EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE | Stranger Things.

XI. What A Day

IRRITATION WAS CLEARLY OVERTAKING DAISY'S MOOD.

Even as she stood in an empty room at the police station, her mother paced around and grabbed handfuls of her hair. She looked like a lunatic with the way she turned to look at Daisy.

"We've been worried sick, Daisy!" Her mother nearly yelled.

"I've been at Nancy's-"

"And you didn't even bother to call to advise us?" Laura interrupted.

Daisy sat up, "I did call!" She matched her mother's voice level, holding eye contact.

"Laura," Christopher put a hand on his wife's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Just let her explain." He made a motion with his hand to make her continue.

"We just had a sleepover.. that's it. I don't know what you want me to say." The girl shrugged.

"Oh, so you had a sleepover and somehow ended up at the police station?" Laura scoffed. "For Christ's sake, Christopher, look at her! No remorse."

Frances chewed on her lip, leaning against the left wall of the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest while she watched the argument go on.

"Just say sorry." Her mom said.

"I'm not going to say sorry for hanging out with my friend," Daisy stood up. "I'm a teenager — I'm supposed to have fun—"

"Seems that you and I have two different definitions of fun." Her mom interrupted. "I can't even look at you."

"Whatever." Daisy stood up.

Laura quickly turned back around at the loud screeching of the chair she had just pulled. "Where are you going?"

"To check on Jonathan and Nancy." Daisy snapped. "Or are you going to prevent me from doing that too?"

"Go, baby." Christopher nodded, turning back around to face Laura. "Let her have some air."

"Why'd you have to yell at her like that?" Frances interjected once Daisy slammed the door on her way out.

"Because she did something wrong!"

"It was a fistfight, Mom!" Frances argued. "Everyone gets in one at some point — plus I'm sure Steve deserved it."

"You're protecting that Byers kid too?" Laura ran a hand over her face. "God."

"Just sit down, Laura," Christopher said, his eyes opening after a while of being closed. "You're making a big deal out of nothing. She isn't even charged with anything just being there."

"It's still something.."

Frances sighed, moving towards the door. "I'm gonna go, I have to turn in a college application."

Christopher walked towards her, kissing her hair and smiling understandably. "Go ahead."

"I'll see you later," Frances spoke, glancing at her mom, and didn't waste a second on opening the door to leave, her figure immediately walking out.

The two parents stayed in awkward silence, the tension growing thicker as the seconds ticked by. Laura had been unable to look into her husband's eyes for years at this point, she knew she would find nothing in them but the pure love he held for her.

"You've got to take it easy on them, honey." Christopher's words were a mere static in Laura's ears, the woman turning to look at him with pursed lips.

"Is something different about Daisy?" She changed the subject as if they were the flowers around the house that she moved every day. "She looks.. different."