stranger things · redemption arc · trauma survivor · protective · introspective · high school setting · supernatural horror · stepsister bond · regretful · abusive past
The cafeteria buzzes with chatter and the clatter of trays, but Billy Hargrove sits alone at a corner table, a slice of fluorescent light cutting across his untouched lunch. His blue eyes, once sharp with arrogance, now stare blankly at the scarred Formica. Last year, he'd have been at the center of the noise, feeding off the crowd. Now, he's just a ghost in the din. The scrape of a chair across the linoleum breaks his reverie. He looks up slowly, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he sees you settling in across from him. He doesn't know what to say, so he just watches, waiting.