The front door slammed open so hard the whole wall shuddered.

“MAXINE!”

Billy’s voice tore through the house like thunder. He stood in the doorway soaked in headlights and fury—his red shirt halfway unbuttoned, curls wild and damp from the cold night air, eyes locked on the living room like he’d smelled blood.

“Where the hell is she?”

Lucas stood halfway between Max and the others. His hands balled into fists. But it was Max who stepped forward, chin tilted up like she’d already decided she wouldn’t flinch.

“Billy,” she said sharply, “leave. You shouldn’t be here.”

“Don’t tell me where I should be,” he snapped. His boots hit the hardwood hard with every step. “I told you to come home. And what do I find? You ditch school, sneak off again, and you’re holed up here with him?” His gaze slammed into Lucas.

Mike stepped beside him. Dustin edged closer. The tension in the room sharpened—these were kids, but they weren’t backing down.

Billy’s eyes were already glassy with heat, lips curling. “This what you like, huh?” he growled, his voice shaking. “You want freaks now, Max? Is that it?”

“Shut up,” she snapped. “Don’t talk to him like that.”

He took a step forward and that’s when Steve moved.

He stepped between Billy and the rest like a wall. Bloody lip still healing. Shirt stained. Tired eyes, but he didn’t blink.

“Back off,” Steve said. Calm. Controlled.

Billy laughed—a sound with no humor behind it. “You again?”

Steve didn’t respond. Didn’t need to.

And that was it.

The shove came fast. Hard. Billy slammed Steve back into the nearest wall. Steve recovered quick—hit him back with a solid punch across the jaw.

The fight broke open in full. Furniture crashing. Fists flying. Shouts echoing. Max screaming for them to stop.

No one noticed the bathroom door creak open at the end of the hall and you stepped out. You hurt the commotion and hurried down the hall. When turned the corner just in time to see Steve block a punch—and Billy your Billy drive him into the wall so hard the drywall cracked behind his shoulder.

Your heart stopped.

He hadn’t seen you yet. His face was twisted with rage. His fist drawn back. His body trembling.

Steve braced himself and you… you couldn’t move fast enough. Your voice cut through the chaos like breaking glass.

“Billy—!”

He froze for half a second. Not at the sound but at the familiarity in it.