Sarah woke up the following day to a tremendous crash coming from downstairs. Looking at her bedside clock, she groaned when she noticed it was five past 6 in the morning. She sat up, grabbed her robe from her desk chair, and headed toward her bathroom.

A quick face wash, ponytail, clean jeans, and blouse, and she was hurrying down the hall towards the kitchen where Eddie was standing at the sink. He was washing his bowl, head bobbing to the tune his mind was playing.

Turning, he jumped in shock, seeing her standing in the doorway watching. "I left you a cup of orange juice. Sorry, you are out of milk."

"I'll have to pick up some later, " she said. "Do you think you can give me a ride to school?"

He nodded. "Is your car still giving you trouble."

Sarah laughed. "When isn't it."

"We'll have to drop by my place to pick up my stuff for the game tonight."

Sarah tried to put all her gratitude into her smile.

"Thank you, Eddie, but would you do me one more favor." She bit her lower lip. "Please wait for me before you meet with Chrissy. I understand we talked about it last night, and I want to be there."

He hesitated, thinking it through. The thought of Sarah being near a drug deal made him feel guilty. He blinked and scrubbed a hand over his jaw to calm his nerves. "I gave you my word last night."

"Thank you."

And then she stepped close to him and hugged him, then a quick kiss on the cheek made the tip of his ears burn and sent his pulse skittering.

"I mean it thank you, Eddie. I understand you promised my dad to keep me safe, but he would want you safe too, so please make this your last deal before it's too late."

Looking up at the clock, he let out a small curse. "We better head out if we want to get to my place in time."

She nodded, ran upstairs to grab her backpack then met him at the front door. Following him down the sidewalk, she allowed him to pull the passenger door open for her.

Once she buckled in, he shut the door, ran around, and got in. Turning the key, he flinched as his music blasted through the van. "Sorry about that."

He turned the music down enough that they didn't have to yell at each other.

Sarah nodded, brows furrowed. "Which group is this?"

"Metallica."

"Hey, before I forget, what did you do with ms. O'Donnell's homework last night."

Eddie shot her a sheepish look. "Er about that…." He trailed off. "I was worried about how mad at me you'd be that I uh sorta forgot doing it."

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you do it after school." She said, her voice sharp. "You could have come by earlier, and I could have helped you."

Eddie's eyes widened at her sharp tone.

"Eddie, just because I'm hurting that you lied about selling drugs doesn't mean I wouldn't help you with your homework. After all, I promised to help you graduate."

He rubbed the back of his neck and blew a sigh from his nose. "I've done so much in my life that was wrong that I was scared that I pushed you away."

Sarah's mouth curved downward. "Do you remember what dad always told you every time you did something that displeased him?"

Eddie kept a calm composure but inwardly cringed, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But what has that have to do with this."

Sarah leaned forward and sighed. "Dad says that no matter what someone does to us. No matter if it's wrong, it can always be forgiven. You have to forgive the person if we expect to before given."

Eddie cocked his head as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. It didn't come. "But…"

" But nothing. My dad and I still trust you enough to make the right decisions. Even if it takes you a while to become the person we both know you can be."

Wide eyes me Sarah's. "No pressure or anything."

Sarah laughed.

Eddie shot her a mock offended look. " you wound me, " he said as they pulled up next to his trailer.

She moved to get out, but he stopped her.

"I'll just be a minute; everything's packed in a box next to the door."

Sarah nodded and sat back down.

Eddie rushed to the trailer door, and she saw his shoulders slump.

She waited a moment, then rolled down the window and called, "Did Wayne put it back in your room?"

He nodded and went inside.

Turning the radio volume up, she closed her eyes and tipped her he'd back, listing to the tape play. Her breath slowed down until she fell into a light sleep.

"You will not stop me," said a deep baritone voice in her ear.

She jolted up in the car seat and looked around. "Hello?"

Seeing no one, she looked down at the dashboard and noticed that the tape hand ended. Knowing at any moment, Eddie would return, she turned the tape over and started it.

Eddie rushed back to the van carrying a large box full of his D&D stuff and wrestled the side door open. Sitting the box on the floor, he jumped inside, pulling the door closed behind him.

Sarah suppressed a giggle watching him trip over his feet, trying to get back into the driver seat. He shot her a grin once seated.

"When we get to school, I'll help you finish your homework, but from now on, we'll work together until you least get a B in Ms. O'Donall's class."

"But I'm getting a D now."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Really."

Eddie grimaced. "Oh, come on, if I can keep a D in her class and pass the final, I can finally graduate this year, and they won't have to see my ugly mug in that school anymore. I also can't believe you don't have to take her class."

Sarah nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, but then you wouldn't have first dibs on the newest books."

Eddie was jealous at first when she started working in the school library while he had to stay behind in English. But now, he couldn't help but be proud of her. She was the reason his D&D games did so well. If it were for those books, he wouldn't be the best game master Hawkins high had or would have ever had.

The school's parking lot was abuzz with activity when they pulled up. Jason and his group were sitting on the steps next to the building entrance, dressed in their letterman's jackets.

"Great, it's the Hawkins globetrotters."

"Be nice," said Sarah giggling as Eddie sneered at the basketball team.

"I'll be nice once they stop being such bastards."

Sarah pushed her ponytail over her shoulder as she stepped from the van peering over the hood as Eddie joined her. "So, to change the subject, I have an appointment on Monday, and dad thinks I might need glasses."

"That's heavy."

"Yeah, I'm lucky we don't have to be in school much longer."

"Why?"

"Andy's been causing me trouble in Mr. Trent's class."

Eddie's teeth ground together as he stared across the parking lot at the tall basketball player. "What did he do."

"Don't…" Sarah whispered. "Don't do anything that will cause you to get into trouble, please."

"What did he do," he asked, his tone demanding an answer. "What did he do u."

Sarah shifted forward to block him. "He just grabbed my butt and asked if I was good in bed."

Eddie felt his blood boil. He was many things a nerd, metalhead, pothead, and a big fat sticking coward when it comes to fighting. But there was one thing Eddie was willing to risk everything for, And Eddie certainly wouldn't feel guilty about it. That was protecting the girl he trusted with not only his life but his heart. No one messed with Sarah Hill and got away with it.

Sarah clamped her hand onto his arm. "Please don't do anything rash; we're about to start spring break, then we only have a few more days left before schools are out. You could lose your privilege to the drama room for tonight, and you promise the others a game of the lifetime."

He blinked and ran his hand over his hair to steady himself. "I don't like it. If he does it again, promise me you either tell your dad or me. Am I clear because if I catch him, I'll make him think the hellfire club has cursed him?"

"I promise. Do you need help setting up for your game this afternoon?"

Throwing one last glare at the basketball player, he leads Sarah into the school. "Yeah, Gareth said he'd help, but yesterday, his mom asked him to pick up his sister from daycare. So he'll be a little late, and the new guys' Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, said they had something about homework. I told others that we'd be meeting at 6."

"It was nice of you not to bother the younger guys about their homework and push the time back."

Eddie grins sheepishly. " Well, to tell you the truth, it gives us a good excuse not to show up at the basketball game. All we have to do is set up the props for the next school play."

Sarah shook her head as they stopped by her locker long enough to drop off her school books before heading to the drama department. Leaving his box of gaming equipment behind a thrown prop, they headed off to his locker to get the homework he had left behind the previous day.

"Do you want to work out outside during this morning's rally or work on your homework at lunch," Sarah asked as they walked down the hallway ignoring the looks thrown their way.

"Let's do it during the rally; there's only so much a person can take with all that preppy stuff.

Sarah smiled. "Your such a metalhead."

Eddie sent her a smirk. He never told her he'd be willing to pull up his big boy underwear if she tried out for the cheerleader team. Yes, he'd cringe at the music during the routines. But it would so be worth it, seeing her in the outfit. He sometimes fantasized about her as a cheerleader and afterward would have to take a cold shower once he realized what he was doing. He thanked God that she never knew or noticed his lustful thoughts and looks.

"Come on; Ms. Nash should be willing to let us use the library. I hear she's angry at principal Harris; she won't rat on us."

Eddie turned and followed Sarah towards the school library, wondering what had happened between the principal and the kind librarian.

Stepping inside the book-lined walls of the library, Sarah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The large room was her home away from home, and she liked that Eddie was just as bad as she was when it came to books. He had tried to get her into Dungeons and dragons, but all the rules couldn't stay straight in her mind, so she loved that they at least had a love of fantasy books in common.

Eddie led her back to his favorite table, seeing no one else was there. Pulling a chair out, he waited for her to take a seat before taking his own across from hers. He placed his work between them and listened as she explained the math work.