DESOLATION [ 1 ] ↠ STRANGER THINGS

3. ONE PHOTOGRAPH

DESOLATION
CHAPTER THREE

➝ ONE PHOTOGRAPH

COLLEEN WAS SITTING ON TOP OF HER BED IN ONE OF STEVE'S BLACK LONG SLEEVED SHIRTS THAT HE HAD LEFT OVER HER HOUSE FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE. The shirt went down to about her mid-thigh and she was wearing a matching pair of knee high socks. She was sketching in her note pad, while The Beatles were playing softly in the background on her record player, as she waited for Hopper to pick her up and drive her to school.

Last night, after her fight with Steve out front of Nancy's house — the two best friends ended up walking back to her house and making up. Colleen had finally forgiven him after the third "i'm sorry", and Steve had even stayed over. But he had left early in the morning to go home for school. But once he was gone, Colleen couldn't fall back asleep.

She looked over at her clock and decided that she should probably start getting ready for school, because Hopper needed to stop by the Byers' home before dropping her off at school. So Colleen quickly showered and got dressed for the day, before going downstairs and making a quick and simple breakfast for herself.

About ten minutes later, there was a small knock on the front door. Before she even could get up to answer it— it swung open, revealing Hopper on the other side. He walked into the kitchen where she was getting her things together and he gave her a smile, "Hey there, Col. I'm here."

She turned around, giving Hopper a wide grin in which he quickly returned. He noticed that she seemed to be in slightly better spirits today. The brunette picked up her school bag from the counter top and they headed out of the front door. They climbed into his police car and headed down the street towards the Byers' house.

Hopped parked out front of the house before looking over at Colleen, "I'll be right back. You can just wait in the car if you want to."

She watched from the passenger seat as he disappeared into the house to talk to Joyce Byers about her youngest son's disappearance. Colleen sat impatiently in the car, until about ten minutes passed by and he still never came out. The girl climbed out of the car, closing the door behind her and making her way down to the house.

She swallowed hard before slowly opening the front door and letting herself into the house. It was a small house. A lot smaller than her own, and a little beat up and worn down. But it was still a nice house. It felt... sentimental. She closed to door behind her and walked down the hall, "Hop?"

"Come on, how about a little trust here! What, you think I'm... I'm making this up?" Colleen heard Joyce yell from the living room so she quickly headed in the direction of where the voices were coming from. She walked into the living room to find that Hopper was standing by the house phone with Joyce and her son, Jonathan. She went to school with him, but the two had never crossed paths before. He was a quiet kid, a photographer. He liked to keep to himself. But he was in her art class, he was quite talented.