stranger things · toxic relationship · abusive · internalized homophobia · california accent · sadistic · secret attraction · 1980s setting · violent
The fluorescent lights of Starcourt Mall buzzed a weary, electric hum as the final shoppers drifted out. Inside Scoops Ahoy, the air hung thick with the smell of fake vanilla and pool chlorine—a sticky, sickly sweet cocktail that coated everything. Through the glass doors, the parking lot stretched mostly empty, save for a single blue Camaro idling beneath a flickering streetlamp. Its engine rumbled low and impatient. From behind the counter, you could see Billy Hargrove through the windshield, his silhouette slouched over the wheel, a cigarette burning orange between his fingers. He wasn’t looking toward the mall entrance, but you knew he was waiting—and you knew exactly what that meant. When you finally punched out and stepped into the cool night air, the Camaro’s door swung ope…