Normally, for the coming-of-age tale this year should have been, this scene would have started with the blaring of a clock radio, the grumbling of an exhausted twenty-something and the pouring of coffee into an average cup. A catchy pop tune would play as said twenty-something dressed themselves in just-barely-off-trend clothing, a monologue would begin to rattle off some wordy explanation of the protagonist's life up until now as the titles began to roll.
But this was Hawkins, and things here had stopped being normal for her a long time ago.
It was almost a perfect recreation as the clock radio on her cluttered bedside table blared. The ruffled head of hair that shifted out from underneath a tangle of crochet blankets belonged to a twenty-without-the-something that only sighed heavily as she heaved herself the rest of the distance to silence the classic rock tune mid-melody. The young woman rolled out of bed, stretching upward before she folded forward with a pleasant crack of her spine. A mirror set against the back of her closet reflected back the bleary eyes of Kate McNeil as she stood tall once again, moving towards the pile of clothes covering the wicker chair in the corner.
Not bothering to change out of the band shirt that she'd slept in, Kate shimmied into her work khakis and shoved the matching corporate collared shirt into her satchel as she headed towards the bathroom, rushing through the monotony of her morning routine in favor of more the thrilling prospects that awaited her on this fine Friday morning. The floor creaked as she struggled to slip into her sneakers, her shushing barely audible over the low mumble of the television in the living room where her mother had surely fallen asleep just shortly before Kate had awoken.
The tiny tedious town was quiet as she made her way down the nearly empty streets, quiet except for the rhythm of a synth that rattled her tiny bug of a car as she pulled into the 7-Eleven. Kate ignored the scattered heads that turned in her direction as she jogged into the store in favor of grabbing her choice from the overly processed packaged junk and "fresh" pastries of the breakfast display, tucking the pile of snacks against her chin as balanced them on top of her cup of coffee. She returned to the still running car with her goods, tossing the change into the shoe box in her passenger's seat as she backtracked back into the heart of Hawkins.
She heard the sounds that came from the van backed into the shadow of trees before she saw it, Kate parking a few feet away with a soft shudder as her car resisted her shifting of gears. The music rose in volume as the door of the van swung open, Kate pulling the keys from the ignition to greet the driver as he dropped out with a swinging of dark curls.
"Hey Eddie."
Her door was open before she could even reach for the handle, Eddie Munson holding out a hand to help up from her car with a wide smile.
"Morning sunshine."
Eddie Munson was, to Kate, the most interesting thing about Hawkins. From the moment she'd set foot in Hawkins High, he'd taken her life by the handlebars and turned it in a completely different direction than the well maintained path she would have chosen for its simplicity. She supposed she wasn't entirely complacent as she balanced behind him on this metaphorical bike ride that was her developmental years, but most people would have blamed him for stealing the bicycle in the first place. The messy haired distraction, banished to the back row of third period freshman English, had always felt safe to her despite his offputting appearance. He was just another person out of place, an outcast, and as her mother once told her, an outcast to another outcast, isn't an outcast at all. Eddie was a friend, the best one she could have ever asked for, and she wouldn't change it for anything else in the world.
Kate stuck out her tongue, ignoring the warmth that spread across her chest at the playful twinkle in his eye, nudging her door shut with her hip and shoving a bottle of orange juice into his chest. Eddie looked down at it with a raised brow before he chuckled, tossing it between his palms as she followed him towards the back of his van.
"Thanks?"
"Don't mention it. I kinda guessed you hadn't eaten breakfast, I wanted to pick up something for my lunch and some coffee anyway."
The morning sun broke through the leaves overhead, casting scattered sunlight across the two as they disappeared into the shadows of the trees, Eddie opening the back doors of his van and shoving aside the random assortment of garbage inside to make room. Kate tucked the blanket he kept in the back for occasions such as this underneath her as she sat down, holding herself steady as Eddie sprawled across the space beside her.
"Will Our Lady of Hellfire make an appearance tonight?"
Kate sputtered dramatically as she sipped her coffee, tossing a donut in his direction as punishment for his ridiculous question.
"Are you kidding me? And miss the climax of the campaign? No way, I'll be there, even if it means showing up as a red shirt."
"Careful, you may end up as a sacrifice to the Cult of Vecna if you do."
"Sacrifice me, a simple maiden? You would never, even after that lazy reference."
Chuckling through a mouthful of chocolate glaze, Eddie leaned back to reach for his bag between the seats. Kate was only vaguely aware of what he was saying, forcing her eyes away from the bits of his skin that peered out from under his shirt when he moved. He returned with a familiar black lunchbox, leaning down into her line of sight as she refocused with a snap of his fingers.
"Hey, earth to Kate, you okay?"
She nodded quickly, distracting herself with a bite of her Tiger Tail and wiping the coconut flakes that stuck to her lips on her arm.
"Yeah, sorry, I was just- I was trying to remember if I put the coffee in the maker for mom later or not."
Eddie only nodded, seeming satisfied with her answer as he sifted through the contents of his lunch box and produced a plastic bag, repeating his question.
"What time do you get out'ta hell today?"
"Like, five, I think."
"Workin' nine to five, huh?"
"Are you going to start singing now?"
"Only if you beg."
Kate snorted, taking the joint he held out to her and turning it over between her fingers.
"Did you roll this or did you buy it from Rick pre-rolled?"
Fishing his lighter from his jacket pocket, Eddie leaned over as she placed the joint between her lips, cupping a hand around the back of the flame to block the heat from her skin as he lit it. Kate inhaled slowly, falling into their normal routine as she held the smoke in her lungs to fight off the fuzzy feeling their familiar patterns spread beneath her skin. He took the joint as she passed it, his expression twisting with amused confusion.
"I did, why?"
Kate blew out what was left in her lungs, watching the wisps of smoke get caught in the breeze as she answered.
"You're better at it, that's why."
"Don't break his heart, I'll never get a good deal again."
She fell into a fit of giggles, shaking her head at the memories of the few times she'd met the legend that was Reefer Rick and his antics.
"Just take the compliment, Munson, don't be an ass."
Eddie leaned back against the side of the van as he turned towards her, tilting his head with a small smile as he passed back the joint. Kate took a longer hit than she needed to, letting her head hit the wall behind her as Eddie started to shift through his bag again. The tips of his hair were still damp as they laid against his vest, she would guess he'd probably taken a shower sometime after school yesterday, and the ends were beginning to curl around his collar. It took all of her hazy self control to resist the urge to twist the dark strands between her fingers, instead finding a middle ground for herself by leaning forward to tug his vest flat against his chest and tap a button she didn't recognize.
"That's new."
His chin dropped to his chest to follow her finger, Kate releasing quickly before the smell of 3-in-1 shampoo and clean skin could break through the cloud of funk that was beginning to surround them. Eddie ran a thumb over the newest addition to his apparel, the "Judas Priest" button glinting slightly in the growing amount of sunlight. He shrugged, taking the joint from her as she knocked the ashes into the ground. It was quiet for a long moment, Kate settling back as she listened to the music that still played from his speakers, taking her chances while he was distracted to feed her inner demons.
Looking him over while he stared off into the shifting trees of the forest, Kate felt the familiar burn of adoration catch in her chest. He seemed so soft in the warm light, dark eyes reflecting the gold of the morning sun before they shifted downward to watch the burning embers between his thumb and forefinger. She wanted to scream at herself as she followed the shifting of fingers as they placed the joint between his lips, looking away before she thought too hard about their shape. Eddie turned with purpose, seeming to have decided something in his extended silence.
"Hey, uh, didn't you take O'Donald for calculus?"
Kate raised a brow at the sudden change of topic, feeling her gaze linger once again as he held the roll of paper between his teeth so he could flip through the battered notebook he'd retrieved from his bag.
"Yeah, she fuckin' hated me because she thought I was cheating, why?"
"You passed her final though, right?"
"I think I made a 78 or something like that."
Eddie nodded, blowing smoke out through his nose as he sighed and handed her back the quickly dying joint. She took a quick hit before she answered, letting her breath carry the smoke away from her as she guessed at what he was getting at.
"Are you asking for help?"
"Do you still have your notes for her final?"
She paused, ashing the joint as she thought. Kate knew that Eddie had been really trying to graduate this time around, but he'd not asked her for help since she'd graduated herself despite her continued investment in his battle against the public school system. He took the joint from her when she passed it back, dropping his fingers from their place twisting into his hair as he finally fully turned to look at her. Through the dry feeling in her throat that she wasn't entirely sure she could blame on cotton mouth, Kate tried to keep her excitement to a minimum.
"So…you've just got to pass finals?"
Eddie grinned, wide and prideful, as he shook his head.
"Just hers."
Her stomach churned at that smile, fluttering at the joyful twinkle in his eyes and the dimples that appeared in his cheeks. Eddie took a final hit, turning to her and motioning with a lazy roll of his wrist as he exhaled. She shifted forward, planting a palm on his knee as she almost lost her balance as the van moved beneath them, Eddie seeming not to mind as he held the tiny remains of the joint between his fingers and lifted it to her lips. Kate hated when he did this, or at least she hated the way it affected her. The first time he'd ever pulled this trick she'd been far more naive than she was now, and it had made it impossible for her to look him in the eye again without turning tomato red for at least a week afterwards. He was obviously just being nice, holding the joint for her so she didn't burn her fingers and giving her the last hit before it died, but the proximity of his polite gesture sent her spinning.
"So-"
Eddie's voice shocked her out of her trance, Kate rapidly releasing the breath she had been holding as the marijuana fully began to take effect and she felt herself begin to swoon towards him. She handed him her now nearly empty coffee cup to drop the roach in with a small smile, patting his knee lazily before she forced herself away from him.
"Eddie, you can have my notes, you could have just asked."
He smiled, laying back and tucking his arms under his head.
"I cheated off you enough when you were still a student, it's not as fun now."
Kate laughed, giggling into the palm of her hand as she fell beside him. They fell quiet for a bit, just listening to the music and the chatter of the birds outside, Kate allowing her breathing to match with his as she focused in on the sound. She was vaguely aware that she was shivering, a common side-effect of her smoking habits, but even less so of her slow shifting to lean into Eddie's side. The denim scratched against her cheek as she turned her head to peer up at his profile, her voice slightly lipsing in her relaxed state.
"Do you wanna come by after Hellfire? I'm pretty sure my notes are still in my backpack in the hall closet. We could watch a movie or something after."
He hummed an agreement, shifting an arm to sprawl out beside him as she settled closer to him. It wasn't the enthusiastic answer she wanted, but it was good enough. She would stress over this interaction later after the marijuana wore off, replaying every action and reaction while staring at a dusty tiled ceiling until she drove herself to insanity. It wasn't Eddie's fault, she could never blame him for the way his simple way of existing tormented her days and nights when all he had ever done to her is make her feel at home in this dreadfully boring town. Feeling his chest rise and fall beneath her as she rested her head against his side was enough to lull her back into a boneless state of bliss beside him, Kate letting herself sink into the calm that their friendship provided when she wasn't letting her brain ruin it. She was sure that he had fallen asleep by the time they were interrupted, his sudden jerk to look upwards startling her more than the familiar voice that called out from behind them.
"Hey, no loitering!"
With a swing of dirty blonde curls, Gareth Walton appeared around the rear door, hands shoved into his jean pockets. Kate sat up quickly, wavering slightly as her blood redistributed itself and nearly falling back again in the process. She knew she'd begun to turn red when Eddie reached out to steady her, the burn of his palm against her back nearly as deep as the look she shared with Gareth. The teen raised a brow at her, trying his best to hide his smile as he turned back to Eddie.
"Assembly's over soon, you got a cigarette?"
"Shit, what time is it?"
Kate leaned over to grab Eddie's wrist, pulling his watch towards her to peer down at the time and cursing again when she realized how much time they had lost track of. Her sneakers squeaked against the metal of the vans bumper as she climbed out, throwing the remaining breakfast items at the two boys before tucking the rest of her shopping into her bag as she pulled out her work clothes. Eddie also realized how late it had gotten, dropping his watch and running a hand through his hair as he sighed.
"I really can't afford another tardy in Biology, god dammit…"
"They're not gonna give a shit about that today, it's the beginning of spring break. You'll be fine. I, on the other hand, am on thin ice as it is-"
"Because your boss is a pig."
She cracked a smile at Gareth's muttered comment, pulling her hair back into its barely work appropriate ponytail as she motioned for them to go with a kick of her leg.
"You're not wrong. Now move, I need to change into my work shirt, I'm going to be late."
Eddie's lazy tilt as he looked up at her from his spot still sitting on the vans bumper was dangerous for her will to go, dark eyes glancing down at the uniform that hung from her fingers.
"You gonna change back here?"
"Do you mind?"
He shook his head, pushing off from the bumper with a swing of his arms before he grasped Gareth by the shoulders and steered him away from the open back doors.
"C'mon, give the lady her privacy."
Kate snorted, watching as he ducked out of sight before she quickly changed, pulling her bra from its hiding place inside her work shirt and dressing quickly to not delay the boys any longer. She was still in the process of tucking in her shirt when she closed the van doors behind her and waved a goodbye, calling out over the sputtering of her engine..
"See you tonight!"