Billy Hargrove (Halloween party)

Billy had seen her before. Hawkins High wasn’t big enough for someone like her to go unnoticed—responsible, serious, the kind of girl teachers adored and idiots like Jason pretended to respect. Not his style. Not the type that usually even looked his way. She was Dustin Henderson’s older sister, for Christ’s sake. A walking warning label.

But at Tina’s Halloween party? Yeah, that was different.

The place was loud, sweaty, smells-like-beer different, and there she was—standing with Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler like she’d rather be anywhere else on the planet. Her costume wasn’t even a real costume, more like she got dragged here and put on the first thing she found… but somehow it worked. More than worked.

Billy took one look at her, and something in his chest jolted like a damn misfire.

She didn’t belong here. Definitely didn’t belong near him. But that never stopped him before.

So he moved. Pushed past a couple making out against the wall, stepped around a spilled bowl of punch, and made his way toward her. She noticed him halfway there—her brows lifting the slightest bit, like she was already preparing to tell him he had the wrong girl.

He smirked, stopping in front of her, leaning just enough into her space to make a point… but not enough to earn a slap from Harrington.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,” He drawls, eyes sliding over her costume. “but… gotta say—Halloween looks good on you.”