"You never fucking listen"
@ihni commented in the tags on something I reblogged. I couldn't get it out of my head.
| Part 2 | Part 2.5 | Part 3 | Part 3.5
He's driving home from the quarry when he hears the ambulance. He doesn't think much of it. In hindsight, it's rare to see an ambulance in Hawkins.
But in California? Fire trucks, ambulances, cruisers, they were always around. Making noise with sirens, especially in the neighborhood they lived in.
It's when he gets home he realizes it's important.
Susan paces the porch. She's runs to the Camaro iwhen he pulls up to the curb. He doesn't even have time to shift into park.
He's confused more than anything. Susan barely even speaks to him, never mind greets him when it's fucking 40 degrees or whatever.
"Did you know?" her voice is short and accusatory.
"Know what?" He can't turn the car off because his windows are down and she's apparently in the mood for a god damn lecture. Guess she's choosing now to be a step parent or whatever. It's like they think he's a mind reader or whatever.
"Max and that..." she fixes her hair, "negro boy."
His heart drops through his gut and his shoulders start to shake. Oh shit. Oh no.
Fuck this small fucking town. And all the fucking gossip. and all the fucking nosy ass people who have nothing better to do with their lives.
The ambulance flashes through his head. Neil's truck isn't here. At first he'd been relieved, but it's past five and he should be home.
He dropped the shitbird off at the arcade earlier, which is only two blocks from the Tavern.
For months he'd been warning Max not to be seen with Lucas, especially alone. To not walk from the arcade to the stupid ice cream parlor, which was across the street from the Tavern.
And he'd given her more money than he normally does. Fuck!
Why the fuck was he nice to her?!
"So you did know," she's angry, her knuckles turning white where she gripped the edge of the car. "How could you let that happen? How could you just--"
"You're lecturing me?" he barked, defaulting to anger. "I know you're a spineless bitch, but I didn't peg you for a stupid one! Let go and back off."
She huffed, angry, "How dare you speak to me- When your father..." she trails. She's never threatened him before, especially not with his father.
"He'll punish her too," he hissed through his teeth. A warning. A threat of his own. Surely she's not this stupid. "Go ahead. Tell him I swore at you. He'll beat the shit out of me either way. You better hope she's alive when I find her. Now. Let. Go."
She stumbles back, pale as a ghost. She trembles as he speeds off, leaving her in the middle of the street.
He gets to the hospital and has to flirt with three different nurses before someone finally gives him something he can use. The third one is a lot like Karen Wheeler in the hot and bothered never fucked by her husband way and ends up bringing him to the third floor where Lucas has been admitted. The price for that is her number and promising to call her later. He hedges his bets and warns it might not be right away.
He has no idea what his old man will do to him.
Apparently the story is Lucas got into a fight or something at the quarry. The police will be here soon and they've called his family.
Billy doesn't by it for a second.
She cheerily says he has a friend with him. He prays it's Max. It has to be Max.
He enters the room to find Will with him, but no one else.
"Where's Max?" he demands, hands shaking uncontrollably at his sides.
Lucas looks up at him with his left eye swollen shut. His arm is in a sling and based on the way it's immobilized, they're going to cast it. Then there's the bruises and cuts on his face.
Billy knows Neil's work when he sees it.
"Where is she, Sinclair?" Billy tries again, his voice more gentle this time. He's trying, but he's amped and he's scared. He's terrified.
Lucas looked down at his lap. Lost. He licks his lips and seems to regret it because his tongue goes back between his teeth. One of them is chipped.
"He dragged her into the car," Will answers him.
Billy turns to leave.
"That's why, isn't it?" Lucas finally speaks, his tone quiet and void of emotion. "That's why you kept telling us to be careful. To not be out where we could be seen? It wasn't you."
Billy freezes at the door. How could he answer that? Where they both truly that stupid? That dense? Had he protected Max from Neil to such an extent that she didn't see how dangerous he was?
This was all his fault. Not just what happened to Sinclair, but whatever was going to happen to Max. Whatever was happening to her right now.
"He drove off toward the edge of town."
"Thanks," Billy raises his hand as a form of goodbye. he can't hide his shaking, though.
He slips out onto the stairway when he hears Mrs. Sinclair's voice. He can't face them. He can't get caught up in this or get stuck here. Not right now.
He darts down the stairs and goes back to his car.
Neil will take her into the woods.
Back in California, Neil loved to go on drives. He loved to take Billy on drives before a punishment. He loved punishments in secluded spots in the woods and then bring him to the beach to add salt water to the wounds. Literally.
It was an attempt to make Billy hate the beach. Hate the water. Hate all of the good memories with his mother.
There's no beach here though.
Gripping the steering wheel to keep himself from driving into a tree, to keep himself centered. The truck can make it to places the Camaro can't. The truck can go off road.
Billy doesn't know if he can stop Neil before things get too bad, but he'll try.
Max is his responsibility.
One way or another, he'll get the beating of his life for this.
Better now than later.
The sooner he can redirect his father's anger, the easier it will be on Max.
They might leave Hawkins. There's little chance Neil can hide this, especially with how well liked the Sinclair's are in town.
Why would Lucas lie to protect the guy who beat the shit out of him?
And after Max turns up? She'll be lucky is all she has is a bruised cheek.
He smokes to calm his nerves.
Remembering his father complaining the night before, he drives to the old steel works.
"You never fucking listen, shitbird," he whispers to the empty passenger seat.
