Lunchtime.

The slowest part of the work day at Family Video. Especially during spring break.

Steve wished he was on vacation somewhere. The beach. The mountains. Anywhere but Hawkins.

As it was, he and Robin were both working this week. At least he had her to cheer him up. Or annoy him. Depended on the day.

This day was dragging by. They had already done every conceivable productive task they could think of. The moves were all checked back in. Late fees had been marked in the computer. All the shelves had been dusted.

Now they sat behind the counter, eyes glazed over as they quietly watched the movie Robin had picked for the display TV. Steve was just about to break the silence and mess with Robin by asking her how he'd let her talk him into another two-tape movie when the bell to the front door chimed.

Steve and Robin both turned, their trance broken, to see Chrissy Cunningham enter the store.

Steve didn't know Chrissy very well, but he'd talked to her a few times back when he played basketball with her boyfriend. She was a sweet girl. Far sweeter than Jason deserved, in Steve's opinion. He'd gotten along with Jason well enough when they were teammates, but something about the guy didn't seem genuine. Like maybe he wasn't as charming as everyone thought he was. Complete opposite to Chrissy who was, in fact, genuinely kind.

He nodded his head in greeting.

"I'm surprised to see you in town this week, Chrissy. Jason didn't sweep you off on vacation with his family?"

Chrissy shook her head vigorously, her pony tail swishing with the motion.

"No not this year."

"Bummer," Steve replied.

"It's actually not so bad."

The door chimed again. Steve looked past Chrissy to see Eddie Munson walking in.

"Sorry, my wallet fell between the seats. Took forever to fish it out." Eddie said as he came to stand strangely close to Chrissy.

"That's okay," she replied, smiling up at Eddie. "I was just catching up with Steve."

Eddie looked at Steve as though he'd just noticed him.

"Harrington," he said.

"Munson," Steve replied. "You two . . .you hanging out?"

"Oh yeah man, gotta expand Chrissy's movie horizons. She's sadly lacking in the horror department."

Steve didn't know what to say to any of this. Eddie, the school "freak", spending time Miss Popular herself, Chrissy Cunningham. Chrissy, whose boyfriend openly hated Eddie. How had this pairing even happened?

"Ooh before I forget, where is Grease?" Chrissy asked.

"I'll show you!"Robin piped up. Steve had forgotten she was next to him. She must've been shocked into silence. There was no other explanation for her unusual silence.

She came out from behind the counter and led Chrissy away to the shelf she was looking for. Steve looked after them, catching Robin looking back over her shoulder at him, mouthing "oh my God."

"Well, um, horror is on that back shelf," he said pointing to the back of the store.

"Yeah man thanks."

Eddie wandered off towards the back. Robin, on the other hand, came speed walking back to the counter, seemingly leaving Chrissy to her own devices.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "Oh my God!"

"I know."

"Chrissy and Eddie?"

"Chrissy and Eddie." he agreed, just as confused as she was.

"But how?" she asked. "They're mixing social groups! That doesn't happen!"

"We were technically different social groups and we're friends." Steve pointed out.

"Yes but that was a fluke." Robin waved him off.

"Hey!" he protested.

"Oh you know I'm right! You had already graduated so you weren't really in a clique anymore anyways. Chrissy is peak popularity. Peak! How did she end up hanging with Munson? Don't get me wrong, I've never had a problem with the guy. I've talked to him a few times. He's funny, he just likes to rile people up at school."

There was no stopping Robin once she started rambling. Steve propped his chin in his hands, leaning against the counter, patiently listening to her tirade. From behind her, he caught sight of Chrissy and Eddie walking back to the front together, two movies in Munson's hands.

"Robin."

"I know she's dating that Carver guy still, but she's never seemed as judgemental as he is . . ."

"Robin."

"Do you think Dusting knows what's going on? Maybe you should call him. You know he and Eddie play D together, maybe he's heard something. I need to know what's going on. If nothing else it'll keep today interesting, the store is gonna be dead all week . . ."

"Robin!" Steve whisper-yelled. "Shut up!"

He nodded his head ever so slightly behind her and, thank God, she got the hint. She turned on her heel to face the pair as Eddie placed the movies on the countertop.

"Find everything okay?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh yeah! Just these two. Can you believe Cunningham here hasn't seen A Nightmare on Elm Street?"

Steve didn't really care for horror but Robin looked aghast.

"No way! It's so good. Word of advice . . . maybe watch this one first. Get the scary one out of the way and end on an upbeat note." She tapped on the case containing Grease. "That way you don't get nightmares or anything."

"Good idea!" Chrissy smiled warmly at Robin.

"Thanks!" Eddie said. He paid, grabbed the movies, and dug his keys out of his back pocket.

Steve watched as the two got into Eddie's van and pulled out of the parking lot. He knew he'd be listening to Robin go on about this particular piece of gossip for the next hour at least, and he really couldn't blame her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eddie sat straight-backed on the Cunningham's sofa. He'd kicked his shoes off in the entryway, afraid to track anything into the pristine house, and took a seat when Chrissy had invited him to.

He felt out of place and uncomfortable the moment he stepped foot in the house, though he was trying not to let it show. The pizza they had bought on their way back sat untouched on the coffee table before him. Chrissy had gone to grab sodas to go with it, leaving Eddie alone in the living room.

He glanced around the room. Organized, clean, heavily decorated. It was everything his home was not. It made him self conscious that he'd let Chrissy see the state of his own living room in comparison, something that usually didn't bother Eddie.

Chrissy didn't seem to act differently in her own home than she had at Eddie's, he noticed as she set the two drinks next to the pizza box and plopped down beside him.

He felt something poke his ribs lightly. Chrissy's pointer finger was playfully jabbing his side and he heard her giggle.

"I've never seen you so stiff before. You can relax. The house may look like a museum but I promise you can make yourself at home."

He felt heat flame up his neck. Was it that obvious how out of place he felt?

"Sorry. Your house is really nice, I don't wanna mess anything up."

"You won't mess anything up, Eddie. Promise." She touched his arm briefly, an attempt to reassure him.

He chuckled nervously. Chrissy wasn't a snob. She wanted him here and she didn't feel like he was out of place, so why should he? He leaned forward to open the pizza box and grabbed a slice, taking a huge first bite.

"So, horror first right?" he mumbled through a mouthful of pizza.

"Yes let's do it before I change my mind. I'm a big scaredy cat just so you know!"

"Don't worry, I won't let Freddy get you."

Eddie finished off his first slice and returned a poke to Chrissy's side, making her jump. She slapped his arm playfully before getting up to put the tape in the VCR.

She closed the curtains and flicked off the lights on her way back to the couch. It was late afternoon so the sun still shone brightly outside. The curtains helped a bit and the room was dim enough to set the mood for watching a scary movie.

Chrissy grabbed a slice of pizza and took her seat.

True to her word, Chrissy was a scaredy cat. Anytime Freddy showed up, she'd cover her eyes while Eddie playfully tried to pull her hands away. He wouldn't make her watch anything she truly didn't want to of course, but it was fun to tease her. By the end of the movie, she had gravitated closer to Eddie than he'd realized. Their thighs were pressed together, her shoulder leaning into his.

He felt the urge to put his arm around her but shoved that feeling down. He was here to help her get out of her funk. She had a boyfriend. He could probably come up with a million other reasons he shouldn't reach out and hold her to him.

She was sweet and surprisingly funny. Witty and smart. She was beautiful. And she smelled amazing. Something that reminded him of autumn . . .a warm vanilla scent. She was also majorly out of his league and almost certainly not interested.

He could believe they were fast friends, sure. She had been the one to ask him to hang out this afternoon, not the other way around. They were clearly haing a good time. And she was coming to his show tomorrow. Definitely fast friends. But nothing more, he told himself.

So he crossed his arms over his chest to fight off the temptation to reach for her and he remained that way until the movie ended.

"So, what did you think? Too scary?"

"Very scary!" she agreed. "But I actually really enjoyed it."

"Really?" he quirked an eyebrow at her in disbelief. "You liked the parts you saw?" He held his hands over his eyes, an imitation of her.

She rolled her eyes, but a smile played at her lips.

"Yes really! It's kind of a rush to watch a scary movie. I'd definitely try another. You'll have to pick the next one we watch."

The next one we watch? She was planning a next one.

Shut up shut up shut up. Just friends, just friends. Eddie silently scolded himself.

"Oooh I'll need time to choose. There's so many options!" He tapped the fingertips of both hands together as if he was coming up with a diabolical plot.

"While you think on that, it's time for my pick!" She waved Grease in front of Eddie's face, taunting him.

She swapped out the tapes and hurried back to the couch, resuming her seat just as close to him as she was before. Eddie had to remind himself to breathe. He put his focus on the movie instead, though it took some effort. Grease wasn't a movie he'd ever watch on his own, but a deal was a deal!

When Sandy made her final appearance in the well known "bad girl" outfit and big curly hair, Eddie whistled at the screen, earning himself a playful shove from Chrissy. When it was over, she turned expectantly towards him.

"Well?"

"Not terrible."

"Not terrible? That's your big review?" she teased.

"It was a fun movie. And I liked the music, believe it or not. Kind of a shitty message though."

Chrissy seemed surprised by his response.

"What do you mean, shitty message?"

"Just that - well - Sandy was a good girl right? And that's who the Danny guy fell in love with over summer. But when he had the chance to have her in his life for real, he's embarrassed because his reputation as a bad ass might be in jeopardy? The guy is an idiot. And even after she realizes the relationship isn't going so well because her boyfriend is basically ashamed, she goes and changes her entire look and personality so she can be with him anyways. The whole plot screams forced conformity."

Chrissy didn't reply right away. Eddie rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. He had a knack of putting his foot in his mouth when he got fired up about something. Social expectations and conformity and cliques always managed to get him riled up.

"Hey, I wasn't trying to shit on your movie, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. It's not that." She assured him. "I just never thought of it that way before. But you're right."

"I am?"

She nodded, looking like she'd just put the final piece into a particularly tricky puzzle. Something was lining up in her brain, he could see it on her face.

"Maybe that's why I like it so much. I can relate."

Eddie shifted in his seat to get a better look at her. Her face had gone from smiling to somber.

"Yeah…?"

She nodded.

"Yeah. I told you how my mom has high expectations for me. I feel like people at school do too. And Jason. What if I'm like this movie? What if I'm just giving in to what people want so I'll fit in?"

Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed Chrissy's hand. She turned tear-filled eyes on him and squeezed his hand back.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, Chris." He said softly. "And like I told you before, screw those people. We've only been hanging out a couple days but I can tell you that I like you the way you are…are you pretending around me?"

She shook her head without hesitation. A tear finally broke free and rolled down her cheek.

"I can't tell you the last time I've felt so relaxed around another person. Something about you makes it easy to let down my guard. I don't want that feeling to stop."

He looked down at their hands, fingers interlaced, setting in Chrissy's lap. That may have been the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. He used his free hand to gently wipe her tear away.

"Then don't let it. Don't be afraid to be who you are, Chris. The people who truly like you are gonna stick around I promise. I mean, look at me…I'm pretty much obnoxious and even I have friends that still wanna hang with me. You're funny and nice, you're definitely gonna have friends that stick with you no matter what."

That got her to smile. "You're not that obnoxious."

"Give it time." He laughed.

"Thank you Eddie." She released his hand and leaned in to hug him, her arms wrapped around his neck.

His arms immediately wrapped around her waist in return.

"That's what friends are for," he murmured into her hair.