little boxes \\ stranger things

oo2. if i go there will be trouble

Unfiltered sunlight on my face brought me back to the realm of consciousness. I felt a heaviness on the top of my head, and realized I had fallen asleep in Jonathan's car, and he had fallen asleep as well. I wiggled my way free and shook Jonathan's arm.

"Jon! Jon! I gotta get home!" I exclaim, his eyes flutter open and he quickly comes too. I gather up his photos and stash them in his backpack as he starts the car and begins the drive back home.

&

The car was silent the whole way to the end of my driveway, as Jonathan pulled up, I shifted nervously in my seat.

"Uh, I-I'll see you at school...." I mutter awkwardly, not having spent a night with Jonathan since I was around six years old.

"Hm, yeah..." He grumbled quietly, still groggy and also feeling awkward, his eyes never left his steering wheel.

I quickly got out of his car and jogged up my dirt driveway, not turning to watch Jonathan drive away. I make it to the front door and contemplate sneaking in the back door, before internally just saying "fuck it" and opening the door.

There was no angry, concerned father sitting on the couch. There was no stern talking to I had to endure. No wondering where his little baby girl had spent the night. Nope, no sir. Jim Hopper was facedown in the couch, surrounded by beer cans and cigarette butts.

I decided to not make a noise, even though I felt like screaming or crying or laughing. Maybe all at once. I turned down the hall and went to take a shower and get ready for school.

&

I sat quietly on the hood of Jonathan's car that sat peacefully in the school parking lot. My headphones over my ears, smoking billowing out of my mouth like a smoke stack. My eyes stung with tears that didn't fall.

I decided to cut class all day and spend the day moping in self pity. Sounded better than chemistry, psychology and gym class. I chose Jonathan's car to sit myself upon because I knew he always cut last period so he could go to work. And when he did I would just convince him to run away from Hawkins, bullshit, Indiana with me.

Doubt daddy dearest would even notice. I put the volume on my Walkman all the way up when Blue Oyster Cult came on and lit up my fifth cigarette.

A hand yanked me by the collar of my sweater off the hood of Jonathan's car, I caught myself before my knees met the pavement and I looked up to come face to face with daddy dearest himself. He pulled the headphones off my head, his face beat red.

"You're gonna sit here all day and blow off classes?! Especially after not coming home at all last night?! Are you on drugs?! What is wrong with you?!" Chief Hopper yelled at me. As his words entered my ears, the angrier I got. Anger issues must run in the family.

"What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with you?! I can still smell the beer on you, Chief" I yelled back, putting emphasis on his title.

"Listen here, little lady!" He started.

"No! You listen, you drunk! I'm sick of being the parent here! Clean up after yourself and for fuck's sake, worry about your child before you get wasted! Fuck you!" I scream, interrupting him. He loosens his grip on me. "I wish I was dead and you could have your precious Sarah back!"

SMACK.

My cheek was hot and my knees betrayed me. I fell to the ground, my hand instinctively went to my cheek. I felt some hot metallic liquid in my mouth. I looked up at my father, who had now turned away and started to walk back to his patrol car that was parked behind Jonathan's car.

As his car drove away, I checked my surroundings. Class had ended and there was a group of kids standing not five feet from where I was seated, including Jonathan.

I got to my feet and ran. And ran.

&

I had run until I swear my feet were bleeding. I was somewhere in the woods now. I was covered in a thick layer of sweat, my baseball tee shirt was sticking to my skin. I collapsed to the forest floor, my face against fallen leaves and twigs. I sobbed once I had enough air in my lungs to do so.

I pressed play on my Walkman, that was hanging from the back pocket of my jeans, between heavy sobs. I let the soothing sounds of music sweep over me and lull me to normalcy.

After a good amount of time with my face in the dirt, I sat up on my knees. My Walkman batteries had officially died and went to battery heaven. I put the corpse of my Walkman into my backpack and looked up at the sky. The sun was going down, since I didn't have a watch, I assumed it was about 5 or 6 o'clock.

I stood from the ground and looked around for any signs of how to get back to a main road. I didn't really remember which direction I came from. I scratched the back of my head and pulled the itchy sweater off that I wore today, luckily I had a green tank top on underneath. I pushed my sweater into my backpack and picked a direction and started my trek to where ever.

&

Night took over quickly, and it got cold fast. I didn't want to stop walking to put the itchy sweater back on. I definitely was late to my shift at Benny's, he'd be worried. Someone would look for me. I hoped.

I stumbled over a big root, and landed on my hands and knees. I didn't cry, I wanted to, but I didn't. I stood back up on my shakey feet and continued to trudge forward. The moon was high above me now, but it didn't provide much light.

In the distance I saw a light, maybe headlights? No, a flash light. More than one. I ran toward them, even though I didn't have a lot of strength left. Then I heard a voice call out.

"Becca! Becca, are you out there?!"

At this point it didn't matter who it was, I kept running, my throat too dry to yell back.

"Becca!!"

A different voice called out, leaves crunched under my shoes. I stumbled, but didn't fall. My body feeling weak.

"Did you hear that?!" Someone asked.

"Becca!!" The other voice yelled.

I made it, their flashlights were on my form as I quickly approached them. I slammed into someone's large warm body, whoever it was quickly wrapped their arms around me.

"Becca, I'm so sorry. Becca, I was so worried." My father's voice soothed, his familiar smell filled my nose. I held onto him, not saying a word.

"Let's get her home, Chief." Jonathan's familiar voice, came from behind me. My father must have nodded because he picked me up and carried me out of the woods.

&

(A/N: no regrets. character/family development. this is before the show takes place, fyi.)