New or Old Enemy?

"Should you be smoking that" I rolled my eyes as I turned to see a boy staring at me. Which was strange for a few reasons.

The first this boy did not go to my school. This was Hawkins, you know everybody, and if not, you at least recognize them.

And second. There was supposed to be no one here. I was in the back yard of a house my mother was trying to sell. To make some extra money, I help her clean the homes she sells and play the supportive daughter.

"Who the hell are you?" I said, making sure my shoulder was covered.

The boy's eyes drifted to my shoulder for a moment. I knew he saw it.

"You could answer the question." He said blankly. Why didn't he bring up the scar? It was the first thing people asked about, but he treated it like it wasn't there.

"You could answer mine," I replied, raising a hand up instinctively.

"Not how it works, Curls," he said. "I asked first."

I signed, "Do you really think you should be asking me that while you are smoking?" I gestured to his lit cigarette.

"That's not a cigarette though," He gave me a knowing smile, while I just bit my cheek.

"Sure it is," I held the joint and smiled. "You haven't answered my question."

"I am no one you would know," He said. "That's my answer."

"Fine, be allusive, I guess," I paused, taking another drag. "Then, I get another one," I knew when to change tactics, and the stranger seemed to allow that. "Any reason you are in this back yard?"

"What's it to you?"

"Pretty sure you aren't supposed to be here," I replied.

"You live here?" He asked. Blatantly ignoring my question. Again.

"No." I huffed. Facing him to meet his gaze, "But I still know that you aren't supposed to be here."

"So this house… isn't for sale?" The mand ran a hand through his curls, I was utterly entranced by the movement.

My eyes suddenly widened as I realized my mistake. I dropped the joint and let it hit the grass. "Are you looking at the house? To buy?"

"What's it to you if I am?" He took a pull and looked at me. His blue eyes made me think of the memories I cherished. He held my gaze, I didn't know why I was so trapped in him, but he was… just so much like-

"Hey, Curls, you going to answer my question."

"You don't answer any of mine" I folded my arms. This seemed to annoy the boy.

"Maybe because they are all dumb questions,"

I wanted this conversation to be over. This man was teasing me, and I hated to be teased. "My mom is selling the house. She is a realtor. Are you interested or not?"

"Does it look like I am trying to buy a house?" He took a pull from his cigarette again. He was dressed just like every movie stereotype bad boy I had ever seen. I shouldn't be staring, I should be running away. Especially since he pissed me off so much. Yet I found myself desperate to continue the conversation, despite everything saying not too.

Guess I was a glutton for punishment.

"Good." I relaxed as I bent down and picked up my joint. "So my mom isn't here," I relit it and turned back to watering the flower bed.

"Oh…" For a moment, something I said seemed to stop him, like a TV turning on. A devious smile spread past his lips. "You worried mommy is going to find you doing bad things." The stranger was teasing me, and I kept falling right into his hands.

"I" My pride got me to shut up. The boy was looking at me, staring at me in a way I wasn't comfortable with.

"You don't have to admit it." He went to the wall and leaned back, so he was in my eye line. For a moment, I didn't say anything, but I couldn't help but continue to stare at the "Stop staring at me."

I looked away. "Sorry… you just remind me of someone."

"Some boy from school" this was the first question that seemed to matter to him. I don't know why, but it did.

I smiled, thinking of days at the beach. "No… I haven't seen this person for a long time."

There was a pause as the boy looked at me. "Well, I am not fucking him, so stop staring." His voice was harsh. It almost looked like he regretted what he said. But I knew better than to think he was kind enough to regret how he snapped at me.

My stomach jerked, and the warm feelings melted away. "I think I fucking know that. Like I would be friends with a jerk like you."

"And like I would hang out with a bumpkin," He shot back.

I frowned. "So I take you aren't a local"

"What made you guess?" He said sarcastically.

I knew he was rhetorical, but I decided to take the bait. "You're bullshit attitude was a bit of a hint."

"You caught me… I wouldn't live in this shit hole. Not if I could help it." He laughed. I seemed to entertain him. Something about that made me even angrier. "I doubt you are either."

"I have been here most of my life," I scoffed.

"And yet," He let out a long breath of smoke. "You have nothing of this town in you."

I narrowed my eyes. "You have been here for ten seconds and have known me for less. I wouldn't call you an expert."

"I will give you some advice" He walked forward. "Get out of this town, go back to California. Find that boy, doubt he remembers you, though."

"You don't-" Heat rushed to my face. Who the fuck was this guy, and why was he talking. "Can you just fucking leave?"

"Did you hear a noise" I jumped at my mother's voice.

"Fuck" I jammed the join in the fold of my shirt. "You said she wasn't here."

"First off, I never said that" I pushed passed him and grabbed my bike. "Secondly, how was I supposed to know the realtor was your mom." He paused. "Oh wait, you told me!"

"Fuck you," I whispered, right before I jumped on to my bike. I thought of that the boy the whole way home. It was when I pulled into my driveway when I realized he knew I was from California.

Strange. But Stranger things have happened in Hawkins.

"There she is," Steve was waiting for me outside of my house. I panted as I walked to him. Steve reached up and hugged me warmly. "Ew you are sweaty,"

"Nice seeing you too, Cuz," I said sarcastically. I looked over Steve's shoulder and then looked back at him. "No, Nancy today?"

"Yeah, I thought you and I could have a day together." He shrugged.

"Really?"

"Yeah…" he gave me a look. I knew what that meant.

"The bridge?"

"The Bridge,"

****

"That guy sounds like a grade-A douche," Steve said as he passed the joint back.

"I agree." I breathed. "But it is whatever, tell me more about your essay,"

Dead silence greeted me. Apparently, that was a sore subject.

"Nancy?"

More silence.

"That mole you have that you think is a third nipple?"

"It IS Gene," He snapped. "I have shown you so much evidence at this point."

"It's a mole, you have a mole." I giggled.

"Do you want to push you in?" Steve said. "Is that what you want."

"No," I scooted away from him for good measure. Steve would have definitely followed through if he could. I knew him well enough. I also knew that I would be laughing the whole way down.

"Hey… do you ever think about it…"

"Gene…" He looked up at the dark sky and sighed. "Honestly, I try not too. Things are good, normal now."

"I just-"I took a breath. I still remember following Steve to the Byers house. I remember how hard we all fought to get through that night… I also remember the look on Nancy's face when we found out Barb was dead.

Barb.

"Hand me that bottle," I ordered. I took the biggest gulp I could take without gagging.

"Hey, calm down," Steve said. "Aunt Tess would kill me if I brought you home wasted before school even starts."

I glared at him. "I can hide it." I made deliberate eye contact as I took the next swill.

"Jesus." He looked at me with a sadness that made me want to throw the bottle away forever. Even if it meant seeing Barb. "You can't keep blaming yourself."

"Yes I can" I looked down at the reflection of the calm river beneath us. I saw my distorted image.

"You are cut off," Steve said as he took the bottle from me.

I shrugged and got up. "We should probably head back. God knows my mother will have a fit."

"Sober up a bit first," Steve said as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I let myself fall into his weight for a moment.

I regretted that.

Instantly I felt the push and then the fall. I fell into the water, and for a moment, everything was quiet.

"Fuck you, Steve," I gasped as I treaded on the surface.

He was smiling. "You are smiling." He said. "So, you can just say thank you like a normal person."

I smirked as I began to float on the surface. "You are right…. Thanks, Steve." Steve had a way of getting me out of my head better than anyone. He was my big brother, even if we were just cousins. When I came to Hawkins, he teased me mercilessly, but I didn't worry about feeling homesick. I didn't worry about missing him.

"YOU'RE WELCOME," He yelled, followed by a splash. I waited for him to come to the surface, timed my shot perfectly.

He popped up, turned to me. And bam.

I shot water in his face.

"Gross Gene," He spat while I giggled. We then began to laugh together. "This is going to be our year Genie." He said suddenly. "You and me."

I smiled as I tread in the water. I believed Steve, with that confident smile, how could I not?

***

Dear Billy,

I honestly can't believe I still write to you. You should see the look my mother has every time she sees I'm sending you a letter. It's like I'm ten, and we are hiding messages on the beach again. Things are pretty much the same as they are in Hawkins, Jonathan has been a little more clingy than usual. I think he is really suffering with Nancy and Steve... but he shouldn't.

Nancy is probably going to break up with Steve… I haven't told him. Mainly because I don't know what he will say, or even if I am right. I see them together and … I see she is faking it all. I can't blame her. After everything that happened last year, I would also have a hard time adjusting.

I know if you are reading these, you want to shake me by the shoulders. I still haven't told you everything that happened last year. I still have nightmares. But things are getting better. I don't think that jerk even saw my scar.

Anyway… I will fill you in on next week. Halloween will be exciting.

Wishing I was there

Genie.

My hand brushed passed my arm. Gently tracing the scar that covered most of my shoulder. My spine went cold, thinking about the pain that came with it, the bite that shattered my collar bone.

I wish that attack was the worst of it. That Barb wasn't dead.

But wishes and fishes, right?

I took the letter and began to rewrite it in my journal. Making sure I knew exactly what I sent.

��Genie?" A knock came from the other side of my door.

"Yeah, Pa?" I opened the door. My father smiled down at me. "Dinner is almost ready, come downstairs, we have a surprise for you.

I smiled as I followed my father downstairs. He returned to his spot in the kitchen. I could tell risotto was on the table just from the smell that filled the downstairs. "I will need your opinion on this dish for the restaurant. I think it will be a new favorite.

"I am excited," I said as I sat down at the counter. My mother looked over to my father and smirked. Like they were sharing a secret. "What's going on…"

"We have some news."

"Oh, please tell me we're not getting another brother." I was the only girl in my family with three brothers. Two were in college while Toney stayed behind and worked with dad at the restaurant. The idea of another sibling was a little more than I wanted.

"Gene." My mother shot me a stern look.

"Sorry," I said.

"Hello!" Tony walked through the front door. He stepped forward and kissed my mom on the cheek and then sat next to me. "What's up, shorty?"

My eyes narrowed. "Not much bald spot."

He wrapped me into a noogie. "I do not have a bald spot."

"But you will," I teased.

"Tony!" My father piped up. "Let her go. We have something to tell her."

"Sorry, Pop," Tony, let go immediately. He patted me on the head, and I grinned up at him.

"So," My father brought the conversation back to me. "We are going to have some new people in that house your mom has been selling,"

"Oh," I tried not to look disappointed. That was my favorite spot to smoke.

"Do you want to know their last name." My mother was clearly excited. I couldn't figure out why.

"Sure," I shrugged.

"Hargrove."

If I was holding anything, I dropped it. I looked at my parents with my jaw on the ground. "Do you mean…"

"Billy and his father are moving up to Hawkins," My mother said. "I talked to him a little bit about this-"

"Billy?"

"No, his father." My mother said. "After… you know, we kept in touch. He was looking for a town to settle in because he just got married" I wondered how Billy felt about his stepmom. But I was going to see him. I was going to see my best friend again. "So I told him, why not move to Hawkins."

I stared at them. I was going to see Billy. "When will he be here?"

***

My hands gripped the platter as my father put a hand on my shoulder.

I was nervous. Nervous, I would drop the dish, worried that my bra was somehow showing. Worried, we somehow got the wrong house, despite spending most the summer here helping my mother sell it. I was even nervous that I put salt in these cookies instead of sugar. All these little things made it easier not to think about the actual something I was worried about.

Seeing him again.

He wouldn't remember me. I know what Nancy said, that maybe he might. But it was years ago, and he had grown. Who knew who was behind that door, but I had to convince myself it wasn't the boy I met in California. I had to. I didn't want to feel like I lost my friend.

The door opened, and I almost recognized the man in front of me. He was older, seemed shorter than I remembered, and could see marks on his face from scowling to much.

"Is that Little Genie?" He stepped forward and patted my shoulder. "You have gotten so big."

I smiled shyly. "Thanks, It's so good to see you Un- I mean Mr. Hargrove."

"Please call me Uncle Neil… just like before." There was a sadness in his eyes, but it quickly morphed in annoyance. "Billy, come out here! We have guests." I tried not jumping at the tone, but it was hard.

"Neil," My mother walked forward and gave him a hug. "We brought food."

"Oh," A woman popped out from the kitchen and beamed. "I have heard about Mike's cooking."

"You must be Susan," I said, trying to push Neil's attitude from my mind. Neil took the platter. I walked forward and outstretched my hand.

"So nice to meet you." She reached behind her and pulled a young girl out in front of me. "This is my daughter Max."

I smiled and reached my hand out to her. "Hi, Maxine. I'm Gene."

"You're Gene?" She suddenly was staring at me, strangely- "Are you the one."

"Yes, the daughter of my good friends," Neil and my father were pouring themselves a drink. My mother pushed her hair back. The same way I did when I was trying not to think about something.

I could tell from Maxine's face that wasn't what she was going to ask. But I knew better than to push it.

"Where… Where is"

"BILLY GET OUT HERE NOW"

I flinched at Neil's tone, and so did everyone else.

There was dead silence before a door creaked open. My stomach was jumping up and down. Billy was coming, he was here.

Footsteps followed, and a figure appeared through the hallway.

At that moment, time froze as my worst fear came to life. The boy in front of me was the jerk from the backyard. He looked right at me for a moment. I opened my mouth and then closed it.

And then Billy, this boy, and my memories crashed into each other. It was Billy.

"Billy, do you remember this girl," Neil said as he patted my shoulder.

He looked at me slowly. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. "Barely." He said blankly. "Nice to see you again... I guess"

What the hell?

My hands were shaking, what the actual hell? This was the boy from the beach?