Here's chapter 20, I hope you enjoy it!

I do not own Stranger Things

P.S. Please be advised this chapter contains some internalized homophobia and while the character is met with love and acceptance I realize that it could be difficult for some to read. Be warned

The rescue center was bustling with life on Saturday morning, the beds were full of displaced people, volunteers were running around nearly every corner, and there was chatter that the Governor was ruminating over throwing some money towards Hawkins to help rebuild and recover. Steve had walked in with Odette and Eddie to volunteer for the day, grinning when the old church lady running the center looked shocked at the wild Metalhead who'd come to help the needy. "I can't sit on my rear while others are in need m'lady! So point me to an area of need and I'll make it my bitch!" Odette elbowed her brother sharply at his language and he grinned apologetically "Sorry...I'll do whatever you need me to" The old lady looked down at her clip board "We've got donations that need to be taken off the truck...a lot of canned goods and boxes. Can you-?"

"Your noble squire is at your service Madame!" Eddie bowed deeply before walking off briskly in the direction he could see one or two others carrying in boxes from a rear door. The older woman shook her head as though she couldn't quite believe it. "And you two?"

Odette smiled sweetly "Steve would love to help...but he was injured during the quakes so please nothing too physical like that" she gestured to her brother's retreating form. Steve put his arm that was in a cast around her shoulders "Angel I can handle-" Odette pressed a hand over his mouth with a slight grin.

The old woman sighed but a small smile betrayed her annoyed look. "We've got boxes and boxes of clothes to sort through, we've got babies, toddlers, kids, and adult sizes, sort them by sizes and gender dears." She points her pen over to a few tables that were surrounded by boxes with cloth peaking out. Steve nodded and steered Odette over to where they could settle at some boxes. Steve immediately grabbed a box filled with donations for babies, he folded them with a widening smile on his face. Odette helped to begin folding and sorting "I'm glad you like that strawberry bonnet so much, you'd have to to smile like that" She teases lightly

He throws her a mock glare "Oh come on...babies are cute!" He's slowly building his pile of baby clothes as he speaks "Don't you think?"

She smiles brightly, "Of course they're cute." She folds a pair of train covered overalls and makes her own pile "You getting baby fever over there?" She giggles at the thought

He blushes slightly, focusing on the little bee dress he was folding "Maybe...would it be so bad if I was?" He peeks over at her, she'd caught her bottom lip between her lip...chewing on it as she thought to herself. "No...it's not bad...as long as you're not plan on acting on it" Her own cheeks were now crimson. "I'm planning on kids in the future Mr. Harrington. Not right now" She plops the little horse covered socks into a small pile of socks on the corner of the table. Steve smirks slightly "How many?"

She shook her head with a laugh "Nope" He looked at her a little incredulously "Oh come on-"

"You'll think I'm crazy" She giggled she turned and put her now empty box of clothes on the floor. She grabbed another and began to unpack a healthy mix of adult sized clothing.

Steve began to reply with the idea that no answer she gave could scare him when someone slapped him on the back "Dingus!" He turned to see Robin, she was grinning at him with a few bags of grocery good in her hands. "Good to see you up and out. You had that one and Henderson in hysterics." She nodded pointedly to Odette who was still rather red but focused on the old grey t-shirt she was folding. She rolled her eyes but smiled at the taller girl "Hey Rob, how are things?"

Robin shrugged "Slow, I got a letter from Scoops Ahoy headquarters though." She let her shoulders sag "They'll pay us what we would have made through the summer but after that we'll be done."

Steve sighed too "Guess job hunting is on the table." He kicked one of the now empty boxes under the table. "It's too bad." Robin cocks her head to the side, her shopping bags tugging her arms down to her sides. "What?"

"I liked working with you...made the slow days a little faster" Steve bashfully shot her a grin "Maybe we could look for another job together..."

Robin smirked slightly "Obviously you can't get enough of me Harrington!...I think the video store is hiring if you're interested." He nods and makes plans to drop off an application in the coming days, although he had no idea what his address would be on the damned thing. He'd called his parents hotel the night before at the trailer but had gotten the receptionist, telling him they'd already left. Robin continued to the sandwich making station after one final knowing look from her to his cast covered arm. He plopped a pile of baby boy shirts onto the table, one placed over his shoulder as he hadn't gotten to folding it just yet. Odette was now folding some men's clothing with a thoughtful look on her face. She raised her gaze from the dark grey t-shirt she had in her fingers to look at her boyfriend. He was wearing an old slightly worn flannel shirt of Wayne's and the only blue jeans the Eddie had ever owned that were like new.

"Do I have something on my face Angel?" Steve's voice broke her out of her thoughts, he playfully ran his fingers down his cheek as though he was wiping something away.

"No" She laughs bashfully "Just thinking" He smirks "Do I look ok in this stuff?...I've never been much of a flannel guy." She nods "Like a cute country boy"

"Perfect for her big city highness" Steve rolls his eyes, tossing a rogue men's button up to her for her side of the table.

Hours pass

Steve and Odette had finished their clothes project and moved on to distributing the sandwiches made by Robin and some girl neither of them recognized. Only when everyone in the room had been offered the food did Steve slow to take a breath. He leaned against the side of the small white board filled with missing posters, waiting for the rest of their group to convene around them. Odette wrapped her arms around his middle and let her forehead rest on his chest "You doing ok?"

"My...my old science teacher is missing" He mutters quietly, his brown orbs trailing slowly over each paper bearing the face and name of yet another missing Hawkins resident. He swallowed thickly as he noticed one for Fred Benson...a kid he'd hardly known but had heard a little of from Nancy before.

Eddie bounded up, his hair wilder than when they'd last seen him and his skin a little red from exertion. "If I have to carry one more box of canned peaches" He grunts, attempting to crack his back as he spoke. His hands bore no rings, he'd put them on his pick necklace while he worked it would seam. His sleeves were pushed up above his elbows revealing the flurry of bats on his arm. "Who eats 200 cans of peaches?" He groans again and opens his eyes, them landing directly on the missing board. His playful grin fell, leaving behind a sliver of sadness as his dark brown eyes raked over the posters with Steve's. He reached a hand forward, brushing aside a small notice for a local church's service for the fallen...tearing it away to reveal Martin's picture. The small black photo showed him grinning with an arm around a younger version of Eddie. Eddie crumpled the little church flyer sourly "We ready to go Harrington?"

"Waiting on Rob. I told her we'd give her a ride home...she's still talking to her friend I guess." Steve runs a hand down his stubbly cheek "Let's...let's wait outside." He shoots the board one last dower look before steering himself and Odette out the gymnasium doors. As they approached the car he could hear the chatter of other volunteers as they loaded up boxes of donations onto the back of someone's pickup. A shock of bright red hair caught his eye, Carol was boredly leaning against the side of the truck, a cigarette hanging from her bright red lips. Steve averts his gaze and ushers Odette to the car "What's the rush? Robin's not even done!" She says curiously only for her playful smile to be replaced by a confused expression. "Steve! It's been too long!" Carol had walked up, her lipstick stained cigarette sitting between her two fingers. She flicks away some ash and takes another puff. The redhead's gaze trailed over Steve and landed on Odette who looked at her curiously from over his shoulder. "Well who's this? Moved on from the priss did you?"

Odette stepped forward, an arm wrapping around Steve's "I'm Odette...are you a friend of Steve's?" She asks quietly

"Oh we go way back don't we?" She winked at Steve then her eyes finally landed on Eddie who'd slunk around the trio to lean on the trunk of Steve's BMW "Steve...what are you doing with the fr-...Munson" She corrected herself quickly with a mildly frightened look towards Eddie. Eddie'd not really looked up as he pulled a cigarette from the inside pocket of his leather jacket and lit one up.

"He's a friend Carol." Steve had puffed out his chest ever so slightly, a protective gleam in his eye. "It's not like you've never sat down with him either. I think you know his spot in the woods pretty well" Steve couldn't conceal the very small smirk on his lips as he spoke, wiping the expression from her face and reveling in the shock/horror that now sat there.

"I never-"

Eddie's voice rose over her protests, slightly deeper than his usual speaking voice and not looking at her. Instead he was holding his cigarette in front of his face, inspecting it idly as he spoke "I don't know how often she really sat Harrington. I felt bad for her knees most times though, the sticks and shit out there aren't soft are they sweetheart?"

Carol's face had gone redder than before and she'd begun to splutter only for Eddie to finally lay eyes on her "But that's our little secret, discount bud and some friendly interaction." Steve's smirk dropped and he covered his mouth to try to conceal the mirth that rose at this revelation.

"Fuck you freak!" Carol hisses, slamming her cigarette to the ground and stomping it out before turning on her heal and heading back to where she'd been watching others work.

Steve shook his head, turning to Eddie with a laugh "Discounted weed?"

Eddie smirked, sitting on the trunk of the BMW with the cigarette between his lips "I had two prices for weed Harrington, douchebag/bitch prices...and normal. I started out giving her the bitch price" He let out a puff of smoke with a chuckle "And she offered some friendliness for a discount...so I gave her my normal rate."

Odette made a face and he groaned "Don't Detta! I never asked. She offered and I didn't say no...Eddie the honorable is outta town" He smirks slightly and waves at Carol who was sending them another harsh look from her place next to the pick up.

"Don't worry about her Angel...Eddie wasn't the only guy she used to be friendly with for the hell of it." Steve smirked until he saw the irritated look on his girlfriend's face. "Not me! God no!"

"Good" She folded her arms and leaned her side against his car with her eyes trained on the door to the gym, waiting for Robin to come out.

Eddie was absentmindedly drumming on the dash along to the old KISS song playing on the radio as Steve drove them across town to Robin's house. Robin and Odette were talking quietly in the back, mostly Robin gushing over the girl she'd been talking to, Vickie.

Eddie finally turned to them as the song came to an end "So when's your date with this chick?" The car went completely silent save for Steve's small snort at Eddie's joke. Robin's cheeks went bright red as she turned to Odette "You told?!"

"Nonononono" Odette glares at her brother and puts a soothing hand on Robin's "No he was joking!"

"What do you mean?!" Eddie asked incredulously as the two girls in the back began to dissolve into slightly broken French (on Robin's part)

Steve who was halfway down a country road that lead to Robin's suburb pulled over and looked back with wide brown eyes "So...you're going on a date with Vickie?"

Robin was very pink cheeked with anger and embarrassment and she glared at Odette who was still murmuring in french to her before she shook her head "She's got a boyfriend...and she doesn't...she isn't." She sniffs hard and turns her face towards the window, blinking tears from her dark eyes.

"Oh...her loss." Steve turned back to the wheel and put it back in drive. Robin's shock seemed to spread to the Munson siblings; all three sets of eyes pinned on Steve as he nonchalantly drove up the road. "Say again?" Robin almost whispers, as though her voice would crack through the fantasy of someone as normal as Steve "The Hair" Harrington not caring about her sexuality.

Steve doesn't spare a glance back "I said it's her loss. What is there worth missing Rob? You're funny even if you bug the hell out of me. You're braver than most, you're a freaking witch, and you make a mean hot fudge sundae. If she can't see all that then fuck her" Steve thumps his thumbs on the wheel as they begin to pass streets, his eyes searching for the turn to her house.

Robin had a single tear sliding down her still pink cheek. "You...you understand Vickie's a girl right?"

Steve raises an eyebrow and looks at her curiously through the rearview mirror "Yeah...and?"

"And you're cool with me wanting to date her?"

Steve shrugs again "Why wouldn't I be?" he lets out a small satisfied ah when he spots her street and turns down it. He passes the houses, wincing only once when he passes a neighbors house that had structural damage from the quakes. He parks the car next to the curb in front of her house "Harrington taxi service ma'am!" He tips an invisible hat, only to then notice the odd looks from the trio. "What?"

Robin's pulling at the hem of her shirt nervously "You...you really don't care that I'm a lesbian?", the tear had dripped from her chin and dropped to the pale green of her collar and left a dark spot. Another slid down her other cheek as she cast her eyes down to the dusty floor of Steve's back seat "Hey hey!" Steve climbed out of the car and ran around to the passenger side where she sat behind Eddie, he'd only now spotted the wet streaks down her face. He opened the door and crouched so they were at eye level "Am I not supposed to?! Why the tears Rob?"

She sucked in a harsh breath and let it out shakily, leaning into the arm Odette had thrown around her "No...you're not" The flood gate opens and tears had begun to pour out of her "My mother wouldn't be ok with it!...The people of this town wouldn't be ok with it! People who are normal and like who they're supposed to-" She stops mid sentence as Steve's hands found her shoulders. She was breathing harshly and her cheeks were soaked, the same with her collar.

Steve's dark eyes bored into hers and he flexed his fingers on her thin shoulders "No one who matters will look at you any different Rob. It isn't a crime to think women are beautiful. Just like it isn't a crime to find men handsome." Her eyes began to drop but he gave her shoulder another squeeze. "You can't help who you love Rob. And the moment Vickie gets her head out of her ass and sees the awesomeness that is you, Odette and I will be here for double dates."

Rob lets out a watery giggle "Promise?"

Steve grins and holds out a pinky "Pinky swear." She takes it and giggles again before pulling him in for a tight hug. It was a long moment before Steve let her go but when he did he looked up at her house, no car in the driveway to signal her parents being home. "You sure you're ok here alone?"

She nods hesitantly "Mom comes home from work in a couple hours" Robin roughly wiped her wet cheeks, still blinking away the final few tears too stubborn to dry. Steve's brows furrowed and his nose crinkled, looking back at the house then he shakes his head. "Pack a bag...sleepover tonight." He grins at her but left no room for argument as he popped the trunk and awaited her soon to come over night bag.

Robin had given him a sheepish grin and shot an apologetic look to Odette before going inside to grab a few things. "So Harrington..." Eddie began, pulling a very nearly exasperated look from the younger man "Any more surprises for us?"

Steve rolls his eyes "I know I was a shitbag Munson...but this is something I've always believed."

Eddie scoffs playfully and Steve lets out a heavy sigh "So... she told you Angel?"

Odette smiled slightly at the pet name but nodded "Yeah...the night she joined the coven. I'm sorry I didn't-" Steve shook his head "Not yours to tell"

Eddie sighs dramatically in the front seat "So...we've all been a little dramatic today...the tears, the promises of double dates, old friends become enemies!" He clutches his heart theatrically "I don't know how much more of the soaps I can take!"

Odette giggles and lightly punches his shoulder "Ah! An assault on the already downed knight! How dare you attack a man down?!" She giggles again, even Steve catching a smile though his eyes were still glued to Robin's front door. "So Harrington, you invite people to our house now?"

Odette smacked his arm again although not so playfully now. Steve's cheeks go a little pink "Sorry about that Munson...I...I can tell her it's-"

"NO!" Odette glares at her older brother "He knew Robin needed a night away after that. So sue him Ed! Of course he wanted to comfort her. Besides it's not you who's getting kicked out of bed!"

Steve's shoulders sagged for a moment "I hadn't thought about that" He groaned comically but had a small smile on her face. Why do you two get the bed? You'll spend the whole night giggling anyway!"

"We can't do that in the living room Steve! Uncle Wayne is going to be sleeping in the next room. He's got the night off..."

Steve shoots her a playful scowl but relents "As long as the brother is subject to the dreaded makeovers I'm good!" Eddie shot up in his seat and looked at Odette cautiously "Don't mess with the hair Detta...it's what brings it all together." His brown eyes bore into her accusingly as a sadistic grin rose on her cheeks. "Aw come on Eds...you never thought of trying a man bun?"

He put a hand over his heart, his mouth dropping open "I would never! You want to sully the luscious rock god hair?! For shame Detta!"

The small Munson trailer was filled to the brim with movement that evening, Wayne had said it was too stifling so he'd just had to fire up the grill. Robin and Odette giggled on the steps just in front of the door, Eddie and Steve were spiritedly arguing over the best condiment for their hot dogs. "Obviously it's mustard and relish Harrington! Anything else is a sin!"

"Yeah sure, anyone who puts minced pickle on their dog is pure evil!" Steve laughed as Eddie waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Wayne shook his head at the antics of the boys, taking another long swig of his beer before beginning to turn the hot dogs over the flames. They day began to slowly fade to evening, the trash filled with slightly soggy paper plates, and the crickets filling the cooling night air with their songs. "I'm going to bed kids, don't blow up this hunk of junk" Wayne winks good naturedly at the teens now lounging on his couch minus Steve who sat on the floor in front of Odette. On the small tv set that sat in the living room, I love Lucy played in all it's corny black and whiteness.

"No blowing up the fortress of solitude!...Only small fires and cherry bombs" Eddie grinned impishly, wincing when Robin flicked his ear playfully.

Wayne had huffed playfully but retired to the bedroom all the same. Eddie almost immediately sat up and clapped his hands together "Well Kids, I've got business tonight. Harrington watch the ladies tonight?" Steve looked up at him slightly suspiciously "What business?"

Eddie slid on his heavy leather jacket and patted his pocket "It may not be little priss we saw today, but I've got some other...clients. The quakes have quite a few people Hawkins residents...on edge. So why not call up a delinquent to take the edge off." Steve nodded stiffly and leaned into Odette as she began to play with his hair.

"When will you be back?" Odette asked, not looking up from Steve's thick dark hair

"Long enough for you to get Harrington in some lipstick." Eddie smirked but was surprised to see Steve's smirk back. "Nah, we don't want to make Robin a third wheel." Steve winked at him and pressed a kiss to Odette's hand that had snaked a little too close to his cheek.

"Blugh" Eddie grunted before heading out the door.

It wasn't long before he was driving slowly along the crack that split the park in two, his van snaked its way through town until he pulled up to a large house, inside there was no doubt a party. The windows were alight with lights, music pouring out as the shadows danced along the pulled curtains. The stench of beer was strong, several red solo cups littering the walkway up to the front porch. Eddie shoved his keys deep into his pocket and sighed, he pulled out the different baggies that were hidden in the glove compartment. He slipped them gingerly into his jacket pockets and exited the car. He strolled along the path to the front door, his scraped up shoes crunching on the broken beer bottles, old cigarette butts, and the remains of what must have been some poor mother's favorite lamp. He opened the door as casually as he could, the party in full swing as he did. He squeezed through the sweating forms of Hawkin's youth as they drank away the trauma of just a few days ago. He avoided a group of roaming jocks with a grimace and settled himself in the kitchen by the beer supply.

He leaned against the side of the fridge, lighting a cigarette of his own. In his early days of dealing he'd advertised his product more, making it known that he was holding...but he'd learned the hard way that this was no way to run a business...at least not this one. He took a drag, remembering the stern warning he'd gotten as a freshman from Officer Hopper.

"Jesus kid...come on." Hopper slapped him on the shoulder and began steering him down the school hallway from the theatre teachers room. The sounds of their shoes slapping the linoleum echoed through Eddie, matching the beat of his thundering heart. His hands were clammy and shaking. He'd been selling to some senior in the back of theatre, when Mrs. Frink had spotted him passing the cluster of joints to the older boy. "You're real lucky that Mrs. Frink was the one to call me and not someone else." Eddie still felt sick, hardly hearing the mustached man steering him from the school. He thought about puking just to make a run for it, but knowing him...knowing him he'd slam into something or fall on his ass, and he'd be in even more trouble. They exited through the doors by the gym and in the distance of the parking lot Eddie could see the cruiser parked there. All at once the thundering of his heart shot up into his ears, would Odette still write him if he was in the joint?

Hopper's strong hand was leading him right for the cruiser, Eddie could feel the tears of fear pricking his dark eyes, his formerly buzzed hair was now at an awkward length, stopping at the bottom of his ears but still thankfully covering his face. They stop at the trunk of the cruiser, Hopper takes away his hand and Eddie heard the click of something metal. Oh god...he's gotten the cuffs out Eddie thought weakly, shutting his eyes.

"Kid, you're not going to jail." Eddie opened his eyes to find Hopper with a zippo lighter in his fingers, the flame igniting the cigarette that was peeking out from the fluff under his nose. Hopper clicked the zippo out and took a drag "Listen kid...I know your uncle, I knew your dad. Selling a little weed isn't much compared to the old man...and I know how tight money can be...just don't announce to god and everybody that you're holding. I don't want to cuff a 14 year old and you don't want to see the state of my backseat. Capiche?"

"Yes Sir!" Eddie's hands were still shaking as he clenched and unclenched his fingers in the pockets of his ratty jean jacket. Hopper let out a final puff of smoke before dropping the butt on the ground and snuffing it with his boot. "Now, I didn't get the principal involved for a reason kid. Mrs. Frink's sent you home with a fever, so I'm dropping you at home. Got it?"

Eddie nodded shakily, his breathing still slowing to a normal rate. Hopper had indeed dropped him off at the trailer, although with a burger and fries from the diner on the way back "School hasn't served lunch yet" he'd shrugged gruffly.

Eddie took another puff thoughtfully, he'd not had many brush ups with Hopper after that...only one or two when the fights got really bad. He let his eyes scan the grandiose kitchen, obviously a Martha Sterwart loving mother. The tasteful wall decor had been knocked crooked or off the wall completely by the stumbling giggling teens that wandered through the kitchen. It was a whopping five minutes before he was spotted. Eddie dealt a handful of pre-rolled roaches but as he was handed his payment he felt eyes on him. He looked up slightly, spying a shock of strawberry blonde curls held up by a scrunchie. He shoves the 10 into his pocket and striaghtens to get a better look. The girl was in a light yellow party dress with someone's letterman jacket thrown across her thin shoulders. The girl looked at him nervously, as though she expected him to bite her. Eddie controls the urge to roll his eyes and instead chooses to smile roguishly at her before turning to another customer. Quietly and discretely he dealt to the people that meandered into the kitchen. He soon found himself with a small wad of bills in one pocket and a final few roaches and an ounce bag in the other. "You gonna stare all night or are you buying honey?" Eddie finally asks, the two of them were alone in the little kitchen and she was leaning nervously against the wall opposite him.

"I...I don't know...Do those make you not care?" Her voice was hardly audible over the din in the next room. Eddie's smirked dropped, if it had been physical he was sure it would have shattered over the expensive tile in the kitchen. "Come again?"

She stepped closer, pulling at the sleeves of the jacket on her shoulders. "Does...does that stuff make you not care about things?"

Eddie clears his throat, not having heard that one before. "For some people...is there stuff you need to not care about?" The girl looked up at him, stepping yet another step closer. Her big sea colored eyes were surrounded by heavy make up, and tears welling up and threatening to fall through her mascara covered lashes. "Yes."

Eddie straightened slightly "I uh...you ever smoked before?" She shook her head again, "My boyfriend would kill me." She bites her painted pink lip and pulled at the sleeves of the jacket again. Eddie focuses on the golden writing etched into the shoulder of it, Jason. He furrows his brow and sighs "Is he something you need to not care for?"

Color rises up her ears and she looks around nervously "I should go-"

Eddie puts a hand out, gripping her shoulder gently "Listen...I know you've got friends and all that...but I sure as shit won't tell on you to your boytoy." Eddie slips a hand into his pocket and pulls out a slightly misshapen roll and slips it in her hands. "Smoke with someone you trust with you. And not at a fucking party"

She holds it gingerly in her fingers, her nails were pale pink and looks weird holding the illegal substance. She looked back up "Why not at a party?" She's whispering by then.

Just as Eddie went to answer a boy tumbled through the kitchen doorway with ruffled looking clothes. His pants were undone and he was dragging along a girl with her shorts on backwards. The both of them swayed their way drunkenly through the kitchen and out the back door. Eddie sighed and gestured at the two's retreating forms. "That is why...this stuff is kinda like booze. Fucks with you...makes you more suggestible." Eddie sighed again "You got a safe place to smoke?"

She thought for a long moment and shook her head slowly "I...I don't...my mother would kill me. And my boyfriend says this stuff is...it's the devil's lettuce" She looked over her shoulder suddenly, as though mocking her boyfriend would call him to her. She let out a breath "Sorry for wasting your time." She tried to hand back the roll back but Eddie closed his hand "If you want...you could come over to my place...my sister's having a thing anyway...you could hang with her and smoke...if that's something you want" Eddie's face grew hotter and hotter as he spoke. His voice growing more faint as he felt the idiocy of his suggestion. What self respecting cheerleader accepted an invitation to her dealer's trailer.

Eddie stewed in his head, berating himself for extending the invitation so easily...he just hated the look of fear and nerves on her face. He was jerked out of his trial in his head by her voice. "Could we?...You don't care?"

Eddie swallowed the feeling of shock and nearly choked on it, coughing out "Yeah...your boyfriend won't notice?" She shakes her head "I told him if he got drunk I'd walk home...and he's passed out on the couch last I saw..." She shifted on her feet nervously "I'll just leave his jacket on him and start walking...and you'll finish your stuff here and pick me up on the corner?" She asks, her eyes were shining with those same unshed tears but...but behind them they were twinkling with a newfound determination.

Eddie couldn't say anything around the lump that had formed in his throat, so he simply nodded at her and watched as she left through the archway to the living room. He sold his final bag and last handful of rolls pretty quickly and left, the roll of bills clutched tightly in his hand and inside of his leather jacket. He spotted a blonde jock snoring gracelessly on a pale blue loveseat, his jacket draped over him; the golden lettering glittering in the light of a slightly busted lamp beside the couch, Jason.

Eddie scoffed derisively and headed out for his van, he looked up both sides of the street and spotted the yellow dress walking slowly beneath a dim streetlamp. He got into the van and started it up, driving like he normally did, although he'd turned his music off so he didn't draw attention from the few party goers mingling outside didn't take notice of him. He drove up to the streetlight where there was thankfully a stop sign perched. He nonchalantly pops open the other door for her and the girl jumps in a little awkwardly. "So uh...Chrissy right?"

She nods, twiddling her fingers over her knees and looking at the pile of tapes sitting on his dash. Eddie grins "You a Metallica fan? Or Ozzy?" She shakes her head I'm not sure of either...are they good?" Eddie grabs a Black Sabbath tape and pops it in "They all rock pretty hard, but Ozzy's on another level." Die Young by Black Sabbath began to blare through the speakers with Eddie grinning like a madman. He bopped his head to the music as he drove home, the girl beside him listening serenely to the music coming from the speakers in front of her. He noticed her tapping her fingers along to the melody on her bare knees and felt himself blush. Eds she's got a boyfriend and she's only coming home with you to get high. Nothing else... He took in a deep breath and pulled up to the trailer park and as he parked between Steve's BMW and his Uncle's truck she spoke up over the music. "Is that Steve Harrington's car?"

Eddie froze for a second, turning off the ignition and pocketing the keys before getting out of the van with a small nod. "I didn't know you were friends" She says quietly, looking at him oddly for opening her car door for her. She steps out and smiles slightly at him out of the blue.

"What?"

"Nothing..."

He shrugs it off tiredly "We're...we're not really friends. We're friendly because he's dating my little sister." Eddie shut the door to the van and led her up to the trailer door, "It's not much but it's home!"