Stranger Things (That Go Bump in the Night) (Fanfiction)

Chapter 12: Something seems Strange here

After the fight with Steve, Nancy mostly spent the rest of the day avoiding him.  She was so angry that he didn't even care about the fact that Barbara was missing and something terrible might have happened to her.  Nancy blames herself for making her go home by herself that day.  If she didn't, Barbara would be next to her in class.  Swapping notes like they always do.  But she wasn't and that broke her heart.  

"'The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress. And Kurtz's life was running swiftly, too--'" The teacher continues her lesson till a knocking was made at the door.  It was the principal and he had eyes on Nancy. 

"Nancy Wheeler? If you'll come with me, please?" He requests while two deputies stood behind him.  

Nancy was expecting this to happen, but not so soon, maybe they found something on Barbara.  She quickly gathers her stuff and follows the principal out of the classroom with everyone watching them with curious looks.  

The deputies, Powell and Callahan, both wanted a quiet place for them to talk so the principal let them talk in the empty cafeteria.  Karen was called before they picked up Nancy from class.  Once again, Nancy tells them what happened that night, word for word.  Leaving out a few private details. 

"This argument you and Barbara had? What exactly was it about?" Powell asks as he and Callahan sat with Nancy and Karen at a table.  Facing them both. 

"It wasn't really an argument. Barb just wanted to leave. I didn't, so, I...I told her to just go home." Nancy explains. 

"Then what?" Callahan asks. 

"Then...I went upstairs to put on some dry clothes." She says simply.

Karen watches her closely, she knew Nancy was leaving something out.  

"And the next day, you went back and...saw a bear, you're thinking?"

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

"We did.  There's nothing there.  There's no sign of a bear." 

"And no car."

Nancy frowns at them in confusion, she knows she saw Barb's car, "What?"

"Look. We figure that Barbara came back last night and then she took off, went somewhere else." Callahan states his theory.  

"Has she ever talked to you about running off? Leaving town, maybe?" Powell asks. 

Nancy shakes her head, refusing to believe that, "No. No, Barb wouldn't do that, ever."

"She wasn't maybe upset about the fact that you were spending time with this boy? Uh, Steve Harrington?" Powell asks as he checks his notes, making sure he got the name right. 

"What? No!" Nancy exclaims. 

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

"It wasn't like that." Nancy argues. 

"Like what?" Callahan asks. 

"Steve and me, we're... we're just friends. We... we just talked." Nancy states. 

"Now was this before or after you changed out of your clothes?"

Nancy hesitates her answer, looking at them both in disbelief.  Why were they more interested in what she did inside Steve's house when they should be focusing on Barb!

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Jace walks into the office after calming Jonathan down.  He wished so badly he could tell him that his brother was still alive and his mom wasn't crazy, but if that would mean risking Fi's existence.  Who knows who is watching them or listening to them right now.  He made the decision to tell Hopper what he knows, but needs to keep Fi out of the spotlight.  He sighs as he goes over to the coffee machine and pours himself a cup.