A safer place

chapter five

warning!
physical abuse, use of the f slur (i can reclaim it, but still, yk)
this is set on the day Steve & Billy got into a fight, but I decided to re write the scene, so here you go <3

Billy was humming along to a song playing on the radio while working on the perfect look of his hair.
The boy was planning to see a girl he had been genuinely interested in, and he was excited to take her out.

When the front door closed, he didn't think much of it, assuming Max had come home since their parents were out of town for at least another day.

Footsteps went past his door, and he froze. Those weren't Max's, they belonged to his father.
Only a minute after, he heard a knock on his door.
Billy swallowed thickly before unlocking it.

His father and step mother stood outside, the man looking extremely angry while Susan looked just worried.

„Where is Maxine?" Neil Hargrove growled, and it sent shivers down his spine.
„I don't know" he stuttered, thrown off by their presence.

They shouldn't be here already, he promised Max she was good to go out on her own a bit, they shouldn't be here.

His father scoffed and looked at him in disgust.
„You don't *know*? You were supposed to watch her" he growled.
The blond nodded, carefully taking a step back in fear of what was coming.

„I know, but she's thirteen, she shouldn't need a full time babysitter- And I was watching her! I'm sure she just went to the arcade or something" Billy tried to explain, but to no avail.
He cried out in fear when Neil slammed him against his closed, hearing something fall out.

„So what, you were just staring at yourself in the mirror like some faggot instead of watching Maxine?"
Billy swallowed, forcing himself to make eye contact with the stronger man.

„No, I was getting ready for a date" he whispered, realising he should've kept his mouth shut when he felt his fathers fist hit his cheek.

The boy whined, putting his hands up in defence.
„Please, I'm sorry-! I'll go find her" he pleaded, scared of his father to throw another punch at him.
When he felt Neil's fist losen around his collar, Billy allowed himself to take a deep breath.

„Call whatever whore you were planning to see, and find Max.
I don't want you to come here without her" Neil growled, finally leaving the room with his wife going after him, not without closing the door.
Billy felt a single tear roll down his face, and he quickly wiped it away.

He called the girl like his father had said, asking her to reschedule, which she agreed to.
After that, he got into his car quickly, his first stop being the arcade.

„I told you, she's not here" the employee yawned, obviously bored by Billy, who had gone straight to the counter to ask about Max's whereabouts.
When the man just shrugged, he got impatient and yelled at him, but it hadn't impressed the guy.

Billy sighed, getting back into his car, now making his way to the Sinclairs house.
Lucas' little sister opened the door, raising an eyebrow at him.

„Hey, uhm, is Max here?" Billy muttered, feeling uncomfortable under her eyes scanning the bruise on his face.
„No, and Lucas isn't either. Tell him if I have to keep covering for him that's five bucks a day, cash" she said, a sassy tone in her voice.
Billy was about to leave, when she called after him.

„I guess they might be at the Wheelers, that's usually where Lucas hangs out" she shrugged, and Billy shot her a thankful look.

But the only thing he found at the Wheelers house was a flirty middle aged woman, that made Billy's insides curl.
He didn't like her one bit, but to get what he wanted he flirted back, feeling disgusting while doing so.