"either way, we're not alone..."
In which Sophie Hargrove struggles to close off her heart, especially when she starts to let Steve Harrington in.
STRANGER THINGS
SEASON TWO - SEASON FIVE
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(tw: physical and mental abuse, and suicidal thoughts)
She did get lost on her way back home; Billy was right about that, too. And Sophie knew the longer she took, the more irate her father was going to be. The streetlights dimmed around her as the cold bit at her bare skin. She folded her arms over her chest, hugging herself as she finally reached Cherry Lane.
Sophie dragged her tired feet down the road, spotting her house in the distance. Billy's car was nowhere to be seen, and she presumed he was still at the party, hooking up with some girl. She had to face Neil's wrath alone.
Like at Steve's house, they also hid a key under the mat. But, unlike the Harringtons, the Hargroves knew they weren't likely to be robbed. The items in their family home weren't valuable enough to take.
Quietly, she twisted the lock and turned the doorknob. It released a long, awkward squeak to her dismay. Sophie was smart, however -- she didn't open the door all the way. She left a large enough gap for her to effortlessly slip inside, closing it behind her once she was safely inside.
Sophie listened out for any creaking floors or disgruntled moans, but the house remained silent. A self-assuring sigh escaped her lips, believing she was in the clear.
Nevertheless, as she took a step forward, there was a soft click in the corner of the living room. A lamp flickered, banishing the darkness and revealing her father on the couch. He glared at her, his expression stern. On the wooden coffee table, a bottle of scotch sat before him -- his attitude tends to worsen when under the influence.
She was caught like a deer in headlights, and Sophie knew it filled Neil Hargrove with stoic joy. "Where have you been?"
God, she didn't want to be the one making excuses; that was her brother's job. "Billy and I got held up at the party. It got a bit hectic."
"And where is your brother?" he inquired, meshing his fingers together on his lap.
Their father took pleasure in disciplining his son, calling him a pussy and yelling at him for making simple mistakes. Sophie wanted to keep him out of trouble for once, but she knew it meant sacrificing herself. "Uh, he's dropping someone off. He'll be back later."
It was plausible. After all, he was the one driving.
"That's strange." Neil straightened up, wiping some whisky off his chin. There was a pause as he sauntered towards her, his face half-shrouded in darkness. He stood a few feet before her, uttering. "Maxine said the exact same thing."
He never got her name right, but it's not like he cared anyway. Neil desired retaliation because it meant he could fight back -- he knew he'd win.
Max was nowhere to be seen, most likely knackered from her night out trick-or-treating. She had no one to back her up, so all she could do was lie. "Yeah, um, there was a problem with-"
