Stranger Things - Imagines (Book 2)

Billy Hargrove X Reader - Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl

A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song ballad of a homeschooled girl by Olivia Rodrigo. For this one, Reader was homeschooled until moving to Hawkins with her parents and this is her first time in a regular school. I hope you all enjoy it. 

You were pretty certain there was nothing more terrifying than the halls of a high school right after the bell had rung out to signal the start of lunch. There were kids everywhere, and yet you didn't know a single person around you. It probably wasn't helped by the fact that today was your first day at Hawkins High. Ever since you had pulled into the school parking lot, you had become the most interesting thing to almost everyone who passed you. You were the newest curiosity. The newest addition to the freak show. Something to be studied, poked and prodded, discovered. And right now, you were floundering under the attention. 

You had followed the flow of students towards the cafeteria, keeping your head down in the hopes that people would stop staring. If you could blend in, you could get through the next year or so until graduation and then you would never have to set foot in a school again. 

Of course, you couldn't have predicted that the lunch room would be even more hectic than the hallways. Or that the second you stepped through the door, every set of eyes in the room would follow your every move. Or that finding an empty seat would probably be the hardest part of your day. 

You scanned the room, finally spotting an almost empty table on the far side of the room, with just one boy sitting hunched over his lunch tray, and immediately made a beeline for one of the empty spots. 

There was a silent prayer going through your mind as you pulled your lunch out of your backpack, settling into one of the seats without saying a word. God, it would be totally mortifying if this guy asked you to move, especially now that you'd started unpacking. 

When you glanced up in his direction, he was already watching you, the lopsided smirk on his lips making you feel a little queasy. He definitely wouldn't be your first choice of lunch companion, but it wasn't like you had many other choices-

"Quick warning," a voice interrupted your thoughts, causing you to yelp as you jumped at the intrusion. When you glanced up, there was another boy standing by your side, his lips turning up when you made eye contact. "Benji over here has a bit of a bad rep when it comes to talking to pretty girls, so I would steer clear if I were you," he pressed on, turning around until he was leaning back against the table next to you, smiling down at you. 

"Excuse me?"

"He's a total creep," he pressed, glancing over his shoulder at the other boy. "Aren't you, Benji?"

When the other boy didn't answer, your stomach turned over. Somehow, you were already drawing more attention than you would have liked and you were growing more uncomfortable by the minute. 

"Followed Chrissy home the other week, didn't you, Benji?" the guy added. "Watched her through her bedroom window-"

His words trailed off when he glanced down at you, finding you all wide-eyed and lost, your lunch completely untouched in front of you. 

"Come on," he finally hummed, pushing up to his feet and hesitating beside you. "There's an extra spot at my table; I'll give you a who's who of the cafeteria," he added. 

You swallowed down the lump in your throat, nodding as you gathered up your lunch again, letting him lead you over to a seat a few tables down. 

"I'm Billy," he told you, nodding towards the one free seat at the table. 

"Where are you going to sit?" you murmured, brow furrowed slightly. 

He shrugged slightly. "I'll stand," he told you. "Already ate," he added, smiling when you nodded and sat down. "So, what's your name, Newbie?" he pressed on, moving to lean beside you, grinning down at you.

"Y/N."

"What brings you to Hawkins?"

You swallowed down the lump in your throat. "My dad got a new job in town, so we had to move-"

"And how does Hawkins High compare to the old school?"

You hesitated for a moment. "I didn't go to a real school before here," you confessed, shifting uncomfortably, your food still sitting uneaten. "My mom was homeschooling me, but she's had to pick up a new job to help make ends meet, so I had to enrol here."

He nodded slightly, his tongue running over his bottom lip. "Homeschooled, huh?" he hummed. "So, this must be pretty wild, right?" he added, gesturing at the crowd of kids surrounding you. 

"Yeah," you confessed quietly, letting out a soft sigh. "Sort of feel like a fish out of water, you know?"

He smiled softly at you. "You'll get the hang of it, just stick with me and you'll be fine," he told you, nudging your shoulder lightly. "First bit of advice; you've got to eat quick or you'll be going hungry," he told you, his smile growing when you let out a soft chuckle, your eyes drifting down to your lunch. 

*Time Skip*

"Newbie," Billy called out, jogging after you through the parking lot, causing you to stop just before you reached your car. "Hagan's parents are out of town this weekend and he's having a party tomorrow night," he told you, watching as your head tilted sideways slightly as if you were contemplating why he was telling you. "You should come."

"I'm not sure; I've only been here for a month and I'm not sure I've ever even spoken to Tommy-"

"Let me rephrase," he interrupted, watching your brow furrow slightly. "Do you want to come to the party with me?"

"I'm not sure Tommy would be happy about you inviting me-"

"I'm asking you on a date," he interjected, your expression softening under his gaze. "Sorry," he added, clearing his throat. "Would you like to be my date to Tommy's party tomorrow?"

You bit down on the inside of your lip, trying to hold back the bright grin on your features. "That sounds like fun," you hummed. 

"Is that a yes?" You nodded slightly. "I'll pick you up at 7; we can grab something to eat first."

"Okay." Billy's smile spread at your confirmation, nodding again.

"Cool; I'll see you tomorrow-" he started, turning back towards his car.

"Hey Billy," you called after him, watching him spin on his heel to look at you again. "What should I wear?"

He hesitated for a moment, brow furrowed. "You can just wear whatever you'd usually wear to a party."

You swallowed down the lump in your throat. "I've never been to a party before," you hummed. 

"Shit," he breathed out. "I mean, the other girls usually wear dresses, but I'm sure you'd look pretty in anything you choose."

"Dresses," you confirmed quietly, nodding. "Cool."

"Tomorrow at 7?" Billy pressed.

"Tomorrow at 7," you repeated back to him, smiling softly as you watched him walk back to his car, grinning to himself as he went.

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