Chapter Four
Just as the first rays of the sunrise entered Eddie's room, Josie's eyes fluttered open. For a minute or two, she contemplated where she was and why she had been there. In a rush, it all came flooding back and hit her like a ton of bricks. She glanced over to find Munson asleep, still in his jeans and t-shirt. Josie lifted his hand and checked the time on his wristwatch: 6:30 AM. Rubbing the sleep from her tired eyes, she carefully maneuvered herself out of bed. Slipping out the bedroom door, Josie quietly closed it behind her.
A gaping yawn escaped her mouth as she sluggishly trudged her way down the hall. Running on roughly five hours of sleep would make that day a particularly difficult one to get through. Josie never did well running on minimal rest, coupled with the mental load she was still carrying, which was going to make it rough. Especially considering she was unable to shake the events of the prior evening. Maybe the others were going through something similar? Josie told herself she would reach out to Steve or Nancy later that day when she stopped between the kitchen and the living area. Her cheeks flushed.
Sitting on the couch watching television with the volume nearly muted was Eddie's Uncle, Wayne. And wouldn't you know that right next to Wayne on the chair all of Josie's clothes were haphazardly strewn about—her bra hanging from the left armrest. Anyone who might have seen it would have assumed that someone in that trailer last night got very lucky.
She cleared her throat, cheeks burning. "Um...so... So, it's not what it looks like."
Wayne raised one eyebrow at the young woman, then straightened himself before studying her more closely. "You're Hopper's girl, ain't you?"
Josie swallowed hard, going over to her clothes and scooping them up in her arms. She reached back down and picked up her wristwatch.
"Yes, sir. I am." She whispered embarrassedly.
"Well, I'll be damned," Wayne stood up then, moseying his way to the kitchen to fill his coffee cup. "That boy is punching well above his weight."
Josie's expression was one of mortification. She could have died at that moment from humiliation alone. Opening her mouth to speak, words fell short. How the hell was anyone supposed to respond to something like that?
"Morning," Eddie's sleepy voice echoed from the hall as he appeared from around the corner.
"How was work?" He asked his uncle as he grabbed a coffee mug from the cupboard and poured himself a cup. Eddie gave Josie a coy smile when he saw she was still there.
Wayne smacked his lips as he lowered himself back down onto the couch, bringing the cup to his mouth and taking a slow slip.
"Yeah, same as always. Looks to me you had a better night than I did, though."
Eddie cocked his head in confusion. "Huh?"
"Yup, I don't know how you managed a pretty one like that," Mr. Munson turned his head to Josie, shaking it in disbelief before looking back at his nephew. "You two weren't stupid though, were you? You wrapped that pecker of yours up—the last thing we need is little Munsons running around—need that like a goddamn hole in my head."
Eddie spat out his coffee, spraying it all over the kitchen benchtop.
Josie reached for the door handle, wanting to get out of that situation as quickly as she could. Her shoes and jacket be damned.
"I'll see you around, Eddie! Bye, Mr. Munson!"
Outside the trailer, the Earth looked swollen. A damp humidity clung to the dew-kissed blades of grass, still holding on to the last bit of winter's harsh chill. It had been warmer than the previous day, and the storm clouds that had hovered over Hawkins like a bad omen had dispersed completely. A new day was ahead—full of the promise of springtime sunshine. That was if you weren't Josie Hopper.
If you had asked her to describe how she was feeling, the truthful answer would be she didn't know. It's a fine line walking that tightrope between insanity and normalcy; the hallucinations had gotten darker over a month. At first, Josie convinced herself it was her mind's way of coping with the loss. Then, as time went on she noticed she could feel Billy's touch— his breath on her skin. It had been nice, but last night was the first time things turned ugly. And attempting to understand the complexity of it all was driving the young girl insane. She should be brooding over the pep rally, not this never-ending darkness that seemed to thrive on making her life a living hell.
As Josie climbed the steps up to the trailer, the fly screen flew open, startling her and Max.
"Where the hell were you last night?" She scoured Josie's features, noticing the clothes in her arms and what she was wearing. "You know what? Never mind, I don't care."
"Good morning to you, too." Josie skated around the redhead, entered the home, and went straight to her room.
Max followed. "Is that—are those Eddie's clothes?"
Josie sighed, tossing her garments onto the bed. Letting a hand fall to her hip in a smack, she shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah, Max, they are Eddie's clothes—not that it matters much. He gave me a ride last night, and it was so late by the time—it was just late. So, I stayed over there."
A judgmental expression danced across the younger girl's face. "Did you...you know—"
"Max!" Josie was momentarily speechless.
Searching through her wardrobe, Josie pulled out her Hellfire shirt and a clean bra. She started changing.
"I didn't sleep with Eddie—I'm assuming that's what you were asking... nosey bitch." Josie smiled over at Max so she would know the last bit was all in jest. "How would you like it if I pried into your sex life?"
Max shrugged her shoulders as a way of stating she didn't care.
The blonde was rummaging through her dresser drawers, pulling out tight black jeans and a pair of neon green socks.
"Have you ever even had sex before? Like you and Lucas—"
"Ew, no!"
"Really?" Josie had ditched the sweats and was now shimmying into the jeans. "You never even like... I don't know—touched him?"
Max's face turned the colour of her hair. "I'm not having this conversation with you—"
"Ah-ha! Don't like it much when the shoes are on the other foot, eh?" She was sitting on the bed now, slipping into a pair of black Doc-Martens. Josie took a breath then, shifting the atmosphere to a more serious tone. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
There was a shrug.
"Do you... Do you ever see things?"
"Every day. I have these amazing things called eyes." Max retorted.
Josie mockingly chuckled. "Funny, smartass. No—I meant like, after what happened last summer... Do you see things? Dream about things?"
Their blue eyes met for a moment in a whirlwind of unspeakable pain. They had an understanding from the beginning—no talking about last summer. Josie just broke that.
"Not really? I try not to think about it. Neil leaving was the best fucking thing to happen recently, but Billy..."
Her eyes averted to the floor when she said her brother's name. Josie saw a tear fall, and Max quickly wiped her eyes.
"He was an asshole but—I don't know. He—"
"I understand. Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I was just curious if anyone else had been having weird shit happen to them, that's all."
Max's head shot up in puzzlement and curiosity. "What do you mean weird shit happening? Has there been?"
Josie dismissed the topic with a huff and wave of her hand. "No, not really, I guess. I'm probably just overtired and overstimulated. Just ignore me."
Max pouted her lips, rolling her eyes and checking the time. "I gotta go or I'm going to miss the bus. My mom wanted me to tell you that she's waiting on your half of the money for the bills."
"Shit," Josie stood up, piling her golden tresses to the top of her head, securing it with a hairpin. "Alright, I'll get it for her by tonight."
The redhead made for the front door, looking back to see if Josie was far behind.
"How are you going to get the money that fast?"
Both paused in the doorway, Josie raising an eyebrow to say, 'You know how'.
The girls smiled mischievously.
"Steve." They said in unison.
Josie had seen Max off at the bus stop before turning on her heels and back toward the Munson trailer. Eddie was walking out the door, slipping his leather jacket and denim vest on, having changed his clothes. A piece of toast was hanging from the corner of his mouth. When he noticed her, Eddie motioned towards the trailer, taking the toast from behind his teeth.
"Sorry about... Um—yeah." Pointing behind him, trying to find the words to apologise for his uncle's behaviour. "He's just old and crazy."
She giggled.
"That's okay, I won't hold it against him. My dad wouldn't have even waited for an explanation. At least your uncle wasn't in rage mode, ready to skin us both."
"Who, Wayne?" Eddie smiled, nodding his head. "I don't think I've ever heard him yell—ever. If anything, I'm pretty sure he was stoked at the idea that I finally got laid."
Why the FUCK would you say something so weird like that OUT LOUD! Eddie thought to himself ...you stupid fucking...
Josie cleared her throat, trying not to laugh. "Have we had a dry spell as of late, Munson?"
"You could say that," Brown eyes peered up at the clear skies, embarrassed by his admission. "Before I say something else that makes me look like an asshat—do you want a ride to school? I know your bike is still in the back."
She nodded, biting her lip. "Actually, would you give me a ride to the Family Video? I have some stuff I need to do before I get to school. Hopefully, it'll take long enough that I miss that asinine shitshow of a pep rally."
Eddie shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. C'mon Hopper."
After being dropped off at Family Video, Josie pushed her bike onto the footpath and leaned it against the bench just outside the shop. Walking through the doors, she was greeted first with a hearty hello, followed by a berating barrage of dissatisfaction. Once Harrington saw who it was, the customer service façade evaporated.
"Why aren't you in school?" He asked, hand on his hip and head shaking disapprovingly. "Is this what we're doing now? Is it Josie?"
Josie scrunched her nose up at him, leaning into the counter and resting her elbows there.
"Is what, what are we doing now?"
Harrington rolled his eyes while picking up a stack of VHS tapes to be put back in their places on the floor.
"First, you spend the night with Eddie the Freak Munson, doing God only knows what, and now you're slipping down the track even further by skipping class—unbelievable."
"How the hell did you know I was with Eddie last night?"
Steve's eyes grew wide with amazement. "Oh great, it is true."
Josie flung her arms in the air with nonchalance. "What is the big deal? I was having a rough night, and he gave me a ride home. That's pretty much it."
Now behind the counter, Steve's hand was held up in protest. "I don't need to hear about it, Josie. I'm going to pretend that you didn't admit to anything."
"Who told you?"
Steve glanced towards his shoes, fumbling with a roll of receipt paper. "Dustin heard it from Mike, who heard it from Max...and I might have told Robin."
A haggard sigh escaped her lips. "Un-fucking-believable. I swear I can't take a shit without someone up in it."
"Lovely imagery, Jos. Truly," Sighing, he was now filing through pricing stickers. "Why are you here?"
Josie bit her lip, throwing puppy dog eyes up at him. It was a look Harrington knew too well when it came from her.
"Can I borrow some money?"
Steve Harrington and Josie Hopper had a strange relationship. It bordered somewhere between friends and siblings, mixed with an overbearing mother figure and a rebellious, uncontrollable child. So, when he put down his work and folded his arms across his chest, Josie knew exactly which Steve she was about to get.
"Jesus, Josie. How much do you need this time? You—you know, if you would just show up for your shifts you might be able to hold down a job. Then you wouldn't have to come to me. I'm not made of cash, you know."
"I know, I know—this is the last time, I swear."
Harrington nodded his head, knowing that was more than likely a lie. "How much?"
Josie winced, "Like...fifty?"
"Not going to happen. No."
"Thirty?"
Pulling his wallet from the back pocket of his pants, Steve fished out a twenty and five. When Josie went to grab it, his grip tightened.
"What do you need it for? Are you going to buy drugs from your new buddy?"
"My new buddy?" She laughed. "I wish I could say it was for drugs—unfortunately, It's going to my half of the utilities at the trailer. Not very exciting."
He parted ways with his money, watching Josie scan the candy counter.
"You need to think about what you're doing with your life. Graduation isn't that far off, and you have made zero plans for when this fairytale you're living in ends."
She popped a Twizzler in her mouth, staring indifferently at her friend, her mind a million miles away from the topic on hand.
"Can I ask a question?"
Throwing his hands up in defeat, Steve sighed. "Yeah, okay—I guess. What is it?"
Josie licked her lips before pressing them close together. With a deep breath, she asked, "Have you seen anything strange lately? Or like—anything in regards to that night at Starcourt?"
Harrington straightened himself, taking on a perplexed visage. "You mean like dreams? Because now that you mention it, I do have this recurring dream where I'm being chased by Russians...and I'm naked."
"Gross, no. I don't mean like that you fucking weirdo."
"What, you asked!"
"Not to have the image of your twig and berries in my head, I didn't." Josie paused a moment before continuing, popping another Twizzler in her mouth. "It's just that...I've been seeing things...hearing things. Mostly, it's Billy."
Steve folded his arms and looked down at Josie with concern.
"Maybe you should talk to someone—it could help. Someone like...I don't know, the school guidance counsellor. I know it may be the last thing you wanna do, but trauma doesn't just—what happened that night for us, for you—stuff like that can stick with you a long time."
She had spaced out, contemplating what she could have done differently that night. She could have saved Billy if she had just tried harder. Josie could have saved people and a lot of heartache if she'd been brave enough to do something about it all. Snapping back to reality, Josie tapped her fingers against the countertop.
"Yeah, maybe...it's just... last night when I saw him—Billy—he was trying to warn me. Said something about 'he's coming for all of you' and 'run'. Wigged me out."
"That's what you get for smoking dope with Munson," Steve interjected. "Foggy heads and freaky visions of crap that's not even there."
"Hm… Well... Thanks again for the money—I promise, last time."
She took a box of Milk Duds and tucked them under her arm.
Steve tore the fiver from her hand, put it in the till, and gestured toward the candy. "It's not free, you know—now get to school."
Josie rolled her eyes. "Yes, mother."
Harrington muttered a dozen 'unbelievable''s as he watched Josie exit the video store and ride away on her push bike.
By the time Josie had made it to the school, the lunch bell rang.
Hawkins High cafeteria was a cesspit of teenage snobbery and cliques. It never ceased to amaze her how they all separated themselves, filing into little groups formed up with other like-minded sheeple. Seemingly they were unaware that they were even doing so; God forbid a jock was caught eating a pb&j next to a brain. Josie hated that kind of mentality. It had been shared loathing for the general school population that led Josie to become a member of Hellfire. It was hard to believe four years had nearly passed since that day Eddie found her sitting all by her lonesome, just begging to be saved...
It had been the worst day of fifteen-year-old, freshman Josie's life. From getting lost finding the second-period classroom to being unable to open her locker, it seemed like every little thing that could go wrong was going wrong. All she wanted to do was crawl into a ball and slowly die from some type of anxious teenager syndrome. Tears had been pooling and threatening to spill over all day. Sitting alone in the cafeteria didn't help matters. She wanted to go home with her sister, Jane—or anywhere other than where she was.
"Hey,"
She heard a soft voice and looked up from her brown paper-bagged lunch. The owner sat down across from her, offering her a small smile.
"I know you—I saw you at the police station over the summer...though you probably don't remember me, do you?"
Josie shrugged her shoulders, searching her memory for the face of the teen in front of her.
"No, sorry." She whispered, apologetically.
"Well...I remember. I'm Eddie, by the way, Eddie Munson." He tilted his head sideways, trying to get her to look him in the eyes instead of down at her lap. "What's your name?"
You wouldn't have guessed it now, but back then, she was incredibly shy. With a meek voice, she squeaked out, "Josie Hopper."
Eddie grinned at her then, now having a name to go along with a face.
"I'll tell you what, Josie Hopper—how about you come to sit over there," He pointed towards the Hellfire table. "With me, so you're not all alone over here, by yourself."
Josie scrunched her nose. "I'm not a charity case and don't need sympathy."
"Ah-hahaha," Munson clapped his hands at her tenacity. "If anything, you would be doing me a great honour. You see," He fiddled with a tear in her brown paper bag. "I don't like seeing people with potential left alone in this Godforsaken wasteland known as Hawkins High. Not when I can help it."
He waited to test her reaction. She was looking at him then, and his gut tightened.
"What do you say, Josie Hopper? Come sit for a spell with the Hellfire Club. Who knows? You might like it."
Gazing at Eddie's shirt, she pursed her lips. "If I do, can I have one of those?"
Eddie Munson beamed, "I think we can arrange something."
The memory made her smile as she sauntered over to the Hellfire table. It was bittersweet, knowing this would be her last year with them. Eddie would have to hand the crown over to someone else—given the idea, he'd graduate this year.
Josie shoved Gareth aside with her lunch tray, taking a seat in the middle of the table. Mike and Dustin were staring at her like she'd grown a second head.
"What the hell are you two looking at?"
They glanced at one another—Dustin peering over at Eddie and back to Josie. "Is it true?"
Josie returned his question with a face of utter annoyance. "Is what true Dustin? You're gonna have to be a bit more specific."
His head was nodding in Eddie's direction before he leaned in, motioning for Josie to close the gap between them.
She obliged, waiting for him to speak.
Once Mike was in earshot, Dustin quietly inquired, "Is it true, you—you know—did the thing with Eddie last night."
"WHAT?!" Josie's voice boomed, causing the entire table to jump. A few people passing by stopped to see what caused the outburst. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?!"
"Well, is it true?" Mike shrugged.
Groaning, Josie picked up her tray and dropped it loudly on the table. She was nearly screaming.
"NO MIKE. IT'S NOT. I DID NOT SLEEP WITH EDDIE!"
Dustin's face held shock, his lips formed into a small 'o', and he peered around them.
"Josie, you might want to sit down."
Josie glanced around her person, aware that half the cafeteria had their eyes on her. Her face burned hotter than the surface of the sun.
Promptly sitting down, she tried to look over at Eddie but found doing so only made her face burn hotter.
Eddie, on the other hand, gingerly popped a pretzel into his mouth, his expression one of utter shock.
A few boys walking past the table congratulated Munson, patting him on the back. That made him feel awkward.
"Dustin," Josie's knuckles were white.
"Yeah, Jos?"
"When you see Max—tell her I'm going to kill her."