little boxes \\ stranger things

ooo. enter rebecca hopper

Cans clank together in the plastic bag, I hold in my hand, as I toss another one in. Glancing around the small trailer I share with my father, I had made a great improvement from the mess I woke to this morning. My eyes land on my father's form facedown on the couch, snoring away, undisturbed by the cleaning taking place.

I roll my eyes and sigh loudly, throwing the bag of abandoned beer cans next to the couch. I storm down the hall to my room, being as loud as possible. I quickly change for school, looking forward to the opportunity to get away from the booze soaked body of my father.

I pull my favorite blue knit sweater over my head, along with a pair of fitted jeans. I gather up my Walkman and my beat up green backpack and head back to the living room.

I snatch my father's half empty soft pack of Camels and lighter off the coffee table, and let the door slam behind me as I exit our little trailer.

&

Season Of The Witch played loudly in my ears as I find myself walking toward school, a large puff of smoke escapes my lips every few steps. I had a bike, once upon a time, then dad ran it over with his car when he came home drunk one night. He promised he'd buy me a new one, but he was blitzed out of his mind.

"Rebecca!" A familiar voice called out, I looked up from the sidewalk; pulling my headphones off and spotted Barbra slowing her car down beside me. "Want a ride?"

"Yeah, thanks." I half smiled as I flicked the cigarette into the street and ran to the passenger side of her car.

Barbra was a good friend, she was intellectual and sweet. She was also friends with Nancy Wheeler, which isn't a big deal, since we all grew up together in this small town. Nancy had changed though, leaving Barbra and I behind to be with her new lush boyfriend Steve. Barbra still talked with Nancy, but I had jumped that ship. Popular kids don't want to be friends with the Chief's daughter.

"How was your morning?" Barbra asked, snapping me out of my daze.

"The usual. You ready for that test in Algebra?" I asked, not having studied myself. Making small talk wasn't my best quality.

"Yeah, as ready as I can be, I suppose." Barbra replied, pulling into the student parking lot of the school.

"I'm gonna go smoke before the first bell. I'll meet you inside." I said hastily, exiting her car and jogging toward the backside of the gym.

"See ya!" Barbra called, turning her car off.

&

I placed my headphones back on my head after I lit the cigarette that hung limply from my lips. Sweet music filled my ears as thick smoke filled my lungs. It was mind numbing and relaxing. I closed my eyes and leaned back on my hands.

Life wasn't so simple for Chief Jim Hopper's daughter. And I didn't mean that in a cliché damaged teenager way. I wasn't the only daughter of the Hopper family. I was the first born, and the favorite. Till Sarah came along. She was tiny, happy and so damned cute. Then she got sick and died. Then mom and dad divorced. Mom wanted a new family, dad got stuck with me. Mom still cares about me, dotes over me when she sees me, but doesn't really make an effort to see me. Dad was so broken up about Sarah that he turned to drinking and ignored his living daughter.

Now here I am, seventeen and never been kissed. Or loved. I wish Sarah had lived and I had died instead. That way she could deal with this depressing day to day bullshit. She got out of this crap situation, lucky little shit.

As I exhaled the last of my cigarette, I felt as if someone was watching me. I opened my eyes and peered around. The only person nearby was Jonathan Byers, standing in front of his car, but he was fiddling with his camera with his back turned to me.

He glanced over his shoulder, and caught my gaze. I waved over at him as I stood, ready to head inside. He waved back slightly and went back to his camera.