Chapter 24: Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy

"Ooh, love, ooh, loverboy

What're you doin' tonight, hey, boy?

Set my alarm, turn on my charm

That's because I'm a good old-fashioned loverboy"


Friday. January 24th, 1986.

POV: Eddie Munson

I sit on my throne at the head of the table in the Hawkins High drama room. Props from old theater plays and musicals sit collecting dust in the corner. The Hellfire club watches me eagerly. They lean forward, their bodies frozen in anticipation and their eyes wild and focused.

Dustin Henderson stares at me smugly from across the table, ready for me to hit them with my worst. Mike Wheeler's hand slowly crushes an aluminum soda can, terrified of what might happen next. Lucas Sinclair taps a pencil anxiously, his mind is trying to calculate the various scenarios that might unfold.

The rest of my party hunches forward with varying levels of trepidation, nerves, and excitement.

I smile and tighten my hands around the arms of my chair. I love this shit.

"Well, well, well..." My voice booms theatrically across the room. "You boys have gotten yourselves into a bit of a sticky situation."

Mike Wheeler gulps. Lucas Sinclair darts his gaze around at the other members. Dustin Henderson squints his eyes challengingly.

I wish I could be a benevolent Dungeon Master... but I just can't find it within me. In this room, I am the highest of all deities. If it is more amusing to ignore the handbook propped in front of me, then I will improvise. This is my domain, and my dear friends are at the mercy of my power.

I offer them a wicked grin.

"This evening... you have all played with an admirable combination of heart and grit. You have bested some deranged monsters who dared to stand in your way, and for that... I applaud you."

I stand up suddenly and slap my hands against the table. The boys jump in their seats.

I glance around the table, making direct eye contact with each player.

"However, you have made a spectacle of death. A mockery of suffering. The time has come for you to pay."

Lucas Sinclair looks at his friends quickly. They share his expression of alarm.

I reach out one hand and slowly dance my fingers through the air.

My voice lowers, "You group of heroes stand at the mouth of a dark cave. The bodies of those you have slain litter around your feet. Their blood and tears pool and leak into the soil beneath them."

The boys lean forward in their seats.

I smile and continue. "You stand tall with your weapons raised, startled by the eerie silence that formed after the screams and battle cries. You look between your friends, wondering if this is really the end. Maybe it's all over."

I lower my hand and knock my rings against the table.

"It's not over. A new sound begins to grow from deep inside the cavern. You are frozen. You cannot turn and run. You must know what they are saying. You hear... murmurs... whispers... moans."

I slide my hands forward on the table and lean down. My curls hang over my shoulders, and I pretend like I can hear a far-off call.

"It sounds like... chanting. The words float closer, and you feel a pulling inside your chest. Almost as if your life breath is being drawn from you by a large magnet. You tighten your grip around your weapons, but still, you feel yourself floating, inching toward the darkness. Something is calling you. It wants your secrets. It wants your darkest moments. It needs to feast... and you all look like a succulent banquet."

I settle back into my chair, leaning against the seat and lounging comfortably. I feel like a mad king on a throne, waiting to inflict torture upon my subjects. I look around the table and see the Hellfire boys hanging on my every word.

I flex my fingers, and my shoe beats rhythmically on the floor. I let out a deep exhale and lean my head forward.

"You can hear it now. Layered voices chanting and moving inside the cave. Hail, Lord Vecna. Hail, Lord Vecna."

"No..." Dustin Henderson whispers.

"Oh, yes." I nod at him gravely. "You have defeated monsters of the living; you have journeyed across worlds, but you have yet to defeat death itself. Something is coming, something bigger than you've ever seen. It wishes to claim you. It will expose your secrets... it will expose the terrible things you have done. He is the Whispered One. The Undying King. The one true god. When you are dead, he will add your bodies to his army. Your weapons are not sharp enough, and your intentions are of no consequence. Vecna lives."

The boys look around excitedly, ready to launch into a new objective.

I smile and stand up, crossing my arms tightly across my chest.

"But, Vecna is not impatient. He intends to wait."

The Hellfire Club stares up at me. They are ready to instigate a battle, but our time is up.

"Well, boys," I throw my hands out at my sides. "That's all we have time for tonight."

An immediate chorus of groans and yelling echoes across the room.

"Really?!"

"What the hell!"

"That's bullshit, man!" Gareth slams both hands on the table.

Dustin throws a pencil at me. It bounces against my chest and catches in my hair. I swat at it and pull it off me quickly as if it's a spider.

"Vecna, really? You're bringing Vecna into this?" Lucas protests.

"Oh, man, we're all gonna die," Mike groans and drops his head into his hands.

I throw my hands up defensively. "Hey, hey. Don't shoot the messenger! I told you this campaign would turn you boys into men."

"This sucks!" Dustin slams his fist against the table.

I cackle evilly and sit back down, watching their tantrums unfold. Maybe it was a little bit sinful of me to introduce Lord Vecna... but I can do what I want. There are no limits to the ways in which I can twist the narrative and alter the plot. The improvisation thrills me. I like when no one can guess my next move.

The boys begin to stand and collect their supplies. Lucas crushes a Mountain Dew can under his sneaker, and we file out of the drama room.

Dustin Henderson moves next to me.

"You know... you really are an antagonistic person," he says.

I look over at him and laugh. He's pissed by the unforeseen events in the campaign.

He shakes his head at me. "I'm serious, man! You're totally unreasonable."

"Life is unreasonable, Henderson," I smile. "You've just gotta deal with it. Running away is not allowed."

He scoffs, "Easy for you to say. You're not in the trenches, man. We actually have to fight the bastard. If my character dies at the hands of Vecna, I'm going to be so pissed."

I laugh loudly and push open the doors—the January air slams against our faces. The warm sensation I felt from the thrill and energy of the DnD session begins to cool off in the night air.

Dustin continues, "Seriously. If this thing goes south, I will sneak into your house and shave your head in the middle of the night."

I move to turn on him, but something across the parking lot catches my eye. A girl walks slowly behind a tall boy in a Varsity jacket. They stop alongside a silver Volkswagen, and he pulls open the door for her.

Winter casts one last glance at the gym. She looks hesitant but slides into the passenger seat. I let out a long exhale and watch as the headlights flash on.

Dustin is still chattering.

"I mean, you're pretty good at what you do. I still think you should've consulted us before you decided to add The Maimed God."

I force myself to look away from the car and regard Henderson.

"Pretty good? I'm the best. Come on... you guys love my campaigns." I move towards him and slap my hand against his chest. "I'm trying to prepare for the real world, kid. You probably haven't seen much danger in your short, sheltered life."

"You have no idea..." the boy mutters quietly.

I throw one arm around his shoulder and lead him across the parking lot.

"Don't sweat it. You'll be just fine. Right now, you can go back home to your mommy and cuddle into your Star Wars sheets. Vecna can't get you outside of the game," I say with a patronizing smile.

"I don't have Star Wars sheets, okay?" He sighs.

"Sure," I smirk and slide my hands into the back pockets of my jeans. "Whatever you say, man."

"Hey... who is that?" Dustin looks over my shoulder.

I turn around and see a body leaning against my van. I parked far away from the gym, and the silhouette is obscured in the dark parking lot.

I clap a hand down on Dustin's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it."

He looks up at me and smiles. He's a pretty cool kid. I feel protective over all of the freshmen in Hellfire. I understand how much they need a community, and I try my best to impart wisdom on them whenever I can. I'm not saying that I'm a great role model, but I have done enough dumb things that I hope can provide them with a few life lessons.

"See you later, Eddie!" Dustin calls as he runs to catch up with Lucas and Mike.

I sigh deeply and turn to walk to the person lounging against my van.

"Took you long enough," a sultry voice calls to me.

I smile softly and stop in front of the girl leaning against my van. I gaze up at her frame.

Long freckled legs stand in a short skirt. A blue sweater clings tightly to her body. Her short red hair brushes against her shoulders and her green eyes sparkle at me—Emma Smith leans against my van.

"Sorry," I say casually. I reach around her to open the passenger door.

"It's alright." She takes a step towards me. "I don't mind waiting."

I give her a tight smile and walk to the driver's side. She climbs in and slams the passenger door shut.

I guess this is who I ditched Winter for, but it's not what you think. Winter probably thinks I have plans with Patti, but the truth is... I haven't seen Patti in a while.

I start the engine and pull out of the parking lot. Emma Smith crosses her legs, and I notice her finger trace up and down the skin of her bare thighs. I think she's trying to pull my attention there, but I stare back through the windshield and focus on the road.

Patti came over to my trailer one last time after she threw my clothes at me in my kitchen and stormed out. I called her a few days later and tried to be charming. She showed up outside my door not that long after.

She sat down beside me on the couch calmly, and I searched through my jacket pocket for a cigarette. I finally found one and was about to light it up when Patti spoke.

"I came over to tell you I can't see you anymore," she said.

The lighter flickered in front of my cigarette. I looked over at her, surprised.

"What?" I shut the lighter and took the cigarette out of my mouth. "Listen, I know we got into it a little bit earlier... when Winter was here... but I'm really sorry, okay? I just got defensive. I was a dick."

She gave me a simple smile. "It's okay. That conversation was good... it helped me realize something."

I turned toward her. "Realize what?"

She shrugged. "That something is holding you back."

I didn't like where this conversation was heading. Patti and I were supposed to be simple. She never seemed overly concerned about anything. Where was this coming from?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied.

"Eddie..." She spoke slowly and reached for one of my hands. "You and me, we have fun, right?"

I nodded.

Her thumb traced the back of my palm. "I do like you, and maybe I would even like more. But I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I know that won't happen."

I leaned back and raised my eyebrows at her. This was dumb. We didn't need to complicate things; we shouldn't even be talking. Not talking is what we did best.

I opened my mouth to speak and then closed it.

Finally, I said, "I think you're great, Patti. Really... I didn't mean to offend you when I told you to stop giving Winter advice. I was thinking more about her than anything, and my words came out all wrong."

She smiled at me.

"I know," she said and sunk into the cushions beside me.

"Okay... so we're fine, right?" I moved to tilt my head toward hers, but she pulled back.

"No. I still think there's something holding you back. Something that keeps me at a distance."

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "There isn't, Patti. I'm just not a serious relationship person."

Patti sighed as well. "Listen, it's not your fault. I didn't think I wanted a serious relationship with you, and honestly... I still don't."

I looked over at her and raised my eyebrows. This was confusing.

"What I'm trying to say is..." She hesitated. "We don't need to be in a serious relationship. We can just enjoy each other's company. But... I can't do that when I know there is someone else."

"Someone else?" I asked.

She stared at me for a long moment, waiting for me to say what she was thinking. But... I had no idea what she was thinking.

Patti's voice floated out gently, "I think Winter is holding you back."

I sat up quickly and pulled my hand away from hers. "What?"

"I think you have feelings for her," her voice came out simple and even as if she was stating obvious facts.

My hands crossed wildly in front of my body. "No. Nope! She's my best friend."

"I saw the way you two were together," she said. "It's like you are two halves of a whole."

I shook my head. "Patti, no. We understand each other. But that's not... it's never been anything more than that."

I didn't like what she was suggesting. Of course, I cared about Winter, but that's because we look after each other. We rely on each other.

She leaned towards me and set a gentle hand on my upper back. "So, you guys have been friends since what? 12 and 14? And there's never been an idea or an inkling..."

"This is a pointless conversation," I said harshly.

"I don't think it is." Her voice was calm and even. "From what I saw, you guys have a beautiful friendship. I mean that. But your need to protect her is blocking your own feelings in more ways than you realize. She will always be in the middle. I can't get into a situation like that."

I looked over at her sharply.

She sighed. "I don't mean that in a bad way. It's not her fault... she is lovely and sweet. But you have to either admit that you have feelings for her or try to let it go. I think you're holding on to some connection that isn't serving either of you. It's... intense."

I threw my hands up and let them slap against my thighs. What was I supposed to say? I know Winter and I are closer than most people, but that's because we've needed to be each other's protectors and confidants. That doesn't mean our friendship has to turn into something else.

"I can't admit to anything if it's not true," I said flatly.

I didn't feel angry, just intensely confused. My thoughts were beginning to jumble in my brain, and I rubbed my palms against my forehead, trying to force clarity into my skull.

"Eddie, it's okay." She moved her hand in small circles against my shoulder blade. "You don't have to change anything if you don't want to... But I need to walk away for myself, okay?"

She moved to stand up, and my hand landed on her forearm, forcing her to look back at me.

No. She couldn't leave.

If she leaves, then I will have to stay here with everything she just said, and I can't think about any of that. I needed to explain it to her so I could hear myself out loud.

I pushed my hands together and took a deep breath.

"Listen... do I think Winter is probably the best person in the world? Yes. Do I enjoy being around her? Does she make me feel like a better person? Yes. But that's just her. Anyone she gets close to is made better for it. And..."

My hands flapped in front of my chest.

"Look at me! I'm a mess. So I do need her. But I would never go there. Nothing more could ever happen between us. She's too important to me. I just... I need her in my life to keep me sane and remind me that maybe not everything is shitty. But anything more would never happen between us. Never. Ever."

I looked at her with wide eyes. She stared blankly back at me.

Patti stood up from the couch, and my hand grabbed hers quickly.

"Wait, hey. Where are you going? I'm being honest," I pleaded.

"I know you are," she said. "But, I can't sort this out for you, Eddie. And I can't see you anymore."

I stood up and placed my hands on her upper arms.

"There's nothing between Winter and I except shared experiences with fucked up childhoods, okay? That has made us close, yes. But I would never see her like that."

Patti smiled.

"Exactly," she said.

She walked towards my front door. I stood frozen next to the couch, wondering what I was doing wrong. I was trying my hardest to listen and respond to what she was saying, but it seemed like her mind was already made up.

"What?" My voice sounded exhausted.

My brain was beginning to hurt, and I felt like I was going insane. Everything I told her was the truth.

I keep people at a distance because I believe they will eventually let you down. I also believe that of myself. I'm kind of a fuck up. I can't provide myself with stability, let alone anyone else. So, casual relationships are all I can handle... it's all I have to give.

I thought Patti and I were on the same page. But now she's saying we can't continue as we were because... what? Because of Winter?

Patti looked back at me. "You said you would never see her that way, not that you couldn't. You make a conscious choice about it."

"Oh, come on!" My voice was louder now. I couldn't take much more of this.

Patti placed one hand on the door handle.

"Eddie. I'm sorry... I like you and thought we would get somewhere because we're pretty similar, but I realized that won't happen. I don't care what you do after this, but I can't put myself in this situation."

"I just explained to you that there is NO situation," I yelled.

"I don't claim to know your feelings or thoughts," she said. "But I know what I heard just then."

I shrugged at her. I felt helpless and hopeless.

Patti looked at me; her gaze bore into my own.

"It's not that you don't want to be with her... it's that you can't lose her."

I walked over to her quickly. "I don't know what the fuck that means!"

Patti looked up at me and smiled. "You will soon enough."

She leaned forward and gave me a final, soft peck on the lips, and exited through the front door.

I stood there frozen, feeling as if she had just left a bomb on my front porch that I didn't know how to diffuse.

My van pulls over onto the side of the road. I navigate closer to the trees, and my headlights shine on a trail marker. I turn off the engine and jump out of the van.

"Um... you're not going to make me walk in the woods, are you?" Emma asks.

I look over at her. "Yeah... that's where I do most of my deals."

She scrunches her nose up. "No, thank you. We can stay right here."

I sigh, "Listen, Emma. The cops in this town are basically clueless, but I'm still not going to do a drug deal in my extremely visible van on the side of the road for everyone to see."

She crosses her arms over her chest and looks forward.

I feel my hands clench into fists and I turn left to right as irritation spreads through my body. I push my palm against my mouth and let out a loud huff.

Emma sits stubbornly in my passenger seat and won't look over at me. With a dramatic grunt, I hop back into my van and slam the door shut.

Emma's hands uncross, and she leans toward me. "Why can't we just go to your place?"

I let out a deep sigh. Winter doesn't know I started selling again, and if she sees me bring Emma back to my trailer, she's going to be extremely suspicious.

"We just can't, okay?" I offer her a bright smile, and Emma rolls her eyes.

I sigh and reach into the back of my van. My hands find my metal lunch pail. I set it on the center console in between us and pop it open.

Emma pushes one hand on my wrist and smiles at me.

"Can't we just talk first?"

I raise my eyebrows at her. She spoke to me for the first time ever before Christmas break last year. It was the same day Winter put the sign on Jake Hartman's back. Emma had returned to school after being out sick, and she found me leaning up against the wall in the hallway. She stopped in front of me and twirled her hair around her finger. I was very amused but didn't think much of it. She said something to me about some advice Winter had given her, then turned heel and swished away.

When Emma returned to school a week later with her hair chopped to her shoulders and holes carefully torn into black tights, I took notice of her. She still wasn't my type, but I couldn't help giving her the once over.

I close the lunch pail.

Emma leans towards me and gazes up through her eyelashes.

After Patti dumped my ass and I continued to shuttle Winter to and from basketball games, I began to feel a little unwanted. That feeling wasn't entirely new, but it still sucked. Winter was pulling away from me. She wasn't being coldhearted or malicious about it, but I understood she was growing in a new direction.

I decided maybe Patti was right. Maybe Winter and I were too close, or our connection was too intense. Maybe we relied on each other too much, and no one else could possibly enter our respective lives because of it.

Winter looked so flushed when I mentioned Theodore Knight to her, and I knew she needed to see that through. I couldn't stand in her way.

And I decided I needed to start earning some more cash if I was really going to graduate and get the fuck out of this town. So that led me to where I am right now, in my van on the side of the road with Emma Smith.

"Well..." I say quietly. "I can't believe I'm doing a drug deal with the future prom queen."

"I don't think I'm going to be prom queen anymore," she says.

I laugh. "Right. Because you're so punk now."

I think she wants to buy weed from me just for the thrill, but I'm not in the habit of chasing my customers away.

Emma sighs and stretches out her arms. One passes in front of my body and lightly grazes against my chest. As she leans to the side, her top slides up to reveal a sliver of smooth skin.

I am also not in the habit of sleeping with my customers, so I push my hands tightly down against my thighs and look ahead through the windshield.

Emma runs a hand through her hair.

"My ex-boyfriend will probably be prom king, though. Either him or Jason Carver... assholes."

I tilt my head. I agree with her on the asshole part.

"Ugh, Jake..." she continues, and I push my head against the headrest. "He was the worst."

I try to hide the smile that crosses my face. Winter was completely justified when she put that sign on his back and embarrassed him in front of the whole school. Emma Smith may have been a queen bee who actively ignored us freaks, but she didn't deserve her boyfriend spreading those rumors.

"You're not like that, though, are you?" Her voice drips with seduction.

I look over at Emma slowly and see she's leaning toward me. Her arm pushes up underneath her chest, and her other hand runs slowly across her collarbone.

"I don't think I'm like anyone," I reply nonchalantly and look through the window.

"You're just so... different," she drawls. "I bet you wouldn't treat a girl the way Jake Hartman treated me."

I sigh deeply. I can tell where this is going. Emma's ideal, Varsity jacket-wearing, ball-throwing, white-bread boyfriend humiliated her. She was probably entirely too good for him anyways, but he took her for granted.

Now that she's learned the perfect boyfriend wasn't so perfect, she's decided that she wants to try something different. Someone different.

"I'm not that different, trust me," I say softly.

"No, you are. You don't give a shit about what people think." Emma's hand lightly drags along my upper arm. "You do what you want... who you want... I think it's powerful."

I chuckle to myself.

Of course, she would assume everything I do comes from my own free will. I know who I am now, but I haven't always felt this way. People have called me a freak long before I decided that that's who I want to be. They hated me way before I listened to metal music or grew my hair out. Everyone just put me in that box. Now, I've decided to own it, and I'd rather die than wear khakis or cut my hair, but it was never my choice first.

"Emma..." I look over at her and she leans towards me. She licks her lips, but I am not swayed. "I think I should drive you home."

She scoffs and sits back a little. "I don't want to go home."

I turn the keys in the ignition. "Yeah, well. I've decided you should think a little bit longer about whether you want to buy weed, okay? I don't want you to make this decision just because you're trying to be rebellious. It's fine."

I shift the van into drive and pull onto the road.

Emma sighs loudly. "Eddie, pull over."

"No, not happening," I reply. "Tell me where you live."

Emma crosses her arms tightly over her chest. "No."

She's pouting, but I don't find it the least bit endearing.

I drive down Main Street and turn left into some random neighborhood. I stop the car and turn to her.

"Okay, Emma. That's enough now, alright? I am not going to sell you drugs. Just let me take you home-"

She leans over quickly and presses her lips tightly against mine. I hear her seat belt unbuckle, and she climbs across the center console.

Her mouth lifts off of mine as she settles onto my lap.

"Woah, hold on-"

She presses both hands on my neck and kisses me firmly. I feel my mouth open, allowing her tongue to swirl alongside mine. Our lips close again, and I can feel her desperation. She holds me firm and commands my mouth with her own.

My hands reach past her and grab the steering wheel. I try to pull my head back, but it is pressed tightly against the seat. I push her forward instead, sending her backward against the wheel. I jerk my head to the side, forcing us apart.

"Emma... stop."

I settle back against the seat, and she tries to lean in again. I take one of my hands off the wheel and hold it up in the space between us.

"We're not going to do this," I say firmly.

She huffs loudly and pushes herself off of me. She lands in the passenger seat and adjusts her skirt.

I sigh and lean against the headrest.

"Do you not find me attractive?" She asks suddenly.

I groan and look over at her.

"Emma, that's not it. You're very attractive, but I'm just not interested."

Her mouth drops open, and a heartless laugh falls out.

"Yeah, right," she scoffs. "Everyone is interested in me."

I sigh. She's probably right. I have checked her out occasionally, but this situation feels off. Clearly, this is what she had in mind when she found me at school today and asked me to meet her after the basketball game.

It doesn't feel right.

"I'm sorry," I say.

"God, don't apologize!" She sounds irritated. "I don't see what the big deal is... I want you."

I clench my jaw and shake my head. I will not give in.

She senses my hesitation and leans forward. "I've thought about you before, y'know? I know who you are. And I want you."

No, she wants who she thinks I am. The outsider, the bad boy. She's been burned by men before, and now she wants to make her own choice. She wants me to use her and assumes I won't have any feelings about it. She figures by the way I carry myself that I am a self-aware jerk, but at least that's better than the guys who are secretly jerks.

"Emma, where do you live?" I ask.

She scoffs in disbelief and looks out of the passenger window.

"Here. Good guess."

I look through the windshield at the large brick house.

"Really?" I raise my eyebrows. "Or are you lying to me?"

She barks out a short laugh. "Does it matter?"

I sigh deeply. I know how I present myself and how I am largely hostile to most people at school, but that's just a defense mechanism.

"I'm not who you think I am, okay?" I lean towards her. "I do care if you get home safe."

She rolls her eyes at me and opens the passenger door.

"Fine. Whatever."

I don't want her to feel stupid or regret what happened, so I lean over quickly and lay a gentle hand on her arm. I don't know what to say, but Emma pulls away from me harshly before I can speak.

"Ugh, don't worry about it, okay?" She turns around and then looks over her shoulder. "I know you secretly want me... so I can wait." She smiles confidently and slams the door shut.

I watch as she bounces up the walkway and enters the front door.

I blink slowly and then drop my head into my hands. A loud groan emits from my body. I'm not frustrated, well, not in a sexual way, at least, but I feel wrong. I should've just given Winter a damn ride home from the game and avoided all of this.

I hope Winter is already back in her trailer, safe and sound. I saw her climb into the car with Theo, and I knew there was nothing I could do besides watch as they drove away.

I shift the van into drive and cruise back down Main Street. I don't want to go home, at least not yet. I slide a cassette into the radio and begin to drive aimlessly.

I told Winter I couldn't give her a ride tonight because I had this plan to meet with Emma, but I could've met with Emma after school. I chose tonight because I wanted to put some distance between Winter and me.

I've decided to stop giving her rides home after the games. I even left her in the library with Theodore Knight instead of sitting beside her and interrupting their conversation. I easily could've done that; she would've been upset with me but got over it eventually.

I can see what Winter wants. She's made a few choices for herself already, but she's still hesitant. I've always thought I was protecting her by creating a wall between her and the inside. I thought I knew how the popular kids would treat her if she dared to approach them. I assumed they would treat her the same way they treated me. But... everyone at school seems to have accepted her as soon as she joined the cheerleading squad. She fits in so perfectly.

I can't let myself be the one that holds her back.

Even if I still think I am right about their intentions, I can't always be there to catch her when she stumbles. She may need to fall on her face a little to realize where she truly belongs. But, if I make that choice for her... she'll hate me.

Paranoid by Black Sabbath plays through my stereo, and I crank up the volume.

I drive until the cassette ends, then point my headlights back toward home. I park my van outside of my trailer and hop out. I'm walking automatically toward my front door, but then I freeze.

I slowly turn around and cast a glance over at Winter's trailer. I find myself wandering in that direction instead.


Author's note:

I had so much fun writing the DnD campaign! I tried to draw upon the knowledge of fantasy books I read as a kid to craft Eddie's dungeon master lines, and I wrote the boys how I would expect them to act. Lucas planning & trying to be prepared. Mike falling apart. Dustin being smug & confident. I wish we could've had even more DnD scenes in season 4... and perhaps I'll write another... we'll see :)

thanks for reading!