#jo read's hideaway

[pro-logue-epi-logue]

OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!!!

She did NOT!!!

Banksssssssss!!!

Also rika, Don't lie, you Don't wanna get more embarrassed do you?

You can't take bankssss.

I believe the only person wrong here is kai alright, i will not elaborate because i dont think anyone wants to hear my reasoning if you want comment it.

#how rika did not turn into a puddle #if kai hadn't stopped this fight rika would have seriously injured #jo read's hideaway #hideaway chapter 17 #the devil's night #nikova banks #kai mori #the devils night #devil's night #devils night #erika fane #michael crist #damon torrance #the devil's night series #will grayson iii

[moonchildreads]

small town

Chapter 20 - Self Control

IN THIS CHAPTER: The last high school party, apple flavored Kool-Aid, and Andy gets what he deserves [10.3k]

WARNINGS: underaged drinking, mentions of drug use (weed), slut shaming, a little misunderstanding (gets resolved really quickly), suggestive themes? (very mild, eddie's just a little bit wired, okay?)

A/N: i know i'm a day late, i'm sorry T.T someone got fired at my job and i'm supposed to handle their shit now because my boss is kinda cheap. it is what it is. BUT. hopefully this chapter makes up for my tardiness because as you can probably tell from the banner, the slow burn is officially boiling, you guys! enjoy <3

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In the night, no control Through the wall something's breaking

Saturday, May 31st - 1986

Dottie was pacing like a nervous dog in a cage, feet hitting the soft rug in front of her closet with each step she took. It was the first Saturday in a long time that she hadn't spent in a blissful domestic bubble with Eddie and she was feeling downright antsy. The night before, once Hellfire had officially said goodbye to its Class of '86, the two teens had sat themselves in a booth at the back of The Hideaway with burgers, fries, and milkshakes, and something had finally clicked into place for her. There was no longer a specific need for them to spend so much time together anymore - no more exams to study for, no more books to read or worksheets to fill, and yet there they were still, on a Friday night, getting food together like usual. Sitting opposite of Eddie in that booth, watching him try to lick ketchup from the corner of his mouth and not reaching the smudge with the tip of his tongue, it dawned on Dottie that she had never loved anyone the way she loved him.

It wasn't that Dottie hadn't loved throughout her life, because truthfully she had. She had loved her Dad first, tiny fingers wrapping around a big thumb when she was just a few hours old. She'd loved her Grandparents, all four of them equally, but maybe no one should tell them that Grandma Jo leaving after a visit would always cause the biggest sobs to escape her tiny toddler body. She'd loved her Uncle Johnny, always cuddling up to him while they lived together, not really understanding that he wasn't actually her Uncle until it was too late to start calling him anything else. She'd loved her friends back in New York, even though she knew now that they hadn't loved her back in return. Hell, she'd loved Tyler, or else it wouldn't have hurt as much as it did when he broke her heart. Dottie wasn't someone that didn't know what loving meant or felt like, but the way she loved Eddie was unlike any other kind of love she had ever experienced before, and she knew she had to tell him sometime soon or she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

But first, there was prom, and graduation, and most pressingly, a party for which she had absolutely no idea of what she was going to wear, hence the continuous pacing. James, tired of hearing the back and forth on the wooden floors for the last fifteen minutes, came into his daughter's bedroom resigned to play stylist for the night like he'd done so many times before. Keeping up with the latest trends for the sake of his little girl was a full time job he had long ago learned to love.

"Do you know what Nancy is gonna wear?" he asked, sitting down at the end of Dottie’s bed.

"No, I didn't think to ask. But she always looks so pretty, Dad, I can't look like a bum."

"How about you tell me what you don't want to wear and we can start from there, okay?"

Thirty minutes later, Dottie had an outfit laid out where James had been sitting and she was doing her makeup in a hurry before Nancy picked her up. The plan was simple: go to the party, say hi to Chrissy and thank her for the invite, hang out with Nancy for a bit, meet up with the boys, and if the party sucked, head over to Jeff's for a movie night. He'd rented Ghoulies and Weird Science for the weekend and he still hadn't seen either, so it seemed as good a backup plan as any. Besides, movie nights had always meant sharing a blanket with Eddie and cozying up to him when she got sleepy. No matter what ended up happening, she knew her night wouldn't be completely terrible.

"Honey? Are you done yet? Nancy is here!" James yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll be down in a second!" she hurried to put on her clothes and ran down the stairs to meet her friend, crossbody bag bouncing behind her and hitting her backside.

She found Nancy politely making small talk with her Dad on the foyer; James had gone to school with her mom Karen and had fond memories of sharing a desk with her throughout their many years at Hawkins’ various academic buildings. They hadn't exactly been friends, but they always were on good terms and had even worked on a few projects together, namely one about growing sprouts from beans in mason jars when they were in middle school.

"Hey! Sorry for making you wait," Dottie said, stopping to hug Nancy who was better prepared to receive it than she had been in the school’s bathroom a day before.

"You're fine, don't worry about the time," Nancy reassured her. "There aren't any schedules to keep at these parties, everyone just comes and goes when they want to."

"Oh, good to know that we can just leave whenever if it sucks."

"Speaking of that," James said, getting his daughter's attention. "Call me if you're staying at Jeff's, okay? I'll come pick you up tomorrow."

"Donny can drop me off, you don’t gotta come," she waved her hand nonchalantly.

"Okay, but call me anyway so I know where you are. Take care you two, don't get too wild."

"Dad, seriously," Dottie rolled her eyes, exasperated but not without fondness. She knew he worried too much, but after all they’d been through, she couldn't blame him.

"Have a good night, Mr. Burke, it was nice to meet you," Nancy said, heading out with Dottie at her heels.

"You too, Nancy. Say hi to your parents for me, will you?"

The girls got into Nancy's car and drove away towards Loch Nora, the radio playing The Rolling Stones’ Harlem Shuffle softly in the background. They talked about random things, filling the empty space with the kind of anxious but lighthearted conversations one would have with someone they don’t know very well yet. So far their budding friendship had proved satisfactory for both girls, and they were willing to put in the effort to get to know one another better, even when that meant having to venture outside the comfort zone The Weekly Streak’s newsroom provided. During the ride Nancy complimented Dottie's outfit, and in turn, she had loudly admired hers, prompting the blue-eyed girl to admit she'd borrowed the shiny jacket with padded shoulders from her Mom’s wardrobe. After a good-natured laugh, Dottie admitted she had stolen her dress from her Mom’s closet too and Nancy told her her Mom had good taste. When they parked across the street from Jason Carver's house however, the friendly chatter ceased and both girls stared at the two-storey rising in front of them with apprehension.

"I'm so nervous," Dottie admitted, watching the colors spilling from the fairy lights inside the living room paint the veranda red, then green, then blue, and finally back to red.

"Me too," Nancy said, taking a shaky breath. "But we got this. How bad can it be?"

"Yeah. You’re right. It’ll be fun," Dottie nodded, and arm in arm they ventured inside the packed house in search of good old teenage normalcy.

Neither Nancy nor Dottie were having the slightest bit of fun. After a few shouted-over-loud-music hellos to some familiar faces, they had found themselves in Jason’s kitchen, nursing cups of a strange brown concoction that didn’t smell good and tasted even worse. Dottie wasn’t much of a drinker, and apparently Nancy wasn’t either, citing that the last time she’d gotten drunk, she’d embarrassed herself so badly she’d rather not have a repeat. The jocks and popular kids disagreed heavily with that assessment, and were having a lot of fun with two kegs in the backyard next to the pool. Dottie had suggested they venture out, sit by the water where it wasn’t as stuffy, but Nancy had quickly directed her into the kitchen where they ran into Marcie Hurley, an acquaintance from the newspaper club. Marcie was a lovely tall girl with a bold pixie cut; she was currently slightly intoxicated but full of ideas for stories to run in the last edition of The Weekly Streak before summer holidays started. Nancy pretended to listen to her with her utmost attention, but Dottie could tell by the way her eyes were glazed over that she was definitely calculating how much more she’d have to hear before she could get away without coming across as rude. Two girls Dottie didn’t know walked into the kitchen searching for something fruity to drink when they said something that caught her attention.

“What do you mean Munson said no?” one of the girls was saying.

“He said he wasn’t selling tonight! Which is honestly such bullshit, he was smoking with some other guys, he definitely had something on him,” the second girl said, pouring vodka into a cup.

“Show him your tits, maybe he’ll share with you.”

“Ew, I’m not that desperate!” the first one laughed loudly.

Dottie scowled immediately. She’d once gotten curious about him dealing and asked him a couple of questions, like how did he get into selling and if he was allowed to smoke his own product. Eddie hadn’t been particularly proud of his answers, but she told him she didn’t mind: the money helped pay for some bills around the trailer and put food onto their table. It wasn’t like he was dealing hard stuff or was some kind of mafia lord moving tons of product, for fuck’s sake. People talked about him like he had his thumb on the illegal underground in Hawkins when in reality, he was just a teen selling weed and a couple of pills here and there to a few fellow students at parties. Dottie hoped he’d never done something as gross as asking a girl to show him her body in exchange for a couple of hits of a shitty joint. She liked to believe she knew Eddie, and in her opinion he’d never do something like that, but teenagers had never been particularly known for making good choices. Nancy was already looking at her when she turned around, a knowing smile on her face. She nodded towards the door once, and after a whispered “thank you” off Dottie went in search of her friends.

The boys were enjoying the fresh air and sharing a smoke on the veranda at the front of the house, not really ready to go inside and face the music just yet. Donny had picked up Gareth and Jeff on his way to the party, but Eddie had arrived solo just a few minutes after them. They were talking about music, as they often did, when Dottie opened the front door and jumped on Jeff’s back, who flinched in surprise.

“Fucking hell, Dot, you’re gonna kill me someday if you keep doing that,” he said, rubbing his chest.

“I was worried you guys weren’t gonna show up,” she admitted, hanging onto his shoulders. He leaned his weight into her, hands wrapping around her loose wrists like they were backpack straps to keep her in place as they swayed side to side.

“Party sucks that much?” Donny asked, passing along the joint to Gareth.

“I mean, it’s not like I know a lot of people here. I’ve been hearing Nancy talk to other girls all night, and I think she’s as fed up as me.”

“Wanna ditch?” Jeff asked.

“We’re not leaving until I drink my fuckin’ weight in rich people’s beer,” Gareth declared, giving the cig to Eddie who took a long drag and put the roach out on the underside of the railing he was leaning against.

“If you want beer, there are a bunch of cans in the kitchen but you gotta fish them out of the cooler and someone spilled something green in there. It’s kinda gross,” Dottie grimaced.

“What? No keg?”

“Actually, there’s two in the backyard but the basketball team took ownership of one and I think the football team was doing handstands on top of the other one.”

“That’s so fucking lame,” Donny scoffed.

“Well then, who’s down for fishing?” Jeff looked at the guys, and Gareth shrugged, putting his hands in his jean pockets and following him inside.

“You coming?” Donny asked Eddie who didn’t move from his spot.

“Nah, gonna smoke a cig first. You go ahead,” he said, getting his Camels out of his front pocket.

Donny headed back inside and then it was just Dottie and Eddie under the moonlight, the tiny lamp above the front door doing nothing to shield them from the darkness. Eddie smiled, putting the cigarettes back in his pocket and opening his arms so Dottie could sheepishly tuck herself into him. She felt like she could finally breathe easy when feeling his chest rising up and down under her cheek, his warmth seeping into her bones.

“Too many people?” he asked knowingly, cupping the back of her head with one of his hands. Her fingers drew patterns on the soft cotton of his shirt.

“Mhm,” she nodded. “This is nice.”

“Yeah? You like my shirt?”

“Smells good,” she laughed. He smelled like Old Spice aftershave and laundry detergent.

“Why, thank you for noticing I showered, princess,” he said, grinning. “You look pretty. This your Mom’s dress?”

“Yeah,” she beamed, looking down at her shift baby blue dress. “I didn’t know what to wear so I just played it safe. The socks are new though,” she lifted her leg to show her white ankle socks with frills under her black kitten heels.

“So cute,” Eddie pouted theatrically, making her slap his chest in return. “No, really. You look nice.”

“Thanks,” she settled back against him, cheeks burning.

They enjoyed each other’s presence for a few seconds when the front door opened with a bang, an overexcited and red-eyed Chrissy Cunningham spilling out from the inside, her giggles following her as she skipped towards them in tune with the music coming from the speakers in the living room.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, a mischievous grin gracing her fairy-like features.

“Hey, Chris,” Eddie smiled, still holding onto Dottie as she turned in his arms to take a look at the newcomer. “How was your latest purchase?

“It was so good. Valerie, Julie and I just smoked a joint each in the bathroom,” she whispered conspiratorially, making Dottie laugh.

“Oh my. What would Jason say if he knew you were hotboxing his shower?” Eddie matched her tone.

“What Jason doesn’t know won’t hurt him. D’you want to smoke with us later, Dot? Only girls allowed.”

“Sorry, I’m not really a smoker,” Dottie said, feeling a little bit dumb. “But I’ll take you up on that Queen song you promised me yesterday if you wanna dance.”

“Oh my God, yes!” Chrissy grabbed her arm and pulled her out of Eddie’s grasp. “She’s mine now, Ed!”

“I can see that. I’m gonna go get a beer,” Eddie said, following them inside. “Have fun, ladies!”

“We will!”

Weed affects different people in different ways. That was a fact Dottie knew after spending so much time with the members of Corroded Coffin, better known as her best friends. Donny was always virtually the same after a good session, just got very thirsty. Eddie would get deep and thoughtful, and once the effects were gone, he’d get so hungry he’d eat drywall if it was the only thing around. Gareth, like Chrissy, would get giggly once he hit that sweet spot. It was like drinking, Donny had told her once. Everyone had a different tolerance, and most of the time taking a few hits of a shared joint wouldn’t be enough to change anyone’s personality significantly. There were other people like Jeff, for example, who had a very low tolerance and had decided to stop smoking altogether after realizing he’d get panicky and his clothes would always start itching each time he indulged in the vice with his friends. None of them had ever questioned him or pressured him to smoke after that, the same way that they didn’t pressure Dottie to smoke or drink when they were doing it around her. They’d always smoke outside, and Dottie and Jeff were free to lounge around on the couch and talk about anything and everything until they all regrouped inside again. Watching Chrissy be so carefree and joyful made Dottie think that maybe she’d enjoy being invited to one of their movie nights some day.

Chrissy, on the other hand, was a girl on a mission. There were no movie nights being planned in her head; she was instead focused on getting information out of Dottie to relay to Eddie at his earliest convenience. Chrissy liked Dottie, she really did. She liked how kind and attentive she was despite always walking around with an anxiety cloud above her head. She liked how she dressed, with her vintage clothing and big earrings Chrissy couldn’t wear because it’d be dangerous for a cheerleader to be tossed around with hoops or fun acrylic shapes dangling from her ears. She liked how she made Eddie feel, and Chrissy liked Eddie very much, so that just cemented Dottie in her mind as a good person to have around. And so, the blonde lulled her into a sense of comradery with heartfelt compliments and wild dances, trying to get to the bottom of the question she’d had swirling around in her brain for two months now: do you like my friend or is he wasting his time to end with his heart broken? To her credit, what came out of her mouth was much more subtle than that.

“Eddie’s awesome, isn’t he?” Chrissy asked, casting her line into the sea and waiting for Dottie to bite.

“Yeah, he’s great!”

“He was so right about us being friends! I’m so happy you came!”

“Well, thank you for inviting me!” Dottie smiled at her, and Chrissy squeezed her hand in response.

The party was in full swing now. Nancy had found a couple of classmates she got along with and finally managed to escape Marcie’s insistent newspaper talk; she looked much more happy talking to them near the door to the backyard than she’d looked like back in the kitchen. Donny, Gareth and Jeff were fishing out beer cans from the cooler and passing them along to people that normally ignored them in the hallways, their bravery for sticking their hands into the horrid green liquid making them the heroes of underaged teens trying to get unbearably drunk before inevitably throwing up all over Mrs. Carver’s bushes. Eddie stood to a side, near the archway that led to the stairs where bubblegum pink eyeshadow Marianne from his Sociology class had just disappeared up to with his lovesick boyfriend trailing behind her, much to his friends’ jeers and claps. The metalhead had a barely sipped on beer in his hand and hearts in his eyes as he watched Dottie and Chrissy spin around in the middle of the living room, singing along to Top 40 hits and dodging couples making out.

Eddie had never felt happy at a house party before. He’d usually drop by, deal a little bit from the back of his van, and speed away either to Jeff’s house to hang out with his friends or back towards his trailer where he’d smoke and fuck around with his guitar until he’d fall asleep on his tummy with his jeans still on. But standing there, seeing his friends being treated like normal people instead of the dirt beneath a shoe, he felt happy at a party for once in his life. He felt like a normal teenager, like everyone else in the Hawkins High Class of ‘86 saying goodbye to a long school year and hello to the unforgettable summer ahead. Chrissy made a suggestive face at him while dancing around with Dottie and Eddie laughed.

“Hey, Munson!” a familiar voice said, coming to clap his shoulder and snapping him out of his trance.

“Hey, Foster. How are you doing?”

“Weird seeing you here,” Kyle Foster of the Yearbook Club said, looking friendly but fidgety. “You never sell inside at these things.”

“Not selling tonight, man. Just enjoying the beer,” he lifted his can above waist level to demonstrate.

“Ah, dude, that sucks. I had a twenty with your name on it,” he clicked his tongue. “But if our deal still stands, I guess in a couple of weeks you’ll have a bag with my name on it.”

“I’m a man of my word, Foster,” Eddie smirked, shoving his hand into his pocket. “But here, for your troubles.”

He produced a tightly rolled joint from inside his packet of Camels and extended it to Kyle, who looked at him like he’d grown two heads. Never in his entire time being Eddie’s customer had he sold him a pre-roll, much less one that he had intended to smoke himself at some point. He eyed him curiously, not making any moves to pluck it out of the dealer’s hand.

“You sure about that, Munson?” he asked, giving him the chance to recant his offer.

“Yeah, you can have it. I’m not gonna smoke it and I’m feeling generous tonight. Just don’t send anyone else my way, okay? It’s the only one I had.”

“Y-yeah, man, sure! Thanks,” Kyle smiled, grabbing his prize for holding a polite conversation with the town’s freak who felt like less and less of a monster as the school year came to a close. “Here, take the twenty anyways,” he pulled a single bill from his back pocket. “Sorry about, y’know, that whole thing. See you when the yearbooks come out!”

And with that, he shoved the note into Eddie’s hand and left towards the backyard, probably in search of a borrowed lighter to spark up in a corner of Jason Carver’s lush garden. Eddie looked down at his hand, snorted, and put the twenty bucks away to spend another day. Maybe he’d get Dottie a strawberry milkshake like he’d done the day before, only to watch her eyes light up at the first taste and indulge in her pleas because it’s so good, Ed, you gotta try this! They make them with real strawberries! Chrissy found his eyes again over Dottie’s shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him. He clutched his chest like he had been hurt by her, overdramatic as always, and Dottie twirled Chrissy around breaking their eye contact. The songs changed but the girls stayed dancing and he kept on watching them with a satisfied smile on his face. It was a shame, really, that Eddie often became blind whenever he saw the girl he was in love with being truly, completely happy, because if he didn’t, he would have noticed one Andy fucking Humphrey staring at him like he could make the dumb metalhead drop dead in a heartbeat just by looking at him.

Jason Carver wasn’t the typical high school bully you’d see in films. Truthfully, he wasn’t even a bully; he just kept quiet while his friends did all the fucked up things the basketball team was infamous for. He was known as someone who would fly off the handle quickly, but not without reason. He took freshmen and sophomores under his wing, taught them what being a good teammate looked like, gave them a family within the walls of Hawkins High as part of his team. Jason was, if anything else failed, extremely protective and fiercely loyal to his own, and expected the same considerations to be returned to him. So when Andy, one of his best friends since elementary, came running to tell him that The Freak of Hawkins High was trying to flirt with his girlfriend in front of everyone, Jason had no reason to doubt him. Why would he, when Andy had been nothing but reliable all this time?

“What do you think you’re doing, creep?” Jason told Eddie, his tone low, trying not to call too much attention to themselves. Chrissy didn’t need to see this, she didn’t have to know she was being ogled by a pervert under his own roof.

“Drinking your beer, Carver, what does it look like I’m doing?” Eddie said with a sour tone, and instantly knew that had been the wrong answer.

“Yeah? What makes you think you’re welcome in my house?”

“Chill, man, I got invited, same as everyone else.”

“Who would want you here?” Chance Peterson said, appearing at Jason’s shoulder. This was bad.

“Uh, his girlfriend? Just like everyone else?” Eddie deadpanned, putting his can of beer on a ledge and lifting his palms. “Look, I’m really not looking to cause any trouble tonight-”

“Why would Chrissy invite you? You aren’t friends,” Patrick asked, and Eddie held back a scoff. He was willing to bet he knew Chrissy, the real Chrissy, more than any of these meatheads did.

“She invited all the seniors, that’s all there is to it. I’m a senior too-”

“Yeah, a senior citizen, you freak,” Chance said. “Why don’t you go home early and leave us actual seniors alone, huh? What is this, your tenth time trying to graduate?”

“See Peterson, I always knew you didn’t know how to count, but didn’t think you would be so bad at it. Should have known though, it’s not like anyone expects you to do anything that isn’t playing around with your balls. Now why don’t you back off and let your captain here and I have a civil conversation, alright?” Eddie looked down at Chance who narrowed his eyes at him, but Jason threw his arm out to stop him from moving forward.

“We’re not having a conversation, Munson. Back off my girlfriend or leave.”

“I’m not interested in your fuckin’ girlfriend, Carver,” Eddie said, bewildered.

“You say that, but you sure were looking at her before we walked in,” Andy said, stepping around his friends to stand next to Jason. “Wanna explain that?”

“Is looking at someone a goddamn crime now? Can’t exactly leave my eyes at home, you dumbass,” Eddie said, getting loud.

“So you were looking at Chrissy!” Jason yelled.

“No, I wasn’t! Believe it or not, not everyone is fuckin’ in love with your girlfriend, man!”

“Hey, what’s going on here?” Donny flanked Eddie, his voice booming over the sound of the music.

“Back off, dude, what’s your deal?” Gareth threatened Chance when he shoulder-checked him.

People were starting to catch on now, curious eyes looking around for the latest gossip. Jason and Eddie yelling at each other wasn’t exactly new, but both groups of friends having a screaming match at a house party? Now, that was juicy. As everyone started insulting and trying to intimidate each other, Eddie looked around trying to find Dottie in the crowd. She was still dancing with Chrissy, oblivious to the conflict, and now another cheerleader had joined them; he was pretty sure she was a junior and her name was Valerie.

“Hey! Stop looking at her, asshole!” Andy said, grabbing Eddie’s hair and turning his head back towards the imminent fight.

Andy’s voice was loud enough to startle the girls and make them look their way. Chrissy and Valerie paled instantly, hurrying forward to try to contain the scene before it turned truly ugly, leaving a path open behind them for Dottie to follow. Chrissy grabbed Jason’s arm and tried pulling him away when Eddie turned to Dottie and shook his head, his curls still in Andy’s grasp.

“It’s okay, Dot, stay over there!” he told her, not wanting to get her involved and hurt.

But it was too late, because Andy, as stupid as he was, caught on pretty quickly. He hadn’t recognized her before, all dolled up and giggly while she danced with Chrissy and Valerie. He’d simply assumed she was one of their friends, maybe even a junior he hadn’t really paid too much attention to while in school. Insistent on Eddie perving on Chrissy, he’d missed a crucial detail: that the unknown girl she was dancing with was the same girl that had threatened him in the AP Spanish classroom just a week ago. The same one that had told him to stay away from the Hellfire Club. That girl wasn’t Chrissy’s friend, she was a freak, merely blending in with the rest of the school population because she didn’t wear dark colors and leather. Andy turned on her so quickly she didn’t have time to heed Eddie’s warning before he was spewing venom towards her.

“I see now, freak,” Andy said, letting go of Eddie’s hair with a shove and stepping towards Dottie. “You weren’t looking at Chrissy, you were looking at your bitch.”

“What the fuck did you just call me?” Dottie said, angrily.

“That’s what you are, isn’t it? The freak’s little bitch. That’s why you came after me last week, huh?” Andy was seething. “Did he tell you to do that?”

“You brought that on your own by being a smug idiot,” she told him, not backing down from the fight even though she was terrified of him.

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Patrick asked.

“This slut tried to tell Mr. Lorenzo that I cheated on a test if I didn’t leave her friends alone,” Andy explained, once again looking smug. Everyone was watching them now. “Said I was gonna lose my ride to college, acted all flirty and shit. What is it, honey? The freak not giving it to you good enough? Do they all share you, like the big whore you a-”

“Fuck!”

Dottie hadn’t hesitated. Instead, she’d just simply punched him right in the face with her right fist, thumb on the outside like her Grandpa Ken had taught her when they were boxing in his backyard one summer, hitting pillows and humming along to the Rocky theme song while Grandma Caroline made fresh lemonade. The crack that followed the punch was deafening. All chatter ceased and the music was turned off - if a needle were to hit the floor, it would have been so easily heard in the silence that followed her expletive. It had hurt for him, yes, something was definitely broken, but the impact on her knuckles had split the delicate skin covering them, not used to being treated so roughly by colliding against a jock’s bones. Andy pinched his nose with pain, blood starting to pour down his cupid’s bow.

“Wait, no!” Chrissy gasped, as Andy reached over to take someone’s beer can out of their hand and emptied it on Dottie’s head, throwing it away once it was empty. The metal clang on the floor until it hit someone’s shoe.

“What the fuck?” Gareth managed to say, before Eddie launched himself and pushed Andy away from Dottie who just stood there clutching at her hand and looking at the floor in shock.

Her Mom’s dress was ruined, sticky liquid dripping from her hair onto the soft fabric, staining everything as it went down, down, down onto her thighs and legs until it reached her socks. She smelled like an alcoholic and her fingers hurt. She felt empty, adrenaline leaving her body as she shivered while everything around her dissolved into utter chaos. The Hellfire Club and the basketball team were yelling and pushing each other once again, people rushing to get out of their way so they wouldn’t get hit. With the reflexes of someone used to being on alert, Nancy grabbed Dottie’s arm and yanked her aside just in time for Andy to push Eddie off himself and into a side table. Eddie hit the floor with a sickening crunch, but what made everyone stop the brawl was the sound of the lamp on top cracking into a million little pieces right next to the couch.

“Jason, stop this!” Chrissy pleaded, hanging onto his arm.

Andy, not one to be deterred, snapped his head towards Dottie, not caring that Nancy threw an arm out to cover her with her own body. He raised his hand, fully on board with hurting either of them to make a point, when Jason finally snapped into action and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him into Patrick’s arms who instantly held him in place, Chance coming over to help.

“Are you crazy?” Jason yelled at his friend. “We don’t hit women!”

He turned just in time to see Chrissy helping Eddie up, the two of them muttering to each other softly, looking a lot more friendly than he liked. His eye twitched once and he looked at Hellfire as they huddled closer to each other and started inching towards the exit, Nancy and Chrissy herding them out.

“Get out of my fucking house!” Jason told them, like they weren’t already trying to leave.

“Gladly,” Donny said, closing the door behind them and shielding them from further aggressions.

“You guys, I am so sorry,” Chrissy was saying, not knowing who to direct it to first.

“It’s okay, Chris. Not your fault your boyfriend has shithead friends,” Eddie said, patting her shoulder in comfort.

“Still, I should have-,” she cut herself off because there was nothing she could have done; the basketball team and the Hellfire Club were destined to hate each other until the end of time. She turned to Dottie instead. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I think so. My hand hurts,” she sniffed. “I’m sorry we ruined your party.”

“Oh, please, that party sucked,” Chrissy snorted. “The most fun I had all night was when we were dancing with Val.”

“Come on, let’s get you home,” Donny said, guiding Dottie towards his car.

“I can drive her, I brought her here,” Nancy offered, giving him half a smile. She wasn’t friends with the guys, but she knew enough about them through Mike to have at the very least positive feelings towards them. Besides, it wasn’t like Jonathan hadn’t also been an outcast back when he was still in Hawkins. She knew what that was like.

“No, no,” Dottie hurried to say. “You should both go back to the party. Eddie can drive me, Don, I don’t want to ruin your car.”

“Are you sure?” Chrissy said, not wanting to leave her in such a vulnerable state.

“Yes, I’m sure. Go back inside, it’s your party,” she squeezed the blonde’s hand. “I had fun dancing with you, thank you for inviting me.”

“Maybe we can do it again some day? Just us girls?” Chrissy said, eyes full of hope.

“I’d love that,” Dottie said, and she really meant it.

“Okay, then… let’s go back inside, Nancy. Bye guys, drive safe,” Chrissy waved at them, pulling her cardigan closed and both girls disappeared back into the house.

“Is this a bad time to say that I stole a case of beers?” Gareth said, lifting a 12-pack and bringing some much needed humor to the situation.

“Let’s go back to mine then, we can sneak in through the basement door,” Jeff proposed, and Donny nodded.

“I’m… I’m gonna pass, guys,” Eddie said. “I’ll take her home and head back to the trailer. My ass kinda hurts.”

“Have fun without us, okay? I’m sorry I ruined it,” Dottie said, tears swimming in her eyes. Whether it was because of the shame or the pain in her hand, no one knew but no one asked her either.

“Hey now, you didn’t ruin anything. We’ve got an awesome story to tell the kids someday,” Donny laughed.

“Yeah! We’ll be like: Auntie Dot broke a jock’s nose back in high school because he called her names,” Jeff said, putting on an old man voice and Dottie chuckled wetly.

“Come on, let’s go,” Eddie said, guiding her towards his van with a hand on her lower back.

“I should sit in the back, I’m gonna get your seats dirty,” Dottie said.

“Don’t even think about it, there’s no seatbelts in the back,” he said, climbing in and rummaging around for the tarp they covered Gareth’s drumset with when they moved it for gigs.

The music from inside the house was booming again when Donny’s car pulled into the street and the boys left, saying goodbye by honking twice. Eddie covered the front seat with the tarp and helped her get in, clicking the seatbelt for her in place and jogging to get to the driver’s side. Dottie stared out the window as Eddie turned the van on and backed up into the street, waving at a defeated Chrissy who was looking out from the living room’s window. When Eddie stopped at the first intersection, Dottie turned to look at him.

“Ed?” she asked in a shaky voice. “Can you take me to yours instead?”

The trailer was empty with all the lights turned off when they arrived, which was unusual for a Saturday night. Wayne had always had weekends off, after all, he had a kid at home to take care of and nobody was an asshole enough to ask an old man to come in during his time away with his family. Still, as Eddie kneeled down next to the entrance to help Dottie undo her heel buckles, she looked around while holding onto his shoulders and found herself missing her Mr. Wayne. Eddie had asked her in the van why she didn’t want to go home, and she had simply replied she didn’t want to tell her Dad she’d gotten into a fight just yet. She’d failed to mention that she was expecting Wayne to give her the parental comfort she needed, but without the grounding she was sure she was gonna get from her own father.

“He’s at the plant,” Eddie said, guessing her silent inquiry. “He’s doing extra time this weekend so he can take a couple of days off for graduation.”

“That’s really sweet,” she smiled, stepping out of her shoes now that he’d gotten them unbuckled. The beer that had dripped down her legs had stained the tops of her socks.

“Wait here, okay? I’ll get the shower running for you, the knobs are… well, they’re stupid,” he shrugged with resignation. “You can call your Dad if you want, tell him where you are.”

He started the shower for her while she dialed home, James picking up after a few long rings. He listened to her talk quietly while getting her a towel and clean clothes; she hadn’t exactly asked, but Eddie got confirmation that she wanted to spend the night when he heard her lie to her Dad about being at Jeff’s and having a movie night. Eddie wasn’t about to complain about her not mentioning she was with him if it meant he could sleep next to her for a full night. He went back into the bathroom, lowered the toilet’s lid and put the things he’d gathered for her on top before opening the mirror cabinet and pulling out a new toothbrush along with a packet of makeup wipes. She hung up and walked into the small bathroom after him, looking at the items in his hands with a quirked eyebrow.

“I wear eyeliner for our gigs sometimes,” he admitted. “It always looks like shit, but if it’s good enough for Ozzy, it’s good enough for me.”

“Maybe I can teach you how to do it right sometime,” she said, the corner of her mouth lifting into half a smile.

“Maybe you should just do my makeup so I don’t poke my eye out.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll do your makeup next time.”

“Kick your clothes out the door when you take them off, I’ll throw them in the washing machine for you,” he said, and left her to her devices.

He went back into his bedroom to give her privacy and get changed into his own PJs, which consisted of an old ratty t-shirt with a couple of holes around the neck and plaid pants he was sure had belonged to Wayne at some point in their lives. While he busied himself changing his sheets into fresh ones, putting her clothes in the washer and making his bedroom look somewhat presentable, Dottie tried to hurry up in the shower, not wanting to use up all the water. Still, she couldn’t help but take her time appreciating the fact that Eddie actually owned conditioner and that the green apple smell that surrounded him in the mornings belonged to the big bottle of shampoo in the corner of the tub. She washed all the beer off her skin and hair and, feeling a lot more like herself, wrapped her body into the soft off-white towel he’d gotten for her, standing at the mirror to rid herself of her make up as best as she could. She brushed her hair quickly, scrunching her curls into the towel to remove the excessive moisture, and brushed her teeth making a note to buy him a new toothbrush to replace the one she’d used. Timidly, she also reached for his deodorant, reasoning that it was better to use it than to stink up his clothes and bed with her sweat.

She was studying herself in the small mirror, not entirely believing that she was wearing Eddie’s clothes, when she realized the light scabbing on her knuckles had probably loosened up with the water and they were all bloody again like she’d never cleaned them up in the first place. Poking her head out of the bathroom, she directed her voice towards his bedroom where she could hear him pottering about.

“Eddie?” she called.

“Yeah?”

“D’you have any bandages? My hand’s bleeding again.”

“Uh, lemme see,” he pushed the door open and rummaged around in the sink cabinet, grabbing a little bag that contained their first aid supplies. “Come, sit on the bed,” he instructed, and she did as he asked without a word.

He kneeled in front of her and inspected her right hand, closing each finger carefully and pressing on parts of her palm to see if anything hurt. Nothing seemed to be permanently broken, so reached over to his bedside table where a cup of water sat and gave her an ibuprofen to help with the swelling before moving on with his next task. She watched him as he worked diligently to clean the scrapes, long thick fingers fluttering softly on her skin.

“What’s the diagnosis, doc?” Dottie asked.

“I’m getting a weird déjà vu here, princess,” he chuckled. “You need to stop getting into trouble before I get into pre-med.”

“Can’t help it. Trouble’s my middle name.”

“I thought it was Ann?” Eddie said, laughing.

Truthfully, he was joking around to hide the fact that he had been losing his mind since she’d opened the bathroom door and came out all rosy-cheeked, smelling like him and wearing his clothes. He’d given her one of his old shirts, a white one he hardly ever used anymore with a Garfield print at the front and his blue checkered boxers, not expecting them to look as big on her as they did. The hem of the shirt almost covered the shorts, and the short sleeves went past her elbows. The less was said about his gray socks that bunched up at her heel, the better, and he tried not to think about the fact that he knew she wasn’t wearing a bra because he’d had the most mortifying pleasure of throwing the cute cotton garment into his washing machine fifteen minutes earlier. Eddie was wrapping up her knuckles with a long piece of gauze when he noticed she’d gone strangely quiet. He looked up at her face to find her teary-eyed and chewing on a wobbly lip.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, holding onto her hand. “Is it too tight?”

“Is that… what everyone thinks about me?” she whispered, like she was afraid of asking out loud.

“I- I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about, darling.”

“Wh-what Andy said. About me being… does everyone think I’m a slut?”

“What? No! Of course not!” he stuck the gauze in place with a piece of medical tape and lifted himself onto his knees between her legs to hug her. “Dot, he didn’t even know who you were until tonight, he was just talking out of his ass.”

“I’m not a whore,” she muttered into his shoulder. “I promise I’m not.”

“Darling, what are you on about, huh?” he grabbed her face with two hands and brought her eyes to his. “I know you’re not. You could sleep with half this town and I still wouldn’t think you’re a whore. You- you can do whatever you want with whoever you want! I know you, you’re… Dot, you’re so fucking nice to me, to all of us, and the only reason Andy said that bullshit about you is because you’re friends with the freaks.”

“I’m not,” she said, and he looked at her in question. “I’m not friends with the freaks. I am a freak.”

“Hell yeah you are,” Eddie smiled. “You are a freak, and you shouldn’t let what that piece of shit said get to you, okay? You broke his fucking nose because he talked shit about you, Dot. You’re so fucking amazing.”

It was probably the way Eddie was looking at her like she’d hung the moon and all the stars, or maybe it was the way he was holding onto her face with a gentleness no one associated with the rugged metalhead, fingers extending under her ears and into her damp hair, thumbs on her cheeks. It was most definitely the way he always took care of her, how he cleaned her wounds like she was the most fragile thing on Earth and how he never hesitated to pull her into his arms whenever she needed a hug without questioning her reasons. But honestly, it was most likely the fact that he was so close to her, his warm breath mingling with her minty one, that had her leaning forward and pecking his lips with hers in the most chaste kiss she’d ever given to anyone in her entire life.

She tried pulling away as fast as she had leaned in, she really tried to, but Eddie felt like he had been struck by a live wire and instinctively chased her mouth with his own, still cupping her face but moving one of his hands to tangle into her hair, finally taking a hold of the proverbial carrot dangling in front of him. He was kissing her - Eddie Munson was kissing Dottie Burke and he couldn’t get enough of it - he needed more, he needed to consume her and she to him until there was nothing left for anyone to see. He grabbed onto her bare thigh to pull himself up and she whimpered, the walls of the illusion suddenly crashing around him. She’d just tearfully asked him if the town thought she was a whore, and his way of reassuring her, had been to deny it and then make a move on her. Eddie jumped back so quickly he fell onto his bruised ass and hissed in pain.

“Fuck, Dot, I’m- I’m so sorry!” he pleaded, leaving her dumbfounded and glazy-eyed.

He’d fucked up. He’d ruined everything. With his eagerness, he’d jumped the gun and now his plan was ruined, and she probably, maybe, definitely thought he was a fucking pervert trying to get into her pants, and yes, he very much would like to do that but not like this. Not before she knew he would quite literally die for her, not before he’d confessed to her the profound love he felt and had finally become the kind of man she deserved to have. Dottie looked at him not understanding what had just happened, but when she moved to get off the bed and closer to him, he jumped off the floor and put even more distance between them.

“I’m so sorry, we shouldn’t- fuck, I didn’t-”

“Eddie, it’s fine-

“No, it’s not fine!” his hands tangled in his own hair while he tried to find the words to explain himself. “This is all wrong, goddamnit-”

“Eddie, calm down-”

“Fuck, Chrissy is gonna kill me, I’m such a fucking idiot-”

“Ch-Chrissy?” Dottie whispered, but he didn’t hear her in the middle of his freakout.

Oh. Oh. She was so stupid. She couldn’t even blame him, she’d been influenced by her aunts and by Gareth - and of course, who wouldn’t be in love with Chrissy Cunningham, Head Cheerleader and Queen of Hawkins High? She was so kind, and friendly, with her gorgeous eyes and warm smiles. And by his own admission, if she was going to kill him, well, that certainly meant she returned Eddie’s affections, did it not? She’d be an idiot not to love Eddie back because Eddie was so loveable. Sweet, silly, wonderful Eddie who had just kissed his best friend and regretted it deeply. She had to get out of there if there was any hope of saving their friendship.

“I’m so sorry,” Dottie said, rushing out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

“Dot, wait!” Eddie followed her. He had to fix this, he had to tell her, he was gonna tell her- “What are you doing?”

“I’m really so sorry, Eddie, I didn’t know,” she got her damp clothes out of the washing machine; the cycle had probably ended in the middle of his upset rant and neither of them had heard it.

“Where are you going? It’s midnight!” he watched her shove her feet into her heels, not bothering with fastening the buckles before she opened his front door. He had to act fast or he was going to lose her forever.

“Eddie, please,” she asked, tears pooling in her eyes again, voice broken. “I just want to go home. Everything’s fine, I’ll see you on Monday-”

“No!” he threw himself onto the door, closing it again effectively locking her in. “Y-you can’t leave like this! What are you gonna do, walk home in your heels? Are you insane?”

“Please, I’m sorry,” she sobbed, breaking his heart into a million tiny pieces. “We can forget this all happened, please, just let me go!”

“No!”

“Eddie!”

“No! We need to talk about this!”

“There’s nothing to talk about! I didn’t know you were dating her, just let me-”

“Wait, what?” It was Eddie’s turn to be confused. “I’m not dating anyone, what are you talking about?”

“I’m not fucking deaf, Ed! You just said Chrissy was gonna kill you!”

“Yes, but that’s not- Fuck! That’s not what I meant! She’s dating Jason Carver, for fuck’s sake!”

“It’s okay if you like her, she’s fucking perfect-” she babbled, fat tears leaving tracks on her cheeks.

“You’re fucking perfect! God, fuck, this is not what I-” Eddie took the clothes out of her arms and threw them into the living room, pulling her into his arms again.

“Eddie, what the fuck?!” she shrieked, trying to get away from him but he held on tight, throwing her onto his shoulder and sitting her down onto the kitchen counter.

“I made Kool-Aid!”

“What? I don’t want fucking Kool-Aid-”

“Just stop arguing!” he yelled, effectively shutting her up. “I made apple Kool-Aid.”

“...I love apple Kool-Aid,” she said, for lack of a better response.

“I know,” he said, leaning back and looking at her sitting between his arms, palms on the cold surface of his kitchen countertop. “That’s why I keep buying it. For you.”

An ugly sob bubbled up out of her throat and she hid her face in her hands. She wasn’t strong enough to keep fighting with him, and when he hugged her again, fingers tangling back under her ears, she simply bowed her head and cried harder. Eddie kissed her hair and held her, letting her release all the pent up emotions that were swirling in her mind. When she breathed a little bit easier, he looked at her, drying her tears with his thumbs.

“Can I trust you to stay here while I get the Kool-Aid?” he asked, softly.

Dottie nodded, so he moved away from her to get the pitcher out of the fridge. He filled a mug first, watching her legs swinging lightly back and forth while she sniffled and picked at her nails, and stopped before filling the next one. She saw him frown and look around the kitchen before finding what he was looking for: a yellow ceramic mug with a gnome playing the accordion on the front. A couple of weeks ago, the teens had been studying in the trailer on the small table in the kitchen, and Dottie had mentioned to Wayne she was gonna get him a hat with her college logo when she was in Michigan so he could add it to his collection. He’d glowed at that, joking that he was gonna tell everyone his niece was a genius and that he’d leave her her favorite mug in his will in return. The two of them had spent around 30 minutes going through every mug until she decided on one, all while Eddie worked on his homework with a dumb smile on his face. She’d picked a yellow mug with gnome playing the accordion on the front, the very same mug Eddie was now gently putting into her hands filled with apple Kool-Aid he allegedly kept buying because he knew it was her fave flavor.

They sipped their juice in silence until Dottie calmed down, holding onto the mug with both hands for comfort. Eddie stood there, waiting for her to say anything and when it became clear she was not gonna be the first one to talk, he put his mug down and turned to her, pulling on the hem of her borrowed boxers.

“Hey,” he said, ducking his head down to look her into the eyes. She made a small sound of acknowledgment but kept staring at the liquid between her hands. “I’m not dating anyone.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t like Chrissy,” he kept going.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

“Yes, I do. I really fucking do,” he took her mug out of her hands and ducked a bit more. “Dot, look at me. Please.”

“Eddie, it’s fine-”

“I’m kind of insanely in love with you.”

“What?” Dottie breathed out, eyes widening.

“Darling, I haven’t been able to even look at anyone else since the day I met you. I’m so fucking obsessed with you it’s actually embarrassing,” he smiled at her, finally hitting her with the full force of his confession.

“You… you like me?”

“Mhm,” he nodded, lifting her hand and kissing her gauze covered knuckles. “Chrissy has been helping me plan how to ask you out. We’re not secretly dating, she knows I’m crazy about you.”

“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t know,” Dottie murmured, ashamed that she’d jumped the gun with her conclusions.

“You couldn’t know, that was the whole point,” he chuckled. “I was gonna ask you out after graduation, I wanted to have our diplomas and everything but then you kissed me and… you’re awfully impatient, has anyone ever told you that?”

“God, I’m an idiot,” she laughed, hitting her forehead with her palm. “How long had you been planning that?”

“Since around your birthday,” he admitted, and she groaned. “I would have asked you earlier but I wanted to set things straight before, y’know? I wanted to graduate first, maybe get a job, I dunno… Give you what you deserve. Instead you get… this,” he waved his hand around. “Sorry.”

“Eddie, I’m so in love with you, it’s not even funny. What are you talking about?”

“What?”

“Oh my god, we’re both idiots!” Dottie groaned again, and he laughed in disbelief.

“You’re in love with me?”

“Yes! Why did you think I kissed you?!”

“I mean, I kinda figured out you liked me, but love, darling, that’s… That’s a lot.”

“You just said you are “kinda insanely in love” with me, what do you mean it’s a lot?” she looked at him like he had just told her the sky was green.

“Well, yeah, but- that’s different! I’m me!”

“Okay, what the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know, I just- fuck, I love you and I really, really want to kiss you right now. Would that be okay, darling? Can I kiss you?”

She shook her head at him like he had just said the stupidest thing on Earth and wrapped her arms around him, bringing him forward and pressing their lips together again. Eddie laughed against her mouth, hands coming up to cup the sides of her jaw, thumbs rubbing circles into her skin. They kissed with no hurry and no other motives than to just kiss, savoring the moment like a cold sip of water after a long race. There were no more places to hide, no more shadows lurking in the background. It was just them under the mismatched light bulbs in the Munson kitchen, two mugs and a pitcher filled with Kool-Aid, and limbs tangling with one another, scratching an itch that had once seemed impossible to relieve.

Eddie moved his lips from hers to her cheek, up her nose and eyelids until he reached her forehead and stayed there, just breathing in and basking in the knowledge that they’d jumped off a cliff together and had landed on the other side unscathed. There were so many conversations to be had, so many things to be said, but this was more than okay for him now. This was enough, and for the first time in his whole life, he was enough. Dottie’s hands moved under his shirt, lightly running her short nails over his skin, the motion calming and grounding him. He was hers, and she was his, and there was nothing else that mattered anymore. The waters were calm. The locked padlocks remained in place, but the keys weren’t forgotten or hidden anymore. She felt at peace in a way she had never once felt before, knowing that no matter what came next, they would face it together. She yawned once, burrowing further into his skin, and he chuckled.

“Wanna go to bed now?” he asked, softly.

“Yes, please,” she replied.

Eddie helped her off the counter and let her get comfy in his room while he finished getting ready for bed, turning all the lights off and brushing his teeth with a dazed expression on his face. He found her tucked in on the left side of his bed, the one closest to the wall and realized that he could get used to this so easily. He was sure that once she went home the next day, he’d have trouble falling asleep until she was back next to him, nuzzling into his chest and wearing his clothes. They cuddled in silence, soft touches in the darkness, just exploring skin and calming rapid heartbeats with innocent caresses that revealed just how much they’d longed for this. There would be time for bolder actions, but tonight they just wanted to hold each other tight and never let go. Eddie, however, had one more question to ask before sleep could whisk them away to Dreamland.

“Darling?”

“Mhm?”

“I don’t want to, like, ruin the moment, but… what happens now?”

“Dunno. What do you want to happen?” she asked, moving her leg on top of his so he could shuffle closer to her.

“Can we maybe not tell people this happened so I can ask you out like I planned?” he said, shyly. “I just… I want to do things right with you. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

“You’re not fucking anything up, Ed. But sure, we can pretend this didn’t happen and I’ll act surprised when you ask me out,” she rolled her eyes playfully.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” he squeezed her closer. “I meant it more like… not telling the guys? You can tell your Dad if you want, though.”

“How about this?” she said, reaching up and kissing his jaw sweetly. “We don’t tell anyone anything, and my Dad doesn’t get an aneurysm every time he sees you. Sound good?”

“You want to lie to your Dad?”

“Not forever. We can tell him before I leave for college. You’re gonna come see me, right?” Dottie asked, hopeful.

“Baby, Michigan is only three hours away. They’re gonna think I’m your roommate with how often I’m gonna be there,” he pecked her hairline.

“Baby?”

“Just trying it on. D’you like it?”

“I love it. And I love you.”

“Fuck, I’ll never get tired of that. I love you,” he chuckled, leaning in to kiss her. “Okay, we won’t tell anyone so your Dad doesn’t murder me.”

“I have one condition though.”

“Okay?”

“I still get to kiss you when we’re alone.”

“You just want me to be your dirty little secret, don’t you?” Eddie joked, poking her side.

“I’ll be yours too if that helps,” she said, cheekily.

“Oh, don’t tempt me with a good time, princess,” he said with a mischievous tone. “Who knows? Might be fun to sneak around all summer.”

Half an hour later, when they were finally falling asleep between soft kisses and whispered sweet nothings, they both agreed that a little bit of teenage disobedience might just be the missing piece they didn’t know they were looking for to complete their perfect summer before officially being adults. After all, it always looked so much fun in movies, right?

taglist (comment below or send me an ask if you want to be added!): @munsonology @kurdtbean @every1lovesanunderdog @eg-dr3amer3

#bunny writes #small town fic #eddie munson x female character #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x oc #eddie munson x ofc #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #eddie munson #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst #stranger things 4 #stranger things #nancy wheeler #gareth stranger things #jeff stranger things #chrissy cunningham #jason carver #patrick mckinney #andy stranger things #chance stranger things #joseph quinn #baby's first fic

[ezilyamuzed]

Ten Years Gone- Chapter Three

Description: Ten years ago, your world had changed. Ten years ago, you had met him, leading your life to never be the same again. Time is running out, but is it too late after all these years?

Word count: 8396 (I get really into it!)

A/N: This takes place at the beginning of season 2. I re-watch specific episodes to integrate the story in as much as I can into the real one (some things are bound to be reworked a bit!) This process takes lots of time, so please let me know what you think. Also I suggest a re-watch anyways because - come’on, they’re worth it!

Any grammatical mistakes are all my own, because I am human. Remember all comments and feedback are welcomed! If you want a tag in future posts regarding this series or other writings please send an ask! Please  leave a comment if you like it, it keeps me motivated to continue! As always thank you for reading! Enjoy!  

Do you ever remember me, baby

Did it feel so good

'Cause it was just the first time

And you knew you would

The roadhouse was looking like it was just winding down. There were only a few cars in the lot when you pulled up. Most likely just a few stray hunters not sure where to go next. None of them looked like Bobby’s beat up van. The thought of Dean driving it sure was amusing.

Inside the stale smell of cigarettes and whiskey hit you quickly. It was like a second home when you were off traveling around, especially when you were trying to ignore Bobby. There were two guys practically passed out at the table in the corner. Three guys by the pool table arguing about something. Last but not least Ash leaning over the bar to fill up his glass when he thought no one was looking.

“Y/N!” He grinned with a wobble. “I was just being a gentleman and pouring this for the most beautiful girl who ever walked in our fine doors.”

“Sure ya were,” you grabbed the beer and took a long sip. “Where’s Ellen and Jo?”

“Y/N!” Jo’s voice sprung up behind you, coming at you quickly to give you a big hug. “Happy birthday!”

“Yes! Salutations! Let’s drink,” Ash stated lifting a glass in cheers while leaning over to fill it up.

“I think you’ve had enough there Ash,” Ellen warned while coming out of the kitchen, making him sit down his beer. “Don’t you have some project you promised them Winchester boys?”

“Right, demon tracking,” he stuttered with a point of his finger. “On it!”

Ash stumbled back to his hideaway, making the three of you shake your heads with a laugh. Winchester boys? Demon tracking? Yup, they’ve been here and you needed to know more.

“What’s this now? He’s tracking demons? It’s not that hard,” you slyly commented while taking a sip of your beer knowing that one specific one was hard as hell to track down.

“Don’t you worry about that,” Ellen sternly warned. “Happy birthday darlin. Drinks on the house.”

“Couch in the back available too?”

“For you, always. It’s near closing time,” she nodded to Jo. “The two of you will have all night to chat after we get the rest of these guys out and finish closing up.

You had offered to help, but of course she declined. One of Ellen’s rules when it came to her customers- she was the boss. She always did last call because if they dared to disagree with her, she would show them her mean side. It was not pretty. Her mom glare was worse than staring down at a hungry and growling wendego.

After an hour or so you were on your 3rd drink. The last guy had finally stumbled out, allowing Jo to lock the door behind him. She looked unimpressed by whatever lines he had been spitting out

“Not Mr. Right huh?” You laughed while watching her walk over to sit next to you.

“I don’t get these hunters that think that they can get into my pants by telling me all about their gun collection and latest kills. Be a real man and take a girl out, show her good time in the action.”

“Mom still giving you grief about going out?”

“Of course,” she rolled her eyes while leaning over the counter to pull out a bottle of jack to hand to you. “Anyways; happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” you replied while twisting the top off and pouring out two glasses.

The two of you continued to go on talking. You had gotten her on the subject of her mom for a bit to distract her from noticing that your drinks were lasting longer than hers. You wanted to know more about the Winchester’s visit and what Ash was doing in the back. Poor Jo was easy to get gossiping once she started drinking.

“Anywho; today when I asked her who this Winchester guy was and his two sons, she told me it was just an old friend of my dads. Pretty sure she’s hiding something there.”

“John Winchester?” You coyly asked, pretending to not know.

“Yeah that was his name. You know them?”

“Heard of ‘em,” you lied. You didn’t want to tell her that you knew them, especially given the way that everything seemed to be a secret about their arrival.

“Guess he died somehow and his sons are looking for what killed him,” she downed the last of her glass, prompting you to fill it some more. “Sad really. I guess it also killed their mom.”

“So why would they show up here?”

“My mom called their dad a while back when Ash got an idea for some alg-o...algor-,” she slurred for a moment. “Whatever. Program to track demons. Guess she thought she could help. They got the message and showed up. Gave Ash all their dad’s research to figure it out. Pretty cute though.”

Her comment made a slight chuckle come out of you as you took a sip of your drink. Yeah, Dean and Sam were definitely cute. It’d be dumb of you to think that Jo wouldn’t think so as well given the rough guys that typically pass through.

“Dean started to hit on me, but coward out for some reason,” her statement caught you a little by surprise, making you give her a raised eyebrow. “Wrong place, wrong time was what he said. Whatever that means.”

There was a feeling of relief that he had stopped himself. Maybe besides the fact that he was looking for a demon he decided to not go through it because of you. You shook off the thought as you lifted your glass again to drink. Jo was a pretty girl and Dean was sure handsome. Neither one of them had a literal doomsday clock counting down, why would it be a bad thing for them to hook up? Maybe have a little hunter romance?

“Sounds like a genuine guy,” you sighed a little. “Maybe give him a chance.”

“Maybe,” Jo sighed while leaning her head on her hand, slowly falling closer to a drunk sleep.

“Where are they now?”

“A hunt, some clown thingy,” she yawned. “I was going to give it to you, but mom gave it to them instead.”

Clowns: Sammy hates clowns. The thought made you chuckle again. That’d be an interesting case to watch.

“Any idea when they are returning? I might have to put this Dean guy in his place if he passes up a chance with my best friend.”

“At least a day or two more,” she yawned again, this time fully laying down her head to sleep.

“Come on you, off to bed.”

You got up and helped her to the back where her room was, assisting her in taking off her shoes to pass out on her fluffy bed. You felt a little bad for letting her get so drunk, but she’d shake it off in the morning.

You had made your way to the little office where the pull out couch was when you caught Ellen at the desk still awake.

“You two have a good night?”

You nodded with a smile as you sat down on the couch, giving a yawn yourself. It had been a long day.

“A year left now,” she stated with a sigh making you nod again. “When are you going to tell her?”

Ellen had been the only other person besides Bobby and John to know about your deal. That was only because she got it out of you the first night you came in battered and bruised because of a damn werewolf. You had been careless and stopped giving a damn because the clock was ticking anyways, why be careful? She saw right through that.

“ I’d rather it just go on like it has been,” you replied. “When the time comes, I died in a hunt. That’s the story. It happens all the time and will be a reminder of what happens to the people we leave behind.”

She nodded her head in agreement. She didn’t like it, but she agreed that it was the last option.

“What if you find this thing though? The same thing the Winchester’s are looking for?” Her question catching you by surprise. “I know you know them. They grew up with Bobby too didn’t they?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“So what’s with the secret?”

“They don’t know what happened and I want to keep it that way. The soul I traded for mine. It was for John.”

“ You are a damn fool,” she glared before sighing deeply. “I’m sure it was because of them though wasn’t it?”

“It was, now it’s just all apart of a cosmic joke,” you replied. “He wasn’t supposed to die already.”

“John Winchester was lucky he didn’t die a long time ago. He was reckless and whatever situation he had put you in was asinine on his part. Now I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but that whole family is cursed.”

“Not the whole family,” you chimed in, making her give you a skeptical glare.

“So which one is it? Hmm? The tall model looking one or the even taller model looking one?” She asked with that motherly knowing glare.

“Dean,” you bit your lip a little thinking about him.

“Be careful there Y/N,” she stated as she sat up from her seat. “We will try to figure this out, but you don’t have that much time. Don’t get yourself hurt these last remaining days. Life’s too short for heartache.”

“Yeah,” you mumbled as you yawned while laying down. “It’s definitely not long enough.”

“I’ll keep your secret, but she’s going to find out someday. Don’t you worry about it today sweetheart. We will figure this out,” she clicked off the light at the end of her words. “Happy birthday again.”

The next day, after you woke with a slight hangover you made your way over to the bar. Jo was hunched over it drinking Ellen’s hangover cure with another one beside her.

“Why is it that every year for your birthday my head hurts more and more the next day,” she groaned.

“It’s called getting older sweetheart,” Ellen chuckled while wiping out glasses from the other side of the bar. “Drink up, you’ll feel better.”

You took a sip from your remedy. The taste of the cinnamon and ginger mixed with tomato juice and honey was overbearing- but it worked. You contemplated what was going to be your next move. Stay around and admit that you knew the Winchester’s, go back to Bobby’s and lounge around, or say screw it all and head off to Vegas for a while.

“I wonder when the boys will be back,” Jo pondered out loud.

“Don’t you worry about them,” Ellen glanced over at you. “They’re busy with a hunt.”

“And I’m in the midst of this chaos called a tracking system,” you heard Ash add as he came in with a worn notebook filled with John’s handwriting.

“Need help?” You found yourself asking, making Ellen stop to stare at you.

“If you can organize these dates that would be most beneficial,” he slid the notebook to you while opening his laptop. “So far I don’t see a pattern by eyeballing it, but Molly here will find it.”

You took your time going through the papers on an empty table. One by one, trying to gather the dates. One in particular caught your eye. Your 15th birthday. John wrote it carefully down as a demon spotting with a 10 year deal, but he was careful not to say who. In fact, there was no mention of your name anywhere. He hid away what had happened just as much as you had. You would have said it was for your protection, but there were names everywhere else. Maybe he felt guilty? Maybe he didn’t want the boys to ever know.

Flipping through there was another repeat date. This time your 11th birthday with question marks and the words hellhound next to it. Had they made a deal? Or was it something else? That part you may never know, but if Ash wanted a pattern there was at least one- and you were the root of it.

Looking around to see if anyone was watching, you tore the pages out that revolved around you. No need for that minor detail. The dead crop circles and random fires like the one that happened to them should suffice. No need for everyone to look towards you. Not when a freakin demon already clued you in on his diabolical plan all those years ago. You knew the why, now the question was where next?

“I think they’re in order Ash,” you stated a few hours later. “You’re right, doesn’t seem to be a pattern really. Not a consistent one at least.”

“Molly here will figure it out and we will be in demon ass kicking business,” he stated while tapping on the screen of the laptop that was a living Frankenstein of parts muddled together.

You rolled your eyes at him, knowing that he barely had anything to go on, and while if he did find a pattern it was going to take a while. Especially to then track the demon just in time. What would be next? Who knew?.

“Ellen, Jo!” You called as you walked towards the bar. “I’m going to be heading out!”

“You can’t go yet!” Jo frowned. “Stay around and meet the Winchester’s when they return.”

You glanced over at Ellen quickly who looked annoyed. You knew what was about to happen. Ellen would tell her to stay away and Jo would argue back and rebel.

“You know Jo,” you piped up. “While I’d love to meet these guys, it’s probably for the best to keep a little distance from them.”

Jo gave you a look of disbelief while Ellen gave you a skeptical glare.

“I mean, come on,” you continued. “They have some powerful demon after them. It’s already killed their dad. Who’s to say it won’t go after anyone else.”

“You of all people were the last that I would ever expect to back out because of any danger,” she sneered with confusion and disbelief.

“Yeah well old age I guess,” you laughed it off, glancing at Ellen who gave you a knowing nod. If Jo was going to hate someone’s opinion it was better to come from you. “Just be safe around them.”

“You be safe out there Y/N,” Ellen spoke up with a smile.

“Always.”

Instead of going back to Bobby’s you found yourself going west instead. After a couple hours into Wyoming, for god only knew why, you decided to stop for the night at a hotel. A day just to yourself in a honeymoon suite sounded like just what the doctor ordered. A nice birthday treat for yourself all paid for by Ms. Yamgucci’s visa.

You had just gotten out of a nice hot bath when you heard your phone chime with a message.

Hey. You up?

The number didn’t seem familiar, but had a Kansas area code. You glanced over at the clock; it was roughly 10’oclock where you were. It was late, but not that late for anyone that knew you.

who is this?

Dean. Bobby gave me your number.

Dean? Well this was certainly a surprise. Why the hell would he ask Bobby for your number? Let alone text you?

Oh hey. Yeah, I’m up. Why?

Bored doing a stake out. Killer clowns.

Sounds exciting. And I’m the only person to entertain your boredom? Flattered.

Nah. I was curious about the other night.

What?

I was wondering if we could do it again when we get back.

Your mind raced at what he was talking about. The talking part, the drinking part, or the almost making out in the garage part. Only one way to find out. Your stomach turned as you typed and awaited the answer; hoping it wasn’t the latter.

What part?

It was nice seeing you again and hanging out. Plus we never finished our bet.

You’d lose. Plus, I’m not at Bobby’s anymore.

Where’d ya go?

I’m in some small town that I can’t pronounce in Wyoming right now. Trying to find a case.

Well maybe we can join you.

Maybe. Finish the hunt you’re on first. Let me know when you’re done and I’ll let ya know where I’m at.

Deal. Happy hunting.

You too.

You shut your phone closed as you laid on the bed, daydreaming what could possibly be going on in Dean’s head as he texted you. He had hit on Jo, but then chickened out. Was it possible that he had thought of you? Did he still have feelings for you? What the hell would you do if he did? The questions plagued your mind as they relayed over and over until eventually you passed out.

Nothing but darkness surrounded you, like a cloud of chaos dancing. There were screams of pain mixed with laughter. The darkness slowly began to lift enough for your eyes to catch two yellow ones gleaming in the distance.

“Beautiful,” was all he said with a grin. ���Just perfect.”

Your eyes shot open wide in a frantic. It took a moment for them to adjust as you darted your focus all around you. It was just a dream. You were safe in a hotel in Wyoming. So why the hell were you having dreams of the yellow-eyed demon? The darkness that had surrounded you, what was that? And why was he smiling?

You decided to attempt to go to sleep again, which worked for a little while. The image was seared into your brain. Those eyes. Those proud eyes were haunting you.

After getting dressed and checking out, you made your way down the road for an hour or so until you found a little diner. It was an old western tourist attraction for their town, ‘Sunrise.’

The staff was all in very cheesy western gear that looked like they had ransacked Dolly Parton’s collection. They were friendly enough though. One plaque caught your eye, specifically the name on it.

“Home of Samuel Colt,” you muttered out loud.

“Did a lot for this town,” the waitress who overheard you responded. “Helped build railroads that are still active today.”

“Interesting,” you smiled. “I’ll just take an order of bacon and a coffee.”

“Sure thing sweetheart.”

You sat there wondering if it hadn’t been by chance that you had ended up here or that you were having dreams of the demon. You learned that the colt was real. The Winchester’s had it. Had it being the key word. Did they still? Is that what can help you out of your deal, to end that bastard for once and all?

You had decided to look into the town a little bit more, luckily the diner had WiFi which was surprising. After a while of getting lost in the pages you heard your phone chime.

headed to a friend in Nebraska to take care of something for a bit, then heading back to Bobby’s.

Dean’s message was nonchalant. You knew what he was doing with going to the roadhouse, he just didn’t need to know that you knew. With Ellen already watching out for you on if Ash did find something there was no reason to go there, but you did need to know if they still had the colt. Something about this place and Samuel Colt has to be your way out.

Take your time. I think I might head back there as well. No hunts near here.

C u soon.

You sat your phone down and waved to the waitress for your bill. It was going to take them a while to get back to Bobby’s, but you wanted to be there when they did. Clock was ticking. 364 days left.

It was a little after 11 at night when you pulled into the driveway. For a few seconds you took a moment to appreciate the view. Home. Every little imperfection that you had hated when you first laid eyes on it was now just perfect the way they were. It all held a story. The burn mark on the right bannister when you were learning how to make wolfsbane bombs. The missing siding on the left side of the house from when you were learning how to parallel park Bobby’s truck. This was one of the moments you were going to miss. Your heart ached as you glanced over at the spot that Rumsfeld had sat the last time you had seen him. Damn demons. Why always hurt innocent animals?

Bobby was passed out when you got there at his desk, so you didn’t bother to wake him. After so many years, he didn’t wake when he heard you, but you knew he did because a little smile would pull at his lips as he continued to snooze away.

Laying in your bed, you tried to find something to keep you awake, but alas you also succumbed to the sandman only for the harsh light of day to awake you.

“Morning Bobby,” you smiled as you walked to the kitchen.

“Thought I wouldn’t be seeing you for a while?”

“Changed my mind,” you shrugged as you attempted to pour yourself coffee, but there was enough left for a mouse.

“Have anything to do with Sam and Dean coming back in a few hours?” You could hear the skeptical chuckle in his voice.

“We’re out of coffee,” you stated to change the subject.

“Forgot to make a run to the store,” he responded. “Need milk too if you’re running anywhere. Whiskey would be nice.”

You nodded with a smile as you grabbed your keys. Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, you made your way out.

————-

“Bobby!” Dean called out as he entered the house, Sam trailing behind him.

“Living room.”

“Hey ya Bobby,” Dean smiled. “Where’s Y/N? Thought she’d be here by now?”

“Just missed her,” Bobby replied with a raise of his brow. “She’ll be back soon. What brings you back?”

“Need to work on Baby,” Dean replied while peering through the fridge. “Any grub?”

“Whatever you make,” Bobby snorted while raising his eye to Sam.

Sam just shook his head with a disapproving glare towards Dean. They watched as Dean grabbed a cold piece of pizza out and ate it as he headed out the back.

“He’s not good Bobby,” Sam spoke up. “He says he is dealing with it, but I don’t believe it. I don’t know what to do. All I feel is this guilt and shame of how I treated dad, but Dean? He idolized him.”

“We all deal with things differently, Sam. Some of us think of the past, some the future.”

“That’s what you think he’s doing? Thinking of the future?”

Bobby took in a deep sigh before responding.

“Sam. Some of us know when our time is close to up, especially in this life,” Bobby thought of Y/N and everything he’d been telling himself for 9 years. “Too many lucky breaks start adding up. We can prepare people to live on without us. That’s what John prepared him for. For the day when he wouldn’t be here, but no matter what, when the day comes it still hurts like hell. And the only thing we can think about is time and how long will we survive without them.”

“Tell me what to do Bobby,” Sam pleaded.

“Just give him time,” Bobby replied while patting Sam on the shoulder as he walked out. “Give it time.”

———-

You walked into the front door with grocery bags in your arms. Bobby was standing idly by the kitchen window, staring out intently.

“What’s up Bobby?”you asked as you sat down the bags.

“Boys are back,” he replied without looking. “And they’re falling apart.”

“What?” You asked as you stood next to him to watch what looked like Sam and Dean arguing.

“Dean is doing what he does best, ignoring his feelings and keeping his head on what he can do while Sam is stuck in the what if’s.”

“What’s the plan?” You sighed. “How do we fix them?”

Bobby shook his head with a low chuckle as he looked over to you.

“You don’t remember how stubborn you were when Danny passed away? No one could say or do anything for you. You had to figure it out for yourself,” he nodded to the window as you watched Sam walk away from Dean. “Just like they’ll have to.”

Bobby walked away back to his desk. Sam walked past you and him, going straight to the upstairs without saying a word. You looked back outside to watch Dean pace around before lifting the crowbar in his hands in a rage and smash it against Baby’s trunk. The action shook you. He loved that car. A gift from his dad...his dad’s car. That’s what it was. Everything he couldn’t say to his dad, all the anger was coming out on the one thing that he had left of him. You felt a ping of sadness for him as he continued to smash it against the trunk. He really wasn’t okay. Although Bobby told you to give them time, you knew that was one thing you didn’t have.

“Hey,” you called out as you walked out the door, Dean pacing around with his hands resting on his head. “There’s an easier way to change the trunk out besides smashing it.”

“Not in the mood,” Dean rolled his eyes.

“Good, because neither am I,” you sassed back. “Come on. Get cleaned up. We’re going for a drive.”

“No,” he dropped down his hands to pick the crow bar back up.

“I didn’t think I asked Winchester,” you argued back firmly. “Now come on. We’re losing daylight. I don’t have all year.”

You waited patiently for him outside while smoking a cigarette. He walked out a bit cleaner and gave you a turnt up nose look.

“You smoke?”

“Sometimes,” you shrugged.

“Those will kill you, you know what right?”

“Yeah, this’ll kill me,” you laughed as you put it out with your boot. “Let’s go.”

“Where are we off to?”

“Watertown,” you replied as you opened your car door.

“And why are we driving almost two hours away?”

“If you need to fix a Chevy, ya gotta go see Chevy,” you smiled back making him furrow his eyes to you. “Just get in ya idjit. I’d like us to finish that car before the end of the world.”

“Us?”

“Obviously you need some help and it just so happens that I am well versed in putting back together cars. A hobby someone suggested a long time ago,” you winked, making Dean shake his head while trying to hide his smirk.

The car ride wasn’t horrible; more awkward than anything. He didn’t say a word and you just sang along to the radio. Before you knew it you were at Chevy’s junkyard. Obviously by his name you could always find a piece or two that you needed replaced. Like a bumper a shifter made an imprint in or a new hood from a vampire jumping on it. Never asked questions and always had something for you in stock. He was bound to have something for Baby.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” the old grey haired chubby man smiled as you walked up to his trailer/office. “What’d we break now?”

“Hey Chevy. It’s not for me this time. I need parts for a ‘67 impala. What do you have laying around?” You questioned as you watched his eyebrow raise.

“‘67 huh?” He looked over to Dean. “You wouldn’t happen to be John Winchester’s son would ya?”

“Yes sir,” Dean spoke firmly but cautiously in case this was one of many people who his dad pissed off. “You know him?”

“He’d been here a few times getting stuff to fix up that ‘ol girl of his. Sorry to hear about his passing.”

“Word spreads quick,” Dean rolled his eyes a little.

“Good man, that John,” Chevy went on. “Stubborn as all hell, but one hell of a hunter.”

Dean was obviously getting a bit iterated but the kind words of Chevy; so you decided to step in to change the subject.

“So you got them parts?”

“I got maybe one or two in the back that might work. What all do you need?”

“Almost everything but the frame,” you replied for Dean.

“Well give me a couple of hours and I’ll dig one of ‘em up for you. I’ll even get Ted around here to tow it to Bobby’s. Which I am guessing is where you just came from, it being your birthday and all.”

“Thanks Chevy,” you smiled.

He walked away as you turned away yourself, Dean following closely behind.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

“Because it’s not.”

“But that guy-“ Dean started to ask while pointing to Chevy’s trailer.

“It was yesterday,” you informed him. “It’s done and over now. Just another day. Ready to head back?”

“Wait, wait,” Dean moved quickly to the front of you to stop you in your tracks. “You mean to tell me that first, I forgot it was your birthday and second, here you are helping me out. No, we’re celebrating.”

“I’m good,” you rolled your eyes, attempting to move past Dean but he stopped you. “What?”

“Come on. It’s the least I could do to say thanks for everything you’ve done.”

“And what have I done?” You asked out loud.

“Besides sell my soul and get 10 years left to live,” you said to yourself.

“You’re here,” he shrugged sheepishly. “You’re not trying to say you’re sorry and fix me. You’re treating me like a normal person.”

“Am I not supposed to?”

“Apparently not,” Dean sighed with a roll of his eyes. “Everyone keeps telling me that they’re sorry for my loss and hope that I am okay. I don’t know who is just okay with their dad dying, but I’m handling it. Baggage and all.”

“What baggage?” Your brow raised.

“John wasn’t the world's best dad. You know that. He put a lot on me all the time, even up until the end. I’m angry at him and I hate it.”

“Sounds like you need a drink more than me,” you gave a small smile to him while he furrowed back at you. “ Come on. We’ll have one and head back. You’re buying though since I guess it is my birthday.”

GiGi’s tavern was a little hole in the wall, but it worked. One drink quickly turned into two, and two turned into a pitcher. After hot wings and pizza while reminiscing about past hunts, you started to get that feeling back that you had all those years ago. The weird turning of your insides that felt like butterflies.

“Yeah, well then Sam drove the impala into the house and whooosh she burned up quickly after seeing her kids,” Dean’s words caught you out of your trance. “Guess she didn’t want to face what she did. Took me a week to fix the damages on Baby.”

“Sounds like fun,” you mumbled while taking a sip of your beer.

“Thank you,” he said as he put his hand on yours that was resting on the table, making the butterflies even worse.

“For what?”

“Listening. Being a friend.”

Friend. The word hurt you like a thousand knives aimed for your heart. But why? That’s all you could be. That’s all you would allow it to be.

“Welcome,” you smiled while moving your hand away from his. “We should probably get back soon. It’s getting late.”

“We don’t have to go back tonight. We could crash here.”

“We’re only two hours away from home. We should be back by midnight. One at the latest, unless there’s a reason you don’t want to?”

“Not really interested in hearing Sam whine again right away.”

“It’s that bad huh?”

“He wants to avenge our dad, like it’s our duty. He’s not even thinking of going back to Stanford. But there’s no trail, nothing. And even if we find the bastard, the colt is gone so there goes that.”

Your ears perked up that the colt was gone. Damn it. There goes your ticket out.

“So what are you going to do?”

“Keep working on Baby, and go our separate ways,” Dean shrugged while taking a sip of his beer. “It’ll be better for him.”

“Bullshit,” you blurted out. “ There’s no way that you’re just going to go your separate ways. All those stories that you told tonight, there was one common factor- Sam. You like having him around, hunting together. He’s family, you’re not going to abandon him. Especially if he’s not giving up.”

“Where would I even start?”

“No fucking clue,” you responded with a shrug. “But you both won’t do this alone. Bobby and I will be there to help.”

“You’re not in a hurry to run off on a solo adventure?” Dean raised his brow.

“I’ll be around,” you shrugged again. “Who knows, more eyes and ears to the ground you might find something. The thing is though, you have to be honest about what the hell is going on.”

“You know all there is,” Dean shifted a bit in his seat, making it obvious that he was holding back something. “Yellow eyes probably has the colt and he’s gone. Killed my dad. The end.”

“So not a lot to go on.”

“Nope.”

“We’ll figure this out. We have to.”

“Why do we have to?” Dean asked skeptically.

“Because you’re not really going to rest until you kill that son of a bitch. I know it and you know it.”

He stared at you for a minute before shifting his eyes down to his beer. He did know it, but there was something else he wasn’t saying. Something he was afraid of.

“Anyways,” you said to break the awkward silence. “Like I said. You got me to help.”

Dean continued to stare off, leaving you to roll your eyes as you got up from your seat. You couldn’t sit there anymore with him wallowing in his own self pity. Sure he may want revenge, but it’s not like he had a freaking doomsday clock chiming away.

You made your way to the bathroom, the smell of urine and vomit was enough to make you gag. It was an excuse to walk away though, to a place he wouldn’t follow you. You allowed the cold water from the sink to run through your fingers before splashing some on your face. You felt anger towards John and the whole situation. Dean, not knowing, was only making it worse. But he couldn’t know. It would break him.

“Keep it together Y/N,” you whispered to yourself.

You stared at your reflection in the dirt stained mirror. The dark circles around your eyes seemed darker. The wrinkles next to your eyes seemed deeper. What the hell? Your face in the mirror started twisting in agony over and over until it stopped and your eyes blinked, showing nothing but darkness...black eyes. Your heart felt like it was about to burst from your chest as you cocked back your fist and slammed it into the mirror, shattering it into a thousand little pieces. Your reflection in the broken pieces all over the sink and floor was back to normal. You glanced down to your hand to see the deep cuts now on your knuckles. You grabbed a paper towel and quickly wrapped it up to go back out to the table . Whatever the hell just happened, you didn’t want to wait for more.

“Hey,” Dean looked up to you, before stopping as soon as he saw your hand. “You okay? What happened?”

“I got mad at the mirror,” you lied, well sort of, making Dean begin to reach for your hand, but you pulled back quickly. “Not really, just clumsy in there. Let’s get going before I have to pay for it.”

“Y/N,” Dean sighed as he grabbed you by your arm to stop you. “I’m sorry if I have upset you.”

“This wasn’t you. Just an accident,” you flashed a tight lipped smile. “Come on.”

“Well let's at least get it cleaned up.”

You wanted to argue. It wasn’t even that bad. Just a few scratches, you had thought as the blood soaked through the towel. Maybe not. You just wanted out of this place and whatever hoodoo was going on, but he was persistent, so you agreed. Didn’t want to explain how for some reason you were going crazy and seeing things.

After allowing him to drive (which took everything in you to agree to because you were “hurt”), you made your way to the closest gas station for a first aid kit. You shot down Dean’s proposal to get a hotel room for the night so he can clean you up and either of you wouldn’t have to worry about driving tired.

“Come on ya stubborn ass,” Dean firmly stated. “I’m tired, you’re hurt. We can go back tomorrow. No funny games, I promise.”

That was the part you were worried about. A hotel alone with Dean? Definitely nothing good could happen there. So why did it sting when he said no funny games? You finally agreed as he sat in protest until you said yes.

It wasn’t that much further down the road when you got to the room. You almost clocked out the guy behind the counter when he asked if you wanted it ‘by the hour’. Luckily Dean put him in his place right away by flashing his fake fed badge when he pulled out the credit card, stating ‘official business’. Also the sight of the pearl handled gun on Dean's hip probably made him shit himself.

“Room 14,” Dean stated as you approached the door down the long corridor.

For shit hole hotels, this wasn’t that bad. Didn’t smell as moldy as most. You glanced around the room. Two beds, good. Free cable, alright. Mini bar, jackpot. You went to grab a small bottle out when Dean grabbed your hand gingerly instead.

“Come on, let'sf clean you up.”

“It’s not even bleeding anymore,” you lied as you pulled away. “I’m fine.”

“Don’t be a bitch,” Dean huffed out as he rolled his eyes. “Just let me help you.”

“I’ve had worse. This is nothing,” you snarled as Dean removed the towel you had over it that was now drenched in blood.

“You need stitches.”

“Then I’ll need some whiskey too.”

“Got a kit anywhere?” He asked as he inspected your wound on your hand, still holding it gingerly until his own.

“In the trunk, a leather pouch.”

“I’ll be right back,” he said as he let go, causing your hand to suddenly become very cold with the absence of him. You felt yourself longing again for the slightest touch of his coarse hands. The pit of unease grew in your belly. Be careful, Y/N. Don’t allow your heart to take over your head.

As Dean walked back in, you quickly slammed back the tiny bottle of Jim Beam that was in the bar. The burning cool wasn’t enough to quiet the racing thoughts as he stripped off his flannel over shirt and exposed a tight white t-shirt stretched across his abdomen. The lump in your throat grew too large to swallow as he grabbed at your hand again.

“Not going to lie,” he looked into your eyes. “This is going to hurt like hell.”

You braced yourself as he grabbed a little bottle of vodka and poured it over your hand to stop any infection. The burn caused you to wince until he gently blew on it to ease the pain. His perfect pink lips squished together took your attention away from everything else in the world.

“Now the hard part,” he stated as he took out a needle and thread, burning the end of the needle with a zippo retrieved from his pocket. “Hold still.”

You braced yourself as you felt the needle penetrate your skin. The tickle of the thread as he pulled it gently through startled you for a minute. You had done this so many times to yourself, but this was different. Not rushed or harsh, but more calming. Like a gentle moment of being taken cared of- almost like you were being loved.

“It’s not the best job,” he commented as he cut the thread. “But it will do the trick.”

“Thank you,” you whispered as your eyes stayed on his hand holding yours. The pit continued to grow, making you feel breathless. You didn’t even realize that you were slowly trembling apart.

“Are you okay?” Dean remarked with noticing your quakes.

“I’m fine,” you pulled your hand away and held it against your chest. “Just hurts.”

“Well, we have about 4 mini bottles of alcohol left and a bottle of Advil,” Dean informed you as he got up from his seat. “Anything else I can get you?”

“Chocolate and salt and vinegar potato chips,” you said out loud.

“That’s a weird combination,” he chuckled.

“It’s comfort food,” you shrugged before you quickly realized that your cravings were due to something else coming soon.

“ Anything else?”

“Um…tampons?” You sheepishly stated.

Dean let out a low chuckle with a subtle roll of his eyes before for he nodded and went on his way.

You felt relieved as he walked away. One more minute and you might have lost yourself. It was just hormones causing this feeling inside of you. That’s all. Nothing more… nothing less.

____

“Okay, my turn,” Dean said as he tossed some peanut M&M’s in his mouth. “Never have I ever gotten stabbed by a witch.”

“Oh come on,” you grumbled. “I told you that story earlier!”

“I know,” he smirked. “Drink.”

When Dean arrived back there was nothing but uncomfortable silence for a while that would make a deaf man stir crazy. You couldn’t sleep, your nerves were too wound up as he lounged on the bed, now in just his boxers and tshirt as his pants soaked in the bathroom to rid themselves of the drops of blood that had accidentally dripped from your hand. He suggested a drinking game since there was nothing else to do. You reluctantly agreed, knowing you were playing with fire.

As you pulled the bottle back from your lips from the case of beer Dean had grabbed on his run, you thought of all the things you could ask. None sounded enlightening enough to not give away what you really wanted to know.

“Never have I ever been in a serious relationship,” you stated before nibbling on your lip.

“Define serious?”

“Longer than a week,” you giggled. “More than just sex. Someone that actually knows you and what you do.”

Dean took out a deep breath before he took back a drink.

“Oh really?”

“Her name was Cassie,” he said. “I told her everything and she freaked out. I saw her a little while ago, saved her life from some ghost in a truck.”

“And?” Your heart began to race as you admitted that after all this time, there was someone else he allowed into his life.

“And, I realized that it was more physical than anything else,” he shrugged. “She doesn’t get the craziness. Not like you.”

“What about me?” You scrunched up your nose.

“You get it. Hell, you could have done anything with your life and you still chose this.”

“I didn’t exactly choose this,” you rolled your eyes as you took a drink.

“What do you mean?”

“Family dead and raised by hunters,” you replied. “Think I could just go off and be a school teacher when I’m thinking about vampires and demons outside the door?”

“You’d be a hot school teacher though,” he smirked as he took another sip causing you to blush. “Okay, my turn.”

“I’m going to need another beer probably, ya cheater,” you laughed.

“Never have I ever forgotten about what it was like to kiss you,” the words fell off his lips with such sincerity that you felt the pang in your chest. With a long pause, he waited patiently for any indication of your response. “Are you going to drink or…”

“I think we should stop playing,” you stated as you got up from your seat on the edge of the bed.

“Not until you answer. What's the harm in that?”

“No, I don’t know what it is like to kiss me,” you mocked.

“You know what I mean,” he smirked. “I’ve thought about it every day since and every moment I’m with you.”

“Dean-“

“You don’t have to say it, but I know you’ve thought about it too,” he said as he moved closer to you.

“No, I haven’t-“ you lied.

“Liar,” he smirked again. “I may not be the smartest person in this room, but I can read people. I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your voice, the way you move away, but grow near at the same time.”

“You don’t know what you're talking about.”

“Then kiss me and tell me I’m wrong,” he challenged.

Your mind quickly envisioned the feeling of his lips on yours, his hands grasping at your hair as your tongues danced. But what then? Would you even be able to stop?

“I’m not going to kiss you Dean.”

“Is that because you don’t want to or you're afraid to?”

He could read you. You were scared. Scared at what this would mean if you allowed yourself to feel for him. To fully be with him.

“I’m not scared of anything,” you felt a tear roll out the corner of your eye.

As you tried to hide the tear that had escaped, Dean moved closer to you to the point of being mere inches from your face. You could feel his breath on yours as he brushed your hair out of your face before cupping it. Out of automatic reaction, you nestled into his hand.

“Tell me not to and I won’t.”

You wanted to scream for him to stop, to push him away, but you couldn’t. Your body wouldn’t allow you to even move. Like a magnetic pulse you were pulled towards him.

“I don’t do serious,” you managed to breathe out with a quaking breath.

“Me either,” he softly spoke as his lips grew closer to yours.

It was like you were possessed as your eyes shut in response as you felt his lips brush onto yours. Slowly, soft yet firm. But only for a moment. His hands grasping at the back of your head caught you by surprise as his lips pushed deep into yours, pushing them apart vigorously. It’d be a lie to say you tried to fight it, but you felt yourself melting into him. Your lips moving with his; tongues dancing their own melody. His hand was twisting into your hair, pushing you deeper, his other gently squeezing your ass. Your arms fell on top of his shoulders, pulling him in. The kiss continued, as you felt his hand drop from your hair and settle on the other side of your ass.

He pulled away slowly, lips pink and swollen.

“Dean,” escaped your lips as you caught your breath.

“Tell me you feel that too,” You looked into his emerald eyes, sparkling at you and pleading for an answer. A pit in your stomach said to walk away, but the ache in your heart wanted him more.

You pushed your lips on his again, falling deeper and deeper into the midst of pleasure. Your head was spiraling as you felt the heat rise. You knew it was wrong, but hey, you were going to die anyway in a year. Did you really want to go without knowing? What his touch felt like on your bare skin, what his kiss felt like with his lips pressed deeply into yours? You definitely were down the rabbit hole now and there was no turning back.

Tags:   @snffbeebee​​ @waywardnerd67 @waywardbaby @dean-winchesters-bacon ​​ @jaylarkson​​ @ladywinchester1967​​ @wildefire​​ @i-hear-crazy-calling-my-name @hobby27​​ @iamabeautifulperson18​​ @19agbrown​​ @sonotalice​​ @drakelover78 @aloneanddesperate-blog​​ @pisces-cutie​​ @biawol @jamielea81​​ @fallininjapan​​ @justkending

#supernatural #dean winchester #spn fanfic #sam winchester #dean x reader #ezilyamuzed #ten years gone #spn angst

[kellysbookblog]

She's a country music star trying to escape the spotlight. He's the scorching hot bodyguard she doesn't want on her vacation. And there's only one bed.

Hideaway Heart by Melanie Harlow is now live!

My Amazon Review: https://www.amazon.com/review/R1REV5URUZ2NN5/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

My GR Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5742880953

All I wanted was a break—two weeks off from being Pixie Hart, country music sensation, and fourteen days of peace, privacy, and solitude as plain old Kelly Jo Sullivan.

But thanks to some overzealous paparazzi, my family refuses to let me go anywhere alone, and I’m stuck sharing this tiny cabin with a tall, dark, and bearded bodyguard.

And guess what? There’s only one bed.

Well, he can couch it.

Xander Buckley might be hotter than a stolen blow torch, and I get that he’s a former Navy SEAL and all, but the man gives new meaning to the words overbearing, overprotective, bossy alpha male. I can’t even post a photo on social media without him warning me it’s not safe, or take a morning jog without him following behind.

But he’s made it clear that what he says goes, and if I don’t like it, I can kiss my vacation goodbye.

Instead, I end up kissing him.

I don’t even know how it happened—one minute we were at each other’s throats, the next we were at each other’s mercy. What’s even more shocking is how good we are together. He understands my need for freedom, and I understand his need for control.

But emotional trust doesn’t come easily to me. And we’re on two completely different paths.

Without question, I’d put my life in his hands.

Just don’t ask me to give him my heart.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3JB5JZY

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/HideawayHeart

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3JAtEIF

Meet Melanie

USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow writes sweet, sexy, feel-good romance. She likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. If she's not writing or reading, she's probably at Orangetheory or watching Schitt's Creek again. She lifts her glass to readers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.

Connect with Melanie

Website: www.melanieharlow.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7095467.Melanie_Harlow

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Melanie-Harlow/e/B00DXOYC1S

Facebook: harlow.pub/ap

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/351191341756563

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanie_harlow/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormelanieharlow

Bookbub: harlow.pub/bb

[twinklelightshorts]

Mean What You Mean (Colby Brock) - Part 3

Part 3:

"Maybe you should wait until after Friday's test to do this video, babes." Tucker muttered from my hideaway bed.

I glanced over the side of my bed. "I can't believe you're still here."

He sighed. "Of course I'm still here."

"But you didn't need to take days off work to be here. I'm eighteen. I can take care of myself."

"I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself. I want to take care of you, babes." He sat up and looked up at me. "I like being around you, you know that."

"I know." I climbed down and sat next to him. "Thank you for always being here for me."

"You're welcome." He smiled softly.

"Maybe I should wait." I leaned against him.

Tuck's lips pressed to my temple. "Let's get some rest. We'll film in the morning."

"Okay."

*

I woke with a start, prying myself away from Tucker. The kid had a habit of cuddling me too tightly in his sleep.

"Tuck, wake up." I said, shaking him.

He groaned softly. "Why?"

"Because it's almost eleven am." I told him. I got up and gathered my clothes. "I'm going to shower."

"Yeah, I'll shower when you're done."

"Okay."

*

"Hello, and welcome back! My name is Josephine and I have read through your suggestions from last week's video. I decided to do a 'friendship tag' with Tucker." I glanced behind the camera at my best friend. "Come sit by me."

"Do I have to?"

I raised a brow. "Yes."

He groaned quietly and sat down next to me. "Here I am."

"Great." I grinned. "Now, do you want to tell the story of the first time we hung out all on our own, or should I?"

"I'll let you do the honors, babes." Tucker grinned.

"Very well."

*

I skipped into Daly's Cafe and right up to the counter.

Tim, the owner, was at the cash register and looked over at me. "Josephine! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Tucker. Is he in the back?"

The older man shook his head. "No. Tucker isn't working today."

My brows furrowed. "What do you mean, he's not working today?"

"He's not on the schedule, Josephine. I would know, I make it."

"Oh. Okay, thank you."

I sauntered out of the cafe and headed toward home. I was hoping I'd get a ride from Tuck when his shift was over but now I have to walk home.

I opened the front door and ran upstairs to my room. I immediately sat at my desk and put my headphones on. The new video was almost done anyway; might as well finish it.

It was dark when a hand on my shoulder startled me.

"Oh, my gosh!" I exclaimed.

Tucker chuckled. "Sorry, babes."

I pressed save and swirled my chair around. "How was your day?"

"Good. How was yours?"

"Good. What'd you do?" I asked him.

He sat down on my bed. "I worked."

"No, you didn't." I told him. "I saw Tim. You weren't on the schedule today." I paused. "Where were you?"

Tuck reached behind him into his pocket and pulled out a small folder and handed it to me.

"What is this?"

"Just read it, babes."

I stood up and took it from him. "Why can't you just tell me?"

Tucker sighed. "Jo, please."

"Fine." I huffed. "How annoying. You're gone all day and then you just hand me an envelope."

"Shut up and open the damn thing, Jo. C'mon!"

I shut my mouth and opened the envelope. As I pulled out the two things inside, my mouth dropped open.

"Tuck." I breathed out.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. "Happy early graduation, babes."

I pouted and sniffed.

"What?" He chuckled.

"Thank you." I glanced down at the tickets to Los Angeles in my hand.

"You're welcome." He lightly kissed my forehead. "I stole your passport by the way."

I giggled. "Of course you did."

"I put it back when I got here, though."

"Thank you."

*

"So, before I sign off this video, I have a little bit of an announcement. For an early graduation present, Tucker planned a trip for us to go to LA over spring break which is the third week in March. I'm very excited and I definitely cried when he gave me the plane tickets. In the comments down below, I want you guys to suggest people that I should meet up with and/or collab with while I'm there. I'm really excited to go. It'll be my first time in Los Angeles and since Tucker has been there before, he'll kind of know where we're at. Which is good, because I'm definitely directionally challenged. I hope you guys liked this 'friendship tag' video and I'll see you in the next one!"

I clicked off the camera and fell back on the bed. "Tuck!"

"What?!"

"Come here!"

He poked his head in. "I'm busy, what do you want?"

I pursed my lips. "What are you doing?"

"Would you stop asking so many questions?" He crossed the room and sat next to me. "I'm getting some things ready for our trip."

I grinned. "Ooh! Yay!"

Tucker chuckled. "I thought you'd be excited. I was going to surprise you but I could show you now."

"No, it's okay. I'll wait and just act extra surprised."

"Okay." He sighed and laid down. "I am tired though."

"Me too."

Turning his head, Tucker met my gaze. "You're having fun doing this YouTube thing, huh?"

I nodded. "I am."

"Good." He pushed loose hairs behind my ears. "It's taking me a bit, but I think I'll get to the comfortable stage."

"I hope you do, Tuck. I like being able to experience it with you."

He kissed my cheek. "That's why I'm going to LA with you, Jo."

"I'm glad."

"Me too." Tucker sighed, still holding my neck and shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too, Tuck."

#colby brock #colby brock fic #colby brock story #mean what you mean #mean what you mean colby brock #sam and colby #colbybrock

[bonvoyagenoona]

Sorry if anyone's ever asked this but how did you get into writing and where do your ideas come from? I'm so close to reading all your fics and the one's I've read I feel so attached to. Like every time I end a oneshot/series I almost feel...empty? Like a good post-concert withdrawal where I feel like something great just ended and I'm not ready to let go yet but I have no choice to deal with it. Anyway just want to say that you're absolutely amazing!!! One of my favs definitely

Aw 🥺 I'm so happy to share! Kinda soft and excited that anyone's interested? Thank you for asking!

Like so many of us, I got into writing because I so loved reading as a kid. Jo from Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. Wild imaginations. A habit of telling fantastical tales. I'd write my own short stories in the leftover pages of my family's discarded notebooks. Typed my first Backstreet Boys fanfiction on my mom's typewriter. Shared my stories on Sanrio stationary with pen pals and friends at recess. I have a very dear memory of reading my cool older cousin's Buffy fanfic. She wrote about Buffy's nipples showing through her tank! How scandalous! 🤣

I became obsessed with TV and movies and eventually wanted to go to film school to become a screenwriter. I've written one-act plays and spec scripts (if you're into Mindy Kaling, here are some spec scripts for The Mindy Project!). I didn't end up going that route, and I put all my hobbies on hold during grad school. Something about the richness of BTS's universes just pulled me back in. The Bon Voyage series means so much to me. And D-2... No language contains enough words for the desire to write after listening to it. And thus, Bon Voyage, Noona, and In the Margins were born.

Ideas come from anywhere and everywhere! My longer fics are stories (gah they're so loooong) are based on stories and themes that I've grappled with in my life. Office Hours is my ode to my time in academia and the things I observed and felt. Matchmaker is a reflection of my current job as a researcher in industry and the challenges I've faced. Countermelody is partially about me learning more about my approach to meeting new people, and my own sexuality. Hideaway is my take on relationships and what I look for in love. And, of course, The Road to You is me indulging in my inner Mindy Kaling. Oneshots and drabbles come from random things just popping into my head, inside jokes with friends, touching moments I've personally experienced or seen in a favorite show or book, etc. Increasingly, amazing ideas come from you, like with Important Questions, or A Map of Mrs. Kims!

Truly touched that you feel attached to anything I've written. I'm a sucker for angst, and I'm addicted to that "post-concert withdrawal" empty ache. How beautiful, the way you chose to word it. It's a dream to hear that you've felt anything near that. It's been so incredibly fun to get to share with you. And I'm just a pile of soft mush now!! Thank you 💜 and thanks for reading with me!

#about me #asks #your asks #sorry i went on and on #i just could talk about writing all day #my journey with it #i just love journeys #how i write #😊

[sabriputrinada]

Read Machines Like Me audiobook free Book by Ian McEwan

[Book] Machines Like Me audiobook free by Ian McEwan

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan, read by Billy Howle.

Britain has lost the Falklands war, Margaret Thatcher battles Tony Benn for power and Alan Turing achieves a breakthrough in artificial intelligence. In a world not quite like this one, two lovers will be tested beyond their understanding.

Machines Like Me occurs in an alternative 1980s London. Charlie, drifting through life and dodging full-time employment, is in love with Miranda, a bright student who lives with a terrible secret. When Charlie comes into money, he buys Adam, one of the first batch of synthetic humans. With Miranda’s assistance, he co-designs Adam’s personality. This near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever – a love triangle soon forms. These three beings will confront a profound moral dilemma. Ian McEwan’s subversive and entertaining new novel poses fundamental questions: what makes us human? Our outward deeds or our inner lives? Could a machine understand the human heart? This provocative and thrilling tale warns of the power to invent things beyond our control.

Read Machines Like Me audiobook free by (Ian McEwan)

Duration: 10 hours, 55 minutes

Writer: Ian McEwan

Publisher: Random House UK

Narrators: Billy Howle

Genres: Billy Howle

Rating: 3.7

Narrator Rating: 4.5

Publication: Monday, 01 April 2019

Machines Like Me audiobook free Reviews

Chris L.

I enjoyed the book very much, it was thought provoking on a few levels. The narrator was proficient, if a little bland.

Rating: 5

Louisa C.

For a novel about the intricacies of consciousness and what makes one human, theres an odd blank spot - the absolute blankness of the beautiful but otherwise unremarkable female love interest. The book is clever and entertaining, with plenty of good for thought, but falls into the full and predictable trap of using a rape as a form of character development. For a book with a protagonist who is an anthropologist with a background in sociology, this pivotal rape and its consequences are handled crudely, with the rapists motivation being ascribed to sexual desire. It seems McEwan can conceive of robots as fully human, but not women

Rating: 3

Jo T.

Very enjoyable with several plots running concurrently though bound together as the story goes on. Very descriptive and I could see in my mind’s eye everything in detail. Very well narrated with the change to cockney accent very well done. I would definitely recommend this book.

Rating: 5

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#Fiction & Literature #Literary Fiction #Science Fiction & Fantasy #Historical #Science Fiction

[crazyflyingspip]

Reading corner ideas – create the perfect place to indulge in a good book

Get creative with your space and make your home work harder by utilising every nook and cranny with these reading corner ideas.

Whether you want to transform an under stairs alcove, or simply add an armchair to an unloved corner, we’ve got lots of quirky ideas to get you thinking, no matter what the shape or size of your house.

Take a look at these inspirational spaces to get you in the mood to create your own hideaway that’s perfect for taking some down time to relax…

Want more decorating ideas? READ: How to create the ultimate kids’ reading corner

1. Set the scene beside French doors

Image credit: Joanna Henderson

Position your chosen chair by a window with a view to enliven all the senses. Read along with a song to add further appeal. A soothing soundtrack can provide the perfect background noise to put you in the mood for some chilled time. Set the scene by popping a radio on a side table and layer up tactile textures to add comfort while you sit.

2. Position lamps accordingly

Image credit: Jo Henderson

Creating a dedicated reading space is possible no matter the size of your home, even in small living spaces. Signify a welcoming reading corner within a living room by positioning a floor lamp to zone a dedicated area.

Placing a lamp above a comfy armchair will indicate where best to curl up with a good book. Once the daylight fades a pool of light will perfectly illuminate the standalone area from the rest of the living room.

3. Embrace the power of plants

Image credit: Tim Young

When you’ve chosen your corner in which to create your reading nook add a touch of nature. Decorating the space with plants is not only good for the look, it can also help to improve the space for a reading environment. Even better still if you can use a corner near a window, to embrace the nature outside also.

Houseplants are favoured for their power to welcome a sense of calm and wellness indoors.

Related: House plant ideas that will inspire you to get creative with greenery

4. Make use of every inch of space

Image credit: Bridget Peirson

When space is limited ensure you use it wisely. A simple wooden storage box placed within a recess can provide the perfect place to sit and enjoy a good book. Dressing the top with cushions ensures comfort is not compromised.

5. Surround yourself with comforts

Image credit: Dan Duchars

If you don’t have the space or budget to build a nook, place a comfy chair in any corner, cover it with the softest blanket you can find and stack a pile of your favourite books within easy reach, make yourself a cuppa and you won’t want to leave. Bliss!

6. Create a secluded corner for quiet time

Image credit: Lizzie Orme

Nurseries are one room where reading becomes an everyday occurrence, rather than a luxury. Ensuring you have the perfect spot to read bedtime stories can be as simple as choosing a decluttered corner in which to place a traditional rocking chair and nightstand.

A lamp can provide enough light by which to read, but allows you to switch off the overhead lights to ensure optimum conditions to encourage sleep.

7. Fashion a fun reading nook in a child’s room

Image credit: Veronica Rodriguez

It’s as important to consider where children sit an read. Turn a corner into a cute reading area. Make the most of vertical space with wall-mounted bookshelves and pop down a beanbag next to a reading light to make this space feel separate from the rest of the bedroom.

8. Work a window seat

A window area, particularly one with a pretty view, can easily be transformed into a dining nook. Built-in banquettes topped with seat pads offer a cosy, space-saving solution, but if you don’t want to call in the builders, get the look with benches instead.

9. Create the ultimate cosy corner

Image credit: Polly Eltes

Nothing says cosy, relaxing and warm than an open fireplace, faux fur rug and plenty of throws. This reading corner is the perfect place to snuggle into after a long day gathering wood for the woodburner. If this doesn’t make you feel instantly blissful, then we don’t know what will.

10. Zone off your space

Image credit: Polly Eltes

Define your reading corner from the rest of your room by painting it in a different colour scheme. Open plan spaces often have a number of activities that take place within them, so it’s important to identify an area for each one to avoid the space feeling confused and cluttered.

11. Don’t discount the bedroom

Image credit: James Merrell

The bedroom is the perfect place to create a cosy corner, and it is only a stones throw away from the bed, should you care to drift off after a hot cup of cocoa. Fill your corner with all the things you love. We recommend plenty of cushions for added comfort, and an abundance of greenery and natural plants to encourage the flow of oxygen.

Want more cosy decorating ideas? READ: Small living room ideas for a cute, cosy and compact space

12. Keep it simple with an occasional chair

Image credit: Dominic Blackmore

You don’t need to make your reading corner too obvious, if you so choose. Create a subtle space to escape with a good book by placing a chair in a calming spot when needed.

This rattan wing chair is an unobtrusive delight, and provides a lightweight alternative to bulkier armchairs that traditionally have their homes in reading nooks. Add a sleek side table in a suitably muted shade and you’ve got the perfect place to perch your cuppa and your latest novel.

Related: Our favourite home office set-ups on Instagram – for self-isolating inspo!

Will you be using these reading corner ideas to create a sweet snug in your home?

The post Reading corner ideas – create the perfect place to indulge in a good book appeared first on Ideal Home.

from Ideal Home https://ift.tt/2A579rZ

#Ideal Home #https://crazyflyingspip.tumblr.com

[pro-logue-epi-logue]

How to find anything on my blog using tags->

For devil's night/willemmy incorrectquotes,use #willemmy incorrect quotes , #kaibanks incorrect quotes , #incorrect quote

For my book reviews, use- #jo read's Corrupt #jo read's hideaway #jo read's killswitch #jo read's nightfall #jo read's conclave #jo read's fire night or simply-> bookname chapter chapternumber like- corrupt chapter 1, hideaway chapter 3

For specific characters,use - #michael crist, #rika fane, #nikova banks, #nikova mori, #kai mori, #damon torrance, #winter ashby, #will grayson iii, #emory scott, #alex palmer, #aydin khadir, #micah and rory

For fanfics,use - #willemmy fics (i have not written anything as of now)

For cat picture reference,use - #emory and will as cats

For devil's night pictures,use - #devils night in pictures

For random devil's night thoughts,use - #random devils night thoughts

For asks,use - #ask

#willemmy incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #jo read's fire night #jo read's nightfall #jo read's conclave #jo read's kill switch #jo read's hideaway #jo read's Corrupt #the devil's night #the devils night #devil's night #devils night #the devil's night series #will grayson iii #emory scott #nightfall #willemmy #damon torrance #winter ashby #nikova mori #nikova banks #kai mori #rika fane #michael crist #emory and will as cats #devils night in pictures #ask #random devils night thoughts #willemmy fics #kaibanks incorrect quotes

[oliverphisher]

June Loves on wearing a woolly, faded blue dressing gown over your clothes, and more

June Loves is author of over 100 books, including non-fiction and fiction for adults and children, reference books and academic publications. June is an enthusiastic energetic author, teacher and speaker. She frequently presents book talks and writers’ workshops in libraries, schools and clubs on the craft of writing. Her combined career as journalist, teacher, librarian, educational consultant, and bookshop-seller enables her to provide a wealth of knowledge. June and her husband live happily in their seaside town on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula. She spends many hours outdoors exploring the beach and the national park. Their house has a garden with lots of space for caravans and tents – essential for stopovers by friends, family, grandchildren and grand-dogs. The network of friendly and supporting locals in their small community was the inspiration for her novel The Shelly Beach Writers’ Group. What are three books that have influenced your life? Little Women by Louisa Alcott I read this classic ‘real-life’ American novel set in the 1860s when I was seven. I channelled one of the March sisters, Jo, who was always happiest when she was writing in her attic hideaway – wiping her pen on her pinafore. I read the short bio at the back of the novel – ‘Louisa Alcott was the family breadwinner. She wrote her children’s novels to make money.’ This planted the seed of an idea; maybe writing could be a wage-earning career? The Elements of Style by William Strunk J.R. & E.B. White When I was a budding young writer, a journalist gave me this small but important how-to for writers. It’s full of helpful specific tips for writers. Writing about style it has chapter sub-headings such as Write in a way that comes naturally, Revise and Rewrite, and Work from a suitable design. Advice I’ve proved works over and over again. E.B. White is also the author of the fabulous children’s novel, Charlotte’s Web, with the killer opening line to keep young readers enthralled, ‘Where’s Papa going with the Axe?’ (Thankfully Fern, and Charlotte the spider save Wilbur the pig!) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens This was the first Dicken’s novel I read when I was in my teens. It made me realise the power of words on the page. I was hooked by the dramatic opening when Pip brings food and a file for Magwitch the convict. The plot with its constant twists and turns (it was first written in serial form in 1860’s) was a great lesson for me in writing to keep readers turning the pages. My favourite character was the mad, revengeful Miss Havisham who stopped the clock when she was jilted. She lived in the same old wedding dress, her wedding banquet rotting around her. What purchase of $100 has impacted on your life in the last six months? Last week I purchased a pack of Artline 220 Super Fine 0.2mm Fine Line Black pens and I ordered 10 Chunky notebooks online. Both purchases added up to about $100. My comforting purchases are stacked in a cupboard. Now I have a supply of pens and notebooks to record ideas, characters, plots & dialogue – and I’ll be able to capture that best-selling 3am idea! How has failure set you up for later success? I believe if you enjoy writing the only way a writer can fail is to give up. And it helps to have a skin like a salt-water crocodile to cope with rejections. Writers have to accept that rejection will be part and parcel of the professional writing process if you want to publish your writing. Don’t bin or delete a rejection straight away. Sometimes an agent or editor will write encouraging and helpful comments. They may even say they’re interested in reading your work again – if you do a ‘rewrite’. It’s up to you. I’ve known editors, agents or publishers to change their mind. They ask to see your work again and they accept your submission after they’ve rejected it! Rejection can have positive as well as negative outcomes. On the positive side, rejection can inspire you to improve your writing skills. You can re-evaluate your writing after a rejection – rewrite or stand by what you’ve written. If you self-publish you don’t have to worry about rejections. Then again online reviews can be dodgy and hurtful. And you’ll probably feel rejected if sales numbers are low. Do a little war dance and start writing again! Are there any quotes you live your life by? When I was a 15-year old and found myself a job as a Lois Lane reporter in a newspaper my grandmother’s advise was to ‘Work Hard! Work as hard as you can! Be polite and smile!’ This has proved excellent advise in my 25-year career as a teacher librarian, and 24 years as a working writer. What is the best writing resource investment you’ve made? My second-hand clunky Remington Rand typewriter I purchased when I was 15. I paid it off in instalments. Then came the Apple computers I purchased (and have loved) beginning in the 80s. What’s an unusual habit you have? In winter when I spend long hours at the computer I wear a woolly, faded blue dressing gown over my clothes. I enjoy the startled looks of visitors when they think they’ve disturbed a sick old lady – not knowing this old writer has been living the most exciting life typing chapter after chapter of her scandalous novel. What advice would you give to a smart, driven, aspiring author? Make sure you use a correct chair, and your writing space is arranged ergonomically. Keep a glass of water on your desk. Be organised. Plan daily blocks of time within your week or a set amount of time over a week. Develop a routine. Don’t wait for the ‘muse’ or for inspiration. Just write! Set yourself writing goals for each writing session. Aim for a word count goal of 500 to 1,000, a set number of hours, or a specific number of scenes. Work to deadlines. File or basket your work so you can locate it at a minute’s notice. (Good practice in working with editors!) Keep learning your writer’s craft across new media. Appreciate your imagination. It’s a writer’s gift. In the last five years how have you become better at saying ‘No’? I’ve finally learnt ‘The Gracious No’ Reply. This is an excellent excuse for writers who are desperate to find time to write. ‘The Gracious No’ conversation can go like this. ‘Are you free to meet tomorrow?’ A writer’s reply, ‘Just let me check my diary.’ Then after the writer checks they’re diary. ‘Sorry I’d love to meet with you but I have to take the goldfish to the vet.’ Fortunately the goldfish recovers! And the writer has time to write. What marketing tactics should authors avoid? I haven’t a clue. Obviously dodgy social media but I’m rubbish at marketing. However I’ve made a list of DIY Marketing Tips I intend to follow to market my two novels – The Governess, and The Secret Memoir of Abigail Peabody, and my latest non-fiction How-2 Write Your Life Story A-Z: Everything U Need 2 Know • Don’t underestimate the value of word-of-mouth advertising. Think locally… contact newspapers, radio & TV stations, bookshops, libraries, and local markets to promote your book. • Select the pricing of your book with care. You need to check similar books and decide whether to match, undercut, ignore their pricing and/or offer free copies for a certain time. • Make yourself available for photo shoots, interviews and to write promotional pieces about your book. • Use marketing tools such as: posters, reviews, interviews, media appearances, podcasts and social media. • Write short form copy e.g. sound bites, tweets, taglines and headlines to market your life story. Be prepared to describe your memoir in 140 characters or less. Have a list of snappy phrases and sound bites ready-to-go. • Submit your life story for competitions and to be reviewed. What new realisation helped you achieve your goals? Just recently three of my writerly friends have passed away leaving unfinished novels on their desks. I decided I wasn’t going to die with two unfinished novels and a How-2 trapped inside me so I completed my projects. They’re in typescript stacks on my desk and in folders on my computer. Now I can start writing short story! A definitely shorter project! Or Essays! What do you do when you feel overwhelmed and lose focus? I divide a writing project into doable steps – words, pages, chapters? Even volumes! (I’ve spent two years of my life writing the multi-volume The Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia, (First and Second Editions). I enjoyed working through volume after volume. When each volume was completed I took it to the publisher. I give myself a ‘cushion deadline’ – an easy, or an earlier deadline if I have a professional deadline to meet. (You never know when you have to take the cat to the vet!) I don’t beat myself up if I have a Bad-writing day, week or months. I accept King-hits from life events. You have to start again. Set yourself a new goal, and a new cushion deadline. Find out more about June on her Goodreads page or by visiting her Facebook page Never miss an update; sign-up for free here #AuthorBusiness #publishing #beanauthor #professionalwriter #productivity #writingadvice source https://www.oliverphisher.com/post/2018/04/17/untitled

#Writing WriteMotivation WritingAdvice

[bluesmenchannel]

Jo Harman - Underneath The River

Jo Harman (born 21 September 1983) is a British singer and songwriter. Born in Luton, England, Harman grew up in the Devon village of Lustleigh, before moving to London to study for a BA Theatre Arts. After travelling to India, following the death of her father, she attended Brighton Institute of Modern Music in Brighton. In 2011, she self-released Live at Hideaway, whilst she developed her songcraft toward making a debut studio album. Harman's first gig in Europe was to 5,500 people opening... Read more »

#harman #underneath #river

[ao3feed-destiel]

Into Your Hideaway|藏匿之处

Read it on AO3 here!http://bit.ly/2RtROf6

by VincentMeow

Castiel在落基山脉某条荒无人烟的公路上有了意外的发现。一个Omega。不是什么普普通通的Omega，而是一个赤身裸体，身上带伤，腹中有孕的Omega。 Dean一开始并不怎么说话，但这丝毫没有掩饰他灵魂的光芒。 也没有阻挡住Castiel对他越发强烈的爱意。

Words: 6374, Chapters: 1/34, Language: 中文

Fandoms: Supernatural

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: M/M

Characters: Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Gabriel (Supernatural), Charlie Bradbury, Michael (Supernatural), Lilith (Supernatural), Naomi (Supernatural), Lucifer (Supernatural), Anna Milton, Meg Masters, Kevin Tran, John Winchester, Ellen Harvelle, Jo Harvelle, Bobby Singer, Victor Henriksen, Balthazar (Supernatural), Alastair (Supernatural), Abaddon (Supernatural), Bela Talbot, Metatron (Supernatural)

Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Omega Dean, Knotting, Angst, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating, Mating Bond, Doctor Castiel (Supernatural), Human Trafficking, Comfort/Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Caretaking, Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Dean Winchester, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Pregnant Dean Winchester, Surgeon Castiel, Protective Castiel, Domestic Fluff, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Domestic, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, Babies, 中文翻译 | Translation in Chinese

Link: http://bit.ly/2RtROf6

#ao3feed #ao3feed destiel #destiel

[ao3feed-castiel]

Into Your Hideaway|藏匿之处

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2RtROf6

by VincentMeow

Castiel在落基山脉某条荒无人烟的公路上有了意外的发现。一个Omega。不是什么普普通通的Omega，而是一个赤身裸体，身上带伤，腹中有孕的Omega。 Dean一开始并不怎么说话，但这丝毫没有掩饰他灵魂的光芒。 也没有阻挡住Castiel对他越发强烈的爱意。

Words: 6374, Chapters: 1/34, Language: 中文

Fandoms: Supernatural

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: M/M

Characters: Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Gabriel (Supernatural), Charlie Bradbury, Michael (Supernatural), Lilith (Supernatural), Naomi (Supernatural), Lucifer (Supernatural), Anna Milton, Meg Masters, Kevin Tran, John Winchester, Ellen Harvelle, Jo Harvelle, Bobby Singer, Victor Henriksen, Balthazar (Supernatural), Alastair (Supernatural), Abaddon (Supernatural), Bela Talbot, Metatron (Supernatural)

Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Omega Dean, Knotting, Angst, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating, Mating Bond, Doctor Castiel (Supernatural), Human Trafficking, Comfort/Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Caretaking, Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Dean Winchester, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Pregnant Dean Winchester, Surgeon Castiel, Protective Castiel, Domestic Fluff, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Domestic, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, Babies, 中文翻译 | Translation in Chinese

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2RtROf6

#IFTTT #cas #castiel #spn #supernatural #ao3feed

[ao3feed-charliebradbury]

Into Your Hideaway|藏匿之处

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2RtROf6

by VincentMeow

Castiel在落基山脉某条荒无人烟的公路上有了意外的发现。一个Omega。不是什么普普通通的Omega，而是一个赤身裸体，身上带伤，腹中有孕的Omega。 Dean一开始并不怎么说话，但这丝毫没有掩饰他灵魂的光芒。 也没有阻挡住Castiel对他越发强烈的爱意。

Words: 6374, Chapters: 1/34, Language: 中文

Fandoms: Supernatural

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: M/M

Characters: Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Gabriel (Supernatural), Charlie Bradbury, Michael (Supernatural), Lilith (Supernatural), Naomi (Supernatural), Lucifer (Supernatural), Anna Milton, Meg Masters, Kevin Tran, John Winchester, Ellen Harvelle, Jo Harvelle, Bobby Singer, Victor Henriksen, Balthazar (Supernatural), Alastair (Supernatural), Abaddon (Supernatural), Bela Talbot, Metatron (Supernatural)

Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Omega Dean, Knotting, Angst, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating, Mating Bond, Doctor Castiel (Supernatural), Human Trafficking, Comfort/Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Caretaking, Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Dean Winchester, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Pregnant Dean Winchester, Surgeon Castiel, Protective Castiel, Domestic Fluff, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Domestic, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, Babies, 中文翻译 | Translation in Chinese

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2RtROf6

#ao3feed #fanfic #fic #spn #charlie bradbury #cqc

[zanystarlightcreator-blog]

Time For Promoters Oscar De La Hoya And Bob Arum To gloss!

On the following lap Lewis got a top notch drive regarding your the chicane into the start finish straight. He tried to go inside Jenson who in order to see this man. Jenson followed regular line over the straight and squeezed Lewis into the wall. Lewis damaged his left rear wheel and was via the competition. The safety car was dispatched while Lewis' car was removed away from the track. This was your classic match-up from the taller, thinner, master boxer (Enriguez) landing his punches at will on the smaller, hard hitting fireplug (Hernandez) who needed to get in close function with the looks. Try as he did, it took Hernandez until the late stages of round three to discover the best strategy and it still wasn't enough. Enriqez was as well elusive. During fight week celebrities, fight fans, reporters and also the fighters tends to make their way to sin capital. Showtime will document the week with their All Access show. Fighters will create a grand entrance to the casino at the start of the few. Mayweather will have his followers who he has branded as the 'Money Team'. Canelo may have his support of die-hard Mexican boxing fans and fans that tune to the see if Mayweather will be affected defeat. The second book I just read was Into the Fire, against the ever brilliant Suzanne Brockmann. It may be the 13th book in her Troubleshooter Chain. I've been on board from the beginning, actually from before a beginning. Circumstance of you who read Ms. Brockmann's Tall Dark and Dangerous Series (all of which can being reissued, so definitely pick them up if you can) exactly what I'm speaking of. ". Several of the most popular supplements used today are Acai Berry, Green Tea, Hoodia Gordonii, and Apple Cider Vinegar, in order to name several. Acai Berry and extract arrived at the surface of the list in popularity. Some reviews are giving it a five star rating in popularity. You could find many testimonials in a probe of pill." P. Gustavo Petro Torre added. There are many beloved romance novel series out here. The first which comes to system is J.D. Robb's In Death series - with over 25 products. Then of course there's Julia Quinn's Bridgerton Series, Brenda Jackon's Madaris Family Series, Victoria Alexander's Effington Series, Jo Beverley's Malloren Family Series, Stephanie Laurens Cynster Series, Mary Balogh Slightly Series, Rochelle Alers Hideaway Legacy Series, Catherine Coulter FBI series - and also the list keeps growing. Personally, I'm a series kind-o-gal. You are all aware I love revisiting characters, places and recurring story arcs, so when some one says series, I'm basically there. But, what is the way a series jumps the shark? It's a hard question for me to remedy. Escalante landed on the canvas and stayed there at 2:30 of 3rd round. Ponce De Leon presumably progresses to a match against Juan Manuel Lopez, the current WBO Featherweight champ.

[orlandotruth7-blog]

2018 Brings More Magic Than Ever to Walt Disney World Resort

We for the most part do the best that we can to identify the best content that you can read online. I do know you are going to like this post. Its a year to celebrate with Toy Story Land grand opening, exciting new Disney Springs dining concepts, a magical Theme Park milestone and more LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. From a toy-inspired land at Disneys Hollywood Studios to a milestone year for Disneys Animal Kingdom to exciting additions at Disney Springs to an encore year for an Epcot festival, theres plenty in store for guests to Walt Disney World Resort and beyond in 2018. Heres a look around: Toy Story Land Comes to Disneys Hollywood Studios In summer 2018 Disney unwraps a joyful, toy-full surprise for its guests with the opening of the all-new Toy Story Land at Disneys Hollywood Studios. Stepping into their favorite Pixar blockbuster films, guests will feel like theyve shrunk to the size of a toy as they play in Andys backyard with their favorite Toy Story pals, including Woody and Buzz. Using toys like building blocks, plastic buckets and shovels and game board pieces, Andy has designed the perfect setting for this land. This new 11-acre play space will include two new attractions and one expanded favorite: Inspired by the playful dachshund spinoff of Slinky, the American toy classic, Slinky Dog Dash will be a family-style coaster that will send riders dipping, dodging and dashing around turns and drops that Andy has created to stretch Slinky and his coils to the max.Bathed in music, lighting and sound effects, Alien Swirling Saucers is designed as a play set that Andy got from Pizza Planet, inspired by the first Toy Story film. Famous little green aliens from the movie are flying around in their toy flying saucers and trying to capture your rocket toy vehicle with The Claw.A third track has recently been added to the hugely popular Toy Story Mania!, which invites guests to take aim at 3D objects in a variety of whimsical, fast-paced games. When its time for refreshment, Woodys Lunch Box will be a new quick-service window serving tasty meals and old-fashioned soda floats. Walt Disney World Resort will collaborate with Mini Babybel to bring Woodys Lunch Box to life. New Dining and Entertainment at Disney Springs Eight new dining concepts debut at Disney Springs in 2018, joining the stellar line-up of award-winning restaurants atthis one-of-a-kind retail, dining and entertainment complex: Opening this winter, The Edison is a lavish Industrial Gothic restaurant, bar and nighttime destination that will feature live entertainment, including cabaret. Adjacent to The Edison guests will enjoy a trio of modern Italian restaurant and bar concepts. Maria & Enzos will be an open and airy Italian trattoria featuring family-friendly dishes inspired by Sicily. Enzos Hideaway will pour Prohibition-era cocktails at its Tunnel Bar and offer hearty Roman dishes. Pizza Ponte will be the perfect place for a quick bite, with pastries, pizza, Italian sandwiches and espresso on the menu. Chicago-basedLevy Restaurantsintroduces Terralina Crafted Italian with James Beard award winner and Top Chef Master Chef Tony Mantuano. The new restaurant will feature dishes inspired by Mantuanos adventures in Italy. In spring 2018, Master Sommelier George Miliotes will bring his expertise to Disney Springs with Wine Bar George. With more than 100 wine selections by the bottle and glass, Miliotes will serve up wine education along with shareable plates, cheese and charcuterie. Other openings slated for 2018 at Disney Springs include Jaleo, a Spanish concept by world-renowned Chef Jos Andrs ThinkFoodGroup, and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, a modern concept inspired by laid-back California dining. Disneys Animal Kingdom Celebrates 20 Years Majestic in its grandeur and showcasing the magic of nature with inhabitants that roam, run, crawl, fly, slither and swim; Disneys Animal Kingdom will mark its 20th anniversary in 2018. The vast, 500-acre park is Disneys largest, providing a grand stage for the celebration of the world of animals and their natural habitats. Live creatures from mite-sized to mammoth call Disneys Animal Kingdom home. Lush landscaping, Broadway-quality live shows, conservation themes and rides, attractions and adventures for all ages complete the scene. As the park continued to evolve, it added a distant moon in 2017. PandoraThe World of Avatar transports guests to a mystical world of floating mountains, bioluminescent rainforests and breathtaking new experiences. Inspired by the blockbuster motion picture, AVATAR, the new land invites guests to explore a glowing landscape, encounter a larger-than-life Navi shaman and soar on the back of a fearsome banshee. And debuting just in time for the parks 20th anniversary is a new show featuring Russell and Dug from DisneyPixars film UP This new experience will offer guests the chance to see Senior Wilderness Explorer Russell and his furry friend Dug as they discover species of birds from around the world in their newest adventure at the Caravan Theater in Anandapur Village. There will be UP close encounters each day with amazing winged creatures. An Expanded Festival of the Arts at Epcot Returning to Epcot for a second year, the expanded Epcot International Festival of the Arts will celebrate all things art performing, visual and culinary from January 12 to February 19 with festivities running seven days a week and Disney on Broadway performing each weekend (Fridays through Mondays) throughout the festival. Guests can kick off 2018 with world-class cuisine, remarkable visual art and an extraordinary lineup of live entertainment. Festival highlights: Seminars and workshops from top Disney, local and nationally-renowned artists including classes on drawing animation, photography and the art of making topiariesMore than a half a dozen specially-created food studios offering a wealth of artistic culinary delightsA host of performing artists that build on the already stellar lineup of authentic Epcot performersAn encore performance of the Disney on Broadway series featuring Disney on Broadway stars singing favorite songs from award-winning Broadway shows. Another returning favorite is Disney on Broadway dining packages, where guests can pair a meal at one of the participating Epcot restaurants with priority seating for the Disney on Broadway concert series. For more information on the festival visit www.disneyworld.com/ArtfulEpcot or call 407-WDW-DINE (3463). New Multi-Use Venue at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex ESPN Wide World of Sports will open a new multi-use sports and entertainment venue in 2018. It will seat more than 8,000 guests and have the ability to host six regulation basketball courts, six regulation volleyball courts or concert configurations. For cheer and dance events, it will accommodate performance and warm-up space and include a flexible design for one large competition space that can be set up for as many as four competition areas. Additional areas can be tailored for warm-up and practice, along with areas for judges and officials. There will be concessions throughout the building, and additional box office and entry to the complex. ### http://wdwnews.com/releases/2018-brings-more-magic-than-ever-to-walt-disney-world-resort/