Ride The Lightning

by otdano28

Summary:

Eddie Munson is a music teacher at the pretentious Hawkins Art Academy who constantly feels like he isn’t being taken seriously. Chrissy Cunningham is the new gym teacher who is an extreme perfectionist and is stuck in an unloving relationship with a basketball star from out of town. As an unlikely friendship forms, Eddie and Chrissy learn that maybe not caring about what other people think is the key to true happiness.

Chapter 1: Chapter One

October 4th, 11:42 AM | From the Viewpoint of Eddie Munson

“Hey, what did I say about wearing that shirt to work? You’re gonna scare the kids!”

I groan loudly… Ted Wheeler… hater of all things enjoyable and watcher of my every movement.

“Well, Hopper said that I can wear whatever I want when I’m at work as long as it’s not offensive,” I mutter. “And he’s the principal after all.”

The tired man scoffs loudly. “Well, between your gaudy t-shirts and that tangled mop that you call hair, you’re bringing down the credibility of the school. Especially when there’s that new teacher coming in today.”

“It’s an art school, Ted,” I mutter. “If I express myself, the kids are more comfortable with expressing themselves.”

“Well can’t you express yourself professionally?”

“No, I don’t think I can actually.”

Ted huffs loudly. “Well at least behave yourself today,” the prick adjusts his glasses with a slight snicker. “Ms. Cunningham might look at you and regret choosing to work here.”

I decide that Ted’s hostility doesn’t even warrant a verbal reply. I just flash him my signature devil horns and retreat back into my classroom to grab my lunch.

On a normal day, I’d eat my lunch alone in my classroom while I watch old Metallica concert clips on my computer. But today isn’t a normal day. I’m being dragged to the welcome lunch for Ms. Cunningham… the new gym teacher.

I love my job, and for the most part, I love Hawkins Art Academy. The kids are absolutely brilliant. The fact that I get to teach music for a living is incredible. The Dungeons and Dragons club for students that I D.M weekly is an absolute riot. However, I can’t help but feel like I’m an outcast… the teacher that no one respects… the freak. I swear some of the teachers here want me dead. They’re ruthless… completely bothered by the fact that I’m a solid 20 years younger than most of the people working here (barring Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington, and Robin Buckley).

A decent majority of the staff at Hawkins Art Academy are completely perturbed by my unapologetic personality. It’s absolutely abysmal to come into work every day and feel like you’re a freak for doing nothing but existing.

I’ve never been afraid to be eccentric. Why would I be? Life’s too short to pretend to be something else. Obviously if I was too weird or intimidating, I wouldn’t be working at a pretentious art school. I’d rather have people hate me for who I actually am than like me for a person that I masquerade as.

————

The smell of roasting coffee stings my nostrils as I enter the teacher’s lounge, beelining my way towards my usual table in the back corner.

“Eddie!”

I sigh, looking over at Nancy, the journalism teacher. “Hey.”

Nancy smirks softly. “Eddie, you didn’t need to pack lunch. Hopper brought in a bunch of food from the cafe down the street!”

I absolutely despise that pretentious little cafe down the street with their overpriced scones, but free food is free food I suppose.

As much as I’d rather eat my cold pizza and my energy drink, I don’t want to look rude, so I enter the food line with the other teachers. I slowly glance at my options, perusing the buffet line. The salad looks slightly too wilted, and the guacamole has started to brown. Gross

“Gotta love getting tacky employee lunches instead of an actual raise,” I mutter jokingly under my breath, assuming no one heard me.

“Isn’t that the truth,” a gentle, unfamiliar voice giggles.

I turn to my right and notice that a petite, smiling, blonde is staring back at me with peachy cheeks and big blue eyes. The woman exudes warmth, and just looking into her eyes makes me feel comfortable for some inexplicable reason. She seems to be around my age, maybe a year or two younger, give or take.

“I’m Chrissy,” she grins, highlighting the dimples in her round cheeks.

“Oh, you’re the new teacher!” I smirk. “So you’re the one to blame for this…” I gesture to the unappetizing slop on my plate.

“Unfortunately,” she sighs, scooping some sort of soup into a bowl. “What’s your name?”

“Eddie.”

“Eddie what?” She continues to smile.

“Eddie Munson.”

“Noted,” Chrissy pushes her bangs off of her forehead. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Munson. So, what do you teach?”

“Music,” I sigh. Mainly guitar lessons…”

“I probably could have guessed that based on your outfit,” Chrissy smirks as she gestures for me to follow her to a table. She sits across from me, glancing at my t-shirt. “I’ve never heard of Corroded Coffin before. Are they pretty underground?”

I stifle a brief chuckle as I poke at some sort of mushy potato salad. “You could say that… I mean, it’s my band and we’ve never played a gig outside of Hawkins...”

A red flush spreads across Chrissy’s delicate face. She frantically stares at the ground, looking totally flustered, which is… kind of cute to be completely honest. “Oh my god… I’m an idiot. Well, at least you can see the extent of what my music knowledge is.”

I laugh loudly as Nancy sits next to Chrissy, offering her signature warm smile.

“Nah, you’re good. I’m an idiot for wearing my own band merch. But hey, at least it’s decent advertising for our gig tomorrow night.”

Before Chrissy can say anything, Steve Harrington promptly sits next to me, playfully slapping my shoulder as a substitution for a proper greeting.

“Ouch,” I snap jokingly. “Take it easy, big boy.”

Nancy blushes slightly, staring across the table at her clueless, but charming boyfriend. You wouldn’t think that Nancy and Steve would work… the accomplished journalism teacher and the school’s head custodian. But shockingly, they do.

Nancy and Steve introduce themselves to Chrissy, explaining what they do for the school, how long they’ve worked here… basic stuff. To be completely honest, I don’t pay much attention to what either of them have to say because I’m too focused on trying to figure out Chrissy. She seems like a sweet girl… a perfect young woman with nothing but happiness in her life. But there’s something about the way she conducts herself that makes me think it’s a facade. Maybe it’s the way she twitches uncomfortably when Nancy asks her if she has a boyfriend… maybe it’s the way she barely touches her food… maybe it’s the way that she winces when Steve asks her what her family is like.

Obviously, it’s not right for me to make assumptions about Chrissy’s personal life. But I can’t help but feel like something is off. But who am I to judge?

Chapter 2: Chapter Two

October 6th, 2:32 PM | From the Viewpoint of Chrissy Cunningham

“I’m sorry Jason… I just don’t have it in me to drive all the way to Indianapolis tonight. Adjusting to my new work schedule has been crazy and-“

“Damn it Chrissy!” Jason blurts through the phone, the intensity in voice cutting through me like a knife. “I knew that you taking that job out in the sticks was a bad idea! Why don’t you ever want to support me?”

Anxiety takes over as I begin to twist a strand of loose hair around my fingers, glancing at my students playing dodgeball in the gym. “Jason, I promise I’ll be at every other home game this season. I just- I’m tired okay? It’s not like I don’t want to be there. I want to support you… I just- I just need a little time to get used to my job.”

Jason scoffs loudly. I can only imagine the sheer look of disgust spread across his angular face. “You better be,” he snaps. “Patrick’s girlfriend lives three hours away, and she’s at every single one of our games.”

I sigh, saying nothing. Regardless of what I do, I can never measure up to Jason’s impossible standards. The fact that he even let me take a job an hour away from Indianapolis is shocking, considering that he always wants me wrapped around his arm like I’m some sort of accessory.

“I guess I’ll see you at the game on Saturday,” Jason mutters, abruptly hanging up the phone before I can even attempt to respond.

Shit.

Most boyfriends wouldn’t care if their girlfriend was exhausted and needed to take the night to adjust to their new work schedule. They’d be supportive… they’d ask if they needed anything… they’d want their girlfriend to be comfortable. But Jason’s not like that. The world centers around him and his perfect little image that he’s spent so many years cultivating, and I’m nothing but an accessory to that image.

When Jason and I first got together, it was exciting. Me, dating an NBA Rookie of the Year, enjoying the electricity of it all. The fancy parties, the VIP treatment, the lavish lifestyle. Jason treated me like a queen… but now, he treats me like a toy.

I don’t know what changed with Jason. Obviously, the fame getting to his head is a major part. He gets offended when he doesn’t get recognized when we go out to dinner, claiming that people are just too intimidated to approach him because of his status. He doesn’t realize that people have more important things to do than fawn over basketball players, but I would never tell him that. He’s too dense to understand.

As I shove my cell phone into my pocket, a student, Dustin Henderson, runs up to me, sweat teeming down his forehead, slightly out of breath.

“Ms. Cunningham!” He coughs loudly. “I- I forgot that I had my guitar lesson with Eddie at 2:30- can I be excused?”

I glance at the clock. 2:35.

“Of course.”

A bright smile stretches across the young man’s face as he pushes his curly hair off of his forehead. “Thanks Ms. Cunningham!” He turns and glances at his fellow classmates. “Mike! Will! Lucas! Save me a seat at Hellfire tonight!”

I raise an eyebrow. “Hellfire?”

“The school’s Dungeons and Dragons club,” Dustin grins. “We play every Wednesday.”

“Ah.”

I chuckle as Dustin excitedly sprints out of the gym, nearly tripping on his way down the hallway.

————

My head aches as I walk down the pristine hallways, looking for the nearest staff restroom. Hawkins Art Academy is a massive, confusing labyrinth, and despite having a few days of working here under my belt, I’m still completely lost.

As my feet guide me across the linoleum floors, a familiar voice hits my ears.

“Alright Henderson, we’re running through ‘Master of Puppets’ one more time, then you’re free to go.”

“Do I have any homework?

“Before Friday, listen to this album all the way through. It’s some of Metallica’s best work. Most of their albums have been shit since.”

“Sweet…”

Suddenly, the booming sound of loud guitar music blasts down the corridors, echoing against the walls. A few teachers groan loudly and promptly shut their classroom doors, while Steve, the janitor, slowly starts head banging as he scrubs the windows.

I’m unfamiliar with the song; rock music, and especially metal, has never been my cup of tea. But, I can’t say I’m totally opposed. There’s something about the violent guitar chords that’s infectious, and it’s taking every ounce of strength I have to not flash a smile.

Curiously, and against my better judgement, I decide to follow the music. Traveling to the end of the hall, I peer inside of Eddie Munson’s music room, which is absolutely covered in heavy metal posters and various electric guitars.

I haven’t talked to Eddie since the welcome lunch the staff threw me on Monday. He hasn’t shown up in the teacher’s lounge, and I never see him in the halls. I’ve heard a few teachers bicker at him from a distance, but I haven’t caught so much as a glimpse of that wild curly hair until this moment.

His deep brown eyes stare down intensely at his guitar, his fingers ferociously playing through the track as he loses himself in the music. He bites his lip, focused on nothing but the adrenaline of the guitar, his curly hair bouncing up and down as he violently nods his head.

Dustin struggles to keep up, his small hands frantically trying, and failing, to stay on beat with Eddie’s ferocious playing. He glances up at me and flashes a toothy grin before looking back down at his guitar. Eddie however, notices that Dustin is losing focus, and he suddenly stops the song.

“Hey Henderson what’s-“ Eddie makes eye contact with me, his big, dark eyes staring into mine. “Hey there Princess. Big Metallica fan eh?”

I freeze for a moment, petrified in sheer embarrassment.

“Oh uh- sorry,” I stutter. “I was just uh- looking for a staff bathroom and I heard the-“

“It’s fine Chrissy,” Eddie chuckles, setting his guitar down. “Don’t get your panties in a twist.”

I nod nervously as Dustin glances over at Eddie. “Should I start over?”

“Nah,” Eddie starts to tie his unkempt waves into a loose ponytail, which for some inexplicable reason, makes my heart skip a beat. “I think we’re good for today. You’ve improved a lot, Henderson.”

The boy nods nervously, adjusting the baseball cap on his head. “Thanks Eddie… Hellfire is still happening tonight, right? In room 206?”

“Of course,” Eddie starts to put his guitar away. “There’s no way I’d reschedule ‘The Cult of Vecna’. I’m too eager to watch all you brats lose.”

A small laugh escapes Dustin’s lips as he waves goodbye to Eddie, promptly leaving the classroom.

“I’m uh- sorry for interrupting,” I step into the classroom. “I just… I didn’t know you played so well.”

“Why are you apologizing again?” Eddie smirks sarcastically. “I already told you it was fine.”

“Oh… I just-“

Eddie laughs loudly. “Listen sweetheart, you don’t have to apologize. We were near the end of our lesson anyway.”

I swallow nervously, but somehow manage to force a shy smile. “Okay.”

Eddie flashes a warm grin, highlighting the little dimples in his cheeks and the glow in his eyes. “Good… well, how’s the school treating you Chrissy? You like it here so far?”

“I like it a lot actually,” I shove my hands into my pockets. “The kids are great… I just feel like I need to spend more time getting to know them. I feel like I need to cater my curriculum more to their interests.”

Eddie raises an eyebrow. “Well, if you want to get to know some of the kids, you should sit in on our Hellfire session tonight. It’s Henderson, Sinclair and his younger sister, Wheeler, Byers, and a few of my buddies. And Mike usually brings that Jane girl he’s dating too. And sometimes Max Mayfield shows up.”

“That’s nearly my whole fifth period gym class,” I chuckle.

“Yeah?” Eddie traces his painted nails through his coiled bangs. “You should come.”

I sigh. As much as Eddie is an extremely curious figure to me, I should really get some rest. Trying to adjust to work this week has been crazy… but… I do want to get to know the kids better.

“Maybe,” I sigh. “What time do you guys meet?”

“6. And I usually bring pizza and snacks for everyone, so you don’t need to worry about eating dinner beforehand…”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” I glance at Eddie one more time before I decide to leave his classroom. “Room 206 right?”

“Yup. And by the way Chrissy, the nearest staff restroom is on the left, four doors down!”

Chapter 3: Chapter Three

October 6th, 6:47 PM | From the Viewpoint of Eddie Munson

The smell of cheese and jalapeños floats across the candlelit room, stinging my nostrils as I pass a slice of pizza and a can of Mountain Dew to my best friend and fellow bandmate, Gareth. I always drop a few hundred bucks every Wednesday to feed the members of Hellfire Club, but to me, it’s worth it. Hellfire is one of the only places where I genuinely feel accepted; one of the only places where being myself generates absolutely no criticism.

“So, what will it be, Will the Wise?” I smirk sadistically, tossing Byers the D20. “Do you take your only chance to challenge the Dark Lord Vecna? Or do you attempt to revive Lady Applejack?”

“God Eddie you’re such a dick!” Wheeler snaps, tightly holding Jane’s hand in his own. “Could you make things a little easy for once?”

Vince, another bandmate of mine, doesn’t utter a single word, but the way his face contorts conveys nothing but sheer panic.

“Mike, just ignore his assholery,” Erica flashes me an ice cold glare before directing her attention at Byers. “Will, reviving me will do more for the party than going after Vecna now! Think reasonably.”

“You just want to get back into the game!” Henderson whines. “Will, go for the attack on Vecna! Kick his ass!”

With a roll of her eyes, Erica, who has never been the most level-headed D&D player, slams her fist on the table. “Dustin, quit being a little shit and consider the needs of the party! If I’m revived, I can use my half-elf abilities to-“

“Lucas! Can you get your whiny-ass sister to shut the hell up?” Henderson hisses through his braces, taking a large sip of soda.

“I think you losers should stop arguing so I can go home sooner,” Max Mayfield pushes her auburn hair out of her eyes. “Lucas, remind me why you always force me to waste my Wednesday nights for this shit?”

I page through my advanced Dungeons and Dragons book, chuckling maniacally as I plan to throw a massive curveball at the kids. It might sound like I’m an absolute sadist, but I genuinely love making the kids argue to the point where the game delves into complete chaos.

As I start to formulate my ideas, a gentle knock raps against the classroom door. Looking up, a warm feeling begins to encompass my entire body.

Chrissy Cunningham… she actually came.

Attempting to look somewhat put together, I frantically push my bangs out of my face, and wipe the pizza crumbs off of my jeans. “Hey Chrissy. Welcome to Hellfire!”

She looks anxious, like the pressures of the workday are still lingering in her mind. “Hey! Sorry I’m late,” Chrissy sets down her magenta purse, smiling brightly. “I was absolutely exhausted so I took a little nap after the gym and… I overslept.”

I smirk, setting down my book to pull up an extra chair next to me, helping the admittedly beautiful girl get settled in. “No problem… I’m just glad that you decided to spend your evening with my ragtag little crew. Can I get you anything? Pizza, soda, Sour Patch Kids, Doritos? I’ve got a couple beers for us adults too if you’d like one.”

Chrissy shakes her head, causing a strand of her strawberry blonde hair to fall out of her loose ponytail. The makeup she was wearing during the school day is completely gone, replaced with a radiant, after-workout glow. She looks effortlessly pretty.

God Munson, knock it off! She's your coworker!

“I think I’m okay right now,” she hums. “Maybe I’ll have one of those beers in a little bit.”

The kids, Vince, and Gareth all gawk at Chrissy like they’ve just seen a ghost… completely baffled by the fact that another teacher at the school is acknowledging the existence of our stupid little club. Gareth looks Chrissy up and down like he’s never seen a woman before. Jesus H. Christ.

“Hey Ms. Cunningham,” Jane whispers nervously, igniting the other kids into reluctantly saying their hellos.

“Hi Jane. How are you?”

“Fine,” the timid girl musters up the strength to smile. “It’s nice to see you.”

Max, looking the most confused out of everyone, crosses her arms in annoyance. “Why are you even here Ms. C? This nerd fest doesn’t seem like it would be your thing.”

Nervous tension fills the air as Chrissy shrugs slightly. “Um… Eddie invited me to come and watch you guys play tonight so I could get to know you all a little bit better.”

Henderson shoots me a sarcastic wink, probably using his immature little brain to make false assumptions about my feelings towards Chrissy. I don’t like Chrissy like that. This is just me doing a favor for a colleague.

Trying my best to ignore the goofy-ass grin on Henderson’s face, I stand up on my chair, gesturing to Chrissy dramatically. “And since she’s our guest, you shall all treat Princess Cunningham the Fair with complete respect… Otherwise… you will face the unholy wrath of Eddie the Banished.”

Princess Cunningham the Fair? God damn it Eddie, you’re an absolute idiot. You’re not doing yourself any favors in the eyes of these naive teenagers who probably aren’t using their critical thinking skills for anything other than D&D.

“Oh dear god…” Erica’s face falls into her hands. “Can we just continue the game already? My curfew is at 8:30!”

I practically fall back into my seat, cracking open a can of Budweiser on my way down. “Of course! Now where were we… Ah yes… What will it be, Will the Wise? Save our dear Lady Applejack from Vecna’s curse, or use your rune magic in an attempt to cripple the Dark Lord?”

“Uh…” Byers’ face goes completely pallid. “I… uh…”

“Tick tock Byers,” I smirk, glancing at my book. “If you don’t choose within the next thirty seconds, I have a little surprise in store…”

“Damn it Will! Hurry up!” Gareth roars. “I-“

“Fifteen seconds Byers…”

The teenage boy practically begins to drown in his own sweat as every single player begins to yell at the top of their lungs, filling the classroom with violent war cries. Sour Patch Kids begin to fly through the air, soda cans tip over, the entire table shakes like a 9.5 magnitude earthquake, and Chrissy looks like she doesn’t know what kind of hellhole she stumbled into.

“I want to fight Vecna,” Byers causes the whole room to fall into uncomfortable silence. “Sorry Erica.”

Erica absolutely loses it, slapping her hands against the table in an enraged fury. “WHAT THE HELL WILL?!”

Chrissy laughs loudly, but quickly makes an unsuccessful ploy to stifle her laughter, failing as she lets out a loud snort. Inhaling sharply, she covers her face in embarrassment as the kids erupt in laughter, causing me to blush like a maniac.

“Oh god,” she giggles. “I didn’t mean to uh- snort. That was just… that was just kind of hilarious.”

I attempt to speak over the roaring teens, impulsively blurting out words. “No you’re good! That snort was actually pretty cute!”

Raising her hand to her ear, Chrissy raises her voice. “Huh? What did you say? I didn’t hear that!”

A hot, uncomfortable feeling races across my cheeks, making me feel like everything in the room is on fire. My front teeth practically crush my lower lip in embarrassment , sharply digging into my flesh. “I just agreed with you that it was hilarious,” I lie. Damn it Eddie. You’re such a coward.

“Wasn’t it?” Chrissy laughs, completely clueless to the fact that I am acting like a complete and utter buffoon. Where’s your swagger Munson? What is this girl doing to you?

Notes:

I just wanted to thank you guys for all your support on this fic so far! This is the first fic I’ve written in years, so bear with me as I’m a little rusty.

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

October 13th, 7:58 PM | From the Viewpoint of Chrissy Cunningham

“Princess Cunningham the Fair, can you please read the next section in my book to the travelers?” Eddie passes me his Dungeon Master’s book, using a finger coated in cracked black nail polish to show me the proper paragraph. “Eddie the Banished needs to make a quick run to the men’s room.”

Chuckling, I roll my eyes at Eddie. “Sure.”

It’s only my second week sitting in at Hellfire Club, and Eddie already has me taking over his Dungeon Master duties whenever he needs a break.

“Thanks Chrissy,” Eddie sighs, running out of the classroom in an obnoxious blur of tangled brown curls. As he slams the door behind him, I look down at the book, trying to understand the medieval jargon I’m supposed to say.

“After the party’s encounter with the Dark Lord Vecna,” I read, “You approach a nearby fishing village at the foothills of the Greypeak Mountains. As you examine your surroundings, you notice various shops, pubs, and lodging. You have the option to peruse the town, or get a full night’s rest at the local inn.”

“Lady Applejack,” Mike interjects, “Would you like to accompany me to the armory to upgrade our weapons?”

“I certainly would,” Erica adjusts her ponytail. “Lucas, you better come with us. That battle axe you’ve been using is a piece of shit.”

“Hey!” Lucas snaps. “That battle axe won us the battle against the Yuan-Ti! You haven’t done a damn thing!”

“Oh, so discovering the treasure hoard buried underneath Vecna’s lair isn’t doing a damn thing?”

Dustin tosses a Cheeto across the table, smacking Erica in the face. “We don’t have time for this! Ms. Cunningham, I’m going to choose to go to the pub to meet with the local mountain dwarves for some information.”

I page through Eddie’s book, looking for the page about meeting with the mountain dwarves in the Greypeak Village. “Um… one second…”

God, why do these books have to be so complicated?

As my eyes frantically dart across the pages, Eddie runs back into the classroom, his hair now tied up in a sloppy bun, with a few pieces hanging around his face.

“Hey kiddos,” he cheerfully waltzes across the room, snatching the book from my hands. “Something real important came up… can we end a little early?”

“Hell no!” Dustin scoffs. “What’s more important than Hellfire?”

Eddie shrugs. “I don’t know… how about Corroded Coffin getting asked to fill in as an opener for Acid Asylum at The Hideout tonight?!”

“WHAT?!” Gareth shoots up from his seat. “Are you serious?!”

“Dead serious,” Eddie twirls as he starts throwing his D&D stuff into his backpack. “The Hideout is providing drums and amps, we just have to run back to my place to grab our guitars.”

“Dope,” Vince says. “Did you call Jeff and tell him to meet us there?”

“Is the Witch-king of Angmar the lord of the Nazgûl?”

“Sick,” Gareth replies, tossing his notes into his bag. Whatever Eddie just referenced flew completely over my head, but it must’ve meant yes.

Dustin, looking absolutely peeved, crosses his arms tightly. “Well, can we at least come to the concert so my entire night wasn’t a big waste of time?”

“Nope,” Eddie finishes cleaning up his things. “It’s an 18+ venue, and all you brats are underage.”

Every kid lets out a collective groan, as Eddie practically leaps over to me, placing his large hand on my shoulder.

“Chrissy, you should come with us,” his dimples pop with his massive, shit-eating, kind of adorable, kind of sexy, grin. “You said you wanted to see more Hawkins nightlife right? You won’t get a more accurate representation of the types of whack jobs in this town than at The Hideout.”

I really want to go… like, really want to. But it’s a work night. I’ll have to drag myself out of bed at 6 AM in order to get ready for the day… and tomorrow night I have to force myself to go to Jason’s game in Indianapolis. By all accounts, going to Eddie’s gig tonight is an absolutely awful idea. But yet, before my better judgment kicks in, I find myself saying yes.

The look of total shock sprawled across Eddie’s face is a sight to behold. “Seriously?”

I nod, not thinking through my decision completely, but still remaining satisfied with my answer. “Yeah.”

“Well damn, Cunningham, you surprise me every day.”

A faint snicker emerges from Dustin, causing Eddie to flip him the bird.

————

Eddie said he’d pick me up at my apartment after he ran back to his place to grab the instruments. I was completely fine with that, considering that I had the time to trade my gym clothes for a maroon sweater dress and some tall black boots. I don’t really know much about what people wear to uh, metal shows, or dingey little bars for that matter, but I figured that darker clothing and a little eyeliner fits enough.

With a flick of mascara across my eyes, and a swipe of burgundy lipstick, I glance in the mirror, making sure I look alright.

Why do I care so much about looking decent for Eddie? He’s just a coworker. And this is just a little outing with some new friends.

I sigh, glancing down at my phone, noticing a text from Jason talking about how the Pacers are thinking of trading him to the Lakers for some new hotshot point guard. I don’t have the headspace to think about any of that right now. Especially considering the fact that I can’t tell if I even want to go through with being with Jason anymore. Any joy that I had when I was in the early stages of dating him has dwindled to nearly nothing. Sometimes I want to tell Jason that we should just break it off for a bit… see where our lives go.

As I quickly pin a loose strand of hair out of my face, a voice buzzes over the apartment intercom.

“Chrissy, it’s Eddie. The guys and I are here.”

Quickly, I rush out of the door, sprinting down the stairs towards a black van covered in orange flames, the thump of some heavy metal song blaring across the street.

Eddie leaps out of the front seat, opening the passenger door. He’s traded his Hellfire shirt for a tight-fitting Iron Maiden tee and a black denim vest, and his curls are still tied up in that sloppy bun. His tattoos are on full display, glistening against the backdrop of his pale forearms. He glances at me, a stripe of smudgy kohl liner framing his brown eyes.

He looks… well… handsome, for lack of a better word. Actually, handsome is an understatement. He looks extremely hot.

“You look ravishing,” he smirks, helping me to get situated. “I love the boots.”

“You too,” I smile. “You look… nice.”

He nods in acknowledgment, crawling into the driver’s seat before looking back at his band mates. I think I caught his cheeks flushing a little bit, but I’m not totally sure.

“So fellas, what are we listening to on the way? A little Dio? Black Sabbath? Slayer? Slipknot?”

Vince shrugs. “Maybe Chrissy should pick the music.”

I bite my lip. “Uh… I think I’m okay.”

Eddie starts driving and tosses me his cell phone. “Nah, you pick something Cunningham. It’s connected to Bluetooth. Search up whatever you want.”

Oh god. Everything that I listen to is the exact opposite of what Eddie likes. I panic, going the safe route and choosing my comfort artist.

As the music floods through the speakers, Eddie smiles brightly.

“Good choice Cunningham,” he chuckles. “I don’t mind a little Taylor Swift here and there. She’s a pretty talented writer. And a very smart businesswoman.”

“She’s hot too,” Gareth smirks.

I laugh. “You guys don’t have to pretend to like my stuff…”

“I know,” Eddie chuckles. “And I’m never going to pretend to like stuff I don’t. I genuinely think that Taylor Swift is an incredibly gifted musician.”

“Oh shut up,” I giggle, staring at the road ahead.

“He’s being serious,” Vince chirps. “He’s not bullshitting.”

Eddie chuckles, turning to wink at me as we drive onto a dirt road. “What, you wouldn’t peg me as a Taylor Swift fan?”

The wink causes a warm feeling to pool at the bottom of my stomach. “No… I don’t think anyone would… to be totally honest.”

“Well I am,” Eddie pulls into a large parking lot, pulling the van next to a dimly lit fluorescent sign.

————

To describe The Hideout as anything but eclectic would be a disservice to the venue and the… well, eccentric people in it. Smoke floating in the air, the scent of booze present in every nook and cranny, ear-numbingly loud music bouncing off of the walls. People from all walks of life, all backgrounds, stand elbow to elbow, bodies pressed against each other in a sweaty heap.

Eddie sets me up backstage, slightly to the left, placing a vodka tonic in my hand and pulling up a chair so I can watch their performance safely. To quote him, the crowd was going to go “batshit insane”, and that “if I didn’t know how to mosh, they’d crush me.” I’m not totally sure that would happen, but I listen to him whole-heartedly.

“We get to play five songs,” Eddie explains to Jeff, the only member of Corroded Coffin that I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet. “I say we open with the Metallica cover, then we go into our original stuff. Cool?”

Jeff nods uncertainly, probably baffled at how calm Eddie seems to be acting given the circumstances. “Cool.”

Eddie smirks, grabbing his guitar and running out onto the stage, his three band mates following closely behind. He stands in front of the mic, readying his guitar to play, and starts strumming violently, losing himself in the chaotic cords.

He struts around the stage, playing more furious with every passing verse. He moves his head with intense rigor, completely undoing the messy bun he was wearing earlier, allowing his long tousled waves to drip over his sweat-kissed shoulders.

Somehow, Eddie looks even more attractive when he’s playing. Somehow, he’s making me question everything. Somehow, he’s making me yearn for the slightest touch from his calloused hands. Somehow, just from the minimal interactions we’ve had, he’s making me want to reach for my cell phone to finally break things off with Jason and escape the toxicity he’s subjected me to for years. But, something’s holding me back from running after Eddie like a moth to a flame, and I can’t exactly figure out what it is.

Corroded Coffin wraps up their first four songs, charging into the finale with the intensity of a thousand suns. Sweat drips down Eddie’s arms, causing him to freely toss away his vest and his shirt, revealing his toned stomach, and the array of tattoos lining his chest. He screams into the microphone, the grittiness in his voice pounding through my head. He glances over at me, flashes me another wink, and I nearly melt.

Chrissy, he’s a music teacher who works where you work. He’s your work colleague. Nothing else. Just your coworker.

Your incredibly talented… charming… caring… attractive coworker.

Notes:

Things are finally heating up a bit. Thanks for all your support on the first three chapters!

Chapter 5: Chapter Five

October 23rd, 3:24 PM | From the Viewpoint of Eddie Munson

“So, who else is chaperoning the Fall Ball tomorrow?” I pour a splash of oat milk into my coffee, glancing out at the gentle autumn rain.

“Joyce and I are for sure going to be there, considering that my daughter is going with that Wheeler kid,” Principal Jim Hopper takes a long sip of his coffee, flashing a crooked smirk behind his dark mustache. “Nancy and Steve, maybe Robin from the film program.”

I sigh, wishing that he would have mentioned a certain Chrissy Cunningham’s name. “Oh nice. Bold move inviting Nancy and Steve to be chaperones considering that they’ll practically be on top of each other the whole time.”

Jim laughs loudly. “Oh and you and Chrissy won’t be?”

Instantly, I feel petrified. “What? She’s coming?”

The older man nods, shooting me a sarcastic smirk. “I’m not an idiot Munson. I know you like her.”

“I do not.”

“Munson, you’ve been eating lunch in the teacher’s lounge again just so you can talk to her. It’s extremely obvious.”

I can’t help but grin, feeling my cheeks get uncontrollably warm.

“That’s not why I’ve been in there” I lie. “I’ve been talking with Steve about planning a boys’ trip to Chicago to go see-“

“Eddie, it’s fine,” Hopper mutters. “No one’s talking about it. I’ve just noticed a change in your behavior. You’re putting yourself out there more, and it’s a good thing. I like that you’re not constantly hiding in your classroom anymore.”

Silently, I wallow in my own embarrassment. I can’t deny the fact that I’m constantly thinking about Chrissy, but I was hoping that no one else would notice.

“It’s good to see you finally coming out of your shell a little,” a heavy sigh escapes Jim’s lips. “I know that some of the older staff can be, well. harsh, but I really do value having you as our music teacher. And the students love you.”

“Thanks,” I sigh. I should really be more grateful to Hopper, considering that what he just said was incredibly kind, but I’m still mortified that my interest in Chrissy is so obvious. Maybe I need to cool it down… take a step back from her so no rumors spread. “What time do I need to be in the gym tomorrow?”

“6,” Jim chuckles. “And remember, there’s a dress code.”

————

“She’s all alone over there! Should I ask her to dance?”

Henderson peers across the dimly lit gymnasium, punch in hand, looking at a petite brunette with pigtails and round glasses. The girl, who I don’t have in any of my classes, sits silently, head hung low, glancing at her cell phone.

“Go for it Henderson,” I chuckle, watching as Sinclair and Max run hand in hand to the snack table. “You’ve gotta wait for a slow song though. It’s a little hard to slow dance to Jay-Z.”

Henderson laughs. “I think Suzie will dance to anything. Does my hair look alright?”

I chuckle softly. I remember my high school dances. Or to be more accurate, I remember skipping my high school dances to smoke weed in the woods with Gareth, Vince, and Jeff. I was never the type to attend any school-wide events, and every time I chaperone one as an adult, it just feels bizarre.

“It looks great, Henderson,” I watch as the teen awkwardly adjusts his bow tie. “You’ll knock her dead, I guarantee it.”

The young boy flashes his signature brace-faced grin before practically sprinting across the gym, seating himself next to Suzie and instantly striking up a conversation.

My eyes bounce around the entire dance, slowly taking in my surroundings. Wheeler and Jane giggle around the punch bowl, Byers talks with his mother, who is standing next to Jim. Steve and Nancy huddle by the bleachers, hands looped together while they observe the crowds of teenagers.

“Hey Eddie!” I turn around, met by a set of deep blue eyes.

“Chrissy!”

She looks absolutely ethereal, her strawberry blonde hair pinned into a braided updo, with a few loose pieces falling down and framing her rosy cheeks. Her cheekbones are dusted with some sort of sparkly makeup, looking absolutely radiant under the pink and purple mood lighting. Her plush lips are coated in a shimmery gloss, and her petite frame is draped in a lacy peach dress with long, flowing sleeves. She looks like she stepped straight out of the 70s, and it’s driving me insane.

“You look nice,” Chrissy giggles, closing her eyes slightly to reveal her shimmery pearl eyeshadow. “I like the suit.”

I try to stifle my laughter. I’d barely call what I’m wearing a suit. It’s more so a weird hodge-podge of things I borrowed from my uncle with things I already had. His blazer, his belt, my slacks, my black button-up. “Thanks. You look gorgeous Chrissy. I love that dress.”

“It was my grandma’s,” Chrissy gives me a twirl, standing on the tips of her toes. “I’m obsessed with the color.”

I’m obsessed with the way that color looks on her… but I’d never tell her that. Especially when I feel like half the teachers at this school are watching me like hawks right now.

Chrissy sways back and forth to the music, waving to Dustin and Suzie.

“Being at one of these brings back so many memories,” she whispers. “It’s funny how much I cared about school dances when I was younger, when in reality it’s just a bunch of sweaty kids awkwardly dancing while trying to control their raging hormones.”

“I actually never went to any of my dances,” I twirl a strand of my hair around my fingers.

Chrissy gasps. “Really?”

I nod.

“That’s a crime.”

“Eh.”

“Eh?!” Chrissy steps back, tossing her arms in the air. “Going to a school dance is such a big part of growing up!”

Chrissy starts to rant about how cheesy little high school dances represent youthful innocence and so on, but I just can’t stop pondering about how adorable she is when she’s worked up. The way her nose crinkles, the way her eyes light up, the way her voice raises about three octaves.

Damn it Munson. Everyone in this school thinks you have some lovesick crush on Chrissy Cunningham, and the way that you’re losing yourself in her eyes isn’t helping your case.

“Why did you never go to a high school dance?!” Chrissy scoffs. “I’m sure girls were lined up around the block for a chance to dance with you.”

I groan. “Oh, absolutely not. I think every girl in my grade was terrified of me.”

“I seriously doubt it. I was an absolute freak in high school. I was even worse than how I act now. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it’s not exactly the greatest trait to have when it comes to attracting chicks.”

Slowly, Chrissy steps closer, the tip of her shoulder just barely pressing against my arm. Just the slight bit of physical contact causes my forehead to heat up like an oven.

“I think you need to quit being so hard on yourself,” she hums.

“Maybe I do.”

“Maybe? You have to. I demand it.”

I feel a small grin begin to form on my face. “And whatever Princess Cunningham the Fair demands, may it be.” I jokingly bow before Chrissy, flipping my hair with the back of my hand.

I swear I can see Chrissy’s already rosy cheeks begin to get rosier, but I’m probably just being delusional.

“Well, Princess Cunningham demands a dance with uh… Eddie the Banished, so he can have a real high school dance experience.”

A dance? Me? Dancing with Chrissy Cunningham? At her request?

Holy shit.

Chrissy smiles gently, her dimples even more prominent in the pale purple glow. “I may or may not have walked behind the DJ station a few minutes ago… I think there’s a slow song next.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah… Ed Sheeran or something.”

“Gross.”

“He’s a bit overplayed,” Chrissy swings her arms back and forth. “He has some great slow dance songs though.”

The current song begins to fade. “I’ll-‘

I pause, saying nothing as I watch every couple practically stampede to the dance floor, throwing their arms around each other while gentle guitar strums begin to fill the air. Chrissy excitedly grabs my hand, dragging me out into the middle of the gym, smack between Steve and Nancy and Dustin and Suzie.

Chrissy is bold… she’s direct. She’s-

She’s placing her hands on my shoulders. And I-

I find myself placing my hands on her hips, feeling the gentle curve of her waist. She tightens her grip around my shoulders, slowly swaying back and forth, keeping in perfect rhythm.

There’s a large space between us, but as the song goes on, the gap gradually shortens. With every passing note, it feels like we scoot an inch closer to each other, her head nearly pressed into me.

Eddie, act rationally. She’s beautiful, yes. Extremely beautiful. But you can’t do this right now. You can’t-

Chrissy begins to lean her head against my chest, her soft breath brushing against the fabric of my shirt, seeping through to my skin.

Eddie, you can’t-

She’s looking up at me now, eyelashes fluttering, cheeks completely flushed.

I look back down at her, trying to control the stupid smirk that I just know I can’t hide. The stupid smirk that is probably making me look like the biggest idiot in the world.

“Hey Eddie?” Chrissy’s fingers dig further into my shoulders.

I gently guide Chrissy closer to me, despite the logical side of my brain practically begging me not to. “Yeah?”

“Would you um…” The volume of her voice lowers. “Would you ever want to um… hang out… outside of um…”

I bend my head down, my face mere inches away from hers.

“Hang out outside of work and Hellfire Club?” I finish her sentence, spinning her around as the pace of the music picks up.

“Yes,” she raises onto her tippy toes, our noses nearly touching.

“Chrissy Cunningham, I would love to hang out with you outside of work and Hellfire Club.”

As the song begins to draw to a close, I act impulsively, and possibly make one of the stupidest decisions I’ve ever made.

I gently press my lips against Chrissy’s, smelling the sweet vanilla aura of her lip gloss.

Chapter 6: Chapter Six

October 26th, 7:25 AM| From the Viewpoint of Chrissy Cunningham

“Jason, please stop calling me,” the cool fall breeze stings my cheeks as I walk into the school. “I don’t have time for this.”

The night before the Fall Ball, I finally broke things off with Jason after his basketball game. It took every ounce of strength I had, and he screamed at me for a solid forty-five minutes, but the sense of freedom I’ve felt since has been 100% worth it. My parents don’t know that we broke up yet, and honestly, I think that’s for the best. They’ve always loved Jason, they’ve always sang his praises and they always loved the fact that their perfect little daughter had landed such a successful man. If they knew that I broke up with Jason, they’d be fuming.

“I still don’t know why you think that breaking up with me is a good idea,” Jason snaps into the phone. “I don’t think you know how stupid you’re being.”

“I think I know myself better than you ever did,” I sigh.

“And you haven’t changed your mind yet?”

“God Jason, if you would have been the one to break things off I wouldn’t be acting as stupid as you are.”

“Well yeah, because I would never break things off with you,” Jason grumbles. “You’re my world, Chrissy.”

Trying not to entirely break out in a furious rage as I walk towards my office, I take a deep breath. “Jason, I’m not your world. I was never your world. Your life centers purely around basketball and your self image. When was the last time you asked me how I was doing with my move? You didn’t even offer to help me get settled into my apartment.”

There’s an awkward pause for a solid fifteen seconds.

“Quit being so selfish Chrissy! You’re just jealous that I’m more successful and-“

I hang up the phone. It’s too early for this, and Jason isn’t one to accept any form of criticism.

As I approach my office, I notice that Robin, the film teacher, is standing outside, mindlessly picking at her nails.

“Morning Robin,” I smirk, unlocking my office door. “What’s up?”

Robin sighs, looking at her feet. “Can I ask you something Chris?”

Oh god, I know what’s coming.

Ever since Eddie and I kissed on Friday, no one at the school has been able to stop talking about it. Nancy texted me the entire weekend, the kids pulled me aside after the dance to ask me about it… it’s been absolutely crazy.

I wasn’t expecting Eddie to kiss me on Friday, but I suppose that I was making my liking for him incredibly obvious by asking him to dance. But that’s all that I thought it would be… a dance. I never would have assumed that things would have gone any farther than that. Not that I’m complaining though, because that kiss felt amazing.

“Sure Robin,” I unlock my office door, inviting her inside and pulling up a chair for her. “What’s up?”

Robin shoots me a devious grin.

“So, what’s going on with you and Eddie? I mean… have you talked to him since Friday?”

I knew it.

I try not to blush, looking down at my lap. “I knew that was coming…”

Robin smiles brightly, somehow looking put together and sloppy at the same time. “Well of course… I mean what did you expect? You guys kissed in front of everyone!”

“Well… I get why everyone is interested… but how come no one is talking about how Steve fell into the punch bowl… or how Nancy-“

“You can’t seriously be telling me that Steve being… well, Steve, is more interesting than you and Eddie making out in the middle of the dance floor!”

Oh my god. We did not make out. The kiss Eddie and I shared was nothing more than a little peck… a beautiful, wonderful, incredible little peck.

“We didn’t make out,” I giggle. “And yes I’ve talked to Eddie.”

“And?”

“And, I’m going over to his place tonight after work to uh- watch a movie and meet his uncle apparently.”

Robin gasps. “No way.”

“But we’re not like... official. Well I guess I don’t know. I kind of figured that tonight, in person, would be our time to talk about things.”

“Kissing him and meeting his family sounds pretty official to me.” Robin tousles her short, mousy hair. “I just can’t believe that Munson finally found something he’s more interested in than Dungeons and Dragons or Iron Maiden.”

“I like Metallica too, you know.”

Oh god… Eddie.

He walks in with a smirk, holding two cups of what smells like hot apple cider, setting one in front of me. “Morning Chris. Morning Robin.”

“Morning Eddie,” Robin smiles. “I’ll head out, give you two some space. Bye Chrissy!”

Before I can say anything, Robin darts out of the room, waving ecstatically.

“She seems perkier than usual,” Eddie smiles, taking Robin’s seat. He looks comfortable today, dressed in an oversized red flannel with his Corroded Coffin shirt underneath. “Everybody does.”

I blush, taking a sip of the cinnamon-drenched cider. “Well, we know why that is.”

Eddie nods softly, gently setting his hand on my shoulder. “Yeah… maybe I shouldn’t have kissed you so publicly… but you looks gorgeous and you were just cradled into my chest and-“

He starts rambling, his cheeks getting redder with every passing word.

“Eddie, it was perfect,” I whisper. “I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I don’t really care about how much people are talking about it. Plus, I was kind of asking for it on Friday. I was being extremely direct.”

“Seriously?” His smile gets brighter.

“Seriously.”

“Well that’s great,” he rubs my shoulder gently. “Are you still planning on coming over tonight?”

I nod excitedly. “Of course.”

“Excellent,” he scoots closer. “I’m going to attempt to cook a nice dinner. How do you feel about fettuccine?”

“Oh, it’s the best pasta,” I chuckle. “I’ll be content with whatever you make.”

Eddie sighs. “Well, if it sucks, it sucks. I’m not much of a chef.”

“It’ll be perfect,” I grab Eddie’s rough hand, caressing it gently. “And even if it isn’t, getting to spend the evening with you will be worth it.”

He gently starts to massage my hand, his rough skin brushing against my fingers.

He gently leans in, pressing his lips to my cheek. “Absolutely.”

Chapter 7: Chapter Seven

October 26th, 3:45 PM | From the Viewpoint of Eddie Munson

I lean against the outside of my van, watching orange and red leaves float off of the trees as I anxiously wait for Chrissy to exit the school.

I’d be kidding myself if I said I wasn’t nervous. I don’t know much about Chrissy’s personal life, but I do know that she lives in a nice part of town, in a fancy new apartment, which looks like a palace compared to the old duplex I share with my uncle.

Obviously, I know Chrissy would never judge. We’re both teachers who preach to our students about treating everyone with kindness regardless of their standing or their background. But even though I’m not 100% certain on what’s going on with Chrissy and I, I can’t help but feel like I’m not good enough for her. She seems mature, she has a great head on her shoulders, she’s responsible. I feel like I’m just wasting my days away occupied by Dungeons and Dragons and my music, not knowing what direction to go with my life.

“Hey Eddie!” Henderson walks through the parking lot, holding a bunch of Batman comics. “What’s up?”

“Just the usual mundanity of forced conformal living,” I glance up at the cloudy sky, before looking back down at the curly-haired boy. “Your guitar skills absolutely rocked today man. I think the recital next month is gonna be killer.”

The boy smirks brightly. “Thanks Eddie! I was gonna ask you… can I bring Suzie to Hellfire on Wednesday?”

A small laugh escapes my lips. Today during our guitar class I refrained from asking Henderson if anything sprouted from his dance with Suzie last Friday, but I figured it wasn’t any of my business.

“Of course. I mean, Wheeler and Sinclair bring Jane and Max nearly every week now.”

“And you bring Chrissy,” Henderson brings his lips together, making kissy sounds.

I roll my eyes. “Oh whatever. You don’t even know what’s going on.”

“I think everyone knows what’s going on,” he teases. “It’s been obvious since that day she accidentally walked in on us playing ‘Master of Puppets’ and you got all blushy.”

“Shut up Henderson,” I chuckle. “I did not blush.”

“I think you did.”

I sigh. “You teenagers and your drama. I swear to god… you can’t just mind your own business.”

Henderson laughs, opening up one of his comic books to show me something before he’s interrupted.

“Hey Eddie! Hey Dustin!”

Chrissy waves, wrapping her purse around her shoulder.

“Oh, hey Ms. Cunningham,” an obnoxious wink flies out of Henderson’s left eye as he looks at me with the most annoying, malicious grin I’ve ever seen. “How’s it going?”

“Oh, I’m good,” she hums, her eyes sparkling outside even though the sky is painted with clouds. “Hey, do you or any of your friends have any allergies? I was going to make this old brownie recipe from my aunt for game night Wednesday.”

“Nope,” Henderson chuckles. “Allergies are for the weak.”

Chrissy looks at me, trying not to laugh. “Well, okay then. Sounds like I’ll be bringing brownies.”

I sigh, trying to take the attention off of Chrissy and I. “Make a big batch. Henderson’s bringing Suzie.”

“Hey!”

I chuckle, glad that I could at least tease Henderson a little, considering how he’s been teasing me.

After a couple minutes of Henderson trying to pry information out of Chrissy and I, we’re finally able to leave campus and start heading for my place. Chrissy sits in the passenger seat, picking music off of my phone… Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Mitski… artists I never really listen to on my own leisure, but I don’t mind it. I like watching Chrissy whisper the lyrics under her breath, staring out the windows at the rolling Hawkins hills.

We slowly approach Wayne and I’s little duplex, nestled on the edge of the woods. It’s an older place, Wayne lives downstairs while I live in the upstairs unit. We were planning on painting the outside of it this summer, replacing the faded mossy green color with a rich chocolate brown, but I took up summer guitar tutoring and Wayne filled in for more shifts at the plant.

“What a cute little place!” Chrissy steps out of the van. “It looks super cozy.”

“Cozy is one word for it,” I chuckle, guiding Chrissy towards the front door. Before I can even pull out my keys to unlock it, Wayne opens the door, smiling brightly.

“Hey kid,” Wayne beams before directing his attention towards Chrissy, reaching his grizzly hand out to shake. “And hello Chrissy! I’m Wayne.”

Chrissy excitedly shakes my uncle’s hand. “Hi Wayne! It’s so lovely to meet you!”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Wayne smirks. “Come on in. Chrissy, can I make you a drink? I’ve got whiskey, gin, vodka…”

“I’ll take a vodka tonic if you have the stuff for it,” she smiles, walking into Wayne’s kitchen. “Thank you so much!”

“Oh you’re welcome. It’s not that often that Eddie brings people over that aren’t in uh… what is it? Crashed Coffin?”

“Corroded Coffin,” I smirk, walking to the fridge to grab myself a beer. “You live with me and you don’t know my band name?”

“Well you know that’s not my type of music,” my uncle pours a shot of vodka into a chilled glass. “I’m more of an Eagles or Journey type of guy.”

“Oh, I love Journey!” Chrissy smiles, sitting on Wayne’s old leather couch. “I always used to listen to them with my dad!”

“Really?” Wayne pours a splash of tonic water into Chrissy’s drink before squeezing in a wedge of lime. “They’re pretty damn good. I’ve seen them a couple of times when they’ve passed through Indiana.”

I smirk, joining Chrissy on the couch as Wayne passes Chrissy her drink and pulls out an old album of my childhood pictures.

————

Before Wayne has to leave for work, while Chrissy is in the restroom, he pulls me aside, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“I like her.”

“Oh really?” I grin, feeling happy that Wayne and Chrissy got along so well.

“Yes,” my uncle strokes the stubble on his chin. “I like her a lot. I think she’s good for you. Smart, funny, conversational, mature. Maybe she’ll help you grow up a bit,” he winks.

I pause, not knowing much of what to say considering that I’m overwhelmed with a warm, joyful feeling. Since I didn’t really know my parents, Wayne has been the only semblance of a father figure in my life. He’s never been overbearing, even when he probably should have been, but I still value his opinion more than anyone else’s. He’s seen a lot of messed up stuff, and I credit him for helping me to stay on track even in my darkest moments.

“Thanks Wayne,” I sigh, giving my uncle a hug. “You don’t understand how much your approval means to me.”

“Kid, you’d still date her anyway even if I didn’t like her,” he pulls me into a tight grip. “But I like her a lot. I’m excited to get to know her a bit more.”

I nod, stepping away from the hug as I hear Chrissy exit Wayne’s bathroom. “Me too,” I smile, waving goodbye as Wayne makes his way towards his pickup truck. “Hey Chrissy, are you ready to see my half of the house?”

Chrissy, tying her hair up as she leaves the bathroom, smiles brightly. “Of course!”

I smile, taking Chrissy’s hand in mine as we walk to the upstairs unit, entering my living room, which smells slightly of brandy.

Keeping her fingers crossed with mine, Chrissy glances at all of the posters on my walls, the guitars, the Lord of the Rings action figures, the vinyl record collection, my wall of D&D books. She looks out of place amongst all my metal decor, considering that she’s always dressed in warm, pastel colors.

“I love it,” she scoots closer to me, her hips pressed against my torso. “It’s like a little museum in here. Even though I’ve been in Hawkins for a month, my apartment still feels empty.”

I shrug, guiding Chrissy to the couch. Her head sinking into my chest as I turn on my television. “I’m a bit of a hoarder,” I joke. “I don’t like having any bare walls. I’ve been collecting concert posters for years.”

Chrissy smiles, wrapping her toned arms around my waist, slowly pressing herself into my stomach..

“They’re super cool Eddie.”

I smile, queuing up The Fellowship of the Ring on my television. I’m excited to finally show Lord of the Rings to Chrissy, but something tells me that we probably won’t be paying much attention.

As I click on the movie, Chrissy tightens her grip around my torso, looking up at me with blushing cheeks.

“Hey Eddie? Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” I place my hand on the small of her back, drawing her in a little closer to me.

“Are we uh- oh god, I feel like a high schooler. Are we um… official?”

I glance down at Chrissy, staring at her little button nose. “Official… hmm…”

She anxiously bites her lower lip, trying to hide a grin. She’s absolutely adorable when she does it, causing butterflies to well up in the bottom of my stomach. “Yeah… like… are we going through with this dating stuff? Because I really like you and I want to do this-“

I slowly place my thumb on the bottom of Chrissy’s chin, tilting her face upwards. Leaning in, I bring my lips to hers, lingering on their soft touch for a little longer than I did when I kissed her at the dance a few days ago.

“I’d say so,” I whisper, gently pulling away from her.

Before I can say anything else, Chrissy grabs the collar of my shirt, drawing me in for another kiss. Her fingers tenderly play with my hair as she passionately presses her lips against mine, making me feel absolutely electric.

“Good,” she breathes, pulling away for a brief moment, pushing a loose strand of hair out of my face before she leans in and kisses me again.

Chapter 8: Chapter Eight

November 20th 10:54 PM | From the Viewpoint of Chrissy Cunningham

“Here’s your vodka tonic Chris!” Nancy talks loudly, putting the drink in my hand as the sound of violent guitar blares through the stadium. Trying not to be interrupted by the loud roar of the cheering crowd, Nancy sets her free hand on my shoulder. “Where are the boys?”

I chuckle, gesturing towards the wild mosh pit a few rows ahead of us. A frantic, sweaty blur of curly hair runs around in circles, shoving a bunch of other metalheads in rhythm to the music. Steve, who looks nothing less than absolutely confused, follows Eddie closely, trying to copy his every move. I can’t help but get all warm and fuzzy on the inside watching Eddie scream every lyric from the top of his lungs… it’s just adorable.

I still can’t believe that Eddie somehow convinced Steve and Nancy to join us on a couple’s trip to Indianapolis to see Metallica. Spending the weekend with them has been absolutely incredible and I wouldn’t change a thing about it, but seeing Nancy and Steve at a metal show has been a hilarious, surreal experience.

“Oh my god,” Nancy raises her hand to her mouth, trying not to die of laughter. “And you’re not in there with them?”

I wince, watching as Eddie shoves a burly man about three times his size, resulting in the man sending Eddie flying across the mosh pit with an aggressive push.

“I’d get snapped in half,” I joke, watching as Steve and Eddie ferociously headbang to an intense guitar solo. I bring my glass to my lips, taking a slow sip of my drink. “I just love seeing Ed in his element.”

As the song draws to a close, from the stage, Metallica starts playing one of their slower songs, “Nothing Else Matters.” As the mosh pit starts to dissipate, Eddie and Steve run back to us, stupid grins plastered across their faces.

“HOLY SHIT!” Eddie grabs my hand, the heat from his sweaty forehead causing his already curly hair to become even curlier. He’s trembling, looking like he’s about to explode. “CHRISSY, LOOK AT THIS!”

Opening his shaking palm, Eddie reveals a heavily used Metallica-branded guitar pick.

“I- I-“ Eddie stutters, looking like he’s about to burst into a sea of happy tears. “I- I caught Kirk Hammett’s guitar pick!”

Eddie giggles loudly, looking at the guitar pick in his hand, completely mesmerized by the little piece of plastic. He always talks about how Kirk Hammett is one of his biggest guitar idols, and seeing Eddie treasure his guitar pick is ridiculously sweet.

“EDDIE! That’s so amazing!,” I nestle my head into the crook of my boyfriend’s neck, looking up to plant a little kiss on his cheek. “I’m so, so happy for you.”

Safely pocketing the guitar pick, Eddie kisses my forehead, swaying gently to the reduced pace of the music. “I’m freaking out right now, Chris. I’m guarding that guitar pick with my life.”

“As you should,” I smirk, glancing at Steve and Nancy, before glancing towards the stage.

“They’re incredibly talented,” I whisper in Eddie’s ear, standing on my tiptoes to get a better look.

“I told you… they put on a hell of a show.”

Eddie glances down at me, before glancing back at the stage.

“Can you see?”

“A little,” I try to peer through the sea of people to catch a glimpse of the band.

“Here,” Eddie smirks, bending down and motioning for me to hop on his shoulders. “Get on.”

Straddling my legs over Eddie’s shoulder blades, he lifts me up, using his large hands to firmly grip my thighs. I gently set my free hand on my partner’s head, giggling softly as he carefully sings along to every lyric.

Nancy follows suit, crawling onto Steve’s shoulders, grabbing my hand and raising her glass with an ecstatic cheer.

————

“This round’s on me,” I smile, watching Eddie admire the massive bag of merch he bought at the concert. The four of us stumbled upon a cute little pub a couple blocks away from the stadium, and decided that a few post-concert drinks and a snack might be a good idea. “What does everyone want?”

“I’ll take a whiskey sour please,” Eddie pops a ketchup-covered fry in his mouth. He’s clearly still on cloud nine from catching Kirk Hammett’s pick a few hours ago.

“I’ll take one of those too,” Steve runs a hand through his hair, which somehow retained its signature swoop even after a night full of moshing, and his other hand on top of Nancy’s thigh.

“I’ll have a vodka lemonade,” Nancy says, swirling the straw in her empty glass. “Thanks Chrissy.”

I smile, making my way towards the bar, which is absolutely crawling with Metallica fans who must’ve had the same post-concert idea as us.

“Two whiskey sours and two vodka lemonades please,” I hand the bartender my credit card, slowly tapping my fingers against the counter to pass the time.

“Who are those drinks for Chrissy? That freak with the long hair who you’re practically throwing yourself on top of?”

A panicked feeling sets in, sweat pooling on the apples of my cheeks.

“J-Jason?” I stumble, not turning around in an attempt to avoid any eye contact. “W-what are you doing here?”

“I live here Chrissy,” he snaps, forcing me to face him. “And I thought I’d go try the new pub downtown, but who do I see in the window? The girl who dumped my sorry ass a month ago, arms wrapped around some greasy loser!”

Jason clenches his teeth, his square jaw tight with rage.

“You left me for that idiot?!” He gestures back to the table, where Eddie, Steve, and Nancy are chatting away. “Why? What does that little prick have that I don’t?!”

I wince, gripping the edge of the bar in fear.

“I didn’t leave you for him. I had been wanting to leave you for a long time. We didn’t even get together until after you and I had separated.”

“Bullshit,” he grumbles. “That dickhead got into your head didn’t he? I mean look at you… wearing-“ He squints, staring at my Corroded Coffin shirt, which I borrowed from Eddie for the concert. “Wearing whatever the hell that is!”

Saying anything would be useless. There’s no reasoning with him, so I just shrink back into the bar.

“Do you seriously think you’ll be happier with that asshole? What does he do for work Chrissy? He’s not in the NBA right? He’s not a successful athlete right? Let me guess, he’s from that dinky-ass town where you’re working at that dumbass school right?”

“His name is Eddie,” I choke behind tears. I’m sure I’m making a massive scene, but I can’t help but cry out of pure fear. “And none of that money shit matters if you’re not a good person. Jason, please leave me alone.”

“Why should I? I think now’s a great time to talk this out.”

“Please Jason…”

Jason lurches closer, his gargantuan build making me feel even more pathetic in his presence. He leans in, reaching out a hand, but suddenly, he’s aggressively pulled backwards by a familiar hand covered in various skull rings.

Chapter 9: Chapter Nine

November 21st, 12:34 AM | From the Viewpoint of Eddie Munson

“Hey asshole, back off!” I pull the massive blonde away from Chrissy, glaring into his blue eyes as he turns around to face me. He seems oddly familiar, like I’ve seen him somewhere before.

“Oh, the freak speaks!” The man laughs. “Listen up you bastard, I don’t know what kind of shit you pulled on Chrissy to make her leave me for you, but what you’re doing here needs to stop. Chrissy loves me… we dated for five years!”

Dated? For five years? Chrissy has never told me about her exes, just because I never cared to know… but if Chrissy really left this guy for me, I’m sure there’s a story to be told.

“I didn’t leave you for him Jason!” Chrissy says sheepishly. “How many times do I have to tell you that! I left you before I started dating Eddie!”

Jason? That’s where I recognize this meathead from. Jason Carver… the point guard for the Indiana Pacers.

I sigh, looking over at Chrissy before looking back at Jason. He’s extremely preppy, his hair perfectly combed to the side, slicked to his head with a massive amount of gel. His wrist is adorned in a watch that looks ridiculously expensive, and all his clothes are too high quality to be cheap.

This asshole looks like he’s had everything handed to him for the entirety of his life. It might be the alcohol and the post-Metallica concert high I’m having, but I kind of want to mess with him.

“I don’t believe you Chrissy!” Jason hisses. “This curly-headed asshat did something to you and I can tell.”

Against my better judgement, I flash Jason a sarcastic shrug. “If I can interject, I obviously used my black magic metal powers to cast a dark spell on her to make her fall in love with me. Or I’m just undeniably sexy and seduced her with my extreme good looks and my dashing personality.”

Jason’s lower lip practically disappears as he hurls a punch straight into my left eye, knocking me to the ground in a thunderous swoop. As my body makes impact, Jason throws a punch into my gut, and another into my chest, each consecutive hit growing harder and harder.

Jason throws a punch into my forehead, the impact from his NBA Championship ring opening a gash on my skin. Everything hurts, but I try to take each punch like a champ.

I want to retaliate, I really do, but I’m not one for violence. Even when Henderson was getting mercilessly bullied at school and came to me for advice, I told him that punching anyone would be pointless. I just took Henderson to the principal’s office and we sorted the situation out organically.

“Eddie!” Chrissy falls to the ground, bringing her hand to my left cheek, carefully examining my face as my eye begins to throb.

“What the hell Jason?!” Chrissy helps me to my feet. “You need to leave! Now!”

“Not until you dump this bastard,” Jason proudly beams at his clenched fist. “Maybe I can knock a little sense into him.”

“Not in my bar!” The bartender yells at Jason, pointing for the door. “Get out, now!”

Jason rolls his eyes. “Look freak, if you’re not a total puss, you’ll meet me in the alley behind this place and we can settle things there.”

“I think that you settled things yourself,” I smirk, pointing to Nancy, who has been filming most of the situation on her phone.

With widened eyes and shortened breath, Jason storms over to Nancy. “Delete that shit, now.”

“Why would she?” Steve steps in front of Nancy, guarding her from Jason’s wrath. “You just physically assaulted someone in a bar, pretty boy. I’d say that’s what… maybe a 10 game suspension? Maybe 20?”

“Delete it!”

Nancy shrugs before pointing at another woman filming the situation across the bar.

“Tell that to her.”

While his entire face sweats in anguish, Jason bites his lip, glaring at me before slowly flashing me the bird. “This isn’t over!”

I chuckle weakly, tasting the blood in my mouth before I stick my tongue out and give Jason my signature devil horns on his way out.

————

“Damn Chrissy, that guy’s a serious asshole.” Steve drives through the dimly lit Indianapolis streets, turning onto the block where our hotel is. “It’s a good thing that Nance posted that video.”

“It’s already at a hundred shares,” Nancy chuckles. “Jason deserves whatever’s coming to him.”

Chrissy says nothing, just focusing on rubbing my chest slowly, tears dripping down her cheeks like little waterfalls.

“I- I’m so sorry Eddie,” she sobs into my shirt. “I- I feel terrible.”

“Chrissy baby, I already told you it’s fine,” I smile weakly, feeling the dried blood on my forehead. “I’ve been beaten up before… Steve can attest to that.”

Steve chuckles. “I may or may not have beat Eddie up in high school. But it’s old news.”

“I may or may not have set off a smoke bomb in his locker,” I try to make Chrissy laugh, but she just stays completely quiet.

As we park at the hotel, Nancy and Steve help Chrissy and I to our room, bringing us ice from the machine down the hall to set on my bruises. As soon as they leave, Chrissy immediately begins dressing my wounds and washing dried clumps of blood out of my hair, still living with tears in her eyes.

“I hate him,” she sobs. “I hate him so much for what he did to you… I should have punched him in the face. I should have stood up to him more.”

As the cool ice touches the bruise on my stomach, I wince sharply. “I hate him for how he treated you. He sounds like a terrible boyfriend.”

“He was.”

I chuckle. “How so?”

“Everything was about him. He never did anything nice for me when I’d go out of my way to make sure I supported him through every step of his career. And he was just so controlling. Oh Chrissy, you’re too small. Oh Chrissy, you're too big. Chrissy, don’t do your makeup like that, it’s too much.”

Oh my god. Somehow, I hate Jason even more.

“No one should ever tell you those things Chrissy,” I hold a piece of ice up to my eye. “One, you’re perfect at whatever size, and two, who cares if you do your makeup a certain way?”

Chrissy blushes behind her tears. “I don’t know… he’s just terrible. And I did break up with him before I started dating you. It’s not like I cheated on him.”

I motion forgot Chrissy to lay down next to me, carefully setting her head on the side of my chest that isn’t sporting a greenish bruise.

“Well clearly he’s too dumb to comprehend that.”

“He just doesn’t understand how women work,” a small, but genuine giggle emerges from Chrissy. “And he didn’t use his black metal magic powers to cast a dark spell on me.”

I laugh, still tasting the metallic tinge of blood in the back of my throat. “You liked that line, eh?”

“I loved it,” she plants a gentle kiss on the right hand side of my lips, careful to avoid the spot where Jason split them. “I just feel bad that our great weekend was ruined by him. He got exactly what he wanted.”

“Oh no he didn’t,” I smirk. “We went to an absolutely perfect concert, I caught my idol’s guitar pick, I got to know Steve and Nancy better, and I got to spend the weekend with my incredibly kind, gorgeous girlfriend. I can’t think of a better way this could have gone.”

Chrissy blushes, planting a kiss on my forehead this time. “Well, not being punched by my awful ex could have improved things a bit.”

“Nah, I like having battle scars.”

Her blue eyes roll sarcastically as she nestles into my chest after turning the lights off.

A brief moment of silence sweeps over us, before her meek voice cuts through the darkness.

“I really love you, Eddie Munson.”

I’m glad that the lights are turned off, because I’m grinning like a kid in a candy store.

“I really love you, Chrissy Cunningham.”

Chapter 10: Chapter Ten

November 24th, 6:32 PM | From the Viewpoint of Chrissy Cunningham

“I can’t believe Jason didn’t threaten legal action against Eddie,” Nancy chuckles, shuffling into the auditorium seat next to me. It’s the winter music recital at Hawkins Art Academy, and I came to see Dustin and Eddie perform together.

“I know!” I glance up at the empty platform, eagerly waiting for the first act to take the stage. “I think the video evidence was too incriminating. The fact that he is being suspended for 25 games is insane.”

Nancy smirks as she adjusts the bottom of her dress. “It’s what he deserves. He hasn’t tried to get a hold of you again has he?”

“I blocked his number,” I gaze down at my recital program. The first act is Suzie Bingham, singing a few solo songs. “I’m just hoping he doesn’t reach out to my parents. They’re uh… not happy that I broke up with him.”

Nancy raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

“They really liked him. Their fantasy was always for me to go to a good college and marry someone from a rich family. When I broke up with Jason, I kind of squashed that dream.”

“Have they met Eddie yet?” Nancy asks. “Once they meet him, they’ll probably realize he’s better for you than Jason ever was.”

I shake my head. “No, but I’m going to invite him on our family Florida trip next month. He can meet my parents, my grandma, some of my cousins…”

“Do you think they’ll like him?”

I sigh heavily. “I’m not sure. My mom wasn’t thrilled with how Jason was acting when she saw the video you posted on the nightly,news.”

“Well I’d hope so!” Nancy laughs. “If he’s going to act like that in public, imagine how he would have treated you in private!”

“Oh totally. I just don’t know how they’ll react to um… Eddie. I know that they love the fact that he stood up for me, but sometimes I just wonder if they’re too close-minded.”

Nancy raises an eyebrow. “How so?”

I shrug. “Well, Eddie is the opposite of Jason in every way. He lives a pretty modest lifestyle, he’s incredibly bold in terms of his interests, he’s obviously gorgeous, but it’s a different kind of gorgeous than what my parents think is gorgeous. It’s just a pretty big move to go from dating an NBA player to a small town music teacher.”

I catch my breath.

“But I wouldn’t change a thing. I told Eddie that I love him the other night when we were in Indianapolis...”

Nancy’s small lips purse into a grin. “And?”

I blush, shoving my face into my hands to muffle my voice. “He said he loves me too.”

Nancy excitedly gasps. “What did he say?!”

“He said he loves me too…”

“Chrissy!” Nancy playfully smacks my shoulder. “Chrissy, that's amazing! God, you guys are so stinkin’ cute!”

Without making any embarrassing eye contact with Nancy, I resort to glancing down at my lap. I am blushing like an idiot thinking about what happened in Eddie and I’s hotel room. The two of us… cuddled together… my head cradled into his shirtless chest…

“Oh stop it Nancy!”

Nancy tenderly places her hand on my shoulder. “I think that once your parents see how smitten you two are with each other, things will fall into place,” she pauses. “Eddie’s maybe a little intimidating at first, but literally everyone who gets the chance to actually know him knows that he’s just a big softy.”

I smile slightly, thinking about how gentle Eddie is with me, how he reminds me to eat if he knows that I accidentally skipped a meal, how he always knows when I’ve woken up in a bad mood and he fixes it by bringing me coffee… If my parents see that stuff, maybe they’ll come around to him.

Before I can even respond to Nancy, Principal Hopper walks across the auditorium stage, smiling brightly as he makes his way to the podium.

“Good evening everyone!” Hopper speaks through the microphone. “Tonight we’re all here to show you what our music program at Hawkins Art Academy has been working on for the majority of the first semester. Starting off, we’d like to welcome Suzie Bingham, the lead soloist from our choir program!”

The crowd erupts into thunderous applause as Suzie, looking adorable in her signature pigtails, walks onto the stage. As she begins to sing the first few notes of her opening song, I notice Dustin peering through the curtains on stage left, watching Suzie intently with a massive grin on his face.

Suzie, who is incredibly talented and doesn’t sing a single note off key, finishes a trio of songs. Hopper walks onto the stage again, adjusting his black bow tie proudly.

“The next student performer is Dustin Henderson, a student in Mr. Edward Munson’s guitar classes. Dustin will be playing three songs, and Mr. Munson will join him for the last one.”

Walking onto the stage amidst the claps from the audience, Dustin waves to his parents in the first row. Eddie, who is sporting his Corroded Coffin shirt underneath a suit coat, watches from the wings, staring intently at Dustin with pride.

A quick guitar strum fills the air as Dustin begins to play the first few chords of “Master of Puppets”. He plays just like Eddie… making the same goofy grins and little gestures like Eddie does at his Corroded Coffin shows. The way Dustin bites his tongue the same way Eddie does when he’s concentrating is just absolutely adorable.

According to Steve, Dustin has always admired Eddie. Apparently Eddie really cracked down on a bunch of bullies who were targeting Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Will, and ever since, Dustin has looked up to Eddie like some sort of older brother. And obviously, since Eddie’s a teacher, he shouldn’t play favorites, but it’s incredibly clear that Dustin is his guitar protégé.

“He’s incredible,” Nancy whispers as Dustin wraps up his first song, going into the next one, which I don’t recognize.

“Isn’t he?”

The crowd, especially Dustin’s family, applauds brightly as Eddie struts out onto stage for the last song, guitar and mic in hand. He smirks as he locks his microphone on the stand, and goofily looks over the audience.

“Um, hey,” he chuckles nervously, spinning his mic stand around in an anxious blur. “Dustin and I have been working on this song during our lessons, so here it is. It’s um- ‘The Frayed Ends of Sanity’ by Metallica.”

I try to not giggle as Eddie and Dustin descend into their song. It takes a moment, but as soon as the lyrics hit, Eddie gets into his groove and starts thrashing aggressively like he normally does at his gigs. I swear, Eddie is always so nervous and stilted when he’s front and center during school events. But, when he’s on stage at the Hideout, he absolutely drips with confidence. It’s really, really cute.

God, I hope that if he chooses to come on my family’s Florida trip, my family can forget about Jason and give Eddie a proper chance.

————

“I’m shocked we got a table here,” Eddie smirks, practically shoveling pesto pasta into his mouth. “After any fancy school event, the parents always take their kids to Enzo’s.”

“Well, it is the best place in town,” the smooth, bitter taste of red wine dances on my tongue. Nerves about asking Eddie if he wants to meet my family are hooked to my heart like an anchor dragging me down in the depths of anxiety.

“Isn’t it?” Eddie takes another massive bite of pasta. “God, it’s good. We should come here on New Year’s next month.”

New Year’s… here’s my chance.

“Coming here would be great,” I sigh. “But I actually had a different idea of how we could spend New Year’s…”

“Oh, you just want a night in to experience a little Munson magic?” Eddie winks sarcastically. “I’m down for that.”

I shake my head. “Ed, that sounds amazing. But I um…”

In an attempt to stall, I swirl my glass of wine.

“I um… actually honey…. I wanted to invite you on my family trip to Florida to meet my parents. We’d leave the day after winter break starts and we’d come home on January 3rd…”

Eddie’s smiling dimples disappear. “What?”

I nod. “I um… I want you to meet my family. If um… if you were planning on spending winter break with Wayne I get it but I just thought-“

“Would we be flying there?” Eddie twitches nervously. Oh god, I freaked him out didn’t I?

I nod.

My boyfriend takes a massive swig of wine. “I’m deathly afraid of airplanes, but I’m in.”

In a hazy, blended blur, the room starts to spin around me. “Seriously?”

“Yeah I’ve never been on a plane but they just seem absolutely horrifying-“

“No!” I interrupt. “I mean you seriously want to come?”

Eddie pushes a curl out of his face. “Well, of course! I get to meet my beautiful girlfriend’s family! And I get to look at you in a swimsuit for like two weeks.”

“Oh, you dork,” I snicker, still trying to get over the fact that Eddie said yes.. “But you’ll actually come?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I’ve got to prove to your parents that their daughter is in capable hands after Jason the Dickish treated you like absolute shit.”

“You’ll look past your fear of airplanes?”

“I’ll probably throw up a couple times and make you hold my hand, but yeah.”

I swallow heavily as I prepare to text my mother to tell her that Eddie will be traveling with me on our family trip.

Chapter 11: Chapter Eleven

December 22nd, 1:19 PM | From the Viewpoint of Eddie Munson

“Holy hell, it’s hotter than Hades here!” The Florida heat beats down onto my arms as we exit the airport, waiting in the parking area for Chrissy’s parents to pick us up. The plane ride was disastrous and I thought I was going to die several times, but I suppose being out of the Hawkins winter chill made the agonizing trip worth it.

Chrissy smiles, throwing her strawberry blonde waves into a knot on top of her head before she walks over and ties my hair up too. “Feels good right? It almost makes the fact that you nearly tore my hand off on the plane ride here worth it.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault that I can’t handle flying. I just don’t like being stuck in a flying metal death trap.”

“Well, you did better than I thought you would,” her fingers, adorned in a light pink polish with little daisies drawn on them, intertwine with mine. “You didn’t throw up at all.”

“Shockingly,” I can feel beads of sweat welling up on the back of my neck. Obviously, the weather is hotter than what I’m used to, but I’m also extremely terrified of meeting Chrissy’s parents. Of course, Chrissy doesn’t know how scared I am… I tried to make it seem like most of my fear stemmed from the plane ride it took to get down here.

Chrissy doesn’t talk much about her family. I think Chrissy and her mother used to have a bit of a rocky relationship, but it’s not my business to pry into any of that, so I never ask about it unless she brings it up.

We cook in the intense sun, the two of us breaking out in a humid sweat that’s only broken by the light tropical breeze.

“Anything I need to know about how I should act around your folks?” I ask. “Is there stuff I shouldn’t talk about?”

Chrissy’s eyes light up as a red SUV rounds the corner and pulls into the lot. She quickly squeezes my hand as she spots her parents through the car windows. “Just be yourself Eddie. You’ll do great, I promise.”

The SUV halts in front of us, with Chrissy’s parents practically leaping out of the front seats.

“Christina!” Chrissy’s dad lifts his daughter off of the ground, practically pulling her into a chokehold. “How are you?!”

Chrissy’s mom, who has the same ginger-toned hair as her daughter, joins the family hug, grabbing Chrissy’s shoulders.

As the Cunningham hug breaks apart, Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham look over at me with hesitant smiles.

Normally, I really try not to care much about what other people think of me, but the way that Chrissy’s parents are staring makes me feel like an animal in a cage.

“Elliot! Hey!” Mrs. Cunningham pulls me into a hug. “It’s so lovely to meet you in person!”

“It’s uh- Eddie actually,” I chuckle weakly, lightly hugging the older woman back. “It’s so nice to meet you too Mrs. Cunningham.”

“Oh, Eddie, I’m so sorry sweetheart! And please, call me Laura.”

Chrissy’s father walks over, extending a hand for me to shake.

“Hi Edward. I’m Phil. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

I shake Phil’s hand firmly, trying to steer my attention away from the fact that he’s staring at the bat tattoos on my forearm. “The pleasure’s all mine sir.”

Phil and Laura help us load our bags into the car before we get inside, the sweet sensation of the car’s air conditioning drenching my body in a gentle chill.

The car pulls out of the airport, and we begin to head towards Chrissy’s grandmother’s home.

“So Eddie,” Laura chimes from the passenger seat, “you work at the school where Chrissy works?”

I swallow nervously. “Yeah I- I’m a music teacher. I mainly focus on guitar lessons.”

“Wow!” Phil turns onto the highway. “Did you uh… go to school for that? For teaching?”

I shake my head. “Nope. I never went to college. I just uh… after high school I took a gap year to do some stuff with my band and then I threw out an ad for guitar lessons. I taught guitar to elementary-aged kids independently for a year and a half before I was approached by the school. Now I teach high schoolers.”

Laura turns around, flashing me a smile. “Interesting! And you’ve been working for the school for-“

“Almost nine years,” I sigh. “Time really flies by.”

“The kids really love him,” Chrissy interjects, gently grazing her hand on top of my knee. “And he’s pretty involved with extracurriculars.”

I chuckle. “I don’t know if running a Dungeons and Dragons club is really an extracurricular but-“

“You run a Dungeons and Dragons club?” Phil laughs. “You’re into that um… geeky stuff?”

“Yeah I’ve been playing it for years. I’m the DM actually which means that I kind of direct the story for everyone to play through.”

“Huh,” Laura mutters, staring out the window.

There’s an awkward silence that sweeps over the four of us, lasting a good minute or so.

“So tell me about your band,” Phil breaks the silence. “Chrissy had mentioned that you play at a bar?”

“Oh yeah… uh, every Tuesday night my buddies and I play at this little dive back in Hawkins called the Hideout. We uh- Corroded Coffin…. we play what I’d like to call a fusion of thrash metal and speed metal… it’s cool stuff. The Hideout gets pretty crazy on Tuesday nights.”

“So you uh… you play heavy stuff?”

Chrissy tightens her grip on my knee. “I’d say that Corroded Coffin sounds a lot like Metallica. You like Metallica don’t you dad?”

“Not really,” Phil grumbles. “Eddie… do you uh… make any money off of your uh… black metal band?”

“It’s absolutely not black metal,” I chuckle. “Black metal is often associated with dark themes and we tend to lean more towards-“

I pause, not wanting to sound like an asshole for correcting Chrissy’s dad on the genre of my band.

“Yeah I make a little cash off of Corroded Coffin. Not a ton. Just twenty percent of the ticket sales that we split between the four of us. It’s typically enough for each of us to buy a few beers. I don’t do it for the money though.”

A small sigh escapes from Phil’s lips.

God… they hate me, don’t they?

————

I jump slightly, taken aback by how freezing the sunscreen feels against my warm skin as Chrissy uses her soft hands to rub delicate circles into my back.

The first few days of our trip have been going really well to say the least. I think Phil and Laura like me… or at least I assume they do. And Chrissy’s grandma nearly drowns me in a hug every time I talk to her.

“God, your grandma’s house is huge,” I mutter. “This pool is just… it really puts the public pool back in Hawkins to shame.”

I glance at the large, pastel pink house in front of us, gawking at how massive it is. Sprawling rooms, tall ceilings, winding hallways covered in expensive art. It’s basically a mansion… a candy colored mansion that makes my all black wardrobe stand out like a sore thumb.

Chrissy motions for me to turn around so she can put sunscreen on my stomach, her face a little rosy and sunkissed.

She looks stunning in her bright aqua bikini, showing off every single angelic curve of her body.

Making sure Chrissy’s parents and grandma aren’t around, I lean in and gently press the tip of my nose to hers. “God, you’re gorgeous.”

Chrissy blushes. “Speak for yourself, Munson. You’re just…”

I set my hands on her hips, passionately placing my lips against hers.

“Oh, Eddie…” Chrissy initiates the second kiss, her hands promptly set atop the hairs of my chest.

We kiss in the sunlight for several minutes before Laura calls for Chrissy to come into the house for something.

“Wait here,” Chrissy blushes, adjusting her bikini top. “Let’s continue this when I get back.”

I nod gently as I watch Chrissy walk through the sliding glass door.

As soon as she’s out of view, I pull out my cell phone to text Steve. He’s been constantly asking me about how the trip has been going, constantly asking me about how Chrissy’s parents have been treating me. He’s extremely nosy.

After I reply to Steve, also sending him a photo of Chrissy and I by the beach, I decide that I’m going to go inside and make myself another drink before I continue to bake in the sun.

I make my way towards the kitchen, hearing murmurs of Chrissy’s conversation with her mother.

“How much have you been eating? You look like you’ve put on a lot of weight. That swimsuit fit you completely different when you came here last year.”

“I really haven’t put on much of anything mom. I’m just finally eating three meals a day again and I feel like I’m healthy-“

“Well, you might want to cut that out. I feel like Jason looked after you more than Eddie does. Which, by the way, none of us are sure how we feel about him. I for one think that he’s a bad influence.”

“Mom this isn’t the time-“

“Well, when is the time Chrissy? I just don’t want you getting involved with some low-income weirdo who never went to college and can barely comb his hair.”

“Mom, I’m in love with him. There’s no changing that.”

I feel like I just got shot in the chest. A sharp pain pangs my heart, not only because of hearing that Laura doesn’t approve of me, but because of hearing how Laura criticizes Chrissy’s appearance. Chrissy looks absolutely stunning… and I’ve always thought she was on the thinner side. I don’t know what her mom is seeing. And even if Chrissy wasn’t on the thinner side, what parent treats their kid like that?

“Well, maybe you should figure out a way to change it. Your father and I-“

“Don’t drag me into this when I never said anything or even agreed with you Laura,” I hear Phil’s voice. “Look Chrissy, I really like him. He’s very funny, and he seems to treat you extremely well. And I like that he expresses himself. Sure, he’s a big change from Jason, but seeing how happy you two are with each other makes me want to be supportive of you two.”

“I won’t be supportive if this continues.”

“Laura, it’s Chrissy’s choice. I for one see how joyful their relationship is. I mean, I don’t really understand the tattoos or the metal music or the long hair or the Lord of the Rings stuff… but I think you two make a very adorable couple.”

“I wouldn’t call it adorable.”

“I think he’s very sweet,” Chrissy’s grandma joins the discussion. “And he’s handsome too. He reminds me of the gentlemen I’d see at Led Zeppelin concerts back in the 70s.”

I chuckle softly, bracing to enter the house. Opening the sliding door, I pretend I didn’t hear anything as I walk over to the liquor cabinet to grab some whiskey.

“Oh, hey Eddie!” Laura’s tone of voice completely changes. The venom in her speech is gone, replaced by a faux cheeriness. “Can I get you anything?”

“I’m just making myself a drink,” I shoot Laura an over the top grin that even the Joker would be intimidated by. “Chrissy, did you remember to eat breakfast today?”

And with those eight words, I can see that Laura Cunningham knows I heard every word of that conversation.

Chapter 12: Chapter Twelve

December 28th, 2:17 PM | From the Viewpoint of Chrissy Cunningham

Eddie smiles softly as he walks across the room, whiskey in hand, and kisses my cheek. “You ate breakfast right, Chris? I just wanted to make sure you didn’t forget.”

Unsurprisingly, my mother is fuming. I know Eddie well enough to understand that he’s using sarcasm to prove a point to my mother, but I don’t think he knows just exactly how toxic she can be.

“Yeah I uh- I had some yogurt while you slept in,” I place my hand on the crook of his back.

“Good,” he smirks. “I never want you to be starving and I know that you forget to eat.”

My mom’s right eye twitches in annoyance.

“Eddie, did you hear what we were just talking about?” Her tone of voice is biting and sharp.

Eddie chuckles. “Oh, the conversation about how I never went to college and that I’m a low-income weirdo? Yeah I heard a bit of it.”

I bite my lip. “Eddie this isn’t the right time to-“

“Oh, I think it is,” Eddie interrupts me and crosses his arms confidently. “Look, I’m not gonna pretend that I’m not some sort of freak. I’ve always been a freak, and I really don’t care if people think that I’m a weirdo. However, I do care when people talk negatively about my girlfriend, and what you said about Chrissy’s appearance is completely unnecessary. It’s also rude, malicious, and frankly, it’s total bullshit.”

Oh god.

My mother winces. “Eddie, don’t talk to me like-“

“No Laura, I will talk to you like that. Chrissy is one of the most friendly, intelligent, radiant, beautiful people I’ve ever met, and you making her feel like she’s anything less than that is absolutely awful. Telling your daughter, who is a gym teacher and a huge role model for a bunch of kids by the way, that she needs to skip meals is absolutely despicable.”

My dad flashes me a bright grin and a miniature thumbs up before Eddie continues talking. I love my dad dearly, but growing up, he was always absolutely terrified of standing up to my mom. She never loosens the reins during an argument until she gets what she wants, so my dad was always the type to just stay out of it.

“I’m not one to judge how someone parents their kids since I don’t have any,” Eddie sighs. “But I’ve always noticed that Chrissy is extremely self-conscious about her appearance, and after what I just heard you say, I know why that would be the case. The awful things that you have told her about her appearance or her eating habits stick around more than you realize. Hearing stuff like that coming from your own mother is disgusting.”

My mother scoffs loudly. “Well I’m sure you’ve never been on a cheerleading squad or have been in the running for prom queen. Chrissy needed to be looking her absolute best. And when she’s smaller, she looks better.”

“Well, obviously I never ran for prom queen,” Eddie laughs. “And I don’t think you realize that Chrissy has always looked her absolute best. I’ve only known her for a few months, but I’ve seen old pictures of her, and she’s always looked gorgeous to me.”

Eddie has been the only boyfriend I’ve ever had that has dared to stand up to my mother. Especially in such an aggressive way. He’s absolutely not backing down… I think Mom has finally found her match.

My mother completely ignores what Eddie just said, and continues on her own critical rampage.

“Everything I did for Chrissy was to make her successful. But clearly I screwed up because she left Jason Carver for… well, you. And you’re someone who will never be good enough for her. You’re trailer trash! You’re unfulfilled! When Chrissy mentioned who she was dating, I checked your background. You repeated your senior year twice!”

Eddie swallows heavily, looking at his sandaled feet in utter silence.

He’s never told me that he repeated his senior year, let alone repeated it twice.

I try to get Eddie to look at me, but all his attention is directed to the floor. He’s dead quiet, his signature dimples completely absent from his face. His lower lip quivers slightly, before he pulls it in with his teeth. He truly looks broken.

“Mom!” I snap impulsively. “Enough! First of all, what made you think you had any right to look into his past?! And second, Eddie… don’t listen to her. She’s just upset that I chose someone who actually treats me like a human being instead of choosing Jason’s money.”

Eddie’s brown doe eyes flush with a sparkly glow... the exact glow that happens in someone’s eyes before there’s usually a rush of unending tears. “Well, she is right,” he chuckles, his laughter held back by the shortness of his breath. “I’m not good enough for you. But no one is. You’re Chrissy freakin’ Cunningham.”

My grandmother takes a stern glimpse at my mother, her eyes fiery with disapproval behind her big circular glasses. She then smiles softly at Eddie, the entire demeanor of her face changing to something amiable and warm. With a slight giggle, she begins to speak.

“No one deserves my granddaughter. But Edward, you’re the closest anyone’s ever been.

I lean further into Eddie’s arm, which is still comfortably warm from the sun, and stare at his little bat tattoos.

“Mom!” My mother interjects. “Quit being supportive of this! Don’t you see that he’s a bad influence?”

“How so?” Grandma walks over and places her wrinkled hand on Eddie’s shoulder. “All I see is a sweet young man who is absolutely smitten with your beautiful daughter. If you can’t see that, you need to get your eyes checked.”

The faint, weak outline of a smile appears on Eddie’s face before he nods in acknowledgment and leaves the room, his head held low.

————

“Eddie? Eddie? Baby? Please let me in! I just want to talk!”

It’s been about half an hour since Eddie left in the middle of the argument, and he hasn’t unlocked the door to the bedroom we’re staying in.

“In a little bit, Chrissy,” he chokes. “I just… I just need another minute.”

“Eddie, please!”

A few minutes pass before the door reluctantly unlocks. I step inside, locking the door behind me.

For the first time ever, Eddie Munson looks like absolute hell. His whole face is ripe and raw with fresh tears, and he’s trembling. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen him like this… the only time he’s ever looked vulnerable.

A dark cloud feels as if it has begun to loom over the entire room. I hate seeing Eddie like this. The confident man that fears no one has been completely blindsided, replaced by a hollow, sulking shell of his usual confident self.

“Eddie… I’m so sorry.”

Eddie sits on the edge of the bed, inhaling sharply so as to sound like he hasn’t been crying.

“I never wanted you to find out about this.”

I sit next to him, resting a few of my fingers against his shaking hand. “Why? Eddie… it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Sure it doesn’t,” he grumbles. “Getting held back twice during the easiest year of high school because you were just so unmotivated means absolutely nothing, right? God… I just wanna…”

Eddie clenches his hand into a fist.

“I just wanna go back and beat myself up. I wanna go back in time and tell myself that school is more important than Dungeons and Dragons and Corroded Coffin and hanging out with Wayne and his biker friends.”

Taking Eddie’s hand in my own, I gently uncurl his fingers and start to rub his palm.

“Eddie, that stuff is important. Don’t tell yourself that your interests mean nothing. Corroded Coffin and Dungeons and Dragons and the great relationship you have with your uncle make you who you are.”

“And who I am happens to be a complete dumbass loser.”

I roll my eyes. “Eddie, you’re not a dumbass. You’re insanely intelligent.”

“Tell that to the F in Mrs. O’Donnell’s chemistry class that held me back for two years.”

I grab Eddie’s hand. “Eddie, you’re not an idiot. Just because chemistry isn’t your strong suit doesn’t mean that you aren’t smart. I mean, think about when you and I were listening to the radio a few weeks ago and you learned how to play that Mastodon song by ear. That’s a huge skill that not a lot of people have.”

“It’s a pointless skill,” he mutters.

“It isn’t at all!”

“It is actually.”

“Eddie…”

My boyfriend pushes my hand away as he stares at a palm tree just outside of the window.

“Chrissy, I love you… but can you please just leave me alone?”

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Notes:

Thank you all for your support so far on this fic! I appreciate it so much!

December 29th, 6:49 AM | From the Viewpoint of Eddie Munson

Gentle streams of morning light pour through the blinds, causing me to wake up from my groggy night of sleep. My eyelids are sticky from yesterday’s tears, and Chrissy, who is sound asleep, is wrapped around my waist.

I’m glad that I didn’t totally push her away. I acted like a jerk when she was just trying to lift my spirits a bit. Being forcefully reminded of your failures isn’t exactly the best feeling in the world.

I really don’t want to wake Chrissy up, but I need to shift into a slightly more comfortable position. If I’m going to interrupt her sleep, I’m going to do it gently.

Careful not to be too harsh, I slowly place my hand on her back, rotating my head to give her a little kiss on the cheek.

Yawning, Chrissy turns and nudges her face into the crook of my arm. “Hmm?”

Moving the stray bangs off of her forehead, my lips meet her warm skin for a second time.

With tired eyes, Chrissy yawns again. “Mmmm, Eddie.”

Pulling her closer to me while I shift my weight, my hands on her hips, I close my eyes, just slightly. “Morning sweetheart,” I yawn. “I’m uh- glad to see that I didn’t completely push you away.”

“I thought I’d just give you your space,” Chrissy tightens her arms around my stomach. “As much as I wanted to comfort you, I wanted to respect the fact that you needed a little time to yourself.”

I shrug, opening my eyes to look at Chrissy. Even with messy morning hair, she looks absolutely gorgeous. “I was a jerk.”

“You really weren’t. You have every right to be upset. My mom seriously crossed a line.”

“Well, you could definitely say that again,” I mutter. “I don’t know why she felt like she needed to do a background check on me.”

Chrissy shrugs. “It’s because she sees how happy I am with you and she doesn’t like it. So she dug up every piece of information she could about you to try and change my mind.”

Slowly, her lips brush against my cheek.

“It didn’t work.”

I try to let out a lighthearted laugh, but I fail miserably. I really try not to think about the fact that I was a senior for three years… the fact that Steve, who’s a year younger than I am, and Nancy, who’s two years younger, both graduated before me. I try to bury all my memories of high school… the six miserable years of high school that I never took seriously… the six years of high school that made me feel absolutely worthless.

Wayne tried to help me focus on school. But between his buddies always coming over and the unfortunate schedule of working night shifts, he wasn’t around me enough when I was home to talk some actual sense into me. I know that he tried fi on multiple occasions, but my hotheaded personality at the time didn’t allow for any of what he said to actually be retained.

Every day I look at Chrissy and wonder what she’s thinking. Just being in Florida with her grandma and hearing about Chrissy being head cheerleader in high school and graduating with a 4.0 GPA makes me feel like I’m holding her back. And I don’t want my shortcomings to be another reason for Laura to treat Chrissy like garbage.

“Hey Eddie?” Chrissy places her fingers on my chin, turning my face towards hers. “You know that nothing would ever change how I feel about you, don’t you?”

“I don’t know,” I take a deep breath. “I… I just feel like I don’t deserve you.”

Chrissy lightly slaps my chest. “Don’t say that! Seriously!”

I bite my lip. “I just… Chrissy, I don’t want the fact that you’re dating me to be a reason for your mother to… well, snap at you.”

“I don’t care what she thinks. She has always been critical of every single move I make.”

“But if she’s going to be mean to you because of me-“

“Eddie, trust me, it’s not because of you. It’s all because of me. She’s mad that I’m not her little Barbie doll anymore. She can’t control every aspect of my life, and that’s what sends her over the edge. She’s just mad that she can’t choose what I wear or what I eat or who I date anymore.”

I nod. “But… Chrissy… don’t you… aren’t you uh- you’re not embarrassed of me?”

Chrissy raises an eyebrow. “Embarassed? Eddie, why on earth would I be embarrassed of you?”

“Because I was a super senior.”

Chrissy laughs. “And?”

“And, it’s embarrassing. Instead of studying I was always playing DND or practicing with the band. I’d skip school to smoke weed and steal beer from the corner store on Main Street. I didn’t apply myself. I was bullied mercilessly… but I just- I didn’t want to change. I was happy with the way I was… but looking back on it… I was an idiot. I feel like an absolute fraud for landing a job where I teach high schoolers when I was literally the worst possible example of what a high school student should be.”

Soft strands of strawberry blonde hair press into my chin, my girlfriend’s head nudged into my neck.

“And I was miserable because I was starving myself to fit into a cheerleading uniform that my mom purposely ordered in a size too small,” a soft yawn fills the air. “I was staying up all night studying because if I got anything less than an A- my mother would nearly kill me. But look at me now! I try not to let any of that stuff define me. And I don’t think you should let it define you. You’re a role model to so many of the kids we work with… especially Dustin.”

She pauses briefly.

“Eddie, I don’t care that you graduated two years late. The fact that you know it’s because you didn’t apply yourself just tells me that it was nothing to do with your intelligence. You’re incredibly smart. Also, I don’t care that you don’t make the same amount of money that Jason does. I don’t care if you’re into some nerdy things that my parents don’t understand. I love you for who you are, quirks and all.”

Comfort encompasses my whole body, filling up my mind with warm thoughts.

“Chrissy… I-“ I hold myself back from making another self-deprecating remark. “Thank you. I love you so unbelievably much.”

“I love you even more than that,” she twists a curl of my hair around her finger. “Plus, you’ve stood up for me multiple times. And I wanted to do that for you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Did you- uh… did you talk to your parents last night when I was in here?”

An affirmative grin stretches across her peachy lips. “Of course! And that’s why I decided that you and I are going to leave early.”

“Huh? But what about the plane tickets and your family and-“

“We’re just leaving my grandma’s a few days early,” she chuckles. “I know that you hate capitalism and big business and all,” her sweet, gentle laughing continues. “But, last night my dad mentioned that he’d like to go see the Star Wars area in Disney World. It’s only a couple hours north. And I know how you feel about Star Wars…”

I smirk. “It’s only the second best franchise after Lord of the Rings.”

“Exactly,” she blushes, her cheeks sporting a golden rose hue as the sun rises behind the window blinds. “And my mom hates crowds, so she’s not going.”

As much as I’d like to go see the Star Wars theme park, my head keeps telling me that I’m dragging Chrissy away from her family vacation just because I don’t fit into Laura’s strict set of standards.

“Chrissy, don’t you want to spend time with your grandma? I mean we flew all the way down here to spend time with your family.”

“I never said that my grandma didn’t like crowds,” her eyes sparkle. “She’s coming too.”

“Oh,” I gawk. “Well… uh… then yeah. Yeah I’d like to go.”

“Good. Then start to pack up your stuff, because we leave in a couple hours.”

Wrapping my hands on Chrissy’s waist, I gently lift her on top of me, her hips pressed into mine. Perhaps slightly too passionately, my fingers ruffle through her hair, my lips pressing into hers at full force.

I pull away, before I slowly slide my right hand down to her rear.

“Well, I pack fast, so I’d reckon we have a bit of time to kill don’t you think?”

Chrissy slowly traces the tattoo on my right pec with her fingers.

“Oh, I really like the way you think, Munson.” She swiftly pulls my head towards hers, going down for another kiss. “I really can’t think of a better way to pass the time.”

I gently stroke Chrissy’s face with my free hand as the other still rests on her butt. “Well then, not a minute shall be wasted.”

Chapter 14: Chapter Fourteen

February 22nd, 8:45 AM | From the Viewpoint of Chrissy Cunningham

“Oh my god, Nancy, it's so beautiful!” I glance at the princess-cut diamond ring wrapped around Nancy’s finger. The golden band is lined with little rose-tinted gemstones. “I’m absolutely obsessed with it!”

“Isn’t it so gorgeous?!” Nancy beams, unable to stop smiling. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone look so gleeful at 8:45 in the morning. “I can’t believe he finally proposed!”

“Oh, I knew it was coming sooner or later,” I smirk as I start to make myself a cup of green tea. “Plus, isn’t Steve always talking about how he wants to settle down and have kids?”

My friend uses her fingers to tease through her curls. “I want kids too… But not six of them like he does.”

Before I can say anything, Robin and Steve enter the staff lounge, coffee mugs in hand.

“Hey ladies!” Robin turns on the coffee machine, pouring an ungodly amount of salted caramel creamer into her green mug. “Whatcha talking about?”

“They’re probably talking about what everyone’s talking about,” Steve chuckles as he gives Nancy a quick, chaste kiss. “Chrissy, Robin, save the date! Saturday May 5th is the big day…”

“At the Hawkins Country Club,” Nancy adds. “In the ballroom. Well, the reception is in the ballroom. The actual ceremony is going to be in the woods.”

“Ooh, fancy!” Robin smirks. “As long as I don’t have to wear a dress, I’m in.”

“A nice shirt and slacks work,” Nancy smirks. “If you’re okay with wearing a baby blue-ish color. That’s the color I want the bridesmaids wearing.”

Robin raises an eyebrow. “What?! Nancy you’re asking me to uh- be a- be one of your bridesmaids?”

Nancy nods. “And Chrissy too. I don’t know if either of you know Barb Holland, but she’s going to be my Maid of Honor. And I really want you two as my other bridesmaids.”

Wow… I’m absolutely flattered that Nancy wants me to be in her wedding party, considering that I’ve only known her for such a short period of time. We do talk to each other almost daily though, and we hang out constantly at this point.

“Nancy, thank you so much!” I exclaim. “It’s such an honor to be included on your big day!”

“I’ve gotta get a date,” Robin chuckles sarcastically. “Going to a wedding alone is embarrassing.”

With a look of sheer happiness, Nancy playfully rolls her eyes. “You’re both allowed to bring plus ones. Chrissy, Steve was actually planning on asking Eddie to be one of his groomsmen. So your date is covered. Steve just hasn’t seen him yet today.”

“I haven’t seen him either actually,” I carefully take a sip of my piping hot tea. “I know he’s been busy getting ready for parent-teacher conferences though, so maybe he’s just prepping some stuff in his classroom.”

“I already checked in his classroom,” Steve shrugs. “I didn’t even see his backpack or his guitar in there.”

I raise an eyebrow, starting to worry a little bit despite the fact that I’m almost a hundred percent certain that Eddie’s alright. “I saw his van in the parking lot when I walked in this morning…”

“Maybe he’s talking with Hopper in his office,” Robin suggests. “I think I saw Dustin go in there earlier. And we all know that Eddie stores his energy drinks in Hop’s fridge so no one else takes them.”

“I’ll go check it out,” I grab my mug before directing my gaze at Steve. “I’ll tell Eddie to come talk to you if I find him.”

“Thanks Chris,” Steve waves goodbye as I walk through the metal doors to leave the teacher’s lounge.

Where the heck would Eddie be on a Tuesday morning besides his classroom? It’s a tad suspicious that he hasn’t texted me today… he usually texts me to tell me to have a great day if we don’t walk into work together…

I approach Principal Hopper’s office, smiling warmly at Joyce Byers, Hopper’s secretary, and longtime on-and-off girlfriend according to workplace buzz.

“Hey Joyce… you haven’t seen Eddie today have you?”

She takes a long, contemplative sip of coffee. “He’s actually talking with Hop now. There was a bit of a uh- altercation this morning… about an hour or so ago.”

“Altercation?”

Joyce sighs. “Some lunatic approached Eddie in the parking lot and threatened to start a fight. Eddie of course said no, but this freak started harassing Dustin Henderson and a few of the other kids. And after that uh-“

She pauses.

“Eddie went ballistic. Apparently a massive fight broke out. A few of the students got involved and now everyone’s in the office while Hopper’s been filing a police report against Jason.”

Oh god! A police report? Why the hell is there a police report being filed?

I bite my lip, trying not to ask a thousand questions. “Who threatened Eddie in the parking lot?”

“The same idiot who Nancy caught on tape a few months back,” Joyce chuckles. “I’d tell you to go in there and check on Eddie, but from what I’ve been able to hear from my desk, it’s a madhouse.”

I gasp. “My god… Jason Carver?! How the- how the hell did he get here?!”

“I have absolutely no idea,” Joyce sighs heavily as she taps her fingers against her desk. “I’m just glad that Eddie was so good at protecting the kids. That’s why we love having him on the staff.”

The door to Hopper’s office sheepishly opens, a local Hawkins sheriff walking out.

“Are you Chrissy Cunningham?” The officer lowers his glasses down the bridge of his nose.

I nod silently.

“Good. I think you and I should sit down and fill out a restraining order considering that your ex just threatened the safety of a school full of minors.”

“Can I see Eddie first?!” I begin to panic, my heart beating frantically. “Is he… is Eddie okay? Is he hurt? Does he need medical attention?”

“He’s fine,” the officer sighs. “He’s just finishing up answering a few questions.”

“Can I see him?”

“Eddie and Jason are still being questioned,” he humbles. “And I don’t know if I really want you in the same room as Mr. Carver right now. He’s not exactly safe to be around in his current state.”

I gasp. “Jason hasn’t been escorted off the premises yet?”

“We’re still gathering his testimony.”

I tap my fingers against the cool skin of my arm. “And how long will that take?”

“He’s got a lot to say.”

“Does Eddie have to be in there with him?” My heartbeat accelerates again, pounding violently against the inside of my chest. “Officer, I just want to check on Eddie. Can I get five minutes?”

The officer flashes me a slight smile of understanding, like he genuinely knows where I’m coming from.

“I’ll see what I can do. He’s been uh, comforting the kids. I think they’re all pretty shaken up.”

The officer walks back into Hopper’s office, the sounds of Jason and Eddie’s aggravated voices pouring through the door before it closes behind him.

A couple minutes pass before Hopper’s office door opens gradually, Eddie, Dustin, Lucas, Max and Mike walking out.

Despite the chunks of dried blood and dirt splattered across his Megadeth shirt and the open wounds plastered on his cheeks, Eddie looks confident and goofy, as always. He ties his hair, which is covered in cakes of dirt, on top of his head before he slowly pulls me into a hug. He reeks of grass and his musky cologne.

“Princess Cunningham the Fair, the amount of times I’ve had to duel Jason the Dickish for your hand is starting to get ridiculous” he chuckles, wrapping his broad hands around my waist. His knuckles are slightly bruised above his chunky rings.

“Eddie was a straight up badass!” The grin on Lucas’ face is massive.

“I wouldn’t normally say it, but he actually was pretty badass,” Max says, trying to stifle a growing smirk. “I was riding by on my skateboard but I stopped because I saw this big blonde guy talking to Eddie, Dustin, Lucas and Mike. I went over there and this dude was just pissed as all hell.”

Dustin laughs loudly. “Jason and Eddie were fighting over you, and Jason challenged him to a fist fight. Eddie of course said no, but then Jason started throwing insults at Mike and Lucas. I told him to shut up and then he told me that he was gonna whoop my ass next-“

Mike interrupts Dustin, talking a mile a minute. “Then Eddie told Jason to quit making a bunch of threats against kids, but Jason turned to me and called me- well, I’m not gonna repeat it. It’s bad. But anyway, after Jason called me that, Eddie punched him in the face!”

“And then Jason pushed Eddie on the ground and started pulling his hair, but Eddie kicked Jason in the nuts and they started tackling each other on the pavement,” Lucas laughs. “I tried to separate them but Eddie told me to stay back-“

“No, you ran away like a pussy!” Dustin grins. “I’m the one who tried to separate the fight!”

“No Henderson, I’m the one who-“

Eddie laughs weakly. “Girls, girls, you’re both pretty! There’s no need to argue.”

Dustin rolls his eyes. “Shut up Munson! But anyway, Eddie and Jason fought and then Jason broke free and tried to attack me.”

Max laughs. “But then Eddie jumped off of the ground and shoved Jason into the side of his band and told him that if he ever threatens one of his students again, that he was personally going to find out where he lives, hunt him down, and skin him alive.”

I gasp in terror, completely shocked that Eddie would say that in front of a bunch of students. “Eddie! That is absolutely not appropriate!”

Eddie laughs, little specks of blood pooled on a fat lip. “Oh they’re teenagers Chrissy. You’ve seen how feisty they all get at Hellfire Club. Plus, they probably heard a lot worse than that on the bus ride here.”

“That’s true,” Mike smirks. “On the way here I heard an upperclassman talking about how-“

“Can it Wheeler. I don’t need to hear it,” Eddie laughs. “I’m just glad you all are okay. I don’t need any more complaints from parents getting hurled at me.”

“Well, even if there were complaints, I doubt they’d fire you,” Chrissy chuckles. “You risked getting seriously hurt to protect your students.”

Lucas shoves his hands in his pockets. “Well, I’d say he still got hurt. Not seriously though.”

“Tis’ but a scratch,” Eddie winks. “Just a few flesh wounds.”

I examine the bruises on Eddie’s cheeks, still tender from fresh punches. Before I can say anything else, Hopper walks out of his office, handing Eddie an ice pack.

“Well Munson, as much as I hate to say it, I’m impressed. The way you look out for your students is admirable,” Hopper smiles brightly. “Who would have thought that you two being together would cause me so much trouble.”

I blush, feeling completely embarrassed as I step away from Eddie’s hug. “Well, I should apologize… for Jason. We broke up months ago and after the incident at the bar… I didn’t think he’d be back.”

“It’s fine,” Hopper mutters. “Well, it’s not fine. I’m going to be upping the security measures on campus so another incident like this never happens again, but I know it wasn’t your fault.”

My eyes meet the ground. My crazy ex went to my job and attacked my boyfriend and a bunch of kids. How wasn’t it my fault?

I nod reluctantly, following Eddie to the staff bathroom to help him clean up a bit.

————

“So, what did you think?” Eddie turns off the TV before he motions for me to lie down on his shirtless chest. Ever since Jason attacked him in the parking lot, he’s been having me sleep over at his place. He’s a little nervous about being alone since Wayne works nights.

The musky smell of cologne and beer fills my nostrils as I lay my head on Eddie’s chest, resting one of my hands on top of his belly. I love the way Eddie feels when he’s pressed against me… warm, strong, comfortable. When I’m lying on his chest, I feel like all the anxieties of day to day life are just ripped off of my shoulders.

“It was good!” I smile. “I really liked it. It wasn’t as scary as you said it would be though.”

“Oh, c’mon, it’s terrifying! You never knew who The Thing was! The blood test scene sends shivers down my spine every time!”

“I don’t really fall for jumpscares,” I begin tracing the tattoos on Eddie’s abdomen, drawing little swirls into his warm, soft stomach.

Strong hands fall onto my back, pulling me closer into his exposed skin. Round lips press into my shoulders as he traces my neck with his lips.

“I like that you’ve been staying over,” Eddie smirks. “I feel like I don’t get to see you enough.”

I roll my eyes jokingly. “I see you every single day…”

“And that’s still not enough.” His hand meets my cheek, tracing my face gently.

“You’re right,” I press myself further against his strong body. “It really isn’t enough.”

“You should move in,” Eddie smirks. “Permanently. Ditch that little apartment and live with me. Imagine it, movie nights every night, we can ride to work together, we can get a cat like you’ve been wanting. I’ll let you decorate the place however you want… you can lighten it up, make it all warm and feminine in here with your cinnamon scented candles and your houseplants.”

Eddie… he wants me to move in? Holy shit.

His big brown eyes stare at me like a child staring at a new toy. He watches me with nothing but pure joy, his cute little face contorted in anticipation.

“I’ll get rid of my band posters and my action figures if you want… and I’ll really scrub the place down. Wayne’ll help me spruce it up in here. And if you actually do want to move in, you and I can go shopping and pick out a couple new pieces of furniture and-“

“Eddie, you seriously don’t have to get rid of your posters and your figurines. I like them. They’ll go great with the houseplants. And ooh, I think some cute throw pillows would look great in here. And maybe another lounge chair?”

Eddie tilts his head, his wispy curls sprawling out in every direction. “S-so you want to move in with me?”

I gently grab the sides of Eddie’s face with both my hands, gently pressing into his soft dimples.

“Of course I want to move in with you, you big goof.”

Notes:

Hi everyone! I wanted to let you know that the next chapter will be the last of the story, with Chapter 16 being an epilogue of sorts. But don’t worry, I’m planning on writing a few one shots that take place in this universe, as well as some other Eddie x Chrissy fics!

Thanks so much for all the love! 💕💕

Chapter 15: Chapter Fifteen

May 5th, 4:27 PM| From the Viewpoint of Eddie Munson

“I’m so nervous,” Chrissy brushes off the bottom of her baby blue dress, which she has excellently matched with the color of her eyeshadow. Strawberry blonde waves wrap around her shoulders, perfectly accentuating her soft frame. Her lips, covered in a shimmery pink gloss, sparkle under the glimmers of sunlight peeking through the trees. “What if I trip? And oh my god! Did you remember to feed Frodo this morning?!”

I smile softly, staring in disbelief because of how stunning Chrissy looks. Her dress fits her perfectly, highlighting every gorgeous aspect of her petite build… and even though she’s wearing heels, she’s still several inches shorter than I am. “Well, I’m walking down the aisle with you, so if you trip, I trip. We’ll both look like idiots. And yes, I fed Frodo. He was extra cuddly this morning.”

Ever since Chrissy and I adopted our little kitten a few weeks ago, we’ve been spoiling him absolutely rotten. He sleeps on our bed, right between us like a little baby. Of course, Chrissy thinks she’s Frodo’s favorite, but when she’s not around, he’s always sleeping on my stomach.

“Oh good! I’m glad Frodo won’t be too lonely,” she sighs, “And I guess Robin is way more of a klutz than I am. Maybe she’ll fall first.”

“I heard that!” Robin chuckles. She’s walking down the aisle with Mike, since Nancy absolutely refused to not have her little brother in the wedding party. “I’m 90% sure that I’m gonna fall, but as long as no one gets it on camera, we’re fine.”

Wheeler, who looks like a totally different kid when he’s cleaned up, shoves his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. “I don’t know… I wouldn’t trust that Jonathan guy. He seems weird.”

Steve, who is sweating up a storm, paces around in frantic circles. “He’s a great photographer,” he mutters nervously to himself. “The wedding photos are gonna be great. Everything’s gonna be great! Right Steve? You’re gonna be fine! It’s just a little ceremony… it’s just a little ceremony.”

God, I’ve never seen Steve like this. I get that it’s his wedding day, but I’m so used to confident, cocky, airheaded Steve. Seeing him genuinely nervous about something is just… bizarre.

“You should talk to him,” Chrissy whispers sweetly as she adjusts the blue rose in my tuxedo pocket. “Calm him down a bit before we have to go out there.”

I chuckle. “I doubt anything that I have to say is of any value… but I’ll try my best.”

Walking across the clearing in the woods, I approach Steve, laying my hand on his shoulder.

“Hey bud, take it easy. It’s gonna be great.”

“Doubt it,” Steve mutters. “God… marriage is such a big thing… what if I screw it up? What if in a couple of years, Nance tosses me to the curb? What if we don’t actually love each other and all of this is just-“

“Harrington, even these cynical eyes see that you and Nancy are the real deal. I mean, the way she looks at you… she’s entranced by you. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

Steve shrugs. “But people change sometimes…”

“Yeah, they do. But you seriously can’t think about that now,” I groan sarcastically. “Not when you’re literally Nancy’s entire world, and not when I drove all the way out here and actually tried to look half decent for this country club shit.”

“Hey!”

I chuckle as the music starts to play from a distance behind the trees, signaling that we all have to start walking towards the ceremony.

“Harrington, you’re gonna be fine. You love Nancy don’t you?”

“More than anything.”

“That’s all that truly matters. Focus on the now.” I shove Steve towards the front of the line, eager for him to guide us all down the aisle. “Go get ‘em’ big boy.”

Steve chuckles as he grabs his mother’s arm and starts walking out of the clearing and into the mossy woods. Chrissy slowly grabs my arm, looping her elbow through mine.

“How’d it go?” She smirks, still looking absolutely radiant in the dreamy daylight.

“He’s a nervous wreck,” I chuckle. “But he’ll be fine. Once he sees Nance, I think he’ll calm down.”

Chrissy wistfully leans her head against my shoulder as we start our trek down the aisle. “Or he’ll freak out even more. She looks stunning.”

“You look stunning.”

In the golden rays of sunlight, Chrissy blushes a deep poppy color. “Oh stop it. Don’t make me giggle like a schoolgirl when we’re supposed to be serious.”

“But you do though,” I stop in my tracks, waiting for Wheeler and Robin to walk down the tree-lined aisle before us. “Your dress, your hair, your makeup… we’ll actually, it’s just you in general. Your whole presence is just-“

“And you look extremely sexy,” she giggles. “I never thought I’d see the day where you’d wear a full tuxedo. But the wait was worth it. Your butt looks cute.”

“Oh really?” I dramatically push a piece of hair out of my eyes, trying to give off a suave, classy vibe. “Well good. I’m uncomfortable and I can feel the sweat pooling in my jacket but I’m glad I look sexy. And I’m glad that my butt looks cute. I was concerned that it wasn’t at optimal cuteness level.”

She swats my arm as Wheeler and Robin begin their strut down the aisle… a comedic sight to behold due to the staggering amount of height that Robin possesses over Mike. The soft chimes of soothing piano music merges with the calm sounds of gentle wind brushing through the blooming springtime leaves.

Slowly, Chrissy and I step forward, walking down the aisle to the steady rhythm of the music.

————

“I’ve just gotta take this call quick. It’s Gareth,” I wave to Chrissy and quickly step outside of the country club. The evening air kisses my skin as I enter onto the patio. I don’t really want to stop partying with the wedding crowd, but Gareth rarely calls me, so it must be something important.

“What’s up Gareth? I’m at a wedding so make it snappy.”

“Eddie, I’m so sorry to interrupt, but this is really important.”

“Talk to me.”

“Well,” Gareth heightens the pitch of his voice. “Apparently, there was a concert promoter at the Hideout on Tuesday when we played. She got in contact with the owners and asked for our info.”

I place my hand on the railing, trying to catch my breath. “And?”

“And she called me. Told me that she’s recruiting a few bands for a metal music festival happening next month in Chicago. It’s all small Midwest acts. She said she was interested in Corroded Coffin…”

Oh my god… Corroded Coffin? At a metal music festival? Oh my god!

“JESUS H. CHRIST!” I can’t help but yell at the top of my lungs. “PLEASE TELL ME YOU’RE NOT KIDDING! GARETH! YOU BETTER NOT BE MESSING WITH ME!”

“Bro, I’d never do that!”

My chest starts to drop, my entire body shaking as everything flashes between light and dark. Corroded Coffin, finally playing somewhere outside of Hawkins… finally playing somewhere where we can get a bit more exposure. Oh my god.

I try to balance, everything still swirling in a chaotic blur around me. “Well Gareth, what- what did you say to her?”

“I called Jeff and Vince first, they’re down if you’re down.”

“Well, why the hell wouldn’t I be down? The school year’s nearly over… I’ll be on my summer break! Call her back now and tell her we’re in!”

“Okay, okay!” Gareth chuckles. “I’ll call her!”

“Dope. Thanks Gareth.”

I hang up the phone, feeling like I’m on cloud nine. For years I’ve tried to get Corroded Coffin off the ground, and yet, the only place that’ll actually let us play is the Hideout. Which, don’t get me wrong, I love the Hideout, but it gets a little monotonous playing for the same crowd of people every week. I just can’t believe we have the opportunity to show more people what Corroded Coffin is all about.

“HELL YES!” Almost instinctively, my feet start guiding me in frantic circles around the patio, an extreme skip in my step. “YES! OH MY LORD YES!”

Ecstatically, I pace around the patio.

What if we get a record deal? How big is the stage gonna be? What should I wear? What should our set list be? What’s Chrissy gonna think? How many guests can I bring? Wayne is gonna flip when he hears this!

But… what if I have to quit my job? I don’t want to leave the school… I don’t want to abandon my students, or Hellfire, or Steve and Nancy… or Henderson. And of course, I’d never want anything to come between Chrissy and I.

As I continue to contemplate life itself, Chrissy walks onto the patio, two martinis in hand.

“Ed? Is everything alright with Gareth?”

“IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?!” I burst out, picking Chrissy up and twirling her carefully, making sure I don’t spill the drinks. I gently set her down before pulling her in for a passionate kiss. “Oh sweet Jesus, everything is amazing!”

“Eddie!” Chrissy giggles. “Oh my god what got into you?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know,” I hum in a jokey, sing-songy voice. “Maybe it’s the fact that Corroded Coffin got asked to play a music festival in Chicago next month?!”

Chrissy’s soft jaw drops, her expression contorting into one of genuine shock. “WHAT?! EDDIE! Eddie! That’s incredible!”

“Y-yeah,” I smirk. “I’m just…”

“I’m so proud of you!” She sets the drinks down on the patio railing. “So, so proud.”

Her hands find themselves upon my shoulders as she starts to sway to the muffled music coming from inside the country club. “Look at my boyfriend… playing a music festival. I’m so proud. Just think of all the opportunities you’ll get!”

My hands trace Chrissy’s hips. “I’m sure this’ll just be a one time thing. Let’s be realistic here.”

“Oh, I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit… you’re talented.”

I sigh. “Well… maybe I just want it to be a one time thing. I like it in Hawkins. I love teaching. And well, I love you.”

Chrissy smiles softly. “And I’ll be here to support you, regardless of what happens. You know that.”

I swallow nervously. “I know that. But I’d never want to do anything that would prevent me from spending adequate time with you.”

“Well,” Chrissy tightens her grip on my shoulders, “I’d never allow that to happen. And I honestly don’t think you would either. We’re both along for the ride.”

“But I’d never want to drag you away from any opportunities you’d get if something were to happen with Corroded Coffin… I know you love it here too.”

Chrissy slowly pulls her frame closer to mine. “I love wherever you are, Eddie. If that’s here, if that’s Chicago, hell, even if it was Antarctica, I’d love it because you’d be there.”

“Chrissy, I’d never want to make you put your life on hold for me.”

“And I wouldn’t be, even if Corroded Coffin took off,” she kisses both my cheeks, before she tenderly kisses my lips. Her soft touch feels like smooth velvet. “I promise.”

I say nothing, feeling nothing but absolute love and admiration for my beautiful, kind, compassionate Chrissy; kissing her passionately underneath the starry Hawkins sky.