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CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE ; NOT YOUR JOB
also known as;
( e pluribus unum ; part one )
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STELLA SIGHED SOFTLY AS SHE LOOKED UPON THE SCRAPYARD MURRAY CALLED HOME. In her pale hands was a lukewarm mug of watery cocoa, though the lack of sleep she had received made her wish it was coffee. She had woken to the sounds of yet more arguing, which only made her more upset. She wished she was back home in the comfort of her own bed, with Steve ten minutes down the road.
Steve. She needed to speak to him. She hated the fact that their last conversation had been filled with such poison, it made her feel awful inside. The couple had participated in plenty of fights, sure, but nothing like this. She despised herself for shutting Steve down so quickly; he had a point, of course. But still, as much as she loved him, she couldn't drop her dreams like they didn't matter anymore. While he was an important part of her life, he wasn't the deciding factor on her future.
Her ears perked as she listened in on the sounds of the morning. Birds chirped in the swaying trees above, and every so often she heard the passing of a car in the distance. She understood mostly why Murray wanted to live in seclusion, part of her desired that too. But she knew loneliness would consume her entirely. How could she live in the middle of nowhere without anyone by her side? She would go mad from her own thoughts.
She would have reached that stage then and there if the front door hadn't opened. Stella's head snapped to the side to see Hopper emerging from the strange home. The older man looked down at her, noting how she only smiled politely before turning the other way. He saw that there was a certain sadness about her; one that was already present, but had since been amplified. He stopped once he closed the door and sighed, before bending over and join her on the dusty ground. "You okay?"
Stella scoffed a little, her eyes on the sky. It was the nicest thing she'd seen in the last few days. "Do I have to answer that?"
Hopper's lips curved a little, resting his elbows against his knees. "Guess not. You wanna talk about it?"
Stella hesitated, averting her gaze to the dirty shoes on her feet. There was a brief period of silence between them as the teenager figured out what to say. In all honesty, Hopper was the last person she felt comfortable having a deep conversation with, as they didn't know each other terribly well, and he frightened her a little with all of his dramatic outbursts.
"Do you believe in signs?" she muttered softly, finally looking up at him. He quirked an eyebrow, as if encouraging her to elaborate. The girl exhaled and ran a hand through her hair. It was a little greasy, but she knew Murray had a shower and plenty of shampoo (despite him having hardly any hair). "Like, all the shit that happens in Hawkins...are they signs to drive us away?"
"Depends on how you look at it," Hopper responded, adjusting his legs so that he was more comfortable. "I wanna protect my town, so I stay. Joyce wants to protect her family, so she'll leave. There's no right answer, kid. It's not the town that makes your decision, it's you."
Stella pursed her lips and grasped her mug a little tighter.
"Why are you worrying about this anyway?" Hopper inquired curiously. His tone was gentle, almost paternal. Stella had never seen this side of him, though to be fair she never went to his cabin where he and El lived. "You're going to college in the fall, right? That's your decision made for you."
Stella nodded a few times, staring into the muddy brown contents of her cup. She took a final gulp, her face contorting a little at the taste of old hot chocolate powder and tap water. "Yeah."
"So what's the problem?" his eyebrows knitted together, not seeming to understand her predicament.
Silence for a moment.
Stella's voice dropped to a whisper, so soft that Hopper had to lean forward to make sure he heard her correctly. Her mug now sat empty at her side, no longer of importance to the girl. "I want to protect my family too."
He was confused. "Pat and Gary? What about-"
"No, not them," Stella shook her head while trying to blink back hot tears. "Well, yeah. But I was talking about the kids. Max, Will, Lucas, Mike, El, and Dustin."
"And Steve?" Hopper added, causing Stella to flush a little. She dipped her head and began twisting her shoe into the dirt ground. Hopper tilted his head and suppressed a scoff. "Don't tell me you're thinking about giving up an education for a guy."
Stella didn't respond.
"I know you love him, and the kids," Hopper scratched the back of his head, trying to find the right words to say. He was silent for a few seconds, before he finally spoke once more. "But...it's not your job to take care of everyone."
The Chief glanced over in surprise when he heard a quiet sob. At first it sounded like nothing, but as time passed she was overcome by violent shaking, her dismay so evident it appeared she hadn't had any kind of emotional release for a long time. That was true, in many senses. Stella hadn't cried like this since she thought Will had died. Sure, she'd had her moments, but everything had been slowly building up inside her, waiting for the right time to burst.
She lifted her hands to try and stop the incoherent words that escaped her lips, but in truth, it only made her cries louder.
"Hey, hey," Hopper hushed her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest. In truth, he had no idea what to do. Yes, he was a father, but he'd never made it to the late teenager stage. From what he knew of Stella, she was kind and considerate, always putting others before herself. El didn't have a bad word to say about the older girl; in fact, she was a source of admiration and inspiration. He knew that whatever Stella was upset about, it was far bigger than going off to college and leaving her friends behind. "I know it's hard, Stella. But you're acting like you're gonna be gone forever. Hawkins isn't going anywhere."
"I just...I don't know what to do," she choked out, feeling the fabric of Hopper's pastel shirt grow wet under her face. At least the chief didn't seem to mind all too much. "I don't want to leave them all alone, but I need my own life too, you know?"
"You're gonna get your own life," Hopper assured, allowing her to cry. He hadn't taken into account the mental toll the past few years had taken on her, on any of the kids involved. He and Joyce had their fair share of problems of course, but the fact that people like Stella had gone through so much trauma during their developmental years meant they'd grow up different. He knew why she wanted to stay behind; she wanted to make sure that if something terrible was happening, she'd always be there to protect the kids and make sure that they wouldn't face mental and physical damage. But at the same time, it was only natural for her to want to spread her wings and leave the town, finally becoming an adult and having the freedom to live her own life.
"How do you know that, though?" Stella lifted her aching head, looking up at Hopper, whose heart broke a little at her expression. She was once a being filed with hope, but after so many hiccups that chipped away at her wellbeing, she appeared damaged and dejected. "What if I die tomorrow? What if I don't get a choice? What if there's nothing I can do, and whatever I decide means I lose my family and my future?"
"You're putting way too much thought into it," Hopper tried to reason. "You can never determine your future, not if you don't care about the present. You've done a great job so far from what I've heard, and I'm sure everything will be fine. That's the thing; however it turns out, that's how it's meant to be."
"Thanks, Hopper," Stella shut her eyes. The two sat in a comfortable silence for the next few minutes, allowing the warm summer air to wash over them. It was peaceful, almost calming. The pair knew they were caught in deep shit once again, but it was nice to know that they'd get a moment of contemplation before things got even more serious.
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"You lied to me about having a phone?" Stella stormed across Murray's home, her hair still damp from her shower. She was the only one to actually remain hygienic, as the others were trying to figure out what was happening regarding Joyce's magnets. "Seriously?"
"You're a weird teenager hanging out with two adults and a Russian, do you blame me?" Murray tried to justify, only resulting in an irritated eye roll from said teenager. He didn't bother watching as she picked up the device, hastily entering her boyfriend's home number. Hopper was out at the moment, restocking with snacks and anything else they needed that Murray didn't have.
Stella held the handset up to her ear, listening to the line ring impatiently. She grew anxious after the eighth ring. It was early enough in the morning that Steve wouldn't be at work, and one of his parents would still be at home. Where was he?
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mrs Harrington," Stella blurted out, relieved that her phone call hadn't been dismissed. "It's Stella."
"Oh, hello my dear," the middle aged woman cooed. Initially she wasn't entirely keen on her son dating a lower-middle class girl, butt once the news got out that she got into college while Steve didn't, she became increasingly warmer, knowing that she'd probably end up being the breadwinner if the relationship continued. "Is Steve with you?"
"Uh, no," Stella's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "I was calling to see if I could talk to him, actually. Isn't he there?"
"No, he hasn't come home in a day or two now," she could picture Mrs Harrington shaking her head. "Oh, no matter. He never gets up to anything bad nowadays, you've really helped him out. I'm sure wherever he is, he's fine. Maybe he just left early for work. That Dustin boy is back now, perhaps they're spending the day together."
"Yeah, maybe," Stella hummed, the anxious pit in her stomach blooming. Shit, shit, shit. "Hopefully I'll see you soon, Mrs Harrington. If he comes back, will you let him know I called?"
"Of course," the mother said warmly. "Have a good day, Stella."
"You too," Stella responded, before hanging up. She ran her hands through her hair and released a shaky sigh. Joyce perked up, noticing the girl's dismay.
"I'm sure he's fine," the Byers woman assured her, offering a kind smile. Stella nodded once, trying to return it but failing within seconds.
"Jim's back!" Murray yelled, interrupting the two and jumping up to open the door. "He's got food!"
Stella pursed her lips and glanced back at Joyce, who still appeared concerned.
"Three whoppers, extra ketchup, large fry, pack of Marlboro Reds and one extra large Slurpee," Hopper dumped his purchased goods on the coffee table, and at the last word, Alexei gasped joyfully and reached for his drink. He had been watching the Looney Tunes all day so far, ignoring any attempt the adults made to get information. It was on the condition that he received a cherry Slurpee that he would talk. "Burger King is nowhere near the 7-Eleven by the way."
"Never said it was," Murray sent the chief a wide-toothed grin.
"Let's try this again," Hopper snapped, before glancing over at his counterpart. "Joyce."
"Alexei," Joyce began, leaning forward a little as Hopper ate half of his burger in one go. Stella scrunched her nose up as she approached the group, reaching for her own burger she'd requested. "The generators, what are they powering?"
"And tell him that we know it is not the Starcourt Mall, so he can stop selling us this crap," Hopper interjected.
Murray nodded once, before translating the question into Russian. Alexei took a sip of his drink, before dramatically choking and spitting it out. He grumbled something in response, and Murray quirked a brow.
"What'd he say?" Hopper inquired.
"He says, it's strawberry," even though it wasn't doing him any good, Murray maintained his usual smugness.
"I'm sorry?" Hopper clenched his jaw.
"His...slurpee," Murray continued with a shrug. "He says it's strawberry."
"So what?" Hopper's tone was growing increasingly more annoyed as the seconds passed. Stella sat beside Joyce, her eyes flickering between the TV and the conversation taking place.
"Hop, he did ask for cherry, I mean..." Joyce piped up.
"Well, they didn't have cherry. They didn't have it. And it doesn't matter, because it all tastes the same, okay? It's sugar on ice. You tell him that."
"Tell him what?" Murray pressed on.
"You tell him that it all tastes the goddamn same!" Hopper grunted, his fist slamming against the arm of the couch.
Alexei spoke once more. It was the most she'd heard him say, to be completely honest. Murray clasped his hands together. "He respectfully disagrees. It's not the same at all and he would like cherry."
"Oh yeah?" Hopper snarled. "Tell him he can forget it."
Murray translated for Alexei, who huffed in annoyance and sat back in his chair, not willing to comply.
"No cherry, no deal."
Hopper smiled sarcastically and smacked his lips. He inhaled sharply, before he burst. He leapt out of his seat, yelling uncontrollably as he gripped the Russian by the collar. Stella's eyes widened and she got to her feet, screaming for him to stop. "Hopper, cut it out!"
"I'm not gonna hurt him!" The Chief called over his shoulder as he tackled the scientist onto the table. He then lifted him up once more and tugged him towards the front door. "I'm just giving him an opportunity to get his own damn cherry Slurpee!"
Stella cried out as Hopper threw Alexei out of the building, tossing the handcuff and car keys after him. He then shut the door once more and locked it, crossing his arms. Stella tried to get past him, but he didn't allow it. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Jim, that man is an enemy of the state," Murray snapped, and Hopper rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, who's been jerking us around for a full day!" the Chief yelled back. "I get him his cherry Slurpee, and then what? He wants a helicopter to charter him to his own private island. I have dealt with assholes like this my entire life. Yesterday in the woods, he could've escaped, but he didn't. He stuck with us. Why do you think that is? It's because he's scared. He's scared. Not of us, of them. He's scared of that seven-foot-tall Russian freak who could've killed him just as easily as us. Smirnoff knows that if he runs back to his comrades without a scratch on him, they're gonna think that he spilled his guts. So whether he likes it or not, we are the best chance he's got. I give him thirty seconds before he comes knocking on that door, right back into our arms, with a new sense of humility."
Then, the sound of a car engine rumbled to life. Stella's eyes widened in concern. "Uh.."
"I believe he has started the car," Murray deadpanned, stating the obvious.
"You know, testing us," Hopper tried to justify. "He's just calling my bluff."
The screech of wheels filled the air.
"I believe he is now driving away," Murray continued.
"Jim, move!" Joyce ordered, getting past Hopper with the little strength she had in her body, forcing herself out the door to follow Alexei. Stella and Murray followed her suit, only to see the Cadillac at a stop by the fence marking the beginning of the driveway.
Stella couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face as she watched Alexei turned around and put the car in reverse. The engine then switched off, and the scientist irritably shut the door behind her, muttering in his mother tongue as he sauntered back towards the group. He gave the keys back to Hopper, before allowing Stella to loop their arms together upon reentering the building once more. Hopper grinned, glancing over at Murray. "I'm sorry, what did he say?"
Murray was stunned into silence for a moment. "He says he likes strawberry, too."
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long chapter!!! yeehaw!!!!