change of pace

scared

chapter seventeen

I frantically rushed around the house to finish up the laundry. Dad noticed me doing so and gave me a weird look while sipping his coffee. Once Eddie's laundry finished, I carefully folded it and put it back in the bag he had left in my room.

"You alright?" Dad's deep voice came from the kitchen.
"I'm fine!" I said dramatically.
"What's with the rush?"
"I just...I need to finish before tonight."
"Alright, Jess, what's the real problem here." he says sitting down on my bed. I stared at him.
"I'm...I'm nervous about going back to school. So many people saw what happened and...I'm just scared how everyone will treat me." I finally say sitting down next to him.
"Jessie, you are a strong girl. If anyone thinks of you differently ignore 'em." he says scratching his beard.
"Thank you, Dad." I say leaning my head on his shoulder. He kisses my head.
"You gotta get that Eddie boy under control though..." he says sighing.
"Wha-"
"I saw those marks on his knuckles. I like him, don't wanna see him going down the wrong road."
"I know, Dad. I'll talk with him."

Dad took off to work early to grab himself a cheeseburger before his shift. I eagerly waited for Eddie at the dining table with my Hellfire shirt on and some dark blue jeans.

"Honey, I'm home!" Eddie announces coming through the front door. I rushed over to him and hugged him.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's the matter?" he stares down confused hugging me back.
"Nothing. When are we leaving?" I rush my sentence.
"I, uh, well, was thinking maybe we could leave in the next few minutes to get everything ready? Plus, Henderson asked for a ride, said he had 'something to discuss' with me." Eddie uses a high pitched voice to mimic.
"Okay, I'm ready whenever." I say and he looks down.
"You look great, babe..." he looks down at me and I punch him in the stomach.
"Let's go!"

His DnD box and folders was tucked away in the back, along with some blankets. I started sweating profusely as we got seemingly closer to Dustin's house so I put my hair up with the pink scrunchie on my wrist.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" he asks looking over at me.
"Never better." I lied. He pulls the car to the side of the road and parks.
"Jess."
"Mhm?"
"Please, just tell me."
"I told you, nothing is wrong!"
"Yeah, and that's a fucking lie, Jessie!" he raises his voice and I shrink into the passenger's seat.
"I'm sorry..." he looks down, "I just want to fix it."
"I'm scared."
"Of what?" he looks confused.
"Of going back. Everyone is going to look at me different."
"Baby, it's not going to be that bad."
"Eddie..."
"I promise, Jessie. I'll stay right beside you."

He grabbed my hand and rubbed circles in my palm. I looked over at him and smiled which he smiled back.

"Let's go get that little fuck and have some fun." Eddie says.

Upon arriving in a quiet little suburban area, Eddie decides to shove a Slayer cassette in and blast it down the street. Dustin, wearing his cap and Hellfire shirt, rushed to the car with an angry face. He knocked on Eddie's window, who gave an evil smirk as he rolled the window down.

"Are you trying to get me killed!" Dustin whisper yells.
"Get in the back, Henderson." Eddie starts rolling his window back up slowly.

Dustin rushes to the back of the van and slams the doors shut.

"Are there really no seats back here? Oh shit, Hi Jessie!" he says smiling at me.
"Nope, hold on tight, I forgot the baby carrier." Eddie jokes and I roll my eyes.
"Hey Dustin." I say turning back and smiling at him.
"I heard what happened with Trent, that was so badass! I told my friend Steve and he was glad someone finally put that asshole in his place."
"Steve?" Eddie perks up.
"Oh, you guys might know him. Steve Harrington?" Dustin says and I choke at the name. Everyone knows Steve Harrington.
"You really know Harrington?" Eddie says laughing.
"Uh, yeah, him and I have been best buds for a while now!" Dustin looks offended.
"Isn't Steve a notorious asshole." I say confused.
"Actually, if you got to know him, you would know he's a super cool dude and an absolute badass." Dustin says gripping onto both the driver's and passenger's seats headrests.
"I seriously doubt that. Harrington was nothing but a stuck up jock until that girl broke up with him. Then he just kinda vanished." Eddie says skidding around the corner.
"Yeah well that girl is Nancy, Mike's sister. And he didn't vanish, he was hanging out with me." Dustin says which causes Eddie to roar in laughter.
"Ha! Listen kid, I'm seriously struggling to see that King Steve isn't an asshole."
"He's not, Eddie, he's my best friend."
"Yeah, whatever man." Eddie starts laughing to himself.
"Enough, Eddie." I say rolling my eyes at him which he stares at me confused.
"You really believe him?"
"I'm sure Steve had a change of heart after graduating. At least he's willing to give people another chance upon previous beliefs he had." I snap at him.
"Thank you, Jessie! I see you're the one with brains in the relationship!" Dustin snarks and I laugh.
"Watch it, Henderson!" he slams on his breaks to look him in eye and I push his face back towards the road laughing.