She never really knew why she always waited for him after school, yet she did. She sat on the steps of her trailer with her fantasy book of the week and she waited for him to come home on the off chance that he had a moment or two to talk. She graduated last year and was in community college now to make going to college less expensive. She really should forget about him and focus on her business classes, but she never could. He had a grip on her that made her care about him.
Care about his band, his D&D campaign, his social life. She ate it all up. Something he was too wrapped up in his own things to even notice. Too obsessed with the past, present and future to pay any attention to her. He kept going on and on about how this year was finally going to be his year. The hot popular cheerleader he'd been pining over since that talent show in eighth grade was going to pay attention to him, he was going to pass his final in his problem class and snatch his diploma after two years of trying, and he was going to pass his DM mantle onto someone else worthy enough to hold it and finally leave Hawkins in the dust to burn with two middle fingers up in the air as he did so.
She heard the familiar squeal of his tires as he rounded the corner into the trailer park, she saw the dust kick up as he drove like a bat out of hell down the dirt road. He skidded to a stop in his driveway, radio blaring metal music, a cigarette hung out of his mouth as he cut his engine and hopped out of his van, slamming the door. He pulled his cigarette out of his mouth long enough to greet her.
"Hey Sam." He called across the driveway, moving around the vehicle to grab his "lunch box."
"Hey Eddie." She called back.
He moved across the driveway to her, tossing his cigg down and smashing it under his sneakers as he went.
"How did the session go tonight?" She asked, leaning back to get a good look at him, his face had more of a glow about it tonight in the setting dusk sun.
"Good, I killed everyone but two people." Eddie said with a smile. "They unfortunately killed Venca tho, so it looks like I have to bring in Acererak, but you'll never guess who I'm about to make a drug deal with." He said, excitement in his tone. "It'll blow your fucking mind."
Eddie was never one to dish on his customers, so this one must be special.
"I dunno, who?" Sam asked, shrugging her shoulders.
"Chrissy fucking Cunningham."
"Woah, really?" Sam asked, flabbergasted. "I didn't even know she knew you existed."
"Well… she still doesn't really know."
"You're gonna tell her about the talent show?" She asked with a sly smile. Then she thought about what he said. "Wait, you're going to sell her drugs? Isn't she still dating that hack basketball player that is more wound up than a boomerang? Are you sure this isn't a set up?"
Eddie's face fell. "You think she'll sell me out?"
Sam rolled her eyes at him, "Ed, I think your love sickness is making you a little naive. She is the most popular girl in school, the queen bee so to speak, if she wanted to do drugs, she'd be doing eight balls off solid gold toilet lids and having orgies with the rest of the basketball team at whatever party she's going to that night, but I highly doubt her wessel boyfriend would even allow a crack pipe into her mouth, let alone a joint."
Eddie sighed, taking a seat next to her on the stairs.
He popped open his lunch box and pulled out a pre roll he had inside. He lit up the joint, taking a drag before passing it to her. She accepted it and took a hit, coughing a bit before handing it back to him. He couldn't help but chuckle at her. Reefer Rick's weed was always piss poor and tasted awful, but it did the job.
"I guess I got blinded by the fact that she finally talked to me, you know?" He said, exhaling another hit before passing her the joint. "It was like a sign from the universe or something. You know, the shit you're always going on about with the cards."
"You mean tarot?" Sam asked, side eyeing him.
"Yeah, that." He said with a chuckle. "You're always going on about spiritual guides and fate. Maybe this is one of those things. Fate leading two people together finally."
"Well, you're unusually positive for once." She said with a laugh.
Eddie went quiet before finally speaking again, his tone low and serious. "I feel like this is it, you know? Now or never. I gotta fucking do it. I have to make my move. Or i'll never do it."
Sam didn't say anything as she took another drag, if only she could say what she really wanted to say, but Eddie had been in love with Chrissy for almost seven years now and the last thing she wanted was to make things awkward between the two of them with a confession like that. After all, she pulled the ten of pentacles for them. She knew this was coming, she only wished she could have dragged it out a little bit longer.
Eddie checked his digital watch. "I'm supposed to go meet her now."
"Are you going to go?" She asked, passing him the joint.
He sighed, smoking down the rest of the roach before getting up to pace back and forth.
"I dunno, I wanna meet up with her because it'll be cool to catch up." He said, nervously picking at his fingers and played with his hair. "Figure out if she still remembers me from the talent show. Try to get her number. But you usually aren't wrong with your hunches."
" Smart boy ," She thought. "So his penis hasn't taken over his brain completely yet."
"I can always use my birthday money to make your bail, I've done it before." Sam offered. She hated herself for saying that and she knew if Eddie got caught again Hawkins PD was going to throw the book at him.
"Fuck it, it's my year." He yelled as he grabbed his lunch box, and he began to make his way towards the woods.
"I really hope it is." Sam muttered as she got up and went inside to start her homework.
