FAMILIAR ↳ STEVE HARRINGTON

three.

After taking the three boys home the night before Christine had spent a very restless night in her new home, restless because of her first day, restless because someone had hit her car. She had made up the  decision to visit the police department before going to school, hoping that they could find the person who did it and at least get his insurance information.

Christine pushed her shirt down over her torso, making sure that she looked at least mostly decent before she left the house. She checked her curls, smiling at her reflection before engraving her car keys and making her way down the stairs. Nancy had already been picked up by her boyfriend, Christine glad that she didn't have to ride with Nancy to school.

"Have a good first day! Tell us all about it when you get home." Her Aunt Karen said, giving the girl a smile and running a hand over her hair. Christine gave her an affectionate look, nodding her head and making her way out of the front door. She quickly got into her car, trying to ignore the busted bumper and backing out of the driveway. The drive to the police station want that long, she had spotted it the day before when she was driving into town.

She parked out front, getting out of the car quickly and checking her watch for the time. She needed to hurry. She opened the door, walking up to the front desk and smiling at the desk clerk. The man didn't look at her at all, instead continuing to write on his notepad and making her stand there. Her smile dropped quickly, the girl noticing a bell on the counter and leaning forwards ever since slowly. She pressed the bell, her face straight as the officer sighed, looking up at her with an equally unenthusiastic face.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah I need to report a hit and run. Somebody hit my car las-"

"Did you call 911?" The officer asked in a deadpan tone.

"No it wasn't that bad. Listen I just want the insu-" She was cut off once again , her famous temper flaring as she listened tit he man speak.

"If it's not that bad then we probably can't help you."  She furrowed her eyebrows at the officers words, shaking her head in confusion.

"What kind of police station can't help me report a crime?" She asked with an attitude. The officer didn't seem to like this, going back to writing on his notepad and speaking again.

"Apparently this one."  Christine ran her tongue over her top row of teeth, throwing her head back for a second before looking past him into the actual office.

"Okay. Can I talk to someone other than you? Is there like a Sheriff here or anything? Anybody who's not going to just ignore everything I fucking say?"

"Sheriffs not in." The man replied, still not looking up. Christine watched as she spotted the Sheriffs office, a man very clearly sitting at a desk in the room.  She gave the man at the desk one more wayward glance before grabbing her bag off of the counter and walking straight past him  towards the office. A few officers looked at her as she rushed by,  but she was pretty quick, the girl forcing the door open and stepping inside. There were two men in there, one was clearly the Sheriff, the other a half bald man, talking about something to do with Russians.  They both looked at her as she sat down in the seat next to the half bald man, the girl letting out a huff as she interrupted.

"Your guy at the front desk is fucking terrible. Sorry to barge in like this." Christine said, shaking her head as she gestured to the door. The two men shared a confused look before the Sheriff spoke,  his eyebrows furrowing as he did so.

"I'm sorry...do I know you?"

"No but I tried to report a hit and run and the guy at the front desk was a dick. So I figured I'd come talk to you since you're probably the only one with some sense around here." Christine said, looking at the half bald man and giving him a nod. The Sheriff leaned forwards, confused as to why some teenage girl had just broken into his office and interrupted him.

"Right. So you can't just barge in here and expect f-"

"A car hit me last night at the gas station. White pickup. Listen sir-sheriff, sorry I don't know what to call you....I just want the insurance info on the truck so I can get some money to fix the bumper that they ran into." The Sheriff looked confused still, still wondering what's exactly was happening before letting out a sigh and dismissing the half bald guy.

"This isn't done Jim. We're gonna talk about this." The guy said before leaving the office. Jim rolled his eyes before sighing again and then  looking over at her once more.

"What's your name kid?"

"Eh eh. Cut that kid shit out sir. I'm 18 in like a month." Her attitude astounded him, the man shaking his head in even more confusion as his next question came out.

"Where are your parents?" Christine was the one who looked confused now, shaking her head now as she gestured to the desk.

"I'm sorry... what do my parents have to do with some asshole hitting my car and then driving off? Can you help me or not? Jesus what is wrong with the people in this town?" The girl shook her head in complete disbelief, the cop staring at her with furrowed eyebrows and a genuinely annoyed look. The two shared eye contact for only a few minutes more until finally the cop spoke,  pointing towards the door.

"Get out." He said, standing and making his way to the door. He ripped it open, gesturing for her to leave, the girl shaking her head once again.

"I'm not leaving until you let me file a report Jim." The man scoffed, once again looking dumbfounded at the attitude this girl had, the one who he had never met, and the one who was now calling him by his name like they knew each other.

"Jim- listen here kid, that's not how things work around here. You can't just walk in demanding shit. Get out and when you grow some sense...you can come back!"  Hopper gripped the door handle, the silence between the two ensuing as the girl narrowed her eyes at him and the man impatiently waited for her to get up. She studied him a few moments longer before closing her eyes briefly and then speaking again.

"Listen Jim...maybe we got off on the wron-"

"Out!" The man yelled, frustrated that she had used  his first name again. She jumped at his shout, standing and stepping out just as  a woman came to the door saying something about pumpkins. "You're lucky I don't arrest you for being  a disturbance."

"Fuck you Hawkins Police Department! You all suck!" The girl shouted, flipping off the police chief, and the man at the front desk. She disappeared out of the building, fuming at the way that she had just argued with the police chief over something so trivial.  No wonder people were getting killed and taken in this town, their police chief was an absolute idiot.

Christine got into her car, pulling out as swiftly as possible and checking the time on the radio. She still had a fair amount of time, she wouldn't be late. The girl started her journey to Hawkins high, trying to calm herself after having such a bad first experience in this stupid shit town.

"God I wanna go home."