Stay or Go

Chapter 13

Jonathan gets arrested for assaulting a police officer and Nancy is close to tears. "This is all my fault." She says as we head back over to his car, I shake my head holding my jacket closer to my body against the cold. "Nance." I say taking a deep breath "this is what I have been trying to tell you. Steve has been like that since middle school, he has only been nice to you because he wants to get into your pants."

I unlock the car and climb into the drivers side, "yeah." She says quietly "I should have said something, explained what happened last night." I start driving towards the station, both hands on the wheel. "He was going to see what he was going to see Nancy." I tell her "nothing you could have said would change his mind." We spend the rest of the car journey in silence.

Once at the station I follow Nancy up into the building. We stand opposite the receptionist, an elderly lady with large glasses. "Do you think we'll be out of here soon?" Nancy asks leaning her arm on the table. The woman looks up at us "you two yes. Him no." She answers shortly, going about her work "he assaulted a police officer."

She starts picking up ice cubes as Nancy asks another question "well, how longer you gonna keep him here?" and the woman looks back over at us with suspicious eyes. She answers her question with a question of her own "which one of you was it?" I frown finally joining in the conversation. "I'm sorry?" I say a little confused, the woman sighs and finishes what she is doing "which one of you was it that they were fighting over." Nancy and I both go slightly red and shake our heads.

"It wasn't-"

"We aren't-" We both start to say, both a little embarrassed by what the woman was imply. She huffs and points at Nancy "it was you wasn't it?" Nancy goes a darker shade of red and looks away "we aren't together." She insists innocently. The woman looks at her gravely and says "I think you'd better tell him that." Nancy folds her arms and gives the receptionist a confused look "only love makes you that crazy sweetheart. And that damn stupid." She hands Nancy the ice and walks away.

My friend then whirls to me and hands me the ice "you take it to him." She says still looking flustered "I need to get some air." I watch as she walks off before heading over to where Jonathan is sitting.

"Hey you." I say making my voice light as I sit down, he looks over at me looking ashamed "I found some ice." I add and Jonathan turns back to look at his hands before mumbling so quietly I can barely hear it "thanks." Because he is still in handcuffs I raise the ice to his head and press it gently against his skin. "Everything ok?" He asks me gently after we sit in silence for a few minutes, I sigh heavily letting my shoulders move with the action before answering "yeah. Everything is fine." And we stare at each other deeply before laughing lightly. Out of the two of us I always bet I would be the one to get arrested, I guess people are full on surprises.

-

After a while of waiting Joyce and Hopper appear through the door to the police station. "Hey." Joyce says coming over "Jonathan? Jesus what happened?" Nancy is standing behind the two of us and goes slightly red again. Callahan, the officer that Jonathan punched comes over to us "Ma'am." Joyce's son looks down at his hand which now has the ice on it instead of his face, I glance over to his mum who looks terrified "he's fine Mrs Byers, really." and she whirls on the police officer. "Why is he wearing handcuffs?" She demands, Callahan tilts his head slightly "well, your boy assaulted a police officer. That's why." He is so smug for no reason. Makes me want to punch him in the face too, maybe that'll teach him a lesson.

"Take them off." Joyce orders fearlessly and I remember the reason I idealised her so much as a kid. She doesn't give a shit. "I am afraid I cannot do that." Callahan says placing his hands on his hips "take them off!" Joyce snaps and Hopper who is standing behind her and wearing quite a ridiculous hat says "you heard her. Take them off." Then another police officer comes over "chief, I get everyone's emotional here, but there's something you need to see." and the adults all disappear into a different room.

I rest my elbow on the table and sigh "I love your mum." Jonathan snorts and kicks my leg under the table "she's kind of a badass isn't she." he says and we share a grin. After a few minutes they come back in with the box of hunting things we got from that store. Joyce starts digging through it once it is placed on the desk in front of us. "What is this?" She asks and Hopper stares down at us "why don't you ask your son?" He asks "we found it in his car." and Jonathan stares back before snapping "why are you going through my car?"

Calmly, Hopper leans over the desk and says "is that really the question you should be asking right now?" I do have to admit it looks pretty weird, as though we are planning a murder. I guess we sort of are, the murder of the creature who is hunting people like animals. "I want you in my office." The chief of police demands as he straightens back up and Jonathan continues to stare at him "you wont believe me." he says simply.

"Why don't you give me a try?" Hopper asks softly, completely switching from two seconds ago.

We go into his office. Nancy, Jonathan and I sitting in a line while Joyce takes a seat closest to the desk and Hopper leans on said desk. Jonathan hands him the blown up photo in silence, he takes it with a frown "you say blood draws this thing?" He asks after we tell them everything we know. "We don't know." I admit and Nancy adds, after being too afraid to speak the whole time "its just a theory." and we fall back into silence.

Jonathan and Joyce go outside the office to talk and as we wait we hear shouting from downstairs "stay here." Hopper orders to all of us as he leaves to see what the noise is about. My leg is bouncing up and down nervously and Nancy starts biting her fingernails. Nothing seems to be going right, ever since I came back its been one shit show after another and now we have figured out that there is some monster after the kids in this town? Well things are just getting better aren't they.

-

"I have to go home." Nancy says as she and Hopper stand outside of the car, looking over at her house where men in suits are taking all of her brothers stuff. "You can't do that." The older man says holding binoculars to his eyes, "my mum... my dad are there." She argues and I sigh, leaning out of the car "they're going to be ok." I assure her before sitting back in my seat. Nancy starts walking away when Hopper grabs her by the arm "hey." He says and she tries to shrug out of his grip "let go." She seethes but he doesn't. Instead pulling her around so she faces him "hey!" he shouts "listen to me. Listen to me. The last thing in the world we need is them knowing you're mixed up in all this."

Between breaths Nancy argues "Mike is over there-" I relate to her being protective over her brother, I feel the same way about Dustin and am thankful this isn't my house right now. "They haven't found him." Hopper speaks reason to the Wheeler girl "not yet at least." He points and for the first time we all notice the helicopter circling the town, Looking for a kid. "For Mike?" Nancy asks voicing my own thoughts as Hopper drags her back "come on, get in the car."

They get back in and both adults turn around to look at the three of us in the back "look." Hopper says sighing heavily "we need to find them before they do. Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" Nancy sits as far back in her chair as she possibly can and shakes her head "no, I don't." Hopper stares at her for a few seconds, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the back of Joyce's seat "I need you to think." He says calmly.

Nancy starts loosing it again "I don't know." She insists "we haven't talked a lot. I mean, lately...." She trails off. I look down at my hands, clenching and unclenching them as Joyce asks "is there any place that your.... your parents don't know about that he might go?" Nancy throws her hands up in the air in frustration "I don't know." She stammers. Jonathan whirls his head around catching me slightly off guard "I might." He admits and Hopper's face gives off a brief second of hope.

"What?" he asks and Jonathan gets nervous again stuttering as he explains quickly "I don't know where he is but I think I know how to ask him." A lightbulb goes off in my head as well and I face palm "god" I say shaking my head "of course."