Chapter Text
You and Eddie had been dating for half a year, and things were going really well. You would go to his place most weekends, and he would pick you up from your job at the Family Video Store. You were going on regular dates, you had good communication when either of you got upset, which is why you could not understand him spacing out these past few weeks at the lunch table.
He would often zone out whilst you unleashed all the gossip that you had learnt or whatever was on your mind either at lunch at the hellfire table or in his van after school. But he would usually nod and absentmindedly go "mhm", "yeah" or "of course" to make it seem like he was listening.
"Maybe he's worried about something?" Robin offered, as you grabbed your chemistry textbook out of your locker. "I mean, he is kinda trying to graduate this year, right? Third time is the charm."
"Yeah maybe? But he'd tell me if something was up, I mean why wouldn't he?" You sighed. You didn't need anything else from your locker but it kept Robin from seeing the concern on your face.
"Boys are dumb" Robin said simply. Biting back a laugh, you couldn't stop the smile on your lips as you closed your locker agreeing with wholeheartedly.
"Are you coming to book club after school today?" Internally you groaned, you had been hoping to skip since you had so much damn homework to do but you really needed to get back into your extracurricular, since getting a boyfriend you had kinda forgotten about. "Y-yeah so about book club today-"
You interrupted yourself when you saw Chrissy Cunningham walking towards you, smiling wide. "Y/N! You're coming to book club?!" She sounded so excited, and her smile was so warm that you couldn't really say no to her. You nodded and she jumped up and down. Her eyes twinkling with joy, you couldn't help matching her smile. "I'll see you there!" You called after her she walked away waving. It still boggled you and Robin's mind that you were friends with Chrissy Cunningham, the queen of Hawkins High.
She approached you after one of the first sessions of book club, a little after school thing you decided to run with Nancy for a bit of fun. Since Eddie had his hellfire club, you began to get lonely on Wednesdays after school. Plus since Nancy needed an extracurricular that wasn't too much like hard work, you had decided to run it together. After, about the third session, definitely after Robin had joined, Chrissy had approached you by your locker asking if she could join. You were so taken aback you had to ask her to repeat herself, almost opening the locker into your face. It had started with her sharing her feelings about the books after the club with you, laughing with you and having a good literary debate. Fuck, even Nancy couldn't quite believe it when you walked out of book club still chatting away about how stupid but romantic Mr Darcy demonstrated his love to Elizabeth. You had looked at her confused when she said she wanted to know how real love felt, "I thought you and Jason were..." You trailed off realizing what you knew as based off of rumours.
She gently shrugged, looking at the floor, "Most of it is just for show" she had admitted. Her brightness of her personality dimming ever so slightly and her eyes blinking away any hint of sadness.
Looking at her properly, something that you realized only a handful of people did, you tentatively put your hand gently on her shoulder, "If you ever wanna talk about anything, you can always talk to me or one of my friends. We won't judge" You glanced at Robin miming hitting Nancy with a book as she was lecturing her about the background of pride and prejudice. Chrissy covered her mouth as she giggled at their antics.
Then from that moment, you started meeting up with her before book club, sometimes seeing her outside of school when she managed to thwart off Jason and her parents. She talked to you about everything and you listened. She told you about how her mum always went on about her weight, causing you to protest immediately saying, "But look at you, you're gorgeous!" to which she beamed back at you. She told you about how Jason was over protective of her, to the point that it was borderline obsessive. She told you about how the girls on the cheer team sometimes didn't listen to her or only cared about her because she was dating Jason. She talked about how her parents had so much expectation for her to do well in school and be perfect, hence her reputation and school image. Sometimes she would break down into tears and you would hug her tightly. Most of these meetings would be kept private, only Robin and Nancy knowing that you two had become close friends.
Which really halted Eddie when he walked into the Family Video store to pick you up only to see you hugging Chrissy Cunningham tightly. She released you and glanced at your boyfriend, suddenly becoming incredibly shy with her eyes looking at anywhere but his. "Hey sweetheart" he said giving you a smile but his eyes showed his confusion. He gave you a quick kiss on the cheek, as last time he gave you a proper kiss, both Robin and Steve had pretended to gag in the back. Also maybe because he wasn't used to kissing you in front of Chrissy fucking Cunningham.
You slumped your shoulders slightly, not getting what you wanted but you brushed it off as Eddie probably being awkward. "You know Chrissy?" You giving him a teasing smile as he just nodded awkwardly, trying his very best to not roll his eyes at the stupid question. Chrissy gave him a small wave, her eyes shyly looking up at him. "Sorry lovey, i'll see you on Monday" You waved at her with one hand, with the other holding Eddie's hand walking out the store.
Unbeknownst to you, him looking back before getting in the van. Steve narrowed his eyes from the counter, but shrugged it off. You apologized but explained that the stuff you had been talking about was really personal and you didn't wanna share anything that would go against the promise you had made to her. You chatted about how you became friends and that's when you first noticed him in a sort of zoned out daze. It was like he was high but not in his usual way. After a few minutes of silence, you reached out your hand and touched his arm, "Hey" you said gently, "is everything okay?"
Eddie, not taking his eyes off the road, sighing deeply, "I had a crush on her for two years".
Your eyes went wide. Whatever you had been expecting, it wasn't that. You waited for him to continue, but when nothing more came you hesitantly asked, "and now?" It had only been a few weeks since you had come out as official by this point. You didn't doubt that Eddie didn't love you, but you now you felt sort of uncertain. An irrational fear, coming from nowhere, surrounding you with what ifs.
"No, not since I met you" He turned to look at you and gave you the warmest smiles. The type of smile you would see late at night, laying in bed. The type of smile you'd see after a performance on stage, after a successful guitar solo. The type of smile that was reserved for you and you only. It was private, it told you everything you needed to know even if no words had been exchanged. Ceasing your irrational anxiety and burying it back down. Driving back to his, he had put tunes on and you forgot all about it.
Until.
When you caught him staring past you for the umpteenth time this week, never mind this month, you put down your sandwich, "What?" At first you had been thinking that he had been staring at you, but lately it felt like he had been staring past you. When he didn't respond, you turned your head to follow his line of sight. You saw Chrissy two tables behind you, she was chatting casually to someone else on the cheer team. She seemed normal, or as normal as she usually did at school. Instantly your stomach tensing and the memory of him saying he had a crush on her resurfaced.
Trying to keep your voice very steady and calm, even though internally the panic was building rapidly, "Why you looking at Chrissy?" Robin noticed and frowned slightly as she glanced at you. Eddie wasn't looking anymore, he was looking at his food and shrugged before bringing his eyes back up to meet yours. "Okay" you leaned forward so his face was closer to yours, your shoulders on the table and your food totally forgotten, "Eddie I'm not gonna ask you again" Your eyes stern, biting the inside of your cheek.
"I wasn't looking at her" He mumbled and got up to leave the cafeteria. The rest of the hellfire club looking at each other and then you in confusion. Eddie was not know to suddenly walk off, without some dramatics. And it was very unlikely that he walked off while in conversation with you. Jeff and Gareth looked at each other and then down back to their food with wide eyes.
That's when you began noticing him not being able to see you at lunch times. Eddie suddenly being busy in his free periods. He'd kiss you on the cheek and tell you that he had a deal to do, or that it was a new campaign he was working on. You brushed it off as well as you could. The rising anxiety inside you getting closer and closer to boiling point.
You talked about it with Nancy as you two were setting up book club, cleaning up the English classroom during your free period. Bless her, you could tell when she was keeping information from you as to not make you upset. "Nance, c'mon. Speak your mind" You looked at her earnestly. Usually you went to Robin for advice because Nancy had a knack of accidentally making you cry whenever she was brutally honest with you. She sighed and sat down on the chair she had just placed. You sat down in front of her, taking a deep breath. She glanced at the door, making sure no one was about to walk in or could be eavesdropping. "He's never really been the relationship kind of guy" she started, biting her lip trying to choose her words carefully. You nodded. You knew that. Eddie had been upfront about the fact that you were his first proper girlfriend and not just some fling or means to an end. "Usually when he was... seeing a girl, he would usually be seeing someone else on the side."
That you didn't know.
Your eyes widening slightly but you managed to keep most of your composure. You gestured for Nancy to continue. "You joined last year and you didn't know this because when you came along, he clearly was solely invested in you." You smiled but you waited with bated breath. You knew there was a 'but'. "But" -there it was! "He has been known to never let opportunities slip passed him" and she looked at you with a knowing look.
You looked at her puzzled until it finally clicked, "Eddie and Chrissy??? No way!" She shushed you as you had said that a little too loud. Lowering your voice to match Nance's a few seconds ago, you continued, "Chrissy is my friend, and Eddie told me himself that he didn't feel that way towards her anymore."
Nancy's eyes widened at the last bit. "What did you say?" she stared at you. You repeated with more firmness and she looked at you with concerned eyes.
She was about to respond when Robin burst through the door yelling, "What's up fuckers?!" as to which Nancy face palmed while you almost fell off our chair laughing.
As you waited for the rest of the book club members to come, you didn't miss how you were one member short. Chrissy not in her usual place next to you and Robin. And you didn't miss how Nancy kept giving you side eyes throughout book club when discussing the topic of relationships in Jane Austen's books.
Relief flooded you when you saw Eddie's van parked in its usual spot to pick you up after book club. As he hopped out, you bounded over. Your worries temporarily dismissed. Excited to go back to his and cuddle and for him to smack your concerns away. But that dream was shattered when he told you he would be dropping you off at home instead.
The fuck?
"Why? You've never been busy before?" You questioned, slowly getting into the passenger seat. It felt warm. Your panic levels rising.
"I-it's my uncle" he stammered, him flashing you a soft smile but not meeting your gaze. "He's fixing up stuff in the trailer and it's really messy." He started the car and you couldn't tell whether it was you or the van making you tremble with all of the nerves buzzing around inside of you.
"Have you seen Chrissy?" You blurted out, seeing his eyes blink back an emotion before you had a chance to read it, you continued, "she wasn't at book club today"
"Why would I know where Chrissy is?" he half laughed, half accused you of. You shook your head and shrugged, refusing to get the words out. With that, he turned the radio back on and on the drop off home only mainstream pop music, you both had never heard before, blasted from the van.
It was the weekend and you were supposed to be staying at Eddie's but he said his uncle was busy with fixing up the trailer. You had driven over in your car to pick up some stuff from his since you think you had left a few items of clothing from last time. Since you hadn't been back in a while, you were surprised to see Eddie's van parked outside. Odd, you thought. Since he had said his uncle had been doing maintenance, Eddie had said he was staying over at Gareth's. Turning off the ignition, you saw Wayne open the door and head over to the van. You waved. You and Wayne got on really well, which delighted Eddie since Wayne was the only parental figure in his life.
"Hey kid, where you been recently?" He asked as he walked up to the driver's side. He looked the same, he had always looked ruff around the edges so maybe he had been doing maintenance inside the trailer.
"Oh I've been doing this and that." You said vaguely, "just mainly school stuff. Anyways, how have you been? What with fixing up the trailer, Eddie says you've been hard at work recently" You laughed but it quickly faded as you saw the confusion on Wayne's face.
"Eddie must have gotten me confused with someone else. I haven't been in the trailer for the last few weeks. But I did fix the lock so maybe that's what he's referring to." He scratched the back of his head and looked back at the trailer.
Just as you were about to ask what was going on, Eddie swung the front door open, causing you both to turn and look. "Hey sweetheart" he said a little too breathlessly. His eyes didn't miss how you squinted at him, noting how disheveled he looked. "I'm really sorry darling, can you come back another time I got a deal in about ten minutes". He did not miss the way you looked at Wayne in confusion, and at how Wayne looked back at him with the same level of confusion.
"Huh? Uhhhh sure I guess-" you began.
"Great, thanks sweetheart" and he kissed your cheek, again not missing the way your frown deepened. Also not missing the way Wayne deeply inhaled, his calm before the storm.
You still in a daze of confusion, turned the car back on, reversed while waving slightly at Wayne and Eddie, before driving back home again.
You boiled over for a few days until you had decided that you had had enough. For seven days, you had't seen Chrissy or Eddie at lunch once. For seven days and longer, you haven't had a straight answer from your boyfriend or your friend. For seven days and longer, you hadn't had a proper kiss or show of affection from your boyfriend both in private and public. For seven days and longer, you had wondered what the fuck was going on. And now, you were gonna find out why.
At lunch time you strode over to Jeff and Gareth and slammed your hands down on the desk. You could see in the corner of your eye the hellfire kids murmuring to themselves at your sudden aggressiveness, but then quickly being shushed by Robin and Nancy.
Jeff and Gareth looking at you like they wanted to self-delete themselves there and then. "Where is he?" you asked your voice was low, controlled, and polite. This only terrified them more. When they didn't respond, your eyes were so menacing and fierce that Jeff let out a squeak. "At his spot" they both said in union. You turned on your heel and headed straight there.
You were on a mission and you were so determined that you practically barreled though the people who had foolishly chosen to walk into your path. Accidentally sending Steve flying, he called after you only to be bumped into and dragged along by Robin and Nancy who were following along as the damage control team.
Making your way past the playing fields, and into the woods. You knew the exact spot it would be. By the picnic table just off school grounds but still near enough that Eddie could make it back to class if business was taking a while. It was the place that you and Eddie first started seeing each other, when you started dating in secret. You had pretended to be buying from him when in fact it was to have your lunch with him before the hellfire gang knew. Those days felt like a lifetime ago now that you were power walking your way over to it.
Your footsteps slowing to a sneak when you heard voices. Quickly ducking behind the tree that was big enough to hide you, you listened to the voices and what they were saying. It was distinctly clear who they belonged to. And your heart dropped.
It was the sound of Eddie and Chrissy. Laughing together. Moving as slowly and as stealthily as you could, you peaked round the tree trunk. You saw them, throwing leaves at each other. Chrissy laughing at all the leaves that had gotten caught in Eddie's mess of hair. You were blinking back tears. But that didn't stop you from sneaking one tree closer. Now you could hear what they were saying more clearly. "I- We have to tell her" You heard Eddie say, pulling the last leaf out of his hair. His jacket was off, he was just in his band t-shirt. The short sleeves exposing some of his tattoos. Something you saw Chrissy also notice as she looked at him.
You heard Chrissy make some sort of noise in disagreement. She was turned away from you so you couldn't see her face. "But things have been going so well" she sighed.
You frowned and the rage you were trying to keep under control, was starting to bubble over. "She's gonna work it out, she keeps getting closer to finding out." He reached out to Chrissy, your eyes widening and your heart in your throat. "I think if she catches us, she'll actually kill us" He said it with a slight chuckle.
Chrissy lent into his touch and put her arms around him. Both of them turned away from you. You watched as her small body clung to him and you could feel tears pricking at your eyes. "No she won't" You heard her murmur into Eddie's arms, "she wouldn't understand".
"And what is it I'm not understanding" You emerged from behind the tree and you saw genuine fear in Eddie's eyes as he leapt away from Chrissy. Your body was rigid and in fight mode. Chrissy and Eddie looking at each other quickly then back to you.
"Ah shit, hey sweetheart" Eddie said, uncertain what to do with his hands, putting them in his pockets, taking them out to rest on his belt, settling on crossing his arms and keeping his hands underneath his armpits. Chrissy just stood still, frozen in place for she had never seen you other than when you had been agreeable. She was lucky that Eddie had already seen you in full rage mode, your eyes burning into his soul. But she was quite aware that her turn would come.
Sure enough, your eyes flicked to hers. You saw Eddie open his mouth but you glared at him with a glare that had the power to turn a person to stone. He, cleverly, backed off. "What the fuck Chrissy?" is all you managed out. Being this angry had its disadvantages, you were so angry you were unable to get out proper coherent sentences so you settled for short, snappy straight to the point.
"It's no what you think" Eddie came rushing to her aid again. For once he was not running from confrontation, and that fact only made you more scared and angry.
"No? So my boyfriend hasn't been sneaking around with my friend Chrissy at lunch times, after school and at the weekends? My boyfriend hasn't been staring at the literal Queen of Hawkins High behind my back and fucking lying to me about it whenever I catch him out?" You spat, each word like a tiny dagger into your own heart.
You saw him hesitate and look at the ground, before very slowly making shaky eye contact with you again, "well... yes, but... it's not for the reasons you think" He looked at Chrissy for help. "I know we've fucked up but just hear us out"
Taking in a deep breath, you gently massage your temples feeling all the blood rush to your head. Your head pulsing with pain and anger swimming round your head. "You've got 60 seconds to explain." You growled, your patience wearing thin but a part of you wanted to not believe the worst.
Also if he had been cheating, you knew Nancy, Robin and Steve were on there way and they were sure as shit gonna kill Eddie if you didn't get to hear his side quickly.
"Chrissy's been staying at mine" Eddie started and then quickly stopped upon seeing the fire in your eyes re-ignite. Realizing he had shot himself in the foot he decided to keep going, knowing he wasn't getting out of this unscathed. "Jason broke up with her because he's an abusive sack of shit." None of this was helping him. "Um um um her parents kicked her out after finding out she was possibly pregnant" When your eyes widened and he saw how his murder would happen by the look of your face, he quickly turned to Chrissy for help and gave her a nudge.
"What Eddie is trying to say" her voice small but just audible, "is that I had no where else to go." You watched her small figure stand firm, trying to be assertive. "You know how bad things are at home, and though I don't say much you know what Jason can be like" you gave a small nod, your sense of reason returning briefly. "It started as me going to Eddie for drugs." Briefly your eyes flashed with sympathy at the idea of Chrissy Cunningham feeling like the only escape was drugs but your anger returned remembering they had been hiding it from you. "This went on for a while until I skipped a month." She paused breathing quickly, you realized she was trying to calm her nerves. If the conversation was under a different circumstance you would comfort her but your feeling of pain from all the lies kept you rooted to your spot. "And I was coming here at lunch time as usual but then I just started crying and I told Eddie everything. About how my parents kicked me out, telling me to 'deal with my mistake' and then come home, breaking up with Jason and just everything." Her voice was shaking, and tears were starting to roll down her face but she kept her gaze with you. "So I asked Eddie for help and I stayed at his trailer while I figured out what to do. He found me people that could helped... me deal with my situation" She gulped, breaking your gaze and looking down at her hands. She looked like she wanted to keep talking but her tears were raining down her face and she kept trying to keep her breathing steady.
"I didn't feel like it was my place to say anything, even though I wanted to" Eddie spoke up after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry I lied to you" He looked at you, properly. For the first time in a long time he really looked at you and you saw the sorrow in his eyes, and he saw the anger and hurt in yours.
"Are you... still...?" You asked Chrissy, not ignoring Eddie but you had to check on her first. She shook her head and you gave her a slow hug. "I would have come with you" You held her as she shook in your arms, her small frame against yours struggling to stay standing. You heard her mumble in-between sobs something along the lines that Eddie went with her.
Slowly turning to Eddie, you breathed deeply. If he could be running away right now, you knew he would be. "If you ever lie to me every again, we are through." you said firmly. "The pain you have put me through, both of you" you glance at Chrissy, "even though I understand why, I never want to go through again. Do you understand me?" you prodded Eddie's chest with your finger on your last word. He knew what you were capable of. You could have floored him if your anger hadn't remained under control. He nodded. "I need to hear it" you said, eyes turning fiery again briefly.
"I won't lie to you ever again" Eddie said softly, his entire being emitting guilt from the last few weeks. You knew he felt incredibly bad for all the pain he had put you through, even though it was for good intentions. You were wiling to give him a second chance and he knew how lucky he was to take it.
"Whose lying? Munson you fucking lying to her? I'll kill you" You hear from behind you. You whipped your head round to see Steve in fight mode, being somewhat held back by Robin and Nancy. Steve then saw Chrissy stood there and he almost shoved both the girls to the floor. Almost. "You fucking cheating on her with Chrissy, her friend? Munson you are dead!"
"Steve?! If he had been cheating, Eddie would already be dead!" Robin grunted as her and Nancy managed to pin a flailing Steve against a nearby tree trunk. Eddie's eyes widening, just working out that he could have been very dead if you hadn't of waited to hear them out. But then gave our a small squeak when Steve tried to lunge for him, but was successfully held back by Nancy. Sometimes her physical body strength really surprised you.
"Also, c'mon Steve cheating on me with Chrissy? Fat chance" you chuckled, earning a 'what-the-fuck-does-that-mean' kind of look from Eddie. "No don't worry it's a big misunderstanding" you looked at Chrissy and then the girls, calming the situation down without revealing Chrissy's situation. Robin and Nancy knew some of the things you had said, though filtered. Steve knew whatever Robin had told him, which probably wasn't much.
"Stevie, it's all good I sorted it" you ruffled his hair, earning a frown from the mother hen and Nancy covering her mouth to try not to laugh.
Nancy and Robin slowly let go of him and he straightened his shirt out. "Count yourself lucky Munson." He looked him dead in the eyes and kept his eyes locked on him, squinting. "You pull shit like this again? You're dead" he mouthed when you turned back to Eddie. Eddie giving a small nod before turning his attention back to you.
"We should head back, we have that Spanish test" you heard Nancy say as you and Eddie gave an understanding look to each other.
"We have a Spanish test?" You heard Robin ask as she linked arms with Chrissy who now seemed quite lost in the group dynamic. Taking her under her wing and making her feel more welcome. You saw Nancy roll her eyes, glancing quickly at you before starting the walk back to school.
You knew things were going to take time to settle but with Eddie's arms sneakily wrapped round your waist whilst you had been lost in your thoughts, his cheeky smile returning as he gave you a proper kiss behind everyone else's back. Your anger was gone. Chrissy giggling and smiling looking at Robin, finally seeming to be beaming once again. You knew it was all gonna be fine.