𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐒𝐄 | 𝐬.𝐡.

𝟐𝟕. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭

     "Billy!" Max yelled from beside Lorelei. 

     She had just enough control of her emotions to grab hold of Max, stopping her from trying to rush towards a monster that was still very much alive. Both girls watched, with Max struggling slightly against the grip Lorelei had on her arms, as Billy was dropped back to the floor, body trembling with heaving breaths that he was taking. 

     Lorelei was nearly prepared to grab Max and run, but the Mind Flayer suddenly started to screech out in pain. Its body shook around the mall, limbs flailing everywhere and hitting the upper floors, where Lorelei was guessing the rest of her friends were.

     After another agonizing couple of seconds, the monster finally fell to the floor, a heavy thud sounding across the mall. Fire could be seen around its body, causing a suffocating heat to become trapped within the atmosphere.

     Deeming it safe, Lorelei let go of Max's arm, allowing the girl to run towards her step-brother. She followed close behind, kneeling beside Max as they reached Billy. Beside them, Mike and Eleven were hugging each other, still not having realized what was happening around them. As for Estelle, she was leaning against the side of the entrance of Scoops Ahoy, her eyes wide in shock as she took everything in.

     "Billy?" asked Max, her knees digging into the floor.

     Lorelei felt tears starting to burn into her eyes as she saw Billy lying there. Of course, he had rarely ever been anything but a complete douchebag towards her, but now, as he lay there dying, he did not look like the confident boy that had first hit on her on their first day at Hawkins High. Instead, he looked like a scared child.

     His chest was heaving with uncontrolled breaths, whimpers escaping his lips which were stained with a dark substance that Lorelei could not make out to be blood, something else, or a mixture of both.

     "Billy, Billy, get up, please," Max begged, her hands grasping his shoulders and shaking them. "Billy, get up, Billy, please."

     He looked up at her then, eyes almost lifeless but still trying to hang out. "I'm sorry," he croaked out.

     "Billy, no," cried Max.

     Then, his eyes turned to Lorelei, who was still silently watching the exchange, her hand placed on Max's shoulder. "I-" he spluttered. "I'm sorry."

     "It's okay," she whispered as she tried to keep her voice steady - as she tried to make it easier for him to let go.

     Billy turned to Max one last time. And then he said his final words, a repetition of the last two things he had said, almost like a mantra. "I'm sorry, Max."

     And then his eyes closed.

     "Billy! Billy! Billy, wake up!" Max shouted, her hands shaking his body. "Billy, get up, please! Please, Billy!"

     Lorelei was about to pull her away from Billy's body, but Eleven beat her to it. Her hands reached over to Max, wrapping her arms around her and bringing her onto her lap. As Max continued crying, and Eleven said things in assurance that would do little to bring comfort to her, Mike and Lorelei only watched. 

     On the upper floor of the shopping mall, Steve had leaned over the banister. His eyes squinted down at the ground below, searching the bodies for the familiar face he had been anxious to look for ever since she had run into the mall and away from him.

     By the time he spotted her, she was kneeling next to Billy's body. He could make out Max crying, but in that moment, what his eyes focused on the most was Lorelei. It was too far to make out her face that well, but he could see that there was blood on it.