The Break (An Eddie Munson Story)

Chapter 5: American History

A/N: It's a fairly short chapter today but I hope you still enjoy it. Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comment section below! Content warning: depression, mentions of drug use and Eddie Munson.

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"Come on sleepy head, time to get up." a far too chipper voice rudely awoke you from your dreamless slumber. Bleary eyes peaked out from beneath a safe cocoon of blankets, peering out at the bright morning light, that burned your retinas and caused you to hiss, before delving back into the depths of your self-created duvet nest.

"Nuh uh uh." you were chastised before the covers were cautiously pealed back, revealing you centimetre by centimetre. "You gotta get up, school starts soon and then we're picking up your car."

His plan caused you to frown, confused as to how he had come to that decision. "I thought it was car and then school?"

Distracting himself by rummaging in a nearby draw for his favourite Metallica shirt, he explained, "I let you sleep in, so there's no time. We'll go straight after last period okay? What class do you have?"

"Geography."

"Great, I have English Literature. So I can meet you out front and drive you, deal?"

He was not totally lying, he had let you sleep in but he also wanted you to at least try and attend a full day of classes. You could not afford to miss any more and like hell was he letting you retake another year. If he graduated and was no longer roaming the halls of Hawkins High, who was going to have your back? Him being treated like the town freak was one thing but you actually had a reputation that needed to be preserved. Retaking for a second year would completely ruin any social standing you had and highschoolers could be so vicious- all Eddie wanted to do was protect you from their venom.

Plus, retrieving your car later would allow him time sneak out to the local phone box at lunchtime and call the video store. He knew that Robin and Steve were likely working their usual shift and while he was not all that close with them, you were their friend. If anyone was going to be able to help him to support you, it was those two. Although he was not exactly happy about needing to rely on Mr Ladies Man Harrington but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Retrieving the shirt, he threw it at your unprotected head, earning him a very colourful nickname that made him heartily laugh. "Hurry up and get dressed, you have 15 minutes before we need to leave."

Ripping the shirt off of your face, you were deeply regretting ever unlocking your car door...

After an unfortunately uneventful car ride, that did not involve an accident preventing you from attending first period, you gloomily sat through your American History class, where to vaguely scribbled notes and mainly doodle random drawings over your notebook, using the pen you have borrowed from Eddie. It turned out that in your haste to flee your family home, you had forgone packing your pencil case and most essential items you would need for your daily schooling. Hell must have frozen over if Eddie Munson had become a more responsible student than you. Or maybe you were dead and already living in your own personal hell, you mused but then dismissed the thought. As much as the school and most of the townfolk viewed the brunet as a cultist, he was actually the complete opposite. More of an angel in leather and ripped denim in your eyes.

After first period, your schedule differed from Eddie, meaning you could sneak away until the end of the day, when you were due to meet him out in front of the building entrance. Sure, he might have expected for you to join him and his group of Hellfire buddies in the canteen but you could easily make your excuses. Claim that you had overdue detention, which was not wholly untrue. You had been avoiding your Maths detention for a good couple of weeks but that did not matter right now. All you wanted right now was to escape the suffocating confines of the hallway- that was overspilling with insecure students and the overwhelming stench of body odour- and find your freedom in the woods behind the school.

Eddie had been the one to introduce you to this little safehaven. When you had been dating, you would occasionally meet in-between classes or after school in the little clearing and sit at the worn wooden table and either smoke something that was stronger than tobacco or make out until you were both breathless but high on the feeling of vulnerable intimacy.

Dumping your bag on the damp, leaf-covered forest floor, you climbed up onto the damp table, not caring that cold water seeped through the thin material of your clothes as you laid back, staring up at the overcast sky before you closed your eyes and settled down, ready to lightly doze off for the next few hours, catching up on your missed hours of sleep. The surrounding ambience of bird calls and wildlife lulled you into a peaceful state of unaware, allowing you to momentarily forgot about your worries and instead guilty fantasise about a certain boy with brown eyes.

Lunchtime could not arrive soon enough, Eddie thought impatiently, unable to stop himself from watching the nearby clock on the wall. Only five minutes left and then he coukd sneak out of this joint and find a phone box. He hoped that you would be okay without his presence in the canteen but then he quickly recalled that you had not sat together at lunch for, well, months. In fact, he doubted you would notice his absence and woukd probably go and sit wherever it was you disappeared to everyday.

His mind drifted away from counting down the minutes and from trigonometry, towards wondering how your day was going. If you were even bothering to pay attention in class or making more doodles, like you had in first period? Eddie thinks back to just a year ago when you woukd be diligent with your notetaking, messy scrawl filling up page after page of useful information. Where had that focused student disappeared to? Wherever the reason, the brunet was certain that even if he could not help you academically, then one of your friends would be able to, especially brainbox Nancy Wheeler.

At the sound of the bell- much to his teacher's annoyance- Eddie did not hesitate to collect his stuff and rush out of the room, a man on a mission to save you from your current trajectory of self-loathing.

"Munson, no running in the corridors!" the angered voice followed him, as he picked up speed and raced towards the nearest exit.