"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: mentions of abuse)
She didn't realise surviving small-town life in Indiana would be so stressful. It was enough surviving her father's vicious temper and Billy's snide remarks daily, but this was on a whole other level of extreme.
Once the military reached Hawkins, they seized control of the situation. Nearly everyone, except Eleven, was taken into custody. The group had their injuries checked over and luckily, Sophie's leg wasn't infected.
Steve, on the other hand, had a more thorough check with army doctors assessing whether or not he had a concussion. She didn't see him for the rest of the night, but her sole hope was that he didn't notice her staring at his lips. Sophie didn't know what took hold of her down there in the tunnels, she was running on adrenaline.
The spores Dustin inhaled did raise some alarm, but, as it turned out, the Upside Down wasn't as toxic as it appeared. As long as someone didn't spend weeks in that horrid dimension, they'd be all right.
Will was okay too, despite the odds, released from the Mind Flayer's hold by his family. He was lucky to have them by his side. But with all he's been through the last year or so, Sophie couldn't see his life improving from there.
Their parents were called, fuming that their kids were out so late. But of course, they knew little to nothing about the ordeal they had all been through, and the US government were determined to keep things that way.
After she got her leg treated, she was almost free to go. Almost being the keyword since government agents were waiting outside to drag her into their makeshift interrogation in the room. Because of what they had all seen, those involved were questioned about their part in the events and forced to sign their special non-disclosure agreement.
"Shouldn't there be a lawyer or something present?" The room was grey, the table was off-white and slanted, and they only turned on a single overhead light which cast a spotlight over the teenager. "I'm not eighteen, so technically I shouldn't be left unsupervised, otherwise you guys would take advantage of me or make me say all the wrong things."
A pair of agents in pressed suits stared her down. One held a pack of files in their hand, and the other held a single piece of paper. Though they tried their best not to intimidate her, their natural aura unnerved her anyway. "We just need to ask you a few questions, and then we'll let you go on your way."
"Do I have to sign an NDA?" she questioned, nodding her head in the direction of the agent with the piece of paper. "I mean, that's what you're holding, isn't it?" The pair shared a glance, their brows raised. "Steve told me they all had to sign one last year, even the kids."
"Steve Harrington?" he asked.
Sophie narrowed her eyes. "Do you know any other Steves involved in this situation?"
