The rest of the week seemed to slip through my fingers and Friday arrived in no time. Towards the end of the shift Will and Mike entered the store laughing together, and I could see an adorable spark in Will's eyes. "Hey dudes." I smiled from behind the desk. Mike glanced around, sticking close to Will but being careful not to touch shoulders with him. "Here to choose the movie for tonight, got anything new?" Will asked. Steve waltzed in from his office and greeted the guys with finger guns like a loser. "Where's Henderson?" he asked. Mike answered, "With Eddie." Disappointment clouded Steve's face when he commented, "thought kids weren't allowed in tattoo shops." Mike didn't seem to catch on to Steve's snarky tone though, responding, "We're not; but Dustin hangs out with Eddie during his lunch break and they pay him a little to clear up after everyone some days." At the mention of Eddie butterflies took flight inside my stomach. Steve shook his head and beckoned the kids to his office, leaving the door open for us to hear Will say "Cool! RoboCop! Can we watch that?" Robin swivelled in her chair to look at me, smacking her lips together, "Can I come with you tonight instead?" I chuckled a little and mentally prepared to lie to my best friend. "Sorry, my mom's boss doesn't allow tag-alongs."

I left the store a half hour earlier than usual and headed home on my skateboard. I passed Mike, Will, and Dustin, overhearing Mike grunt "So Eddie's not coming tonight?!" and Dustin sigh back to him, "Nah, says he's visiting an old friend." A smile splayed across my lips and I dipped my head. Bursting through the door, aware that I had less than an hour before Eddie came to pick me up, I ran into my mom's room as she was getting dressed for work. "Jeez Rain, I don't rush in on you without knocking." she chuckled. "I need to talk to you." I breathlessly said. My mom held my hand and led me to sit on her bed with a suspicious look in her eyes, "what's up?" I glanced at her alarm clock and let the words tumble out; "I'm going on a date tonight, but its movie night so I lied to everyone and said I have to come to work with you because Elsie's on maternity leave and the cover arranged for her dropped last minute. So, I need you to hold up your end of the story if anyone mentions it." I couldn't read my mom's face - was she shocked, confused, amused? "Okaaay, why don't you want them to know you're going on a date? Who are you going on a date with Rain and why is this the first i'm hearing of it?" she asked with a distinctive protective tone. "Eddie," I looked up at the ceiling as I responded, "y'know Eddie Munson. Just haven't had the opportunity to tell you yet. He's picking me up at 6." A smile appeared at the corner of my mom's mouth and she laughed, "Eddie Munson...finally." I furrowed my brows at her in confusion and she carried on chuckling, "I remember the crush you had on him when you were a kid. Was always quite obvious to me he was crushing on you too - even when you were with Billy." My mouth hung open, "Wow mom thanks for sharing that information with me when it mattered!" I shook my head and she continued smiling. "Well, you best be getting ready then, no offence Raindrop but you stink of sweat. I'll do my best to keep your little secret, though I don't get why its a secret at all.." she raised a brow at me. As I jogged out of her room and towards the bathroom I called back, "because they'd all just be on our backs about it constantly!"

All day I'd been pushing back a worry in my mind about tonight, and in the shower it finally exploded out of me, sending my heart racing with anxiety. What the fuck do I wear - Eddie must be expecting something hot and sexy - I don't feel hot and sexy - I don't even feel femme at all today. He won't wanna take me out if I wear boyish clothes though. I turned the water all the way to boiling, letting it sear my skin as I tried to hold in tears because looking down at my body right now made me feel awful. Back in my bedroom I tried to ignore my mind as I started applying a lot of make up. This doesn't feel right - I don't like this. Shut up, I could probably get away with wearing jeans if I make myself look pretty with this and a low cut top. I packed on concealer, foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, blush, and lipstick but it made my skin crawl looking back at myself in the vanity mirror on my dressing table. I flung the wardrobe doors open and forced myself into the little black dress that I'd worn not too long ago and felt fine as fuck in; today it made me feel gross. Two skirts and a pair of my tightest trousers made me feel the same because I hated my body shape right now. I hopped into a pair of less tight, black and grey pinstriped jeans with a chain hanging from the belt loops - better - and pulled on a grey low cut V-neck top that showed cleavage. Again, something I'd worn not long ago and felt perfectly okay with. HATE IT. My head fell into my hands as I stood in front of the mirror rubbing my face so hard it burned, then clawing at my chest wanting to just be swallowed by the floor. This was the reality of feeling like my body didn't reflect who I actually was - well not always anyway. I threw the top back into the wardrobe and wiped off the makeup that was now smudged all over my face. I shoved on a longsleeved dark blue buttoned down shirt with abstract black shapes covering it, sitting at my dressing table to do-over my make up. I'd only applied concealer and mascara when I heard my mom's voice floating from downstairs, "Hi Eddie, good to see you. How you doing? Rain's just upstairs, first door on the left." Oh fuck.