Oh, Baby, itās Monday.
Summary: You and Eddie raise a babyā¦ only you arenāt a couple and the baby isnāt realābut now it's the first week and things evolve. Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader [WC: 8k] Warnings: Idiots in love, language, Billy Hargrove and Carol Perkins are assholes, only getting a part 3 aka āHalloweenā if people want it (comments and reblogs help!) Quick Links: Masterlist | Part One
Mr. Allen's classroom was a sound box of squabbles and chaos when you walked through the doorway Monday morning.
Tommy Hagen was throwing his doll across the room to Billy Hargrove in the far left corner as girls giggled in gaggles at their desks and Steve was trying to plead with the teacher at his desk.
It was like walking into an inferno without any water.
Bilbo was clutched into your chest; falsely protected by the notebook and pencil case you carried. The doll was swaddled the best you could manage that morning and suprisingly, quiet for the last few hours.
"Would everyone please take a seat!" Mr. Allen called from behind his desk but Steve did not leave and the disorder did not quell.
As you dodged the flying baby, you walked down the aisle of desks and attempted to find yours except it was already occupied. Carol Perkins was sitting in it; her doll placed on top with a stain of spaghetti sauce in the middle of its onesie.
"You're in my seat," you told her, raising your eyebrows as she popped her gum loudly with arms crossed. She peered over to you with flippant eyes, cocking her head to the side, and sticking her neck further out. Carol was no better than Billy, Tommy, or the rest of them.
"What?" She ran her tongue teasingly over her lips and jostled her shoulder with a wink. "Don't wanna sit by daddy?"
They had all heard Eddie's joke in the cafeteria last week. Mama. It was harmless in Eddie's eyes compared to their own. Their minds were far from itādangerous and begging for a way to make their tiny hearts feel better by putting others in situations they'd never want to see themselves in. No one called people ādaddyā unless they were quite literally five and talking to their father, so the sentiment behind it was crude and unwelcome.
You sighed, motioning to your desk, "Can I sit down? This is my desk."
"Sorry," She pursed her face with a comedic frown and the girls sitting around her laughed. Their high-pitched chuckles made your skin crawl. "See these," she waved her hand at the surrounding desks, "are for people who aren't freaksā¦ you know which corner they sit in."
You stared at her, mouth slightly agape and processing what she had said. The problem with girlsāhigh school girlsāwas that the image of who you grew to be mattered most to them.
"What are you talking about?" You scoffed, furrowing your brows at her. "This is literally my seat, Carol. You can't just kick me out of my seatā" you turned toward Mr. Allen, not wanting to be the person who tattles about menial things, but you didn't want to get in trouble for not sitting in the one assigned to you at the beginning of the year.
"You gonna tattle on me, little miss perfect? No wonder you and Nance are such good friends," Carol fluffed her volumous red hair, "It doesn't surprise me that you get on well with Munson after she became friends with Byersā¦ maybe you can go on double dates to the cemetery and listen to his pathetic band play at a run down bar."
"You're such a b-"
You couldn't get the words out to defend Nancy, Jonathan, Eddie, or yourself because Eddie had walked into the classroom as she fluffed her hair. Before you could spit out the insult, he put a hand on your lower back and pushed you forward. The feel of his hand sent a jolt through your spine, your head turning to look over your shoulder only to find him shaking his head with pleading eyes.
"Don't play into that," he said as he sat down at the desk in the right corner. Eddie hooked his foot around the one beside him and positioned it next to hisāout of order with the rest of them five rows forward. "Believe me," he rose his eyebrows knowingly, "they just want to get a rise out of you."
You slid into the seat next to him and laid Bilbo between the crease that connected the desks.
"They're assholes. All of them," you mumbled to which he responded with a nod, crossing his arms across his chest and observed the room before him. Mr. Allen looked like he wanted to pull, what little hair he had left, out of his head as Steve tried to persuade him to cut the assignment short. The baby flinging between Tommy and Billy looked ready to lose an arm.
Glancing over at him, Eddie had a cigarette tucked behind his ear that pushed his hair back. He was wearing a black leather jacket and an inconspicuous red t-shirt underneath. The same ornate jewlery he adorned every day littered his figureāa black hairtie on his right wrist. You were reminded of your father's comments from Saturday, looking away and focusing your attention elsewhere.
"I think I cracked it, the code on how to care for Bilbo," you said quietly. Eddie looked at the doll all swaddled in its yellow blanket and recognized it had been washed. The fabric was fluffy and begging to be touched.
"Yeah?"
"The swaddle helps, sure, but it's likeā¦ it can sense stress or something. We just have to be gentle and the trantrums won't last as long. The way you touch it has to be gentle."
"That's it?" Eddie appeared unconvinced but the conversation died when Mr. Allen got up from his chair, slammed the door closed, and told everyone to sit next to their partners. You met Eddie's eyes with the question lingering between youāhow did he know you'd have to sit by one another?
Eddie leaned over, unintentionally making goosebumps erupt on your skin. You were thankful the weather was changing and you could wear long sleeves.
"Katie Yang has Allen before us. Told me that everyone complained and he makes everyone talk," he whispered.
Katie Yang was a savior. Katie Yang made Eddie's impulsive escape plan valid without reason. The senior Hellfire member had never even spoken to you before, but she had your back and didn't even know it.
"We will have to give them all our secrets?" You smiled and he caught himself glancing down at your lips as they grinned. "I'd rather they all have to walk through Mordor than come home to the Shire."
Oh, Eddie was fucked. Royally and utterly fucked.
"So," Mr. Allen clapped his hands together eagerly. He was excited to hear the tales of the weekend because for once, each one was connected to his assignment.
He gazed around at the pairs and saw the life draining from many of the eyes. Steve was still angered at his refusal to cut the project short, a couple of the girls were picking at the doll clothes, and the many of the guys kept to themselves.
"Who wants to share first?"
Allen paced at the front of the room. He knowingly prepared to choose the first set of eyes that diverted from his and those eyes were Tina Nicholls'.
"Tina!" He exclaimed happily and everyone looked toward her. "How was the first few days of parenthood?"
"Horrible, like everyone else says," she began twirling her hair like something out of a mean girl flick. Tina was too busy planning her Halloween party to care about the project.
"And Peter is your partner?" he pointed to the football player next to her and she nodded.
"Do you think it's horrible, Peter?"
"I mean," he sounded like he was strung out on cocaine, "it's fine, I guess."
"Any tips you'd like to share? How are you able to care for the baby if feeding and hygiene aren't options?"
Steve turned his entire body to face them. He was so far lost that he had no clear plan. For once, the entire room was void of wailing or gurggling or giggles and it was peaceful.
"We just kind of let it cry," Peter admitted, not sure if there was any other answer to the question.
Eddie tipped his head toward yours and you could feel the ends of his hair brush your shoulder.
"Bad parents," he scolded and you bit your lip to prevent the smile that was threating to over take your face. It was so easy to smile at everything he said.
"Do you think letting it cry it out every time is a good strategy?" Mr. Allen asked in response and the two shrugged their shoulders.
"We're not parents, how would we know?" Tina retorted.
"First time parents don't know what they're walking into either. But, in the end, they make it work," he narrowed his eyes, "sometimes."
"But this baby is fake and only half the work of a real baby," Peter added and Allen nodded.
"Exactly, Peter. If you think this is hardāwith a doll that's unpredictableāthen imagine being real parents at your age. Many of you are adults or going to be adults within the year and just because you are eighteen, it doesn't mean you're ready to be parents."
Carol laughed from your former seat. "Could you imagine any of us as parents?" She garnered a few chuckles from the ones that follow her around school. Billy Hargrove in the other corner smiled at her when she turned around to look around the room.
"No, I can't," Mr. Allen shook his head at her, preparing to ask another group their experience.
"I mean," she shifted her body to swivel in the chair in your direction, "I don't want to be a mother because it would mess up my body," a whistle left Billy's lips and it perturbed you.
āThink of Hargrove as a dad!ā She cackled and Billy let her joke. āThat kid would be as buff as Arnold by the time heās two!ā
The way she looked in your direction made Eddie tense up beside you.
"Could you imagine miss perfect and the freak having a baby?"
It wasn't even two days ago that you realized you were attracted to Eddie in a romantic way and here the popular kids were, drawing attention to nothing more than an assigned partnership like it was a choice. You couldn't help the way your face fell. The laughter from the peers you had known since kindergarten invading every sense and it was new.
For Eddie, it wasn't. Hell, he had been crushing on the girl with her nose stuck in a book since the fifth grade and if he was going to let a group of nasty bullies prevent his dreams of sweeping you, that girl, off her feet heād never forgive himself.
"You know, Carol," He steeled his face as he looked at her, feeling your eyes watch his every movement, "you've been fuckin' Tommy since the seventh grade. I'm suprised an 'accident' hasn't happened."
There was a brief second in time where Mr. Allen's classroom had become a vacuum in space. A pin could be heard dropping in the three seconds of silence that followed Eddie's words and the teacher himself was stunned into a wordlessness despair.
"Holy shit," Billy erupted in laughter and set the whole room off.
"Mr. Munson, Mr. Munson," Mr. Allen breathed in heavily but Eddie wasn't paying attention to him.
Eddie met your eyes and saw the twinkle return in them. He smiled not at his words that defend you from her attack, but at the way you looked at him. He prayed to those metal Gods that what he saw in them wasn't a fallacy; that maybe, somewhere in the glint, there was the spark that illuminated his fire.
"Mr. Munson, please don't use that language in class." Mr. Allen scolded him, looking away from the now red-in-the-face Carol as Tommy high fived the guys around him.
"Sorry," Eddie replied to him half-heartdly because he was still looking at you.
That response was the talk of Hawkins High for an entire week.
Eddie took Bilbo Monday night and returned him Tuesday morning, departing from you with a small 'good luck tonight' leaving your lips as he debated skipping science.
That brief, four minute conversation centered around Bilbo and his gig at the Hideout lingered within him for the entire day. As he drove home, when he left in his van, as he drove up to the bar, and when he sat tuning his guitar with a stupid, lovesick smile plastered on his faceāall of his thoughts were consumed by you. Little parasite.
"What's wrong with him?" Jeff asked Gareth as the other guitarist sat beside the curly-haired boy fiddling with the symbols of his set. Gareth glanced at Eddie with the answer to the masterās knowing grin.
"You ever been in love, Jeff?" Gareth questioned quietly and Jeff choked on air.
"Love? Eddie's in love? With who?" Jeff openly gawked with suprise finding its way onto his face. The junior had seen Eddie flirt with girls, even go on a few dates but never, in his life, had he seen Eddie Munson be a man consumed by love.
"Y/n L/n," Gareth snickered at Jeff's face.
"They're partners for that baby project! He's not in love."
"He scared the shit out of me on Saturday where he admitted it to my face. Spent the whole day with her and you notice him at lunch?" Gareth challenged Jeff. Eddie had been himself for the most part, however, as Jeff reflects, his attention was always being pulled away. Eyes diverted, head turned toward another table, not fully engaged beyond talk of D&D and the new Maiden album Aces High.
"He's half there and half in la la land."
Jeff wanted to play into it. "Hey, Eddie!"
Eddie stopped tuning, eyes flicking to the clock on the wall above the door before looking at his friends.
"What?"
"How's the baby project? Make you wanna be a dad?"
"No," Eddie cackled, "but it's fine. A lot better than last week."
"And Y/n?"
"What about her?" Eddie's eyes left Jeffās for a split second to see Gareth smiling beside him and the secret, his secret, was out in the open. He should have never said anything. Eddie had just panicked in the moment that evening. "Seriously, man?"
"Sorry!" Gareth giggled holding his hands up in defense, "you were smiling like an idiot and he asked!"
"You gonna ask her out or just watch her every day at lunch?" Jeff joked and Eddie felt the guitar pick between his fingers become a bullet. He tossed the pick harshly in Jeff's direction but the boy dodged it.
"I don't watch her at lunch."
"Yes, you do," Gareth backed Jeff up. He got up from his stool and picked the pick off the floor. "You've been staring at her since Friday and yeah, you talk at school and spent one afternoon together but that's not gonna help you sway her interest. Now that I think about it, Iām pretty sure youāve stared at her table the entire time Iāve know you!ā
"Who said I was trying to sway her interest?" Eddie questioned, narrowing his eyes and leaning his head forward as he gripped the neck of his guitar. "What if I just want to be friends?"
"I'm sorry," Jeff stood up, shaking his head, "you blasted Carol Perkins in Allen's class for what? We get shit on all the time and you don't defend us like that! You did, however, defend her and if you wanted to be 'just friends' you would have laughed it off like it was nothing."
"I was being nice!"
"Yeah, nice to get in her pants!"
"Hey!" Eddie defended again, not realizing Gareth and Jeff were pulling the admissions out of him like stealing candy from a baby. "Don't say that!"
"It's true, though. Isn't it? She's a pretty nice girlā¦ you know what they say about the quiet onesā¦" Gareth looked at Jeff conspiratorially.
Eddie bolted from the chair he had been sitting in and got in Gareth's face. His face angered and serious, the two knew Eddie played into the palm of their hand. Eddie teetered the line between social strata and confrontationāworking for no physical confrontations so long as his jesting was allowed. He had been socked one to many times to know that a concussion would put him out of commission from doing what he enjoyed most.
"Don't fucking say that shit ever again."
"You love her, man," Jeff put his hand on Eddie's shoulder, drawing him back from Gareth, "or at least like her a lot."
Gareth provided a tight, hopeful expression in support. Eddie looked at both of them before turning around and pacing the small room.
"I doubt she would even say yes if I asked. Why would she go out with me? People at school are making fun of her because of this goddamn project so can you imagine if I somehow managed to date her? She'd be a socialā¦ pariah!"
"Oh, big words," Jeff mumbled.
"I can't put her through that! What kind of person would I be if I caused her to lose friends or have girls write rumors about her in the bathroom stalls?"
"If she lost friends by going out with you, those people weren't really friends," Gareth concluded.
"You see what's happening to Nancy Wheeler because she's hangin' around Jonathan Byers?"
"Heās zombie kids brother?"
"Zombie kid? Yeah, but that's not the point!" Eddie swiveled back to face them. "Wheeler has like three friends and ever since Barb Holland died it's like the world has gone crazy! If I asked Y/n on date, the world would simply implode."
"Then don't ask her on a date," Jeff sufficed. "Just use the guise of the project as a way to hang out. You did it on Saturday when you went to her house and now do it again but go somewhere else. Take her to the diner, orā¦ or to the park or something!"
Eddie thought on it for a minute. It wasn't a bad plan, per se, but he didn't want his motivations to seem fake. He wanted to spend time with you, get to know you, and if you'd let him, wine and dine you until you realized he was a good guy and you'd give him a chance. Tomorrow was Wednesday and Tina had asked him in the hall that afternoon if he could supply her party on Saturday.
So, he had tomorrow after school; Thursday after school; and Saturday before time with you would run out.
He couldn't guarantee that you'd ever be partners again or that, depending on the grade, you'd be inclined to speak to him after project parenthood was over.
Eddie had to take the chance.
Eddie never showed at your locker Wednesday morning to collect Bilbo from you.
In Allenās class, you had to discuss alone how the last day and a half had been by yourself because he missed third period, and by the time lunch rolled around, he wasnāt at Hellfireās table. Every time you glanced at the table out of curiosity as to why, five heads whipped in the opposite direction.
They had been staring. Their gazes fixed upon you like a brilliant gemāthe golden statue at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
āWhy do you keep looking over there?ā Nancy broke the silence that settled between the two of you as lunch took hold. She had that same lunch as before, picking off your tray when she got bored of her own food.
āEddieās not here,ā you shot a look at her then the baby doll beside you. āHe was supposed to take Bilbo.ā
āJesus,ā she mumbled, āyou sound like a real parent, you know that?ā
āWell, Barb did always called me the mom of the group.ā
Just the mentioned of her name was saddening.
Thatās what brought the lull in the first place. Nancy mentioned that she and Steve visited the Hollandās last Friday and, conveniently, forgot to mention it. There was something in her eyesāguilt or sorrowāthat existed ever since that night.
Everything felt like one big secret lately.
āYeah, she did.ā
āBut Iām kind of pissed about it,ā you glanced back at the table and this time, met Garethās eyes before he could turn away. āAnd they keep staring at me too. Do I have something on my face?ā
āNo,ā Nancy snorted a laugh, āmaybe theyāre concerned about having your attention.ā
āI donāt think thatās it,ā you scrunched your face in thought as you turned back to her. Nancy had a little smirk playing on her face.
āWhat?ā
She didnāt say anything. Nancy just sat there, smirking into her food like a mad woman.
āWhat Nance?ā You chuckled from pure nervousness. That feeling had been bouncing around inside of you for the last few days and the thought of its reasoning was excitable fear. You couldnāt stop looking for him when he wasnāt here.
āNothināā¦ā she trailed off as she tilted her head onto her shoulder. Her big, stormy blues looking at yours with mischief. āThere a reason you keep looking over there, though? Never did it before.ā
āI told you,ā you tried to keep your face as flat and firm as possible, āheās not here. I have to spend extra time with Bilbo without prior notice and if he had any sense in him, he would have at least called and said he wouldnāt make it in today. I donāt think itās fair, to be frank, that I have to allocate more of my time withāā
God. You were rambling.
āāBilbo because that means he isnāt doing the same share of work.ā
āAnd youāre sure it isnāt because you have a huge, fat crush on Eddie Munson?ā
Nancy was far from quiet and the girls at the end of the table perked their heads up. Your heart skipped in little beats like a jumping horse.
āI-I donāt like Eddie in that way. Heās my partner,ā you defended.
āMhm,ā she hummed, turning her own head to look at the Hellfire table and her investigative instincts told her she was right the moment she caught them all in the act. āThe more you tell yourself that, it makes it more true. Youāre just denying facts.ā
āNance! Itās not!ā You cried, flashing your eyes at the girls at the end as if trying to convince them you werenāt hopelessly in love with the metal head. It made no sense for you to be the one defending your feelings to a girl torn between two very different boys and who also happens to be a year under you.
Why did she get to wear the big girl pants when you squandered in a rain puddle?
āDid something happen? Is that why theyāre staring?ā She questioned. Nancy was enjoying the way you squirmed because it reminded her of the gossip sessions Barb, you, and herself would have at sleepovers.
āNo!ā Your eyes blew wide, ānothing happened! I swearāChrist! What is wrong with everyone this week? First, Carol was a straight bitch in health, no one will stop talking to me about what he said to her, and two, you! Why do I have to be in love with someone to care about where they are?ā
āSo, you are in love with him? Who knewā¦ā
And like fate, you were saved by the bell.
āIāll take you home, alright?ā Nancy stood, zipping up her lunch bag as everyone began to prepare for their afternoon classes. You still sat down, hands gripping the table to the point where your fingertips hurt.
Why was the admission that you found Eddie to be the perfect mix of charming and attractive so difficult?
āBut we have to wait for the boys because I have to take them all home too.ā
āWhat? Jonathan canāt?ā
āSick today. But you would have noticed that if you paid attention. Too bad,ā Nancy smiled, āEddie Munson is corrupting your mind.ā
āSeems like Steveās really blowing you off.ā
Nancyās car was actually her mothers. Borrowed for the week because Steve was entirely too consumed with Tammy Thompson, Nancy hadnāt even appeared jostled any time they were seen together. Sure, Steve still snuck up on her in the hallway and planted kisses on her rosy cheeks when he had a second, but the hair had stressed himself out to the point where he and Tammy were tied at the hip.
It did not help the situation to know that Tammy Thompson had heart eyes for the brown-haired beauty.
āHeās just busy,ā Nancy leaned against the car with her arms folded across her chest as the two of you stared at the middle school.
Classes for the day had just been let out which meant within fifteen minutes, the smattering of little middle school boys would come bolting out of the school with backpacks barely zipped up and start a fight over who got the window seats. Bilbo was shut inside the car in the passenger seat. Just the sight of the doll made your mind filter back to the fact that Eddie never showed and you were stuck with the doll.
You didnāt want to believe that he had left you scorned when he promised to make this project as equal as possible. But the world wasnāt perfect and pretending that Eddie Munson wouldnāt flake on you halfway through the assignment appeared to be wishful, premature thinking on your part.
āDoesnāt it bother you that heās spending all his time with Tammy? Itās bullshit if you ask me.ā
āItās for the project,ā she bore her eyes into yours, āwhatās the difference between Steve and Tammy and you and Eddie?ā
āSteveās your boyfriend, Nance, not Tammyās.ā
āThank you for that reminder,ā Nancy deadpanned, āI didnāt know I had a boyfriend.ā
āIām just saying,ā you looked back to the middle school and no kids were coming down the walkway yet.
Maybe it wasnāt your business, but Nancy was your friend. Steve was a halfway decent guy most of the time and while you thought she could do better, it was her decision in the end. You hadnāt meant to put doubt in her mind, yet she gnawed on her bottom lip anxiously in the minutes that passed.
āDo you really think itās bullshit?ā She asked quietly as two sophomore girls passed the bumper of Karen Wheelerās car. A bell sounded in the distance signaling the end of another day.
āNance,ā you sighed, putting an arm on the top of the car and letting your head fall into the hand that prepared to rest at the top of your head. āI didnāt mean anything by itā¦ I just thought it was rude of him. Itās like youāre not a priority.ā
āItās been like that a lot lately,ā she admitted to the ground; eyes downcast to her shoes. āHeās so,ā Nancy let out a frustrated groan, ācaught up in all of that,ā she waved her hand in a circle at the high school building.
āThatās kind of the point of senior year, I suppose,ā you shrugged, ābut I know you, Nance, and I donāt think youāre happy. I know with everything that happened with Will and Barb and what not screwed a lot of things upā¦ā
āI know, I know.ā
āDonāt dwell on it, alright?ā You felt guilt wash over you. Nancyās face was drawn and sad when the thought of the weekend almost there and Halloween just on the other side of Friday should be exciting. āYou still going as Joel and Lana?ā
Risky Business. Her favorite movie.
Nancy nodded her head and gazed off into the distance. Little ant like shapes began to descend the walkway from the middle school. āYeah and that reminds me,ā she opened the drivers side door and fumbled in her bag for a second before pulling an orange slip from it.
āTina was handing these out after class. Not sure if you got one,ā she handed it to you and you read over the information quickly. āYou should come. I know Halloween isnāt like, your favorite, but it could be fun. And if Steveās an asshole Iāll be happy to have you there.ā
āOh?ā You quirked a brow at her, āYou want me to be a third wheel to the Stancy show?ā
She laughed, a small smile threatening on her face. āNoā¦ it would be good for you.ā
āTo get plastered and smoke a little weed? My dad would lock me in my room if I came home smelling like that.ā
āYou can stay at my house,ā she offered. Mike Wheelerās loud yelling could be heard twenty feet away.
āWhat in the world would I go as? Itās a little late to be thinking of a costume now.ā
āI donāt knowā¦ā she pondered and saw the group of kids barreling toward the car. āMaybe you could go as Sandy, you know, from Grease.ā
āYes,ā you rolled your eyes at her as Lucas Sinclairās feet came thudding toward the two of you and he tapped the trunk of the car first. āBecause I look exactly like Olivia Newton-Johnā¦ā you joked.
āHalloween doesnāt mean you look like them. You just have to embody the character. Get some leather pantsā¦ maybe a jacket too and I can get a red ascot for you.ā
āNance,ā you complained but Dustin, Mike, and Will quickly followed and slapped their hands on the trunk behind you.
āWhat are you talking about,ā Mike asked out of breath, hands clutching the straps of his backpack.
āHalloween but thatās none of your business,ā Nancy told him and tipped her head toward the car, āget in. I have homework.ā
You opened the car door for the boys because you had been leaning on it. A scramble of thank youās, you forgot Bilbo was tucked in the front seat.
āShit!ā Mike laughed loudly and Nancy rolled her eyes, āWhose baby?ā
āY/nās baby,ā Nancy winked at you before slipping into the car and shutting the door; the conversation inside went silent for you. As you shut the door for the boys and walked around the side of the trunk, an eruption of metal music began to invade the parking lot of Hawkins High.
Eddie. Eight hours late to first period.
Groups of kids rapidly moved out of the way as the van sped into the lot. It nearly tipped on itself when the wheel hit the edge of a low concrete planter in its first turn. The sight of it peeved you. The entire day you spent hanging onto Bilbo when it wasnāt your job. Eddie left you hanging onto hope and didnāt help with the climb.
You opened the passenger door the second he pulled into the spot erratically next to you. His window rolled down, the music ceased with a press of a button.
āDonāt leave! Please, donāt leave!ā Eddie begged but didnāt get out of his van. You folded you arm over the top of the car door and looked at him. You were still holding the orange invitation to Tinaās party. He had slight bags under his eyes like he didnāt sleep; his hair was barely brushed [per usual], but he had his entire body turned toward the window as he leaned out of it.
āWhy shouldnāt I? You said you would take this seriously and it didnāt even take a week before you flaked!ā
āI didnāt mean to!ā He defended himself, voice a higher pitch than he would have liked. āI was hungover and there was no way I was going to stay awake the entire day so I stayed home. I meant to call but by the time I got up it was already eleven.ā
āWhoās that?ā You heard Lucas ask Mike as Lucas was the lucky one to get the window seat behind the passenger side.
āI donāt know. Maybe Y/nās got a boyfriend now.ā
āHeās likeā¦ dirty,ā Lucas cringed and Dustin slapped the back of his head.
āI think he looks cool!ā
āYou got drunk on a Tuesday night?ā You asked him, baffled he had the audacity to do such a thing but he had come to school stoned beforeāit really wasnāt out of the realm of āEddie.ā
āWe had a few drinks after the show last night and it got away from me.ā
āWell,ā you grumbled, āit sounds like you have a problem there, Eddie.ā
āI donāt have a problem! It was an accident, Iām sorry!ā Never, in his eighteen years on the planet, had Eddie ever apologized to one of his peers. āIām sorry, Y/n. I promise it wasnāt intentional. I know this project is important.ā
āYou sure have a funny way of showing that,ā Eddie hated the attitude that slipped out with every word. It made the plan he spent all night mulling over feel less and less plausible.
āHowād you even know Iād still be here?ā
āLucky guess. If you werenāt I would have checked your house and if you werenāt there, Iād check Wheelerās.ā
You pursed your lips. āAnd you know where she lives because..?ā
āWell,ā Eddie snickered, āsomeone has to t-pee the rich kids every Halloween.ā
Nancyās head perked up at that.
āLet me make it up to you?ā He looked hopeful and that bit away at your anger. The way his eyes pleaded, the frantic way in which he tried to show you that it truly was just an accident and he meant for none of it to happen.
āMaybe it is her boyfriend,ā Mike said to Lucas who smiled cheekily.
āHe looks so coolā¦ā Dustin followed the comment as Will hummed in agreement. Through the windows of Karenās car, Eddie could see Nancy Wheeler eavesdropping and a bunch of middle schoolers staring back at him.
āThose kids,ā he pointed at them and they all looked away as if he hadnāt just made eye contact with each and every one of them, ātheyāre the ones in your locker.ā
āWhat?ā That hadnāt come out exactly right.
āThe picture, in your locker,ā Eddie clarified, āthe Star Wars kids.ā
āOh,ā you nodded, āyeah I babysit some of them.ā
āWeāre not babies!ā Mike yelled at you from the back and Eddie laughed, his smile shooting an arrow through your heart. You hadnāt even noticed he saw the picture in your locker, let alone remembered it.
āSo,ā he cleared his throat, āYou free right now?ā
āI have homeworkā¦ you know, from school today.ā
āThen letās do homework,ā Eddie opened his door, hopped out of his car and extended his arm toward the front bench like a prince opening the carriage door for a princess.
āSee! Look at him! Freaking wicked!ā Dustin laughed and while you werenāt looking at him, you bet that toothless grin was adorable. Nancy shushed them but it didnāt stop Lucas from peering again.
āIs he new like MadMax?ā
āNo, Iāve seen that van before,ā Will commented quietly. Nevertheless, you could still hear them. āI think heās a drug dealer.ā
Will wasnāt wrongāin the slightestābut before the boys could get any more curious about Eddie, you grabbed Bilbo off the seat and slung your bag over your shoulder while looking at Nancy.
āIāll see you tomorrow, yeah?ā
āMhm,ā she hummed, keeping her lips together knowingly, ādonāt do drugs.ā
āSee!ā Will said and Dustin leaned back in his seat. You looked back at them and they went silent. Through the passenger window, Eddie was hanging onto the door with one hand and the other tucked itself into the pocket of his leather jacket.
āHe your boyfriend, Y/n?ā Mike questioned, āNancy said youāve been acting weird.ā
āOh my God,ā you looked at Nancy again and she shook her head.
āI never said that.ā
āKeep your noses out of my business, āKay, twerps?ā You scolded them to which they nodded, but Dustinās devious smile meant it would never end. You shut the door as Eddie extended his arm again.
āAfter you, mama.ā
For the first few minutes, Eddie didnāt even turn his radio back on. It was quietālike the lingering silence that had fallen between you and Nancy not twenty minutes before. The only difference now was that it was just you and Eddie.
Just you and Eddie.
It wasnāt as though the silence was completely silent; the kind that made your ears ring and made you feel like you were underwater. The van itself was loud, in need of a tune or two, and his fingers tapped on the steering wheel and open window too. Bilbo laid between you on the vanās fuzzy seats. It smelt like cigarettes and weed, but the little tree that hung from the rear view mirror smelt like pine.
āSo,ā you watched the forests beside the school pass by quickly, āwhere are you taking me?ā
He looked over, the hand that was resting out the open window came back in and ran over his chin. āYou really wanna know?ā
Pondering for a second, you decided that a surprise wouldnāt be so bad. Eddie was harmlessāas harmless as a doe-eyed drug dealer could beāand never struck you as a guy that would intentionally put you in any danger. He was apologetic and soft spoken when he most needed to be.
āNo. Itās fine.ā
āYou and Wheeler babysit those kids after school or something?ā He asked to keep the conversation alive. He didnāt want the ride to the destination to be silent. Eddie wanted to know everything about you and silence defeated that purpose. āI see them ride their bikes to school sometimes.ā
āTwo of them I do,ā you responded, watching as he nodded his head slowly and took in every piece of information you gave. āNancy has a little brother, Mike, and the other one is Will Byers.ā
āRight,ā He felt a little embarrassed by the fact he had referred to the kid as āZombie Kidā to Gareth and Jeff even if you would never know of it.
āTheyāre good kids. Theyāre the ones who play D&D,ā Eddie recalled your dad mentioning that, āMikeās the DM.ā
āYou know more about D&D than you let on there, mama?ā He smirked, stopping at the stop light like he was supposed to.
āThey try to teach me every time but I canāt grasp it. Iām more of a monopoly kind of girl.ā
āMonopoly girlā¦ā he ticked.
āI think Bilbo has taken after me that way,ā you joked and smiled. He loved the sight. āPretty sure heāll be a monopoly kid.ā
āOver my dead body,ā Eddie mumbled quietly, āI thought you said he wouldnāt grow old? Would never have memories?ā
āChanged my mindā¦ā you diverted your eyes to the front and watched the light. āYou really were hungover?ā
āAs much as the kids at school like to brag about theirs, I wouldnāt openly admit that I wasā¦ still am a little bit,ā Eddie laughed but knew the lingering effects of his overconsumption were long gone. āI didnāt mean to leave you high and dry there.ā
The sincerity in his voice was hard to escape from. Like before, as he half hung out the window to convince you he was truly sorry, Eddie wasnāt wearing a mask. He wasnāt pretending to gloat about getting drunk after one of his shows and being a show-off by not coming to school the next day. It was a tone you had been catching often in his voice when he spoke to you. The same could not be said for the way he interacted with Hellfire or the rest of the lot at schoolā¦ it was nice and non-combative against the world shaming him for being who he was.
āI believe you,ā you told him as the light turned green, āSorry for being a bitch about it.ā
āYou donāt have anything to apologize for,ā Eddie scoffed in a second of disbelief, āyou should be mad. I broke a promise that I made to you and being upset about it isnāt wrong.ā
āI didnāt mean to imply you had a drinking problem or anythingā¦ā
āHey,ā you looked over at him. Eddie shook his head, eyes telling you it wasnāt a big deal. āItās fine.ā
You still felt bad about it because the comment wasnāt something you meant. People upset by things beyond their control often say things they donāt mean and the last thing you wanted Eddie to think about you was that you thought he was a burnoutāone of those stoner drunks who would never graduate high school.
āWell, I still didnāt mean it.ā
āOkay,ā he said quietly. In his mind, he wondered if he should admit why he had even taken up the night that way. Gareth and Jeff had gone to school perfectly fine yet there he was, blocking out the sunlight with his sheets as it burned his eyes. The thoughts that ran through his mind pounded harder than the alcohol he gladly chugged.
But by some unimaginable force, you mentioned the two first.
āAt lunch today, your Hellfire table kept looking at me.ā
āO-oh?ā He stuttered knowing the reason they were looking. In his drunken stupor, Eddie had engaged in someā¦ flower-y language to describe his feelings about you.
āDo you know why?ā A part of you wanted to think he did. That maybe he talked about you to them and what you saw in your mind wasnāt an illusion of your own making.
āWhy they were looking at you?ā Eddie stalled. He focused on the road ahead of him and was very thankful that the park Jeff had suggested wasnāt farther away. You nodded and gave a gentle hum.
āNo, not reallyā¦ maybe they thought youād be mad I wasnāt there.ā
āThat doesnāt constitute staring at me for a half hour.ā
āIāll tell āem to knock it off tomorrow. You donāt have to worry about Garethās eyes drilling a hole through the back of your pretty little head anymore.ā
Pretty.
It was passive but it was there.
You settled with his answer but a pit grew. There was no longer a part of you that wanted him to admit that he talked about you and their curiosity was what caused them to keep looking. All you wanted was that. Not a little, not some, but all of you. The rest of the ride was quiet and when he pulled into the small parking lot beside Hawkins Memorial Park, he grabbed Bilbo and opened his door.
āWe have arrived,ā he lowered his voice dramatically.
āThe park?ā
āNo, itās the Shire.ā
āFunny,ā you panned, grabbing your bag and getting out of the van where fresh, unpolluted air filled your senses. Eddie walked ahead of you and while your mind traveled to the idea that everything was awkward now, Eddie was thinking of how he was going to slap the shit out of Gareth when he dropped you off later. He stopped at a picnic table in the middle of the park beside a giant tree and set Bilbo down on the top.
āTell me,ā he said as he sat down, āHow was the dear little Bilbo for you? He say he miss his dad because I missed him.ā
He was trying to break that tension again. By doing so, it only made your heart feel more giddy. The effort; Eddie was trying.
āHe talked a lot about you,ā You followed his movement and sat across from him while unzipping your bag and taking out your calculus homework. āIn the last twenty-four hours, he learned how to speak and sign at the same time so, weāve got a pretty brilliant little guy right there.ā
Weāve.
āAnd what homework did Clay assign?ā He picked up the sheet as soon as you set it down. You didnāt complain when he took it.
Eddie technically had already taken the class. It was one of the only subjects he considered himself to be a true fan ofāand it was probable that D&D played a large part in that. All the calculations and fanfare that surrounded itā¦ it made classes like math easier.
āChain Ruleā¦ā he trailed off, brain racking itself to remember what it was. He was rather good at math and Englishāit was science and history that always caught him in a fix.
āIām lost in there,ā you laughed, embarrassed that calculus was beyond your skill set, āI canāt tell which lines are which or where the graphs are supposed to goā¦ itās like the numbers flip the minute I see them.ā
āDo you need help? I think I can manage this?ā Eddie returned the sheet and touched the textbook that didnāt set aflame the moment his fingers skimmed the cover. His ring clad hand searched for the pages on the unit and he let out a āvoilĆ ā when he found it.
āHave you taken this?ā
āA year ago but Iām not as bad at math as everyone thinks.ā
āI never said I thought you were bad at math.ā
Eddie glanced up from the book. The wind was blowing slightly, the leaves changing their colors around the two of you and it was picture perfect; straight out of a movie. John Hughes should have teleported there because youād look amazing as the subject of his next filmānot that Eddie would ever admit he had seen a Hughes film before. Only Rocky Horror and Evil Dead for him.
āActually,ā Eddie swallowed hard and you could see the way his Adamās apple bobbed, āI had the privilege of sitting next to Harrington for that class.ā
Steve too was good at math. He had taken it a whole year before you did. You remember him complaining about Clay when he asked to see your schedule in September.
āHe hasnāt changed a bit.ā
āNo,ā you shook your head, āstill the same old hair. But not the best hair.ā
āDonāt let Steve hear you say that,ā Eddie laughed, two little dimples on the sides of his smile forming. āWho is it then? Who has the best hair?ā
āYou,ā the moment it left your lips you couldnāt regret it. It was the truth. Eddie Munson had the best hair and it drove you insane. All you wanted to do was run your fingers through it and brush it carefully away from his eyes. āYou have the best hair.ā
He hoped you did not see the way his cheeks went red. Eddie never blushed, he was never flattered but it worked on him. Instead of letting it simmer inside of him, he dramatically tossed one side of his hair over his shoulder.
āMe? Youāre just sayinā that so I do your homework,ā words that he had never said before.
āNo,ā you chuckled and the sound opened his heart. Cracked it right open. āItās true! You do have veryā¦ nice hair for a guy.ā
āFor a guyā¦ā he whispered and looked at you again.
āYes, for a guy. Obviously dear little Bilbo has the best hair,ā Bilbo left the spot on the table as you picked him up; jokingly caressing the plastic black hairs on its plastic head. Eddie rolled his eyes and tapped the textbook.
āYeah, Yeah,ā he said, āYou wanna finish your homework by the time the sun sets or what?ā
He didnāt want the sun to set and neither did you. When daylight ran out, it meant the day was over and even if you had only a few hours together because he missed the day, it would never be enough for what you both wanted.
It would simply have to do for now.
The clunky van parked in your driveway long after the sun had set. Eddie promised heād take Bilbo for the night and the rest of tomorrow before leaving you with him tomorrow night. The doll hadnāt made a noise all afternoon and it turned out to be a miracle.
āThanks for the ride,ā you smiled gently at him as the only light that trickled into the van was that of the two sconces that sat on either side of your garage door. āAnd for the homework help.ā
āNever thought Iād hear anyone say that,ā he leaned his head back against the headrest and you gripped the door handle but didnāt pull.
āAnd thanks for sticking up for me the other day in classā¦ I donāt think I ever thanked you for that.ā
āYou donāt have to thank me for that,ā he said quietly. Eddie didnāt know what washed over him. He had slept all day and wasnāt overly tired, yet he could just close his eyes there, knowing you were next to him and not afraid of his presence. Even with the knowledge that your parents were just beyond the walls of the house was comforting. He was content. Maybe for the first time ever.
āBut I doā¦ā you murmured. His eyes scanned over you, your bag. He saw the little orange slip that you had been holding when he rolled up to Hawkins High earlier. Eddie knew it was the invitation to Tinaās party because she had handed one to him yesterday with the promise about dealing. No one talked to him outside of his circle unless they needed something. He only agreed because he needed the money, but now an idea sparked in his mind.
āYou going to Tinaās party on Saturday?ā
He saw your eyes flash surprise, āNancyās making me go. Third wheel to her and Steve.ā
āAnd youāre going asā¦?ā He wondered and you looked at your house as if you didnāt want to tell him.
āItās stupid,ā you said.
āIām sure itās not stupid.ā
āNancy picked it out.ā
āWell,ā he squeaked, āmaybe it is stupid then but I wonāt know unless you tell me.ā
āSandy, from Grease. It was her idea and I have no idea what Iām doing. Iām not even Sandy material.ā
Eddie scoffed, head lolling forward in the direction of the house before turning back in you. His head was still flush against the headrest. āYou are the epitome of Sandy, mama. Girl next doorā¦ā
āThatās Nancy,ā you breathed out, āI think Iām a Frenchie who wants to be a Rizzo. Are you going?ā
āMhm,ā he hummed, nodding his head in a defined manner, āDonāt know what Iāll go as.ā
āThink about it, let me know. We can laugh at ourselves before anyone else can.ā
āYeah, okay,ā he replied with the reminder you claimed to be a āthird wheelā at the front of his mind. āYou donāt have to be a third wheel though.ā
āNo?ā You rested the top of your head on your backpack as your arms wrapped around it. You could sit here for hours just looking at him like this. āYou know something I donāt?ā
āIāll be there so you can hang out with me.ā
āAh,ā you let out a light gasp, āno more third-wheeling?ā
āNope.ā
āIs that your way of asking me to go with you without wearing matching costumes?ā
You donāt know where that question came from. It weaseled its way from the back of your brain and straight out of your mouth. But like he did with Jeffās suggestion, Eddie took that question and ran with it.
āYeah, I guess it is.ā
āOkay.ā
āOkay?ā
āYeah,ā you smiled, āIāll be going with Nance and Steve but you can take me home so long as you donāt get too high or get too drunk.ā
He would go sober if it meant having you by his side for a second longer.
āYouāve got yourself a deal, mama.ā
Nearly a week after Gareth was scared shitless by Eddie Munson knocking on his window at an ungodly hour, he kept the blinds closed to relieve himself of the embarrassment that it may happen again. Eight-thirty on a Thursday evening, he was reading his English book when three knocks sounded on his window and made him jump out of his skin.
He lifted those blinds with a fury and scowled at Eddie who was outside of his window once again.
āWhat the hell do you want this time?ā Gareth screeched in a whisper at him.
āYouāll never fuckinā believe it, man,ā Eddie laughed as he gripped the windowsill with antsy fingers. āI think Iāve got my shot.ā
āWhat? She actually agree to go on a date with you?ā
āKind of, yes!ā Eddie couldnāt really believe it. Neither could Gareth.
āYouāre shitting me. No way did she say yes to you. She looked like she wanted to bolt from the lunchroom every time I looked over there.ā
Eddie shook his head at Gareth, not caring if the kid believed him or not. āOh, yeah, about that?ā He rose an eyebrow and grew serious quickly. Garethās face fell.
āDonāt do it again, yeah? She caught on and thinks you guys are creepy. Donāt stare.ā
āIf she thinks weāre creepy, then why in the world did she agree to do anything with you?ā
āIām not the creepy one, Gareth the Great,ā Eddie bounded off the window and spun around like a love sick fool with unsteady legs. āBut Iāve almost got the girl and on Halloween, Iām gonna ask her on a real date. Like all that fancy shit and stuffā¦ a real date.ā
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