First off, thank you so much for the feedback on the first chapter. I'm glad most of you are excited about this fic. I am too :)

So, I was going to have Chrissy and Eddie's first encounter at the park bench, much like in canon, but I realized that if a student was just announced as missing, there's no way Chrissy would ask to meet someone in an isolated location. So I hope all you hardcore hellcheer fans will forgive me for this small change.

Once again, thank you to Arisque for being my beta!

xxxXXXxxx

Chapter 2:

Eddie had been in some crazy situations throughout his life. Like the time he tried to play Galaga at the Palace Arcade after doing a line and ended up puking all over the screen. Or the time his friends dared him to throw a rock at the abandoned Creel house on Morehead Street which resulted in them being chased by an angry neighbor and his dog.

But this? This one was up there.

To be honest, he wasn't sure what he expected to see when he got to the drama classroom. But there she was. Chrissy Cunningham, in all her ethereal glory, standing right outside, just like the note said. Her back was to him but judging by the tension in her shoulders, she was on edge.

Guess the jury was still out on this whole thing being a set up.

He also rolled a disadvantage on stealth because as he walked over, the wallet chain on his belt clanked against his lunchbox and the empty halls amplified the sound which startled Chrissy.

Eddie had tried apologizing for scaring her but she didn't seem to hear because she just stood there frozen, like a deer caught in headlights. Not that this was unusual. Most of the freshmen reacted this way whenever he tried to talk to them. Maybe they thought if they didn't move, he couldn't see them? Nevertheless, it was still annoying, especially when coupled to the contemptuous glares and hushed whispers he received from his peers and several adults around town.

The awkward silence between him and Chrissy continued. Clearing his throat, he dug through his pockets and held out the note he'd found in his locker this morning. "I, uh, got your message?"

This seemed to snap Chrissy out of her stupor because she nodded. But now she was looking everywhere else but his face.

"Michelle mentioned your name a few times." She mumbled, fiddling with her gold necklace. "She said you usually meet people by the old bench but…" Her voice trailed off as she buried her teeth into her bottom lip, hesitant to finish her sentence.

Not that Eddie needed her to. He could tell what she meant.

I didn't want to be alone with the freak and risk getting sacrificed to Satan.

He really wanted to laugh and say something like "It's okay, I don't make sacrifices to the Dark Lord on Fridays" but the way she hugged her books to her chest, as if she was trying to curl into herself, made him stop. Setup or not, Chrissy looked really uncomfortable. Which of course was making him uncomfortable.

So instead Eddie said: "It's fine. Thought it was a bit too cold out today anyway." He then opened the classroom door and gestured for her to enter.

The drama room was like an oasis in a long, vast desert. It was only used during eight period and the English teacher, Mr. Gibson, always left the door unlocked. Inside, there was an assortment of leftover costumes, sets and props from various plays, all collecting dust. During his first senior year, while cutting class, Eddie had wandered in and spent the remainder of the period reading The Hobbit. Soon, he started visiting more and more often, to listen to music, to smoke, or whenever he needed to get away.

It became a safe place for him. A place where he wasn't gawked at like an exhibit in a zoo. A place where he didn't have to listen to cruel judgements about his hair or music preference. A place where he didn't have to put on a show and play the fool to hide how he really felt.

A place where he could just be.

Which is why it was so awkward and weird having to conduct his business here.

"So, how does this work exactly?"

"Oh just like any old sale." Eddie explained casually. He set his lunchbox down on the table, trying to be mindful of the various figures of knights and monsters in mid-battle. "Except, uh, cash only. And for obvious reasons, no receipts."

He opened the lid, the box's hinges squeaking loudly as it revealed the treasure inside. Eddie stopped keeping his stash in his locker after Principal Higgins had it searched for the fourth time last semester. It was also more convenient for him, having it on hand. High school was a stressful place.

Chrissy hadn't moved an inch since she came in. She looked so out of place, her bright cheer uniform clashing with the dark colors and lighting. It was almost like she was trying to make herself smaller. Which was an impressive move since she was among the shortest girls in the senior class. This was obviously her first drug exchange because she seemed to have no clue what to do or say, so Eddie decided to try and get the ball rolling.

"I'll do you a half ounce for twenty." He held out a baggie for her to take. "What do you say? Plenty of bang for your buck. Should last you a while-"

Out in the hall, a door slammed. Chrissy practically gave herself whiplash as she spun around, her strawberry blond ponytail just barely missing her face.

Eddie sighed, a bit annoyed. This wasn't amusing anymore. It was pretty pathetic for Carver to use his own girlfriend as bait. If Jason really wanted to nail him, he should've sent one of his jock goons instead. At least that would have been more convincing. His mood now soured, he closed the lid and began gathering his things. "Hey, uh, we don't need to do this. Just give me the word and I'll walk away. Okay?"

"No, no, it's not that. I don't want you to go. It's just…" Something in Chrissy's voice made him stop. Something almost… sad. Eddie turned to face her. She was looking at the floor again. Her fingers anxiously curled around the ends of her sweater sleeves.

"Do you ever," she asked slowly, "feel like you're suffocating?"

Eddie frowned, confused.

Chrissy Cunningham. The Good Girl. The Queen Bee. Miss Perfect herself. Felt like she was suffocating?

Was this a joke? Was a hidden camera crew going to jump out and surprise him? A ploy to get him to drop his guard?

But then she looked up at him with those big blue eyes and his jaw almost dropped. All he could see was sincerity.

Now he felt like the world's biggest jackass.

"Um, you know," Eddie shrugged with a wry grin. "Just on a daily basis I guess. I mean, you're talking to the guy who's been in high school for the last six years now." He leaned against the table and scratched the back of his head. "Seven if Mrs. O'Donnell has her way."

"You're in Mrs. O'Donnell's too?"

"Yup." Eddie nodded. "Army crawling my way towards a D in that class."

A hint of a smile appeared on Chrissy's lips. Her arms relaxed around her books. "I have her for pre-algebra. Last test, she took points off because my handwriting was illegible."

"Seriously?" Eddie asked, incredulous. If Chrissy's handwriting was like the one in her note to him, it was anything but illegible. In fact, out of all the notes he found in his locker (including the unimaginative death threats), hers was the only one that didn't make him worry about the education system's method of teaching grammar and spelling. "That's ridiculous!"

Chrissy nodded in agreement. "I tried to talk to her afterwards, but she said I had plenty of time to improve my penmanship until the next test."

"Don't take it too personally." Eddie said reassuringly. "She's upset that someone dropped a house on her sister."

Chrissy giggled. But it wasn't her usual polite giggle that often floated down the hallway in between classes. It was an actual giggle. The kind that revealed all her teeth and made her nose scrunch.

It was probably the cutest thing Eddie had ever seen. Infectious too because it made him smile in return.

"Could be worse." He continued. "She could be a spitter like Mr. Mundy."

"Oh my god, he is!" Chrissy exclaimed. "That's why everyone calls the first two rows-"

"The 'Splash Zone'!" Eddie finished with her. "Yeah, guess who had to sit in that row?"

"No!"

"Mm-hm. You know what was worse? Having to take that class twice in the same seat!"

Now she chuckled. A kind that revealed the dimples in her cheeks. It was a musical sound. One that made his heart want to sing back.

Eddie sat down on the table's edge, the small figurines suddenly insignificant to him. "Do you have Ms. Tanner?" He asked a little eagerly. Six years in this shithole had given him a lot of strong opinions about the facility. He was more than happy to share them. "Now that woman is a battle axe."

Chrissy shook her head. "No, I have Mr. Sarcen for seventh…" her voice trailed off. Something seemed to wash over her, a cloud of sadness. Her face slowly fell until it returned to the downcast expression she had worn when she first came in.

Eddie frowned. "You okay?" Chrissy chewed on her lip. When she spoke, her voice was suddenly quiet again.

"I had that class with that girl. Barbara Holland."

And just like that, all the playfulness in the air vanished.

That's right. Their classmate was currently missing. In a town that had a history of unsolved murders. How could he have easily forgotten?

"I keep thinking about her mom." Chrissy said. She was playing with the ends of her sleeves again. "I saw her last night at the vigil. I can't get her face out of my head."

Eddie didn't blame her for that; he had seen Mrs. Holland yesterday afternoon when school let out, just outside the entrance. She had been watching all the students trickle out, craning her neck to get a good look at everyone's face. As if she were hoping that her daughter was going to come walking out and this whole situation would just have been a grievous misunderstanding.

It wasn't an image he'd be forgetting soon.

"Did you know Barb?" He asked.

"We spoke a few times in class but that was it." Chrissy shook her head. "I just hope she's okay."

Eddie couldn't help but scoff under his breath. "Yeah, I'm sure everybody and their mother does." He muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Shit.

Either her hearing was that good or his deception stats were that bad. But now those blue eyes were looking at him for an answer.

"I mean," he stammered. "All these flowers and candle vigils and shit. It's cute and all. But it's not real. It's all for show."

Chrissy frowned. "For show?" She asked.

"Well, yeah." Eddie laughed nervously. His palms suddenly felt sweaty. "Look at them. As soon as they're safe at home, they probably don't even spare another thought about Barb. They don't actually care. It's all about their image. They're just using her as an excuse to further whatever agenda they have."

Chrissy stared at him. Her face was changing again, but it was subtler this time. There seemed to be a flame sparking behind her eyes.

"You think," she said slowly, "that all I care about is image?"

Double shit. Was it hot in here? Did it just get hot in here?

"No! No, of course not! I don't mean you." Eddie backtracked. "But c'mon. Did you ever see any of these people with Barb before… this happened? How many of them can say they know what her favorite color is or what type of music she likes or if she prefers Mountain Dew instead of Sprite?" He stood up and began to pace. Eddie always had trouble staying still, but whenever he got revved up over something, it was like electricity was running through his veins.

"You really expect me to believe this town gives a shit about her? Please. They don't care about the nobodies or the freaks. We're just trash to them. They only care about someone if they're rich or good looking or popular. Someone like-"

He stopped. Chrissy was still staring at him but her gaze had hardened.

"Someone like me?" She finished.

Triple shit.

Eddie's mind began backpedaling so hard that its mental tires were burning rubber. Maybe he could say he just had a stroke? Or he could just start yelling in tongues, really selling the point home that he had lost his fucking mind. Before he could though, Chrissy spoke.

"Let me ask you this," She said. "Did you know Barb?"

It was like someone had just thrown a bucket of cold water over him.

Eddie didn't know Barb. He had never spoken to her or been in the same class. In fact, he was pretty sure that he hadn't heard her name until that assembly days ago.

You goddamn hypocrite.

Chrissy adjusted her books. "I should go." She turned to leave.

"No, wait. Please wait." Eddie pleaded. "I didn't mean- I shouldn't have said-" Oh god, if the entire student body could see him now. Practically crawling on his knees and begging the Queen of Hawkins High for forgiveness. But Chrissy had paused by the door and turned back, so maybe he could pull himself out of this hole he made.

"I'm sorry." He said earnestly. "I'm being such an asshole right now. Is there any chance we can just start over?"

For a moment he thought she might say no, but Chrissy nodded. He then pivoted on his heel and spun "Greetings, weary traveler." He said in what his friends had dubbed 'his DM voice', "I am Eddie the Hellion of Forest Hills, purveyor of other-wordly substances and mysterious artifacts. How might I assist thee?"

Much like what happened earlier in class, there was a slight pause. Then something really crazy happened.

Chrissy Cunningham began to laugh.

Not a giggle or a chuckle. An actual laugh. Next to Metallica's Master of Puppets, it was probably the greatest thing Eddie had ever heard. His skin was practically tingling.

He reopened his lunchbox and held out the baggie to her. "Tell you what, I'll give you a twenty-five percent discount for the half."

"Are you sure?" She hesitated.

Eddie shrugged. "Well, you're robbing me blind here, you know," which earned him another chuckle, "but consider this a 'sorry for being a douchebag' discount."

Chrissy smiled at him. "Thank you, Eddie." She said, reaching into the pocket of her sweater. "I, uh- thanks."

"Don't mention it." He returned a smile as he took the cash from her and she took the baggie from him. For a split second, their fingers just brushed and Eddie could have sworn he heard her breath hitch a bit. Though it might have been his own.

Chrissy cleared her throat and adjusted her books. "I'll, uh, see you around, I guess?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "See ya."

He pushed his lunchbox aside and began resetting the figurines. Hellfire Club was meeting tonight and Eddie was excited to put into play the scenario he had been developing for almost a whole month. He couldn't wait to see their faces when he pulled the rug out from under them and revealed what monster they'd be facing.

"About what you said…" Chrissy said from the doorway.

Eddie turned around, an apology ready to give, but he stopped when he saw her face. She looked sad again yet also pensive.

"Maybe it's not that people are pretending to care." She offered. "But that they're pretending to not be afraid."

This time, Eddie's jaw dropped a bit. Before he could ask what she meant, the bell abruptly rang and Chrissy disappeared into the halls.