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Billy never came back home to Corinna, and she was a bit relieved. Julez still hadn't arrived and Corinna didn't know what to do. She thought about telling Jonathan Byers, or one of the kids. But she didn't want to drag them into something that had nothing related to the Upside Down. But, just as she thought such a thing, she got a phone call from Max, Billy's little sister. "Have you seen Billy recently?" Max asked, hesitant of Corinna's answer.
"I saw him a few days ago... why? Did you see him?" Corinna wearily asked Max.
"He's been acting..." Max began.
"Strange." Corinna ominously finished her sentence.
"Eleven used her powers to spy on him and she saw him talking to a girl, on the floor. She was screaming like she was scared, or something. And... he could see El." Max explained to Corinna over the phone.
"What do you mean see?" Corinna took a deep breath, calming her nerves.
"She saw him using her mind, and was standing behind him... but, then he turned around... and looked right at her. Could just be a coincidence, right? It's probably nothing." Max scoffed her worst case scenario thoughts off.
"It's not nothing. A few days ago, he called me from a pay phone screaming for help. He didn't come home that night. I saw him the next day at his job, but he was tense. And when I went to talk to him," Corinna got choked up, "h-he choked me. He tried to kill me."
There was radio silence. Max's stomach dropped upon hearing the news. "I think you need to come over, now." Max's tone fell flat and serious.
* * *
Corinna met Eleven and Max at Max's house. "Look at what we found." El's face was extremely serious as she held up a bloody lifeguard whistle and fanny pack. They retrieved it from Billy's old bedroom. But it was strange that he would even leave anything there since he lived with Corinna now in her apartment. She supposed that Billy was avoiding going back there to not hurt her, or to not expose what he had been doing.
"Those aren't his." Corinna announced, but El and Max had already jumped to that conclusion.
"Come here." El led Corinna over to the bathroom to see the bath filled with ice.
"Probably for his muscles or something. He works out like a maniac." Max was clearly in denial. She didn't want to think that her brother was a murderer.
"It's just like when Will—" Corinna began.
"Don't say it." Max snapped at her.
"He likes it cold." Corinna whispered under her breath, sending shivers down her spine. That was the only possibility. The Mind Flayer had somehow returned to possess Billy.
