Hey Jude | A STRANGER THINGS Story

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sitting next to Nancy, Judy watched the officers tag team to try and figure things out.

"This argument you and Barbara had? What exactly was it about?" Callahan said after looking over his notes from the last five minutes.

"It wasn't really an argument. Barb just wanted to leave. I didn't, so, I... I told her to just go home," Nancy spoke. Honestly, Judy didn't know why she was even there since she wasn't at Steve's that night.

"Then what?" Powell added, rubbing his fingers against his scruffy beard. He was the more serious of the two, he wanted Hopper's job the most.

"Then I went upstairs to put on some dry clothes." Nancy was trying to choose her words wisely. There wasn't anything to hide but anything could be taken out of context.

"And the next day, you went back and... saw a bear, you're thinking?" Powell was starting to sound very condescending.

"I don't know what it was, but... I think... I think maybe it took Barb. You need to check behind Steve's house."

"We did. There's nothing there. There's no sign of a bear." Callahan was starting to sound like Powell now. It was clear that they didn't believe a single word Nancy said. The story wasn't adding up, but it was just as strange to the two girls as it was to the two police officers in front of them.

"And no car," Powell added, looking back at Judy a few more times. "Look. We figured that Barbara came back last night and then she took off, went somewhere else. Has she ever talked to you about running off? Leaving town, maybe?"

"No way. Barb wouldn't do that, ever." This was the first time Judy had spoken up during this entire interrogation, and she didn't back down from looking pointedly at Powell and his accusatory tone. Barb wasn't that kind of person and it made Judy angry that someone would even assume so.

"She wasn't maybe upset about the fact that you were spending time with this boy? Uh, Steve Harrington?" Asked, Callahan, once again depending on his notes to keep his story going.

"What? No!" Nancy was starting to get frantic, almost angry even.

"Maybe she was jealous because she saw you go up to Steve's room?"

"It wasn't like that-" Nancy responded curtly.

"Like what?"

"I don't know if you think we're stupid," Judy suddenly leaned forward, looking between the two men. "But when I tell my dad that you're suggesting things, without an adult here to supervise us, he won't be too happy." Her narrowed eyes kept them from looking away.

Powell narrowed his own eyes and tilted his head, "Are you threatening me, Judy?"

"No, I'm simply laying down the law." That was the last thing any of them would say before the bell rang for the next period.

Judy didn't see Nancy until she was taking the chain off the bike rack outside. She looked empathetically at Judy and squeezed her lips tight before asking, "Do you want to come study at my house?"

Judy didn't need to think about her answer, and they were off to find Mrs. Wheeler. Apparently Mike hadn't gone to school so it was just the three of them and Holly in her car seat. No one said anything, but Mrs. Wheeler kept checking the rearview mirror and any time Judy found her eyes, she'd smile awkwardly. Not even the radio was on to cut the silence.

Walking into Nancy's room, the awkward silence followed closely behind them. The two of them naturally gravitated towards their study positions, Nancy at her desk, and Judy on the edge of Nancys bed. There wasn't even anything to study for, but Judy figured it wouldn't hurt to have some company. And much like Dustin going to Mike, after Will went missing, Nancy came to Judy after Barb. That was nice to think about as Judy mindlessly scanned over her science book. That was until Judy saw Nancy, out of the corner of her eye, frantically moving her arms about. Pulling pieces of tape from her dispenser, Nancy moved back and forth only to suddenly stop.

"Nancy?" Judy asked hesitantly to the girl with her back facing her.

"This..." Nancy stood up holding a page of ripped apart and taped back together pieces, showing Judy the edge of a photo. A strange figure looming over Barb as she sat on the end of a diving board. "This is what I saw when I went to look for Barb."

"That's not a bear," Judy said. Her voice was laced in faced as she looked at the faceless being. She'd never seen anything like it. And she'd wished she never had.

"We have to talk to Jonathan," Nancy said suddenly, pulling the photo from Judy's view to pace around her room.

"What? Why?" Judy asked immediately, following Nancy pacing around the small room.

"I have to know if he saw this too. I have to know," she replied, determined and bright eyed.

"Okay. I'll call," Judy said, before grabbing Nancy's phone and dialing the Byers house number. The phone rang and rang before the line picked up.

"Will?" Joyce answered with a meek and shaky voice, breaking Judy's heart the moment she heard it. Matching Joyces quiet tone, Judy responded, "No, it's Judy."

"Oh, hey, Judy. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I was just looking for Jonathan."

"Oh, um, he's..." She sounded like she didn't want to say, "he's at the funeral home."

"Okay, thanks," Judy was about to put down the phone, but decided, "I'm really sorry. About everything."

Joyce only sighed, "Don't be a stranger, Judy." Joyce hung up the line first, leaving Judy sullen and Nancy antsy at what was said over the phone.

"He's at the funeral home in town," Judy said plainly, ready to move on to the next step.