Sarah Hill couldn't sleep, groaning when she heard a scraping noise against her bedroom window. A sound she hadn't heard in almost a week. She sat up on her elbows while looking towards her bedroom curtains and saw the shadowy form of her best friend. Sliding from the bed, she crept across the floor, drew the curtains back, and frowned down at the boy on the other side, looking away. His fingers lightly knocked against the window.

Pressing her lips together, she unlocked the window and pushed it up. "What are you doing, hear Eddie," she asked. "Shouldn't you be doing a deal or something?"

Crawling through the window, Eddie rolled his eyes and turned to close the window blocking the light rain that started falling. When he turned to face her again, she turned her bedside lamp on and sat on the side of her bed, staring at him with deep sadness.

Her chest felt like it was going to burst open as they stared at each other.

"I'm sorry." He knew that he had hurt his only female friend with his lies and that she would probably hate him forever. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, how much she's helped him when he moved in with his uncle by just being there—being supportive and understanding. He desperately wished she hadn't found out about him selling drugs. He blamed Chrissy for it.

Sarah could feel tears gathering in her eyes as she stared at the boy she had secretly been in love with since she met him almost nine years ago. She didn't care that he was nearly twenty years old and had repeated 12th grade twice or that he lived in a trailer on the poor side of town, and he could do no wrong in her eyes, that was until now.

Much to her surprise, he dropped to his knees in front of her. Wrapping his arms around her hips, and pressed his face into her stomach. "I'm sorry I lied to you."

"I know." That wasn't the part that concerned her. She knew that he had changed in the last two years due to him having to repeat school. What bothered her the most about his lies was that Chrissy could get him in a lot of trouble if anyone found out about it. She wasn't blind to Eddie's crush on the cheerleader far longer than he knew her.

"I lied to you."

"Exactly," Sarah agreed. She yawned, then took a deep breath and unwrapped his arms from around her hips. "You have told me and the others that you wanted to graduate And get out of town since the start of school. I know you are in love with her, but if I could find out that you plan to meet up with her after school tomorrow, then you can bet her boyfriend can too." She sighed. "You know Jason hates you more than anything. He'd do anything to get us all out of school, especially if he notices you sniffing around what he considers his.".

He frowned up at her as her words punched deep into his gut. He didn't realize that he had given her the wrong impression and thought he had made his feelings for her clear all this time. Yeah, he did have a crush on Chrissy, but that was back in middle school when he was rail thin with that horrible buzz cut his mom made him get because the school had a scare do you to head lice.

"I just don't want you to throw your life away for someone who could and will most likely get you into trouble again."

He nodded, remembering when he got caught trying to steal a necklace for Sarah for her 17th birthday. As a reminder, his uncle bailed him out and made him wear a pair of handcuffs home.

He thanked God that Sarah had been out of town for a couple of weeks and that she never asked why he had them hanging in his room when she got back. He didn't think Sarah would ever forgive him for trying her something stolen; he still owed his uncle for helping him buy it and for getting him out of jail.

She curled her fingers into a fist, wishing she could reach out and hold his hand forever and protect him from anything that would take him from her. "What time does she want to meet you?"

Eddie stared at her for a long moment. "Around 4, and she said that's the only time she will have available."

Sarah nodded and blew out a breath. " Then I'll wait for you in the van just in case."

"No!" He reared back, staring at her in shock. "I don't want you to get into trouble if I get caught."

"I either wait in the van, or I am going to the meeting spot with you. It's your choice."

He closed his eyes in pain. He knew she'd find a way to be there with or without his input. She was so stubborn that some days he didn't know if he should yank her close to him and kiss her until she lost all thoughts or he should pull her into his bed and never let her out. He knew from the first time he tried to bail out of his part of their shared assignment she was going to be the end of him.

She hunted him down all over town, demanding him to help until finally he cracked and followed her to the public library. That was the first time his teacher gave him a plus, and that was also when he realized that she was it for him.

"I know you don't want me around much anymore, but I do care about you more than you know," Sarah said as she leaned forward, so her forehead touched his. She reveled in his musky scent as she battled a wave of despair.

Tears pricked his eyes. "Stay in the van; if something does happen, I need you to stay here. Promise me that you will not get out for any reason, even if you hear a police siren. I need your promise that you'll drive away."

She opened her tortured eyes to stare into his. "I promise."

He felt his heart twist; he knew it would be hard for her to keep that promise. That's why he tried to keep his darkest part hidden from her. She was his only light in their dark world, and he knew he would do anything to protect her, even his cowardly self. He loved her more than life and promised himself that if the deal didn't go south, he'd tell her how he felt and pray to God that she returned his feelings so he could ask her to leave with him. If not, he didn't think he could stand watching her fall for someone else.

Sarah watched as he stared off into space. She had been heartbroken to learn that he didn't plan on staying in Hawkins. Sarah didn't cry or beg him to stay and seemed to understand wanting to get out. She just wished he would have invited her to go with him. Being in love with someone who wasn't in love with you was hard, and it would break her heart once he found the one, but at least she could be the friend he needed.

Clearing his throat, Eddie stood from the floor and looked towards this window. "I guess I should head out."

Sarah followed his eyes and noticed that the rain had picked up. Worried that he might get hurt on the way home, she stood from her bed and headed towards her bedroom door. "Come on; you can sleep in the guest bedroom tonight."

"Won't pastor Gabriel get mad at you for having me over?"

Sarah shook her head. "Dad told me that if you ever needed help or a place to crash, you'd be more than welcome anytime."

Gabriel hill, the local pastor, loved and trusted his daughter despite what the locals were telling him. They told him he shouldn't trust the Munson kid with her and that he was a devil worshiper. Upon meeting Eddie, Gabriel stared deep into his eyes. He must have seen something hidden behind his brown eyes that comforted him because he never treated the younger man with hostility. He smiled and told him he was welcome to join him and his daughter for church when he was ready.

Eddie remembers it like it was yesterday; he had just spent five minutes glaring at the 11-year-old girl who was glaring up at him because they both wanted the last Yoo-hoo in the store. Eddie was about to take the bottle Back; an older man walked up asking what was happening, staring at the girl with a raised eyebrow.

Eddie wanted to yell at the unfairness of his life. First, he had to move in with his uncle because his dad was thrown into jail, leaving him and his mom behind. Then his mom left him with his uncle to live somewhere else without him. Next came a new school where he had to get a buzz cut due to all the head lice outbreaks in the new school. Now, this little chit of a girl is trying to take the last chocolate milk on the shelf, but that ends up being snatched by an older man who would probably judge him like all the others in town.

Damn rich people.

The older man threw back his head and laughed when he caught sight of the glares both children were giving him. "Why not split it?"

"I was here first," Eddie said as he pouted when he saw out of the corner of his eyes she was holding a hand to her mouth as she fought her giggles back.

The young girl smiled at his tone and then turned to the older man. "Papa, he is right. I tried to take it from him."

Eddie's jaw dropped in shock. He'd thought she would be a spoiled, arrogant, and demanding girl like most of the ones he's met in this town. When the man came over, he thought he'd be kicked out and told not to return.

She wasn't any of those things, so he respected and admired her for that. He stood tall and looked the older man in the eyes. "would it be okay if I share it with her?"

The older man looked him dead in the eyes for a moment then the man's eyes turned a soft green. "Son, you don't have to; after all, it's yours."

Realizing that neither the man nor his daughter would be mean to him made him want to be different and not treat them like he'd treat those who have. "I want to, sir, but only if it's okay with you."

"Dad should be home tomorrow night." Sarah's soft voice broke through his memories of the past.

Eddie had been so busy getting his campaign ready that he forgot that Pastor Gabriel had been away for a couple of days and that Sarah stayed behind because of school.

Following her down the hallway to the spare bedroom he'd often used when he stayed over; he stood at the door. She gathered the extra bed set and began changing the bedding. The twin bed stood against the far wall facing a large window. Two doors flanked a small dresser with a mirror hanging over it. One door led to a bathroom, and the other was the closet where he had a few spare sets of clothing hanging. In a corner facing the bed was a rocking chair that Sarah said once belonged to her mother; it was full of throw pillows.

He never told her he could see her someday sitting on the rocker holding a baby. A baby with fuzzy blonde curls was laying her head against her mother's chest, staring up with beautiful green eyes. Both would look happy and content as the chair slowly rocked. He wanted to be the father of that green-eyed blonde curly hair baby.

Sarah hesitated as she stepped up next to Eddie. "I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast."

Eddie cleared his throat and stepped aside, letting out of the room. He watched as she disappeared back into her room with a soft click of her bedroom door.

"Good night," he whispered as he closed his door.