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Max sure hoped it wasn’t Billy. But you know all the signs were leading to her step-brother.
El’s visions of him and a scream. The vision of Heather and the bathtub. The weird behavior at Heather’s house. The sweater in the boiling heat. The random disappearances to who knows where.
The last one was actually pretty standard for Billy but this was more than usual.
They couldn’t afford to take any chances. If Billy was possessed by the mind flayer, the sauna test will prove it. If he is not possessed. Well, they had dealt with an angry Billy before so they could do it again?
Yeah they could. The Party are unstoppable.
Well, Max believed her and El were unstoppable. The boys were there too.
Max’s palms were sweating as her and Lucas finished set up the dummy and walkie in the sauna. She looked up at Lucas and took in his stupid focused expression. Idiot, sticking his tongue out when he was concentrating.
They both turned their heads sharply as heavy footsteps starting clumped down the hall towards the changing room. Max sucked in a breath as they darted rounded the corner, just out of sight, as the door swung open.
Billy let off a groan as he entered, reverberating to where Max could hear. A faint noise of something being put on a bench and the sound of a zipper being done up after a few seconds.
Mike started talking in a low voice. God, Max hoped Billy was confused enough to not tell that it was a fake voice.
“Billy! Come and get me.”
Billy’s voice was clearly annoyed when he called out, “Hey, come out here. The pool is closed and you need to go.”
“Billy.”
Footsteps trudged forward, “No, seriously you can’t be here. Get out.”
“Come and get me Billy. Or are you weak?”
Billy let out a grunt of annoyance and moved further into the changing room. “Okay, that’s enough. Get out!”
Mike also seemed to know that Billy was getting angry.
“Why should I?”
Billy snapped, “oh, that’s it. I’m done playing games, where are you?”
Billy stormed past Max and Lucas’ hiding spot and past El opposite them. Max and El nodded at each other.
Billy halted as he turned the corner. “You’ve got the sauna on? Get out of there!”
“Billy…”
“Ugh, fine!” The sound of a door flying open, “what..”
Billy had clearly found the dummy.
Max heard El’s cool tone. “Hey.”
“Listen if this is some sort of prank, kid- whoa!”
The sound of somebody hitting the floor and the door being pulled shut echoed through the room. Max ran in.
Billy was just rising off the floor.
“What the hell was that?” Billy shouted.
Max felt her body step forwards of its own accord.
She felt like trembling but pulled herself together. “Billy, I’m so sorry. But if we are right about this, it is for your own good.”
She took in Billy’s face as he gazed up at her in shock.
“Max? What the fuck? This is some sick prank. Let me out!” His hands pulled at the door his nails scraping at the metal.
Max turned to face Will and Mike. “Turn the heat on.”
“Max, no! You can’t do that. Shit!”
Billy jerked away from the steam. The temperature wasn’t hot enough to properly hurt someone who wasn’t possessed. Billy was certainly irritated but if Max looked carefully she could see his eyes widen like he was panicked. The mind flayer must know that they were on to the host.
Billy panted out his next sentence. “Max… the door, please. Too hot… sign?”
Max tipped her head. “Sign?” She stepped closer to the door, “Yes, give me a sign Billy that you are in there. I know the possession must be painful but the heat will get it out. It’s worked before.”
Billy looked up at her, confusion clear on his face and a a sweaty shine to his skin. “Max… Fuck you on about?… Possession?”
A shriek broke Max’s concentration.
“What the hell are you kids doing to him?”
The group wiped around to find Heather Holloway stood behind them. She seemed to be wearing her lifeguard uniform under some shorts with some sliders. Her eyes were wide and the floral scent of her perfume strong as she pushed through the party.
Heather started tugging at the door as Mike tried to pull her away. She swatted him on the arm.
“Fuck off, Wheeler! This isn’t funny kids. Locking him in a broken sauna. Can’t you read the sign?”
Lucas spoke up, “Sign? What sign?”
Heather gestured towards the wall. “That sign right - fuck! It’s gone. Fucking Curtis must have stole it again! But we have to get him out. The heating is seriously broken and potentially dangerous… why have you put chains and a crowbar to seal the door?”
El took a step towards the older girl. “Heather, you were rattled the other day when we were at your house. You had left work early and the bathtub incident.”
Heather turned around and huffed. “Kid, El. Stop. Help me get him out because. The. Sauna. Is. Broken. Way. Too. Hot. He. Could. Get. Hurt.”she emphasized each short word with a little clap.
El looked back towards the party.
Will raised his head from the stooped position it was in. “We would have known by now. Just get Billy out of there. Someone go run a towel under some cold water so he can cool down a bit. Thanks Lucas.”
Heather was tugging at the crowbar. “Jesus. It’s stuck. Shit.” She stumbled away.
“I’ll get it.”
The crowbar flew out of the chain and Billy pushed the door open.
Both of the older teens mouths were open and they stared at Eleven.
Billy spoke slowly just as Lucas handed him the cold towel. “You just made that happen, didn’t you? Is that how you pushed me in without touching me? Shit, were you kids for real about me being possessed?”
Heather squeaked, “Possessed?”
El nodded. “We thought you were being possessed by the mind flayer. Like Will was last year.”
Billy brought a hand to his head. “Jesus Christ. Okay. Possession and super powers are real. My little sister is involved. Max, how the hell did you get involved in this?”
Max gulped. “Well, Lucas told me. And then when we were at the Byers we had to fight off the demodogs in the upside down tunnels.”
Heather sighed. “The what and the what now?”
“Oh, the demodogs are mini demogorgons which are like massive monsters who eat people. Mainly the cause of all the weird covered up deaths and stuff. They also kidnapped Will when everyone thought he was dead. They brought him to the upside down which is like a hellish version on Hawkins full of monsters.”
Heather started waving her hands about. “So Hawkins is basically full of monsters from an alternate reality of Hawkins. One of which you thought possessed Billy.”
El nodded. “Yeah, because he was acting weird and when we spied on him with my powers we heard a scream.”
The pair both exclaimed, “When you what!”
“Ummmm… and then I tried to find you and you were bursting out of a bathtub asking for me to help you before being dragged down? And then we found your lifeguard stuff in Max’s bathroom bin all bloody.”
Heather jumped. “I knew it! You were the kid from my nightmare. I knew I recognized you. But also spying on us? Using superpowers?”
Billy turned to Max. “Don’t spy on me. You might see something that I wouldn’t want you seeing. That you may not want to see. Or else, shitbird.”
Max looked towards Billy. “Why did you chuck Heather’s bloody swim suit away? And why did you leave work early? And why were you wearing a sweater in boiling hot heat?”
Billy and Heather shared a knowing look. Heather nodded curtly.
Billy moved his hand slowly into hers and looked Max in the eyes.
“Me and Heather are dating.”
“Unexpected but okay? Good for you, I guess. Doesn’t explain much.”
Heather interrupted. “Can we just rip it off like a bandaid?”
Billy looked at her and squeezed her hand. Gently. Fuck, Max had really missed that. It was fucking obvious when Billy looked at her like that. All soft and sweet. Nothing like how Billy looked at anyone else.
“She’s pregnant.”
“Billy!” Max screamed, “You got her pregnant?”
“Kinda? Yeah, I did. We found out that day. Heather was feeling really sick and I took her home because sick girlfriend. And she was like wait a second. I haven’t had my period. One pregnancy test later and we had to tell her parents. Yay. That’s why it was so awkward when you two turned up after we had literally just told her parents about the baby.”
Max gripped her hair. “I’m not ready to be an aunt, Billy. I’m 15. You’re both 18. Jesus.”
Billy patted her head. “There, there. Also Neil knows. That’s why I am covering my back.”
Max looked up. “Your back?” She peered around at his back. “Oh, god. The missing vase.”
Billy drawled out. “Yep. Went to Heather’s for some help and accidentally climbed through her window directly onto her lifeguard stuff.”
The party were staring at the pair of siblings.
Will raised his hand, “Did you just imply that Neil slash your stepdad broke a vase over Billy’s back? Is he abusive, Max? Are you okay? I mean my mum is practically dating the police chief who is El’s dad and they really don’t like abuse so we could totally help with that.”
Lucas pulled Max into a hug. “Why didn’t you say anything? We can’t let you guys stay in that house with him.” She turned and the group pretended to not her sniffles from Lucas’ shoulder.
Heather similarly pulled Billy towards her and cupped his face. “Baby. Baby, it’s okay. We’re good and there is weird stuff going on in Hawkins but it is okay. It’s the opportunity to get you and Max away from Neil that we have been looking for. We might even be able to help Susan. Hey, I got you.”
Mike looked towards El to try and divert his attention as Heather and Billy gently pressed their lips together.
Billy pulled away after a second. “Okay. Possession. Let’s do this. No more monsters are going to hurt anyone. Heather, can you go home? Be on the look out for anything strange? Be safe?”
Heather furrowed her brows. “Go home?” She folded her arms across her chest and glared at her boyfriend, “No. I know you want to protect me and the baby but there is no way I am sitting this out. Let’s get changed and let’s get going.”
Mike turned to her and asked. “Where?”
She shot him a smirk. “To kill a mind flayer, Mini Wheeler.”
Max looked at Billy. “Is your girlfriend always like this?”
He just gazed at Heather, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. That’s Heather for you… how do we kill a mind flayer?”