billy hargrove

23 || lifeguard and quarry worker

[billyhcrgrove]

rhiagillenkerk​:

“Oh c’mon, you’ve had to drink worse beer at other places. At least the drinks here are always ice cold,” she corrects him, glancing over to her favorite bartender as he slips her a new, tall glass. Rhia didn’t have expensive taste and well, she could get pretty wasted for rather cheep. That was the beauty of a dive bar like this, she never felt like she was getting ripped off. The vibes were always good, regardless of who she ran into. “What brings you here anyways? Needing to blow off some steam after a shitty day?”

Billy didn’t remember the worst beer he’d ever had, but she was probably right. Compared to warm, flat cans from parties in high school, this wasn’t that bad.

Though he didn’t say it, Rhia was correct with her second point as well. Blowing off steam after a crap day at work is exactly why Billy was in a bar drinking crap beer, but if he admitted to that then he’d be acknowledging that most days were shitty days and he’d have to confront just how much he hated his life in Hawkins. Not exactly the mood he wanted with the company he had.

“Yeah,” he smiled. “This is where the guys come after a shift at the quarry. But more importantly, what brings you here? Find someone to watch the little angel for the night?” Billy wasn’t close to wanting kids of his own, but he knew parents always loved when you complimented theirs.

[billyhcrgrove]

heatherhollcway​:

♡  

“Maybe you can show me around, I might see your side of things, huh?” Heather was sure that if she was there and he was shining like she was sure he did in his home city, that she’d like Los Angeles more too. Maybe it was something about the idea of the desert that made her hesitant.

Heather squinted off into the distant skyline, her palm flat across her brow to shield her eyes. “What’s that I see? I think there’s a pig flying over oh, and it’s a cold day in hell-kins, Indiana.”

“You’re welcome, Hargrove.” Their names being so similar had always put them close on attendance. Instead of answering right away she threw back her beer, offering one soft hand up to him and waggling it obnoxiously to get him to pull her up with a teasing smile. “A ride home? If we’re gonna be boring and get back for your bedtime then I guess…”

Billy grabbed Heather’s hand and pulled her up, though not without an eye roll. She landed right next to him, close enough that tempting possibilities crossed his mind. Perhaps the night was going in a different direction than he thought.

For the moment he stayed put, keeping their distance close as he looked down at her. “Well what else did you have in mind, Holloway?” he asked, smiling.

[billyhcrgrove]

carolperk​:

Open starter!

Location: Somewhere in Hawkins

She already felt like a prisoner in this shitty town and now even moreso with a nut on the loose.

Carol had gone on a run to the store and she had her arms full of groceries. Unfortunately she dropped the bag that had the ice cream in it.

“Shit! Oh for the love of God!” She yelled as she saw the mess on the ground.

Carol looked up and saw someone nearby.

“Hey! Uh you, yeah you! Can you help me?” She asked.

A smirk crept onto Billy’s face as her things went everywhere. Perhaps a bit of schadenfreude, but he immediately bent down to help her.

“Can you have a bit of patience, I can’t moved much quicker Carol.”

[billyhcrgrove]

rhiagillenkerk​:

“What’s your poison for tonight, Hargrove?” Rhia turns her direction to see Billy, seated a few rows down from her at the bar. She had decided to go out tonight with her Aunt Gina to enjoy some drinks and do her weekly catching up with the staff at The Hideaway. Uncle Jack had insisted he wanted one on one time with Gemma and well, she could use even just a short break from her. Motherhood was the best thing to happen to her but now more than ever, she needed to find even small windows of time where she could recharge. Rhia wondered if she would spot anybody else familiar tonight and well, she got her answer.

( @billyhcrgrove​ )

As Billy walked into the Hideaway, it almost felt like he didn’t have a choice. A dull day, he woke up, worked out, went to work at the quarry, and now found himself here, with several other men he knew from work also frequenting the bar that night. The only difference was that some of them were there to escape their wives. There was no gun to his head, but still, he was there the same as the rest of them. Even though he enjoyed the beer, the conformity bothered him. Yet, he stayed.

At the sound of a beautiful familiar face, Billy smiled and shook off the existentialism that’d been creeping in. “This shitty beer. How about you Gillenkerk?”

[billyhcrgrove]

heatherhollcway​:

♡  

Billy knew she was kidding but she arched an eyebrow and pointed at him gun-like, her best mimic of Ms O’Donnell’s signature threat pose, beer in hand. “Watch yourself, Hargrove.” Held half a breath before she giggled, nose scrunched. 

Heather hadn’t allowed herself to be goofy in front of most people but Billy had seen her in every kind of shape at the pool. She melted slightly into the sun-baked warmth of the roof. 

“So not good either? Where else then?” One hand swirled her beer, she stared down into it. “I’ve been on vacation but like I get how that isn’t the same as the places you’ve probably seen; bubble wrap still on it or something,” she trailed off to a murmur, her mouth twisted self-consciously.

“I know.” Heather smiled, sunnily and easily happy for him. There were few people on that list. “Of course New York. I think you’d make it, though we will still all mourn the fabled year-round tan that I had to hear about in every English class for two years. It was like if they all talked about it enough they could make it sunny at Christmas.” 

“It’s not bad,” Billy responded absently. “It’s better than here. It’s just not ... LA.” He knew the city wasn’t for everyone, Heather had even said it probably wasn’t for her, but Billy naturally saw things from his own perspective. And in his eyes, LA was gold.

He smiled at the callback to high school. With the popularity and admiration, they were probably the best years he’d spent in Hawkins so far. Even if he did feel like half the time he spent at Hawkins High was a waste.

“Well, you never know,” he teased, coyly entertaining the idea. He certainly thought he’d brightened up the town figuratively. “Stranger things have happened.”

He tilted the bottle to the sky, getting the last drops before setting it down on the uneven concrete beside him. The last rays of light had all but disappeared from the darkening sky, and unless things were going to head in a certain direction, Billy figured he should be heading out.

“Thanks for the beer, Holloway,” he said as he grabbed his bag and stood up. “Do you need a ride home? It’s not safe for a lady to walk at night all by herself.” The last part he said with a smile, teasing her even though the offer was sincere. Billy could be a gentleman some of the time, towards the right kind of people.

[billyhcrgrove]

thefreakmunscn​:

eddie already knew that the town was divided on their opinion of him. he was more than aware that half the town didn’t really like him. hellfire didn’t have the best reputation ( most of the parents thought it was a devil worshipping cult ) so just from that alone people didn’t like him. others thought he was scary because of the way he dressed and the music he liked.

billy was someone that eddie was not overly familiar with. he had seen the man several times just around town, but never bothered to strike up any sort of conversation ( probably because eddie thought he looked like a douche ) but it wasn’t a total surprise that he didn’t like eddie. the rumour about him sacrificing virgins was a new one however. just when you think you’ve heard it all, someone comes and proves you wrong. “ oh ha ha. ” he deadpanned with a roll of his eyes, not bothering to look at the other. “ if i did, don’t you think you would’ve been there, hargrove ? ”

Billy didn’t need to look to know that while no one of importance was around, there were more than enough people near them that it would be noticed if Billy clocked him right now. It wasn’t as if the crowd had magically dispersed and Billy was free to have some fun and take a shot. So instead, he grinned.

“That’s a good one,” he replied in a similar deadpan tone. Despite their social differences, he did mean it. Leather jackets, rock and metal music were like cousins ... in another life maybe they would’ve hung out.

“Too bad it’s not enough for people to like you.” Eddie had his group of freaks -  Billy knew from kicking the crap out of a fair few of them in high school - but outside of that he didn’t think Eddie had much.

[billyhcrgrove]

heatherhollcway​:

♡

That was as good as a round of applause from Hargrove and she smiled unabashedly, the last of the light winked off the hoop in his ear. As the bugs were disturbed waves of soft glow lifted against the dark of the trees. She took a long drink of beer, Blondie listing into a rock song that Heather didn’t recognise in the background.

“Amen.” She answered, curling and uncurling a strand of her ponytail in a habit she’d formed years ago as he briefly pressed his lips to the necklace. It had been so rare in Hawkins for men to accessorise in the way that he had, with his big city fashion sense and all the swagger that came with it.

“Yeah… right down at Hawkins General, it sucks.” Heather murmured, though she made the best of their small town, Indiana was still Indiana. The tone was far softer than the following words.  “If you make a cattle or pasture joke I am gonna push you off at bb gunpoint.” 

“All the time.” Heather laughed bitterly down into her hands. “I got into Northwestern, in Illinois but you’re right. Someone might have sold California to me pretty well though Los Angeles doesn’t seem my kind of scene, maybe San Francisco.”

Hawkins General. Only in a small town... In LA all of the hospitals seemed to be named after charities or donors.

Billy smiled at the idea of Heather Holloway holding him at gunpoint, holding his hands up innocently as he jokingly assured her, “I would never. Cross my heart.” His free right hand drew an X in the air over his left chest.

He took another sip of his drink and stared down at the empty pool. It was nice to know that his tales of the sunshine coast and late night escapades were convincing, rather than just shiny stories that seemed out of reach. Billy did wonder what his friends, what were his one bright spot in Hawkins, would be like in LA.

“San Francisco’s not bad. They have some good music - the Dead Kennedys.” Though they weren’t Billy’s favourite, he didn’t mind their stuff.

“I don’t think it’s any secret I want to go back.” He looked over at Heather for a moment, the last drops of sun lighting up her blonde hair. “I’ve thought about checking out New York first, but I don’t think it’ll have anything on LA.”

[billyhcrgrove]

lornaxmaddox​:

Lorna miscalculated how many children were going to be so found herself wandering to find a slightly quieter place, she was thankful that the brewery was less chaotic. She made her way towards the bar and began to have a look at what they had on offer. She was normally one to drink vodka during her times out, but she knew that they wouldn’t have that and she was fond of cider every now and again. 

She took a seat at the bar and ordered herself some cider and took a small sip of it once she was given it before hearing a voice coming from next to her. She turned to face him with a small chuckle escaping her lips. “I mean I have seen a few people go past with beers, it’s like going to somewhere that makes whiskey and ordering a gin and tonic, doesn’t really make sense to me.” 

Billy turned to take a better look at the woman sitting next to him. She looked familiar, but then almost everyone did in a town like Hawkins. He’d maybe seen her around town, but he didn’t think he’d ever asked for her name before. At least he didn’t remember doing so.

“Exactly. You can get a cheap beer any night of the year.” Billy took another sip. “I know this whole thing is a family event or whatever, but you think after seven the really little ones would be passed out at home.”

[billyhcrgrove]

heatherhollcway​:

♡

Heather returned the grin, his smile seemed genuine enough. It was a win for her to have his mind taken off of the fact that he never wanted to move here at all. “I try.” She watched him stare down at the place where the kids might appear and she pulled out two pistol sized bb guns and a tub of the pellets, ambiguously laid between them.

“Sometimes almost isn’t close enough for teenagers with thick skulls.” Heather agreed readily, matching his smirk.

“Yeah, it’s not so bad especially with the lightning bugs.” She sighed, looking at the sky changing colours as the light faded. Though she hid it better than most, everybody had wanted to impress ‘California’ when he’d first roared up in that car. Billy was a mystery to many but she’d spent hours at this place with him over the years and she raised her beer to him to clink together in a toast. “Especially ‘cause we don’t have to share it with anybody else, no losers allowed.”

“Yeah, they’re alright,” he agreed in response to her statement about the lightning bugs. His voice was quieter, one might even say softer, than it was before. It often did when he tried to be genuine, though it never lasted long. After another sip of his beer, the cynical edge came back as sharp as ever.

“Thank God for that,” he smiled, raising the cross around his neck to his lips. Billy didn’t think much about religion, but he was raised in a Christian household and, despite their secular lyrics, all of the rockstars back in LA were seen wearing them.

Unexpectedly, even to him, some of the softness came back for a moment. “You were born here, right?” he posed, looking off to where the sun met the tops of the trees. He wasn’t sure if she’d ever actually told him or not - he mostly just assumed everyone except him and Max were.

“Do you ever think about leaving? Not just for college or anything, but for real?”

[billyhcrgrove]

heatherhollcway​:

♡  

The long, saturated technicolour of summer was bleeding into a warm evening; lightning bugs zipped haphazardly out of the bushes, lazily blinking out into the night. At the sounds of him following her summons she let herself smile quietly, Billy had been the right choice for this, always game if something was a little interesting. She straightened the towels so there was enough room for him.

“I got another six pack in my gym duffle and my cousins bb guns in case the Snyder kid and his friends try to make that hole in the fence bigger again.” Heather smiled conspiratorially at him, the bottle giving a slight hiss as she used the foot tap trick holding two beers to take the cap off of one, hoping he was game as Blondie trilled on in the background. “It’s not exactly the view from the Hollywood sign but…”

“Sounds perfect,” Billy responded, smiling at the idea of scaring the shit out of some kids with a BB gun. There was something about watching some snot nosed brats run for their lives with a look of absolute terror on their faces that was just funny to him. Even if making a hole in the fence to break in somewhere was exactly the kind of thing he would’ve done when he was younger.

“After that bottle almost hit one of their heads you think they’d learned their lesson, but...” As his voice trailed off he shook his head, his smile creeping into a smirk.

“It’s as great a view as you’re gonna get here,” Billy replied taking a beer from her before taking a sip, gazing out at the horizon from the rooftop. If he was less cynical about Hawkins, perhaps he would’ve been able to enjoy what was becoming a glowing summer sunset, but instead all did was compare it to LA, focusing on all of the flaws rather than the picturesque features.

[billyhcrgrove]

who: @thefreakmunscn where: hawkins cider mill when: october 8, 1988

While Billy took pride in his appearance, he’d never really worried or thought much about health when it came to what he ate. Perhaps it was because he managed to have the physique and stamina he did while still consuming beer and cigarettes regularly, but he probably wasn’t going to really start thinking about it until time caught up with him - if it ever did.

As he stood in front of the doughnut stall, choosing between flavours that would most likely constitute his dinner for the evening, he caught sight of a familiar face out of the corner of his eye.

“Enjoying the festival, Munson?” he asked jokingly, not bothering to look over. “Sacrifice any virgins yet? Or do you have to wait until closer to Halloween for that?”

[billyhcrgrove]

who: @lornaxmaddox where: hawkins cider mill when: october 8, 1988

Billy sat down on the one open stool left at the bar. While the sound of children screaming was still audible, it wasn’t as shrill inside the brewery, the fair’s only twenty-one plus area.

They had a variety of options on tap, but it felt wrong to order a beer when he was at a cider mill. His eyes glanced quickly at the chalkboard menu that was hung behind the bar before deciding upon the dry cider. His go to drink being beer, Billy wasn’t much for sugary alcoholic drinks.

He nodded in thanks and slid some cash across the bar and his drink was placed in front of him.

“I don’t know why anyone orders anything else here,” he said to the woman next to him before taking his first sip. “Cider is what they do.”

[billyhcrgrove]

heatherhollcway​:

@billyhcrgrove​​

it was a little after closing and heather used the dumpster to climb atop the low building of hawkins community pool, this time with a six pack in her gym duffel and her portable radio in spite of the curfew time creeping in, blondie hummed away on low volume. it was summer and the night was barely beginning. at the sound of keys jangling she leant over the edge, she dangled her open bottle to call down. “hey hargrove? you look like you could use a drink.” heather pulled back to sit in her spot on her spare towel, not pausing long enough to see if billy was confused at the out of character behaviour. 

It hadn’t been a hard shift, but there was something about the summer heat that day that had just made it exhausting. Billy was by himself, the other employees had already gone home, as he began to lock up. He’d just finished as he head a familiar voice call out from above.

He looked up in confusion, but by the time he had Heather had already vanished. Without answering, Billy tossed his bag up onto the roof, doing his best to steer clear of where she was. As he climbed up, he saw his bag had landed about four feet in front of her towel.

“What did you bring us?” he smiled as he sat down next to her. If she invited him, he assumed she was sharing.

[billyhcrgrove]

buyatboatem​:

Jumbo Ask Game

Relationships

💖 Has your OC ever been in love, be it romantic or platonic or otherwise? Who with and did they ever express their feelings or keep it private? How long did these feelings persist / do they still feel this way?

❌ What kind of things would end any relationship for them? Is there a history behind why these things bother them? Could they ever take someone back despite this? If so or if not, why?

💋 How affectionate are they with their friends? Their family? Their romantic partner(s) (if they have any)? Are they more physical or emotional when it comes to displaying their affection? Why?

🌹 How easy is it for them to connect with others and make friends? On the flip side how easy is it for them to make an enemy of someone? Are they the kind of person who hangs around the food table at a party and never talks to anyone or are they the type who can talk to anyone?

🍒 What kind of things do they expect from their relationships? Does this differ between platonic relationships and romantic ones? Is your OC “demanding” or a door mat? What kinds of things do people expect from them in a relationship?

Preferences

🔥 Give us a list of general likes and dislikes, such as colours, textures, music, weather and other stuff!

🍊 What is your OC’s favourite meal? Snack? Dessert? Drink? Any reasons behind this besides liking how it tastes? What is your OC’s most hated food? Stuff they can’t stand to eat or drink?

🍑 Where is your OC’s favourite place to relax or calm down? Recount a story of their time spent in this place! What makes it so special to them? Is there anywhere your OC hates to go to? Anywhere that stresses them out or have negative memories of?

🧡 Who is your OC’s favourite person? Why is this person the top of their list and have they actually met them (an idol or rolemodel or celeb can be someone’s favourite after all!). Who does your OC absolutely hate, the one person who they’d sell to Satan for one corn chip? Why do they loathe this person so?

📙 What kind of subjects (of conversation, of discussion, in school or whatever) does your OC find interesting or engaging or that they can talk for hours about? What kind of stuff do they just find fun? What things bore your OC to tears and they couldn’t care less about? Why?

Emotions

😊 What can make your OC smile even when they’re feeling down? What cheers them up and makes everything feel better for them? Is your OC genrally a happy person and do they enjoy making others smile? What about your OC makes others happy?

⭐ What is your OC afraid of? Any crippling phobias or some such? How do they act when scared and what helps them calm down? Does anyone ever find your OC scary? Why?

🍋 Does your OC act petty and jealous easily? What sort of things make them feel like this and do they experience guilt for getting so worked up? How do they deal with these emotions when they get them? If your OC doesn’t feel like this often, why not?

📀 How easy is it to shock your OC? To confuse them? To lie to them, to manipulate them? How are they with feelings of trust? Can your OC be trusted?

💛 In general, how in control of their emotions is your OC? Do they have a good hold on them or do their emotions control them, not the other way around? What do you think is the reason behind this and is your OC ever concerned about their lack of or good control?

Mental Health

🌳 Compare your OC to themself from 10 years ago. How has their mental state changed since then, how have they aged and grown up? Would they say they’re in a better place than they were back then or do they need help? What advice would they give their younger self? What advice would their younger self give to them now?

🍏 Does your OC have any triggers? What is the history behind these triggers and are they related to any disorders or mental illnesses? In what ways does your OC react to being triggered?

🥝 What does a bad mental health day look like for your OC? Walk us through it with them. What kind of things can help them out of this slump and what kinds of things comfort them when they start to feel like this?

🍐 What is your OC’s mentality? Are they overall positive? Negative? A bit of both? Describe their thought patterns and reasoning behind their choice making!

💚 Talk about some of the traumatic events in your OC’s life. These events can be ones that have happened to them or a loved one. These events can be minor or major.

History

💧 What is the earliest memory your OC can recall? Do they know what their first words were or remember where they took their first steps? Do they have any mementos of their childhood they’ve kept such as a stuffed toy or tiny baby clothes?

🌠 Who was your OC’s first friend? Do they remember them or are they still friends now? Talk about some of the people your OC has lost contact with over the years. Do they have any regrets about losing these people and would they revist them if they could?

💙 What did your OC want to be when they grew up and why? Did they have any lifelong dreams or ambitions they never got to work on or are they currently working to achieve this dream? Has their life taken a very unexpected turn and put all these plans on hold for a while or have they given up on any dreams?

🌀 Where is your OC from? Where were they born? Do they still live there, if not why did they move? If they still live in the area how has it changed since their childhood? How many places has your OC lived in and where has been their favourite?

💤 What was your OC like as a baby, a child and as a teen? (if your OC is a teen or a child, what will they be like as an adult?). How have they changed since then? What lessons have they learned and what things about their youth do they miss the most? Do they have any general regrets?

This or That

🍇 Day or Night? Sun or Rain? Summer or Winter?

🛍️ Function or Aesthetic? Skirts or Pants? Heels or Flats?

🔮 Star gazing or cloud watching? Hand-holding or snuggles? Early mornings or late nights?

💜 Music or Silence? Swords or Spells? Cities or Nature?

🍆 Tea or Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Sweet or Spicy? Fruits or Vegetables?

Features

🌸 What does your OC’s voice sound like? Their laugh? Are they good at singing? Do they have an accent?

🎀 Do they wear a specific accessory with a special meaning behind it? What is their usual fashion sense like? What do they wear when they want to be comfortable and what do they wear when they’re going to a fancy party? Or do they just not care?

💗 What would your OC say is their best feature? Why? What do their friends / family / lover(s) / people they know think is their best feature and why?

🌺 Does your OC have any tattoos or other body art? Does their body art have any specific meaning behind it? Do they have any scars? How did they get those scars? Any birthmarks?

🌷 In what ways would your OC alter their body if they could? How would they do it using mundane means (hair dye, surgery, make-up?). What is their ideal look for themself?

[billyhcrgrove]

carolperk​:

Closed starter! @billyhcrgrove

Location: Rink-O-Mania in the late afternoon

She always knew when Billy was around, it was like a sixth sense. They were friends, and Carol loved being friends with him. Plus he was very attractive, though she'd never say that in front of Tommy.

"Can't wait to get my mouth on a nice cold beer and just fucking dance. So glad I'm off work in... thirty minutes." Carol looked at her watch and rolled her eyes before gazing at Billy.

"I told Tommy to pick up the pizza this time for the party. I really really hope he doesn't eat it on the way back. Beer is great, but beer without pizza is lame as hell." She said to him.

"You gonna drive me back to his place or am I gonna have to roller skate there?" Carol joked with a teasing grin as she skated from behind the counter and sat next to Billy.

Billy smiled as Carol rolled her eyes. There was a humour watching someone else complain about work when you could come and go at any time. Still, Billy wasn’t about to leave one of the first friends he’d made in Hawkins out to dry as she tried to kill the last stretch of her shift.

He looked left and right, checking quickly that her boss wasn’t around to catch them.

“Why wait?” Billy asked with a sly, cocky smile as he took out a dull silver flask from inside his jacket. “It’s not beer,” he gently slid the flask across the counter towards her. “But it’ll make the time go by faster.”

“I’m sure he won’t,” Billy reassured her, taking a long exhale, producing a steady stream of smoke. In the time Billy had known Tommy, he’d never seemed like the type to stuff his face like that.

Billy took the flask from the counter, having a swig himself as he looked around again to make sure they were still in the clear. “Yeah, I’ll drive you. You just owe me free skates next time I bring a girl here.”

[billyhcrgrove]

rhiagillenkerk​:

( @billyhcrgrove​ )

Rhia was now currently about halfway through her shift at Family Video. It had been painfully slow and quiet there, nobody really being really in the mood to shop for movies with the news of a killer fresh on their minds. Standing out in the back alley between the business and the one’s next door, she fishes out the cigarettes that were in her bag. Lighting it, she draws it to her lips as she exhales smoke. Ah, sweet, sweet relief. She fucking needed this. 

Stopping a familiar face, she raises a brow and slightly smirks.

“So, are swimming lessons put on hold because everybody is spooked?” 

Billy’s car was parked a few blocks away, but fortunately, or rather unfortunately in Billy’s mind, he’d lived in Hawkins long enough to know that if he cut behind some stores he’d get there in half the time. Turning the corner to make his way behind Family Video, Billy stopped as saw Rhia.

The older moms at the swim class he taught he referred to as Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Connors, and so forth, but for Rhia that didn’t fit. First, because she wasn’t married, but also because it felt strange to call someone his age missus.

“A few have stopped showing up, but the majority still drop their kids off. Seems like watching their kids all day is scarier than a killer on the loose.”

[billyhcrgrove]

who: @stcinedglass​ where: the hargrove household (neil and susan’s house) when: late july, 1988

Billy’s car quietly pulled into the driveway of his old house. Unlike usual, the radio in his car was off and had been since he turned onto the street. It was the middle of the day and Billy was sure he’d seen his dad through the bank windows as he drove by on Main Street. Susan was likely at work as well, though Billy hadn’t checked, which meant that if Max was home, she would be by herself.

With a quick click, he turned off the engine, got out of his car, and walked up to the door. Billy wrapped on the door three times, forcefully enough that she would hopefully hear it no matter where she was inside - not that it was a particularly big house. After a few moments the door swung open and Max appeared in the frame.

“Hey. Are Neil or Susan home? Can I come in?” Billy asked. He was confident he already knew the answers to both questions, but there was still the need to ask.