"This is so stupid.." he says, half whispering as he sits on the bleachers, thumb pressed at his lips as he watches on as the other kids stand in line for their turn on the ropes. He's wearing his gym clothes, which he hates with a passion. It consists of a white tshirt with green and yellow stripes along the sleeve, the school name and lion logo on the front, and a pair of green shorts. Matching white socks with green & yellow stripes and his white high top sneakers.
Dustin and Mike sit alongside him, staring onward at the other kids as well. "It could be worse," Mike says. "We could be outside running track or something."
Dustin nods in agreement. "Yeah, yeah we could be having to be melting in the hot sun.. maybe coach will forget we're even here.. or we could try to fake sick and maybe we'll get to go home!"
"I highly HIGHLY doubt that, Henderson.. that old bastard has been out to get me for weeks. Like it's MY fault that his car went missing from the parking lot last month."
"But.. it was?" Dustin said without hesitation. "Remember? we used it to go to that Iron Maiden concert because Steve wouldn't take us." Eddie rolled his eyes before leaning over to put his hand over Dustin's mouth. "I know that and you know that.. But HE" *pointing to Coach Smith* "doesn't know that.." He leans back to resume his previous sitting position. "Not for sure, anyway." a sly smirk spreading across his face as his makes eye contact with the coach.
"Munson, Henderson, Wheeler.. why exactly aren't you three in line with the others?" Coach Smith shouts as he's walking toward the three boys. "We aren't feeling too good, coach.. I think it may be a stomach bug or maybe we caught a cold or something" Mike says breathlessly, trying to appear weak. The coach glances over at Dustin for confirmation, "Oh really? That go for you too, Dustin?" Dustin begins to nod his head up and down vigorously, but quickly starts nodding slowly as if he can barely muster the energy to hold his head up. "Yes sir.. I haven't felt all that great since first period." Coach Smith then darts his eyes to Eddie, looking at him with almost disgust before addressing him as well.. "I guess you're having tummy trouble too, Munson?" Eddie smirks and tilts his head to the side, looking at the coach with a condescending glare in his eyes - "Sure am Coach.. Haven't been able to hold down a thing allllll day." He says before gagging, leaning his body forward, his head mere inches away from the coach's chest. "Ahhh okay okay, you three get out of here!" Coach Smith shouted, "Hit the showers and go see the nurse." Dustin & Mike jump from their seats as soon as the coach gave word they could leave, Eddie following suit, but not before casting a smile and a wink at the coach..
In the lockeroom, as the boys are getting dressed in their normal attire after showering, Mike is sitting on a bench between the lockers tying his shoes. "So what are your guyses plans after school today? Lucas, Will, and Max told me earlier they were gonna go to the theater, so I was thinking maybe we could all catch a movie or something.." Dustin, who's now fully dressed and adjusting his hat in the mirror by the sinks, looks at Mike through the mirror while talking to him. "Yeah that sounds cool, I didn't really have anything else planned.. You wanna see if Steve and Robin wanna join us?" "Yeah that's cool" Mike says,
turning his attention to the showers, where Eddie still hasn't joined them in getting redressed. "Eddie? Did you hear what we were saying? You wanna catch a movie after school? I'm pretty sure we'll make it in time for the matinee." Eddie sighs, water pouring over his head as he stands directly underneath the showerhead. "Yeah I heard you dorks.. But do we REALLY have to invite Harrington and his little gal pal? Ya know, I'm still kinda peeved at him for turning us down about the Maiden show.. He's the very reason Coach Dipshit has a grudge against me if you think about it.." He trails off, still complaining about Steve while Dustin, who's now standing beside Mike, looks over to Mike and they lock eyes while listening to Eddie rambling.
"Steve had a job interview that day, Eddie.. It wasn't that he didn't wanna take us, it's just that he was busy and.." "STOP." Eddie shouts, as he pulled the shower curtain open and popping his head out to look at the two boys. "He flat out said, and I quote, 'I'm not taking you and Eddie 'The Freak' Munson two hours out of town for some rock concert. You shouldn't be hanging out with that weirdo anyway.' End quote." Eddie said, with an obviously agitated tone.
Dustin and Mike looked at each other again, mouths agape, trying to think of what to say.. "Y-You weren't supposed to hear that.. How did you hear that?" Dustin said,
anxiously. "Yeah well, You two aren't exactly the most softspoken idiots on the planet.. Aaaand it didn't help that you asked via WALKIE TALKIE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL HALLWAY." Eddie screamed as he yanked the shower curtain closed. Dustin and Mike jumped simoultaneously at the shrieking of Eddie's voice.
"Dude are you ever gonna come out of there so we can leave?" Mike asked, trying to change the subject before Eddie got any angrier. The shower curtain opens again,
Eddie walking out with a towel drapped loosely around his waist, "Yeah yeah, I'm out.." He says as he walked to the lockers to start getting dressed finally.
As the boys walk out the school doors, They discuss their weekend plans.
"El and I are gonna go to the arcade tomorrow, She hasn't been so I thought it would be fun to show her all the games." Mike says. "I'm supposed to be going to my aunt's this weekend, I don't wanna but my mom is making me.. I'm hoping I can get out of it somehow. I hate going over there, she's as bad as a grandma. Always pinching cheeks and saying 'You're growing like a weed!'" Dustin replies, "What are you doing, Eddie? Schools out for summer, is there any trips on the agenda for the Munson clan?" Dustin asks. Eddie rolls his eyes,
annoyed by the topic of conversation.. "Nope.. nothing set in stone for me, boys. My uncle is still outta town though, so I'll have the whole place to myself." He says with a smile.
"Ugh, lucky.. My parents never go anywhere, and even if they did they'd probably put Nancy on babysitting duty.. I'm so sick of being treated like a kid.." Mike says, his ensuing rant being cut off abruptly by Eddie's arms flinging across both Mike & Dustin's chests - "What is HE doing here?" Eddie says, eyes glaring straight ahead, the boys look up from Eddie's arms at their chests to see Steve Harrington, propped up against his car, hands on his hips in his signature pose. "Oh, didn't I mention Steve was our ride home today?" Dustin says followed by a nervous giggle. Eddie cuts eyes at Dustin, his facial expression turning from agitation to frustration as he let out a sigh..
"You guys gonna get in or what? I have other shit to do you know.." Steve says as removes his sunglasses and uses them to push his hair back. Dustin and Mike move Eddie's arms and begin walking toward Steve and get in the backseat of the car. "Well? You coming or not Munson?" Steve asks, now about to get into the driver's seat, one hand on the roof of the car and the other holding onto the driver side door. "Not." Eddie said firmly. "Eddie man. c'mon.. Your place is an hour walk and it's way too hot out to be walking for that long." Dustin shouted. Eddie rolls his eyes again.. He truly DID NOT want to get into that car, buuuut he wasn't exactly looking forward to the long walk back to his uncle's trailer either.. His hair was already sticking to the back of his neck from the sweat. "FINE" He shouted back, shaking his head and sighing again as he speed walked and got into the front seat, slamming the door as he did so - "HEY! Don't..do..that.." Steve said, trailing off quietly as he spoke, knowing he wasn't gonna get a reaction let alone an apology. As Steve got into the car and began to drive out of the Hawkins High parking lot, he looked in the rearview mirror at Dustin.. "So we're going to Munson's place first then Mike's.." Steve asked, or said rather, like he was stating a fact. "Uh..Nooo, Eddie's is farther out, it wouldn't make sense to go there first. We're going to Mike's, then my house, and THEN Eddie's. And stay close because after, we need you to drop us off at the Theater." Dustin replied. Steve makes an audible sigh before blurting out "Stay close? Theater? What am I? Your personal chaffeur now, Henderson?" Thus beginning an argument between the two that lasts for the rest of the car ride to Mike's.
"Ooookay okay! If all that's true then please enlighten me, Henderson, why is it that I'm always coming to your rescue?" Steve shouted. Dustin began to start his rebuttle and continue their ongoing verbal spat but he was interuppted by Mike announcing "Okay well this is our stop, c'mon Dustin, you guys can finish this conversation later when Steve comes to pick us up before the movie." "Whoaaa whoa wait, 'our' stop? Henderson, I thought I was taking you home too?" Steve asked. "Well, I don't really need to change or anything so to make it less trips for you, I'm just gonna wait here while Mike gets some cash from Mrs. Wheeler and changes clothes." Dustin replied, as he followed Mike out of the car and shut the door.. with a smile, he leaned into the car from the passenger window, looking in at Eddie & Steve's surprised and speechless faces as he said, "Besides, this friend group cannot function if two of the members don't get along.. Time for some bonding, guys. Have fun!" He said before turning to walk away, stopping halfway to the door before turning around to add, "Oh, and DON'T come back until you can be around each other and hold a decent conversation." Eddie & Steve watched as the boys walked into Mike's house, turning to look at one another before both of them sighed loudly and looked separate ways as Steve began driving off. - The ride was quiet. It had been a solid ten minutes since they left Mike's house, with at least another twenty minutes to go. Steve was looking ahead at the road, glancing in his peripheral vision at Eddie.. He wasn't too keen on this guy Dustin had been spending so much time with lately. It's not that he saw him as a threat, no not that.. He just knew this guy's reputation wasn't crystal clean and he thought he was a bad influence on Dustin. He also wasn't too keen on him being in his car. - Eddie continued to stare blankly out the window. Silent. He didn't dislike Steve Harrington, He'd just never spoken to him and didn't know much about him, other than Steve obviously didn't like him. He was the polar opposite of Eddie, so in his mind he wouldn't give him the time of day.
He was popular, and all the girls flocked to him like flies to honey. Steve had been long gone from Hawkins High, but the mark he left was still ever present.
"Maybe we should've just had Eddie get out here with us.. We could've walked to the theater." Mike said, concerned about the trick they pulled on the two older boys. Dustin shook his head in disagreement. "Nope. If they both want to act like children, we're gonna treat them like children.. and what do parents do when kids can't get along?"
He asked, Mike opening his mouth to answer before being cut off by Dustin, "They make them spend MORE time together until they can work out their differences on their own." Dustin said proudly. Mike rolled his eyes. "Okay well, what if they don't come back? Then what?" Mike asked, annoyed with Dustin's plan. "Either way we're going to the movies. I don't actually expect them to be too thrilled at the thought of hanging out with us right now anyway.. Let's go ahead and head out, we can ride our bikes there and if, by chance, they actually do come back for us, your mom can tell them we already left and we'll meet them there. And BOOM, they have to spend MORE time together riding to the theater to meet us!" Dustin grinned, obviously thrilled with himself. Mike sighed and rolled his eyes again but agreed.
"Sooo..." Steve said, breaking the silence finally.. Eddie turned his head and looked at him in silence. "I'm sorry, I don't exactly know where it is you live.. I assumed Henderson would be my last drop off so I didn't get your address up front." Steve said, glancing between each word to look at Eddie. "I live with my uncle at the trailer park."
Eddie said, turning his head back to face the window. 'Oh.. okay" Steve said, turning his head to quickly glance at Eddie. "Yep.." Eddie said, taking a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lighting it, as he rolled down the passenger window... "I'm your stereotypical white trash bastard." He said, taking a long drag of his cigarette and exhaling.
"Hey uh, not to be a nag, but uh I don't smoke so.." Steve said, turning his attention back and forth between looking at the road and looking at Eddie. "You're kidding!"
Eddie said mockingly, his eyes now locked on Steve and a smirk spreading across his face. "Ha, yeah well, no I meant I don't really let people smoke in my car.. ya know since I don't smoke, I prefer no one else to smoke in here either." Steve replied, kind of annoyed at the situation but in a calm tone of voice. Eddie chuckled, leaning his head back against the headrest and taking another drag before throwing the cigarette out and rolling up the window. "There. Ya happy?" He asked. "Yes, I am. Thank you."
Steve replied, turning his full attention back to driving. "Who would've guessed, THE Steve Harrington giving Eddie 'The Freak' Munson a ride home.." Eddie said, chuckling to himself. "What's that supposed to mean? I don't particularly like the way you said that." Steve replied, once again taking glances over at Eddie. "Well, we aren't exactly on the same wavelength.. radar.. social status." Eddie replied somewhat quietly, "I mean, guys like me don't really exist to people like you." Steve looked over at him, somewhat confused. "'People like me'? What does that mean?" He asked, confusion mixing with offense in his tone. "Ah don't play dumb Harrington, I don't buy that act one bit.
You know as well as I that you and your jockies never gave me the time of day.." Steve opened his mouth to speak but was cut off.. "But I get it, it's whatever man. You have to play your part and only focus on the important stuff, like what chick you're screwing that week or what the new trend is at the GAP." Eddie chuckled again. "Hey! You don't know me, Munson. I'm not some mindless idiot like everybody seems to think here lately.. As a matter of fact I've always known who you were. You're not the pariah you think you are." Steve interjected. Eddie's wry smile fading and his expression turning to shock.. "What?" He said inquisitively. "Yeah, does that surprise you? Dumb ol' Steve Harrington knew who poor little Eddie Munson was all along.." Steve rolled his eyes.. "Ya know, I'm not as bad as everybody seems to think I am..
I mean, I know I've been a dick but I was never so far off the scale that I didn't notice people or I all out dismissed people because they weren't in the same clique I was in at the time." He said, now turning in to the trailer park. Eddie watched him, eyes never leaving his face as he spoke. "I.. I didn't realize.. I just assumed.." Eddie said,
shocked that he wasn't as overlooked at he thought. "Yeah well, see there's your problem Munson, you assume too much and think too little." Steve said, now parked outside Eddie's trailer. "I'm guessing this is you?" Steve asked knowingly, pointing toward the mailbox that said Munson on it in bold white letters. "Uh, yeah, this is me.." Eddie said,
opening the car door and putting one foot on the ground, turning his head back to face Steve, "It won't take me long to get ready.. you can wait inside if you want." He said before standing up and closing the door behind him. "Sure.." Steve said, turning off the car and removing the key from the ignition. "No sense in wasting gas by leaving while I'm playing chauffer." He said as he got out of the car and followed Eddie inside the trailer.