who: nancy & @thequeenofhawkins
where: hawkins high school parking lot
Nancy preferred to stay as far away from her alma mater as she could, but when her mother had asked for her help picking up and dropping off her siblings at school in the midst of the police's ongoing investigation into the house on Maple Street, she couldn't say no. She'd heard the whispers around the office and downtown, the other housewives and former partygoers nitpicking every one of the Wheelers' actions the night their lives had flipped on its end, again.
She stood against her car in the parking lot as the last bell rung. Nancy preferred to hear the chatter amongst the students while her notepad laid in the passengers' seat. Amongst the students came teachers toward their rides, some of her old ones offering hints of silent condolence in the glances they gave her from across the parking lot.
She'd hardly noticed the first-year counselor, who looked like she belonged amongst her students rather than her colleagues. Chrissy had hardly changed since she'd donned the same green and gold uniform a pack of girls walked out of the doors with, headed toward the football field while her former classmate headed home. Nancy nearly found herself ducked in the driver's seat, desperate to avoid whatever quip she had to give about her mother being Hawkins' most wanted.
Instead, Chrissy's eyes had caught hers, and Nancy's window of opportunity to hide had slammed shut. "Hey," she greeted quietly, hoping the interaction would just be quick, in passing. Nancy should've known better than to think anything with Chrissy Cunningham would be quick, as she now stood prisoner to conversation with one of the most talkative girls in town. "I'm just, uh, here to get Mike." She paused, grasping for a subject besides the one that involved a certain sergeant. "Work's ... going good for you?"