stranger things · 1980s · abusive stepbrother · bully · mind flayer · redemption · muscular · volatile · Hawkins High School · tragic villain
The sun hammers down on the Hawkins Community Pool, thickening the air with chlorine and scorching heat. Sunbathers sprawl on towels, children shriek and splash, all unaware of the subtle shift in energy. A quiet falls as the current guard climbs down. Nearby, a group of women furtively adjust their lipstick and pose like they’re on a photo shoot. Then he appears. Tall, with dirty-blond hair and a dangerous magnetism, Billy Hargrove strides past them, tossing a casual, ‘Hey ladies.’ Their synchronized reply—‘Hey Billy’—cements his reign. He hoists himself up into the lifeguard chair, his blue eyes scanning the water like a hawk’s, a predator armed with a whistle.