change of pace

wake up

chapter fifteen

Eddie groaned his head under a pillow when the alarm went off. It jolted me awake so I leaned over him to turn it off. I picked up the pillow to find him falling back asleep.

"Nuh-uh, Munson, it's school time!" I tap his stomach.

"Just a few more minutes..." he mumbles turning his head towards me. I move his hair from his face.

"Not if you want to show Higgins who's boss." I whisper in his ear and watch his head turn over to look at me. He starts rubbing his eyes awake.

"Okay..." he fake smiles, annoyed that I'm right. I watch as he gets up and stretches while yawning.

"Suspension's never felt so nice." I say cuddling back into my comforter and he rolls his eyes. I watch as he changes out of his sweatpants into ripped dark blue jeans. He slips on a black shirt with cartoons against a brick wall and it reads Anthrax at the top. Another band tee. He sees me watching and starts blushing. Eddie throws a sock at me and starts laughing. I dodge it fast.

He places his signature rings on his fingers and stuffs his wallet into his back pocket. I watch as he adjusts the chain on the belt loop of his pants before beginning to tie his shoes. Eddie balances himself above me and gives me kisses all over my face.

"Don't forget your medicine." his raspy morning voice says.

"I will." I said smiling, watching him exit from my room to go brush his teeth.

I heard his car start signaling him leaving for school. My throbbing head turns to the side to grab the pain killers and pop a few. The ointment stings when it hits the scar on my lip, but I work through the pain. My eyes feel heavy as I drift back to sleep from the relief of the headache fading.

My dream shows the woods at nighttime. I'm walking around looking for something, anything. My mother's laugh is heard from a distance and I run to follow it. The happy sound gets closer. I'm stopped when I run into a tree and fall back. The tops of the trees start to close in on me.

"Jessie, wake up, baby..." a voice says quietly.

I gasp awake, covered in sweat. And tears. My body is grabbed close to the being and I jump away in fear. I stare at the person, only to see its Eddie.

"Hey, it's okay..." his kind voice says grabbing my hand. He begins laying me back down as I stay shocked. "It was just a nightmare." he repeats.
"Wha-what time is it?" I grab his hand. He looks over at the alarm.
"3:30." Eddie says now sitting next to me.
"Fuck...I must've fell back asleep when you left." I say touching my face.
"That's okay, you needed rest."
"What happened today?"
"Well, our new little recruits informed me that Lucas has basketball tryouts!" Eddie looks ahead with an expression of disappointment.
"Good...for him?" I say confused.
"No, Jessie. That means he's one of those entitled pretentious douchebags who feel like they can do anything. Like...like what happened to you." his eyes move downward.
"Hey, give him the benefit of the doubt. He seems like a nice kid. They all do. What harm is a little sport gonna do?" I say laying my head on his stomach looking up at him. He chews his cheek.
"I guess. But if he tries to cancel  then there will be a problem." he finishes and I giggle which results in him staring at me.
"There it is again. That intenseness. You play it off like you're so mean and scary, but you're really a little softie!" I say squeezing his cheek.
"Am not!" he laughs pushing my hand away.
"Oh really? Would the Eddie Munson that Hellfire knows tuck me into bed?" I say waiting.
"UM, yes! He totally would, because he did!" he fights and I laugh hysterically.

Lunch consisted of us making ham and cheese sandwiches and dancing in the kitchen to the same Elvis record from a few nights before. Eddie grabbed my hung and spun me before dipping me. We both fell into a giggle fit. I placed Dad's sandwich into a Ziploc and rushed it to him as he made his way into the kitchen. "Made you lunch!" I say enthusiastically which brings a huge smile to Dad's face. He lightly sways to the music and nods at Eddie. He returns the nod. "Be good, you two." Dad says before walking out the door. I turn to smile at Eddie, who has already begun his silly dancing.

"I have a surprise for you." Eddie says once we sit at the table to start his homework.
"Oh really?" I smile.

He runs out to his car and comes back with a brown paper bag. I stare at him confused as he sets it down on the table with his shit eating grin.

"You have to promise me you'll wear it on Friday ALL DAY!" he says excited.
"Wha-What are you talking abou-...." I realize, "Oh no. Oh no no no. Eddie this better not be one of your goofy little match-"
"IT'S A HELLFIRE SHIRT!!" he says whipping it out bouncing up and down like a little kid.
"Holy shit, I'm gonna look like a nerd." I say shoving my face in my hands. Eddie makes his way over to me.
"Well, babe, you are one." he says kissing my head. I roll my eyes.
"I assumed you were a medium, but go try it on and see how it fits." Eddie smiles big. I snatch it from his hands and start taking my shirt off to put it on. My body goes stiff as I slowly turn to look at him with an annoyed expression.
"You look so sexy..." he says staring at the shirt. I punch him in the stomach.
"Fuck you, Munson."
"If you'd like to." his cocky tone takes over.