#stoner with ed problems | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

red-bat-arse · 3 months

Text

I Got a Problem 🎸🎶🎻

AO3

Chapter One

Eddie 'The Freak' Munson, famous for bringing rock to new heights with his band Hellfire, listens to everything but Country. 'King' Steve Harrington, leading light of the new generation of traditional Country artists, has a few thoughts about that.

=<+>=

Eddie Munson did not normally find himself accused of being musically pigeonholed.

He'd played alongside punk bands in his early touring days, and grew up on jazz and the blues from his mum and uncle. His hits on the pop charts prompted a few collaborations with electronic and indie artists, and his sophomore album featured a few rappers who wanted to get experience with rock. Metal was his bread and butter, he had a soft spot for soulful folk ballads, and given his close friendship with Argyle he was more than familiar with reggae and funk and all varieties of stoner music.

Of course, you could probably guess that the exception to all that was the ever contentious genre of country. However that wouldn't be a problem, wouldn't even be on Eddie's radar, if not for the batshit insane decision Hopper made in a diner three blocks away from the studio the week prior.

Eddie scowled and shot Jeff another look when his vocalist snickered at his expense. On the other side of the room this party was happening in, he could see Steve Harrington talking with Dustin and laughing at whatever the kid was frantically gesturing about.

He was dressed in a embroidered beige western shirt with pearls on the long cuffs, blue jeans with a brown belt and a big copper buckle, and honest to god cowboy boots that matched the ensemble. His hair was styled high and his biceps strained the shirt sleeves a little, and when he turned on his heel to follow Dustin's pointer figure Eddie was briefly overcome with lust at the amazing ass in his direct line of sight.

"I don't care," he pronounced finally, twitching as Harrington spun back and ruffled Dustin's hair, grinning wide when the kid squawked in outrage. Jeff outright snorted and Eddie glared harder. "I think doing this before we move to a bigger space is stupid, but all power to the Chief if he thinks we can make it work."

"Don't care at all, got it," Gareth said, coming up beside him. "It's just business concerns. Like, our assets."

"See, why can't you be more like Gareth, Jeffery? He knows exactly what i'm talking about," Eddie slung an arm over Gareth's shoulders -and he must be in a good mood because he didn't duck away. "Business assets."

"More like his ass-et," Jeff muttered, and Eddie valiantly ignored him.

Five days ago Hopper walked into the studio's monthly brunch and introduced them all to one Joyce 'Mama' Byers -which, okay, even Eddie knew who she was -and dropped the bombshell that she signed on with them two days prior. Once the commotion died down she was the one who dropped the next one, informing them all that they'd soon be sharing close quarters with nine other artists from her former label, preeminent among them the one who convinced them all to walk out, that being Steve Harrington.

All ten of them were country artists. Prison Break Records hadn't put out any music that wasn't solely rock or metal in it's entire eight years of existence. To say there was a bit of culture shock going around was an understatement.

"Give them a chance, Ed," Grant passed by with a few cans of coke tucked into the crook of his arm and slapped him on the shoulder, making Eddie stumble. "Half of them are in the middle of doing the bar circuit right now, and it's not like we need the studio space anyway. It's all good."

Eddie huffed, trying not to let Grant's comment sting -he knew he didn't mean anything by it. But at nearly six months to the day, even though the guys would never rush him, maybe Eddie was getting a little bit worried about the future.

"I was talking with the Byers, apparently it's mainly gonna be Joyce and Harrington recording for the next month at least," Gareth piped up again, jabbing a thumb in the direction of country music's leading family -Argyle had somehow struck up a conversation with them and while the younger brother seemed confused, the elder was paying rapt attention to whatever their resident stoner was explaining. "Everyone else is taking a break or doing small shows or one off songs, like Grant said."

"Fine, fine, I get it," Eddie held up his hands in surrender. "But if they start blasting fucking honky-tonk bullshit-"

"Oh come on, Munson, don't tell me you're one of those."

Eddie paused, then slowly turned around, feeling his face heat up only partly in embarrassment to see Harrington standing just behind him, having apparently been abandoned by Dustin in the last few minutes. He had his hip cocked and a hand casually resting with the thumb hooked in his belt, and up close Eddie could see little moles scattered all over his face and neck like flecks of paint. Next to them, Jeff turned and coughed a laugh into his elbow, muffled.

"What, pray tell, are you talking about?" Eddie quashed the instinct to puff up for a fight. Just because Harrington was a good old jock with arms that could bench him didn't mean he had to have his back up, and he reasoned that this was his home turf here. He and Hopper may not always see eye to eye, but if Eddie asked he'd take his side in a heartbeat.

Harrington gave a funny little smirk, the kind you'd give to the family dog who was doing something cute but ultimately futile.

"You're the type who hates Trace Adkins but's never heard of David Allan Coe," he raised an eyebrow, then nodded to Jeff and Gareth, holding out a hand to shake with each of them. "Name's Steve. Good to meet you guys."

"Jeff," "Gareth," his bandmates parroted back, easy as breathing, while Eddie was still stuck on Harrington's little dig about the artists he was or wasn't aware of.

"You do most of the song work, don't you Munson?" he was asked, and Eddie belatedly realized he hadn't actually accepted Harrington's handshake. It was too late now, so he kind of awkwardly answered in the affirmative and watched that hand get pulled back and settled onto Harrington's other hip, so the man was standing almost like a judgy mother hen as he kept talking. "I've been kind of obsessed with Dark Sheep lately -especially the way you captured sexuality in 'Something On Your Tongue'; like how it's all about being confident, and whether it's a stranger at a club or working a job, the narrator's attracted to them in a way that's not gross to listen to. I mean, 'I love the way you dance with anybody' as a line is pretty refreshing when you think about it and... oh. Sorry," Harrington trailed off and turned a little pink, ducked his head. "Didn't mean to ramble on there."

Steve Harrington listened to Hellfire's music? Eddie blinked and the guy was still in front of him, looking earnest as a slice of apple pie or whatever the fuck, and he mentally shook himself. 'King' Steve Harrington listened to his music enough to have an opinion on it, on specific songs from their last record, and he came out the end of it liking his lyrics?

"Dude, get it together," Gareth whispered and elbowed him in the ribs, jolting him out of his fugue.

"Didn't think that was your thing, Harrington," Eddie ran his mouth with the first thought that came to mind, even if it was kind of dickish. "Sexual liberation ain't exactly very prayerful of you," he made the sign of the cross on that last part.

Far from what he expected, that got Harrington to bark out a big, surprised laugh. "Oh, c'mon," he rolled his eyes. "You can't seriously think I'm in with the god squad? They were most of why we left Tiger Studios in the end. Besides," Harrington flashed a charming smile, pearly whites matching the pearl buttons below on his shirt. "It'd be pretty hypocritical of me to preach against sexual lib, considering."

What the hell did that mean? Was it just his brain pulling tricks on him, or did Harrington's eyes flick up and down Eddie's body right then -and where the hell had Gareth and Jeff gone? They were supposed to be his buffer against his least favourite genre, not -ah, there they were -not chatting up the other members of Harrington's little ensemble across the room.

"Consider me told, then. You ain't godly whatsoever, I'll be sure not to disparage your sterling reputation again with that mistake, my liege, cross my heart," Maybe he was laying it on thick here, but there was something about Steve Harrington that got his pulse up; when the other man tilted his head with a baffled smile at Eddie's statement, he had to clench his fist hard so he didn't just -well, he wasn't actually sure. "But I think without the god talk that just makes you a hick, big boy, sexually liberated or otherwise. Is that better or worse?"

Maybe Harrington was just pissing him off with his... everything. His shit genre and his cocky attitude and the way he dressed to impress, it was cringey at best and edging on pretentious at worst. Eddie crossed his arms and scowled, annoyed with this damn situation of having to navigate a whole new set of people in the studio when he was already behind in his work and had no fucking clue how to fix-

"Hicks make some good music, Munson," Harrington said, sounding all kinds of condescending about it. "Especially these days, if you know where to look. Sounds to me like you're a little musically pigeonholed," Eddie went ramrod straight as Harrington threw that accusation in his face, and he felt his cheeks go hot in offense. Harrington smirked, noticing. "But hey, I'm always down to help out if you wanted to explore your options."

Musically. Pigeonholed. Musically pigeonholed!

"Fat chance of that, boots," Eddie swung his foot forward and knocked toes with Harrington, fancy brown tops against Eddie's scuffed workman's. "Sounds to me like the crown's too tight on your head after dropping contract. When you can write a song that's not about beer and trucks and girls, give me a shout, okay? Maybe I'll even give it a listen."

Steve's smirk turned a shade meaner, and he was probably going to say something really nasty -figures -when he got clapped on the back by a big man in a hawaiian shirt and with a thick beard, holding a martini of all things.

"Woah, kids, tone it down a notch. We're here to have a good time," the guy said, part patronizing and part stern -it was a weird combination. "Especially you, Discount Dio. Take it easy on the new guys or I'll ask Wayne to break out the baby photos, tout de suite."

Oh, so this was Murray. Wayne's mysterious drinking buddy who just so happened to be one of the artists who bailed along with Harrington. Eddie had no doubt he'd make good on the threat -not that he needed it, exactly. The interruption seemed to have taken the wind out of both his and Harrington's sails, if the way the guy looked embarrassed was any indication.

"Sorry, Murray," Harrington said, and Murray rolled his eyes.

"Just relax, kid. None of these guys are Hargrove, or even Carver Jr for that matter," he shook Harrington's shoulder a little, and shot Eddie an odd look. "Even the ones that growl and snap at you are just Chihuahuas. And you, puppy," he snapped his fingers in Eddie's face, making him flinch back in surprise. Also, offended -puppy? "I think you've got a hot head right now, so you should remember you know better than to shit on music you've never listened to. Don't you?"

Fuck, damn his big mouth. He felt his cheeks go tight with embarrassment, and he cut a look at Harrington. They were both close to thirty and yet here they were feeling like scolded children.

"Shouldn't have said that, Harrington. Sorry," he offered, ash in his throat. The guy looked surprised, but nodded, accepting, and Murray threw his hands up, sarcastically relieved.

"Thank god! Now come on, join the party," he hooked a hand around Eddie's neck and used his martini arm to bump Harrington forward.

The country boy looked at him one last time before seeming to shrug off their entire interaction, a fake expression of cheer getting plastered on after a flash of disappointment. Why he was disappointed was anybody's guess; maybe he'd thought Eddie would be more repentant in his apology.

Fat chance of that. Musically pigeonholed his ass.

Eddie sighed, flexing his hand, and readied himself to push through a few more hours of socializing. Internally he apologized to Hopper, too -a productive working relationship with the country club didn't seem like it was in the cards for him.

=<+>=

I keep a running list of songs referenced in the notes on AO3 -I don't do tag lists!

#steddie #stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #musician au #country star #rock star #fic #fanfic #st fanfic #fanfiction #enemies to lovers #hurt/comfort #cross posted on ao3

34 notes · View notes

eddiemunching · 9 months

Text

Stick Around (Part 2) - Eddie x Reader

I am sorry I decided to split it up into another part but I’m busier than expected and would rather give some parts than make you guys wait longer.

“It’s not like you won’t be seeing me like this anyway.” You shrugged.

“So tell me.” He started, a mischievous glint in his eye. “What are we doing in the future that requires minimal clothes?”

“Many, many things.” You laughed. “Like saving a freezing girl from looking like a drowned rat.”

“You’re too pretty to be called a rat.” He butted in, how eyes lingering on the sight of you in his clothes. The shirt seemingly too big and the boxers hugging your ass a little too tight due to the lingering wetness from the rain.

“Okay but Robin would call me a rat in two seconds.” You said, completely brushing past Eddie’s comments. “Why don’t you two ever smoke together. You’re like the biggest stoners I know.”

“She’s not you.” Eddie said a little too quickly. “What I mean is, she’s not as fun and I don’t really know her.”

“Well if you don’t know her, how do you know she’s not as fun?” You began. “I should organize a group hangout!”

“God, you are clueless.” Eddie sighed.

“What?” You turn to face Eddie, a puzzled expression evident.

Eddie walked closer to you, holding strong eye contact. His brown eyes looking down upon you with a gentleness behind them. “You really don’t know?”

“Know what?” You stared up at him. “Are you mad at me? I can go check if my mom is home and be out of your way. I guess it was stupid of me to assume I could be here. I’m so sorry.”

“Stop rambling.” Eddie pushed a finger to your lips, pressing it lightly. “I couldn’t be mad at you.”

“But-“ before you could continue, Eddie was pressing his lips against yours. They were soft and had a hint of strawberry. Despite being caught off guard, you lean into him, wrapping your arms around his shoulder and deepening the kiss. Eddie got the same idea and placed his hands on your waist, being careful to not go far enough down to upset you.

Pulling apart to breathe, you giggle softer to yourself, avoiding Eddie’s eyes.

“Hi.” Eddie says quietly into your lips, noses brushing against each other.

“Hi.” You reply back, smiling and still very much giggling to yourself. “So that’s what all the cheap weed was about. You are so slick Eddie Munson.”

“It took you long enough.” He whispered into your forehead before kissing it. “I called you pretty straight to your face!”

Shaking your head in disbelief, you lose balance and end up falling into Eddie — and perhaps, for him. The fall causes you and Eddie to end up sprawled on the couch, Eddie hovering above you with an unfamiliar look in his eyes.

“I guess I found my bed for the night.” You joke, attempting to move Eddie from this current position.

“You are not sleeping on a couch.” Eddie demanded. “You can sleep in my bed and I’ll take the floor.”

“I can’t let you do that. I can just go back to my house.” You began, feeling bad for kicking Eddie out of his own bed for your own stupidity.

“No.” Was all Eddie could say.

It must’ve been around 2am when you woke up. Rain was still pouring outside, evident by the constant pattering on the rooftop of Eddie’s trailer. You couldn’t sleep at all. Unaware if it was due to the unfamiliarity of Eddie’s bed or the fact that you two had just kissed hours before with no conversation to indicate what was next for your friendship.

There was a soft snore emanating from a dark corner spot on the floor where Eddie fell asleep hours ago.

Before you could even stop yourself, you call out to Eddie “Eds?” You test to see if he could hear you. “Eddie?”

You hear a grumble before a croaky voice responds. “What’s wrong?” He shoots up, looking around to identify the problem.

“I can’t sleep.” You sigh, feeling anxious for waking Eddie up for such a minuscule issue. “Can you please get in the bed with me. I feel too bad that you’re on the uncomfortable floor.”

“I’d thought you’d never ask.”

If anyone wants to be apart of a tag list let me know! I haven’t done it for this part because it was not the smut I promised, sorry!

#stranger things #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson smut

36 notes · View notes

slutforstabbings-archive · 1 year

Text

Since the Velma show is so uhhhhh Like That, here's my pitch for an adult Scooby Doo show:

The most similar existing Scooby thing is On Zombie Island and the two biggest inspirations/points of comparison outside of Scooby Doo are Scream (particularly MTV Scream) and Cabin in the Woods.

The gang are college upperclassmen, juniors and/or seniors.

Fred started as a finance major but switched to criminal justice. Daphne’s a journalism major. Shaggy's getting a fine art degree and his concentration is ceramics, Velma's major is physics.

Fred and Shaggy were roommates freshman year and had an enemies to besties situation because they were so different. Mostly the problem was that Fred's upbringing was super sheltered and old money, prep school, country club, young republicans - so when he meets Shaggy he's like how tf do I deal with people who aren't from my very rigid uptight wealthy background? But he lets go of that bullshit really quickly and now he and Shaggy are inseparable and have chosen to continue to live together since.

Daphne is Fred's high school sweetheart, they both went to single gender prep schools but they were like "sibling" schools that held co-ed events together. She's from the same super rigid old money world as him but she's always been more rebellious and aware of the outside world than he was. Maybe they broke up for a while because even tho they decided to go to the same university, they wanted different college experiences and she was a big party girl freshman and sophomore years, but now she's calmed down a little and he's opened up, so they're the most compatible they've ever been and they find their way back to each other.

Velma and Shaggy met in an art class that she was taking as an elective and he was taking as part of his main course work. She'd never done any kind of art before and was super nervous but Shaggy was really encouraging and they became buddies and she discovered a new interest and made all her free electives be art classes after that. If Shaggy's having a hard time getting a sculpture to be structurally stable, he comes to Velma for physics assistance.

Shaggy decides to adopt a dog and he's on the humane society website like look at this weird dog, it says he's been there for months, how come nobody has adopted him? So he takes Fred and they go to the humane society and they meet this fucked up Great Dane that nobody else wants and they agree to adopt him.

That's when Weird Shit TM starts happening on campus and in the surrounding town. It is NOT monster of the week but maybe the first couple episodes are sort of falsely monster of the week seeming, until they realize everything is connected. Definitely keeping the villian's motivation as some horrible destructive ultra capitalist scheme, and it hits close to home for Fred and Daphne because that's kind of the world they're from, but it's also supernatural somehow and Scooby's nature as a not-quite-normal dog is tied into it, the four of them like, become fated to solve this problem because they welcome Scooby into their lives. Stakes are high, the supernatural is real and death is permanent. The gang should lose peripheral friends and have to figure out the mystery while also mourning, and the villian or one (or more) of the villian's henchmen is someone in the gang's outer circle. Like maybe the big bad is the president of the university and Daphne's sorority sisters and Shaggy's plug and Velma's advisor are all in on it.

Velma IS a lesbian, and Indian. If we're making one of them black it's gotta be Fred or Daphne, I hate that they made the stoner character black in the Velma show lol that was my first red flag. I mean, in this I think they're all stoners, they do the round table That 70's Show thing, Shaggy is just the only one with a Stoner Personality. And I think it's cool for him to be non-white, it just feels cringey to me for him to be black. But I think it could be really interesting for one of the super wealthy upper crust characters to have to realize that they were really insulted from racism in their specific community but that doesn't mean that it isn't still a big deal everywhere else, and maybe even looking back they DID experience racism growing up, they just didn't realize it. Perhaps they're even mixed race, half black half white and have to deal with the intersecting privilege and oppression that simultaneously brings them. Fred is bi but still figuring it out, Shaggy is nb but enjoys masculinity and just doesn't give a shit about how other people perceive his gender, it's a more internal experience for him, and he defies gender conventions in subtle ways.

#scooby doo #velma the series #fred jones #norville shaggy rogers #daphne blake #velma dinkley #mtv scream #cabin in the woods #mine #sorry to break from corey content but all spooky people like scooby doo right?#i think this belongs here

45 notes · View notes

ashes-writing · 2 years

Text

sweet emotion | stranger things ; e. munson

A/N ; .... so .... I couldn't pick between Eddie and Steve. And apparently, my idiot brain decided well hey, just write similar versions/plots for both your babies, Ashes. So here we are. This is yet another x reader mini series. Each version has it's own take on a Henderson!fem reader -this one is artsy/stoner/smart/pretends to be a witch but in reality just has really strange interests and a dark humor / literal hell on wheels just an fyi. I'll keep them both going but feedback is a motivator as to how frequently they'll get updated. Right now, this is all I got, babes. So if you wanna see more, idk. We'll see.

Pairing ; Eddie Munson x Henderson!Fem reader

Timeline / Other Stuff to Note ; As stated in all my other x reader fics that belong to Stranger things, the Upside Down and all it's unholy horrors are left out. The timeline for this is 86. No, Eddie will not be dying. If you like normal / slice of life / romance-y type shit, this is that.

Tag List ; @musichealsscars @hcloangcls @allelitesmut and @aries-arcade are the only ones currently on my Stranger Things tag. I throw out a courtesy tag to @rampagewriting -feel free to ignore if you wanna bb. if you'd like to be added to my taglists for anything including Stranger Things, please let me know or add yourself -> here.

Warnings ; reader is hell on wheels / detention / swearing / teenage antics and shenanigans, mentions of the devils lettuce to come, mentions of drinking to come, kissing / making out / maybe even filth to come, beyond that, nothing. Oh yeah and Jason Carver is a prick and will probably catch reader's hands by the end of this at least once bc I fucking can. ALSO... Chrissy's ED / home problems are mentioned in this so huge trigger warning for that.

Other Stuff ; tag list doc || my rules - fandoms and some characters I write for || requests are open (pls.. pls... send me things) but they're limited to headcanon asks + filth/fluff alphabet letters and I'm not accepting wrestling / wrestlers in my ask box. Any other fandom/character but wrestling that I happen to write for is fine and I beg of you -> send me things.

I do not consent to my work being reposted elsewhere or copied/reworked/rewritten and reposted here or elsewhere. You don't own this, I do. So like... don't steal my shit.

You dash down the noisy hallway, your clothes and body a multitude of different colors. You’re wielding a paintbrush as you chase down your friend Astrid, taunting her with what will happen when you finally catch her. As you all but baseball slide around a corner in the hallway because the floor is wet, you smash into Eddie Munson.

The collision sends you onto the floor with an unceremonious “Hmmph.” as you settle on it on your ass. You’re about to quickly scramble to your feet but Eddie reaches down and grabs hold of your hand wordlessly, hauling you up off the floor.

And then, with a cute little smile, you’re off to the races again. But you stay on his mind the whole day.

When he spots you sitting alone at lunch, now with a yellow handprint on the left side of your face and your nose stuck in a book that’s been read so many times it’s falling apart as you turn the pages, Eddie finds himself watching you.

Doing it so intently that Gareth nudges him and nods in your direction. “She’s in my homeroom.”

Eddie glances back in your direction and to his shock, he finds you kind of staring at him. When you know you’re caught, you cross your eyes and stick out your tongue, pulling a face that makes him snicker quietly and shake his head. Gareth laughs. “‘M gonna ask her to go see a movie.”

Eddie clenches his fist but he tries to give his friend a smile of encouragement.

Jeff speaks up, laughing. “And she’ll shoot you down for the millionth time, Gare. Just like she’s done every single time you ask.”

Eddie’s gaze shifts to Jeff, who shrugs and then goes on to explain that since at least 7th grade, you are the girl Gareth is always trying to ask out.

And Eddie can sympathize because after all, Chrissy. He’s in a similar situation but he’s just her dealer now.

And he’s not a creep, so he’d never try to use that situation to his advantage.

Jeff continues. “You’re making it weird, Eds.”

“Super weird.” Gareth adds quietly. Glaring at Eddie quietly. A little annoyed, because he noticed you first.

Down the table, Mike nudges Dustin and nods to the table you’re sitting at. “Why the hell is she covered in paint, Dustin?”

Dustin drags his spoon across his pudding as he shrugs. “You know how weird my sister is, Mike. I learned not to question it a long time ago. I’m just glad she’s happy again.”

“Yeah, summer was rough, huh?”

“Kinda. She’s a pain in the ass when she’s moodier than usual. And she won’t say it but that jerk she was dating really hurt her.” Dustin shrugs as he says it.

You spot your younger brother across the lunchroom sitting at the Hellfire table.

And down from him a few seats, the guy you crashed into in the hallway when you and Astrid took the little paint war going on inside Art class to the hallway at the end of it. You study the guy for a few seconds, eating a bean from your salad as you do so. Astrid told you his name is Eddie Munson. Not that you asked or you needed to know to begin with because you’ve kind of had a crush on him since at least 8th grade… You’ve just never really… crossed paths until today.

Eddie is reading Newsweek to the other guys sitting around the table and he’s laughing every other word.

And then, Eddie is standing on the table. And he’s making a speech.

During which, he mentions literally every major clique except your little circle.

To be fair, you’re kind of known as the artsy wannabe witch and that’s how it’s almost always been. The last time you were even a little popular was way back in 6th grade when you were still best friends with Chrissy, who has since gone on to become the so-called queen of Hawkins High.

When Eddie compares basketball to a game where one tosses balls into a laundry basket, you nearly choke on your soda laughing. And you can’t resist it, you have to speak up. You have to make it known that Jason’s actually not that good at it, either.

“And sadly, they’re not even that good. Except Sinclair. The rest of the idiots fucking suck.” you muse aloud, flipping to the next page in the book you found in a throwout pile in the library during homeroom.

But as always, nobody really seems to notice. Which is fine with you, you’re content to go back to the book you’re currently caught up in. To eat in silence.

Jason snaps, calling Eddie a prick.

Eddie makes a face and laughs before sitting himself down. Everybody’s gone back to doing their own thing by now, Eddie’s disruption is for the most part, forgotten and ignored. He said what he needed, he didn’t waste words or anything. Just said what was on his mind and sat down without a care in the world.

“Yeah, somebody’s jealous because they still can’t find theirs without tweezers and a magnifying glass, I see.” you say it without thinking when you overhear Jason at a table over when he goes on a tangent about satanism and freaks and how pricks like Eddie Munson need to be run out of town on a rail. You didn’t think anybody actually heard you say it, but apparently this time, when it’s about him, the idiot can hear perfectly fine.

Jason’s steely blue gaze settles on you.

“What’d you say?” he’s standing and he’s heading your way. Fast. “Repeat it. C’mon, witch.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes and toy with a strand of hair, waiting.

When Jason finally reaches you, you barely give half a glance up at him and you shrug. Taking an aggressive bite of the bean in your salad as you laugh. “You heard me, Carver. I’m not repeating it. I don’t think you want me to, I mean… Unless you just want the entirety of the cafeteria to know you’ve got a teeny tiny little baby dick. Or that’s what I heard, anyway. I’d rather fling myself off the highest cliff down at the quarry than find out for myself.” you grimace and stick your finger down your throat to induce gagging.

Mike nudges Dustin and Dustin glances over right around the same time Jason stops by your table and plucks the book out of your hand, surveying the title critically. “Oh shit. So, what are the odds she snaps and Jason gets bitten, punched, slapped, kicked or stabbed with the fork in her hand?” Mike asks, barely hiding a laugh.

Dustin stands, as your very protective younger brother, he’s ready to go and intervene before your motor mouth overruns your midget ass. Even with the age difference, he towers over you just slightly. And he might not beat Jason’s ass, but Jason will come away knowing he was there. “Shit.”

Lucas stands too, ready to go over and help get you and Jason apart should the need arise. Because he’s learned that there’s a good way to coax Jason into backing down or changing his mind and it’s a useful trick to have in his arsenal.

“Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft. Nice. I thought the board was going to ban this crap..” Jason glares at you and nods towards Eddie. He chuckles. “Hawkins High should kick you out… Both of you..” he shoots Eddie a smirk when he says it and Eddie flips him off, turning his attention back to the situation at hand. He can’t help but notice Dustin, Mike and Lucas’ vested interest in the whole scene as it unfolds and despite being curious, he just doesn’t ask. He’s too busy watching you to see what you do.

“You first, Jim Jones.” you spit out the words and stand, snatching your book back. When you grab hold of his wrist, it’s with a smirk and a warning squeeze during which you dig your fingernails into his skin, just a little. Not enough to draw blood but enough to issue a clear warning of intent if he keeps on pushing his luck. “If I were you, blondie.. I’d shag ass back over to the cool kids table… It’d be a shame if something just kinda…Accidentally happened, right?” you say it innocently enough, with the sweetest little grin you can muster. It’s not meant to threaten or anything, or it wouldn’t seem so to the people looking on as this little confrontation unfolds.

But Jason’s slightly smarter than your average meathead jock. Only slightly. He picks right up on the true intent in your statement.

“Did you just threaten me?” Jason deadpans.

You shrug, mild and calm as possible. Smirking up at him without a care in the world. “Not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, are we?” you ask, tapping your foot a little. That smirk growing on your face as you watch his face contort from that normal holier than thou smug look to one of fury.

He steps closer. Studying you intently like he’s looking for something, anything he can use to hurt you.

He’s trying the wrong girl but he’s too stupid to see it just yet.

When he gets a little too close, you reach back and grab the bowl of salad you were finished with anyway and you raise it, planting it in his face. “I told you, idiot. Walk away.” you practically purr the words as you shove past him and slink out of the cafeteria.

At the Hellfire table, Dustin and Mike are gaping. Both of them knew you were a bit of a hothead but neither of them would’ve ever thought you’d shove your salad into Jason’s face like that. Dustin can’t help but laugh.

Jeff glances at the two.

“You two idiots know her?” Jeff asks. Gareth glances down the table at the two younger boys, waiting. Curious himself, because Dustin looks a breath away from going over there to intervene and he’s only just sat back down.

“My sister.” Dustin is beaming, he’s having a full-on proud little brother moment.

“My old babysitter.” Mike shrugs and drags thin fingers through shaggy black hair. “At least she didn’t punch him.” he muses, mostly to himself. “She punches like a freakin boxer.”

And suddenly upon hearing this particular little revelation, Eddie’s very intent gaze is fixed on Dustin. “You never told me you had a sister.”

Dustin shrugged and took a bite of the bologna sandwich in his hands. “You never asked, Munson.”

Mike palms his face. “Let me save you the hassle, Munson… She’s a grouch. She’s also slightly feral. Dustin, their mom and maybe like… one other person are the only people she really gives a shit about. And she’s always been this way, Munson. It won’t change. Just trust me.”

Eddie mulls it over. When Wheeler put it that way, the whole bizarre high speed chase with paint in the hallway seems to make perfect sense. Then there’s the book you were reading. That fits too. But deeper down, Eddie’s already figuring out that the attitude and the ‘witch’ rumor that you’ve never actively tried to speak up against are probably your defense mechanisms at this point.

You’re swinging at your locker just to rid yourself of a little pent up frustration when Chrissy clears her throat from behind you. Whirling around, you size her up and wrinkle your nose. “You? What do you want, hm?”

“To apologize.” Chrissy mumbles quietly. Gazing at you as she steps away, cautious. She really wants to tell you that she misses being your best friend but somehow, she knows it’s maybe just a little too late to say it.

“Mhm, well.. It’s whatever.” you smirk a little. Lean in a little closer. “It’s your little boyfriend who might wanna watch his back.” you warn and shrug at her. Upon closer look, you feel really bad, she’s obviously struggling with something, you can see it in her eyes. And every part of you wants to say something that might help, but you shove it down. Why should you care? She’s the one who went off and got popular and then spent the next few years ignoring you. If she really gave a shit, you think to yourself, she never would’ve turned her back.

You’re starting to walk away but Chrissy calls your name. And not your actual name, but the one she gave you way back when you were both kids. Before popularity became the wedge that got driven between the two of you.

“Bubbles.” Chrissy calls out to you, making you pause.

“Don’t call me that. Bubbles is gone, Cunningham.” you say it in the harshest tone you can muster and it hurts like hell, but deep down, you don’t mean it and you hate it when she looks like she’ll cry. The unshed tears are what make you walk away as quickly as humanly possible. Because if you don’t, then what if this isn’t some kind of trick? She is one of them, after all.

Astrid is waiting at the end of the hallway, waving you over.

“Guess what I found.” she’s excited, she’s practically bouncing all around.

“Hm?”

“Just c’mon.. Hey, what was the head bitch of Hawkins High saying? How did you refrain from punching her, huh?”

You shrug off the question but you do snap at Astrid calmly that Chrissy isn’t a bitch, despite all attempts to seem as if you don’t miss your best friend and you don’t give a shit about her either way.

“Okay, sheesh. Noted.” Astrid grumbles, adding that you were an idiot to give Chrissy any sort of leeway because she’s the one who ditched you. You make your way out of the building with Astrid and you hear meowing.

Astrid grabs your hand, she’s dragging you down the alley between buildings. When the meowing grows closer, you’re grinning.

But the litter of motherless kittens are under the dumpster and back towards the corner, out of your reach from a certain angle and without a little coaxing.

“Let me go ask O’Brian if we can borrow his broom. Maybe we can kind of scoot it back there behind their little furry butts...” Astrid is settled on the concrete, trying to reach beneath the dumpster from the front but she lacks an inch or two to reach the cluster of meowing kittens.

A throat clears from the top of the alley.

You glance back over your shoulders to find Eddie Munson leaning against the wall. Watching you and Astrid as you both kneel in front of and at the side of the dumpster, trying to meow in the hopes that you’ll coax the kittens out of their safe haven without having to try grabbing them and risk hurting yourself or them in the process.

You manage to get a grip on the smoke colored one when it comes just a little closer and you pluck it out, hissing and in perpetual recoil as you pull the soft little furball into you and gaze down at it, giggling.

“Hey, little one. I’m gonna call you Bjorn. You kinda look like a little bear, yes you do, you’re the cutest kitty…” you coo as Eddie comes to a stop nearby, gazing at you and the zesty tempered little animal in your arms.

You pull yourself up off the ground.

Doe eyes move from you to the spicy little furball you’re holding against you and back again. You’re staring back but you’re really trying not to. But his eyes have this magnetic effect.

“We’re gonna need the broom.” Astrid stands up, brushes off her paint splattered bell bottoms and walks around to the side. “I’m trying to get the solid white one because the poor little dude has some funky stuff in it’s eyes.”

You nod. “We could try to coax ‘em out with tuna.” you suggest, breaking your gaze with Eddie for a second or two. You’re wondering why he’s even outside, but you’re too focused on rescuing baby cats to ask.

“Yeah, but where are we gonna get tuna, hm?” Astrid asks.

Eddie stands back quietly, listening to the exchange. Then he nods to the dumpster.

“If we could move it just a little.” Eddie suggests.

“That thing is fuckin heavy, sir.” you insist as a rebuttal.

“And I have friends.” Eddie points out to you.

You snicker quietly. “So do I.. My little brother has to help me with my bullshit. Familial obligation.” you start to trudge down the alley, wandering right back into the outside cafeteria door to step inside.

You make your way over to the table and grab a chair from beside Gareth Emerson, a boy in your science class. And then you drag it over to where your brother is sitting, flanked by Mike Wheeler and Lucas Sinclair. “You three little shits are comin with me, alright?”

“Please?” Mike hints. You laugh and roll your eyes, standing.

“C’mon… I mean unless you idiots wanna walk home in the rain.” you shrug mildly as you say it. Lucas stands. He notices the kitten and chuckles. “Where the hell did you find a cat?”

“Outside. Under the dumpster out back. There’s like… Five more.” you’re giggling and grinning. You hold out the smoke colored kitten in your hand to Lucas and the kitten’s immediate reaction is to swing it’s little paws and hiss as much and as loud as felinely possible. You pull the kitten away when Lucas shakes his head and you’re muttering softly to the kitten, “Aw, it’s okay, little guy. You’re gonna be just fine.”

Dustin palms his face. “No. Absolutely fuckin not. You are not going to build an army of cats. Look, you already have the lizard. And the garden snake. And the stray dog you think I don’t know you’re trying to lure into sticking around. We’re not a zoo, damn it!”

You place your free hand on your hip and gaze at your little brother. “Bold of you to assume I asked you, dustball. Me older. You younger. Understand, little brother?” you flash him a butter wouldn’t melt grin.

“Mom..” Dustin tried to appeal to your common sense but it fell on deaf ears.

“Will love these little shits as much as I, their new mother, am going to.” you laugh out the words. As you return the chair, you reach out and feel both Gareth and Jeff’s upper arms. “Okay, you two.. C’mon.” you mumble as you gaze at them both after reaching the assumption that they have the required body strength to maybe wiggle the dumpster out enough so you and Astrid can free the kittens.

Jeff and Gareth share a look, puzzled.

“Where?” Jeff asks, shrinking back when the kitten hisses again. “Keep your demon away, woman.” he laughs as he says it.

“Yeah, I mean.” Gareth stammers and gulps, “I’ll help, just.. Are you aware that those uh.. They’re wild. You could get like so many diseases…”

You shrug. “They’re babies, jerk!” you pout a little, holding the kitten tighter when it tries to jump out of your arms. “Ignore him, sweet Bjorn. You’re a little angel, yes you are.” you coo at the cat.

You make your way out of the cafeteria’s back facing door with your brother, Mike and Lucas all grumbling and Dustin trying to argue you down that you absolutely cannot take in another stray, he doesn’t care how cute they are or how much they make you happy and you, humming Sweet Leaf to ignore him. Gareth and Jeff wander out too because they can’t resist the chance to watch a good bout of fuckery as it occurs.

Astrid has gotten one of the kittens and Eddie’s jumping back a little because the kitten in Astrid’s grip is twice as wild as the one you managed to grab before going inside.

“And you were saying, Munson?” you tap your foot and tilt your head slightly as you glance up at him with an amused gleam in your eyes. And your cute little grin.

Dustin nudges Eddie. “She’s lost her fucking mind. Totally.”

“She just wants to help ‘em, Henderson. C’mon, have a heart, kid.” Eddie says it as he’s watching you and your friend Astrid. Well, mostly you. He’s laughing to himself and shaking his head.

“Stop checking out my sister!” Dustin grumbles, annoyed. “Seriously, Munson?”

“Trust me, Munson. This isn’t even half of the crazy. Just stop yourself now. While you’re ahead.” Mike warns a second time, but he happens to look at Eddie as Eddie watches you directing Gareth and Jeff which way to shove the corner of the dumpster. And as he’s watching Eddie watch you, he gets the distinct feeling that Eddie Munson isn’t listening to a damn thing either of the two say.

The dumpster is pulled away and kittens go scattering. You manage to grab an orange colored one with white socks and a black and white one. Astrid snags the remaining two, the white one she’s going to take home to nurse back to health and a solid black one.

“Hey! I’m the supposed witch.” you pout.

“Tough shit! You’ve got three!” Astrid argues. “And my mother is the town vet.”

“Okay, alright.Fiiiine. But I want weekends with those ones.” you insist, nodding to the wild kittens in Astrid’s arms but struggling hard to get free.

“I want weekends with yours.” Astrid nods to the kittens in your arms.

Dustin nudges Mike. “They’re going to be negotiating the rest of the day.”

“Unless your sister just sits on her like she did over the last brownie last weekend. Remember that? We had to pull them apart.”

“I swear, sometimes I wonder how they’re even friends.” Lucas snickers quietly.

Eddie nudges Dustin at some point during the negotiations and he nods to you. “Do they uh… Does this happen a lot?”

“We tried to tell you, idiot. She’s very… strong willed.” Lucas answered, a hand on his hip.

“She negotiated my mom into a 1 am curfew once. Mom was so pissed when she realized what she’d agreed to.” Dustin snickered.

“She’d argue with a brick wall, Munson.” Mike states with a shrug. “But hey, be my guest.”

“Just know that the party has rules about our family.” Dustin says it with a calm smirk.

“And there are no takebacks.” Lucas is grinning, amused little shit.

“Rules?” Eddie scoffs.

“Yeah. Rules.”

“You three little shits sound like the mafia right now.” Eddie laughs as he says it.

Then he clears his throat.

“Ladies.” he fixes his gaze on you and Astrid, who are happily sitting on the gravel, trying to cuddle six little kittens. “Maybe it’s a good idea to take them in. Leave them with the nurse?”

You and Astrid share a look.

“Should we?” Astrid questions you. You shrug but you’re lost in his damned stupid doe eyes again, so naturally, you don’t look away to look at her.

“I mean… at least then she could feed them til we’re done with school.” you muse quietly and you finally make yourself look away.

“And our shared after school detention.” Astrid swears quietly. “No fuckin thanks, Henderson.”

“You went along with it, Cooper.” you assert.

You gaze at Eddie. “Fine.” you pout a little. “But only so these lil nuggets get food when they need it. And if that old bat even thinks she’s getting one of ‘em, she’s not.”

“Again.. Pretty sure Mom said specifically no more animals.” Dustin points out.

“And?” you shrug it off.

“Dustin, just give it up. She literally never listens, buddy.”

“She’s so fucking stubborn.” Lucas laughs as he shakes his head.

– ( later that afternoon )

“Dustin.”

Dustin whirls around to look at you. “Oh god, what now?” is the first thing he asks, which makes you pout. You twist some hair around your finger and laugh. “Do you still have your little thing? The make believe game?”

“DnD, gremlin. It’s DnD. It’s a tabletop rpg, not make believe.”

“Whatever, same thing.” you laugh softly.

“Yeah, we have a meeting. Why?”

You shrug. “Do you guys like… Bring food to these?”

Dustin’s brow raises.

“A cake, doofus. I made a cake. In stupid Home Ec.”

“You mean you didn’t light the stove on fire?” Dustin taunts you and you pout, snatching the covered cake dish away. Dustin is a sucker for chocolate though, so he pouts. “C’mon.. Please?”

“Okay, alright. It’s just to thank you guys for earlier.” you shrug it off.

“How is the little army of demons anyway?” Dustin asks as he takes the cake dish from your arms.

“The nurse mixed them up something that’s close to their mother’s milk. Says they’re eating it like crazy. She gave me the recipe, so before I take you three dorks home later, we gotta go by the market. And the vet because Astrid said her mom would look at ‘em and try to make sure they’re all healthy.”

Dustin grumbles, but he nods. “Okay, alright.”

“Parking lot. After your meeting. Cos detention will be over for me like, two minutes later. Five if I get bored and crawl out the window again for funsies.”

“You are the sole reason for every single one of our mother’s gray hairs.” Dustin palms his face as he says it.

“And yours, sweet little old man.” you reach out to fluff his hair as you taunt him. Dustin makes an annoyed face and steps away. “Don’t be weird, damn it.”

You pout. “Oh come onnnnn. You’re my little brother.” you’re doing it again, just to get under his skin. Maybe embarrass him just a little. But you’d never admit it. You’re happy he’s at the same school as you are now. You always worried about him and his little friends getting picked on and you not being able to be around to stop it.

“Don’t you have detention to be getting to?” Dustin questions.

“Yeah, right. That shit.”

“Do I need to escort you?” Dustin asks, smirking a little when you flip him off and pout. “I’m goin, I’m goin.”

As you walk away grumbling, Dustin makes his way into the classroom the Hellfire Club is meeting at only to come in on the tail end of exactly how you and Astrid managed to get yourself a detention.

“Wait.. That’s what she did?” Dustin questions, trying not to laugh.

Eddie nods to the cake dish in Dustin’s arms. “What’s that?”

“My sister, uh.. She had to bake this in Home Ec. So she gave it to me before I came in. She said it was a thank you for helping her earlier.”

“You mean the teacher finally let her use the oven again?” Mike questions, snickering to himself when Dustin flips him off. “Ha fucking ha, Wheeler.”

“That chocolate?” Lucas’s head snaps up.

“Chocolate cake.” Dustin answers.

– ( meanwhile, in detention + after detention )

“The old bat is napping. Are we making our early retreat now?” Astrid asks you the question as she bounces a paper ball off your nose. You look up from the book you’d stolen out of the library’s trash bin during homeroom and yawn as you give her the thumbs up.

“Shit. She didn’t leave the window open.” you frown as you glance over to the row of windows lining one wall.

“And the door creaks too loud.” Astrid points out.

You grumble, but then inspiration strikes.

“Mrs. Bennett?”

The sleeping teacher comes to. “Can you at least try not to make another visit soon, you two?” she asks, still half asleep and not even realizing that she’s just let you both go an entire five and a half minutes earlier than she was supposed to.

You and Astrid are bursting through the door and into the hallway, laughing chaos.

You rush into the bathroom and when you hear the sound of someone vomiting in the end stall, you hold a finger to your lips and share a look while cringing.

Then Chrissy walks out, dragging the back of her hand across her mouth and suddenly, you feel ten times as bad as you thought you did earlier for walking away. And you want to do something, you want to say something to her.

But words won’t come.

And she won’t even look you in the eye as she passes.

Once she’s rinsed her mouth and walked out of the bathroom, Astrid sighs quietly. “My mom says her mom’s a real bitch. Did you know her mom wouldn’t even let her have real cake at her birthday? That’s what one of the girls in homeroom who went to her stupid party told me.”

You can only nod.

“Yeah. Mrs. Cunningham’s a real piece of fuckin work. She hates me. Hates my mom more though because my mom called her out on her shit years ago. Then suddenly, the ice queen can’t allow her perfect little daughter to be seen in breathing distance–” you shake your head sadly and frown. “It doesn’t matter, she chose those shitheads. Jason treats her like shit and she still dates his pathetic ass.”

“Look, she was your best friend. It’s okay to be a little mad. I-I.. I didn’t get it before. But I do now. Maybe there’s something we can do?” Astrid is giving you that look and you shake your head swiftly, every intention to shut it down.

But then Chrissy steps into view.

“When I said I was sorry earlier,” Chrissy fumbles with her words like she’s twisting a blonde strand around her fingertip. “I meant it. I just.. You know how my mother is.I didn’t have a choice, okay? I just…” she trails off and wipes at her eyes. “I needed you to know that.”

“What the hell is she doing to you, Cunningham?” you ask quietly.

“It’s more what am I doing to myself now.” she sighs sadly. “Because if I don’t give them all what they want, I’m worthless.”

“You’re not a goddamn show pony!” you assert.

“She’s right. Blunt as usual, but right.” Astrid says it more gently. Giving you a warning elbow in your side.

You give her a calm shrug. You realize you’re not as gentle as she is, but in this case, it’s fear for your ex best friend that’s taken over.

“Look.” you shuffle your boots against the bathroom floor. “If you need me.” you trail off, Astrid speaking up quietly, “Us. If she needs us.” she corrects, giving Chrissy her best wary grin, “Come find us, alright?”

Chrissy looks back at both of you, equally wary.

“I,uh.. If I don’t get back out there, Jason’s gonna be mad.”

“Fuck that fuckin fuck.” you mumble, another warning nudge from Astrid. You apologize quietly, but you nod. “I mean it, Cunningham. I still live in the same house and my mom is always there, no matter the time.”

“I know, I just…” Chrissy sighs. She wants to say something, she just can’t. And she’s mortified that she’s been caught. That somebody knows her secret.

Chrissy gives you both an unexpected hug and hurries out of the bathroom and you turn your attention to the mirror, reapplying the deep crimson lip stain and pouting at the mirror. Astrid waits by the door, packing her pack of cigarettes. “Mom said she’d go ahead and worm the babies tonight.”

“Okay, good. This gives me time to at least halfway prepare my mom for her three furry grandchildren’s arrival.”

“You really are committed to this crazy cat lady bit, huh?” Astrid laughs as she gazes at you.

You grin. “Animals can’t hurt you like people seem to enjoy doing. I’m not wasting my time saving the animals.”

“Not like you were with… The asshole.”

“Exactly. I’m fine, Astrid, do not start, alright? It still hurts. Just.. Not as much.”

“Good. I can’t handle you when you’re all mopey and moody.”

“I can’t handle me either.” you laugh when you say it, but the truth is, you can’t.

You wander out into the hallway around the exact same time your little brother and his two friends come out the door to the Drama class with Eddie, Jeff and Gareth behind them. You bite your lip and make yourself look anywhere but Eddie Munson. Just for a little further help, you remind yourself about what you literally just talked to Astrid about in the bathroom not even three seconds ago.

You’re sticking to it, doe eyes be damned.

Because Eddie Munson is probably a heartbreaker, just like your ex. Just like over half of the guys you know.

And you’ve always stuck to the belief that maybe it’s better if your infatuations remain just that. It’s gotta be better than letting somebody in only to discover they’re not what you thought, they’re using you or they don’t actually care about you -like your father when he walked away from your mother, you and your little brother and went out to get himself an entire new family as far away from the three of you as he could get.

Daddy issues, sure.

You’ll gladly admit to having them.

“Your cake was a hit.” Dustin grins as he hands back an empty cake dish. You smile and slip an arm around your brother, who immediately scowls and pries your arm down. “Not here, damn it.”

“Dustinnnnnn.” you whine.

“Damn it.” he grumbles.

“Hey, uh… Are you baking anything else?” Gareth has popped up beside you. You glance up at him and smirk. Shrugging. “Depends.”

“ The chocolate chip cookies, woman!” Lucas and Mike chorus from nearby.

“Okay, alright. Fiiiine.” you laugh. “I suppose I could make some cookies.”

Gareth chuckles. And he’s giving you this little grin. And you bite your lip and try to pretend you don’t know exactly what he’s up to but he makes it so painfully obvious. When he asks if you want to rent some movies on Friday night, you sigh and shake your head. “Gareth, no.”

He gives a little frown but he nods.

And maybe some of Astrid’s gentle nature is finally rubbing off of you or maybe it’s having recently had your own heart ripped right out and crushed. You tap his shoulder and he looks down at you. “Yeah?”

“I’m not in the right headspace right now. I swear, it’s uh.. It’s not a you thing, Emerson. You’re a real sweet guy, just… I don’t wanna lead you on or anything.” you catch sight of Astrid checking him out and you nudge him, nodding in her direction when you’re sure she’s looked away. “Astrid really likes you anyway. I mean, she really likes you. Your little band is the reason she got grounded not long ago.”

Gareth rubs the back of his neck and chuckles. “She is kinda cute.”

“Dude, she’s freaking hot, okay? Go for it.” you encourage.

He smiles and nods. You shuffle away, catching up to your brother and his two friends, who are walking up ahead with Eddie Munson. You pop up right between Eddie and your little brother, laughing. “Hiiiii.”

“Gareth asked you again, huh?” Jeff laughs as he asks the question.

“Mhm.. But I let him down gentle. And told ‘im that Astrid’s in love with him because it’s not like she’ll ever fuckin do it.” you smile at Jeff and shrug.

Eddie’s gazing down at you thoughtfully when Jeff says something to him so he misses it the first time.

Dustin’s looking from you to Eddie and back again, rolling his eyes as soon as the realization of what’s happening right in front of him occurs to him.

Eddie talked about you -and asked entirely too many questions, for most of the little meeting.

To say you definitely got his attention was a bit of an understatement at this point.

The poor bastard was tripping and about to fall right into feelings headfirst.

“Hey, dustball..”

“Yes, gremlin?”

“Hold my backpack while I go pick up my babies.”

“You realize those are not your children, right?” Dustin laughs and shakes his head at you.

“Hmmph. So you say.” you pout as you stop in front of the door to the nurses office and disappear inside. Astrid and Gareth come in a few seconds later and after you’ve gotten the kittens, some droppers to feed them with and instructions from the nurse, you all venture out into the hallway.

Eddie is waiting, talking to your brother quietly.

As you approach, Dustin is kind of grinning, kind of like he knows something you don’t. And before you can say anything, Dustin speaks up.

“You’re tutoring again this year, right?” he asks.

“Yeah?” you scratch your head as you look at your brother. “Why?”

Eddie clears his throat. “The guidance counselor, she’s been… Ya know.. Riding my ass again. Says I need a certain grade in classes to graduate.”

You’re getting sucked into his eyes. The smoke colored kitten has taken it upon himself to crawl up and nest in your hair, cozied up to your shoulders and neck. You finally realize what Eddie’s hinting at and you smile.

“You want me to tutor you… Right?”

“Yeah? I mean if you don’t mind.” Eddie says it fast enough that he stumbles over the words a little. You smile and nod. “Yeah, I’ll do it.”

Eddie grins. “Great.”

“So, look.. If you wanna start tonight, that’s awesome. And our mom is making homemade beef stew.” you smirk a little as you say it and Eddie laughs. “I’ll come by later. I’ve uh.. I gotta go to the laundromat first.”

“Uh, we have a washer and dryer.”

“You don’t mind?”

“No, why would I?” you shrug.

It’s not like it’s a big deal anyway, your mom’s always after both you and Dustin to be helpful and decent to other people. And while yes, you may have just the teeniest crush on Eddie Munson, it’s not like he actually likes you back.

And friends are always a good thing to have.

Besides, this is just tutoring… Right?

#eddie munson #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x henderson!fem reader imagine #eddie munson x henderson!fem reader fanfiction

102 notes · View notes

doverstar · 2 years

Text

Still not fully understanding why people continue to behave as though Chrissy doesn't like her life at all. Okay, we know her mom is emotionally abusive. It's implied her dad is no help. But she has a little brother, and she's captain of the cheer squad, and she seems to enjoy cheerleading. Her boyfriend (I have said this in so many ways so many times) does not actually seem abusive or evil until he snaps after she dies, so that can't be miserable either. She has things in her life that don't all make her unhappy, right? Like. Why are we acting like what Chrissy wants to do deep down inside is smoke weed and run away from home? She comes from a comfortably-well-off family (so it seems), she has friends, she has a life outside of the hardships at home and without the Vecna visions, the only things I can think of for her to be struggling with are her self-image issues and her abusive mother. And absolutely, abusive moms are a lot for a teenager to deal with (for anyone to deal with). Self-image issues are a real problem, especially for adolescents. Yes. But lots of people (if not ALL PEOPLE) struggle with the latter, and I don't get the impression from many of them that they hate their lives. I would understand why Chrissy suddenly gets overwhelmed or fed up with her problems and it all comes to a head when the Vecna visions start, for sure. But that she hates her life? All of it? That's not realistic. Or that her friendships and her social status are something she doesn't want? You're telling me she's a teenager in the 80's and she doesn't want people to like her and admire her? She doesn't want to be popular? Doesn't care about getting good grades, doesn't like her big house and white picket fence? Doesn't like the boyfriend with the perfect smile who can sweet-talk the entire student body? Doesn't like dressing nice and having people envy her? Miss me with that. She's not shallow. She's not rude or self-serving or the type to wield that popularity against others. We saw that she's a sweetheart (not mean and scary) and genuinely well-liked (look how many peers showed up to/were crying at her funeral). Grace Van Dien has said she considers the character to be "a cinnamon roll". So she's not a jerk, but it's unrealistic to assume (I mean, to me) that Chrissy feels trapped in a seemingly-perfect life. Most girls would kill to have what she has - money, friends, nice clothes, a boyfriend, the leader of the cheer squad.

I think what Chrissy does want deep down inside is some peace. To feel loved and safe. With no pressure. I think Chrissy likes the vast majority of her life. I think she's content with it because it's what she knows. Maybe everyone does have high standards for her and that is rough, but it's not something that would naturally make her want to introspectively implode and leave everything behind. It's just something she probably wishes were different. She might have an eating disorder, yes, and that's not good. (Never fully confirmed, but I'm not against the headcanon. Yes, I saw her throwing up. Yes, I heard Vecna-Mom quoting the "loosened the back [of the dress] for you" thing.) If she does have an ED, that's serious and painful and needs addressing. Also, her mother is definitely making a large part of her life hard, emotionally, and that should be addressed. And maybe she feels like she can't go to Jason with her deeper issues, and maybe it's hard to bottle up what's going on at home and pretend things are fine to her friends, yes, that's realistic. But to say she hates it all and wants to chuck it and run away with Eddie Munson and become a stoner metal-loving girlfriend with zero ties to Hawkins and zero love for anyone there except him? Again. Miss me with that.

48 notes · View notes

habits-white-rabbit · 2 years

Text

PINNED POST

Important: I AM NO LONGER DOING SIGNAL BOOSTS THROUGH ASKS, STOP SENDING THEM TO ME, I KEEP BEING SENT SCAM POSTS.

DNI IF

- TERF/SWERF/Radfem

- Queerphobic

- Exclusionist

- Truscum/transmed

- (NO)MAP/PEAR/whatever pedophiles are calling themselves this week

- Fatphobic

- Ableist

- Anti-MOGAI/anti-neopronouns/anti-neogenders

- ED/thinspo blogs

- Racist

- Traumacore/vomitcore/grosscore blogs

- DDLG and adjacent blogs

- Irl gore blogs (horror is fine, I mean the people who will post real blood and gore, this ain’t LiveLeak)

[][][][][][][][]

- You ship incest or pedophilia, you romanticize abuse or sexual assault, or you have no problem with zoophilia even in fiction.

- Zionist

- Hardcore NSFW blogs who follow for the purpose of trying to sext with me (it's happened before, go away, I'm not interested)

OTHER BLOGS

@xx-rosswoodpark-xx // SLENDERVERSE

@absolut-cult-shitpost-hub // PERSONAL SERVER SHENANIGANS

@xx--bunn1-sc3n3--xx // SCENE/SCEMO AESTHETIC

@child--0f--the--moon // PHOTOGRAPHY

@1999--bizarre--summer // JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

@my--alchemical--romance // FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST

@sea-breezes-and-vague-nostalgia // SHINECORE AESTHETIC

@neon-palm-mall // VAPORWAVE AESTHETIC

@657-boulevard // LIMINAL SPACE AESTHETIC

@blue-soap // CLEANCORE AESTHETIC

@backyard-playhouse // NOSTALGIACORE AESTHETIC

@h0tel--calif0rnia // HOTELCORE AESTHETIC

@mothers-little-pistols // KILLJOYCORE AESTHETIC/AU BLOG

@of-mushrooms-and-housecats // IN CHARACTER FLETCHER TRINGHAM

@proud-to-be-a-stoner // IN CHARACTER RUSSELL TRINGHAM

@stranger--in--town // DIAMOND IS UNBREAKABLE AESTHETIC

@s-comrades // IRL FRIENDS SHENANIGANS

@fma-gc-au-out-of-context // FMA GC AU HIGHLIGHT REEL

#theskinwalkerqueenspeaks #pinned post #please don't reblog #i had to redo this because i'm an idiot and accidentally deleted the first one #everyone say great job kris

25 notes · View notes

fanficlibrary82 · 2 years

Text

Ed & Liz

As she dumped her bag to the floor and collapsed on her bed, Liz officially declared today a certified Bitch-And-A-Half. Her alarm didn't go off, which made her miss the bus. Since her car was in the shop, that meant she had to walk the entire four miles to school, which, of course, made her miss all of first period and most of second period. And because Ms. Winters was the hardest hard ass to ever exist, Liz ended up getting sent to the Principal, who gave her in school suspension. After two hours spent in an unused classroom with two stoners and Hawkins, Indiana's most diligent gym teacher, she had the pleasure of another four mile hike home.

Liz rolled over onto her back and huffed a sigh, hating the way that her eyes stung. Elizabeth Booth never cried, she hadn't in years. But something about coming home to an empty house after the day she had just made something in her break. Liz had never been more grateful for her dad's drinking problem as a choked sob pulled itself from her chest. She turned onto her side and, upon seeing the blurry form of her phone, knew exactly who she needed to talk to.

Eddie was sprawled out on his uncle's couch, softly strumming through Black Sabbath's Heaven and Hell on his guitar, but his mind hadn't been focused on the music for at least a half hour. He and Liz were close. Even after she graduated and he didn't, they stayed good friends; having lunch together, planning campaigns, shooting the shit, but he hadn't heard from her all day. He could play tough all he wanted, but when it came down to it, Eddie Munson cared about his friends, and he and Liz had been friends since grade school. He had to check on her.

He returned his prized guitar to its place above his bed, gingerly running his fingers along its cherry red body when the shrill ring of the phone drifted in from the living room. Relief flooded through his body and a wide grin spread across his face as he half jogged to the source of the ring.

"Risky Liz-ness! I was starting to think you'd - what happened?"

Liz's voice crackled through the phone, but the sound of her holding back tears came through clear as day. "Van Halen, I, uh…I don't - hic - I don't want to be a-alone, right now." She sniffed, and Eddie tucked the phone between his ear and his shoulder, already grabbing his keys.

"Give me fifteen minutes, I'm leaving now. And grab a jacket, ok?"

He hung up the phone, snatched a blanket off the back of the couch, and kicked his van into drive. His best friend was upset, and he wasn't going to let her stay that way.

The abrupt hang up would've made her laugh if the fact that he cared so much didn't make her cry harder. Liz didn't have the hardest life, she knew that, but having someone care so deeply and so consistently for her…she'd have to offer to clean out the van or get him some new figurines for his game.

True to his word, fifteen minutes later, her front door opened and Eddie's mop of shaggy hair poked into her room.

"Come on Lady Evil, I've got the van running and I'm pretty sure leaving her idle for more than 5 minutes counts as ecoterrorism," he grinned, and Liz couldn't stop the twitch in the corners of her mouth. She pushed herself to sit up as Eddie stepped inside. He crossed to her bedside, folded himself down to the floor, and rested his chin near her knee. "You wanna talk or just get drunk and high?"

Liz snorted out a laugh and rolled her eyes. "If I ever say I want to talk, assume I've been Body Snatched." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and took a deep breath. "Let's get fucked up on a Wednesday night, Munson."

Eddie let out a triumphant laugh and clapped before he jumped to his feet and pulled Liz to hers. "Then let's hit the road, Johnny Blade, before we're stuck drinking warm beer."

After driving around for an hour, Eddie finally parked the van at the edge of the lake and cut the engine. Liz snickered as she clambered into the back and he slid the door open. "You really brought me to Lover's Lake?"

He jumped in beside her and passed her a beer before starting to roll a joint. "Well," he started, unable to hide the grin creeping across his face, "I figured since you're so obviously in love with me, this is the perfect place for you to accept that and confess."

Liz snorted into her beer and coughed through a laugh. Eddie cackled and slung an arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a side hug. When her laughter finally died down, she sighed and sat her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Eddie shrugged, but set his head on hers and looked out over the water. "Don't mention it, Country Girl."

Masterlist

Ao3

#liz #oc: elizabeth booth #oc: liz booth #eddie munson #eddie munson x oc #stranger things #stranger things fic #hurt/comfort #if you can name all the classic rock/metal references you get first dibs on any type of fic you want #stranger things season 4

12 notes · View notes

staycrazydocrimes · 2 years

Text

Literally just saw a tiktok about this person relating to Chrissy and also later make a comment about how they'd trade Chrissy's character for Argyle at any point (as a side note, not just flying in at the top just going like "i hate Argyle", which would have also been ok bc you know, free speech and all) and SOME GENIUS decided to bring race into it.

The person legit captioned the video saying that they were attached to her since the beginning and it's logical that some people would be, she deals with problems many face, like EDs, pressure from family, pressure for maintaining the image and so on.

Argyle on the other hand has been pretty much useless. Ok, it was his car that was used to escape and his wish to leave the sign made Mike realize where the message was but other than that his only personality trait has been that he's the funny stoner bro.

That was just comparing the characters on the baseline, no race included. Some people did complain that the author of the og post hadn't seen the second volume, but let's be real, no one has, so thinking that he might get better is a future probability and when compared to present reality it is not that important, at least in my humble opinion. Most of the comments were more about how he is the only native American representation (and pthers who were correcting them that he was Mexican but agreeing) and by that logic the original posts author was racist by preferring the white girl.

Is diversity important? Yes. But do we want diversity that just exists for just being diverse? Is it fair to say that a bland (at least as far as we have seen this far) character deserves to be there more than a character with actual plot going on just because a show hadn't figured out how to include poc before and just threw one in? Is it fair to be mad at a person for not finding a comic relief character (who some might say isn't even that funny) to be more important than a character with relatable problems and issues instead of directing that anger to the people who created a situation where the only Mexican character of the show is there for easy one liners (also kind of a bad stereotype, you have one Latino character and you make him a stoner?)?

I'm not saying that Argyle should disappear or something, Chrissy is dead and he is still a very alive character. What I'm trying to bring up with this post is some people's need to bring race into conversations that it does not belong to and not into places it should be. I am also not saying that anyone should be walking around hating on the Duffer brothers for that, I just find it funny how many people go on and attack a random person on tiktok who shares their opinion but can't use their voices in actually important places. When it comes to real fights against racism and just hate against minorities most of the people who find pleasure in anonymously attacking others on the internet won't even bat an eye.

Really what the heck.

Just for future reference as I am not the biggest Argyle fan, I dislike him (at this point, he might change and I might change my opinion of him) because as a character he reminds me too much of some of the dude bros I went to high school with (literally if they were a spice they'd be flour), not because we are of different shades of skin.

#chrissy cunningham #stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things spoilers #argyle #Rant #Opinions #Vecna

6 notes · View notes

an0911 · 2 years

Text

What is the History of the Internet

In this paper I'll cover the internet’s experimental onsets, the commercialization of this technology in the present, and what the design that's taking What Is The Internet in Hindi place that will presumably be the future of the internet.

Before I begin talking about the internet, Blog Par Traffic Kaise Badahye allow me to define what's the internet, who governs it, and what's the fiscal impact of this technology. The internet is made up of all computer networks that use IP protocol, which operate to form a flawless network for their collaborative druggies.( 3 Krol) This means that civil, marketable, What Is Website In Hindi and institutional networks all compose corridor of the internet. This network is connected to each other by either telephone cables, string lines, or satellite signals. These cables, lines, or signals are also pipelined from garçon computer to garçon computer until your host garçon transmits the electronic information into your computer. The governing body of the internet is the Internet Society( ISOC).( 4 Krol) The Internet Society purpose, according to Ed Krol, is to “ promote global information exchange through Internet technology ”. Another governing body is the Internet Architecture Board( IAB).( 5 Krol)

This IAB board governs the protocol norms whereby how computers and software operations talk to each other.( 6 ibid) They also make the rules on how to keep track of each 32- bit address number used by each computer on the internet. The Internet Engineering Task Force( IETF) is the governing body who takes care of functional and near- tearm specialized problems of the internet.( 7 ibid)

Along with all conveniences, there's a price to pay. Though information could be attained from the internet for free, everyone has to pay for their own access to it. Just like NSF pays for NSFNET and NASA pays for NASA Science Internet, individualities pay their Internet Service Provider and their telephone company for access to the internet.( 8 ibid) As Ed Krol in said in The Whole Internet stoner’s companion, ” everyone pays for their part. ”

The internet, just like the light bulb and the aeroplane

, started out as an idea. In August 1962, a experimenter at MIT by the name ofJ.C.R. Licklider wrote a series of memos that outlined a “ Galactic Network ” of connected computers whereby everyone could snappily pierce information and programs from any point.( 9 Leiner) Another experimenter at MIT, Leonard Kleinrock, published a paper in July 1961 that would make communication on the internet more doable.( 10 ibid) Kleinrock’s paper on the packet switching proposition convinced MIT experimenter Lawrence Roberts to set up an trial that involved connecting a TX- 2 computer at MIT to a AN/ FSQ- 32 computer at System DevelopmentCorp. at Santa Monica, California.( 11 ibid) This trial redounded in the first computer network ever erected.( 12 ibid) In 1966 Roberts took his computer network moxie to theU.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency( DARPA) and snappily put together a plan for an “ ARPANET ”. During the perpetration of this plan, Leonard Kleinrock’s proposition of packet switching was put into practice by the development of crucial factors called Interface Message Processors( IMPs).( 13 ibid)

The impact of this development led to the assembly of the ARPANET. The first point chosen to apply the ARPANET is the Network Measurement Center at UCLA.( 14 ibid) This was made possible by the installation of the first IMP and the first host computer at UCLA in September 1969.( 15 ibid) also latterly, the Stanford Research Institute, the University of California Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah were added to the morning of the ARPANET.( 16 Zakon) In October 1972, the ARPANET was successfully demonstrated at the International Computer Communication Conference( ICCC).( 17 Leiner) It's this ARPANET that grew into what we know as the Internet.( 18 Leiner)

Two different developments came from the ARPANET the Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol( TCP/ IP) and electronic correspondence.( 19 ibid) These developments laid the root for the commercialization of internet technology. In the early 1980’s, marketable inventors of internet technology were incorporating TCP/ IP into their products in order to network computers.( 20 ibid) These marketable inventors were shown in a 1985 factory organized by Dan Lynch and IAB how TCP/ IP worked and how it did n’t work. By September 1988, a trade show called Interop was organized to show how well each inventor’s internet product worked with other inventors products.( 21 ibid) This trade show was important because demonstrated web cybersurfers, webpages, and other network interactive material developed by different companies have the capability to interact with each other.

In 1990, “ The World ” was the first marketable provider of Internet dial- up access.( 22 Zakon) Other companies similar as CompuServe, Prodigy, America Online and others soon followed. These services allowed anybody with a computer and a modem to have access to the internet. According to Vint Cerf, an internet experimenter now at MCI WorldCom, the internet has grown to include some,000 networks in over three dozen countries, serving over,000 host computers used by 4 million people by the end of 1991.

0 notes

dietcokedietspeed · 2 years

Text

i really want active ed blog mutuals :(( if ur a 16+ active ed blog pls idk hmu follow or reblog <33 (not pro btw)

18 notes · View notes

pumpkinpaperotta · 5 years

Text

I love getting high, but with being high comes the want for food.. more like need for it. munchies get so bad I break a fast I'm trying to do or I eat way more than I originally planned for 😢

#ed #eating disoder things #binge #fast #ihatemyself #pot #weed #ed stoner problems #problems with smoking #food #munchies #need to stop eating so much

13 notes · View notes

wiish-thinner · 5 years

Text

Warning 4 Ana's who're thinking about smoking pot

Be careful. Especially if you're falling back in. Take less than what you're used to. I haven't had anything to eat today and I had my normal bong bowl and like 45 min ago I had a yogurt and now my body's so weird. And I have dinner soon. I feel like it just really hit because... Idk. Anyway please be careful :)

60 notes · View notes

anorexicanimalactivist · 3 years

Text

Stoner ed problem:

Having to go on ed tumblr when you're high so you don't binge

#proana #ed #binge #ana #mia

38 notes · View notes

writteninsunshine · 3 years

Text

Death Is A Beginning Not An End Chp 001/025 - Jerry Dandridge/Ed Lee - SFW

Title: Death Is A Beginning Not An End

Author: Reno

Fandom: Fright Night

Setting: Various

Pairing: Jerry Dandridge/”Evil” Ed Lee (Main), Charley Brewster/Amy Peterson, Past Mark/”Evil” Ed Lee, Charley Brewster/Peter Vincent/”Evil” Ed Lee

Characters: Jerry Dandridge, “Evil” Ed Lee, Charley Brewster, Peter Vincent, Mark, Amy Peterson, Jane Brewster, Adam, Ben, OC: Heather Charles

Genre: Romance/Adventure/Hurt/Comfort/Angst/Drama

Rating: E

Chapters: 1/25

Word Count: 2379

Type Of Work: Chapter Fic

Status: Incomplete

Warnings: Gay, Slash, Yaoi, MLM, AU - Omegaverse, AU - A/B/O, AU - Soulmates, AU - Canon Divergent, Vampire Typical Violence, Omega Ed Lee, Alpha Jerry Dandridge, Alpha Peter Vincent, Alpha Charley Brewster, Violence, Gore, Character Death, Cunnilingus, Blowjobs, Virgin Ed Lee, Vaginal Sex, Threesomes, Pack Mating, A/B/O Dynamics, Vampire Turning, Vampires Feeding, Underage, Charley and Ed are 17

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything except Heather.

Summary: "Every time I find you, I turn you. I won't make that mistake again."

AN: Hey guys, it’s me again! Just thought I ought to say, if you want vague updates and to talk to me more, I have Twitter and Tumblr, too! Twitter is Sunnywritings, and Tumblr is Writteninsunshine! I also have a writing Discord that is currently pretty dead. xD I can PM it to people who want it on FFN, for everyone else, it’s here: https://discord.gg/FyaWw25

So, there are absolutely no stories for my OTP for this fandom, so I have to feed myself content. Hopefully, someone will see it and also want to spread the love for these two. At any rate, I hope you guys enjoy this fic, it’ll be kind of long. I have no idea how long, but I hope that I can do them justice.

Fright Night Fic Masterlist

Chapter One: Bright Lights

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It had been weeks since the last time he’d heard from Charley, and Ed was starting to get offended. How could his best friend just up and abandon him like this for the popular guys? Mark and Ben were assholes, the worst kind, gaping, infected, disgusting. Ed couldn’t fathom hanging out with the two stoners, but he figured Charley saw something in them because he spent all his time with them and Amy.

Still, Ed was feeling left out. Charley had been so close to him and Adam, and now it was just radio static on his end. He’d decided that after school, he would try to go see if he could get a hold of Charley by going to his house. His parents had needed him at home, however, so he’d gone home to handle his chores and the family trip to Pizza Hut. After his room was clean, the garbage was on the curb, and his belly was full, the sun was already starting to set. Regardless, he was going to see Charley even if it killed him.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have had that thought.

As he walked, he listened to a playlist on his iPod that would hopefully give him the confidence to confront his friend. When he saw Charley’s house up the street, he pulled his headphones out and started to cross over the neighbor’s lawn, jogging lightly.

“Hey!” A rather muscular man snapped at him, standing in the shadow of his house, “Don’t run on my lawn!” The Alpha barked, using the tone he knew would make the Omega listen. Ed paused, staring at him for a moment, just standing on his lawn with wide eyes, not unlike a deer in the headlights.

“What did I just say,” His statement wasn’t a question, but a barked order, and he narrowed his eyes as he crossed his lawn with all the power and grace of a tiger stalking its prey, “Move, Omega.” He growled, finally close enough to touch the teen before him. He’d smelled the Omega on him from far away, but suddenly he was hit with a strong, desperate need to be close. It made him take pause, blinking a little.

He was the one. The one he’d been searching for.

Taking Ed by his armpits, he lifted him up like he weighed nothing and strolled to the sidewalk, placing him down gently on the concrete. Ed continued to stare up at him, somehow feeling safe with the glaring Alpha. It was strange, he didn’t know what was happening to him. Most Alphas made him feel flighty and skittish when they were older, and now he felt like he’d die if he left his presence.

“Stay off my lawn, okay?” The man’s voice was softer, now, a purr threatening to underline his words. “I’m Jerry, by the way.”

“Ed.” Finally, he found his voice, nodding a little, “I… Y-yeah, I’ll stay off it.”

Ed couldn’t believe how strange he felt right now, drawn to this stranger like he’d known him his entire life.

“Nice to meet you, Ed.” It was hard not to call him something else, any pet name he could. ‘Precious’ came to mind and he had to shake his head to relieve himself of the thought. “Now, get.” He patted the Omega’s back, giving him a little push in the direction he’d been going.

“Yeah.” Ed nodded, still lost in the fog of being near Jerry. He started walking, hesitant to leave, towards Charley’s house, looking over his shoulder as Jerry started for his front door. “Fuck.” He muttered, rubbing at his hip a little as he took the steps to the door at a jog. Knocking on the door, he waited for a minute or so before ringing the doorbell. It hit him as he rang that he didn’t remember walking to the door.

Jane answered after another ring, and Ed smiled at her. Her return smile was tight, almost sad.

“Hey, Ed.” She offered lamely, “Looking for Charley?”

“Yeah, I, uh, I need to talk to him about something.” Nervousness and an odd sense of despair filled him and he closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, “Is he home?”

Jane visibly tried to sort out an answer and Ed knew that meant he was home but had asked not to speak to him. He sighed, shaking his head.

“Nevermind.”

“No, no.” She sighed, unable to handle the sadness tinging his scent, “ He’s home, upstairs in his room. I don’t know if he’s asleep already or not.” She told him, stepping aside and opening the door up for him. “Come on in.”

With a nod, Ed entered the house, hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting with them.

“Thanks.” He smiled, though it was saddened, anxious, it didn’t meet his eyes.

“It’s no trouble, just knock before you go in.” She knew her son needed his privacy sometimes, and she didn’t know what he was doing up there at the moment.

“Yeah, I will.” He almost didn’t want to. Heading up the stairs, he sighed as he came to a stop in front of the other’s room. He knocked twice before entering without waiting for an ‘okay’, afraid he would lose his nerve.

“Ed!? What the hell, man!?” Charley exclaimed, eyes wide as he put down the book he was reading for class. He laid out on his bed, one leg bent up against the mattress., but he shot up when Ed entered the room, “You’re supposed to wait before coming in!” He added, eyes narrowing. “What do you want?” It was clear Charley wasn’t impressed with him just showing up unannounced. Even his mom didn’t warn him.

“It’s not like you’re masturbating, I don’t see the problem. I need to talk to you, asshole.” Ed snarled, crossing his arms and shaking his head, “What’s the deal? You’re just going to abandon me and Adam for those dickweeds?”

“Man, you don’t get it,” Charley sighed, shaking his head. The Alpha smelled acrid like he was pained, but Ed ignored it the best he could. “I need this.”

“You need this? Why? I don’t think Amy cares who you’re friends with! Those assholes are gonna throw you to the wolves the second you fuck up.”

“They’re…” He wanted to say ‘good friends’, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it in front of the best friend he’d ever had, “Not so bad.” That was the best he could do.

“Not so bad? Not so bad?” Ed’s voice was shrill and it was clear he didn’t like to hear that. “Mark’s been bullying me since grade school!”

“I… I know, but he’s better, now.” He wasn’t actually better, if anything, his bullying had gotten worse.

“He’s just better because you aren’t a target anymore.” Ed huffed, growling a little under his breath. “I can’t fucking believe you. You can’t ever hang out with me anymore? Not even a little bit? Come on, man, this isn’t you.”

“It’s me, now, Ed.” Charley snapped, eyes narrowing, “Grow up, move on, it’s time we both did.”

Ed had to hold back from another growl, taking a deep, steadying breath and trying not to lose his mind over this. Charley was pissing him off something awful and he was ready to go back to the good feeling he had when he was with Jerry. His thoughts strayed to him and he couldn’t help but bite back a smile. This was no time to feel soft and mushy over a stranger he’d just met.

“You’re a fucking asshole, Charley.” He growled, finally finding his ability to speak. “I hope you rot for this, it’s not fucking fair.”

And Ed was right, it wasn’t fair, and Charley knew that. But he had to keep up appearances. Amy wouldn’t want to date a loser like he used to be. He needed to be cool, and hanging out with Mark and Ben made him cool. It wasn’t like Amy would accept him being friends with Ed and Adam. He had to move on, and he was trying so hard. It wasn’t easy, especially with the scent of despair mixing with the calming scent of rosemary and fire filling his room. Ed was clearly upset and all he wanted to do was hug the Omega standing in his doorway. Soothing him with his scent and a firm hold sounded like the best option, but he went still and glued himself to his bed instead.

“I… Yeah, maybe I am an asshole.” He conceded, shaking his head and standing up. “But you know what? This is my life, now. If you can’t accept it, then I guess you won’t accept that I’ve moved on and that’s fine. I’m not about to abandon my life for you. We can’t be doing... Whatever this is.”

“You’re such a dickweasel, you know that? When they turn on you, and they will, don’t come crying to me. I won’t take you back.” Ed snapped, finally turning on his heels and storming out of the room. It was possible, he realized, that Ed was crying. There was a salty scent in the room, now, and he felt his stomach sink. Charley wanted so badly to call him back, but he heard the front door slam and knew it was too late.

Texting Amy, he hoped she would offer him some form of solace.

[Text To: Amy, 8:07 PM] Hey, what are you up to?

[Text To: Charley Barley, 8:09 PM] Just getting ready for bed, wyd?

[Text To: Amy, 8:09 PM] Ed came over

[Text To: Amy, 8:10 PM] I feel like shit. He’s pissed.

[Text To: Charley Barley, 8:14 PM] Oh shit, u ok?

[Text To: Amy, 8:18 PM] I don’t think so. It hurts

[Text To: Charley Barley, 8:20 PM] U don’t have to leave him u kno. He’s still ur bff.

[Text To: Amy, 8:21 PM] It’s too late now, I don’t think he is anymore. He called me a dickweasel and an asshole and stormed out of my house.

[Text To: Charley Barley, 8:22 PM] It’s not 2 late, apologize.

Her words rang true. He should apologize, but he didn’t think that he could. It wasn’t like Ed was going to respond. He was too angry, now. But he thought he’d try, anyway, at least he could send him a message. He spent a solid five minutes writing and rewriting his text.

[Text To: Evil, 8:27 PM] Hey, man, look, I’m sorry, okay? I just can’t do this right now. I can’t just up and leave, they’ll kill me.You think you have it bad but they would CRUCIFY me. It’s safer having them on my side than against me. I’m sorry they hurt you, maybe I can get them to leave you alone.

At least in his presence, he could help somewhat. Maybe if he influenced Mark and Ben enough, nothing bad would happen.

Ed turned on his read receipts on his phone, leaving Charley on read so he could see how angry he was. What else did Charley expect, an acceptance letter? There was no way after what had just happened that he’d do that. Still, the text on his phone kept him up most of the night, spending time browsing the web didn’t help, either. He ended up on Peter Vincent’s website, as he did, rereading something about vampires in California. It was always interesting to read about it, even if he’d reread this story a thousand times. Maybe he should check something else.

He turned to a forum he was part of, searching for ways to talk to Charley. No one was helpful, all of them told him not to accept the apology. Somewhere deep down, he wanted to. He picked up his phone several times, writing out responses before he ended up deleting them.

Charley didn’t sleep well that night, either, thinking about what he’d said and how he could make it up to his friend. Maybe they could hang out after school sometime if Evil would even look at him.

The next day in class was horrible, with Ed shooting him looks that told him he wanted to talk, and then glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill, Charley would be full of knives in the back. Even after class, Ed turned his back on him, stomping out of class like it was the best thing he’d ever done.

“Hey, man, you look… Shitty.” Mark commented with a raised eyebrow, leaning on Charley’s locker, “You okay?” He didn’t really care, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

“Uh, yeah. I just didn’t sleep last night.” Not well, anyway. He’d had a nightmare that Ed had died, and he didn’t really know what to do with that.

“You gonna sleep during class?” Ben asked, though he didn’t really mind either way. It wouldn’t affect him. That was what Ben always did when he couldn’t sleep at night.

“I dunno, maybe.” He had social studies next, and that meant he’d probably sleep to the teacher’s droning monotone.

“Cool, cool.” Mark brushed it off easily, “You should get some sleep, and then we’re going out after school.”

“We are?” That would throw a wrench into his plans with Ed, for sure. But maybe it would give Ed time to cool off. With any luck, he’d come to actually accept his apology if he just gave him some time.

“We are. You, me, Ben, the car, some weed.” Maybe they’d troll the mall after smoking a bit. “We could go out somewhere, get some food.”

“Uh, yeah, sure. I’ll be there.” Charley needed some time to think, and maybe the weed would help his mood.

“Alright, see you then, man.” Mark and Ben started for their next class, leaving Charley to his thoughts. He spun the dial and opened his locker, getting out his book for his social studies class.

He worried that Ed would never accept his apology, and that cut him to the core. All he wanted was for Ed to forgive him and for things to go back to normal, but he guessed this was his new normal, now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

AN: Alright, chapter one is in the bag! I’m really feeling this story so hopefully I can get through it without any issues. I hope you guys enjoyed it!!

#Fright Night Fanfic #Fright Night Fanfiction #Jerry Dandridge x Ed Lee #Jerry Dandridge #Evil Ed Lee #Omegaverse #Soulmates AU #chapter fic

4 notes · View notes