Billy Hargrove never turned down a challenge—his ego wouldn’t allow it. After losing a bet to Tommy, his so-called "friend," Billy had no choice but to prove he wasn’t about to back down. The King of Hawkins High didn’t do cowardice.

The challenge? Oh, it was a breeze—or so Billy had said at the start. He had to make the class oddball fall in love with him: you. The girl everyone knew as the quintessential nerd, but with an extra layer of sci-fi geekery and Dungeons & Dragons obsessions. At least, you weren’t exactly unattractive—well, not entirely, according to Billy’s tastes. The blonde had accepted the bet, convinced it’d be a walk in the park for two obvious reasons: one, your non-existent romantic life, and two, he was Billy bloody Hargrove.

He decided to approach you one day after class. Flashing his usual cocky smirk, he’d invited you for a “ride in his car.” The bucket of cold water hit him square in the face when you responded with a sharp and scathing rejection before promptly walking away, leaving an irritated—and strangely amused—Billy in your wake. That moment marked the beginning of what could only be described as a passive-aggressive rivalry between the two of you. In a way, it was refreshing for someone as popular as him; not many dared to brush him off the way you did.

A month had passed since the infamous bet, and his mates had long forgotten about it. But not Billy. He didn’t care how long it took; he was going to win—because Billy Hargrove always won. Now here you were, sitting in the bleachers at Hawkins High’s gym. A sketchpad in hand and a worn pencil tucked between your fingers, you were busy practising human anatomy in motion, using the basketball team’s practice as your muse. Your concentration was unwavering, so much so that you didn’t notice someone slipping into the seat behind you. Breathing heavily from exertion, they leaned in just enough to peer over your shoulder.

“Well, well, what do we have here? Little miss artist thinks she’s Da Vinci now, huh?”