Chapter 8 - August

Remember when I pulled up and said, "Get in the car"

And then cancelled my plans just in case you'd call?

Back when I was livin' for the hope of it all

What a loser , Chrissy thinks to herself as she and Karen leave Lonnie Byer's table. No wonder he was interested in someone like Joyce, they were both strange . It made total sense that they would find each other. What didn't make sense was her boyfriend's infatuation with Joyce.

What she initially thought was a pointless friendship she'd soon discovered ran much deeper and for the life of her she couldn't figure out why Hopper was friends with someone like Joyce. They were complete opposites, yet, Hopper was constantly talking about things they did. It didn't matter what they were doing, it seemed as though he always found a way to tell her a story about Joyce and she hated it. She loathed their friendship. Chrissy normally didn't consider herself a jealous person but there was something about the way Hopper was addicted to staring at Joyce that made her doubt herself more than usual.

Why was he always staring at her? Even after she'd made it crystal clear that their relationship should take precedence over his friend, he was always looking at her . It was baffling. Joyce was plain-looking with her dark brown hair and petite frame. She wasn't as developed as Chrissy was and she certainly didn't put the same amount of effort into her appearance. Besides, she was a senior and Joyce was only a junior. Chrissy knew how much weight that carried with a jock like Hopper. Image was everything and she and Hopper were a picture-perfect couple.

Tonight, when she could tell he wasn't listening to a word she said, she decided she needed to take matters into her own hands and make it clear to both Hopper and Joyce that she wasn't going to stand for it any longer.

It was bad enough that she interrupted some type of moment between them after the game, but now her boyfriend was ignoring her to stare at someone that was sitting with someone else. It was mutiny. She planned on finding Hopper and giving him an earful, but first, she seizes the opportunity to make Joyce pay for stealing her boyfriend's attention away from her by dragging Karen with her to talk to Lonnie Byers.

"Why did we just waste time talking to that guy?" Karen whispers as they head back to their table.

"I just needed him to know what a waste of time it is to pursue Joyce."

"Is it true, what you said?"

"Oh totally. She's like, obsessed with him."

Karen shrugs and rejoins the group while Chrissy hovers near the edge of the table, her back turned to them. She draws in a deep breath and does her best to muster up an enthusiastic smile, though she felt anything but happy. Tonight was supposed to be perfect. The team won the game and she was out celebrating with her friends and boyfriend. Only, her friends were boring and her boyfriend was missing in action.

And what was it with the comment the random junior who'd joined their table made? There was no way Hopper was with Joyce at her party. She drove him home from that party and he was all over her. Wasn't he? Come to think of it, he was acting a little strange when she found him wandering down the street towards his house. What if something did happen? No. That was crazy. She was being paranoid. James Hopper was in love with her, she was certain of it. Joyce was nothing but a minor inconvenience that could easily be dealt with.

She rolls her shoulders back and tells Karen that she'll be back after she checks on Hopper.

.

.

Pushing through the front door of the diner, Chrissy looks around for Hopper. When she doesn't spot him, she sighs and paces a few yards into the parking lot.

She's rattled by his sudden disappearance and is just about to give up on him for the night and retire to her friends when she spots his shadow in the narrow alley beside the restaurant.

"There you are," she calls out as she approaches him.

He's slumped against the wall, puffing on his cigarette with both hands stuffed in his front pockets. When she approaches him, he pinches his eyes shut and sighs under his breath.

"Hey," he greets her.

"Everything alright?" she asks. "What are you doing all the way over here?"

"I just needed a minute. Long day and all," he lies.

She looks around the quiet alley, the only light illuminating their faces provided by the neon signs out front of the diner and an old street lamp on the far side of the parking lot.

She thought Joyce would be out here smoking with Hopper and considers asking if he'd seen her but chooses not to. She wanted to avoid all conversations that involved Joyce if she could. All that mattered was that the brunette appeared to be gone.

Hopper seemed tense. His shoulders were hunched, knuckles clenched and his jaw was tensed. He was in such a great mood before he came out to smoke, now he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

She waits for him to pull the cigarette from between his teeth before she asks what's bothering him.

"Are you sure you're alright?

"I'm fine!" he barks.

Chrissy shrinks down into the shadows next to him and purses her lips. She lingers silently near his side, unsure of how to react to his quick-tempered comment. Hopper wasn't the type to yell, she knew that but sometimes he spoke rashly and she wasn't in the mood to argue with him tonight.

He peers down at her and his features soften, eyes widening while the corners of his lips curl upwards.

"Hey," he says softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so harsh."

She nods, accepting his apology without speaking.

"Should we go back inside?" he asks.

"Sure." She nods and takes a few steps back towards the diner, but Hopper calls out to her before she gets too far.

"Chrissy," his voice is deep and low. She turns to face him and catches the lustful look in his eyes. It sends a chill rippling through her body and she walks back towards him.

He reaches for her palm and pulls her flush into his chest while leaning down to press his lips against hers.

He deepens the kiss, but something isn't right. It's as if he's kissing her physically but his mind is someplace else. Kissing him back, she nips gently on his lower lip and notices he doesn't respond the way he normally does. Instead, he's cold and rigid against her; moving through the motions on autopilot.

She breaks the kiss and wordlessly takes his hand, leading him back to their friends.

.

.

Back at the table, nestled between Benny and Karen, Chrissy watches as Hopper listens to the story being told while absentmindedly munching on fries.

The table Lonnie Byers was sitting at is now empty, leaving her to wonder if maybe he and Joyce went somewhere together. A large part of her hopes that he left alone. If Joyce insisted on ruining her relationship with Hopper (even if she wasn't aware that she was ruining it) then she shouldn't get to run off into the sunset and be happy. Even if the happily ever after was with a loser like Lonnie. Joyce didn't deserve it.

"Everything okay?" Karen leans over and whispers to Chrissy.

"Of course," Chrissy replies in a fake cheerful tone.

She refocuses on Hopper, who is engaged in a conversation with Benny. Looking less than enthused, she observes him as he blinks slowly and cradles his chin in his hand, which is resting on the table.

He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in the diner, which was unusual. Hopper had always loved the tradition of hanging out with his teammates after games. Ever since they started dating she noticed it was when he appeared to be happiest.

Mingling with his peers and riding the high that came with winning a highschool football game always raised his spirits. Tonight, she hardly recognized him.

She was certain the damper on his mood had something to do with Joyce. She'd never seen her at a game before, it couldn't be a coincidence that tonight, the night that Joyce showed up to watch him play, Hopper was miserable.

Watching him, she considers reaching for his hand to cheer him up but doesn't want to risk public rejection. Instead, she decides that maybe she'll propose they leave and attempt to cheer him up by flirting with him on their way home.

Hopper beats her to ask if he is ready to leave and leans over to ask her if she wants a ride home.

"I was thinking of heading out, do you want a ride?"

"Sure," she nods.

She gathers up her things and says goodbye to a few of her friends while Hopper settles their bill. When she exits the diner, she finds him leaning against the hood of the car, cigarette dangling between his teeth.

"You know, those things will kill you.'

"So I've been told," he mutters. He puts it out and rounds the car to open her door before climbing behind the wheel and starting the car. That was one thing she loved about him, he was always such a gentleman.

She fiddles with the radio while Hopper backs out of the parking lot, and settles on a station playing soft jazz. She considers asking him what happened when he went out to smoke. Obviously, he and Joyce had some type of interaction, his mood was clearly a direct reflection of Joyce's presence tonight.

She contemplates asking him what was going on between them but decides she doesn't want to know the answer. Instead, she feels the need to regain control of the situation and decides the best way to do so is to distract him from Joyce and all the issues associated with her. Batting her eyelashes, she turns to face him.

"We could always swing by the lake?" she suggests in a flirty tone.

"Not tonight," he sighs. "I'm exhausted."

"We wouldn't have to stay long."

"I just want to get home, it's been a long day."

"Alright. What's wrong?" she demands. Enough was enough.

"Huh?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asks, louder this time.

"Something is wrong with me because I'm tired after playing in a football game? You're being a bit ridiculous, don't you think?"

He doesn't raise his voice but he sounds irritated by her line of questioning so she presses on.

"You're acting...off."

"Must be because I'm tired, " he insists.

"Fine. The lake is lame anyway," she shrugs, trying to save face by pretending she no longer wanted to go. "Pretty soon we'll be out of this shitty little town and we'll have plenty of better options for how we want to spend our nights."

Content with herself, and the way she pretended she didn't care to stop at the lake, Chrissy leans back against her seat and looks out the window. The town was passing in a blur, rows upon rows of similar brick houses, each looking more miserable than the last. This town was so bland. She couldn't wait to graduate at the end of the year.

In an attempt to keep the mood light and remind him of how great they were together, she smiles and softly states. "Just think, we could have it all in just a few years. A huge property and a house with one of those wrap-around porches."

"What if that's not what I want?" he sighs.

"Well then, what do you want?"

He stares out the window and lets out a long breath, his knuckles turning white as he grips the steering wheel.

She knows what he wants. She doesn't want to admit it, but deep down, she knows. He'd made it clear this evening that although he may want all of the things she'd just brought up, he doesn't want them with her. It stings, knowing that his heart has been claimed by someone else while he's supposed to love her, and she lets some of her hurt out by snapping towards him with a snide remark.

"You want her , don't you?"

It's accusing and uncalled for, but she doesn't care. She's angry and his feelings are written all over his face. He was interested in Joyce Horowitz and was stringing her along - for what? She wasn't exactly sure.

"I never said that."

"You haven't denied it either," she snaps.

He continues to drive down the street, the street light illuminating the edge of her driveway now visible. Chrissy folds her arms over her chest and sinks down into her seat. She half expected him to deny it now, but he remains silent and that's all the confirmation she needs. They pull into her driveway in a complete, all-consuming silence and she flings open the passenger side door with impressive force.

She retrieves her bag from the floor of the car and slings it over her shoulder, the pleats on her cheerleading skirt whirling as she rashly moves.

"Nice James. Really nice."

"What the hell did I do now?!" he cries, throwing his arms up as he follows her out of the car and up the lawn towards her porch.

"You aren't even going to try and deny that you have feelings for her?!" she flares her nostrils up at him. She quickly pivots around and charges towards him.

She stops just shy of him and stares up at him, "Well, say something!"

She considers swatting at his chest to force a response from him but instead takes a step back so she can look him in the eye.

"You can't do this to me!" she screams.

"Do what to you?"

His words are softly spoken and she can't tell if he's given up or if he's trying to keep her calm. Regardless of his intentions, she's anything but calm and his relaxed tone only angers her more.

"Be with me while you have feelings for her. Pick. Me or her."

"You don't want to make me do that, " he admits while shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Why not?"

"We both know I'll choose her."

'Cause you weren't mine to lose

You weren't mine to lose