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You were about 1 upset away from setting fire to your Anatomy textbook.
Thursday was your longest day on campus by far. You had the same 2 lectures you also had on Tuesdays, but then you also had to do an extra 2 hour Biology lab every afternoon. Normally Biology lab was something you looked forward to, but this morning you had gotten in an argument with your project partner in English Lit that left you in a bad mood for the entire rest of the day.
It was a fucking intro literature class in your first semester of college that everyone was required to take, you did not need to pick an 800 page novel to do your report on when you could choose a 300 page one. It would not impress people like they insisted it would. It would just be a waste of everyone’s time.
So you were already huffing along back to your on campus apartment with a shit attitude. You hoped your roommate Steph wouldn’t be around – you really didn’t have the energy for her high energy small talk. Being roommates with someone who had spoken to almost every single person on campus (mostly because she never stopped talking) had its perks for sure. But it was also fucking exhausting.
Luckily, when you pushed through your door, the place was blessedly quiet. You went straight for your bedroom and shut the door quickly behind you. Slipping off your shoes and tossing your bag and your jacket onto your desk, you used your desk chair to get a leg up and faceplanted onto your Twin XL bed. It should probably have been more of a priority to get to the dining hall before it closed for dinner but your bed. It was your best friend after a day like today.
In fact, you might’ve just given up on food and homework all together and gone to sleep right then and there if not for the landline in your living room starting to ring.
Fucking social butterfly roommate giving out your number to half the fucking student body. Despite being very tempted to just ignore it, you slid off your bed like a slug and got up to answer it anyway.
Not even bothering with pleasantries or greetings, you went straight for, “Stephanie isn’t here right now, can I take a message?”
“Uh,” the voice answered eloquently on the other side, “I’m actually looking for Stephanie’s roommate?”
Your sour attitude came back with a vengeance. “Look, if Steph told you something about me needing a pity date to some football game, I swear to God-”
“It’s Dustin! Jesus, just stop. It’s me, Dustin.”
A smile grew on your face in seconds, your tone immediately shifting to one of excitement. “Henderson! How are you?”
“I’m getting whiplash from all your different personalities.” He said with a small laugh.
You felt embarrassment flare up in your stomach. “Sorry about that. My roommate has kind of made the room phone a goddamn nightmare.”
“Seems like it. She’s trying to set you up on random dates?”
“Let’s just not talk about it,” you answered with a groan, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, the coiled wire of the receiver hanging by your ear. “What’s up?”
“Do you have plans this weekend?”
Your eyebrows drew together on your forehead in confusion. Dustin, who had never called you at school before, suddenly calls out of the blue to ask if you’re free this weekend. Feels extremely suspicious. “No? Why?”
“Well… There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Your smile dropped. “Jesus, Dustin. Are you trying to set me up now too? Do I really seem that pathetic?”
“No, no! I’m not trying to do anything!” He’s lying, you don’t even have to be looking at him to know. “I just think you’d be good friends, that’s all.”
“Friends?” You asked, even more suspicious. “No offense, but who would a high school freshman meet that I would want to be friends with?”
“First of all, ouch. Offense taken.” You snorted out a laugh. “Second of all, he’s about your age. And you have a lot in common. I just think you two would get along great!”
You hooked a finger into the phone wire and started pulling it down then letting it loose to bounce away again. “This really sounds like you’re trying to set me up on a date.”
“I’m not! Honest. In fact, I would really prefer it if you did not get anywhere close to trying to date him.”
This piqued your interest. “Why, what’s wrong with him?”
Dustin sighed across the line, sounding frustrated. “There’s nothing wrong with him! I just really can’t have you breaking the heart of another guy I know.”
At the vague mention of Steve, your blood went cold. “Oh yeah, because I broke his heart,” you replied bitterly.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned it,” he mumbled. He cleared his throat in an attempt to shift gears. “So can you come or not?”
“I mean, I guess?” It didn’t exactly appeal to you but you also definitely did not have any plans that weekend. “Why is this so important anyway?”
There’s a pause on the other side that had you holding your breath in anticipation. “Well, uhh… He doesn’t think you’re real?”
A laugh of disbelief tore out of your throat, you managed to choke out a “What?!” in the middle.
“Lucas, Mike, and I told him about you and he thinks you don’t actually exist. So we want to prove to him that you do in fact exist.”
“Jesus, Dustin.” You got the last of your laughter out of you. “What did you tell him about me that made him think that?”
“Just that you’re a badass, you have read all of Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit books, you know all about D&D, other nerdy stuff, and that you like hanging out with us.”
“Like hanging out with you dweebs is a bit of a stretch. Also I only know the bare minimum of the mechanics, I’ve never actually played.” You replied, secretly pleased that the boys spoke so highly of you. “So what part of it did he not buy?”
“He said there’s no way a hot girl, who grew up in Hawkins, plays D&D, hangs out with freshmen, and likes fantasy.” You scoffed, feeling like that’s a pretty sexist way to think. Before you could say so, he continued, “And, if a girl like that did exist, there’s no way in hell she would date Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington.”
You felt yourself bristle in annoyance. “Sounds like a real winner, this friend of yours.” You laid the sarcasm on thick to make sure he heard it.
“He’s awesome, just doesn’t have faith.” You wondered what exactly he means by faith. “So will you come? Prove him wrong?”
Pissing off an elitist nerd sounded like a much better weekend than knocking your head against a wall trying to finish your lab report. Plus, you’d get to see the kids again. “Sure, why not?”
Dustin let out an excited “whoop” and then you both started planning your arrival. They played D&D at the school on Fridays after class, so he wanted you to come and pick them up from the session. They’d introduce you to this “friend” and then you could all rub it in his face. Afterwards, you could go and get dinner and hit the arcade. A prime Friday night with a pack of teenage boys.
By the time you hung up the phone, you were actually kind of excited. He had specified ‘a hot girl’, so you wanted to make sure you’re ready to play the part.
You got up off the floor to start to pick through your closet, only able to lightly push a few things around before your stomach growled. At the feeling, you looked down at the clock on the corner of your desk next to your bed.
Dining hall closed 10 minutes ago. Perfect end to a perfect day.
You pulled into the parking lot of Hawkins High School about 30 minutes before Dustin had asked you to. Curse your anxiety, always pressuring you to leave early. You could’ve stopped by your house to drop off your weekend bag but you didn’t want to run the risk of your dad being home and then him questioning why you’re around.
He had explained to park by the theater, as they played in the drama kid’s prop room. You briefly considered going inside to find them but decided against it. Didn’t want to interrupt their session and/or walk into something you weren’t meant to see. Plus, just being outside the school had your skin crawling again, forget going inside. So you parked your car, turned it off, and got out to lean against it.
It had taken some time for you to decide what kind of aesthetic you wanted to give off for this event. You were the starring actress after all; here to put on a show for this group of nerdy guys. You could’ve gone preppy, innocent looking and classically pretty. Could’ve really gone strong on the attempt to be ‘hot,’ show as much skin as you could. There were plenty of ‘faces’ you could’ve donned. You went for the ‘cool girl’ aesthetic.
A high waisted pair of grey, acid washed denim shorts with see-through tights underneath to combat at least a tiny bit of the November chill. A black tank top tucked into your shorts with an oversized, dark green corduroy overshirt, the bottom of it hanging a few inches past the cut off of your shorts. Your black Sk8-Hi Vans finish off the look. You’d left your hair mostly messy, casual and cool. You were happy with the outcome. It built up your confidence for this interaction that you were pretty sure was going to be awkward.
Leaning back on your 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit with your arms crossed, you let your head fall back to look at the sky. The sun had set about 30 minutes ago so the stars were starting to blink into view on the black backdrop of the night. The lights and bustle of Indianapolis meant you barely got to see stars anymore. One of the things you missed about being in Hawkins.
The doors to the building slammed open and the surprise of it had you whipping your head toward the sound. Remembering the role you had chosen for yourself, you immediately exhaled the tension in your shoulders and tried to put on a neutral expression as you looked at the group of people exiting the school.
Lucas, Mike, and Dustin, along with 3 other guys you didn’t recognize, were all wearing matching shirts as they walked out together. They were talking animatedly to each other, the bits and pieces you heard make you think they were still pumped about the session they had just come from. All 3 of the boys you knew had grown since you last saw them. It didn’t feel like it was that long ago, but it must have been based on the physical changes you noticed. You wondered if you’d changed a lot too.
Lucas noticed you first. “No way!” He yelled as he slapped the back of his hand against Mike’s shoulder, all 3 of them turning to you. Excited grins grew on all of their faces as they started yelling greetings and jogging over toward you. You pushed off of your car, unable to keep your face neutral as you took in their excitement to see you.
Lucas, who was definitely even taller than the last time you saw him, charged forward and wrapped his arms around your waist. He lifted you off the ground easily, spinning you around in a circle as you screamed. “Woah, woah! Easy there!” All 4 of you were laughing as you tried to push Lucas away from you.
He set you back on the ground and took a step back away from you. “Hey, when did you get so small?” He asked with a smug smile.
“Careful Sinclair, I can and will kick your ass.” You threatened but there was absolutely no anger behind it. He put his hands up anyway. You turned toward Dustin and Mike. Mike gave you a silent nod of acknowledgement that you returned before Dustin took his turn to tackle you in a hug.
“Geeze, Dustin!” You coughed out as you returned the hug. “You’re acting like I just came back from war or something.”
He pulled back and fixed his hat from where it got displaced on his head. “We’re just happy you’re here.”
You glanced beyond them at the other 3 guys. They were hanging back, talking amongst themselves. Every once in a while they seemed to nervously glance in your direction. None of them looked your age. Was it one of them that Dustin called you here to meet?
“If you’re looking for the target, he’ll be out here in a few minutes,” Dustin said, reading your mind. “He wanted to clean a few things up.”
“Oh,” you replied, tucking your hands into your pockets. “Okay.”
“I can’t wait to see the look on his face.” Lucas rubbed his hands together. “He has no idea you’re here.”
Mike rolled his eyes, looking bored. “He has no idea she exists. He’s probably going to think we paid some chick to pretend to be the girl we told him about.”
“Okay, first of all, don’t call me a ‘chick’,” you cut in with air quotes. “Second, why would you?”
Dustin shrugged. “He thinks we will go to any lengths to fuck with him. Which is kinda true, but this time he’s way off base.”
A light breeze picked up that sent a chill up your spine. “How long do we have to wait? I’m hungry.”
“Not long,” Dustin assured you. “He thinks he’s driving us to get food so he should be out in a few.”
Your eyes flicked back to the other group of boys. “Are they coming too?”
“No,” he answered, to your relief. One stranger was enough for dinner, forget four. “Just Eddie.”
The name gave you pause, some recollection tugging at you. “Eddie?”
As if on cue, a shadowed figure pushed out of the double doors. They walked with a noticeable swagger, leading each step with their hips. Like they were the main character of the story and knew it as a fact. Your eyes were locked on them as they stepped out from the shadows of the school and into the warm-toned light from the parking lot.
Eddie fucking Munson.
He was wearing the same Hellfire Club t-shirt as the others and a pair of black ripped jeans with a long chain hanging on one side. He had a leather jacket on with a denim vest layered over it, the denim vest covered with various patches. His brown hair was long and curly, falling just past his shoulders.
Of course, you knew of Eddie. You’d never spoken to him or even been around him, but you knew he was a senior when you were a junior, and then he was a senior when you were a senior, and now he is a senior and you are in college. The resident weed dealer of Hawkins (after Reefer Rick’s arrest), with rumors that he could also get you harder stuff if you asked in the right ways. He’s all metal, leather, denim, and smoke. A stand up family’s worst nightmare. The kind of guy your dad would've warned you to stay away from, if he gave a shit.
You watched as he approached the other group of guys, clapping two of them on their shoulders with a grin. They were all smiles now that he was there, listening to him say something that you assume is a joke before they all start laughing loudly. His hands gripped the shirts of the guys on either side of him, shaking them back and forth before dramatically pushing them forward. You heard part of what you assumed is a goodbye before he turned toward you.
The second you made eye contact, both of you froze in place. He looked you up and down with an unreadable expression. Almost like he was sizing you up before approaching. If you were being honest, it was a bit intimidating, but you stood your ground, trying to look bored as he walked up.
“Well, well, well,” he drawled, his hands tucking into the pockets of his jacket. “What do we have here, boys?”
All 3 boys took a step to stand in line with you as they turned toward him, like they were trying to make some kind of united front against him. You fought the urge to roll your eyes. Dustin introduced you, tacking on, “the girl we told you about.”
Eddie’s eyebrows rose as he looked at you again in interest. “Oh, the girl?” Your eyes immediately narrowed into a glare that only made his smile grow. “Eddie,” he stuck his hand out toward you, “Eddie Munson.”
You reached out to shake his hand but as soon as your fingers touched his, he scooped yours up and dipped down to press a delicate kiss to your knuckle. Still bent forward and with your hand only a few inches from his mouth, his head tilted up just enough that you could see his eyes and the Cheshire Cat-like grin on his face. “M’lady,” he murmured cheekily.
“Charming,” you pulled your hand from his as he straightened up to his full height, trying to hide your amusement. You heard an exaggerated gag from your left and then an amused snort. You leveled a look at Lucas and Mike, who both immediately looked forward and pretended you weren’t there.
“Told you.” Was all Dustin said, making you turn on him with raised eyebrows. He was keeping eye contact with Eddie and looking smug. “She’s real.”
Eddie chuckled as he rocked back on his heels and then returned to center. “Ah, so that’s what this is about.” You looked back to him and crossed your arms over your chest. “Alright, Dustin. I do concede that you have presented a beautiful woman,” you didn’t fight the eye roll this time, “but whether or not she is everything you’ve said she is, that remains to be seen.”
You clapped your hands together in front of you to get all of their attention. Eddie’s eyes were intense when they met yours. “As much as I enjoy being talked about instead of talked to, I am starving and was promised dinner.”
You made eye contact with Dustin, who looked a bit sheepish at the passive aggressiveness of your comment. “Pizza and then the arcade still work for you?”
A sly smile grew on your face. “That depends, Henderson, are you prepared to get your ass whooped in Air Hockey again?” Lucas and Mike let out some “oooohhhhh”s from behind you, teasing Dustin with the gauntlet you’d thrown as he gave them the finger.
“You’re on.”
The boys gathered closer and started to heckle each other as you once again looked over at Eddie. He was studying you like you were some kind of puzzle he needed to figure out. You couldn’t decide how it made you feel. “Well?” His expression changed, like he was zoned out, not aware of what he was doing. “You coming with?”
The smile returned to his face. It didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Dustin and Mike walked with Eddie to his van, ruffling each other’s hair and goofing around like brothers. Lucas hung back to ride with you. When you were both seated in the car and on the road, you started asking him all about how freshman year was going. He told you that he tried out for the basketball team and made it in. He was really excited about it despite being on the bench so far in the actual games. From the way he explained it, it sounded like he viewed it as an opportunity to not be a ‘dork’ anymore. Like he could leave behind the stigma of being a nerd and become friends with the ‘popular’ people.
You wanted to tell him it’s not worth it but held your tongue. Maybe it would make him happier. You could hope so, anyway.
He was lamenting the torture that was Algebra 1 when you pulled into the almost full parking lot of the DomiNick’s Pizza near downtown. You idled into a parking spot near the back of the lot and watched as Eddie’s van pulled in next to you, heavy metal blasting loud until the engine flips off. You and Lucas exited your car and met the other three behind the van.
“Place is packed,” Mike observed as he looked out over the building. “There probably won’t be any tables inside.”
“We can get it to go and eat out here?” Lucas suggested, looking over at Eddie. “Can we eat in the back of the van?”
Eddie shifted on his feet, looking slightly more uncomfortable than he did in the school parking lot. Maybe he didn’t like being around a lot of people? Or maybe he felt weird because you were here? “Yeah, sure. That works.”
Dustin figured out what food and drink to get, you handed them some cash from your wallet, and then all 3 boys insisted that they go and wait in line for the food while you and Eddie stayed in the van. (You just drove all the way from Indianapolis and Eddie put a lot of energy into D&D today!) As much as you and Eddie tried to cut in with protests, they took no arguments and jogged away with the money, leaving you and Eddie alone together.
“Starting to get the feelin’ this is a setup,” Eddie admitted as you both watched the boys escape.
“Yeah… If Dustin hadn’t told me what he did, I would’ve thought for sure they were trying to make this a date.” You glanced over just in time to see him look at you with wide eyes, cheeks just a bit pink before recovering.
“What’d he say?”
You shook your head, “I’ll tell you later.” The breeze picked up again, sending another chill down your spine. You rubbed your hand up and down the sleeve of your shirt to try to warm yourself up a bit.
“Here, we can wait inside the van,” he opened up the door closest to him and presented his arm with another bow. “After you.”
Snorting a laugh, you gave him a mocking curtsy and said, “Thank you, kind sir.” Climbing up into the back of the van, you saw a full setup of blankets and pillows, posters taped to the walls, and cassettes thrown about. It was a bit musty and you could tell it had seen more than its fair share of smoke, but it was also comfortable and lived in. You settled onto the floor with your legs crossed, moving one of the shams behind your lower back to support you as you leaned against the wall. Eddie climbed in after you, a bit less gracefully, and paused beside the open door.
“Back door open or closed?”
“Closed is better,” you answered, “I’m a bit cold.”
He nodded and slammed the door shut behind him before taking a seat across from you. “I figured. Just didn’t want to make you feel like I was trying to fucking kidnap you or do anything weird.”
Hoping to defuse some of the tension, you settled for humor. “I’d like to see you try and kidnap me, beanpole.”
This finally made him laugh as he leaned back to get more relaxed. You took it as a small win. “I dunno, babe, I feel like I could take you in a fight.” He balls up a blanket and softly tosses it into your lap.
You wrinkled your nose in distaste. “Gonna be a no for me on ‘babe’, try again.”
“Sweetheart?”
It reminded you of Steve. “Eh, not that one.”
“Baby?” You shook your head. “Sunshine?” You shrugged, tilting your hand back and forth in a 'meh' motion. “Work in progress then.” He watched you as you unrolled the blanket and draped it over your lap. “Listen,” you gave him your attention as he looked off to the side awkwardly. “I’m sorry about the whole ‘thinking you’re not real’ thing. I was just trying to fuck with them, didn’t think they’d report it back to you.”
“Damn…” You sighed, which made him look back at you, confused. “I was hoping you were going to be one of those elitist nerds who think girls can’t like that stuff.”
He chuckled again, motioning to you. “I admit it is a little hard to believe. Not that a girl would like that stuff, but that a girl like you likes that stuff and grew up in Hawkins. Feels like there’s something not adding up here.”
Something about what he said rubbed you the wrong way. “What do you mean a girl like me?”
“Y’know…” He trailed off, looking around the van before returning to you, his mouth tilted in a lazy smile. “Beautiful, smart, straight laced. And apparently a badass.”
You tried not to let the compliments fluster you. “A lot of opinions for someone who doesn’t know anything about me.”
“I know you grew up in Hawkins,” he held up one finger, “I know you are currently in college for some fancy science degree,” he held up another, “I know you treat those dweebs like all of them are your little brothers,” a third, “I know you look like a skater’s wet dream in those shorts and Vans,” you rolled your eyes again as he raised a fourth, “and I know that I have never once heard a bad thing about you.” He wiggled his five fingers at you, as if to prove that he knew more than nothing.
You huffed. “Kind of hard to hear anything bad or good about someone who is a background character. We can’t all be memorable like you.”
“I didn’t just mean school.” he continued, ignoring your self-deprecating comment. “Lucas and Dustin have you on a pedestal so high I couldn’t even see your feet before you showed up in that parking lot.” That made you laugh, which seemed to please him more. “Besides, what you hear about someone isn’t the same as knowing them.”
That’s for sure. If someone had told you 2 years ago that you’d be sitting in the back of Eddie Munson’s van with him and actually enjoying a conversation, you would’ve told them they were high. He was so infamous in your town as the ‘bad boy’ and the ‘freak’ that you’d kept a wide berth. You were sure plenty of other people had done the same. Looking back on it, you can only imagine how isolating that must be for him. Sure, it seemed like he had collected his own group of people. But it must be hard being the town pariah.
Having never really considered it before, you had to admit. Eddie wore that title with grace.
“How’d you get wrapped up in knowing them anyway? You got a little brother or something?”
“Kind of, not really.” Your hands came together in your lap, twisting the ring you always wore on your middle finger as you talked. “I’m an only child, but I was pretty close with another family growing up. Their threesome used to be a foursome, and the fourth kid was like a little brother to me.”
“What happened to the fourth?” He asked, looking almost afraid of the answer.
“Oh, they moved to California at the end of the summer. Joyce, from Melvald’s General Store downtown, and her sons, Jonathan and Will.” You purposely left out El, still not sure how many people around here really know much about her.
“Will Byers, right?” He looked at you for confirmation. “The kid who went missing a couple years ago?”
You slowly nodded, looking down at the floor as you deflated. “Yeah, him.”
He noticed your change in demeanor at the mention of Will’s disappearance, so he cleared his throat in an attempt to reset the mood. “So now you’re spending Friday night playing arcade games with a bunch of 15 year olds?”
You looked back up at him. “So are you?”
“Yeah but I’m a freak on my 3rd run of senior year in Hawkins. You’re a hot college girl who should be partying in Indianapolis.”
Scoffing again, you looked out towards the front of the van. “If you keep mentioning that you think I’m hot in every sentence, I’m gonna start to believe you.”
“You should.” You whipped back toward him, blood rushing to your cheeks, as his face lit up in a cheeky smile. “Just feel like there are much better things you could be doing with your weekend than ending up back here in this backwater town.”
“It’s not about the town,” you sighed, trying to figure out how to explain it. “Where you are doesn’t matter. You could be in a penthouse in New York City and still be fucking miserable. It’s about how you feel… And the people you’re with.”
“So,” your eyes met his. His face had gone a bit more serious and the way he was looking at you was disarming. “How do you feel?”
“Like in general or right now?”
He shrugged. “Either works.”
“I feel fine.”
He whistled. “That’s a load of bullshit.”
“Excuse me?” You sputtered, eyes wide in surprise.
“I said, that’s a load of bullshit.” He doubled down. “Fine is the answer you give when everything sucks, and anyone who believes you when you say it either can’t see what’s right in front of them or doesn’t care enough to.” You thought maybe he was making fun of you or being mean, but he looked more like he was just disappointed in your answer.
“Oh yeah, because you know me so well after talking for 10 fucking minutes,” you spat, crossing your arms over your chest and looking away from him. Who was he to just waltz in and pretend like he knew you? He was right about it being bullshit, but he also didn’t know the first thing about you or how you were feeling.
There was a pause and then he just said, “huh.” Quietly. Like he was talking to himself.
Although you’re miffed, you also want to know what he was thinking. “What?” Your tone was dry, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“I forgot we only met an hour ago.”
The tension in your shoulders dropped, confused. “I don’t understand.”
He leant further back, an arm draped over his raised knee. “I wasn’t kidding when I said they talk about you a lot. And they have you on a pedestal 10 miles high,” you tried to fight down the smile as you wondered where he was going with this. “I guess I built up this idea of you in my head.” He motioned to you before resting his hand on his stomach. “Of who I thought you were from what they told me. And then the version of you in my head came to life.” He smiled but looked embarrassed. “I forgot you weren’t actually her. The you I made up in my head.”
You were still trying to grasp the idea but your heart had already decided it’s a great time to pick up speed at the confession. “Like, you imagined me?”
He chuckled with a shake of his head. “It’s not like an imaginary friend or something. I just… I’m a DM. And I love D&D. And a big part of D&D is making shit up. People, places, animals, events, conflicts, worlds. So I guess my little pea brain took the you that I imagined and made it into a character. Which now that I say it, sounds really fucking weird.” Your mouth went dry, terrified but curious to know more. “And I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. I’m not really sure why I even said anything.”
You swallowed hard to try to fix the cotton feeling in your mouth. “So?” He looked at you, waiting for you to continue. “How do I compare? To the me you made up in your head?”
His sly smile reappeared. “Definitely hotter than I imagined.” You groaned, pressing your fingertips to your eyebrow to try to hide your embarrassment. You should’ve expected an answer like that. “Also… You’re real.”
Your hand slowly lowered as you met his eyes. Just like before in the parking lot, the eye contact felt intense. Like he was trying to see past the surface. It made your skin feel hot and tight. It was tense and slightly uncomfortable, but also had your stomach twisting in excitement.
He opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted by the back door of the van flying open. The tension between you two disappeared as you turned toward it.
Dustin’s face popped in the opening, balancing a pizza on one hand. “Pizza time!”
Remembering how hungry you were, you basically dragged him inside, Lucas and Mike climbing in behind. They laid out their bounty as you all gathered around in a circle. When you looked up at Eddie again, he was talking to Mike with a huge smile on his face. He grabbed a slice of pizza and mimed slapping Lucas across the face with it before taking a huge bite. His jaw dropped as he fanned his mouth, gasping out that he burnt his tongue. You couldn’t help but giggle at his antics, which caused him to look over at you.
The smile returned to his face. This one made his eyes crinkle and your heart feel warm.
Maybe Dustin was right after all. Little shit.
You kicked Dustin’s ass at air hockey. Again. But that was kind of a given. You weren’t the most coordinated by any means, but you had a pretty good aim and honestly, Dustin really wasn’t that good at the game. Mike and Lucas watched gleefully as the two of you battled, Lucas cheering for you and Mike cheering for Dustin. At the end they exchanged a bit of cash, having made bets on the game. Dustin asked for a rematch immediately, saying how he had just been warming up, and you told him maybe later. Mike stepped in to play against him instead.
Taking a quick scan of the room, you actually couldn’t see Eddie anywhere. He’d walked in with you all but you’d lost track of him when Dustin basically dragged you directly to the air hockey table. The “freak” wasn’t exactly hard to miss, even on a busy night at the arcade, so you decided to check outside.
Pushing out into the chilly November night, you looked over to his van and saw 2 silhouetted individuals. The warm lighting of the parking lot was being blocked by a truck, so they seemed to be hiding in a shadow. Should you go over? Maybe that wasn’t him. But also, what if he needed help? You also wanted to know if he was leaving, what happened. This was probably a stupid idea, but you made your way over to the pair as another shiver ran down your spine.
It was Eddie, you could tell as you got closer. He had his back to you as he faced another boy you didn’t recognize. They were speaking lowly and quickly, Eddie motioning with his hands as the boy looked around nervously. When he saw you approaching from over Eddie’s shoulder, he made a noise that would be best described as a squeak.
Eddie’s spine straightened a bit, but he remained calm as he glanced back over his shoulder. When he saw you, he was visibly relieved. “She’s cool, here with me.” He informed the other boy as he turned back. The boy just nodded nervously but never took his eyes off you. You came up beside Eddie, and noticed the rusty, black, metal lunchbox held in his hands. “So you wanna buy or not? Half an ounce for 25.”
The kid nervously glanced between you and Eddie, swallowing hard and looking like he was terrified. “It’s good stuff,” you confirmed, even though you had no fucking idea what it was, “you won’t regret it.” You offered a smile and a wink which made him blush.
Still got it.
“O-okay. Yeah, sure. 25.”
“Great!” Eddie chirped, and you stepped aside to pull open the back door of his van while he made the deal. You sat down on the edge and crossed your arms tight over your chest to try to stay warm. The boys made their little exchange and then the buyer went scurrying into the dark.
Eddie walked around the door and looked surprised when you were still sitting there. “Thanks for jumping in. Pretty sure I would’ve been standing there an hour while he tried to decide if he wanted to get high or not.”
“No problem,” you replied, adjusting to tuck your hands under your thighs. “You were just selling him weed, right? Please tell me I didn’t just help with a heroin sale or something.”
He barked out a laugh as he opened the other door of the back and started moving things around behind you. “Come on, angel, what kinda guy do you take me for?”
“One who could potentially sell heroin,” you snorted as you looked over his shoulder to see what he was doing. He had moved a poster aside and unlatched some kind of hidden compartment in the wheel well of the van. He took the lunchbox and tucked it inside, kissing the tips of his fingers and touching the metal before he covered it back up again. “Did you come out here to make the sale?”
“Yeah,” he said, turning toward you with his shoulder leaned back against the door. “Made the plan earlier but wasn’t sure he was actually gonna show. What are you doing out here?”
“Looking for you,” his eyes widened, like he was surprised. “You disappeared while I was playing Dustin and I couldn’t find you inside, so I thought maybe you came out here for a smoke or something.”
“Worried about little ol’ me?” He teased, his hand pressed to his chest. “I’m touched.”
You rolled your eyes and looked away. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t start overthinking it.”
“I dunno, I’m already concocting this whole story in my head about how you’ve secretly been pining after me from afar for years and now that you have an excuse you can’t stand not being near me every second.” You gave him the flattest look you could muster while he struggled to keep a serious face.
“How romantic. I feel like you will flirt with anything that has a pulse.”
“Are you accusing me of being anything other than a total gentleman?” He gasped, looking absolutely scandalized. “That hurts, angel, it really does.”
This time you couldn’t help the laugh that tumbled out of you. “You are so annoying,” you said with a grin, one that he returned. “And a menace to civilized society.”
“So they tell me,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and you groaned, dragging your hand down your face in exasperation before you both chuckled. “While I have you here, can I ask you something? Been dyin’ to know.”
You tried to ignore the anxiety the question brought you. “Uh… Sure?”
“What got you involved in Dungeons and Dragons?”
A flood of relief hit you immediately. “Will did. The 4th musketeer I told you about?” He nodded to confirm he remembered. “He and the boys started playing it pretty young. He was normally the campaign runner, mostly for pre-made storylines back then, I think. When he started to get more confident into making his own stories, he still needed help with a few things. And I’m a writer, plus I like solving puzzles. So I helped him flesh out the story, make riddles, dungeons, things the other boys had to solve to move on with the story. I’ve never actually played myself or watched them play but I needed to learn a lot of the game mechanics to know what was possible to do.”
His smile grew sly as you explained, you could see the idea forming. “Would you ever actually play?”
Taking a moment to consider it, you brought your hands into your lap. Instinctually, you started spinning the ring you always wore on your middle finger. You caught Eddie’s eyes jumping down to the movement before coming back to meet yours. “I think… I would have to think about it. I feel like I wouldn’t be very good at it.”
Eddie looked positively affronted. “Why not? I think you’d be great at it! Especially since you’re creative.”
“There’s a difference between sitting by yourself writing something down and coming up with things on the fly with other people. I don’t know if I could keep up with how fast things need to move in the game.” You shrugged, not really viewing it as a shortcoming or a problem, just a fact of life.
He shook his head. “I hear what you’re saying, but I feel like once you got into it, you’d be surprised with yourself. Just takes some getting used to, is all.” You must’ve looked like you didn't believe him, because he put his hands up in defeat. “Either way, if you ever decide you want to, you’re welcome at my table anytime.”
Your face wanted to break into a bright smile, but you bit your lower lip to try to dull it. The corners of your mouth still turned up a bit. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he confirmed earnestly, “anytime, angel.” Your teeth dig into your lip harder to fight the warmth blooming in your chest. “Speaking of, did I finally get one? You weren’t happy with any of the nicknames I called you earlier.”
“It’s not too bad,” you admitted. “Can I ask why? I don’t think I really give off an angel vibe.”
“Well, if you’re thinking of an innocent, virginal, white-lingerie angel, then no, you don’t.” You glared at him and he looked endlessly amused by it. “I’m thinking more of the biblical, vengeful, warrior-type angel. Beautiful and smart and will righteously kick your ass.”
“Oh yeah? So you admit I could kick your ass?” You asked, trying to avoid the flattery.
“Fuck yeah,” he choked out in a laugh, like he couldn’t believe you had actually asked. “I mean, I would put up a little bit of a fight, but only enough to make it not look like I was letting you kick my ass because I’m into that.”
“Eddie!” You cried out, laughing through your embarrassment as he threw you a wink. “What exactly have you and that character of me in your head gotten up to?” His eyes widened in absolute delight and he opened his mouth to reply before you put up a hand to stop him. “You know what, forget I asked, I don’t wanna know.” There was a brief pause as you both looked out over the front of the arcade. It was lit up in the night, neon signs and flashing lights from the games inside. It gave off a very specific feeling that couldn’t be replicated anywhere but a place full of video game cabinets.
Clearing your throat as another cold wind hit you, you got his attention again. “Was that all you wanted to ask me?”
“Actually, no. Earlier you said Dustin told you something about them not trying to set us up?”
You felt your cheeks warm as you groaned. “He told me ‘not to get anywhere close to dating’ you.”
He was grinning again, all teeth. “Yeah, and why, in his great and infinite wisdom, did he request that?”
Your mirth died down a bit. “He didn’t want me to break the heart of another guy he knows.” Eddie whistled, long and low, shaking his head in disappointment. You’re not sure how much he knew, only that you were once involved with Steve, but you couldn’t imagine he knew much else.
“You running around breaking hearts, angel?” He asked. It was a tease, almost like he was trying to inject that life back into you.
It did the opposite.
“No, not me. I’m just running around being a fuck up and getting my heart broken.”
He gave you a look like ‘what are you gonna do?’. “I know how that feels, for sure.”
You gave him the side eye. “You’ve gotten your heart broken?”
“Oh, no, not that part. But I have been known to be quite the fuck up.” His grin turned sharp as he leaned in a bit closer, and you finally laughed. It looked to him like the greatest victory as he finally settled down to sit next to you. “Next question. What’s your favorite song?”
“No more easy questions? That’s an intense one.”
He shook his head solemnly, “Had to up the ante eventually.”
“Well my favorite band is Fleetwood Mac.” You answered without hesitation. One of his eyebrows lifted, like he was intrigued, but he didn't interrupt. “My favorites by them are the ones that Stevie Nicks sings on, for sure. If I had to pick a favorite…” You brought a hand up to rest under your chin, tapping a finger on your lips as you hummed and thought. “So my three favorites are Rhiannon, The Chain, and Dreams,” you counted them off on your fingers. “And I like them all for different reasons. I don’t think I could pick a favorite from the 3 of them.” You shrugged, shifting your focus back to him.
He seemed enthralled. “Okay, well what are the reasons you like them all?”
You fought down the urge to squirm under his intense attention. “Uh… I like Dreams because of the dance-ish beat and the general vibe to the song. I like Rhiannon because of the lyrics, and how Stevie sounds with the melody. It feels like she’s telling a story almost.” Your hands returned to your lap. “For the Chain… It’s kind of hard to explain.”
Eddie leant back further, crossing his arms over his chest with a smug smile. “Try me.”
“Okay. So in the bridge of the song, after the second chorus,” you explained, not sure he’d know what a bridge is, “the song goes quiet. And this bass line comes back in, that I just love. I’m a big fan of a solid bass line and the way they have the drums slowly build in before the guitar shred kicks out of nowhere, it’s like a build and release moment that I just think is really satisfying.” You smile just at the thought of it, visibly relaxed as your eyes drifted closed.
“So, you’re a bass girl, huh?” He asked, bringing you back to reality as you blinked open your eyes. “Guess that doesn’t bode well for a guitar player like me?”
Your jaw dropped. “I didn’t know you played.”
“Yup, got a band and everything,” he laughed it off, looking almost a little bashful.
“No shit. What’s your band called?”
“Corroded Coffin. Started it with some friends, been together since middle school.”
You smiled wistfully. “That’s so cool. Both that you all have been together that long and that you’re still close with people you’ve known for so long.”
That gave him some pause. “Do you not have any friends like that, that you’ve known for a long time?” You shook your head, trying to keep your expression blank.
“Was more of a lone wolf type growing up, I guess.” It’s a lie, but you really don’t want to open up that can of worms right now. Luckily, he seemed to be ready to move past it.
“Well, you have people now. Those boys adore you, it’s kind of annoying honestly,” he said, which made you giggle. “Plus, I asked Robin about you, and she was also talking up how awesome you are.”
You’re not sure what made you more flustered, that fact that the people you care about speak so highly of you or, “You asked about me?”
He visibly swallowed, looking away from you and back toward the arcade. “Yeah, I, uh, wanted to get a 4th opinion. From someone who isn’t 15 and probably didn’t have their sexual awakening because of you.”
The idea of any of those boys thinking you’re attractive has your nose wrinkled up in disgust. “Okay, ew.”
“Agreed,” he said through a laugh, the tension in him fading quickly. “But you have people who care about you, that’s for sure.”
There was a hollow feeling in your chest as you tried to believe him. “Yeah,” you answered, but it didn’t come out as convincing as you wanted it to be. His face grew concerned.
“What is it?” When you don’t immediately respond, he continued, “Do you not think they care about you?”
“No, no.” You tried to recover, running a hand through your hair in exasperation. “I know they care, I do.”
“But?” He prodded, hearing the unspoken continuation that was waiting.
You sighed. “I know absolutely that if I called up any of them and wanted to talk or wanted to hang out or needed help, they’d be there in a heartbeat. I know that. But sometimes… I wish they would reach out to me, y’know? Like since I’m the one always reaching out, it makes me feel like I’m bothering them. So, sometimes, I just stop reaching out. And we end up going weeks, even months without talking to each other, which really sucks. And it’s even harder since I left for school, because at least I would sometimes see them around town. It kinda feels like when they can’t see me, I don’t exist unless they need me for something. Like when Dustin called me to come and meet you, I hadn’t spoken to him in weeks. I know they’re not ignoring me and they’re just living their own lives. I just wish I mattered more in those lives, y’know? Enough to make an effort to talk to me, even if it’s just about nothing. But I know I’m overreacting and being needy and making something out of nothing.” You didn’t realize your eyes had teared up until one rolled down your cheek, and you quickly wiped at both to get rid of the offending tears. After taking a long deep breath to try to calm yourself, you admitted, “I guess I just feel really lonely.”
When you looked up at him again, his eyes were squinted like he was in pain. “I’m so, so sorry to hear that, angel.” His voice was soft, heavy. “I don’t think you’re overreacting, or making something out of nothing.” He placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, an action that seemed unnatural to you and to him. His palm was warm, you could feel it through your clothes.
You actually couldn't remember the last time you touched another human being before today. It kind of made you feel like you wanted to explode.
“Sorry, I kinda just dumped a lot of stuff on you there,” you chuckled as you shifted uncomfortably, his hand falling from your shoulder at the movement. “Forget I said anything.”
Eddie cleared his throat, shuffling on his feet. “Sure, whatever you say.”
A tense silence followed, only broken by a rowdy group of kids coming out of the doors of the arcade. You pushed yourself to stand, stretching your arms above your head with a sigh. “We should probably get back inside, find the dorks.”
“Yeah probably, just, really quick,” you turned slightly toward him to let him know he had your attention. “Don’t worry about dumping stuff or anything like that. I don’t mind listening.” Your lips pressed together tight, obviously fighting the urge to brush it off again. “Just want you to know you can talk to me. Even if we only met today and you’re like, ridiculously too hot to even be associated with the ‘Freak of Hawkins’.”
Another laugh tore out of you as you placed a hand on your forehead. “Does this act really work on girls?”
He stood, closing up the van and then looping an arm around your shoulders. “Not yet!” And then you were both giggling like best friends and walking back into the arcade together.