"And she was just lying there?"
"She was already dead." Eddie confirmed, closing his eyes against the images in his mind.
Dustin shuddered, sitting up to prop an elbow on the table. They'd finally stopped using spare classrooms for the Hellfire Club; Mike's parents had allowed him to more or less convert their entire basement into a dungeon. They all guessed it had been more of his mom's idea than his dad's - Mr. Wheeler still referred to them as the "Dropouts", despite the fact they all got, or had resumed the process of getting, their diplomas.
"I thought you said they weren't as often?" Henderson said quietly.
"They're not coming all the time any more, no. But when one does come..."
"It's a whopper."
Eddie nodded. "There's no pattern to it, either. I can't predict when it'll happen, it just -"
He clapped his hands. Will, who had been eavesdropping, started.
"They like to creep up on you." He chimed in.
Eddie twisted his hands around one another, adjusting his rings. The others were settling into their seats now, so he let it go. Fewer than before; Erica and Lucas weren't coming so often, since their grandmother had fallen ill they went to visit her every two weeks. Gareth was gone. He and Sarah had moved to Chicago. Paulie, sick of working odd jobs around Hawkins, was talking about going to the city after New Year's. Warren caught Eddie's glance and cocked an eyebrow.
You okay?
Eddie offered a thin smile. Soon it would just be the two of them. The others were starting to wane, too: Nancy was determined to go to Emerson, which would put her closer to Rosie than Eddie could even dream, both physically and academically. Jonathan had plans to travel with her, get a job at least if he couldn't find anywhere to study. They had both, on separate occasions, tried to talk Eddie into going with them, but he was finally being open about his problems now, and explained that he just was not ready yet. Like everyone else, they didn't really understand, but left him to his own devices.
Mike's campaign ended in two hours. It had come to the point that these sessions were the only things that broke up the monotony of his weeks. Then he just packed up and drove the same godforsaken roads back to a "new" trailer that was basically the same as the old one. Only the old one had been swallowed up in the "earthquake". He had tried to replace his belongings, set up a room that looked the same, more or less shoehorned himself back into his "normal" life. But pretending like nothing had happened wasn't recovery. He understood that now.
At least it had meant a free mattress. Gone was the stained slab, though he was pretty sure he and Rosie had desecrated this one thoroughly. He allowed himself a giggle as he thought about it, watching the chains dangling from his wall. She looked so good in silver. Her latest letter was still folded in his pocket; Eddie pulled it out and sniffed the pages, which she had lightly spritzed with her perfume. He had the same bottle tucked into a corner of his closet, beautifully wrapped by a shop assistant.
He had meant to bring it to Boston for her birthday. Then some kids had put the windshield in on his van, and he couldn't go.
A knock disturbed his wallowing. Probably one of the Hunts looking for their cat again. Eddie ignored it. It came again, louder. He shouldn't have turned on the lights. Whoever it was knew there was someone awake in the trailer.
"Eddie open the door before we break it down!" Paulie had appeared at his window, possibly on Warren's shoulders.
"Is he jerking off?"
"No he's just moping."
"Eddie get your pants back on!"
"Shut up!" He hadn't moved yet. His friends had a foolproof way to get him moving.
"Fucking hell, Eddie! Not in the window!"
"Go beat your meat under the covers like a normal person!"
"Who are you even looking -"
"I swear to god!" He had the door open, and Paulie by the collar. Warren followed guffawing as he yanked him in.
Smoke wreathed around them, forming a thin fog in his cramped living room. Already feeling fuzzy, Eddie put the bong down and leaned back against the cushions, staring dumbly up at the ceiling as that familiar tingle crawled through his limbs. Chrissy had died right...there. Even under the influence, it didn't seem funny. Just sad. What if Rosie had been that unlucky girl? Could he have helped her? If Vecna came back tomorrow, would he be able to rescue her from the curse?
"I don't even know her favorite song."
"He's babbling already." Warren tried for the fortieth time to blow a ring and failed.
"Lost his marbles." Paulie affirmed. "Can't blame the weed on that."
"Rosie. We played Hallowed Be Thy Name, remember? When she came to The Hideout?"
"That was over a year ago."
"I know. My point is - she never told me that was her favorite. I just guessed."
"And what is the point of this point?" Paulie went to get a glass of water.
Eddie pulled at the loose threads keeping the knee of his jeans together. "Sometimes I just think..."
"What?" Warren was still paying attention.
"I could be better."
His friends exchanged looks. Warren looked at his nails. "Not better. Maybe less dumb."
Eddie stared. There was nothing comforting in that. But he sensed Warren had a reason. "How?"
"You just don't think. Now and then." Paulie tried.
"Huh?"
Warren clasped his hands calmly in front of him. "I think...sometimes you spend so much time trying to impress Rosie that you..."
"Forget about Rosie." Paulie agreed.
"Eh?"
"It's like you worry so much about what you think she wants, that you don't see what she actually wants."
"Don't know why I pay so much." Eddie grumbled. "I got two free shrinks right here."
"Think about it, Ed." Warren pressed. "You're here, trying to get money to go be with her. Getting your head fixed so you can go be with her. It's been months, and you're still not making any move to go be with her."
"You never even go to Boston."
"I tried. Remember? Halloween."
"It took what? A week to get your van fixed?" Paulie was serious now. "Why didn't you just drive out after that?"
"I had work."
"Because The Hideout is such a great job."
"Not like I can afford to lose it!"
"Maybe if you did, you'd start moving." Said Warren.
"You need something to light a fire under your ass."
"Need people to stop pestering me."
"Disagree."
Warren stood, pulling something out of his back pocket. "Which brings us to the purpose of our quest."
The envelope jingled slightly as it hit the table. Paulie came to settle opposite him on the floor. With both of them suddenly watching him, Eddie was apprehensive.
"What's this?"
"Early Christmas present." Paulie answered.
"Not just from us." Warren added. "Gareth, Craig, Lucy, Tommy, Kyle, Jamal."
"Wheeler, Henderson, both Sinclairs."
"I think the pennies are from Erica. Lucas says she broke open her piggybank just for the long-haired freak."
"Rest of their group. Harrington and the ladies, too."
"I think some of their parents even threw in a couple bucks."
Eddie ripped open the paper. A bunch of coins clattered down, and then a few more as he removed the bills. The others were watching with big goofy grins on their faces. Feeling himself flushing, he counted. "There's over two-hundred dollars here."
"That's right."
"What the fuck!"
"Told ya. We got everyone in on it."
"Called in all the favors"
He was shocked. Lucy, Tommy, Kyle. He hadn't seen them since they graduated. Sure, they sent postcards sometimes, but he had let his own correspondence slide over the years. Did he still have their numbers? He wasn't even sure if Lucy and Kyle were still dating. He scratched his scalp.
"This is insane."
"We know."
"There's also a stipulation." Had Paulie ever used such a big word?
"And what is that?"
"Rosie's going to Portland for Christmas?"
"I told you guys. Even if I get the money, it's too late -"
"We know. Another result of you dragging your fucking heels!"
"Right." She'd been so upset when he told her he couldn't go. Had already told her mom about him. Honestly, how could he meet her folks like this? With not a cent to his name, his reputation still in shambles, and these nightmares still rattling around in his head? What if they caught him sleepwalking, or hallucinating, or talking to his demons?
"This is for after. January. February. Whenever. But don't you dare make her wait forever."
"Call her." Warren ordered. "Find out when she'll be back in Boston."
"Then you're going to get your ass in the van." Paulie slammed his palms down on the table, leaning in with mock-threat. "And go show your girlie a good time."
Eddie flipped through the notes again, biting the inside of his cheek to quell the twitch in his features. "This is too much."
"It's not. It's for both you and Rosie." Warren confirmed. "She deserves something nice."
He wasn't wrong on that one. "I'm not going permanently."
"We know! We know! Money, and the doc. Whatever other excuses you can cook up." Paulie rolled his eyes.
"Maybe once she gets a hold of you...She'll do us all a favor and tie you to the bed or something."
Paulie stuck out his tongue. "Ew."
Realization passed over Warren's face. "EW! Not like that!"
"Ed's looking like he'd like that."
"EW!"
"Don't think we don't see those chains -"
A cushion belted Paulie over the head.
"EW! EW!"
Eddie got up and hugged each of them before they started punching, not letting Paulie escape despite how loudly he objected. He hadn't seen Rosie since she'd left, and the thought of having her in his arms again was almost too much to bear.
"Thanks, guys."