1981 (Jim Hopper)

Disco Tickets

"Are we- gonna talk about... well... you know." Sarah trailed off as she watched me stock chips.

"No! We're not going to... just drop it."

"I don't really feel like dropping it." She says, crossing her arms.

"Why were you spying on my date?"

I throw the bag of chips in my hand to the ground, grinding my teeth and staring directly into this idiots soul.

"Oh my lord are you really that vapid?! I live with Hopper! He! Is! My! Roommate!"

She curled her upper lip and snorted a laugh,

"Roommate? What is this, college? The man's old enough to be your dad. Definitely not your dad though, Hopper is way more hu-" Her eyes widen as she realizes the words coming from her own mouth.

My ears started ringing, my skin started burning...

"Wanna run that by me... one more time, Sarah?" I asked, inching closer to her.

"So what if I fucked your dad, your moms certainly not putting out."

That small, tiny instance, made me lose my absolute shit. I was blinded by the crazy. I reached over the counter, dragged her out from behind it and pulled her to the floor. She tried hard to fight me off, her arms flailing as I punched her in the nose.

"Shit!" She shouted, holding her now bleeding face before kicking me right in my pelvic bone with her thick platform heels.

"God dammit!" I cursed, falling to my ass.

She rushed back to the counter and lunged to the other side, with the alarm button.

"Don't you dare!" I shout, pulling her back to the ground by her ankle.

But... it was already done. Hopper's police cruiser pulled in almost immediately and when he noticed the mess of girls on the floor, he sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I was gone for two hours." He grunts.

I look to the floor shamefully and don't even bother with words, instead just sucking on my teeth.

"Baby, I want to go home." She pouts to him, causing me to squint my eyes at her for being so daft.

"Don't call him that, he's not your baby. You're a warm body, Sarah. Apparently for everyone in this damn town. On second thought, maybe you guys are a perfect match." I chuckle and wipe my runny nose.

I'd been fighting back tears. My dad thinks he's some sort of saint and kicks me out for spray painting a water tower. Wonder if mom would've agreed with him after hearing about this.

"You're not going anywhere. Outside. Now. I'm going to get statements from both of you separately. In the mean time, your boss has been notified, and will be occupying the station until we're finished. Clear?" Hopper clicked his pen, scratching at his notepad.

Sarah wrapped her arms around his shoulders, some blood dripping onto his badge.

"So serious... I love it." She purrs.

"Gag me with a spoon." I push through my chest, resting my head in my hands.

Hopper takes a moment to assess the situation and seems really grossed out by the blood, trying to wipe it away with his handkerchief.

"On second though, I'm going to have Powell bring you to the ER. You might need some stitches."

"Yeah, no thanks to that psycho-"

"Don't call her that. You clearly pissed her off and if you think she isn't going to tell me why, you're sadly mistaken, Sarah. Go." His head jerks toward the door, signaling her.

I notice him reach his hand out to me, to take. There was no running from this problem and as much as I wanted to be angry, he did give me the oddest amount of comfort.

We walked quietly around back, in total silence, and once we were against the brick wall of the gas station, he just stared at me.

I didn't even know how to form a complete sentence right now. How do I tell him about my dad? About his little fling? I know he usually doesn't call people back but... did he like her enough to?

"If you were going to punch her over me you would've done it last night. So what happened?" Hopper broke first, forcing my chin into his fingertips to look up at him.

My eyes were welling with tears and I just hugged him as tightly as I possibly could. My sentence came out sloppy, my breathing was hitched, but I panted out, barely audible,

"She's fucking my dad. He-he kicked m-me out but is cheating... on... m-my damn mo-om."

My body jerked with every tear and Hopper gently rubbed my back.

After a good five minutes of leaving a dark wet stain on his uniform, I felt his belly lift with a laugh.

"Why the hell did I move back here?"

Hopper steps away from me, a couple feet again, and takes his hat off of his head and puts it on mine.

"I quit."

"That's not funny, Hopper."

"I-I can't arrest her. I can't do anything about an affair, Hannah. I'm... I'm sorry."

I wiped my tears on my long sleeve and nod.

"I'm sorry for punching her." I chuckle a bit.

"I'm not."

I widen my eyes at the man in front of me and he shrugs.

"What?"

I lean my back against the wall and Hopper offers me a cigarette from his pocket.

Slinking it between my fingers, I watch as he lights it for me, taking in that sweet inhale of rat poison. Gotta love slowly killing yourself. Hopper follows suit and leans right beside me, flicking his ashes to the ground and staring off into the sunset.

"Do you think Dan's going to fire me?"

"For punching Sarah Grant? I think he'll give you a promotion." He laughs, putting his smoke back to loosely hang from his lips.

Just before we get to the butts of our cigarettes, Hopper speaks up, pretty quietly, but with a tone of sadness.

"I'm sorry for not handling my feelings well. I don't know what to do when I'm confused. I want to protect you but at the same time, want to do whatever with you and not care about it. You're not just an attractive person with an annoying but unique personality, you're also like the kid I never got to keep. I'm hanging onto her so badly right now that it's messing with my head. It's a fucked up feeling. But I will say this, seeing you sad or hurt doesn't make me feel like I'm looking at my kid, or a responsibility, I just see you. It hurts me, too. I think that's all that needs to be said about it. I think I know where you stand it just... took really hurting your feelings to figure out I care about you as a... well... definitely not a parent. It's not illegal, you're an adult, but I'm still over half of your age. No matter what I do, it looks bad. I'd still rather not pursue it, but I do want to make it up to you for being a dick."

Hopper digs around in his pocket before pulling out two paper tickets.

"There's a disco tomorrow night, at the community center."

I blush furiously as he hands me the tickets.

"I- Hopper if anyone sees me there I'll be dead meat. No one likes disco."

"Well if no one likes disco no one will see you there, right?" He winks and lifts himself off of the wall.

"Finish up the rest of your shift. I'll see you at home."