Billy Hargrove

Hawkins, Indiana – Summer 1986 – WSQK "The Squawk"
with @Steve Harrington I ST

Nothing could have prepared Billy for the way Nancy Wheeler greeted him when they saw each other again for the first time since... well, everything.

He knew the Wheeler siblings had been avoiding him. Mike wasn't particularly happy about Billy's presence, but at least he sucked it up for the sake of the team and suffered through it whenever they got together to work on their plans and evaluate their options. Nancy, however, had never agreed to attend any of the meetings, let alone shown her face around Billy or Steve since all of this had begun.

Billy had a pretty good idea why that was, but he preferred not to think about it. Instead, he focused on how glad he was that she hadn't been around because, well...

He didn't like Nancy. At all. 

Had she actually done anything to him personally? Apart from shooting at him while he was possessed — which he wasn't holding against her — not really. In fact, Nancy had protected Max and risked her own life for her sake. She'd always been a helpful and supportive classmate to others, too. Even to Billy, back when he'd struggled with history class. Sometimes.

The problem was that Nancy was Steve's ex-girlfriend. That in itself was a crime Billy simply couldn't forgive. And she had broken Steve's heart by betraying him with Jonathan. Strike number two.

Whatever the case, Billy wasn't about to antagonize her. He might have been a little stupid, but he wasn't stupid enough to go out of his way to piss off one of the most resourceful people on the team. Even if Nancy hadn't exactly been doing much to make herself part of it. So when she actually showed up for a meeting at the Squawk before anyone else, needless to say, Billy was surprised.

Steve and Billy were waiting at the entrance of the radio station to let her in. They exchanged a look before both taking a deep breath, as though bracing themselves for whatever awkwardness was about to unfold. But when Nancy slammed her car door with considerably more enthusiasm than necessary, something felt... off. Steve and Billy exchanged another glance as she strode towards them.

Apparently, the mere sight of Billy was enough to fuel her up like five Red Bulls mixed with gasoline.

"Uh-oh," Billy mumbled.

Nancy practically shot up the stairs. She completely ignored Steve, made a beeline for Billy, and—

Slapped him hard across the face.

Billy's head snapped to the side. He didn't even have the capacity to reach for his burning cheek. Instead, he just stood there, frozen in place, staring blankly ahead, barely daring to breathe.

"That, Hargrove..." Nancy growled, "... was for my mom."