Hellfire's Angel | Stranger Things

A Party

         Already feeling sad for Dustin that his friend had been found in the worst outcome possible, Frankie's day only got worse when she was pulled from her lesson to have a chat with the police about Barbara.

"And what time did you leave the party at?" asked officer Powell.

"I'm not entirely sure, it wasn't too late. We arrived at seven and left after a couple of hours, so maybe ten, ten-thirty." She'd looked at the clock in Steve's kitchen, but her mind was so warped she couldn't remember what time it had said.

"Who was still there?"

"Everyone I've already mentioned. We were the first to go."

"Why did you leave?"

She glanced from one officer to the other. "I didn't feel like going anyway, so Travis suggested we go early."

"And Travis is your boyfriend?"

She grit her teeth together, casting a glance at her father who was sitting beside her. His expression was unamused. She knew he would be irritated he had been dragged out of the office for this. "Ex-boyfriend. We broke up."

"Broke up when?"

"Does that matter?"

"It might."

She sighed. "Yesterday."

"And what was the nature of your breakup?" asked the other officer. Her eyes looked him up and down.

"We had an argument after the party, which was unrelated to anything relevant to Barbara. Afterwards, I drove home - I hadn't been drinking - and Travis..." She trailed off, suddenly realising she didn't even know how he got home. She hoped he walked. "I don't know what he did. I left him at the Hideout."

"You left him?"

"Because he was being a pric-" she stopped herself when her dad cleared his throat. "I was angry with him, so I left him to find his own way home. But again, unrelated to Barbara."

"Is this going to take much longer?" her father asked, "Only I've got a meeting in an hour and I think Francine has told you everything she knows."

Officer Powell nodded. "We may need to question you again if anything comes up."

She nodded, as her father rose to his feet. He shook hands with the officers and walked with his daughter out to his car. She kept her head down like a child in trouble.

"Francine, I hope you were honest with those cops," he said.

"I was," she replied.

"And your relationship... it's over with?"

She nodded.

"Sorry to hear that, I know you cared very much about him."

"And I know you didn't like him - don't lie, Daddy, I know you didn't."

He smiled a little, "I can't say I'll miss him, I never thought he was right for you. You deserve someone who thinks outside of a basketball court."

She had to laugh at that. How typical of her father, expecting a teenage boy to be thinking about his career and not have a carefree attitude, focusing on nothing except that high schooler lifestyle. High school feels like it'll never end while you're there.

"You're bright enough to be a lawyer, Francine. And you deserve someone on your level."

High praise indeed from her father, it was one of the nicest things he had ever said to her. She threw her arms around him, not caring if anyone saw her hug her dad. He kissed the top of her head and then patted it.