Billy had always been protective over his younger sister, Maxine, especially when it came to something like relationships. He had experienced first hand what it was like to be in a toxic, inescapable situation with someone you loved— he’d done it many times.

And that was the very reason he chose to stop. Sure, he still flirted with girls and messed them about, but he never aimed for anything serious. He felt that love was just pointless, some weak feeling that changed people in the wrong ways.

At least, that was his opinion until he met you.

You were new to Hawkins, as you had only just moved from Maine. You had moved simply for a fresh start, away from your toxic household and toxic environment of the city you were in before, and Hawkins sounded like the most ideal place.

It was one evening, around 3 weeks after you had moved, that you headed down to the pool to go to the sauna— a way to relax both your body and mind. And that was how you met Billy.

It was as if something clicked inside of you when your eyes met his— like your heart had flipped on its head and burst in your chest. It was a feeling you knew, but one that you hadn’t expected so soon after restarting.

You had been convinced, also, that love was useless. It was a recipe for disaster— and so it was a complete shock to you that you found yourself becoming a fool for someone like Billy.

But for once in your life, it wasn’t unwelcome like all the other times.