MELANCHOLY [S.T. B. Hargrove]

32

"Are you sure you want to be bait?" Mike asks for the third time.

"I'm fine," I assure.

"You have to remember.. this might not be Billy. Not all of him," Will reminds.

"I know. But.. Billy is still in there somewhere. If I have to be the one to drag him out, so be it."

"Are you gonna like.. seduce him?" Lucas questions.

"Pervert," I blame, hitting him on the head with a towel.

"What is seduce?" Eleven asks.

"No, baby, no," I scold lightly. "Stay my sweet baby forever, don't listen to the boys."

"It'd probably work the fastest. I've seen Steve climb two stories just to get to Nancy-"

"Okay," I cut Mike off. "You don't air out your sister's dirty laundry, I won't air out my kind-of brother's, we good?"

"Deal," Mike agrees. "But.."

"Oh, my God," I complain, walking toward the staff building. "Just get ready to shut the doors no matter what, all right?"

I pause at the door and take a few deep breaths. Slowly, the kids make their way behind me. I look at Will. 

"You got this," Will promises.

"So do you," I return.

I ease into the building, tiptoeing through the dark rooms.

Billy was the last person here. It was like he was waiting to have the place all to himself.

I follow the sounds of running water.

"Billy?" I whisper.

I inch closer to the shower.

"Billy?"

I pull the shower curtain back a little. There was no one inside.

I go to curse under my breath, but someone grabs me from behind and slams my back against one of the lockers.

"Marco," Billy smiles.

Marco? My brain malfunctions.

"B?" I ask.

"I feel like I should be mad at you for standing me up.. again.. But, I've been worried sick about you because I couldn't find you," he says.

What.. was happening?

Will. Will said that the Mind Flayer only activates in certain situations.

This was just Billy, then. There was no Mind Flayer.

"Billy," I gasp out, lurching into his arms that were still wet from his shower.

"Hey.. what's going on?" he asks, rubbing my back. "What happened the night we were supposed to-"

I pull back enough to cup Billy's face in my hands, kissing him firmly and needily.

Billy. My Billy. God, what was this thing doing to him?

I lean backward and Billy gets a coy smile on his face.

"Well.. hi to you, too," he chuckles.

His body was still freezing cold. I run my hands over his chest to remind myself of two things. Billy was still in there. The Mind Flayer was still in there.

The plan.

I drag Billy closer by the cheek again for another kiss.

Was I making out with a monster? The irony.