Chapter Text
"Ok Eddie, have fun." Eddie's mum says lightly guiding her young child into the day camp.
You see young 5-year-old Eddie and his parents were in Hawkins to see Eddie's uncle Wayne. But he works during the day, so Eddie's parents thought they'd put Eddie into a day camp, so he can play with other kids and be entertained. This camp at the local park is for kids aged 4-16 and during the school holidays.
"But Mommy, I don't want to. Why do I have to wear this? What if they make fun of me?" Eddie asks turning to his mum, looking down at his clothes.
"Honey," she sighs. "Hawkins is a, um, they might not understand. Please just, be a good little girl, ok? They don't need to know." She says kneeling and talking softly to her child.
Eddie sighs fiddling with his dress as he nods, his curly pigtails bobbing along with his head.
"It will be ok. Just have fun. Guess what? They have a music session. That will be fun, yeah?" She says standing back up and turning Eddie back around.
"Ok." He says quietly, walking into the building. He turns back to his mum to wave before she walks off.
Eddie walks to a small table full of colourful paper and glue. He sits down grabbing a page, as a messy brown-haired boy looks up at him.
The little boy waves. "Hi, I'm Steven, I'm 4. Who are you?" He says really fast. Eddie looks at him contemplating. "Uh, I'm Eddie, ah, Edwina." He says softly.
"Well hi, Eddie. Do you like crafts?" Steven asks. Eddie shakes his head softly. "Not really, this table was the most empty. I want to do the music." He says pointing to the large group of kids making noise.
"Well come on." Steven says getting up and grabbing Eddie's hand. He pulls his hand back. "Uh, no, no. There are too many people!"
"Oh, well people leave after lunch. Maybe we could go play by the tree. Look there's no one over there." Steven says pointing to the tree through the open door. Eddie nods.
Steven runs to the tree as Eddie shyly follows behind him. Steven tries to climb the tree but sips and lands on his butt. "Ow!" Eddie sits next to him leaning against the tree, causing Steven to sit next to him.
"Steven?" Eddie asks as Steven looks up at him. "Why aren't you playing with anyone else?"
"Oh, um. I'm too energetic and loud. People think I'm weird. But it's ok, there's plenty to do here. Plus you're new and need a friend." He says smiling looking at the clouds.
"I'm weird too." Eddie says sadly. "We can be weird together then. Oh, look a bunny." Steven says slightly distracted by a particular cloud. Eddie smiles and joins him watching the clouds.
"Oh look no one is at the music. Come on let's go." Steven says jumping up, bouncing in place waiting for Eddie to stand up.
They walk over to the 'counsellor' running the music session. "Excuse me! My friend Eddie is shy but wants to try the music." Steven says confidently.
"Oh, Miss Edwina, there you are. Glad you made a friend." Steven sees Eddie cringe. "What would you like to play?"
"Uh, the guitar, p-please." Eddie says softly. The counsellor nods grabbing the child's guitar. Showing Eddie some cords. "Steven, you can play too."
"Um, no thanks." He says sitting next to Eddie, kicking his legs. "Wow, you're really good." He says.
"I take lessons, only know a little bit." Eddie says embarrassed. The counsellor walks to help another kid. Steven watches Eddie before getting up and dancing to Eddie's totally out-of-tone music.
That afternoon but Eddie and Steven when home to tell their parents about their new friend. The next day Eddie's mum didn't even get to say goodbye before he shot off to where his new friend was.
The next few weeks, the two had fun together. Eddie started calling Steven, Stevie. Eddie became a lot less shy, at least around Stevie. They were best friends until one day.
"Uh, S-Stevie?" Eddie says stuttering. "Yes?" "I want to tell you a secret. But no one can know, ok?" Stevie nods wildly.
"I'm not a girl. I mean I don't want to be a girl. I'm a boy." Eddie says looking down. "Ok." Stevie says smiling.
"You don't think I'm weird?" Eddie asks. "No, you're not weird. Is that way you don't like being called Edwina?" He asks. Eddie nods.
"Ok. Oh, do you want to swap clothes? You probably don't like that skirt." Stevie asks. "Y-yeah, ok." They say walking to the public toilet stalls and swapping clothes over the top of the wall between them.
They walk out. "There you look like a boy, now." Steve says smiling. "Yeah except these." Eddie says grabbing his pigtails.
"Boys can have long hair. I like your hair. It's curly and soft. But maybe I could try to cut it more boy-like?" Stevie says.
Eddie nods his head vigorously. "Yes, please. I want to look like a boy." Eddie says taking out his pigtails.
Stevie sneaks into the building and grabs a pair of scissors before sitting by the tree. Eddie sits in front of him. Stevie tries his hardest to cut Eddie's hair into a boy haircut.
Just as Stevie is about to finish he gets scared by a counsellor yelling. "STEVEN! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER HAIR." Stevie looks up hair in one hand and scissors in the other. "I, uh, I'm making him look like a boy." He says.
"Well, you've definitely done that. Come on you too. Now I have to call your parents." The counsellor drags them inside to the head counsellor, gasps from other counsellors and kids. "Did you too swap clothes too? Urgh. Go swap back!" He says irritated.
The original counsellor drags them back to the toilet and waits for them to swap. When they get back their parents are already there.
"Steven! Harrington! Why did you do this? Swap clothes and cut this cute little girl's hair." Steve's mum asks angrily. "Eddie is a boy, mum! I was just making him look like one." Stevie says proudly.
Eddie's parents look embarrassed as Steve's parents grab him and begin to leave. "I'm so sorry for what my son has done to your daughter's hair. He's going to be properly punished." Steve's mum says before walking away.
The next day Eddie walked into the camp shy once more. He looked everywhere for Stevie but couldn't find him. He waited by the tree but Stevie never came.
The holidays end with the boys never seeing each other. Eddie goes home sad as Stevie is locked in his room.