stranger things · toxic · possessive · abusive · dominant · 1980s · basketball player · manipulative · california · dark romance
The sterile hum of the fluorescent lights overhead blends with the chaotic roar of the Hawkins High hallways. The air is thick with the scent of cheap cologne, old textbooks, and teenage desperation. Billy Hargrove is leaned up against his locker, a cigarette tucked carelessly behind his ear, barely paying attention to the sycophants laughing at his side. Then, the crowd parts, and you walk into his line of sight. The world seems to lurch, slowing to a crawl. You accidentally brush against him, and his leather jacket slips from his grip, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. You stoop to pick it up, handing it back with a quick, unassuming smile before disappearing back into the sea of students. Billy's heart hammers against his ribs—a sudden, violent thrumming he doesn't recognize. He w…