Whoa. The weeks got away from me. I hope to update more regularly now. Thanks so much for reading. Leave a comment!
I've tried to keep any mention of music to be in the correct time period, or at least the '80s. But this song fits so well (in my mind, anyway). It's actually kind of folksy, but I can imagine it as being metal. It's called Danger and Dread by Brown Bird.
Also...tasseling is a word even if Grammarly says it isn't. hahaha

"You know how I feel about you, right?" Eddie asked, laying with his arms wrapped around Chrissy. Her body was placid against his, a few minutes before sleep overtook her completely.

Steve's question had nagged at him. He thought Chrissy knew how he felt, but had he ever told her? He'd never spent time with another girl before. Not like he did with Chrissy. She had to have known by the way he treated her.

"Hmm?" She asked, a sleep made her voice sound far off. She snuggled back into him more. So close, they were practically one person.

"You know I love you, right?" Why did it hurt to say? Not in a bad way. In a his-heart-might-flop-out-of-his-body-and-then-burst-into-million-pieces kind of way.

She rolled over to face him. Awake now, her sleepy eyes pinning him. "'Course I do, you tell me all the time."

He looked away bashfully. Ah hell, maybe he did say but too much.

"We'll, uh… I guess I just wanted to make sure you knew."

She giggled, slight confusion furrowing her brow. "Eddie," she sighed, said his name like no one had ever said it. She rested her hand on his bare chest, he hoped she didn't feel quite how hard it was beating and leaned into him. Pressing her lips to his.

Come on baby let me take your troubles away
Some mean old man's got your head all in a horrible way
Still for all your cryin' and all your pain
You're just the sweetest little woman that I've seen in my day
So come on pretty mama let me take your troubles away

I've heard you wake up cryin' from the evils lyin' under our bed
You say there's no use tryin' to protect you from the danger and dread
Though this world is made of fearsome beasts that bark and bite
We were born to put these creatures through one hell of a fight

May we feast upon the flesh of any fever that befalls you tonight

Eddie worked his way through the lyrics. Fitting the words to the notes he played. All the songs he wrote in recent weeks have been inspired by Chrissy in one way or another.

But he hated that this one was inspired by her. He thought if maybe he wrote it, threw it out into the universe it would serve as a soothing balm and somehow help Chrissy through whatever was causing her to cry in her sleep. Help her through whatever it was she was going through and tried to hide from him.

On more than one occasion he'd woken to her whimpering. At first, he thought she was an active dreamer. Quickly he realized there was more to it than this. He woke her up once or twice thinking maybe that would put an end to the nightmare but that had only confused her. She didn't remember the dream, only that it upset her.

Now when it happens he pulls her close and wraps his arms tightly around her. Eventually, she settles and claims to not remember anything in the morning. He only wished he knew what was causing this. He'd do anything to erase the sinister specter that haunted her dreams.

She also seemed depressed during the waking hours. She hid it well - he saw through it though. When she got tired or didn't feel well for whatever reason it showed through her smiling exterior. He'd play her Fleetwood Mac (because he sure the hell didn't like Fleetwood Mac but she did). He tried to make her laugh, which wasn't all that difficult to do. He'd play for her, sing to her. Softer stuff he didn't get a chance to play with the band. Sometimes she sang along, which he fucking loved.

He'd never felt such a need to fiercely protect someone before. He wasn't some macho asshole but he wasn't the type to back down on the things he cared most about either.

Soon her sides will split wide open
We shall feast when darkness falls
Sing until our jaws are broken
Heed the blackened water's call

Lay down your burdens don't you let them drag you into the ground
I know you're hurtin' but there's plenty of your pain to go 'round
Lord knows that everybody's got a cross to bear
And I see no use in tryin' to contrast and compare
There's always someone being slaughtered by a bigger stack of splinters somewhere

If a day should break in anger
Patience weak and temper strong
Put our able hands to labor
We will work through what went wrong
If a day should break in anger

Patience weak and temper strong
Put our able hands to labor
We will work through what went wrong

Leaning back against the couch, he let his head fall, staring at the dingy ceiling. His eyes stung at the poignancy of the words that seemed to flow through him.

He blinked them away.

Just when things seemed to be going in the right direction, they came crashing down and Eddie found out all of Chrissy's secrets.

It was more like an avalanche, the crashing. A few pebbles tumbling down before the onslaught of boulders. In a lot of ways, it was the best summer of her life. Eddie made her feel special, as corny as that sounded. It was true.

He acted as though her words meant something. Like everything she said was important. He listened when she spoke. He acted like she was beautiful and her body was perfect. She'd always been self-conscious even more so when her weight fluctuates on the higher end of her goal weight. He'd say, "You're beautiful no matter what, Queenie. I'd never think differently," in an off-handed way like he didn't even have to think about it. And she'd melt inside, her heart speeding up jackrabbit quick. He looked as though she held all the mysteries of the universe in her eyes.

She was slowly removing herself from the grasp of her parents, building her own life. She was figuring out what she wanted to do. So far, that only included being with Eddie. And yes, she saw the similarities. Going from creating a life around one guy to doing the same thing with another guy. This was different, she constantly reminded herself.

Eddie gave her the space to be who she wanted, who she needed to be. He never told her who she should be or what she should do. If she wanted to become a water slide tester he'd support her. If she wanted to work at a grocery store for the rest of her life he wouldn't care. All that mattered to him was her happiness.

She felt safe in Eddie's arms. Safe in the little bubble they've built for themselves at the trailer with their little group of loyal friends. Only here in this small town, she couldn't outrun her past. It was always sneaking up on her.

The parking lot was empty by the time Chrissy finished up with work. It was a slow summer Tuesday night and the breeze was soft against her skin and smelled of tasseling corn, even here in town.

They just closed up the grocery store and Chrissy unlocked her car waving to the shift manager as she backed her station wagon out of its spot and pulled onto the main road. She turned back to her own car and as she pulled the handle, opening the door an inch, a hand reached around her, pushing it closed again.

Stifling a yelp, she spun around, her back to the door. The heat from the setting sun on the hot metal stung the back of her arms. It was Jason who stood in front of her. Too close for comfort.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded as her heart sank deeper into a borderline desperation. She looked to her right, then to her left. They were alone in the deserted parking lot.

She'd never quite gotten over that night at the trailer months before. It was imprinted on her mind. A contributing factor to her restless nights and the nightmares when she did actually sleep. It had burrowed itself into her nervous system making her jumpy and usually very aware of her surroundings. The fact Jason was able to get so close and she didn't even realize it was unsettling.

She must have been preoccupied with waving goodbye to the manager, thinking about what she and Eddie might be doing that evening. Wayne working the night shift gave them plenty of freedom. She practically lived there now.

They'd make dinner together, or if she was too tired, Eddie did so while she relaxed. Smoking a little weed, not too much. Just enough to make the day become hazy and far away. Her job at the grocery store was busier than she thought it'd be. She was constantly on her feet, always talking, answering questions, putting away stock, manning the registers if need be.

This wasn't the first time Jason showed up where she happened to be. She felt him nearby, always lurking. Watching. Sometimes he allowed himself to be seen. Other times it was only a presence she felt. A couple of times he tried to speak to her. His attempts hadn't been successful, she'd managed to avoid him by going the opposite direction. Or hiding in the cooler at work. That is… until today.

"This is a public place," he commented with a slight sneer of his lips, a cocky roll of his shoulder.

She used to think he was so gorgeous, she'd get distracted just looking at him. Now, he appeared weaselly. His squinted eyes, his face too small for the size of his head. That chin. What was it about guys with a chin like that that made them think they owned the world and the people within it?

"Can I talk to you?" He appealed cautiously. His hair had grown shaggy, it lay limp over his forehead. Dark circles rimmed the bottom of his eyes. His normally pink skin was a shade of pale. "I'm not going to hurt you," he tried unconvincingly when she pressed herself even more against the car, hoping maybe she'd melt into it.

She shook her head, not trusting her voice. It was no surprise he made bail as soon as his parents could write the check. Still, seeing him within punching distance made her shiver. The quaking started at her knees and traveled to her hands. She curled her long fingers into fists, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Come on, Chris. This isn't funny. My future is at stake," he pleaded when she said nothing.

Behind her, she pulled the handle and the door opened again. She slid behind it, putting herself between him and the door. "I don't think this is funny," she said, her voice tiny and quiet. "Like, at all."

He took a step toward her. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just so… so pissed."

"And Eddie? You didn't mean to hurt Eddie either?" She asked.

Maybe, maybe she'd be able to forgive him for hitting her because he was upset and embarrassed after what happened at prom. Popping her in the mouth because he snapped… or whatever way he wanted to misconstrue what happened. But that is not what happened. He more than snapped on Eddie. She could not forgive Jason for what he did.

"You almost killed him. Don't you get that?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes, jawbones jutting from the sides of his face. "Fine. Whatever you wanna' believe. If you tell your boyfriend," he spat the word boyfriend, "to drop the charges, I'll be able to go to MSU and I'll be out of your lives for the foreseeable future. It's a win-win."

"It's up to Hopper, not Eddie." Jim was the one pressing charges. "Eddie only volunteered his side of the story."

She was more than ready to put this all behind her. She almost wished Hopper would drop the charges then, as Jason said, he'd be able to leave the state. He'd be miles away in Michigan. At the same time, that didn't feel fair. Why should he get away with what he did?

"Bullshit," he said, his voice stinging with disbelief. "Tell me why I'm the one being prosecuted when we all know what Eddie does. He's a no-good drug dealer." He paused. Letting his words sink in.

"You don't know anything about Eddie." She couldn't deny he was a dealer. That didn't mean he was the monster that Jason was trying to make him out to be. It wasn't a justification for what he did.

"Do your parents know?" Jason asked as if he actually cared, the vein in his neck popping out as he spoke just above a shout.

She clung to the frame of the door hoping to hide the tremble that shook her body.

"Do they know who you're spending time with?"

She didn't answer. Wouldn't dignify him with a response. It wasn't his business and she wasn't under his control anymore. Not that he ever actually cared about her. He only cared about what people thought about him. That was probably what this was really about. He didn't like being painted in a bad light.

"Is this going to be your life now?" Jason asked. "Huh? Hanging out with your stoner boyfriend. Getting high? Working a shitty job?" He pointed to the brick building that housed the grocery store.

"I'm sorry it's not to your standards," she commented dryly, rolling her eyes. "Not all of us have family money to buy our way out of things."

He eyed the building, then the town around her. The nearby post office, a brick building matching the grocery store. The hill beyond her and the road that led to the city parking lot where the town held a small fair every summer. His lip upturned in a disgusted grimace.

"It's not too late, ya' know? you can still come with me."

She tried to hide her shock. He actually still wanted her to go with him? Then she fought off the laugh at the absurdity of his suggestion. "And what about Tiffany?"

"What about her? This was our dream, remember? It has nothing to do with her. Or Eddie."

She softened. Ever so slightly. How many hours had they spent talking about college and Michigan and what they'd do after college? She actually thought they'd get married, she thought she'd have babies with him. And that hurt. But it didn't hurt because they weren't going to get married and have babies. It hurt because she trusted him enough to believe they would.

She blinked away her tears. "It wasn't our dream, Jason. It was yours. I was just tagging along."

He didn't like that. Didn't like the door being shut on his moment of vulnerability. Was it vulnerability or was it manipulation?

He raised his voice to a strained yell. "You want to waste your life away here with that pothead then fine, go for it. But please don't fuck up my life too."

"No one fucked up your life, Jason. Except for you."

"Fine. Whatever," he mumbled, looking away from her. She thought maybe he was going to walk away. Unfortunately, he didn't. He always had to have the last word. "If you don't find a way to get those charges dropped, I'll tell Hopper about Eddie."

"Tell Hopper what?" She asked, knowing the answer. She felt her face flush with heat and then drain of all its blood. Her head felt light. The pavement underneath her feet felt uneven and soft.

"I'll tell him what your boyfriend does. That he's a drug dealing junkie."

"He's not a junkie," she said weakly.

"You're leaving me no choice," Jason said.

Panic spiked sharp and painful in her chest. Drug dealing was a felony in Indiana. The idea of Eddie going to prison for years struck her with a fear she'd never experienced before. She almost doubled over, unable to catch a breath. The only thing that kept her from passing out was that she refused to allow Jason to see what he was doing to her - that he still had any hold over her whatsoever.

Instead, she allowed the anger she'd fought off for so long to come through, pushing the fear to the side. She shoved the car door open and it swung within an inch of Jason's nose. His eyes rounded in surprise. She felt mild satisfaction in that.

"Is this your way of asking me for a favor? By insulting Eddie? By threatening him? By trying to intimidate me?" She didn't recognize her own voice - the high-pitched inflection.

He looked genuinely surprised by her outburst and took a step back. "Listen," he said, hands raised, palms out in defense. "I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you want to hear? I'm sorry."

"You're not sorry. You're just sorry you got caught."

He then took a step toward her, her mind flashed to that night. In slow motion this time, she saw him punching her. Could almost feel it all over again, the impact, her lip stinging. Felt the dirt beneath her palms.

She saw Eddie crumpled on the floor.

She blinked away the tears that burned her eyes and quickly slid into the driver's seat and slammed the door, pressing the lock. Jason stood at her door, knowing there was no way inside. His hands were in fists, a sad defeated look upon his face. Why did she feel sorry for him? She wondered. As angry at herself as she was with him, she wondered why she engaged with him as long as she had. She should have known better.