Indianapolis, April 25, 1990
It was Wednesday and she had two final exams the next day and one on Friday. She should be studying. Cramming all the last-minute knowledge she could into her brain. Amanda should be quizzing her, making sure she knew education laws and their influence in educational counseling. But Chrissy was doing none of that.
Instead, she was leaning over her bathroom sink to get closer to the mirror as she applied her eyeshadow. One of the few things that had remained constant in Chrissy's life was her love of pastel shades on her eyes. She was swiping on a layer of glittery lavender shadow, following it up with some mascara and a touch of lip gloss before she took a step back to evaluate her appearance.
Without classes thanks to finals week, Chrissy had an entire day she could spend with Eddie. She had strived for casual when planning her outfit, staying up late after she and Amanda had arrived home from the bar. Together they had settled on a pink t-shirt, denim skirt, white Ked sneakers, and Chrissy's floral print denim jacket. She looked over the outfit again before twisting her loose hair at the back of her head and securing it with a claw clip.
"I'm so nervous I could puke," she muttered to herself, tossing her makeup back into its bag. Chrissy gave a start at her own words and shook her head. I haven't done that in years, she chastised herself. And Eddie wouldn't like to be the reason I start up again, either.
He was one of the only people who knew about her disordered eating habits. Eddie and Amanda. Chrissy was a lot better these days. Still, her current therapist, Dr. Edwards, liked to remind her that it was like an old bad habit: easy to slip back into if you let yourself.
"I'm okay," she told her reflection. It was part of a mantra she had crafted with Dr. Edwards' guidance. "This is okay."
Besides, she tacked on in her head, there's no reason to be nervous.
And yet her hand shook ever so slightly when she climbed in her car and turned the key in its ignition. While the heater kicked on—it was still chilly in the mornings, despite April being nearly gone—Chrissy smoothed out the napkin Eddie had written Adam's cousin's address on the night before. His spiky hand was smudged a little, thanks to Adam himself accidentally setting his drink on top of it before Chrissy could get it in her purse.
Taking a deep breath, Chrissy began driving in the direction according to Eddie's note. They had both agreed not to waste any time, so though they had all stayed out at The Dive until last call at two, Eddie had told her to pick him up at nine that morning. It wasn't a long drive; Adam's cousin lived fairly close to the off-campus apartments owned by BU.
Chrissy pulled up and parked on the curb outside a modest, beige townhouse. She was debated if she should get out and go to the door or not when the passenger door opened. "Good morning, sunshine," Eddie greeted her, plopping himself into the passenger seat. "Whatever dastardly deeds you have planned for us today, I hope they begin with breakfast, because everyone in there is still asleep," he hooked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating the townhouse, "and I'm inching closer to death by starvation by the minute."
"I forgot you're prone to dramatics," she teased. He smiled sleepily at her. Chrissy took a moment to look at him in the morning light. Like her own scar, his had faded to a silvery webbing. Before she could stop herself, she lightly touched the one at his jaw.
The world seemed to still for a moment. Eddie studied her face with heavy-lidded eyes until she drew her hand away and placed it back on the steering wheel. "I'll take you to my favorite café, just off campus. They have the best bagels."
Chrissy was quick to jabber on about the café to cover her embarrassment. Did he feel it, too? Now, without the liquid courage of alcohol and the cover of a dim bar, the familiarity of the young man sitting in her passenger seat felt… odd.
Not wrong. Nothing about Eddie had ever felt wrong to her. But… odd. Familiar strangers. It was a term her dad had used to describe lost friendships and relationships before. For the first time, Chrissy understood his meaning.
"Cinnamon sugar and strawberry cream cheese?" A few almost-awkward minutes in the car later, and Eddie was standing next to her in the café, shaking his head at her choice. Though he hardly seemed surprised; he knew she had a sweet tooth. "Are you your dentist's favorite patient yet?"
"I've never had a cavity," she countered, following a bite of her bagel with a sip of vanilla latte. As the local, Chrissy led the way back outside and nodded down the road. "Wanna see Butler? I'll give you a tour while we eat."
She thought Eddie's choice of a lox bagel and black coffee were boring compared to her own breakfast, but she always had had the better manners of the two of them. That sentiment was kept to herself as she and Eddie fell into step beside each other for the short walk to campus.
Butler University's campus had been one of Chrissy's favorite parts of college, especially now, in the spring, with all the flowering bushes and trees. She led Eddie past pale pink, white, and yellow blossoms on the winding concrete path that cut through the campus lawn. The silence that settled over them as they ate and walked was companionable. Chrissy liked watching Eddie look all around, taking the campus in. It reminded her of herself, four years ago, when Butler was still new to her.
Now it felt like a version of home.
"This is where most of my classes have been the last few years." Chrissy brought them to a stop in front of a tall, brick building. Silver metal lettering over top of the massive doors read 'College of Liberal Arts and Sciences". Chrissy knew if she were to push the doors open, it would spell of slightly burned coffee and old paper on the inside. That the linoleum tile floors would squeak under your shoes regardless of your footwear.
"And what kind of knowledge have you been filling your big brain with for the past few years, Chris?" With their hands now free, the back of Eddie's hand nudged hers. An invitation. Chrissy tangled her fingers with his immediately. Familiar strangers, she thought again, but our skin remembers each other. It felt natural as breathing to be holding his hand.
"Psychology," Chrissy told him. "If I pass my finals, I can apply for grad school after graduation. I have to have a master's degree to get licensed to be a school counselor."
The morning sun was bright on Eddie's face, cutting through his dark eyes to reveal the wonderful warmth of their brown depths. Chrissy's stomach flipped when he smiled at her with a face full of pride. Her cheeks grew warm as she returned his smile before giving his hand a tug. "What about you?" She asked once they started walking again. "I don't know post-high school graduation Eddie Munson."
There was a snort in response to that and Eddie shoved his free hand into his pocket. "Um, well... nothing as impressive as learning how brains work," he admitted. Tipping his head skyward, Eddie took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm a man of honest means now. Well, was, I guess. Kind of had to give up my shifts at Karma to do this tour thing."
Karma Records, Chrissy thought. Eddie's favorite music store. She smiled at the thought of him working there. "Still living the trailer life," Eddie continued. "For now, at least. When we're done here, we're gonna swing back to Hawkins to get it. Don't have to pay for a hotel when you can just wedge four guys in a Winnebago instead."
They strolled through the mostly empty campus. With it being finals week, there were a few Butler students milling around the lawn, but nothing like the hustle and bustle of a busy class day. Spring breezes rustled their hair and the leaves and blooms above their heads alike. As the day warmed, the air became heady with the sweetness of the florals.
"Are you loving it, though?" Chrissy asked, peeking up at him. "The tour?"
His answering smile was proof enough, but he expanded anyway. "It's fucking fun," he told her. "I'm so glad we're doing it."
Chrissy gave his hand a squeeze and nodded to another brick building. This one was sprawling, its lawn dotted with a group of people playing frisbee. "That was my freshman year dorm, before we all moved off campus to our apartments." At that, Eddie stopped. From across the street, he studied the building for a moment. "Me and Jess actually used to room together. Third floor, I think the fifth window from the left? Maybe the sixth. We shared a suite bathroom with the most awful girl, she always left her hair all over the shower and one time she made tie-dye shirts in the bathroom when we were at class and just left the dye everywhere. Me and Jess scrubbed the whole thing with bleach so we wouldn't end up getting damage fees."
Belatedly, she realized she was rambling. Sneaking a look at Eddie again, she found him watching her as she reminisced with a softness to his eyes. She blushed again, scrambling for a new topic as they began walking. "How's Wayne been?"
"Still working at the plant," Eddie told her, following her lead as she set them on the path back to her car. "But he switched to days after graduation. Rude, huh? Oh, he's got a girlfriend now, too."
"Wayne has a girlfriend?!" The incredulity seeped through her voice. Wayne Munson, Eddie's uncle, was one of the best people Chrissy knew. She was a firm believer that Wayne's influence had rubbed off on Eddie considerably. Still, he was a quiet man who kept largely to himself, unlike his nephew.
"I know, I'm still reeling from the shock, too, and it's been almost a year now." They fell quiet for a few beats before Eddie added softly, "He'll be happy to hear you've been good, too. Henderson graduated last year," Eddie continued with his summary of life in Hawkins that she had missed.
"Yeah, I got his announcement in the mail." Chrissy couldn't help smiling over that. Dustin Henderson had a special place in her heart. His graduation photo had a place of high esteem, tacked to her and Amanda's fridge with a magnet. "God, I can't believe he's old enough to be out of high school. What about that girlfriend he had? Suzy, was that her name?"
"Yeah, Suzy. They were kind of on and off towards the end, still kept in touch though. There was a lot of back and forth the months leading up to graduation. Harrington said he should move cross country to go to a school near hers."
"Steve's always been a romantic." When they reached her car, Eddie opened the door of the driver's side for her. "What, in all your infinite wisdom, was your advice for Dustin?"
"To get the hell out of dodge," Eddie shrugged, joining her in the car once more. "I wasn't as picky about which direction he went. He followed Harrington's advice, though. Him and Suzy are still on and off... I think off, right now. Either way, Henderson's getting a fancy ass science degree so you both can show me up."
"Stop that," Chrissy chastised him despite his teasing tone. "Having a college degree isn't the be all, end all of intelligence."
"Easy for the college graduate to say," Eddie continued, completely unperturbed.
"Almost college graduate." Chrissy started heading downtown without explaining where they were going. "Not until next Saturday… if I pass my finals."
"You'll pass your finals, Chris." She smiled reflexively at his reassurance. Out of necessity, she had to let go of his hand to get in the car, but she missed his touch. Would it be too bold to offer her hand again while driving? Eddie was so very much the same, and yet…
In the end, Chrissy kept her hands on the wheel until she pulled her car to a stop down the block from her favorite bookstore. "Sorry to make you do so much walking," she told him. "Parking availability's a little different here than in Hawkins."
"Show me the way, city girl." She hadn't needed to fret over the internal conundrum of holding his hand or not. He reached for her again as soon as they were both on the sidewalk.
They each walked away from the bookstore with a few new novels apiece. Chrissy took Eddie to her favorite hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant for lunch. When he teased her poor chopstick skills and they argued over who would pay for lunch—ultimately, Eddie won—Chrissy had that feeling again. The one she could only ever describe as 'peace'. She had felt it last night, tucked under his arm at the bar.
And for an entire summer when she was eighteen.
And now as the day was truly warm, and they stopped at Chrissy's car parked on the street just long enough to toss their jackets inside before taking a jaunt around downtown. Eddie looked around at all the shops and restaurants, but Chrissy was inspecting his left arm. She was familiar with the wyvern, bats, and puppet master—the last of which were highly ironic, in hindsight—on his right arm, but the tattoos that dotted his left arm between the scarring were new to her.
One peeked out from beneath his sleeve. With her free hand, she pulled the fabric up to inspect a rather familiar mountain range etched into the skin of his arm, near the shoulder. "Mordor it is," she murmured to herself. The Shire is burning, so Mordor it is, the words Eddie had said to her and Dustin moments before they plunged into the Upside Down. Chrissy hadn't understood the reference until a few months later when Eddie had read The Lord of the Rings trilogy aloud to her.
She could feel Eddie's eyes on her, but she continued her exploration. There was a D20 dice just inside the crook of his elbow, not to mention the entire Hellfire logo wedged between two larger bite scars. Chrissy gave a snort before looking up at him. "If Jess had paid any attention to your tattoos, she would know you're not quite the 'bad boy' she pegged you for."
"Hey, now," Eddie put on an outrageously offended expression. "You're one of the only people who recognize the Hellfire logo outside of Hawkins. It gets me street cred to those unaware."
"I'm sure it does," she studied the horned devil's head bracketed by a flaming sword and a spiked medieval mace. Seeing the Hellfire Club design again had pulled her into her memories once more, so much so that she missed Eddie dipping his head low over hers.
"There's more under my shirt, too," his words ghosted over her ear, the warmth of his breath settling into her skin and causing it to tingle. "Maybe I'll let you see them if you play nice."
Chrissy nearly shoved him into the street. Though her cheeks were burning with embarrassment, she couldn't help laughing along with him. His boldness shattered the awkwardness that had colored much of the day. With the sun beginning to hang heavy in the sky, Eddie took hold of her arm to right himself, laughing all the while. Chrissy let him draw her into his side and drop a kiss to the top of her head.
"I missed you so fuckin' much, Chrissy." She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging herself to him for a moment. They were nearly tripping over each other, but she didn't mind. Eddie didn't seem to, either. Still, they untangled themselves, bound only by their hands again.
"I missed you, too," she told him, lifting their joined hands to return the kiss to the back of his. "I didn't even realize how much until I saw you last night."
The confession fell from her lips before she could think better of it. When Eddie gave her hand a squeeze, she knew there was no reason to regret it.