𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐈𝐒𝐇// 𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐗𝐎𝐂

𝐱𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. ✭ 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑

MAY, 1976; EDDIE

"Do you wanna get married?" I asked Chance non chalantly. The ruby red ring pop I had been sucking on gave me the idea. My eyes had stayed locked on the candy for the last five minutes.

"To me?" Jonathan Byers interjected, munching on his peanut butter and jelly sandwich that his mother had packed him. Jonathan used to hang out with Chance and I sometimes, when he got tired of being alone. Even as a kid he liked solitude.

We were sat out together on the picnic tables in the trailer park, basking in the May sun. We decided on eating outside because Chance had said that it was pretty that day. She was separated from me, with Jonathan between us on the bench we sat on.

"No, I meant Chance, Dummy." Craning my neck around Jonathan, I repeated my question directly to Chance. "Do you wanna get married to me?" For good measure, I pulled off my ring pop slick with saliva, and offered it to her. "If you say yes you can have it."

Chance focused on the ring, tilting her head at it before looking back up at me with a smile prettying up her face.

"Yes." She agreed, nodding as she slipped the ring onto her finger. "I will marry you, Eddie Spaghetti!" Leaning over, she tousled my hair around roughly. Grouchily, I pushed her arm away.

"Ah! Don't do that." My face warmed up and for some reason I couldn't look at her. "I hate it when you do that and don't call me Eddie Spaghetti."

"You love it Eddie." Chance hopped off of the wooden bench, admiring her candied ring in the sunlight. "It's what makes you so...chuckalicious."

"I can be the priest." Jonathan offered, finishing off the crusts of his sandwich. "I can marry you guys."

"You got the job, Kid!" Chance crowed, throwing her arm over his shoulder and then her other around mine. "Come on, let's do it at Eddie's. I think my Mama's still sleeping."

We prepped for our Vegas like wedding just as any two eight year old boys and one seven year old girl would. Jonathan put out Ritz crackers and grape juice. He said that the snacks were meant to represent the body and blood of Christ.

Chance slipped on her father's suit, drowning in the fancy attire. She then threw her mother's dress on me, applying a little lipstick on my mouth. I then hid away in my bedroom, waiting for Jonathan to call me out. I turned on some aisle walking music, The Temptations.

Background Music
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-My Girl by The Temptations-
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"Alright, Eddie, let's get this show on the road!" Jonathan called out to me from the living room, beckoning me out. As slow as I could, I walked over to the carpeted area.

Chance was smiling so sweetly at me, waving her hand as if to say hello. I waved back, blushing as I tried not to trip on her mother's big old dress. The material was a cool blue, bunched around my feet.

But when she looked at me, her eyes sparkling, that's when I knew. I knew I would follow her wherever she went, no matter what. Wherever this girl was, was where I wanted to be.

"Hi." She said to me as I reached the makeshift altar Jonathan had set up. Her simple greeting alleviated the tightness in my chest, calming me with a sort of ease I had never been able to achieve before.