A/N: Next chapter is Eddie's entrance! Just in time for Volume 2 to drop. I am super nervous with all the speculation that's been going around, but I have faith in our man to pull through ;) As I said before, I'll be in the UK for the next three weeks so I'm not sure how much writing I'll be able to get done, but please know I haven't abandoned the story even if it does take longer to get the next few chapters out.
And as always, leave a review if you have anything to share! I'm super grateful for the response this story has gotten so far, especially given the fact Eddie hasn't even been formally introduced yet. Y'all are the best :) Enjoy!
Chapter Four:
Party All The Time (Eddie Murphy)
In the blink of an eye, two weeks had passed. Sam found herself slipping into a routine as the days went by and she became accustomed to the illusion of normalcy she fought to project. She was never the most social girl at the best of times, and so despite her hopeful dreams of distancing herself from the group of jocks she found herself with on the first day of class, Sam simply found it easier to keep her head down and endure it. The sparkling silver lining she so desperately clung to was one Chrissy Cunningham.
If she had been told a month ago that her closest friend in Hawkins would end up being a pretty blonde cheerleader, Sam would have laughed herself hoarse. But it was true. Chrissy's patience in dealing with Sam's disgruntled complaining and dramatic mood swings was remarkable, and despite the odds they became incredibly close over the fortnight they knew each other. Chrissy understood that Sam was entirely disenchanted with the rest of their friends, and Sam allowed Chrissy to escape the pressure of always having to appear as perfect.
In return, Chrissy never insisted Sam join her in group outings with the rest of the basketball team, and often acted as a social buffer between her and the increasingly persistent Andy. It seemed she had even convinced her boyfriend Jason that Sam was simply shy, and the team captain had taken to defending her whenever Sam struggled to come up with a sufficiently kind response. She appreciated his effort, for there had been many moments Sam found herself close to snapping and showing just how not shy she could be.
Lunchtime eventually found a happy balance, with Sam sitting quietly for the most part unless drawn into a private conversation with Chrissy or prompted by the others to share her input into whatever group discussion was occurring at the time. The moniker of "shy" was not one Sam had ever been given before, as she was quite used to happily sharing her various opinions, but keeping silent was easier than being ostracized by the self-professed kings of the school.
When they were alone, Sam and Chrissy could not have been more animated. Chrissy complained freely about her mother and her unrealistic expectations, something the two girls had in common though Chrissy's was admittedly far crueler with her judgement. They bonded over their dislike for the social hierarchy of high school, something Sam was delighted to find also bothered the blonde girl. Chrissy truly was too kind for her own good in all aspects of life, and Sam often encouraged her to become more assertive and unafraid of displeasing others. They balanced each other well, and many nights were spent at the Anderson house working through Trigonometry problems and cackling over whatever petty drama had struck the cheerleading squad that day.
Sam's parents could not have been more excited that she found such a normal friend, which made life around her house the most peaceful it had been in years. Between Chrissy and Steve, she had a plethora of acceptable excuses and alibis to protect her in case of any rebellious behaviors that needed covering up. Unfortunately for Sam, there was little opportunity for sneaking around in Hawkins. It was, in fact, just as boring of a town as she had thought when she first moved.
One of the only sparkling rays of entertainment that consistently brightened Sam's day at Hawkins High took human form in Dustin Henderson. The goofy freshman was not only a constant source of laughter and distraction from the monotony of high school life, but he was almost single-handedly responsible for maintaining Sam's Chemistry grade. The curly haired boy was infinitely patient as he explained concepts over and over, and only mildly sarcastic when she said something particularly dumb. Steve insisted it was only because she was a pretty girl, and that the shithead was never so kind to him, but Sam defended her younger friend every time regardless of the truth in his statement.
The discovery that Steve was a mutual friend to them both had occurred early on, and Sam swore she had never seen such a distinct expression of joy cross Dustin's face since. Not even when he described the thrilling conclusion of his latest Hellfire Club session. The blatant hero-worship Dustin held for the older teen was equal parts cute and amusing to Sam, but she was grateful that Dustin still wasn't above making fun of Steve. It had quickly become their favorite past time whenever the two got together at Steve's house to work on Chemistry labs, much to his dismay. Steve would ask why they always chose his place instead of one of their own houses, but despite his complaining they could tell he appreciated the company nonetheless.
Sam quickly grew protective over the younger boy, making sure the sophomores in their Chemistry class never gave him any more problems with vicious threats and cutting insults. His unapologetic nerdiness never failed to make Sam smile, and she genuinely enjoyed the detailed retellings of his Dungeons and Dragons sessions which he shared with her like clockwork every Monday. Dustin reminded her of both her brothers- Charlie through his vast intelligence and love for DnD, and Joey through his utter disinterest in being considered "normal."
It was difficult to hide her true nature from Dustin, however. He was much more observant than other boys his age, and though he didn't push the subject often, Sam had been subjected to a few cutting remarks about her choice of friend group over the past two weeks. There really wasn't a good explanation for why she stuck around with the jocks other than her friendship with Chrissy, so Sam usually shrugged him off with a mumbled excuse and swift change of subject. It was hard to escape the feeling he was just biding his time, however, and Sam knew the young boy's reckoning was close at hand.
Friday came around once more, and Sam held a small smile on her face as she listened to Dustin raving about the Hellfire session he would be attending after school that day. He had taken to following her to her locker after Chemistry class to give them more of an opportunity to talk, which Sam was grateful for as it allowed her another chance to escape the attempts of numerous basketball players to drag her into conversation on the way to the cafeteria. Dustin had only a few inches on her in height, which was rare in Sam's friendships, so she took great pleasure in being able to sling her arm semi-comfortably around his shoulders as they made their way through the halls.
He never protested, but Sam was sure she only got away with it because she was an older girl and it gave him some sort of freshman street cred. They made it to the double doors of the lunch room and, as always, she tugged the younger boy into an affectionate but brief half-hug with a promise to work on her portion of their Chemistry lab during free period so he could focus solely on the importance of his campaign.
"Don't let those bastards shoot down your genius ideas, Nog! You're a dwarf, they should totally trust your judgement when it comes to navigating the Underdark. If you say there will be an ambush of Grimlock then I'd bet anything there is, stick to your guns buddy!" Sam said comfortingly, smiling as she watched the boy nodding vigorously to himself as he wandered off to join the rest of his friends.
Her usual seat in between Chrissy and Andy was open, and as Sam quietly sat down she found the group to be much more boisterous than most days. Her eyes locked with Chrissy, a clear question passing to the blonde, but it was Jason who addressed her almost immediately.
"Sam, there you are!" The basketball captain seemed particularly energetic, and Sam wracked her brains in panic for a moment wondering if there had been a game the night before that required some congratulations. Luckily, he continued without prompting. "My parents are out of town for the weekend, so we're having a party tonight. I can pick you up on my way from getting Chrissy, if you want?"
Relief flooded through her. High school parties she could handle, and an abundance of free alcohol was always the quickest way to get her functioning at a level to deal with drunk jocks. Sam shot a rare smile back at Jason, the excitement of the group becoming contagious as she let herself be swept away in mundane teenage rebellion. "Uh, sure, that sounds great!"
Her proclamation got her several huge grins all around the table, and Andy actually let out a full whoop from beside her as he flung a heavy arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. Sam's eyes returned to Chrissy, who was also smiling at her. The conversations around them continued on in an excited chatter, and Sam tried to subtly distance herself from the stocky body she had been pressed against in favor of speaking to her friend in softer tones. Thankfully, Andy was distracted by his teammates and let her shift away, arm moving to rest on the back of her plastic chair instead.
"So, first party with the Hawkins Tigers, anything I should be warned about?" Sam asked teasingly, unfolding her lunch satchel and picking through it while Chrissy let out a soft giggle.
"Nothing you aren't used to, probably." The blonde replied with a smirk, causing Sam to let out a surprised laugh as she nodded in agreement. "Jason actually doesn't live that far from you, though. Only a few streets. We can still pick you up if you want, but you could totally walk home whenever."
Sam shot the other girl a grateful look. As usual, Chrissy could see right through her. There was nothing Sam wanted less than to be stuck at Jason Carver's house overnight with a bunch of hormonal teen boys who had been salivated after her for weeks. Not that she was a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but Sam certainly was not interested in being the next star of locker room talk. Egotistical jocks were so not her type.
Conversations of the party took up the rest of the lunch period, and it seemed like no time at all before Sam was waving a hurried goodbye to Chrissy and ducking into the crowd of students spewing into the hallways. Despite her lack of verbal excitement, Sam was feeling the rush of anticipation that always came with her preferred nighttime activity. It had been far too long since she felt the reckless abandon of a drunken night, surrounded by sweaty dancing strangers unconcerned with petty differences. She could only hope that it wouldn't be an exclusive party for just the basketball team and cheerleaders, but knowing how popular crowds usually operated she anticipated a good turnout.
The rest of her day passed by painfully slowly, and Sam had to really force herself to focus in her free period in order to finish all her homework for the weekend. True to her word, she started with the Chemistry lab and managed to complete it in enough time to half-ass the rest of her assignments as well. Sam exited the library a few minutes early so that she could slip the lab paper into Dustin's locker before the final bell rang out, also leaving a short note wishing him luck on his campaign and a little doodle of his dwarven character Nog fighting what she had imagined a Grimlock to look like based on Dustin's brief description last week.
After the bell rang Sam made her way over to Robin's locker which was conveniently not too far from her own. The two girls chatted about the English homework that Sam had just completed while Robin finished putting her textbooks away, and were busy deciding on what movies to force Steve into watching that weekend when Jason and Chrissy passed by.
"See you tonight, Anderson! 8 o'clock, okay?" Jason boomed with a big grin on his face and his arm wrapped around Chrissy's waist. Sam nodded in answer, but Chrissy slowed her pace to get a word in as well.
"I'll call you later, okay Sam? To give you the directions and so we can, like, figure out what to wear and stuff."
Sam nodded again, shooting her blonde friend a smile and assuring her she'd be waiting for the call. As the couple made their way out of earshot, Sam felt a sharp pain in her bicep as Robin slapped her arm with a loud gasp. "Shut up, you're hanging out with the golden couple? Why didn't you mention this earlier?"
A groan left her lips as Sam thudded her skull back against the lockers and shot her friend a sardonic glance. "Not just Jason and Chrissy, there's a whole party at Carver's house tonight. Like, the whole basketball team and cheerleading squad. Hopefully more than that too, but I guess I'll have to wait and see." Robin gasped again, and Sam rolled her eyes at the dramatics.
"Holy shit, Sam. You're getting your official introduction to yuppie society! I can't believe this, I wish I would have known, I would've gotten you flowers or something, oh my God." Robin continued to ramble about her misfortune with a massive grin on her face as the pair made their way out to Sam's car.
"Yeah, yeah, shut the hell up Robin, oh my God." Sam sounded entirely disgruntled as she unlocked the Chevelle and let her friend slide into the passenger side of the bench seat. "Listen, I'm just glad there will be alcohol there. Holy shit, there will be alcohol, right?"
The panic she felt in that moment must have been clearly reflected on her face, because Robin merely cackled in response. Sam forced herself to take a deep breath, reminding her frazzled brain that she had distinctly heard the boys discussing what drinks to bring from each of their houses. Robin was still in hysterics next to her, so Sam glared and violented whipped the Chevy as she reversed so her friend slammed against the door.
Ignoring the curse that flew out of Robin's mouth at the impact, Sam sighed. "Anyways, it's been way too long since I've been to a fucking party. I don't even care that it's the basketball team hosting, is that bad? It's probably bad, but like, I just want to get drunk enough not to care, y'know?"
Robin hummed non-committedly, drumming her fingers along the door handle as Sam's rock music played softly from the car stereo. "I can't say I understand where you're coming from, but as long as you don't get drunk enough to fuck one of those nasty douchebags, go for it, girl."
Sam laughed at that, waving her hand that held an unlit cigarette. Robin hated when Sam smoked, and after mourning the loss of the second freshly lit cigarette which had been snatched from her mouth and flung out the window, Sam had learned to wait until she had dropped Robin off at home to light up. "Oh fuck no, I would never be that desperate, don't worry! But I'm sure they will try. I'll come by Family Video tomorrow to tell you and Steve all about it, y'all work until 5pm, right?"
Robin nodded, eyeing the unlit cigarette in Sam's hand with enough distaste that she quickly tucked it into the side of her door so it would be safe from the younger girl's ire. "Yeah, 5pm. Oh my God, Steve is gonna freak! He hates that you're friends with those idiots, even though he was literally King of Idiots for years. I can't wait to see the look on his face tomorrow when I tell him."
The two girls laughed about the very thought all the way to Robin's driveway. Sam sent a wave to the girl as she clambered out the passenger side, promising again to behave enough that she would remember all the stupid stories to share with her the next day. Sam lit her waiting cigarette as soon as she pulled out of Robin's street, driving slowly enough to be able to finish the stick before pulling into her own drive. A deep breath left her as she put her car into park. Alright, a few hours to get ready for this shit. Let's go.
"Yeah, you can totally rock the blue eyeshadow, Chris, please! You're pretty enough to wear that shit every single day at school and still get away with it." Sam twirled the cord of her telephone in her fingers as she laid back in bed, legs clad in fishnet stockings kicking at the air. She had been on the phone with Chrissy for the past twenty minutes, and was getting increasingly more thankful she wasn't so concerned with looking her best that night.
"Okay, okay. Thank you, Sam, you're a life saver, you know?" Chrissy's breathy voice came through the receiver, and Sam let out an indelicate snort in response.
"I'm just telling you what you already know, Ms. Cunningham. But you're welcome. Now get off the phone and finish getting ready, Jason is gonna be there any minute!" It was almost 7:30, which was the time Chrissy said her boyfriend would be picking her up so they could be ready to be the perfect hosts when the rest of the party goers started arriving at 8.
Sam heard the dramatic gasp from the other end of the line, and stifled her laugh to appear more sympathetic when Chrissy rushed a goodbye, reminding her of the simple directions and Jason's house number before hanging up. Her feet dropped to her bed as she twisted to reset the phone in its cradle.
Her clothes for the party had already been picked out, Sam happily forgoing the pastel color pallet she had been wearing to school in favor of her actual clothing. She opted for comfort over anything, not too keen on dressing in a particularly enticing way considering the hormonal teens she would be surrounded with all night. Sam slipped a short denim skirt over her fishnets and paired it with a loose-fitting black cowl neck sweater to keep her warm in the winter air. Her long, curly hair was teased at the roots to give it plenty of volume, and she lined her eyes with black kohl and plenty of mascara to make the blue-green hue pop. Sam cocked her head at her reflection consideringly, before shrugging and deciding to don her favorite dark red lipstick as well. She wasn't planning on making out with anyone, so there shouldn't be an issue with smudging.
Once she finished her primping, Sam glanced back at her clock and saw it had just passed 8pm. Perfect. She thought, not wanting to be on time enough to worry about the awkward pleasantries that always occurred at the beginning of a party. When she slid open her desk drawer, however, Sam felt her heart shutter with panic.
Her weed stash was dangerously low. So low, in fact, she thought she might only have enough for a few more bong sessions at the most. Trying to control her breathing as she rationalized with herself that of course she knew this would happen. She had planned for it, it was inevitable. Still, the reality of going without her chosen method of bliss was hard to swallow. Alcohol was readily available, of course, but Sam had never truly enjoyed the burn of liquor and the headache which always followed the next day. It was what she had, though, so it was what she would need to get used to.
"Alcohol only night, I guess." Sam muttered bitterly to herself as she slid the drawer shut and instead moved to pull on her trusty Doc Marten's. After a moment of hesitation, she slid her brother's leather jacket over her sweater and placed her lighter and pack of cigarettes into one of the pockets. If she had to suffer through a high school elite party then she would need the comfort and confidence boost of Joey's jacket.
The walk to Jason's house was relatively short, but it was enough for Sam to smoke a couple cigarettes to help ease her nerves in preparation of the night. She could hear the pop music blasting from the street as she approached the large entryway, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the cliché of it all. The front door was already unlocked, so Sam pushed her way in and was immediately hit with the scent of alcohol induced sweat and a disorienting mixture of cologne and perfume.
There were more people present than Sam had expected, much to her relief. It seemed the basketball and cheerleading teams had free reign to invite whomever they wished, so there was a large group dancing in the front room and smaller patches of teens throughout the first floor of the house. Chrissy was nowhere to be seen, so Sam made her way to the kitchen to find something to drink. Nobody bothered the smaller girl as she slid through the crowd of bodies, so she was able to find an opened bottle of vodka relatively quickly. Catching sight of some of the basketball team in the room adjacent to the kitchen, Sam swiftly turned her back and downed a hefty gulp of the burning liquid.
It seemed her efforts were in vain, as several excited shouts echoed behind her back, and Sam heard the pounding of heavy footsteps getting closer by the second. She quickly took another large gulp, ignoring the way the alcohol seared a familiar trail down her throat. "Sammy!" Andy, already drunk by the sound of his slurring, slung a heavy arm around her waist and brought her into a one-sided hug.
Sam's face soured instantly, seeking out his eyes with a clear threat in her own as she hissed at him. "Don't call me that."
Even drunk he seemed to realize he crossed some sort of line, as he frowned back down at her and mumbled a quiet apology. Sam forced herself to calm down, and shot a quick smile back at him for the effort. The other three boys who accompanied Andy all slurred their own greetings before noticing the bottle of vodka she still had clutched in her hands. "Woah, Anderson! You want something to mix that with?" One of the boys, Josh, asked with a silly grin on his face.
Sam smirked back at them, stepping away from Andy's embrace and tipping the bottle back to her lips with a cheeky wink as she took a third gulp. "Nope, I'm good."
All four of the basketball players looked absolutely gob smacked, if not mildly impressed. "Uh, that's badass, don't get me wrong, but maybe you should slow down?" Andy, to his credit, did look genuinely concerned for her. Sam merely snorted in reply, knowing the boys had no idea just how tolerant her body had become to liquor.
"SAM!"
Her head whipped around, eyes growing wide with excitement as the alcohol hit in time with the arrival of her blonde friend. "CHRISSY!" The girlish squeal left Sam's mouth without a second thought, and she shoved the vodka bottle into Andy's stomach as her feet lurched to wrangle the cheerleader in an enthusiastic hug.
The two embraced in a tangle of limbs and giggles, and Sam noticed Jason following behind like a loyal puppy. It made her giggle even more, and she even reached an arm out to pull him into their cuddle.
"Hey Sam, I'm glad you could make it. You want a drink?" Jason seemed a good amount more sober than anyone else in their little group, which Sam supposed was probably a smart move considering he was the host and needed to make sure nobody would totally trash his house.
"Oh, she already found one man." Andy laughed, shaking the vodka bottle teasingly in her direction. Sam rolled her eyes, reaching back towards it and huffing angrily when he held it up above her reach. "No, no, no, Sam. Take it easy."
She shot the curly haired forward a threatening glare, holding her hand out expectantly. "I'm quite capable of holding my liquor, Phillips, don't be a dick." Sam raised her eyebrows when the taller boy still hesitated, but it was Jason who made the decision for him.
Jason moved passed them to grab a solo cup and a can of Coke from the kitchen counter, casually cracking it open and pouring a small amount in before handing it over to Sam. "Have a little faith, Andy, it seems our Sam has plenty of party experience, huh?" He grinned at the short girl, returning to a cheerful looking Chrissy and wrapping his arms around her.
Sam smirked superiorly at Andy, sticking her tongue out in a childish display as she snatched the vodka back from him to tip in her cup. "Yeah, Andy, have a little faith!" She teased, obliging and handing the bottle back to him after she had finished so he could make his own drink.
The next few hours were spent, thankfully, as a group. Sam continued to impress the boys with a shocking alcohol tolerance and ability to maintain her balance while dancing and twirling Chrissy around like a madwoman. Jason attempted to save his girlfriend from Sam's vigorous dance moves more than once, but was promptly told off by both girls and so retreated back to his boys with palms raised in surrender.
Eventually the drinks caught up to Chrissy and she slumped back to Jason's waiting arms in a tired, drunken haze. Sam pouted disappointedly but let her go, not wanting to be the reason the cheerleader started puking in the middle of the room. Her eyes had unfocused a bit with the alcohol, and though she felt a pleasant buzz throughout her body Sam still noticed the second Andy pushed himself away from the wall the basketball players had been leaning against while chatting. Knowing he was probably about to make some stupid advance on her, she quickly muttered to Jason and Chrissy that she was going to take a step outside for air, and escaped to the backyard.
The cold night air was a welcome contrast to Sam's flushed skin. She had shed her leather jacket early on in her dance fest with Chrissy, but had kept her eye on it to ensure it remained safe from spilled drinks and grabbed it again on her way to the back door. Sam held it in her arms for a few moments to let the breeze dry any lingering sweat from her body, and tilted her head back to take a deep breath of the refreshing chill.
Marijuana.
Sam's eyes snapped open as her brain registered the scent, and her head whipped around like a scent hound to find a small group of teenagers huddled around some feet away into the backyard. Recognizing the boy who held the joint as one of the juniors on the basketball team, Sam found her feet moving before her alcohol-ridden mind could catch up. She hoped she approached with a casual gait and not one of total desperation, but she couldn't be sure.
"Sam?" The slurred voice came from a small girl, half-hidden behind two athletes that Sam thought might have been on the track team or something. She recognized the girl's face as being one of Chrissy's cheerleader friends, but could not for the life of her remember the red head's name. Instead, she smiled and sent a little wave, which seemed to be enough for the clearly intoxicated girl.
"Hey y'all." Sam started awkwardly as she came to a stop next to the basketball player who held a joint which had clearly only just been lit up. "Came out to get some air, but smelt something even better. Mind if I join you?" Alcohol made the casual grin seem natural as it slid on her face.
"Totally, here!" The boy was all too eager to pass the joint, and Sam was suddenly thankful for the stupid varsity jackets the team always wore as she could thank him by name as she took a grateful puff.
The others had clearly been out there for some time, and nobody complained as she took her time with two very long puffs before passing the joint along. As Sam exhaled, she allowed her eyes to drift shut briefly with pure relief. "Thanks, Tony." She said again, grinning happily at the junior who looked beyond thrilled to have the pretty senior's attention. "It's been far too long since I've had a joint, moving sucks."
It had been far too long by Sam's standards, but to any normal teenager 48 hours would definitely not qualify as a long time. Whatever. Tony just nodded understandingly as the joint was passed to the small cheerleader, already swaying on the spot. "No problem, Sam. Anytime." He shot her what he clearly thought to be a charming grin, and it was a testament to her gratitude that Sam played along.
A harsh snort left the teen on Sam's right, prompting a curious look from her that didn't go unnoticed. "Maybe not anytime, just whenever Munson isn't being a total dick." The bitterness in the teenager's tone intrigued Sam, and she twisted back around to Tony with a questioning expression.
Tony rolled his eyes as he exhaled smoke, passing the joint back to Sam before explaining. "Eddie Munson, he's the only one who sells at school. But he's a total freak, doesn't like the basketball team for whatever reason. He usually refuses to sell to any of us, so we have to pay some nerd to do our dirty work. Fucking annoying."
Eddie Munson. The name sounded vaguely familiar, and Sam rolled it around in her mind as she sucked as big of a hit as she could muster from the quickly shortening joint. As she exhaled, she was frustrated to find she couldn't place where she had heard it before. "That fucking sucks." She commiserated, passing the joint to the right once more while lamenting the fact it would be finished by the time it made it around to her again.
Tony was nodding vigorously in agreement, an angry spark in his eye that the weed could not dull. "Yeah, he's an asshole. But he's got good weed, so we have to deal with it, I guess." He grumbled, snatching the joint before it could be passed to the cheerleader and grinding the spent filter into the ashtray he carried.
Sam hummed noncommittedly as she savored the euphoric feeling of weed rushing through her system. Luckily, the need for conversation seemed to pass as the rest of the group became caught up in their own head rush. The cheerleader stumbled, giggling in a high-pitched way that grated on Sam's nerves but seemed expected by the other boys. The one closest to her rolled his eyes and tugged her closer to his body, muttering that they would catch up with them later as he pulled her towards the back entrance of Jason's house.
She watched them go for a moment, before deciding it was probably safe to follow and find Chrissy again. Sam thanked Tony again with a grateful smile, which he waved off as he lit a cigarette, and slipped back inside to the haze of sweat and loud pop music. Eyes searched the small room for familiar faces, but Sam could not find any sign of her blonde friend. Lips pouted into a sad frown; Sam moved her way through the crowd of bodies with a practiced ease, slipping between couples gyrating together and athletes cheering as they threw back shots.
It took longer than Sam would have liked, but she finally located Chrissy sitting in the front room on a plush couch with two other girls she recognized as fellow cheerleaders. "Chrissy!" Sam breathed, grin rising as she quickly approached and fell to her knees in front of the couch. "Found you!"
"Sam!" Chrissy had a silly smile stretched on her face, and Sam realized with great amusement that her friend was totally wasted. "Noooo, I found you!" She giggled, prompting Sam into a raucous laugh of her own as the other cheerleaders looked on with drunken confusion.
"Ah, Chris, this is fun. Who knew you were such a party girl!" Sam slurred, patting the blonde's knee with a joking condescension. Chrissy rolled her eyes in reckless abandon, causing Sam to laugh again. "Where did Jason go, did he leave you alone? 'Cos I'll beat him up if he left you alone to hang with his douchey friends." An angry frown crossed Sam's face at the thought, but it was quickly patted away by Chrissy's well-manicured hand.
"Nooo, no, no. Jason is great. Jason went to... He went to get me some water?" Chrissy didn't seem too confident about her answer, which was almost enough to prompt Sam into action, but as if he had been summoned Jason suddenly appeared behind the couch. Sam gasped and pointed, and Chrissy whipped around with an angelic smile and grabby hands toward the boy.
Sam rolled her eyes and stood, helping Chrissy to her feet as well as she noticed how desperate the cheerleader was to get to her boyfriend. The blonde clung happily to Jason's front, holding the offered glass and taking a messy sip after being prompted by the athlete. Realizing that Chrissy was about 15 minutes away from straight up passing out, Sam figured it was time for her to make a graceful exit before the party became intolerable. The last thing she wanted was to be cornered by a totally smashed Andy, or really any of the basketball players honestly.
Taking a step forward, Sam placed a hand on Chrissy's arm with a little more force than she had intended. "Chris, I'm gonna head home, okay? You should go to bed soon, looks like the party is winding down anyways." It truthfully did not look like it would be stopping any time soon, but it certainly was about to devolve into the type of scene neither girl wanted to be part of.
Sam glanced up at Jason to make sure he heard her intentions, knowing Chrissy wouldn't remember and counting on the boy to reassure her that Sam was safe when she eventually sobered up. Jason nodded at her, readjusting his grip on his girlfriend as she swayed dangerously. "You gonna be okay getting home, Sam? You didn't drive, right?"
A vague smile and pat on the cheek were all he got as a response at first, before Sam noticed the serious furrow of his brow and giggled softly. "Yeah, I'll be okay. I walked, I only live a few streets down, don't worry Jason." Her smile turned genuine for a moment as tired relief flooded the younger guy's face. "Take care of Chrissy, I'll see y'all on Monday. Thanks for the sick party."
With her parting words and a small ruffle of Chrissy's blond hair, Sam slid through the dwindling crowd near the front door to exit once again into the frigid outdoors. Joey's jacket coupled with the alcohol in her system kept her plenty warm enough, and Sam practically pranced down the street in a happy haze.
Eddie Munson.
The name stuck in her brain like superglue, and Sam held onto it with a single-minded obsession. Eddie Munson would be the teen responsible for saving her sanity. She had no clue who he was, but she didn't let that little fact discourage her as she fished out a cigarette from her pocket and lit it up.
It was a small town; Sam had no doubt she could find this Eddie Munson with nothing more than a few subtle questions and a lot of listening. She was good at listening.
As she strolled down the quiet streets of Loch Nora contemplating how exactly she would go about finding this guy, Sam couldn't get the notion of the name being familiar out of her head. It was like an annoying itch she couldn't quite scratch, like the memory was just beyond a fog in her mind. It was incredibly frustrating, but when she padded across the threshold of her driveway Sam decided to let it go.
She would find this Eddie Munson. First thing Monday morning her mission would start. Sam would find Eddie Munson, and she would convince him to sell to her no matter what sort of prejudice he had toward the basketball team. Watch out, Eddie, 'cos I bet you've never met a girl like me.