"So tell me exactly what happened that led up to you punching Kurt Douglas, did he hurt you?" Eddie said, pulling back to look at my face but keeping his arms around my shoulders.

I was still angry, but mostly shaken and a little bit embarrassed. So much had happened tonight that it was getting to be too much to process.

"No, he didn't hurt me. He said a bunch of heinous shit which I tried to ignore but then he totally went over the line. My body reacted before I could think and I slapped him. It's not important, it'll just make you mad." I said. I didn't really want to make Eddie feel bad for leaving me with him, especially when I was the one who told him to leave.

"Annie, what did he say?" Eddie asked. He wasn't accepting my vague response.

"He, umm… he said that you were responsible for Will Byers' disappearance. He said you probably kidnapped him, and some other gross shit." I responded.

"That motherfucker. I knew I shouldn't have left you there," Eddie said, contempt written on his face. He seemed more upset that I was upset than mad at what Kurt had said about him. It looked like he was ready to storm back in the gym and give him a piece of his mind. I wanted to appreciate the concern but I was a bit miffed that his automatic conclusion was I needed protecting.

"I can take care of myself," I said defensively, backing away a little and releasing myself from his hold. "I may not have handled the situation gracefully, but I did walk away unscathed."

"Hell yeah you can take care of yourself. I just wish I had been there as your backup," Eddie said, easing the tension a little bit. I let out a little sigh and tried to smile but it didn't feel natural. I looked past his shoulder to find all of his friends were staring attentively in our direction.

"You should get back to your friends, they look like they need you," I said, contemplating leaving now and trying to find a ride home.

"Oh, yeah. I gave my blunt to Wheeler and Henderson. They're probably waiting for me to help them," Eddie said, looking back at them and giving a little playful wave. They all looked away as though they had been caught, except for Dustin, who smiled and waved back.

"You can't give weed to Mike Wheeler! His mom Karen does jazzercise with my mom, if she finds out I was involved…"

"Relax, the kid probably won't smoke it anyway. He wants to be like me, but he's still pure at heart." Eddie chuckled.

"You realize that's kind of a cop out, right? Giving weed to the freshmen you already hang out with?" I said as a tease.

"Okay you might be right, but they're easy and willing targets and we're running out of time. We've got maybe 20 minutes before they crown the homecoming queen and king. Come on, let's go see," he said, starting to walk back to his friends. I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself in the cold, and followed him. I said a quick hello to everyone as I advanced into the small group. Gareth and Jeff were wearing their Hellfire Club shirts, ever dedicated to their DND club and loyal sidekicks to their fearless leader. Dustin Henderson had his curls teased up wildly on his head, and was wearing a dress shirt with a bow tie and slacks. You could tell he took pride in looking good for the dance. Mike Wheeler just had on a long sleeve plaid button up shirt and some dark pants. Probably something his mom set out for him to wear.

Eddie began introductions. "Boys, this is Annie Cooper, and she just punched Kurt Douglas in the face defending my honor," he said, beaming like a proud father. There was a small chorus of "what?!" "whoa!" And "Awesome!" From the boys.

"It wasn't a punch," I laughed, and the others joined in. Everyone began chattering at once, eager to know the girl that had suddenly infiltrated.

"That's a pretty dress," Dustin said, smiling at me. He was sweet, I returned the smile.

"So how'd you get Eddie into the suit?" Jeff asked, impressed.

"It wasn't without its challenges, but I figured it'd be best to blend in if we were going to sneak him in and complete the bucket list items," I said. There were looks of confusion on their faces. I had assumed Eddie had shared with his friends what the objective of the night was, but I guess I had assumed incorrectly. Maybe the bucket list was just our thing for now.

"We're on a mission tonight, boys. You'll see soon. Here, give that here," Eddie said, motioning to Mike for the unlit blunt and lighter he was holding hesitantly. Mike gladly handed them back to Eddie.

"Alright, this stuff won't make you trip balls or see demons or anything like that. It'll just mellow you out and make you feel warm, round out the edges. Maybe a little hungry. It's pretty simple, inhale and hold it in your lungs as long as you can," he said, striking the lighter and lighting the blunt. He demonstrated by taking a drag and a deep inhale then holding his breath for a few seconds. When he was done he tilted his head to the sky, exhaling an impressive stream of smoke straight up. He didn't cough at all. He was definitely a pro at this.

As I was standing on his left, he offered me the blunt next. "For your nerves," he said. There was no pressure, and I knew I could decline if I wanted to. I had never smoked, but I couldn't deny that something calming me down sounded useful right now. I took the blunt from his hand and brought it to my lips confidently, pretending like I knew what I was doing. I began to inhale for a few seconds until I could see the embers on the end of the blunt grow brighter and hear the leaves burn.

"Easy," Eddie said.

Oh no, was I overdoing it? I took the blunt out of my mouth but kept inhaling until I had no more space in my lungs. I let go and exhaled, and began violently coughing, my throat on fire. Like, couldn't stop if I wanted to coughing, as I passed the blunt to Gareth on my left. There was no judgement from the guys, though. They all probably had a similar experience at once point. Mike and Dustin had trouble hiding the shocked looks on their faces which made me laugh and cough harder.

The blunt got passed around the group one by one. The only thing I felt was the burning in my throat, so I wondered if I had done it wrong. My coughing fit dissipated but I still cleared my throat a few times. The last two people in the circle were, of course, Dustin and Mike.

"I probably shouldn't," Dustin said, a little panic in his voice.

"You sure Henderson?" Eddie asked. Even though this had been one of the bucket list items, I could tell that this was a bit different than just pressuring some freshmen to smoke. Eddie cared about these kids and had grown fond of them ever since he had recruited them to the D&D club. He wasn't going to make them do anything they were uncomfortable with, but would encourage and guide the way if they did want to get into mischief.

The blunt got passed to Mike. It was nearly burnt out. He grabbed the small tip of the blunt and brought it up to his lips, inhaled quickly, and let go. When he exhaled, a tiny puff of smoke came out of his mouth, and he too began coughing.

"Let me know if you feel anything with that tiny hit," Eddie said teasingly. "Shut up," Mike retorted. He dropped the used up blunt on the concrete and stomped it out with his foot.

I felt a little lightheaded, but mostly I wasn't sure if the effects of the weed had hit me yet. It did dawn on me though that I had already broken 2 of the 3 rules my dad had set before we ran out. No drinking, and no drugs. So much for daddy's little girl.

The group had grown a little quiet, so I spoke up to break the tension.

"So this is the hellfire club, huh?" I asked.

"Almost," Eddie said. "We're missing Sinclair." Lucas Sinclair was a friend of Dustin and Mike's who was on the basketball team.

"Yeah, he's with the basketball guys tonight," Mike said, rolling his eyes.

"We're also in Eddie's band!" Gareth piped up, motioning to him and Jeff.

"Right, Corroded Coffin," I said. Eddie talked about his band all the time. They were just getting started but you could tell it was something he was fond of.

"Hey Annie, are you finally gonna come to one of our shows? We play at The Hideout on Tuesdays," Jeff said.

"I've never been invited!" I said, looking over at Eddie questioningly. I would have loved to see them play if it was an open invitation.

"That's weird because Eddie hopes you'll show up every week-" Gareth responded.

"Smooooth," Eddie said, rolling his eyes. I figured his friends had known we were spending time together tutoring to try to help Eddie graduate this year, but I hadn't realized I had been a topic of conversation among the guys. Or that every time Eddie mentioned his band practices or his shows, that he was secretly hoping I would come. I reached down and squeezed his hand subtly.

"I'd love to come." I said, smiling at Gareth and Jeff. "Maybe next week!"

Eddie pulled out a stopwatch from his pocket to check the time and interrupt before his friends made things worse for him. "It's 9:45. We should probably get inside for phase 3," he said directed at me.

"What's phase 3?" Dustin asked.

"Come inside and you'll find out," Eddie said with an air of mischief. "Ready Annie?"

"I was kind of hoping I could stay out here with these guys, and maybe avoid Kurt at all costs," I said nervously.

"I'll help you avoid him or he'll have to get through me. Let's go," he said, motioning his head towards the gym. "If I don't get out alive… I'll see you boys on Monday." The looks of confusion on their face about what could possibly be about to go down was palpable.

Eddie and I walked side by side back towards the school. I don't know if I smoked the weed right, or enough, but I did feel calm and warm next to him.

"I like them, they're nice." I said, referring to the Hellfire Club boys.

"Yeah, they're good dudes. I think they like you too… Gareth maybe a little too much," he laughed.

"I didn't realize you talked about me with them. So, Corroded Coffin. When can I expect an invite?" I asked, laughing back.

"Behave," he said. He wasn't a guy who was embarrassed easily, so it was cute. I reached down to grab his hand again, show some reassurance. Every time our skin touched, my heart jolted a little.

"So what's the plan for phase 3?" I asked, changing the subject.

"You know, I'm not really a plan guy. More of a fly by the seat of his pants guy. I'll figure something out, leave this one up to me." Eddie said.

"And what should I be doing? Do you need my help?" I asked.

"Find your friends and pretend like you never came with me. That's the only way to ensure you won't get in trouble," He said. We had reached the front door, but lingered to the side, not yet going in.

"And if you get caught?"

"Don't try to come to my rescue," He smiled.

"Oh, you're on your own, Munson." I teased, squeezing his hand and looking into his eyes. I wanted to kiss him. I would have done anything for him in that moment, even if it meant getting in trouble. Tension hung between us as I was hesitant to move on from this moment.

Just then, we heard Principal Coleman's voice booming over the microphone.

"Ladies and Gentleman, it's time to introduce you to your Homecoming Court and crown our Homecoming Queen and King! Could those on Homecoming Court begin making their way to the stage." He announced.

"Crap, it's go time." Eddie said, opening the door and hurrying in. I followed him in. Once we got into the gym, I wished him a good luck and we separated ways. I hope he could pull this off.

All the lights had been switched off in the gym now, and only the twinkle lights and disco ball were providing ambient, dreamy light, aside from the spotlight pointed at the makeshift stage. People began crowding forward and craning their neck towards the front of the stage to watch the presentation. I waded my way through the crowd until I spotted my friends Grace, Claire and Eve huddled together. They had obviously ditched their dates, who were duds anyway.

"Hey guys," I said, approaching my friends.

"Annie!" Eve exclaimed. "Grace told us you were here on a date with EDDIE MUNSON! What is happening?!" She said, a bit too loudly.

"Shhhh, keep your voice down. It's not a dat, it's nothing," I said.

"Yeah right it's nothing, you were dancing with him," Grace said with an eye roll. She had covered for me once tonight, she wasn't eager to do it again. And I knew eventually I would have to explain myself to my friends, but I wish she would cut me some slack for one night.

"Look, he had some things he wanted to get done tonight and I agreed to help him." I said. How do I even begin to explain to my closest friends that I was helping Eddie achieve general mischief and disturb the dance? They'd just have to see for themselves, and I had to hope they'd forgive me.

"Would this have anything to do with the spiked punch? Jerry told me it tasted like vodka, and now the punch bowl is empty." Claire said. I looked around, and quite a few of the kids on the dance floor had cups of punch in their hands. I laughed a little. Our plan had worked.

"Also someone said they heard you punched Kurt Douglas. Is that true Annie?" Grace asked, concern in her voice.

"It wasn't a punch! And he was being an asshole!" I said, defending myself. Oh god, was I completely ruining my reputation in the school and with my closest friends in one night?

Just then, all the kids on the Homecoming Court had taken the stage, and Principal Coleman began announcing them by name. The usual popular kids were among them, including the it-couple of Hawkins High School, Chrissy Cunningham and Jason Carver. When I was younger I probably would have liked to have been among them, recognized for being one of the cool kids. Now I couldn't care less about the silly popularity contest.

"Look, girls, I'll explain everything, just please don't judge me before you know the whole story." I pleaded.

"Of course, Annie," Eve said, wrapping me in a hug. She was the smallest of the group and stood at least a head smaller than me, and the quickest to forgive. I hugged her back.

I turned towards the stage and scanned the crowd. I didn't see Eddie anywhere. Oh god, I hope he can do this on his music stopped as Principal Coleman had the queen and king crowns brought before him to the front of the podium.

"And your Homecoming king is…. Jason Carver!" He exclaimed over the microphone. The audience began clapping and whooping as Jason began walking to the front of the stage to accept his crown. Jason was the captain of the basketball team and considered one of the hottest boys in school. I didn't care for him myself, but also had no problems with him as our social circles usually didn't mingle.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Eddie appeared on the left of the stage running at a full sprint. Principal Coleman's back was to him, so he didn't see him right away, and I guess he was blocking Jason's view as well. The audience began to gasp and you could hear everyone start talking. It felt like time stand still, but in a matter of seconds Eddie was beside Jason, grasped his pants firmly, and yanked as hard as he could while still in motion, leaping off the stage and running into the crowd as quickly as he could.

People began to scream laughing, and I couldn't help but join them. I hadn't planned to learn that Jason Carver was a man who preferred to go commando, but just about the whole school learned that about him tonight. And anyone who wasn't present would surely hear about it on Monday.

For a few moments, Jason's entire package, full cock and balls, was exposed to everyone at the dance with his pants around his ankles. I didn't know whether to give him the benefit of the doubt of it being cold in the gym, truthfully, but there wasn't much to be seen. Blink and you miss it. He bent over and quickly pulled up his khakis before running off the stage. I was worried for a second he was going to chase after Eddie, but he ran out the back door of the gym instead. I guess the embarrassment got the best of him.

At the same time, Eddie was working his way through the crowd, trying as quickly as he could to get to the door and out of the gym. Everyone was craning around, looking for where he was. Students were leaping out of the way to let him pass.

"It was Munson!" "Eddie Munson?!" I heard shouts throughout the crowd. Well, there's no way he wasn't recognized, but he successfully did it. I couldn't stop laughing.

"Annie, what the hell was that!" Grace asked.

"That was cosmic justice," I said, still laughing, tears in my eyes. My friends began laughing too.

I turned to look to the back of the gym as Eddie burst through the back of the crowd and was almost at the gym entrance. The crowd burst into applause and hollers.

"I'll see you in Detention all next week, Mr. Munson!" Principal Coleman said over the microphone. Eddie turned to address the cheering crowd, and gave a bow with arms outstretched before exiting. "Munson! Munson! Munson!" You could hear the crowd begin to chant. The cheering got louder as the door slammed closed behind him.

The gym was still in complete commotion after Eddie's exit. Everyone was discussing amongst themselves what had just happened, and Jason had surely become the laughing stock of the evening. Maybe it served him right. No man should be overcompensating for that much cocky swagger when he didn't have the gear to back it up.

My friends were all looking at me incredulously as I regained my composure. All 3 had questioning looks on their faces. Without a doubt they knew I absolutely knew that was going to happen.

"I will explain later. Sunday at Grace's?" I asked. We typically met at one of each other's houses on Sunday afternoons to finish out the week's homework, and there was an English assignment coming up we had agreed to proofread for each other. They all nodded at me quietly as I mouthed "thank you."

I dismissed myself to go to the bathroom, and meant to head towards the back door we had entered through. I didn't want anyone to immediately catch on that my intention was to go after Eddie, who had just gone sprinting out of the gym and into the night. We hadn't discussed what would happen if we got split up, or how I would get home if that happened. I could probably just bum a ride from one of the other seniors, but I didn't want to end my night just yet if I didn't have to.

In the hallway, I ran into Mike and Dustin, who were joined by their friend Lucas Sinclair. All three were in a laughing fit, talking about what just happened. Dustin saw me first, and motioned me over.

"That was brilliant! That sonofabitch deserved it," Dustin chuckled. "Yeah, I can't believe Jason doesn't wear underwear!" Mike said with a laugh.

"He's going to be so pissed," Lucas said, who was actually kind of friends with Jason. Still, he couldn't hide his smile. Lucas was on the basketball team and hung around with guys like Jason. The next few weeks with him were going to be rough, and I did not envy Lucas.

"Was that your plan?" Dustin asked.

"That was all Eddie," I laughed. "I'm not bold enough to do that, especially to Jason. I just promised to help him sneak into the dance."

"And kids are saying Kurt Douglas was punched in the face by a girl, was that you?!" Lucas asked. He must have been in the gym when it happened, and word travels fast.

"Jesus, does everyone know about that?! It wasn't a punch!" I said, exasperated. I wasn't running away from that one after all. How in the hell was I supposed to deal with Kurt on Monday?

"Whatever it was, you're a badass," Mike said, admiration in his eyes.

"Well thanks, but it was definitely a slap. A light tap, more like it. The only thing I hurt was his ego," I replied.

"Either way, he deserved it," Dustin said with a smile. It felt a little weird receiving compliments from a group of freshmen, but they were good kids, and Eddie seemed fond of them. Besides, the slap had also been in defense of the horrible tragedy these boys had experienced. They were best friends with Will Byers, and there had to be some residual trauma from his prior disappearance.

"Hey, do you happen to know which way Eddie went?" I asked.

"He rounded the corner and kept running down the hallway," Dustin answered.

"Thanks, I'm gonna see if I can find him and catch a ride home. I fear I'm too close to the crime, and if I go back in there people will start connecting the dots." I said. The boys waved goodbye and I went out the front door to begin searching.

There were a handful of kids hanging out front, all talking amongst themselves regarding the "incident." I walked around them quickly and began searching around the parking lot. I walked the entire parameter - there were a few couples hiding out in cars getting busy, but no sight of Eddie. His uncle's car was still in the parking lot though, so I knew he had to be somewhere around here.

I made my way back to the front of the school and walked around the side to the way we had broken in. I jiggled the door, but it was firmly locked again. I wasn't sure where else to look. I walked around the side of the school, but he wasn't back there either. Behind the school there was only the track and football field.

"Eddie?" I called, raising my voice slightly. If he was back here, maybe he could hear me. The crickets echoed in the absence of a response. I did a full 360 spin, scanning the surrounding area, but it was eerily quiet.

The bright stadium lights of the football field were still on, illuminating the field. The homecoming game had taken place earlier in the evening, and Hawkins came out victorious. For what it lacked in STEM funding, the school did sure pour out the money for the sports teams. The school went all out for the game, and cheesy "Let's go Tigers!" And "Go! Fight! Win" banners and streamers lined the gate entrance onto the field.

I was getting annoyed that I hadn't found Eddie yet and that I was seemingly abandoned ar the dance when I made the decision to head back to the gym. I gave one look back at the field when I saw a lone figure in the middle of the football field. It had to be him.

I walked around the gate until I got to the entrance of the gate, but it was locked. The gate was only about waist high, but I guess my only way through was over. I removed my heels and dropped them over the side of the fence, and began my climb. I inserted my feet through the metal chain link frame and hoisted myself over the side of the gate. As I descended down, I heard a small fabric tear. Crap. The tulle of my dress had gotten caught on one of the chain spikes. I checked the damage, and it wasn't horrible, but there was a hole gaping at the bottom of my skirt.

I picked up my heels in one hand and decided to walk onto the track without them. They had been bothering my feet anyway and I was tired of being slowed down by them.

Lying in the middle of the field on his back, arms and legs outstretched as though he was making a snow Angel, was Eddie. His eyes were closed and he was taking steady breaths. He was either sleeping, or deep in thought. The suit jacket was off, laying to his right, and the top 2 buttons of his shirt were now undone. I tried to approach him as quietly as I could without him noticing I was coming.

When I reached the threshold of the field, and figured he would probably hear me walking on the grass, I raised my voice and said, "Have you ever considered a track scholarship?" I was probably 30 yards away and kept walking towards him to meet him in the middle of the field.

Eddie visibly startled a little at my voice, probably not expecting to be found out here, but he remained laying down with his eyes closed "Oh, you didn't know I was an athlete?" he joked.

"Between your track scholarship and my acting career, I'd say we're pretty set for the future," I said, finally meeting him and standing at his side. He cracked a smile and opened his eyes, looking up at me. His hair was sprawled out in a messy halo above his head, and I couldn't help but admire the top of his chest that was poking out from the undone buttons. He reached his hand over and softly grasped my ankle that was closest to him. Not in an aggressive or possessive way, but tenderly extending affection.

"Join me," he said with a little tug, motioning to the ground. I lowered myself down until I was sitting upright with my legs crossed, on his side but facing him. He still was laying down on the field. He seemed to be in a contemplative mood, his eyes closed again. Like a whole separate world existed just in his mind. What I would give to crack his mind open and take a peek at his thoughts.

I broke the silence after a few seconds. "So I never expected to learn that Jason is a commando kind of guy," I said. This made Eddie guffaw with laughter.

"It all happened so fast, all I saw was his pasty ass. Then I ran like hell out of there. I thought for a second he was going to come after me, which is why I jumped the gate onto the field. What did you see?" Eddie asked. His eyes were now open and he was beginning to lean up on his arms to get a better look at me.

"The whole gym saw pretty much everything as far as Jason is concerned. And it wasn't very much," I said, laughing.

"No!" Eddie said in an eager response, which just made me laugh harder. He laughed along with me.

"To give him the benefit of the doubt, it was cold in there. I do feel bad for his girlfriend though. I can't believe you pulled that off! The minute Jason gets a hold of you, you are so dead."

"What's he gonna do, beat me up because his dick is too small?" Eddie asked. The laughter had tipped over the edge and I had tears forming in my eyes.

"You were incredible. Everyone will be talking about tonight," I said. "I don't know if you heard, but they were chanting your name as you left."

"All I ever wanted was to leave a legacy," Eddie said jokingly with a pompous tone.

"You definitely did!"

"What about you? You were fearless tonight, and you stood up to a jerk. We make a pretty good team." Eddie said.

"We do. We should be celebrating!" I added.

"What do you suggest?" Eddie said, now fully propping himself up on his arms and raising an eyebrow. Somehow, what a second ago had been playful banter suddenly teetered over to sexual tension.

"Too bad you didn't get to take home the homecoming queen like you had been planning," I teased, rolling my eyes. "That would have been icing on the cake. Although I'm not sure who it was, Principal Coleman was trying to calm everyone down still while I walked out."

"On the contrary…" Eddie said. He sat up now, and reached over to the suit jacket. He went rummaging through the pockets until he pulled out the shiny, silver Homecoming Queen tiara. It was tacky and adorned with sparkling jewels.

"You did not!" I said, surprised by his latest bold move. "How did you manage to snatch that?!"

"In the commotion I grabbed it as I leapt off the stage." Eddie said casually, as he began standing. He motioned for me to join him and extended his hand, so I stood up with him.

"Come on, bow your head," he commanded. I followed instructions.

He held the tiara in his right hand as he began "knighting me" with it along both my shoulders.

"I, sir Eddie of Munsonshire, dub thee, Lady Annie of Cooper-dom… honorary Homecoming Queen" he said, placing the tiara on my head. I gave a fake curtsy.

"Why thank you, sir Eddie." I said, matching his role playing energy. He cracked a smile and we both began laughing and couldn't stop. During the laughter, our bodies naturally gravitated towards each other until we were in an embrace. I put my arms around him and hugged him. I got a jolt of nervous energy every time we touched, but being near him was intoxicating. I was drawn to him and found myself always wanting more. I could feel my heartbeat increase.

"Your audience demands a dance," Eddie said, motioning towards the empty bleachers. He put one hand on the small of my back and took my hand in his. I rested my head on his shoulder and settled in. We swayed slowly in comfortable silence, until Eddie finally said, "You know I've been in high school for over 5 years and I've never been to a dance, or a football game?" Eddie said.

"Well tonight was only fun as far as dances go because we effectively fucked it all up. As far as football games, you would totally hate it," I said, cracking a smile. "It's a whole lot of waiting around for things to happen, usually in the cold, and when things finally do happen, its just some kid running 15 yards and being tackled again. I don't understand why half of Hawkins still show up when there's a home game, as if there isn't more important things for adults to be doing on a Friday night."

"Yeah, I probably would hate it. But being down here on the field, it's kind of cool. There is so much space, and the lights make you feel powerful. I can kind of see why the jocks and meatheads like it." Eddie said.

"Hey, you're not going to become a jock on me and join the football team are you? With the way you were running tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if they recruited you," I said teasingly.

"Can't you see it?" He said. Suddenly, he broke away from our dance and was sprinting animatedly in a wide circle around me. I was shocked for a second, but began laughing.

"Munson's got the ball. He fakes left, he fakes right… he fakes left again." Eddie said, giving fake commentary on a play. He was dodging around the field like an idiot, jumping and running around to make me laugh.

"He leaps over the opposing team's quarterback… the other team is left in his dust, they can't reach him... he's headed toward the finish line… he's gonna make it… he's near the endzo—" Suddenly he lost his footing on the slippery grass, and began falling face first. Luckily he caught his fall with his arms, but it was anything but graceful. I let out a little gasp.

"Jesus, are you okay?!" I said. He started laughing, which gave me permission to laugh, and I hurried towards where he was now sitting on the grass.

"Yeah, I should definitely stick to guitar," he said, catching his breath. "Oww." I sat down next to him and reached for his hands to inspect for injuries. "Does anything hurt?" I asked, turning over his hands in both of mine. They were red from the force of his fall, but no scrapes.

"Just my ego, darling" Eddie replied with a grin.

"Hey, I was impressed, you're fast as lightning" I said teasing, squeezing his hands a little. "Well as long as you were impressed..." he said. He leaned forward and grabbed a loose strand of hair that was hanging by my face and tucked it behind my ear. Then with both hands, he softly re-adjusted the tiara on my head. I sat still as he moved closer, anticipating his next move.

"Annie, I-" "What time is it?" I said, stupidly, at the same time as he was about to say something. Jesus, I was stupid. If he was about to kiss me, or say something unexpected, why was it suddenly so important to know what time it was?!

He stopped what he was doing and pulled back, and reached for the pocket watch in his pants pocket.

"It's close to 11pm. We should probably work on getting you home soon, daddy's orders..." He said.

"I'm not ready to go home yet…" I said, quietly.

"Are you sure? I mean, I know your dad hates me but I did promise I'd get you home by midnight. We probably shouldn't push that."

"We've been breaking the rules all night, Eddie. No drinking, no drugs... I'm already going to be in deep shit tomorrow even if I do show up at curfew. I want to enjoy my last night of freedom before I'm grounded for the rest of senior year. I'm having too much fun with you. I can't go home now."

"Oh yeah? If you say so, I won't say no to that. What rule do you suggest we break next?" Eddie asked, a cheeky grin growing on his face. The sexual tension had been growing steadily over the last couple of hours, and I didn't blame him for his mind wandering back to the places we had gone tonight. I was thinking of it too. We were beyond innocence, and whatever had blossomed between us had to come to a head tonight if it ever was going to happen.

"I can think of a few things," I said, leaning forward to bridge the distance. "Besides, I promised we'd get back to this," I said just above a whisper. Eddie leaned in to close the distance, and completed the kiss that had been building since we got out onto the field.