When they arrived at the quarry, Katherine stepped out of the chief's car right after Hopper, her gaze drawn immediately to the water. She started to move closer, but Hopper's hand shot out, gripping her arm firmly.
"You stay here," he ordered, his gaze fixed on her. "I mean it."
Katherine's eyes shifted past Hopper to where she could see a body being dragged out of the water. Her heart raced, and though she had wanted to get closer, now she felt frozen in place. She was too scared to move, too scared that it might actually be Will.
She nodded, taking a few steps back, trying to put more distance between herself and the scene, to soften the blow of what she was dreading most.
She stood there, watching as a few people carefully lifted the body from the water, their movements slow. The backs of police officers lined the edge of the shore, preventing her from seeing the body in full and she was not able to determine if it might have actually been Will.
Katherine felt the urge to finally walk closer, but just as she was about to take a step, voices rose from behind the fire truck, sounding like a group of kids arguing.
"You said he was alive!" She heard one of them shout.
She quickly glanced back toward the people by the water, then, curiosity won and she quietly edged closer to the fire truck, careful to keep out of sight.
From around the corner, she spotted Karen Wheeler's son riding away on his bike, pedaling hard. Behind him, three other kids stood in a huddle, two of them yelling after him. She recognized Will's friends among them. The third kid, however, was unfamiliar to her.
Not wanting to get caught eavesdropping, she quickly stepped away, turning back toward the water.
She noticed Hopper walking toward her, his expression tense as if he were bracing himself for something. As he reached her, he removed his hat, clutching it in both hands.
"Katherine..." he started softly.
His tone was enough for her to know what he wanted to say. She shook her head quickly, eyes filling with tears.
"No." She stated firmly. "No, no. It's not him," she insisted, feeling tears on her cheeks. "It can't be him."
Hopper stepped closer, watching her helplessly. "I'm really sorry."
Katherine felt a sharp squeeze in her chest. Her breathing got shallow and she felt a hard lump forming in her throat, tightening painfully and leaving her unable to speak. All she could do was stand there, trying to process everything.
"Come on, I'll drive you home." Hopper proposed, gently wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leading her to his car.
"No." She protested. "Take me to Joyce." She asked quietly, her voice breaking.
Hopper paused, studying her face for a moment, then gave a small nod, guiding her carefully into the passenger seat, his hand steadying her as she got in.
The drive to Joyce's house felt like it lasted forever.
Katherine's mind was numb and the thought of Will being gone was too hard to believe. It felt as if her heart had broken into a million pieces. She couldn't stop thinking about how she would tell Joyce. She imagined how she would react, how she would fall apart, and it made everything harder to face.
While Katherine sat quietly, lost in her thoughts, Hopper kept his hands tight on the wheel. He glanced at her every now and then, trying to figure out what she was feeling, but all he could see was heartbreak. Her face was empty, distant, like her mind was elsewhere. He wished he could do something, anything, to make it easier for her.
YOU ARE READING
Bitter - Jim Hopper x OC
Fanfiction"You're nothing but a bitter old man so miserable with your own life that you feel the need to ruin everyone else's!" Katherine stepped closer, tilting her head to look up at him. "And you're just a spoiled kid who knows nothing about the real worl...
