A/N: This will be a multiple part chapter, this being part 1, of the Prom section in this story.

The title of this chapter is from the song Prom Queen by Catie Turner.

It's okay, it's okay, I'll convince myself it's overrated anyway

It's okay, it's alright, the jealousy in my bones won't rattle tonight

'Cause I wanna be somebody to someone

But it's all starting to blur like a dream

A week before Prom

Eddie's pov:

The monotone voice of Mrs. Wright filters through the stuffy classroom and Eddie couldn't, for the life of him, care to act like he's paying her any attention. Her voice reminded him of the teachers from Charlie Brown, a constant "Whaaawah whahwaaah", which bores him to tears, so he draws. He does this often in his classes, which probably isn't going to help him when exams start but he'll study extra hard with Chrissy and Nancy when the time comes. His current piece of art is a skull with snakes slithering out of one eye, horns twist on top of the skull, looking more like tree branches. He's adding some shading to the horns when something hits his shoe.

Looking down he spies a note.

As he reaches for the note he looks around the room, trying to find the sender, before unfolding the piece of notebook paper.

Are you going to prom with Chrissy?

Jennie

He's at a loss for the message. Why would Jennie Peterson care? He looks over his shoulder to where she sits and sees, not only Jennie, but Anna, staring at him. Eddie gives them a shrug.

This does not please the nosy girls. Anna makes a wild gesture with her hands, hinting for him to write back. Sighing, he scribbles his response. Short and sweet.

I don't do prom

He folds the paper and nudges it back in her direction with his foot.

A minute passes and the note is passed across the floor to him again. It takes everything in him not to openly groan but he does roll his eyes. He bends down and picks it up off the floor.

What do you mean you don't 'do prom'?! Chrissy bought a dress and everything!

She thinks you two are going together.

Eddie makes a face as he reads the message. A ring cladded hand runs over his face. He quickly scribbles out another reply and then flings the note back behind him.

They continue this back and forth notion until they're both just throwing the note, rather aggressively, at each other.

She does?

Yes you idiot!

But I haven't said anything about it

She got a dress. It's yellow. You HAVE to go Eddie!

It's her senior prom!

So?

So?! She'd never forgive you!

Stop bothering me!

He lets out a small grunt on the last toss which catches Mrs. Wright's attention.

"Is there something wrong Mr. Munson?" she asks loudly, her voice clipped.

He freezes then gulps before responding, "N–no. I'm good."

She gives him a hard look before turning back to the chalkboard.

Eddie looks behind him and mouths the word stop to the two girls. With a shake of his head he goes back to his art. Was she really expecting him to ask her? Did he even have to if they're already dating? He's never attended the stupid prom, not for his first senior year and especially not for his second.

The tension in his hand from his racing thoughts has him pressing the pencil down harshly against the paper. His thoughts come to a halt when his pencil snaps beneath the pressure and breaks the sharp end.

Well shit.

Eddie weaves his way through the busy halls lost in thought. As soon as the bell had rung Anna and Jennie leapt out of their chairs and caught him right at the doorway. They had demanded that he needed to ask Chrissy and to make it romantic. How the fuck does he even do that when he doesn't want to go?

Eddie the freak Munson doesn't do silly school events like go to prom. Hell, he hasn't been to a damn pep rally since his freshman year, back when he was simply an instrument of oppression to the school system. He hadn't known any better at fourteen. Now, he mocks them and then sells drugs for all the after parties. That's what he does.

Just like being targeted and bullied by the jocks. All because he refuses to mold and be one with the system.

Opening his locker to check for new notes from any potential clients, he spots the recent ultrasound picture tucked away in the back corner. He smiles softly at the image of his little sunshine, his little Hershey Kisses sized baby. He plucks it from its hiding spot and tucks it into the side pocket of his vest. No new notes, but that's okay, they'll come the closer prom gets. They always do.

He starts to make his way to his next class when someone roughly pushes him against the lockers from behind. The sudden movement throws him off balance, the toe of his shoe catching the aluminum checkered flooring. His hands brace against the metal doors to catch his fall.

"Jesus Christ! Watch it ma—"

He stops mid sentence as he sees Jason and Patrick sizing him up, smirking. "Watch your step freak." Patrick sneered, his dark eyes flashing in a warning. Jason quickly picks something up off the floor and stuffs his hands in his letterman.

"Fuck off." Eddie snapped at the two, lunging slightly, bowing up his chest. They snicker as they walk away.

He wouldn't actually do anything, unless in self defense. There were too many eyes in these halls. He really didn't need to get in trouble with graduation on the horizon.

With a shake of his head, he takes off, unbeknownst of Nancy watching silently from her locker a few feet away.

She watches as Jason and Patrick stop in front of the boys bathroom. Jason is looking down at a something in his hands. She tries to look busy with her locker but glances over occasionally. The blond jock's face twists in shock before shifting to something furious. She can't tell what they're looking at but whatever it is has him pissed. His hands shake and she sees him curse under his breath before he stuffs the item back in his pockets.

Eddie waits out in the parking lot by his van, taking a long drag from his ciggy. He searches for Chrissy through the sea of teens. She had mentioned something at lunch about meeting up with Anna and some friends to chat.

He starts up the car and puts in his MegaDeth tape. He skips to the second song, Killing Is My Business and turns up the volume.

Sticking his head out the window, he scans the crowded lot again. Finally, he spots Chrissy with Anna and red. For whatever reason, Chrissy had begun inviting Max to ride home with them from school. He didn't mind this but he did miss having their car rides to themselves. He figures she's grown fond of the spunky freshman. It's good that she has someone else, besides him, to talk with about Vecna and the visions, and, to his complete surprise, Max seems to really like Chrissy too.- Guess bonding over trauma is a real thing.

As Chrissy makes her way over to his side of the van, the first thing he notices is she looks pissed. Max climbs in the passenger seat with a smirk.

Oh no.

"Hey Princes–"

"Anna's going to drop me off at home." She cuts him off.

He blinks at her. His eyes wander over to Anna, who stands awkwardly behind Chrissy, clutching the straps to her backpack and looking down at her shoes.

"Um, okay…Everything alright?"

The side of her mouth twitches ever so slightly before responding, "Yeah. We're just going to drop off our dresses for alterations, you know, for the dance that you're too cool for." she says, coolly, not meeting his eyes.

He panics, stumbling over words in a rush, "What?! Chris, baby–That's not what I said–or meant!"

With a roll of her eyes she walks off with Anna in tow. Eddie bangs his fist against the steering wheel. "Fuck!"

To his right, Max whistles. "Way to go Munson."

"Don't start red." He warns, fishing out another cig from his pocket. "Buckle up." he says around the unlit cigarette, throwing the van in reverse and pulls out of the lot.

Silence passes between them. Max digs through his tapes, hunting for a new track to put on. She slips the tape in and the sound of Dio plays through his old speakers.

"You know…for someone who was given a second chance, you're doing a pretty shitty job at making the most of it." Max pointed out.

Eddie scoffs before taking a drag from his smoke. "Tell me red, how does me not wanting to go to prom have anything to do with second chances, huh?" He asked, casting her a pointed glance.

Max groans loudly, slumping down in the seat and crosses her arms. "I swear, you're so dense sometimes. If we didn't get stuck in this new dimension then Chrissy wouldn't ever get to go to her senior prom. She would still be dead–all of us would be dead, moron!"

His whole body tenses at the last part. He's tried, desperately, for the last month to not think about Vecna and the Upsidedown,- think about Chrissy's lifeless, broken body on the floor in his living room. A shiver runs up his spine.

"Well, what about you? Are you doing all these amazing, daring things with your second chance?" he questioned her, sarcastically.

The moody freshman goes quiet and looks out the passenger window. Eddie's restless fingers tap along to the beat on the wheel, debating if he should say something or leave her to her thoughts.

Just as he is opening his mouth to speak, Max beats him to it.

"In the other…time…he-Lucas, asked me to go to the movies with him. I asked him this time. I almost didn't get to have that. I'm not letting Vecna or the Mind Flayer or any other monster steal any more of my life from me." she admits softly.