Chapter Text
3rd Person POV:
Bradley James Hargrove couldn't believe she actually chose Hawkins, Indiana over LA, but here she was getting up early to drop her stepsister, Max, off at school. They both piled into her 1973 Green 1800ES Wagon, not nearly as flashy as her brother's car. He drove a 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, their dad had split the cost with him on it for a birthday present a few years back when he got his license. No similar gesture was ever made to her, but she loved her car all the more for it being 100% hers, even if it took her a few extra years to save up for it.
"Thanks again," Max grumbled, still salty about the move.
"Not a problem, it's your first day, and I can guarantee you Billy plans to be late so he can make a grand entrance."
"Still can't believe you two are twins," Max comments.
"Well, at least we're not identical... imagine being stuck with two Billys," Bradley says, causing Max to get a full-body shiver over the prospect of such a thing.
"I'm just saying... things could be worse," she adds as she pulls up to the school.
But instead of taking any comfort in her words, Max just scoffs and grabs her skateboard, taking off.
"Yeah... you have a good day too," Bradley says to herself after Max bails without so much as a glance back or a goodbye.
Shifting gears, she turned out of the parking lot and started on her new 30-minute commute to Muncie.
She was originally planning to stay on the West Coast for school but then her Dad met Max's mom, Susan, and the two got it in their heads that they needed to move to nowhere Indiana for a fresh start. Somewhere where the ghost of Billy and Bradley's dead mom wasn't lingering, or the shadow of Susan's recent ex.
So she scrapped plans for UCLA and was now enrolled at Ball State University.
She thought about letting them move without her, dear god did she but... she couldn't trust how long her Dad's good mood from marrying Susan was going to last and Billy sure as hell couldn't be trusted to look out for/protect Max. So it was either turn a blind eye and hope things turned out okay for her new stepsister, who didn't even seem to like her all that much, or follow behind.
She chose option 2... she just hoped she wouldn't end up regretting it.
Back at Hawkins High
Billy did indeed make quite the entrance for his first day; half the female population at school was already drooling all over him, teachers included. But he kept hearing one name, King Steve... well, he now had his sights set on knocking that crown right off Steve "the hair" Harrington's head.
When he got passed a flyer for a Halloween bash taking place the following night, he knew that's when he'd make his first move to dethrone the king.
Bradley was able to get back in time to pick up Max from school. Which was lucky because apparently her new Stepmom was just too busy getting the new house all set up to live out her stay at home mom dreams. Not that there was anything wrong with wanting to be a stay at home mom but Bradley always figured it was to you know be there for your kids not just obsess over decor or what to cook your new hubby for dinner. Which left care of Max up to her.
Max would and had told her she didn't need anyone looking out for her but Bradley knew what it felt like to be the invisible child and she didn't want to contribute to it happening all over again with Max.
Max didn't know her new Dad well but Bradley did and unless you had XY chromosomes, you might as well just not exist to him.
Bradley didn't know a lot about Max's bio dad just what she had heard from Susan who might not be the most reliable narrator but apparently he was a waste who could never hold down a job making her have to hold down 2 just for them to make ends meet. But Bradley figured there has to be more to the mystery man than that if Max never said a bad word about him... considering Max had a bad word to say about pretty much everyone.
She's shaken out of her pondering when Max yanks open the car door, climbing in.
"Hey, how was your first day?" Bradley asks, trying to get the girl to engage beyond the occasional grumble.
"Well I either have stalkers or a new fan club following me around so there's that," Max tells her surprising her a bit... it was honestly probably the most her stepsister had said to her at one time.
"Really, where?" Bradley asks, trying to see if she can spot them.
"Don't make it obvious you're looking!" Max snaps before gesturing with her head where they are.
Bradley subtly looks back making it seem like she's just checking her rear view mirror before backing out of her parking a lot.
She spots who she thinks Max is talking about and has to smile.
"What, that group of Hardy Boys back there?" she asks, "they don't seem so menacing."
"I didn't say they were menacing, they're annoying!" Max snaps.
"Alright, well, it looks like you have two choices."
"What are the choices?" Max asks.
"One, go up and introduce yourself, take the mystique away from being the new girl, and maybe make some friends."
"And option 2?" Max asks, clearly not loving option 1.
"Play spy right back, only better," Bradley advises.
"Better how?"
"I don't know, maybe act oblivious to their presence and then accidentally on purpose drop something behind for them, and when they rush over to investigate, it's a note or something that says to leave you the hell alone."
"Leave me alone, creeps," Max says, adding on to her stepsister's idea.
"Kinda like it... thanks," Max says, genuinely surprising Bradley.
"Sure," Bradley tells her, trying her best to play it cool but inside cheering that it actually seems she might finally be connecting with her new sister.
The Next Day
Billy had to drive Max to and from school, as Bradley had an early class. They were both extra salty when they found out about it, but if you think having this in common brought them closer together, you would be very very mistaken.
So much so that, according to Max, Billy nearly ran down some kids she had just met simply because he felt like it.
Bradley really hoped Max was exaggerating that story tho because if not, it meant she'd have to drop the class and it was too late to register for something else, which would mess up her whole semester.
But later, when looking for her car keys to take Max to meet up with the Hardy Boys... apparently, after the note drop, they actually introduced themselves and invited her along to trick or treat with them tonight.
She was still 50/50 on if she'd go or just hide out at the arcade like usual but either way Bradley promised to give her a ride.
If only she could find her damn keys. After checking every logical place and still coming up empty, she started to get a sinking feeling that Billy was responsible.
"Ready yet?" Max shouted.
"Just a sec!" Bradley shouted back. It was Billy, it had to be, the asshole had been extra douchey since moving to Hawkins, even for him. But to steal her keys as what... punishment for having to drive Max one day out of the week, this was a new low.
She searched everywhere she could think of before going into her brother's room.
The place was a mess, which was impressive considering they had only just moved here. Still, she couldn't find her keys.
"What's the hold up?" Max asks, coming into the room, clearly running out of patience.
"Sorry, kid, can't find my keys," Bradley explains.
"Why would you think they'd be in here?" she asks.
Bradley just gives her a look.
"He took them?"
"I never take them out of my purse. I'm sure he went in to 'borrow' some cash and spotted them," Bradley explains, not wanting Max to think anything about this was her fault.
"Well, I'm not waiting around, I'll just skateboard," Max tells her despate to get the hell out of the house for a few hours.
"Wait, you be careful, I'll do my best to find them and pick you up later," Bradley tells her.
"Yeah, whatever," Max says, not holding out a lot of hope.
Once Max leaves, Bradley shakes her head, her frustration reaching new levels. Before leaving Billy's room, she spots a bright orange colored flyer for a Halloween party happening in a few hours.
Well, if Billy wanted to play, "let's play," she thought.
Going back into her room, she opened a box she had yet to unpack and searched around for last year's Halloween costume.
If he thought her just existing was annoying, he was in for a brutal surprise once she actually started putting a little effort into bothering him.
Finally, she found the cheap bag still unopened from the year before.
She had wanted to go as a nurse... that being what she was pretty sure she would major in but turns out all nurse costumes are automatically slutty nurse costumes when it comes to Halloween.
Seeing his twin walk into a party like this... it was guaranteed to send him through the roof. Hopefully, it would be enough to teach him to stop messing with her and hopefully Max too.
Tina's Halloween Bash
Johnathan was driving over... he still wasn't sure why, this party was so not his scene but Nancy would be there. Yeah, Nancy with her big eyes and pretty hair and oh yeah, her annoying, stupid boyfriend. He was just about to talk himself into turning around when he spotted a girl he didn't know walking by herself.
She looked about his age but he was sure he had never seen her before.
Slowing down, he pulls up alongside her.
"Hey, you alright?" he asks.
"Yeah, I'm good, not a prostitute or anything... just wearing this to prove a point," Bradley explains as she keeps walking.
"The point being?" Johnathan asks now, genuinely intrigued.
"That my brother shouldn't screw with me," she tells him.
Johnathan smiles at that.
"Where are you heading?" he asks.
Bradley pauses for a second and turns to look at him.
He kind of holds his hands up in a "I mean no harm," sort of way, "If you don't mind me asking that is," he says.
"Tina... um actually not sure what her last name is but I have the address," she explains, taking the flyer out of her purse.
"214 Spruce St?"
"Yeah, how did you-"
"Small town, plus it's where I'm currently headed, want to get in, I could give you a lift?" he offers.
"I don't know," Bradley says, not sure if she should trust the stranger.
"No pressure, but if you don't, I will be slowly following you the rest of the way there... not in a creepy way, just to make sure you get there in one piece sort of way," Johnathan clumsily tries to explain.
"Swear you're not an axe murderer?"
"Swear," Johnathan says.
"Swear on something important so I know you mean it," she tells him.
"Swear on my brother, he's the most important thing in the world to me," he explains.
Bradley can see in his eyes he means it and nods, "Okay... thank you."
"Not a problem," he says as he leans across the car to open the passenger side door for her.
"I'm Johnathan by the way," he says, holding out a hand for her to shake.
"Bradley," she says as she shakes his hand.
They get to the party and break off, "good luck with your brother," he tells her.
"Good luck with whatever you're here for," she responds.
He chuckles a bit, still not sure of that himself, but thanks her.
Walking around the party, it doesn't take Bradley long before she spots Billy. He's of course gone and made himself the center of attention by doing a keg stand.
"Billy, Billy, Billy, Billy," the crowd chants, and just when Bradley thinks she couldn't feel grosser, he spots her and gives her a look that clearly says murder.
Yeah, maybe this wasn't her best idea ever.
Oh well, it was too late for second thoughts now; the only thing to do was commit.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" he asks as he makes his way across the room to her.
He looks her up and down before adding, "Turning tricks? Dad would be so proud... can't wait to tell him about this," he says, clearly threatening her. But Bradley refuses to let on that he's getting to her.
"Oh yeah, maybe since you're in a sharing kind of mood, you could also tell him about the vehicular homicide you nearly committed earlier."
He loses his grin, but before he can respond, some of his fan club comes swarming up to him, wanting to tell Steve that there is now a new keg king.
"Yeah, eat it, Harrington."
"I'm sure Dad would be so proud," Bradley whispers to Billy.
Not having any of her attitude, he roughly slams her up against the wall.
"Hey, what the hell," the guy she's assuming is named Steve Harrington says, coming to try and get Billy off her.
"None of your concern, Harrington," Billy says.
"Just give me my keys back and lay off Max," Bradley tells him, and he actually chuckles.
"You really think you're in a position to make demands?" he asks her, "although dressed like that, it's clear you came here looking to be in all sorts of positions," he adds, making her feel gross.
"Can you stop being a douche for like 3 seconds?" she asks, and suddenly he lets go of her and steps back a few feet, holding his hands up as if she was being the aggressive one.
"Let's stop all this fighting, yeah, come on, it's a party. Party!!!!" he shouts disapearing back into the crowd.
"You alright?" Steve asks, taking off his glasses.
"Fine, thanks for stepping in," Bradley says, thanking him before walking away, needing a moment to collect herself.
She finds a bathroom and manages to calm down. As much as she would like to just lick her wounds and go home, it wasn't an option; she needed those keys back.
Taking a deep breath, she goes back out to the party, coming across Steve Harrington again and who she assumes is his girlfriend... his very drunk girlfriend.
"No, you've had enough, okay?" he tries to tell her, and not to side with any man over a woman, but it's clear to Bradley that, yeah, she has indeed had enough.
"Screw you!" the girl bites back, clearly not agreeing.
"Nance, I'm serious," he says, trying again to reason with her before just trying to grab the cup out of her hand.
"Hey. Hey. Hey. Stop," she says, fighting just as hard to keep drinking.
"No, I'm serious. Put it down."
"No!"
"Nance!"
"Steve, no!"
Bradley wants to help as she feels Steve was the only one to try to help her earlier, but just as she steps forward to what- she's still not sure, but tries to gently rub Nance's... she thinks that's the girl's name anyway, shoulder.
"Hey, why don't I mix you something else to drink, still a drink, just one a little less... combative?" Bradley suggests trying to raise her voice over their fighting.
"Ugh," Nance says, trying to shrug her off, but instead she accidentally spills the bright red concoction all down Bradley's nurse's costume.
"Great, now look what you did," Nance says to Steve before walking off.
Steve looks beyond fed up, but still comes over to Bradley.
"Sorry," he says passingly before chasing after Nancy.
He finds her in the bathroom, and thankfully, she didn't think to lock the door behind her, a testament to how drunk she is.
"Come on. Let me just take you home, okay?"
"Come here. Let me take you home," he says again, trying to pull her into a hug, but she wiggles away from him.
"Come on," he says again.
"You wanted this," she says, slurring her words a bit.
"No, I didn't want this. I told you to stop drinking."
"It's bullshit. Bullshit."
"No, it's not bullshit. Okay? It's not bullshit, Nancy," he argues.
"No, you. You're bullshit," she says, stunning him a bit.
"What?" he asks, a bit taken aback.
"You're pretending like everything is okay. You know, like we didn't... like we didn't kill Barb. Like, it's great. Like, we're in love and we're partying. Yeah, let's party, huh? Party. We're partying. This is bullshit."
"Like we're in love?" Steve asks, having genuinely believed they were.
"It's bullshit," she says again.
"You don't love me?" he asks.
"It's bullshit."