I checked myself in the mirror one more time as I slipped into my white kitten heels and smoothed over my hair obsessively. I had to remind myself this wasn't just going to the homecoming dance anymore. We had a clear objective, a few items to knock off of Eddie's bucket list tonight. My brain was still firmly locked in what had just happened, how far I had suddenly gotten with Eddie Munson, and being interrupted by my parents coming home. I tried to settle the butterflies in my stomach with a few deep breaths. We had gotten past the first obstacle of getting Eddie out of my room without him being murdered by my father, and without me being grounded until graduation. But meeting the parents was never a thought that crossed my mind. They weren't supposed to be home when we had left, but we had gotten… preoccupied and were now in a predicament. I was hoping to make it quick, or avoid it all together. I wish I had come up with a plan for this part instead of going in blind.

Just as I was heading out of my room to wait by the door, the doorbell rang. Shit. I swung open my bedroom door and practically went flying down the stairs. I was desperate to reach the front door before either of my parents could. My mom was folding laundry in their bedroom, and my dad was in his study reading some financial magazine.

"Bye! See you later!" I shouted, in a near sprint towards the door.

"Wait a minute," I heard my dad say from his study. Crap. My hand was on the doorknob.

"I think its only fair that I get to meet this gentleman who is taking my daughter on a date." My dad said, standing up from his chair and heading to meet me at the front door. He was a big guy, ex military and total hardass. Nothing was easy with him.

"Not a date," I said, blocking the door with my body. "And not a gentleman. He's just a boy from school, and I already told mom all about it." At that moment, my mom came out of the bedroom, curious too to meet my "extra credit assignment."

"Annie, don't be rude," my dad said, practically pushing me out of the way so he could open the door. Here goes nothing.

The sight on the other side of the door is one I won't forget soon. Eddie stood there, uncomfortable in the borrowed suit but adorable nonetheless, now with a branch of roses he had plucked from the bush he had narrowly avoided falling into. He didn't have a pair of dress shoes, so his suit was accompanied with a worn pair of white high top reeboks. And he looked perfect, I couldn't help but smile.

"Mr. Cooper, hi, I've heard so much about you!" Eddie said, over enthused and feigning pleasantries, coming in to shake his hand. "These are for you, Annie" he said, holding out the rose bush branch for me. "Oh… umm, thanks?" I whispered, trying to take it anywhere I wouldn't be pricked by a thorn. My mom made an involuntary noise, clearly aware he had mutilated her rose bush in the name of traditional dance customs. And it's true, Eddie had heard me talk a lot about my dad, but none of it was good. Since we began spending more time together, he was subjected to many a rant about my dad's militaristic parenting, narcissistic tendencies, and overall indifference towards anything I was passionate about. He and I did not see eye to eye, and I wasn't shy about sharing that with Eddie.

"Oh," my dad said, having been taken aback by who was at the door and about to take his little girl to the school dance. I glanced over at him and could read the recognition on his face immediately. Shit shit shit. "Aren't you Vic Munson's kid?" He asked. My mom, peeking around the doorway, let out a little gasp. This was not going well.

Everyone knew Victor Munson was the town drunk, who got into some hot water a couple of years ago for multiple counts of breaking and entering among one of the most infamous bar fights Hawkin's had ever seen. There was a rumor going around that he blinded a man in his right eye with a beer bottle, but no one seems to be able to confirm it. My dad had gone to school around the same time as Vic and was well aware of his reputation. Unfortunately Vic ditched town a while back and wasn't persecuted for any of his crimes. Eddie didn't talk about his dad, but I knew enough not to ask. I knew he wasn't proud of being connected to a man whose lifelong negative reputation in a minuscule town had permanently damaged his own before he could even crawl. The town had not been kind to people like him, and he didn't even have a chance to let people know who he really was before judgement was cast. Eddie was more than his dads son, and he wished people would give him the time of day to show it. Still, he took the judgement in stride most of the time. It made him hardened, tougher on the outside, but I had learned over time there was a lot more depth to him than meets the eye.

"Oh, no sir," Eddie said, "Vic disowned me ages ago. My uncle Wayne takes care of me now. In fact, he paid my jail bail just last week-" the smile on his face was growing. He was absolutely fucking with him, pushing the boundaries immediately.

I forced a quick laugh, "Joking! He's just joking! Ha Ha, good one Eddie." I tried to recover, but the tension laid heavy in the air. I could tell my dad was upset and questioning letting me even leave the house with this boy.

"Eddie, why don't you come inside while I lay down the ground rules regarding my daughter." My dad said sternly, not smiling. As if "rules" applied to his adult daughter.

"That won't be necessary," I said, pushing my way past my dad's arm a little aggressively and out onto the porch with Eddie. "It's not a date, daddy, its an extra credit assignment for Ms Lattimer's french class. Eddie asked me to go with him, and I said yes. We have to… uhh.. Try to talk in french as much as possible tonight, and then present on it in class on Monday." Where the hell was I coming up with this stuff, that sounded like the lamest assignment ever.

"Oh sure, its this new charity program at the school. Partner the honor roll students with the kids who are at risk for dropping out. No child left behind and all that happy crap." Eddie said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"Oh John, let the kids be," my mom said, smiling at us. I couldn't tell if she was proud of me for taking on this assignment and wanted to help me get off the hook, or if she was reminiscing about the alternative guys she had dated in high school before settling down with my father.

"Yeah, dad. We have to get going. The dance started at 8 and we're running behind," I said.

"Sorry I was late, I have trouble reading an analog clock," Eddie said. This had been the tipping point. I think everyone realized he was intentionally being facetious and cheeky. My dad went red in the face and my mom looked confused and disappointed.

"Let's go," I said, grabbing his arm forcefully and pulling away quickly to widen the distance between us and my parents before my dad could change his mind about letting me go.

"No drinking, no drugs, and home by midnight," my dad nearly shouted. Eddie turned around and saluted, "Aye aye captain! I'll have her home in one piece." I yanked on his arm again and tried to escape from the disaster that just occurred on the doorstep. I turned to see my parents give me one final disapproving look, and close the door.

"I'm sorry about my dad, if you said one more thing he definitely wasn't going to let me go." I said as we got to the passenger door of his uncle's borrowed oldsmobile.

"Oh it's no worries, I think it went well all things considered. One question though: Do you really hate your dad?" Eddie asked, the joking tone mostly gone from his voice. Many of my previous laments about my father had reiterated my hatred towards his intolerance and controlling behavior. I took a breath.

"Yes, but…"

"Do you trust me?" He interrupted.

"Yeah, but…"

"Then follow my lead,"

I was interrupted again. Eddie quickly grabbed my head with both of his hands and planted a kiss on my lips. It was sweet, and intentional, and he did not break away until I had a few seconds to realize what was happening.

With that, he broke away and opened the passenger car door. I was stunned, I didn't move. "Why did you-" "In ya go!" He said, grabbing my hand and leading me into the passenger seat. He closed the car door and quickly moved around to the drivers seat. I turned to look at my front door and saw it fly open. My parents definitely saw what had just happened and my dad was storming out onto the lawn.

"Go, Eddie!" I said, panic in my voice. I knew I was going to be in deep shit after tonight, but I was determined to get to the dance and try to enjoy it first.

Eddie turned the car on, put it into drive, and shot his foot on the gas pedal so hard the tires squealed against the pavement. When we got to the end of the road, he let out a roaring laugh.