Secrets // Steve Harrington

Chapter Twenty-Six - Murray

Word Count: 4,135 words. 

Warnings: None. 

I was in the Police Station the next day, waiting for Flo to let me in to see Hopper. Only thing was, she told me that he wasn't there yet and I couldn't see his car out front and so I knew she was telling the truth.

"I can leave him a message Munson, have him get back to you when he gets in," she tried, leaning against the counter of the table she sat behind.

There was a row of chairs just inside the door of the station. That was where I sat, arms crossed, and head leaned back against the wall. I had been waiting for two hours, but lucky for the Chief it was early Monday morning, and I didn't have anywhere better to be. Except perhaps in school.

"It's good Flo, I'll wait."

"You've got school kid," she reminded me, pushing down on her glasses slightly.

"I'll wait," I repeated.

Settling back into the chair, I let out a heavy sigh. I had told Steve that I wouldn't be going in before lunch, calling the Harrington household on the station phone. He was my ride.

Since the events of last year, my car has decided to give up on me and not a week before school started again, the engine wouldn't turn on. Wayne is getting it worked on down at the local mechanics but it's taking longer than expected and I need a ride to school. Steve had offered and who was I to say no? Considering that we were now 'not enemies'.

"Do you believe in aliens?" the man beside me asked.

I turned my head slightly, forehead creasing at the balding male beside me. Don't get me wrong, he still had a lot of hair, but it was sort of... lacking on the top. He had a bulky file in his hand and wore glasses that I supposed were to make him look official. I sensed that that was simply a ploy to get someone to listen to him and I could only assume that it was Hopper.

"What?" I asked in retaliation.

"Aliens? What are your thoughts on them?"

Rolling my eyes, I turned away. "If you want to get to Hopper, I'm not the right person to play with."

He shook his head. "Why would you –"

"You're wearing glasses and a well-tamed suit but your files are in disarray," – I gestured to the folder in his hand – "which means that you are only trying to appear organised and official for want of people taking you seriously. I assume that you're here to see Hopper due to the fact that you just heard Flo tell me that she would leave a message for the Chief and so you picked up on the familiarity she spoke my name with, telling you that I'm here often. And so, you thought that if you could get me to be intrigued or even believe whatever it is you're here to tell him about then maybe he might just let you talk for longer than five minutes."

The man smiled. I hadn't been expecting that. Either I hadn't assumed correctly – which was highly unlikely – or he was amused by something. I wasn't sure which one I hated more.

"You're a clever little girl," he commented.

"I'm seventeen," I corrected the man. "Not a little girl."

Holding the file under his arm, he held out his right hand for me to shake. "Murray. Murray Bauman," he introduced.

"Thalia," I told him, taking his gesture of introduction. "Munson and don't think me stupid, you still haven't changed your ploy?"

"Did I say that I would? Nasty scar."

I turned my eyes to my left arm, spotting the three long indents in my arm. They had a little ways more until they were fully healed and even at that they would never truly leave. I was stuck with them.