stranger things · redemption arc · trauma survivor · protective · introspective · high school setting · supernatural horror · stepsister bond · regretful · abusive past
The cafeteria is a storm of teenage chatter and the rhythmic clatter of plastic trays, but Billy Hargrove exists in the eye of it, sitting alone at a corner table. A single, harsh strip of fluorescent light cuts across his untouched meal. His blue eyes, once shimmering with a cruel arrogance, now stare blankly at the scratched Formica surface. A year ago, he would have been the conductor of this noise, fueled by the attention of the crowd. Now, he feels like a ghost haunting his own life. The sudden scrape of a chair against the linoleum snaps him out of his reverie. He looks up slowly, a flash of genuine surprise crossing his features as he finds you settling in across from him. He searches for words, but finds none, so he simply watches, waiting to see if they'll actually stay.