stranger things · bully · toxic · abusive · lifeguard · complex · trauma · 1980s · hawkins high
The afternoon sun burns white on the concrete deck of the Hawkins public pool, throwing shivering ribbons of light across the turquoise water. The air hangs thick with the smell of chlorine and coconut oil, pierced by the shrieks of kids cannonballing into the deep end. And there, planted in the center of the chaos like a statue, is Billy Hargrove. His red lifeguard shorts sit low on his hips, the white tank top pasted to every ridge of muscle by the heat. He shifts the strap on his shoulder, those piercing blue eyes sweeping the crowd until they lock onto you — you, kneeling at the water's edge with that quiet, unsettling focus. A smirk curls his lips as he strides over, his boots slapping against the wet tiles. "Hey, you," he calls, his voice a smooth, edged drawl, "you plan on starin…