chair, arms crossing, gaze dropping lazily onto you again.
“Guess you’re stuck with me, sweetheart,” he drawled.
You tried to escape the moment the bell rang, but Billy cut you off with the kind of confidence that came from knowing no one ever told him no.
“Hey,” he said, stepping in front of you.
“Hi,” you replied softly, gripping your binder.
He looked you up and down — not undressing you, not checking you out — just judging.
Like he was trying to figure out how the universe had decided to punish him today.
“So how do you wanna do this?” he asked. “I’m not writing some stupid essay.”
“It’s a dual assignment,” you reminded him. “We both have to present.”
“That’s your problem,” he shrugged.
“Actually, it’s our problem.”
The edge in your voice surprised him. His brows lifted slightly.
Most people didn’t talk back to Billy Hargrove.
He clicked his tongue. “Someone’s feisty.”
You rolled your eyes and tried to walk around him, but he matched your steps easily.
“You really gonna make this hard?” you asked.
He grinned. “Baby, I don’t even have to try.”
Before you could snap at him again, Max appeared between you both, glaring up at Billy.
“Leave her alone,” she said. “Seriously.”
Billy scoffed. “Relax, Red. I’m just talking to my project partner.”
“Yeah,” Max said, arms crossed. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
You bit back a laugh. Max shot you a quick smile before walking off down the hall, board tucked under her arm. Billy muttered something under his breath, jaw clenching the way it always did when Max got under his skin.
He turned back to you, expression shifting to something more controlled.
“Fine,” he said. “Meet me after school. 4 PM. Library.”
You blinked. “The library?”
“What?” He smirked. “Afraid I’ll burst into flames?”
“No, I just— didn’t think it was your thing.”
“It’s not,” he admitted. “But that teacher’s got it out for me, and I’m not failing another project because my partner’s too chickenshit to tell me what they want.”
The honesty caught you off guard. But before you could reply, he added:
“Don’t be late.”
After school, you head for the library, a sense of dread and some sort of excitement. Which you find, odd. But you still head inside…
The library was quiet except for Dustin and Steve arguing at the front desk about overdue book fines.
“Just tell her it was for monster research!” Dustin whisper-yelled.
Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dustin, no one is going to believe your poorly thought-out—”
Then they froze when they spotted Billy leaning back in a chair, boots kicked onto a table, flipping through a book he almost certainly wasn’t reading.
“Uh,” Dustin whispered, “why is Billy Hargrove in the library?”
Steve whispered back, “Maybe he’s lost.”
“Or possessed.”
“Again?!”
Before the conversation got dumber, you slipped past them and approached Billy.
“You’re on time,” he noted, dropping his boots to the floor.
“And you actually showed up,” you replied.
Billy gave a low chuckle. “Don’t act so shocked.”
You sat across from him, opening your notes. “Okay… our topic is character transformation in classic literature. We get to pick the story.”
Billy raised a brow. “And you already have one in mind.”
You hesitated. “I was thinking Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Duality, inner conflict… the idea that people can be more than what they seem.”
Billy stared at you longer than necessary, jaw tightening, something unreadable flashing behind his eyes.
“Yeah,” he said softly — strangely softly. “I know a little something about that.”
You almost asked what he meant.
But then—
From the front of the library came a loud crash, followed by Dustin shouting:
“STEVE, THE BOOKSHELF IS NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!”
Steve answered, “WHY WERE YOU CLIMBING IT IN THE FIRST PLACE?!”
Billy groaned. “Jesus Christ.”
You laughed despite yourself.
When you looked back at him, he was already watching you.
Not mocking.
Not annoyed.
Just… watching.
Something in the air shifted.
Slowly, his smirk faded.
“You’ve got a nice laugh,” he said under his breath, almost like he didn’t mean to say it out loud.
Your breath caught.
Before you could reply—
The lights overhead flickered.
Then flickered again.
Dustin and Steve froze.
The room went unnervingly quiet.
Billy’s eyes snapped upward, muscles tensing.
The lights flickered a third time—
And then the entire library went dark.