- GIRLS ON FILM -

Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street

-----------------------------------

Jane walked and walked and walked and then walked some more. Her feet ached not only from the walking and standing and searching but also because they were soaking wet. Though last night's storm had since stopped, Jane had yet to be home. Leaving her damp wool socks inside her soaking Vans little time to dry out. Now, Jane Hopper was not a complainer, living with the Chief of Police complaining was not an option. You did your job no matter how bad it sucked but this was brutal.

Ten hours of searching, combing through the same stretch of woods over and over and over. By the three-hour mark, a few of the volunteers had gone home. But when the clock hit five hours the helping hands really started to diminish. And by the time the sun was about to rise? It was just Chief Jim Hopper, Officer Phil Callahan, and Jr. Detective Jane Hopper. Having no way to get home since she wasn't allowed to drive her dad's truck and if she took Callahan's cruiser then he would be shit out of luck. Jane sighed and grumbled in her head, even Officer Powell was able to go home and tend to his family.

Jane quickly learned that Powell only left for a few short hours and was not tending to his family as she supposed. His wife and kids had not seen him in almost twenty-four hours. Sooner than later Officer Powell re-entered the stretch of woods with a few fresh volunteers and the state's K9 squads. Since Hawkins wasn't big enough to have its own, Calvin Powell had to have one sent in from Indianapolis.

"Will!" Jane called, her voice was almost gone from the intense yelling it had been subject to. The Bloodhounds in the Tracking Unit had their noses to the ground, barking every so often. Luckily the German Shepards of the Cadaver Unit were silent, which was music to the Police Department's ears.

"Did you talk to Joyce?" Officer Callahan questioned the Chief when he returned to the woods.

"Yeah, said she heard him breathing? Nothing but a dead phone." Hopper sighed, resting his arm on Jane's shoulder. He knew his poor girl was wet, tired, and hungry but he had a job to do. Unfortunately, Janey just had to ride this one out with him.

She was tough and he knew it.

"How is she?" Powell spoke up, making his way to the trio.

"About one step from falling off the edge."

"She's been a few steps for a while now, yeah?" The older officer chuckled, it was no secret that most residents of Hawkins, Indiana thought Joyce Byers was crazy. In being abandoned by her shitty ex-husband and just having a spacey personality, the look was not good on her. Jane knew that Joyce was a good mom and she didn't like when people talked about Joyce in that manner. Clearly, her father felt the same way.

"Her kid's missing, show a little class." Hopper scoffed, quick to defend the woman as he walked away, following the voice of the volunteers calling his name.

"The Chief and her, they've screwed before huh?" Callahan asked, bumping shoulders with Officer Powell, who looked at Jane for confirmation.

"Ew, seriously? You think I keep up on my Dad's sex life?" The two officers shrugged as Jane rolled her eyes, but in all fairness thinking about her father in that sort of setting was all sorts of vile and repulsive."For your information, I do think they used to hit it in high school but for real. She's a good mom, how crazy would you act if your kid was missing?"  The brunette mumbled like the words she uttered tasted bad.

"I knew it." Callahan laughed as he followed the brunette in search of her father. Despite the way her mood had grown colder. "I don't think Joyce is crazy... she's just weird." The officer continued to ramble as he trailed the Chief's daughter.

"It's fine Cal,

"Dad," Jane started softly once she located him. "I've got to go to school..."

"Shit," Jim glanced down at his watch. "Uhh..." He bobbled his head back and forth weighing his options. As the Chief, he couldn't really leave but his only other options were the two errand runners he knighted as his favorite officers. Biting down his fatherly sternness and looking at his daughter. "Have Cal take you home to change and then run you back to the high school. I guess I'll come get you since Bobby is still working on your car." The Chief concluded, Jane nodded, hiking back up the hill for hopefully the last time in search of Officer Phil Callahan.