I let out a sigh of relief before sitting on my bed, glad that this Upside Down stuff is over. Steve sits next to me and helps me take off my shoes. After explaining to my mom that I was walking through the woods looking for Mews and had a panic attack from getting lost last year, she decided it was okay for Steve to spend the night, because he always helps.

I look over at him and find him looking back at me with a sad smile, I go to speak and my voice gets caught in my throat.

"Are you okay?"

I shake my head and the tears start to flow. Steve pulls me into a side hug and my sobs gradually turn into giggles.

"What's so funny?"

Bob--Bob is dead and I'm crying over my-- I'm crying over my cat!" I laugh.

Steve looks at me in confusion, "Y/N..."

"And you called me Nancy!" I laugh louder and Steve shushes me.

"I'm sorry..."

I calm down and look up at him and whisper, "Bob is dead. Mews is dead....I stabbed Billy in the neck with a syringe and you called me Nancy."

"I'm so sorry."

"I know. I don't want to fight over it," I lay down on the bed and Steve lays next to me. I curl into his chest and cry.

I hear a faint knock on the door and look up to see Dustin with a tear-streaked face.

I scoot closer to Steve and pat the side of the bed. Dustin climbs in beside me and I grab his hand, pulling it to my side and holding it tightly.

(One Week)

"Y/N, are you sure you wanna go to school today? Everybody else is taking another week," Chief Hopper asks as I climb in the front seat.

"I can't stay in the house anymore, I just can't. I can't have all of you keep telling me it's gonna be okay. I need other human interaction besides the people who I fought interdimensional monsters with. I need to see different people."

"Okay. Whatever you say, kid." Hopper nods and starts driving to the school.

We pull into the parking lot and I take a deep breath.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Hopper questions.

I nod my head and step out, "Thanks for the ride, Chief."

Hopper pulls out of the parking lot and I tighten the strap on my backpack.

The bell rings and I rush off to my first class, as fast as I possibly can.

"Henderson!" I turn around to the voice and bump into a chest with a Virgin Mary pendant.

"Hargrove," I say simply.

"Where's 'The Hair' at?"

"Still at home, like the others."

"Oh. You wanna walk to class with me?"

I let out a snort, "Is Billy Hargrove actually being nice to me?"

"Kinda have to, remember?"

"Right...sorry. Uh, sure. You can walk me to class. I have Spanish. You?"

"Yeah. Me too... I've just skipped everyday, the teachers don't really care, so I have no idea where the class is, so maybe you could walk me?"

I shake my head and let out a small laugh, "Sure, Hargrove. Let's go to Spanish,"

(Timeskip to 5th period)

The day has went by pretty fast, I have most classes, including lunch, with Billy. He's actually nice when you get to know him.

I sit in the back of the class as the teacher calls roll. A book slams down on the desk next to me and I jump out of my seat. The teacher, Mr. Rogers, stops calling roll and everyone looks up at me.

My breathing speeds up from the multiple sets of eyes roaming over me and I rush out of the classroom. I go up to the office and ask to call home.

I dial Joyce's house number and someone picks up almost immediately.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Nancy can you give the phone to J-Joyce?"

"Y/N, are you oka--"

"JUST GIVE HER THE DAMN PHONE!" I yell, and the secretary looks up at me. I mumble an apology and bite my lip.

Joyce's voice comes over the phone, "Y/N? What's wrong?"

"I-I-I..." I take a breath and a tear falls, "I need you to come get me. I made a mistake, I wasn't ready, please."

"Okay, honey. I'm on my way. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you. Bye." I whisper, hanging up.

I walk outside to see it pouring down rain, making my stomach churn when the lightning strikes.

I notice Billy standing next to his car with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth loosely and an umbrella in his hand. He looks up at me and rushes forword with the umbrella.

"Are you okay? I heard what happened."

What? How? It just happened!

"I know Max threatened you to be nice, but you really don't have to be my friend,"

"I want to. I've never had a female friend. Just fuck buddies and kind of girlfriend's. So, sweetheart, get under the umbrella, because you're shivering and with the day you've had you don't deserve to be sick on top of that."

I sigh and scoot next to him, under the umbrella.

"What's wrong? Does your dad beat you or something?" Billy asks after a minute of silence.

"What?" I question in confusion.

"You're jumpy. Always alert, like a Chihuahua."

I let out a small laugh, "No. I um... Last year I got lost in the woods with Will Byers. It took them a week to find us. We almost died."

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"You're a smart girl, you could make you're way out of the woods. It isn't hard, tell the truth."

"My dad doesn't beat me, I don't have a dad."

Billy puts an arm over my wet shoulder, "Your mom?"

"God, no. She barely even notices that Dustin and I exist," I move closer to absorb his warmth.

"I know what it's like to not have a parent."

"Mom or dad?"

"Mom. Wish it was my dad, he's a dick."

"You're a teenager, you're supposed to hate your parents."

"I didn't hate my mom. She was--"

Billy gets cut off by a slamming door and I look up to see Steve marching towards us with a scowl engraved into his face.

"What the fuck are you doing with my girl, Hargrove."

"Chill, Harrington. She was cold, I'm warming her up. Bein' friendly."

Steve yanks me out of Billy's loose grip and walks me to Joyce's car.