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-'ˏ Margo's Pov ˎ'-

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Margaret Henderson's House

Thursday , 3:11 p.m

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I laughed. So hard I doubled over and tears collected in the corner of my eyes. I even slapped my knee theatrically.

His face eventually dropped into a small frown and I realized he wasn't joking.

"Oh shit Billy I- I'm sorry I didn't mean to laugh but uh it's all so sudden and you don't even act like you want to breathe the same air as me so-" I started trying to explain myself as I crawled onto my bed sitting with my legs crossed right in front of him. He turned his head away so he didn't have to look at me.

"Billy-" I started again.

"Yeah whatever Margo." He said angrily as he got up off my bed. I moved to stand in front of him, blocking the door. His facial expression remained in a tight and angry frown but his eyes softened as he saw me trying to prevent him from leaving. He gently but firmly moved me out of the way using his hand to push me out of the doorway before he walked through the space sideways trying to make minimal contact. I wanted to cry in frustration but I held it in.

"BILLY!" I yelled after him trying to keep my angry composure. He didn't even turn around to look at me as he walked down the stairs. His hand reached the door knob and I was desperate for him not to walk away angry at me.

"Don't leave!"

He flinched a little bit at my words and you could visibly see him tense up. But he just shook his head and softly closed the door behind him. As soon as the door clicked shut I couldn't stop the frustrated tears that leaked down my face. Dustin had come out of his room to see what was wrong and I didn't have the heart to explain it to him as I shut the door in his face. I kicked my shoes off and went to go sulk in my bed.

I don't know why it hurt so much. He was an absolute dick sometimes. He flirted with other girls when he claimed to like me and he was Hawkins designated fuckboy. But that didn't stop me from liking him. His smile lit up a room and you know what they say, shared trauma brings people together. He had always been nice to me, so why was I so rude to him in return? His mom had walked out on him just like my dad walked out on me. I understood his need for a loving parental figure and I couldn't be mad at him for wanting that. But deep down I knew what hurt the most. The deja vu feeling. He had left ignoring my cries as he walked out the door just like my dad did all those years ago.

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The doorbell rang out and woke me up. I groaned in annoyance and turned back over before cuddling myself back into my blankets. The doorbell continued to ring annoyingly until Dustin muttered something along the lines of "Jesus fuck I guess I'll go get it then.".

I heard the door click open and then there was silence.

"Margooo!" Dustin screamed uncertainly. Already annoyed I wrapped my blanket around me and headed towards the door.

"If you can't figure it out Dustin I doubt I can just tell them to come back later when mom gets hom-" I started before my breathing stopped all together.

Dustin stood half covered behind the door with a large man on the other side of it.

"You've got to be shitting me." I muttered in disbelief. My body moved without me even thinking about it as my hand whipped out and slammed the door on his face. Before I had time to click the lock back in place the man had reopened the door and stepped into our house absolutely fuming.

"Now that's not the reunion you give to your dear old dad now is it Margaret?"

My eyes widened in horror. This crazy man really had the audacity to walk out and then walk back into our lives when he felt like it. He had turned to walk towards Dustin and I felt panic flash through my body.

"You aren't my dad." I shouted at him before I could stop myself. I didn't want his wrath but I couldn't give it to my little brother who barely remembered him as it is.

He turned on his heel and gave a low chuckle. "Oh really?"

"You just left. Dads don't do that!" I said trying to keep my voice from cracking.

He opened his mouth to try and explain himself but I cut him off. "Get out of my house." I whispered.

"What?"

"You heard me." I said a little bit louder. "Get out of my house before Mom comes home."

"I'm your FATHER I make the rules not you!" He began to yell at me. I felt my body shrink back against his words just as I had as a child.

"You haven't taken care of us since the day you walked out so you have no control over me." I told him trying to sound confident.

He quickly swung his arm out and I flinched instinctively as he hit a picture frame that then caused a domino effect that completely busted another couple of frames and a vase off the hallway table. Glass shards laid across the floor and I grabbed at Dustin.

"Leave. Go to Will's house and do not come back until I call Joyce do you understand?"

He began to shake his head and his baby curls bounced on his forehead as he opened his mouth to argue.

"DO YOU understand?"

He was just as scared as I was and was happy to leave even if he was reluctant to leave me. I turned back around to see my father taking deep and heavy breathes trying to control himself.

He pointed a finger at me angrily and shook it "Now listen here girl I'm here to make things work and you are not going to get into the way."

"You can't glue cracked plates back together." I told him simply as I ran out of the house. I was so focused on getting out of there that I didn't realize where my feet had taken me. I took the long way behind my house, barefoot and in shorts, as the snow began to lightly fall as to avoid being caught and followed by my so called dad. I numbly walked up to the lone figure smoking a cigarette on the front porch steps.

"Margo?" Billy called out worriedly.

Before I could reply my eyes burned with tears and I couldn't help the small sob that came out due to all the stress of the recent events.

"Billy-" I called back out as he came running towards me.