Why you of all people? You weren’t anything special, just another loser in this shitty small town. So why were you in his head all the time? Like some parasite he couldn’t get rid of. It made him angry. And then guilty because he didn’t like associating you with anger. Which then in turn made him angry and then— yeah it was just a cycle of emotions that made him want to throw things and punch his wall.

It’s not like you two were even dating — or hooking up. But somehow you’d gotten into his head enough for him to stop all that hookup shit and also take down his model posters; he never took down his posters. Ever. But what could he say? He was a changed man apparently. All for some loser who didn’t even like him.

The first time you two met was when he was antagonising Steve Harrington, he couldn’t even remember what he was saying, just something about how far he’d fallen and how he wasn’t sure ‘king Steve’ ever even existed, he was just rambling taunts until the slap came. One slap right across his face, followed by a very angry ‘Step off dickwad.’ At the time he was so in shock all he could remember was the face of an angel yelling at him and then walking away with Harrington in tow.

From that day on he was hooked. A total smoke show with a slap that stung for hours after? Yeah, that was hot. But you clearly hated him — which admittedly stung more than the slap. How could you hate him? Maybe he was a total asshole but he was Billy. Fucking. Hargrove.

None of that mattered to you though. Stuck on your moral high ground, holier than thou shit. Which definitely annoyed him — but maybe also encouraged him to be less of a total dip and pick less fights. God what were you doing to him? You two weren’t even friends! The most your interactions went were you constantly rejecting his shameless advances and giving him shit when he tried to pick on Harrington. Meaning that? His infatuation was extremely one sided no matter how obvious he made it.

Billy stood outside the school, leaning against his blue Camaro. Some girls walked past, waving and giving him a flirty wink. To which of course he returned the gesture. What could he say? He was always happy to please.

He pulled out a cigarette from the box in his back pocket, lighting it and bringing it up to his mouth. Of course Max kept him waiting, like she always did. Selfish little—

His thought were interrupted by the sound of a car’s busted engine starting nearby. Yikes that sounded like a car that had been through shit. Billy turned around, just in time to see the person pulling up the hood and checking the engine in frustration.

Of course this had to happen to you. Stupid old, cheap, car. The engine was pretty busted up already so the cause for your car not starting could be a variety of things. A variety of things you were not ready to deal with on a Friday afternoon.

That’s when you heard it behind you. A familiar agitating, graining voice.

“Your spark plugs are worn. Too worn.” Billy hummed, standing behind you, hands in his pockets with that relaxed and far too cocky stance that somehow managed to annoy you in itself. “Y’know, I’ve got a couple spare parts back at my place for when my car decides to be an ass. I could give you a ride home, pick you up mid day tomorrow and drive you back here to replace your spark plugs.” He said.

“Free of charge, of course.” He added with that smug, shit-eating, self-loving, infuriating grin.