SO I AM OBSESSED WITH THE KAS THEORY. As an avid dnd player and a lover of Eddie Munson I'm praying to the Duffer Brother Gods our boy comes back as a vampire (metal as hell)
May be true. May be false. But I haven't been able to get his out of my head.
Nancy looked down at the paper in front of her. Her hands trembled. The graduation tassel hanging in front of her face seemed more distracting than it should have been. Throughout high school she had strived to be the class valedictorian. Under different circumstances she would have savored it. She had written this speech as a freshman in preparation for the big day. Now no amount of revising could save the empty words.
"As you all know….it's been a…a challenging…." Her voice trailed off as she chanced a glance at the crowd of Hawkins graduation robes and somber faces. So many empty chairs. So many tears. It had been an emotional day in a different way than most graduations.
Parents still crowded in the back to support the students who were there despite their own child's chair being empty. The parents whose children were in attendance dripped of survivor's guilt. Students cast longing looks at empty seats which held decorated graduation caps and flowers, a tribute to those who should have been there.
Her heart beat pounded in her ears and she felt her own cheeks get hot with oncoming tears. She sniffed back a sob and it rang through the microphone in the deafening silence. Looking around she saw her classmates cast their eyes downward. The basketball players ducked heads showed her photos of Jason on their caps. The cheer squad had done the same for Chrissy. Many other black graduation caps held similar monuments. Towards the back where families sat she saw Hopper and Joy holding hands behind the row of children she had come to love. Her boyfriend didn't seem able to tear his eyes from the grass of the field. Steve tried to force an encouraging smile her way but it didn't have the same effect with the way he squeezed Dustin's shoulder, the boy looking haunted in his place at the end of the aisle, his Hellfire shirt peeking out from his button up. Lucas was at the hospital with Max but the other boys and Eleven had shown up….
…to pay their respects. That's what this was. Not a celebration. But a funeral. She squeezed her eyes shut and then with a sigh, crumpled up the paper, tossing it off the podium.
"Screw this," she muttered into the microphone, the crowd stirred slightly. "Let's not pretend like this is a good day. It sucks. So many of us aren't here and those of us that are would give anything to have them back. This ceremony is pointless."
There was a mild murming that passed through the crowd. A few exchanged scandalized looks but most nodded in agreement.
"So let's change this up. None of the two roads diverged, oh the places you'll go, we are the future bullshit."
A few shouts of agreement echoed through the crowd.
"Today let's recognize everyone who isn't here. Let this be in honor and in memory of the amazing people we wish were joining us today," her breath hitched as she choked back a sob. "And let's all just make a vow to each other to do something with the fact that we're the left behind. The world is such a darker place without their light. Let's all just promise to try to make it a little better."
There was an eruption of cheers. "For Jason," a basketball player cried out. "For Chrissy," a girl's voice cut through. A slew of names reverberated across the field as tears fell and fists raised. Across the graduate heads she almost saw Dustin smile.
She stepped away from the podium as the principal stepped forward, giving her a nod. The crowd quieted as he cleared his throat into the microphone. "Beautiful Miss Wheeler," he whispered. Shegave him a small, almost smile and left the stage to take her seat behind several of the basketball players.
"We have decided," the principal said solemnly, "in honor of those no longer with us, to still call every name on this list. We ask that they be celebrated in the same way that those who will be receiving diplomas are, for if not for the tragedy of late, they would be handed one too. They aren't here to shake my hand but they damn well earned it all the same."
Some claps rose and fell as the names began to be called. As promised, not a name was skipped, and those names were met with whoops and claps the same as the rest.
"Patricia Martin."
Nancy glanced back at Dustin as the M's started. He had already begun to cry and Steve had pulled his head to his shoulder in comfort, rubbing the younger boy's back.
"David Mullaly."
Scanning behind them she caught sight of Eddie's uncle. Farther off than the rest, taking a seat at the back, fingers templed in front of his face. Her heart broke. She had only known Ediie Munson a short time, but it had killed her to see Dustin's usually smiling face so overcome with greif. She turned back around, wiping at her eyes.
"Eddie Munson."
The crowd clapped, unfortunately less enthusiastically than they had for others given most of the town's satanic panic hatred of the boy. Nancy let out a yelp of celebration and clapped even harder in the quiet, hearing Dustin and the Hellfire group do the same.
"86 baby!"
Nancy froze as the crowd fell silent. Her head whipped to the back of the line of chairs where the voice had come from and saw a sea of heads swivel along with her.
There, like a macabre ghost, stood Eddie Munson, fist in the air. He was exactly the same as they had left him. Dirt smudged his appearance and blood stained his Hellfire shirt and dried to his face darkly against his glittering dancing eyes. Only with a clean black graduation robe thrown on like a cloak.
With a swagger he marched proudly between the chairs, head held high and mouth open in a wide grin that crinkled into his dimples. People watched in awe as he paused at Dustin's seat, grabbing his shoulder and giving him a hard shake. "I told ya man, this is my year!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing over the still field. Dustin gave him a hug around the waist but didn't take his eyes away from the older boy's face as Eddie laughed, ruffled his hair, reaching high fives to the other Hellfire members who weakly returned them with shell shocked wide eyes and mouths. He even delivered a sharp punch and pointed "Harrison" at Steve before continuing.
Eddie smirked in the silence as he continued up the rows. He passed her and she almost caught a glint of something in his smile as he shot her finger guns and clicked his tongue as he sashayed by. One of the scowling basketball players murmured something at his back and fell silent as he stopped in his gait. Nancy watched in horror as Eddie turned and hissed at the boy, putting two fingers at his temples like devil horns. This time she didn't miss the fangs. Or the red that flashed in his eyes.
Neither did the jock who fell out of his chair in fright. Quiet whispers ripped through the crowd but none were as loud as Eddie's cackle as he turned back to his mecca. His diploma.
He took the stage and the principal stood like a statue as he watched him saunter towards him. Eddie tilted his head like a puppy dog as he held out his hand for a shake, taunting. Reluctantly the principal took it and handed him the diploma.
At this point there was a rustle in the back as some of the parents on the police force seemed to finally come to their senses and began to stumble to their feet. Eddie's head jerked as he turned his attention on them from the stage. He chuckled darkly as he leaned into the microphone on the podium, flashing his rock and roll sign with both hands.
"Yeah I know you guys want to arrest me. But let a man have a victory, yeah?" he leaned lazily onto the podium. "I worked my ass off to finally get out of this institutionalized hell and you haven't even had prissy perfect Wheeler up here. Let's not upstage the grads," he winked. "Ok big boys?"
The cops all paused and looked at each other, unsure.
"I'll be in my seat, I'll come willing once it's done. But for God sakes have some decorum," Eddie drawled. He blew a kiss and as promised sauntered to his seat, scooping up the memoriam the Hellfire crew and his bandmates had made and sitting heavily down. He gave a mock salute to the officers who shifted their feet before sitting back down, keeping a wary eye.
After a moment of uncertainty the names started to be called again. But Nancy couldn't make herself turn around. Eddie slumped further into the seat, his surrounding classmates leaning away from him. She watched as he toyed a finger over his new pointed canine. Catching her eye he wiggled his fingers at her in a wave, keeping his thumb pressed against his right fang.
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Thanks for reading. Down for thoughts.