Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi

August 10th

Eddie was working on figuring out the progression of Master of Puppets by ear when he heard the distinct sound of someone opening the back of a moving truck. His neighbor had moved out a month ago and cheap housing was always in high demand no matter how much people looked down on the trailer park so he knew it wouldn't be empty for very long.

He put the guitar on his bed and tried to look out the window covertly.

Looked like one lady with some movers for a while but as he watched, those distinct red braids appeared from the black car parked nearby. The girl looked annoyed and embarrassed, scuffing at the dirt and pulling her headphones back on as soon as she was able.

He returned to the punishing guitar solo but when he took a break hours later, fingertips hurting so much he couldn't physically continue, he heard a new sound.

Grabbing a cheap beer out of the fridge he popped the tab and saw the redhead skateboarding down the road running between their two houses.

He pushed out the door and her head jerked up suddenly as she planted a foot to stop.

"Pavement over here is better," he said taking a long pull of the beer and pointing to the stretch that ran closer to his trailer and up into their driveway.

She gave him a look, but moved closer obviously appreciating the smoother surface as she increased the difficulty of her flips. Eddie sat on the steps until he finished the beer and crumpled the can under his Reeboks. It made him smirk as he did it because Beck hated these shoes deeply, but they were comfy and his Converses had holes in the ball of the foot.

He got up to leave when he realized the girl had skated up to him and asked him something while he was thinking about the shoes.

"Sorry, what?" he asked, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment.

"That girl… the one who threw up on Billy… she lives here right?"

Eddie noticed the way she seemed to choke on Billy's name and his heart twisted.

"Not anymore. Had to move for now."

"Oh…"

Eddie watched her face fall and wanted to offer something.

"She's still around a lot though if you're ever looking for her. Want me to pass anything on?"

"No, it's okay," she said, "I'm Max, by the way."

"Welcome to the neighborhood, Max," he said with an exaggerated bow that did make her smile.

She turned to leave and he blurted before he could think twice, "I moved here after… family problems too, so I get it if you need anything."

When she met his eyes, she looked really upset but nodded vigorously.

"I'll remember that," she said before hurrying into her new home, wiping at her eyes.

August 20th

Beck joined the Hellfire Club table for the first day of school to some definite teasing.

"Her ladyship has ascended from on high to sit with us," Gareth said with a grin. "A first day of school miracle."

"Sarah has a different lunch," she said before sticking her tongue out at them. "But I'm happy to go sit with the drama club if my presence so offends you."

"If I say yes, I think Eddie will give me an eye to match his," Gareth said and she laughed. "How did your teachers react?"

Everyone looked at Eddie, who grinned lopsidedly. Corroded Coffin had landed another good show opportunity, this time in South Bend, and of course Beck had accompanied. She had been in the audience this time and as they were taking their bows, Eddie had noticed a guy getting far too close to her. The more she had tried to get away from him the more aggressive and groping he became until Eddie could not stand it anymore.

He had jumped off the stage, pushed through to her, and pried the man off of his girlfriend. Eddie had pushed her behind him which turned out to be fortunate because the guy came back swinging. He had socked Eddie hard in the eye but had been dropped by a swift kick in the nuts from Beck who then kicked him in the stomach for good measure and spite.

The show had only been the week before, so Eddie was still sporting a good bruise on his cheekbone that shadowed his eye.

"O'Donnell made some bitchy comment about my summer not being productive," Eddie said, "But Mr. Coggill wanted to know what happened and seemed pretty amused."

The guys laughed and Beck slapped the table.

"Before I forget!" she exclaimed, digging into her backpack.

"Last time you had a group surprise we got bitchin' band shirts so I'm very optimistic," Jeff said, trying to steal a glance into her bag before she elbowed him away.

Beck pulled a black and white baseball tee out of her bag and unfurled it to show them the design: a red demon with yellow horns and the words Hellfire Club emblazoned above him. Little D&D objects dotted the shirt around him.

"One for each of you!" she said as they exclaimed over the design. She handed them out and Eddie whipped his band shirt off to pull his on right then despite the jeers from the table beside them. It was not lost on Beck that even though there was mockery, not a small number of girls kept their eyes fixed on him until he had pulled the baseball shirt on completely and she smirked in satisfaction.

"I seriously don't know how you have time for this!" Jeff exclaimed, folding his up carefully and putting it in his bag.

"Chris left for college," she pouted. "They replaced him with this middle aged dude who won't talk and just wants to read pulp detective stories."

"That's a problem we can fix!" Gareth announced in imitation of Eddie and getting a laugh from the table. "I need somewhere to work on Chem where my siblings won't bother me and you actually understand Chem."

"Ooooo! Good idea!" Jeff chimed. "I might bum along if that's okay."

Beck grinned and was ready to answer when a curly little mullet caught her eye. Eddie followed her gaze and a grin spread across his face. It was those two kids from the arcade, Dustin and Mike. Dustin looked like he had dressed so there would be no doubt that he was a nerd and Mike looked as lost as a little lamb in some generic first day of school clothes.

Eddie was up and had his arms draped around their shoulders in no time. The two boys looked nervous and grateful as he herded them to the Hellfire table. Beck pulled out the chair next to her and Dustin sank into it gratefully.

"Thanks," he sighed as Mike sat beside him.

"Welcome to Hellfire," Eddie said, making a sweeping gesture at the table. "We even have shirts now. And to that! Our first order of business: prepare yourselves for Greyhawk!"

September 17th

Eddie groaned as Beck squeezed his hips with her thighs, her nails biting into his back. He was lying on his stomach between her legs on his couch, languidly kissing her and pressing into her every chance he got.

Beck slipped a hand under his waistband to grab onto his ass, never less amused that his ass was almost a perfect handful. He broke away from her lips to stick his head playfully under her shirt and plant sensual slow kisses on her stomach and between her breasts.

Sighing, Beck tilted her head back but this action also drew her attention to the clock above them. She swore and started pushing at his shoulders as she struggled to sit up.

"I've got to get going!" she said, forcing him up and rushing to his bedroom. She found the work clothes she had brought with her and started to change.

Eddie watched her strip in front of him and his already rock hard erection pushed him to act out where he would normally have the good sense to shut up. He moved up behind her, pulling her hips against his after she buttoned up her acid wash jeans.

Beck bit her lip as he cupped her breasts and pushed against her, digging in her heels to push back as well.

"You should stay," he almost growled in her ear and that voice was always so fucking hot she wanted to melt.

"You know I want to," she said apologetically, moving out of his reach for the white button up and black vest.

"Then skip."

"Eddie, I can't."

"Just once? It's not like it's a big deal," he wheedled, circling her waist with his arms. But she stiffened and pushed him away a lot harder.

"Not for you," she snapped, eyes blazing.

Caught off guard, he made the mistake of doubling down, saying, "Not for anyone. It's one shift, Beck."

"I get that you think this doesn't matter," she spat at him, "but I have to work at least 30 hours a week or I can't make my rent."

"But you know you could move back in here!" he argued. "You wouldn't have to work every night like this and –"

"I spend enough time here as it is and I'm not your uncle's responsibility! I can't just freeload off your family anymore!"

"As opposed to me, you mean?" he snapped, now feeling his temper rise as he followed her to the front door.

"Please tell me all about the incredible obligations that are weighing on you. Certainly not the job you don't have or the senior year you can't pass."

"We get it, Beck," he snapped, moving in on her so fast her back hit the door handle. "You're a fucking saint for putting up with white trash like me."

"That's not my point!" she shouted into his face, frustrated that her pointless viciousness had backfired so obviously. "Eddie, I have to take care of myself because no one else will! I don't have any other options!"

She shouldered him back so she could open the door. "Sometimes I get tired of waiting for you to just grow the fuck up."

She shouldered him out of the way and stormed across to the trailer she had used before to call for a ride. But when someone opened the door, it was the arcade girl.

"Oh shit," she sighed. "I'm sorry! I forgot you moved in."

"You okay?" Max asked, looking over her shoulder at where Eddie was storming off into the trees.

"Yeah, sorry. Eileen used to let me use her phone sometimes if I needed a ride but this is weird so I'll just—"

"You can use the phone," Max offered quickly, pushing the door open for Beck to pass.

Beck stepped in and shut the door behind her while Max led her to the phone in the kitchen. Max perched in one of the kitchen chairs, listening to Beck's end of the conversation.

"Hey Sarah. Can you give me a ride to work? … Yeah… He's just being both insensitive and oversensitive and I'm done for today."

Max watched Beck laugh and then thank whoever she had called before hanging up and dropping into the other chair in the tiny dining room.

"Thanks," she said. "I can wait outside if that's better."

"This is fine," Max said, combing the end of her braid through her fingers. "You're here because…"

"Because he was being a prick and I overreacted," Beck sighed, leaning back.

"How did you and Eddie…?"

She watched Beck rub her face and then rest her chin in her hand. "How did we?" she half laughed. "Feels like ages. Met first day of school last year when some bitches were harassing me and he stepped in. He eventually roped me into D&D and that was all she wrote for me."

"How did you know?" Max asked. She and Lucas were on the rocks and all the glow seemed to have worn off almost everything after Billy's death.

"Tough questions," Beck teased, grinning at the younger girl. "I mean I was attracted to him and he was so… interesting. There's literally no one like him. But…"

Beck pinned Max down in her gaze.

"But I knew I loved him when he was there while some really awful shit was happening with my mom."

Max stared hard at the floor, willing herself to not tear up as Beck watched her. Beck reached over and gently squeezed her shoulder. She refused to say she was sorry about Billy's death or any of the other things she knew Max had already heard too much.

"I hope you're not going through this alone, Max," she murmured.

Outside a car horn sounded and Beck pulled back as Max jumped. She grabbed her backpack and headed toward the front door, stopping to dig out a pen and a sheet of notebook paper. She scrawled out her phone number and handed it to Max.

"If you need it," she said with a small smile before she left.

Eddie came back from the woods with a more clear head and when he saw Beck had left for work, he hurriedly placed one phone call. A few minutes later he was tearing out of his driveway and headed to Lover's Lake. He had done some low stakes dealing for Reefer Rick at shows so the connection was already established and now he just needed to prove he was trustworthy for more.

He left Rick's around one in the morning and headed to Beck's apartment. She had copied a key for him so he parked on the street a block away to not scare the family who owned the house and snuck into her place.

Eddie froze when he hit the lights and took in the majority of the little apartment in one glance. Beck was the opposite of him when it came to cleanliness and organization but the apartment looked like he lived there instead of her and for a second he worried she had been robbed.

Guilt crept in as he realized the stress and chaos she must be living with to let her home get this way. Pulling his hair back with one of her scrunchies, he put on her Walkman and started to blast Megadeath as he cleaned her apartment.

Beck was bone tired when she climbed the steps into her apartment and when she opened the door she thought for a second she had been robbed since she could no longer see half her clothes in the living room. When Eddie poked his head out from the bedroom, she screamed in his face, causing him to wince and grab his ears.

"Jesus…" she breathed as she waited for her heart to slow again. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to apologize," he said, indicating the apartment. "Beck, I'm–"

She cut him off with a kiss. "Tomorrow, okay?" she said when she pulled back. "I'm so fucking tired."

"I found this note," he said following her back to the bedroom and handing her a post-it.

"Shit," she said, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I forgot about this paper." She rubbed her forehead; a blinding headache had been building all night.

"Can you wake me up in a few hours? I can get to it then, okay?" she asked, dropping onto her bed and even before he could answer, she was asleep.

As he watched her, his heart felt like it would break. This was so unfair. She should have a senior year of parties and killer makeup for plays and anything she ever wanted. Instead her senior year was working a graveyard shift so she could wake up a few hours later and try to graduate high school.

Eddie skimmed the assignment sheet he had found and a thought came to him so he dashed out the door with the outline she had started.

September 20th

Beck stared at the paper in front of her and the red B on top of it. The comments throughout indicated that O'Donnell had noticed it wasn't up to her usual standards, but that it was still a solid paper. A solid paper Beck hadn't even written.

When Beck woke up after Eddie had cleaned her apartment, she knew from the light coming in that it was too late to even begin to work on the paper.

Heart racing she ran out into the living room to ask Eddie what had happened. He wasn't there but on the table there was a typed essay about Macbeth. She didn't have any other options so she shoved the essay in her bag and jogged over to the high school.

All week she had been waiting to get this paper back and now she was looking at a grade that was pretty much the best she could have hoped for if she had gotten up at four to write it herself.

Her eyes burned with unshed tears as the bell rang and she stuffed the paper in her bag.

English was her last class of the day and she met Eddie by his van. He was starting to greet her when she pulled him to her in a burning kiss. A few wolf whistles greeted this but she didn't seem to care at all.

When they broke apart, Eddie met her lilac eyes. "What what that for?"

"I don't understand why you hide how goddamn smart you are sometimes," she breathed, pulling out the paper and handing it to him.

He laughed dryly. "She gave me a C."

"Eddie, you wrote two papers in the same night and she had no idea!"

He shrugged looking embarrassed. "You had yours outlined. I just filled it out."

She laughed and kissed him again. "You are the most confounding person I've ever met."

"Well prepare for something amazing," he murmured, pressing a roll of cash into her hand.

He watched her eyes pop as she flipped the corners to figure out how much she was holding. It wasn't a vast sum but it would definitely take some of the pressure off.

"How...?" she started to ask but his face twisted and she let it drop. She knew he had dealt before and she hated when he took that risk. But she also knew he wasn't her. People wouldn't just hire him with no judgement and this closed a lot of avenues for him in Hawkins.

"You were wrong," he said as he held her hips, watching her turn the money over in her hands.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said no one would help take care of you."

He watched her open and close her mouth a few times before she slipped the cash into her purse and hugged him so tightly his ribs ached.