𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐂, 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 | 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

chapter three; material girls

꒰꒰・┄┄・𓆩♡𓆪・┄┄・꒱꒱

"HEY, SWEETIE!" Joyce beamed as Summer entered the small convenience store. The shelves were almost bare, prices had been marked down drastically and there wasn't a single customer insight. The only other person inside the store was Hopper, who was also looking suspiciously chuffed with himself as he towered over Joyce.

"Hey, I was just on my way home from the hospital and thought I'd pop in." Summer smiles. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" she asks and joins them by the counter, though the question was solely directed at the Chief, rather than the mother of her best friend and a smirk tugs at the corner of her lip.

"No, you did not." He replicates her expression. "We were just talking."

Summer knew all about Hopper's little crush on Joyce, and even though he was the one who had told her, it was completely by accident that he had done so. All it took was a couple too many beers and he just simply blurted it out to the eighteen-year-old one night when she was at the cabin with El. She was sworn to immediate secrecy and for the past few months had been watching Hopper hopelessly and painfully drop hints here and there that he was interested in the woman.

Though ever since his secret had been blown the two had formed an unlikely friendship, almost like he had gained another daughter along with Eleven. Summer already treated the girl as if she were her sister, and Hop had been a father-type figure towards her for the past couple of years, so it was only inevitable that the three of them would grow such a tight bond.

The small void left by her own father's absence and lack of interest in her life, including all the excruciatingly lonely months she lived with him in Chicago, had been filled by the sarcastically loud-mouthed Chief of Police.

"How is the, uh, internship going?" Hop asks, softly hitting the girl on the arm with his hat before swiftly placing it on his head.

"Good." She answers, though her disheartened smile deceives her.

"You don't look so sure about that," Joyce asks with concern.

"No, it's great," Summer pauses for a second and then lets out a sigh. "I'm enjoying being able to help people but sometimes I feel like I could be... I don't know... doing more."

"What are you talking about?" Hopper shakes his head with a confused expression. "You're learning to save lives."

"He's right," Joyce adds. "There's nothing more rewarding than that."

Summer shrugs her shoulders as she drops her gaze and starts fiddling with her fingers. "I know," she starts but stops "I just wish that I could help prevent people from even getting hurt in the first place."

There's a brief pause between the three of them as Hopper and Joyce swap helpless looks. They both knew Summer was destined for more than anything Hawkins had to offer, and it was clear that she felt like there was more she could do too.