"Look there she is!" Robin whispered excitedly as her auburn haired crush walked by us in the hallway. Vicki gave her a slight awkward wave as she made eye contact. "Ugghh," Robin groaned, "This is literally killing me!"

"You could always just ask her to go with you," I reminded her. "It's just a stupid dance."

"No, no, no. Not just a stupid dance, its homecoming. Senior Homecoming. She's totally going to be so weirded out."

"If it goes sideways, you could always just say 'as friends'. You know, because her boyfriend doesn't live around here and you'd thought she didn't want to be left out of the festivities."

Robin paused, "That actually sounds like it might be a good cover. I didn't think about it."

I laughed, "See, I can sometimes have good ideas."

"Speaking of homecoming," Robin began, "Are you going?"

I sighed heavily. "I doubt it. Reason one, I cannot dance whatsoever and I don't want to make a total idiot of myself. Reason two, no one to go with."

Robin sounded surprised. "You mean Eddie hasn't asked you?"

"Nope."

"I'm kind of surprised." Robin stated. "I mean, the last time the two of you hung out it went so well."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek in thought. "I thought so." I was relieved that we made it to our seat in class so that conversation could be put on pause for the moment. The truth was, I was kind of surprised that Eddie hadn't even mentioned homecoming at all.

"He still has a few days, Wimey. Maybe he's just thinking of a cute way to ask you." I smiled a little at the nickname she had been calling me for the last week, even though I'm not really sure where it came from. Robin added, "I can tell you don't really want to talk about this, so I'll just leave it at that."

I was so thankful for the fact that Robin knew me well enough to know when to drop the subject. Not talking about it didn't change the fact that it was still on my mind. It wasn't that I even wanted to go in the first place, so I didn't know why I was so bothered by Eddie not asking me.

I was only half paying attention in class, my mind exactly where it shouldn't be. On Eddie. The bell sounded, jolting my from my daydreaming about that stupid boy with the stupid messy hair.

I followed Robin to our typical spot at lunch, at a table with Steve and Max. For once, I was grateful to have a social distraction seeing as I wasn't able to keep my mind on much schoolwork today. Max was bitching to Steve as we sat down, "I don't really see the point of these stupid things anyways."

"What stupid things?" Robin asked her as she took a bit of her square pizza.

"The stupid thing." Steve filled us in. "Homecoming."

"Can we just not talk about this?" I asked as I poked my fork into a hard pile of cold mashed potatoes. "Like, can we talk about literally anything else?"

"See," Max said, pointing to me, "She gets it."

I get exactly why Max was avoiding the topic of Homecoming. Lucas and her had been broken up for a while now, and it was plain to see that he heart was still with him. Lucas, who I hadn't spent too much time around, was apparently more concerned with hanging around a different crowd this year to 'move up the social ladder', and unfortunately that crowd included those like Jason, Andy, Patrick, and Chrissy.

The social ladder wasn't really Max's thing, and that's why I liked her a lot. Sometimes she'd come over and have dinner with us when her mom was working, and she'd snag an occasional ride to school with me. Poor girl lost her brother over the summer in the Starcourt Mall fire. Ever since that night Max wasn't the same. I wouldn't be either, if I lost Seth.

"Wyatt, it's your senior year," Steve reminded me. "I thought you'd want to do all the typical senior year bullshit. You know, for memory's sake."

"That's what Seth says too." I stated. "I just don't see myself as the next Hawkins Homecoming Queen." My eyes darted over to the table where Eddie sat with his friends. Eddie briefly looked over at me and gave me his signature shit eating grin and a small wave.

Steve followed my eyes over to him. "Has he asked you?"

I didn't answer, so Robin did for me. "Nope. Not a peep to her about homecoming."

"Guys, come on. Enough about this stupid homecoming." I sighed, "It's making me lose my appetite." Not that I wanted to eat this shit anyways.

Thankfully, Steve obliged and changed the topic. "Oh yeah, I passed my chemistry test. Thanks for loaning me the answers."

"There ya go, Stevie!" I smiled, "You may actually get all your credits this semester."

"Yeah, thanks to you. But, I may need you to help me study for the quiz next Friday." Steve reminded me.

"Yeah, we can start on that last period in Study Hall, just make sure to actually bring your books this time, please."

"Yes, ma'am." Steve saluted playfully.

Our conversation was interrupted when a voice yelled my name from across the cafeteria. "Hey Wyatt!" I looked over instinctively to meet the eyes of Jason who was standing up out of his chair. "Andy wants to know if you'll go to homecoming with him?!"

I turned bright red as other students in the cafeteria turned to look over at me. "What the fuck?" I whispered under my breath in embarrassment. From the corner of my eye I could see Eddie stop talking with Gareth and watch me carefully, his face guarded.

Steve to the rescue as always, slid his arm over my shoulder protectively and yelled back over to them. "Fuck off, Jason! She's already going with me!"

Jason sat back down and Andy looked humiliated. I almost felt bad for him. I looked over to Steve and leaned into him with a small hug. "Thank you." I glanced up towards where Eddie was sitting again, and this time his back was turned to me walking away, his posture tense.

I remembered that Eddie didn't like Steve, and he really didn't like my friendship with Steve. Did Eddie really think that Steve and I were going to homecoming together?

Steve, basically reading my mind, assured me. "It's fine, Wyatt." I was picking nervously at my lower lip from habit and Steve took my hand away from my mouth. "But this does give me an idea, though. Why don't we all four go? Like as a group?"

The girls and I all looked over at each other and then back to Steve. "I mean, think about it. There's no reason we can't all go single and still have fun, right? Let's just make the most of it."

Robin looked over at Max and I. "We could all go dress shopping together?"

I shrugged, "Whatever, I'm down."

Max answered. "I'm definitely not going to homecoming, but I will tag along with you guys. If that's ok?"

"Sweet," Steve said, leaning back in his chair cooly. "So homecoming it is."

I stood up, still no food touched on my tray. "I'll catch you guys later, okay? I'm going to go check on something really quick."

Steve smiled teasingly, "Or someone."

Robin played along. "Hmm. I wonder who that could be?" I flipped them the bird as I headed out the cafeteria doors and across the football field. I had a fairly good idea of where Eddie was sulking off to.

I had been right, at the lone picnic table, Eddie sat on top smoking a cigarette rather aggressively. Eddie didn't acknowledge me and I sat down on the bench next to him. This time Eddie didn't offer one to me, so I snagged one out of the pack in my pocket and lit it myself.

"What are you doing here, Stephens?" Eddie's voice was flat and hoarse, as if he had just got done yelling.

It took me back a little, I had never seen Eddie act so casually towards me in all the times we spent together over the last few weeks. "I didn't know that I wasn't allowed to come out here, but if you want me to leave I will."

Eddie took another drag of his cigarette without saying a word to me, never even looking over my direction. My voice had a little hint of irritation spill through. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nope." Eddie said simply as he took another drag of smoke, his stature still tense.

"Okay…" I looked away from him, not liking the energy he was putting off. "Because you're not acting like a total ass or anything, right?"

Eddie chuckled darkly. "Yeah, I guess I am."

I didn't like this feeling, and I didn't like things feeling off between Eddie and I. I stubbed out my cigarette with anger. "Look, Eddie, if this is about Steve…"

Eddie laughed a single sarcastic laugh that bounced off the trees. "Right, Steve."

I stood up and headed back for the school building, a mixture of rage and a tinge of panicked sadness. I made it about ten stride's before I turned around making sure he could hear me, "You know, if you were going to make this a big deal you could have at least gotten the balls to ask me yourself, Eddie." I took another few steps away before adding, "And if you really must know, Steve, Robin, and I are all three going together. As friends. So make sure you get that straight before you get your balls in a knot."

I made it another several yards before I heard him hit something and a very dramatic "SON OF A BITCH!" be yelled through the air.