TW: Mentions of Abuse

Eve

Eve stands at the notice board, eyes passing over the various clubs and activities trying to decide which one to feign interest in. Book club had slight potential, she imagined a group of mousey girls with thick rimmed glasses and braces she could at least be social with. She grimaces at Ping Pong club. Aerobics. Computer club.

She'd rather join swingers club.

It has been at the stupid school counsellor's insistence. The woman had even pulled out her school transcript which has made Eve's stomach plummet slightly. In those pages were who she used to be, who she pretended to be. That wasn't her anymore, and when they moved to this shithole of a town, she had convinced herself to the fact she was going to spend the next seven months by herself, and that was perfectly fine, she was used to it be now.

Miss Kelly had said it might make her feel more at home, doing things that used to make her happy, but none of that had made her happy. In fact, she couldn't remember feeling more miserable than when she was with her so called friends who just seemed to look right through her. They never noticed the scars, or the bruises, or the black eyes, or if they did, they kept their mouths shut about.

Then again everyone did.

Eve had agreed to this shit just to keep her off her back.

She huffs as she starts to lift the flyers, trying to find one God damn club that would shut up the fucking counsellor and that wouldn't make her want to jump off the school roof. She tears down the poster for cheerleading in a temper and is face to face with the Hellfire club's logo.

Well, that was out too.

She hears the staple gun and looks over to the dork in the hat who's hanging up an AV Club poster. He studies his handwork and looks over to her and waves a hand.

"Hi, I'm Dustin." He says a little too cheerfully.

She recognises him from the hellfire table in the cafeteria, also from the fact that asshole Johnson had tried stuffing him into a locker last week. Eve had just stood and watched, feeling like an asshole, but she had promised her mum, as hard as that was turning out to be.

He holds out a hand, but she doesn't reciprocate, and he flexes his fingers as he points towards the poster.

"You know, AV club is always looking for new members if you're thinking about it."

"No offence kid but I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than wheel around a fucking TV." She notices the chess club poster and seriously considers it for a moment. When she eyes him again his cheeks have gone red, and she feels slightly shitty for it. She didn't always enjoy this bitch attitude that seemed to emit from her.

"Well, maybe not AV. What else would you recommend?" She was going to play nice, for once.

"Well, I'm also in science club – " Shocking "And Hellfire club." She was glad he mentioned it first.

"What the fuck is that?" She asks, pretending to not have even the slightest bit of knowledge regarding it.

"Dungeons and dragons! We have our first campaign this Thursday. Club was banned for a few weeks cause our Dungeon master got in trouble." Eve tries not to react. "My character used to be Nog, the dwarf but I've since become a bard." He says with a slightly toothy grin.

"A bard? What do you do? Play a lute and send dragons to sleep or some shit?"

He scoffs a laugh. "No! Bards are actually skilled spellcasters who use our artistic talents to induce magical effects."

"Yeah, like playing a lute to send shit to sleep." She teases, he goes slightly redder. "What do you reckon I would be then?"

"You? Oh well – " Dustin eyes her slightly, deep in thought until a lightbulb seems to go off in his head. "A Warrior, maybe. Or a cleric...it's all very personal."

She nods, having no idea what he is going on about.

"You know, here, you can have this." He swings the backpack off his shoulder and pulls out a book. "I was just refining some things, but you can borrow it, if you like. I personally find it easier to research on the subject before I commit to it. "

She takes the copy of Advance Dungeons & Dragons Dungeoneer's survival guide and study's the cover.

"There are also a few character sheets in the back, so you can start working on it. If you go to the library there's loads of different guides but the one in town has a far superior selection."

"I don't – you know it seems pretty dorky."

He shrugs. "But it's so much fun. Eddie's our dungeon master and I've heard his campaigns can be really brutal."

Eddie? Dorky - big eyed - yes, he was a drug dealer but still a giant nerd, Eddie? "I can't imagine him being brutal with anything." She says quietly.

Dustin's eyebrows shoot up. "Do you know him?"

Her chest starts to hurt.

"We've…met."

"Oh – OH. You're Eve!"

What.

"How did you know that?"

"I heard Eddie talk about – well he might have mentioned – uh – " Eve can see him trying to back track.

"Mentioned what?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all." He sticks a thumb over his shoulder and starts to step back. "I have Lunch."

"It's second period idiot."

"See you at club!"

"Wait! Your fucking book - "

But he's already running down the corridor and with a huff she adds it to the stack of books in her arms.

Using her makeshift map Eve had managed to find the quieter parts of school to go for free periods and lunch. She would have gone out to the woods, but there was the fear of running into Eddie, and she wasn't ready for that conversation.

Mainly she would read, smoke, or listen to her music, and she had gotten quite use to spending most of her day free of conversation. It always felt weird when she arrived home and started to use her voice again, and even then, it was sparingly. Yes. No. Fine. Not Hungry.

She had talked more today than she had in two weeks, and it was only two pm.

However, in English, there was no escaping them. She was surrounded by jocks, cheerleaders and people she found completely repugnant. Since her first day she had managed to avoid that Johnson asshole and his pack of douchebags by basically sprinting out after class and to her next lesson, but it didn't stop the smirks and stares which generally made her feel sick. He didn't even appear to be the leader, that was Jason Carver, but he was too busy sucking face with Chrissy Cunningham most of the time to notice what his number two was up to.

It was almost annoying how much like her old schools this place was, although not surprising.

So, she sits there in class as the bell goes, taping her foot against the table leg as she watches the other students slowly fill the classroom. Dave looks at her as he sits down, smirking as he slides into the seat. Eve averts her gaze. Eddie's one of the last to enter, he used to glance in her direction before settling at his desk, but today he doesn't even lift his head as he tosses his book onto the table ad takes a seat.

Eve had been avoiding him since that night in her car. She kept replaying that sad look on his face as he stared at her scars over and over again in her mind and she couldn't bare the idea of him looking at her that way again. Eve had seen Eddie the day after in the cafeteria, staring at her, willing her to come over. But she just couldn't do it.

It was a shame really, out of all the people in the school she had seen friendship potential there, as silly as that might have been. He was kind of sweet in his own dorky way. Pulling the fire alarm had been proof of that despite it being slightly over the top. He was cute too, not like that mattered. Most importantly, he had left her alone.

Eve was starting to wonder why.

She looks over to him and she sees his head drop slightly as he lets out a huff and sinks down into his seat, pulling the worn tatty book towards him and flipping it open.

There are a few glances in his direction and some low chatter, a few laughs, of course they were mocking him for last week and it makes her hate them more.

Eve can see the fading bruise he's still sporting on his left eye and a slight swell on his lip that he's trying to hide with his hair, and she feels a pang of quilt.

The whole thing had been horrendous. Five against one as they circled the freshman in the hallway, throwing him back and forth whilst tossing insults his way. Everyone was just watching when they started shoving Dustin into that locker.

Then Eddie had started yelling.

"Jock Straps! Wanna pick on someone who is not even remotely your size?"

Then he started running, and they started running.

The next day Eddie had shown up with a busted lip and a black eye.

At least he had stood up for that Dustin kid when everyone else had been too shit scared too, or most likely, they just didn't care.

"Nice Shiner Munson, did your boyfriend give that to you?"

It was some mouth breather she recognises from the beating that says it, fist bumping the guy next to him.

Eddie slowly lifts his head, the irritation on his face clear. "Not this time, but maybe you should have a word with your mom. She's getting a bit too vigorous for my liking."

Eve let's out a laugh that seems to echo throughout the classroom, and she bites her lip when there's a few glances towards her.

"What are you laughing at?"

It's the red head whose name she doesn't remember from that day in the bathroom, and it makes Eve want to laugh. She had seen her sneaking into the back of the gym with that Chance guy, who happened to be dating the blonde sat next to her.

"Look the guy made a joke." Eve shrugs, ignoring the response. "It was funny."

"Only freaks find other freaks funny Chaney." Johnson comments.

"Must be why all the jock straps find you hilarious then." Eddie says in a mutter, but it's loud enough.

"Munson weren't you held back two years because you're the stupidest guy in Hawkins?"

It's a weak throwback, but there's rumble of laughter. Eve notices Eddie flip Johnson the bird from his desk with a glare, ever so briefly that no one else sees it.

No. Don't do it Eve. Stay fucking quiet.

"I just don't think freaks like Munson should be in with the general population. Isn't there a special class or something for them?"

"The only asshole that should be in the special class is you."

Fuck. She's doing it.

"What was that?"

She should say nothing, play it off it like it didn't happen. But she can't help herself now, she's in too deep.

"I said the only asshole that should be in the special class is you or are you deaf as well as a fucking moron."

The class goes quiet, and Johnson leans back in his chair to look at her.

"You know, for someone who doesn't say shit for weeks you're suddenly very defensive over freakazoid over here?"

It wasn't that, not really. Well, maybe.

Actually, that's exactly what it was.

She had watched this asshole and his cronies for the past two weeks torment the hellfire club with knocked over lunch trays, shaken up soda cans, name calling, slamming them into lockers amongst everything else, and she had stayed quiet, but she couldn't ignore the overwhelming sting of guilt in her stomach any longer while she listened to the rest of the class laugh along with this asshole.

She knew jocks like Johnson because she had been surrounded by them all her fucking life.

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up." It's like word vomit regurgitating out of her. "Just because you're some jacked up asshole who's going to peak in high school and wake up one day fat, bald and miserable with a wife and kids that hate you - " She's getting angrier with every word, and she can see his face getting redder and redder. " -sucking down your twelfth beer of the day because it's the only thing you have going for in your miserable fucking life, doesn't mean you can be a cunt to everyone else."

"MISS CHANEY!"

She didn't even see the teacher enter the classroom mid tirade.

"WHAT!?"

"Detention, now!"

Eve rather be in detention than with these assholes anyway. She grabs her bag and books and walks to the front of the class amongst what feels like a sea of angry eyes.

Except Eddie, he's watching her with a look of admiration.

"Great, another freak." Johnson spits at her as she slams the door close and takes a deep breath, quelling the urge she has to go back in and throw the hefty D&D book at his face. She races down the hallway and into the girl's bathroom at the end of the corridor, throwing her books against the wall and watching the papers fly everywhere before running into the stall and locking the door.

Shit.

She drops onto the toilet seat, her heart racing, her face hot. She kicks her foot against the door several times, needing to take her anger out on something.

Fuck. She was going to be in so much fucking trouble.

She presses her palms to her eyes, willing herself not to cry in frustration.

God Eve, why can't you just keep your mouth shut.

She yelled at a teacher. She was going to get expelled. She was so completely fucked.

Eve hears the rustle of papers, and she takes a deep breath before opening the stall door. Eddie's on his knees, picking up the papers from the floor.

She's not sure how to respond to him in the girl's room of all places.

"You know, this bathroom is a lot nicer than ours. I wouldn't be able to touch the floor there." He picks up the last of the papers and stands up, holding them in his arms. "You know, that was pretty solid. Definitely would give it a B+."

She folds her arms against her chest, still confused about why he's there. "I would have given it an A, personally." She shrugs.

"Well, use of profanity was a solid A. I liked cunt, that was a good one. Attacking his personal character, again, solid A. But I deducted a whole grade for not lobbing something at his stupid head."

She smiles, only briefly. "Well, what did you do to get kicked out?"

"Oh, I lobed something at his head." He says with a massive grin that makes her smile back. "Bounced pretty good, actually. Makes you wonder what's inside I guess."

"Why, exactly? Although that is something I would have liked to see."

He laughs. "Well – he said something regarding your character, so I just kind of went for it. Although he did rip my book in two, that kind of sucked."

"Yet, we're the one's going to detention."

"Figures." He shrugs, looking over to her. "Maybe I should get really good at throwing balls into laundry baskets and then I wouldn't end up in these situations."

"I need to learn to keep my mouth shut."

He grins and eyes her lips. "I rather like your mouth if I'm being perfectly honest."

Eddie was fucking flirting. No. That was being nipped in the bud.

"What are you doing in here anyway? You know this is the girl's bathroom, right? Ladies only."

"Well, yeah. But I thought I would check on you. So." He says genuinely. "I mean, as impressive as the outburst was, seemed a bit…personal."

Fuck you Munson, as if you know.

It was time to re-direct.

"Why does he have a bug up his butt about you?"

Eddies rubs his neck, shrugging slightly. "I think it's family tradition. His brother who was two years above me used to shove me into lockers and beat the shit out of me, and now Dave who is two years, or well, was, two years below me beats the shit out of me. It's rather poetic when you think about it."

"Yeah, straight out of a Bronte novel or something."

"Who?"

"Doesn't matter. What book was it - that he – " She makes a ripping motion, and he sighs.

"Fellowship of the Ring."

"Guessing it's Fantasy, right?"

He smiles again, coyer this time. "Yeah. I had that copy forever, it's my favourite book. I dunno. It was kind of dumb now that I think about it but in the moment, it seemed like a good idea."

"Most things do."

"Here - " He takes a step towards her and hands over the stack. "Dropped your D&D book?" He says with slight surprise.

"It's Dustin's, that little squirt cornered me in the corridor this morning. Reckons I'm a cleric or some shit."

"You?" He says with surprise. "No way." His eyes trail over her, and he wets his upper lip slightly. "Rogue. If anything. Definitely."

Eve hates how the way he's looking at her seems to make her skin burn.

"We should probably get going."

"Yeah. We should. Or – we could go to the woods and get high?"

It's more tempting than he realises, but it's not going to happen.

"Or – we could go to detention, before I end up in more trouble."

He nods, but she sees the disappointed. "My plan is more fun, but fine, we'll go with yours."

Eve goes into town after school, wanting to avoid her mother more than anything. She heads to the bookstore and buys Christine because she's too lazy to search through her boxes for it, and a copy of fellowship of the ring.

The intrigued was overwhelming.

When Eddie had said it was his favourite, she had made a mental note to add it to her list, even if fantasy wasn't her thing. She had read three chapters in the sixth street car park before forcing herself to drive back to the house.

Her mom is in the kitchen, at the stove, drinking heavily from a large glass as she stirs dinner. She did that a lot lately.

"You're late, where were you?"

"I went to town, I needed to get something."

Her mother takes another sip. "Or were you in detention?"

Shit.

"I received an interesting phone call from your English teacher saying that your yelling profanities at other students."

"He started it." She mumbled.

"You're on thin ice already – "

"Am I expelled?"

"No. not this time." Her mom replies softly.

"And you're not even going to ask me who started it?"

"I can hazard a guess." There's a slight mumble in her voice. Her mums on the edge of drunk. Great.

"I get it. Everything is my fault. Blah blah blah."

"Well, if your father was still alive, we wouldn't be here, would we." That was a low blow, and even her mum seems taken back by her own words. It had been six months since her father's funeral, and it had never been mentioned until now. "I didn't mean – "

"Forget it." Eve says a bit too angrily.

There's this crippling silence as she pulls her bag back onto her shoulder and starts to walk out of the kitchen.

"I just…miss who you were sometimes!" Her mom yells after her. It like a knife right in the gut. "You were never this angry. You had friends. You used to look so beautiful up there and you had your scholarship…."

"Well he ruined that too didn't he." Eve snaps back.

"Eve If you had stuck with the therapy – "

Why did she have to do this?

"Oh god mum just shut up! Why are you still making excuses for him! He's not here anymore! He was an asshole who ruined our lives, but you still keep covering for him, even after everything he did to me, to you!"

"He didn't deserve to die the way he did."

She can feel it deep in her chest, the complete and utter hatred she felt for her mother in that moment. But she was drunk, so maybe she didn't mean it, or maybe she meant it more.

"You're right. He deserved worse."

"Eve – "

"You know what mum. I'm sorry I'm not your perfect little girl and that you don't like me very much anymore. But if it helps, I don't really care."

There's silence from her mother as the door slams shut. Eve heads to her car and starts the engine and when she hears REO start to play she hits the stereo as hard as she can while tears start to form in her eyes.

She drives until she reaches the crossroads on the edge of town, gripping the steering wheel until it starts to hurt. For a moment she considers going right, the road she came into town on. She's done this a few times. Just sitting there and considering it, dreaming about what would happen if she did, but she always turned around and headed back to her house.

It was why she still hadn't unboxed her things, on the off chance she decided to pack up her car and get the hell out of there.

It's why she spent all her money on the stupid fucking thing.

She stares at the sign, Forest Hills Trailer Park in fainted letter staring at her with an arrow pointing to the left.

No, she couldn't do that. Eddie wasn't even really her friend. Not really.

She thinks about the fire alarm. And class today. She thinks of him stood in the bathroom with her, that comforting smile on his face.

Eve presses left on the turn signal.

A/N: Again thank you for all the follows and favorites, let me know what you think!