𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 || EDDIE MUNSON

Wishful Thinking

BRANDY looked at Ms. Kelley with an almost dumb expression. "I can't do much about it, if Eddie doesn't want to be tutored I can't make him, I could speak to him but I doubt there's much I could say to convince him to show up tomorrow."

"Well, what about other students?" Brandy asked.

"Well, it's a bit too early in the year for anyone to apply, most students still have high grades." She explained. "I would check back after fall break."

"But that's in two months!" Brandy exclaimed.

"You still have the whole school year, Brandy." Ms. Kelley looked at the overachiever with an exasperated expression. Brandy looked solemnly at the floor, she should've just picked up another club or sports activity. Upon seeing the student's expression Ms. Kelley sighed. "Maybe try talking to him, you might find some common ground."

Brandy looked up at her. "I don't see that happening,"

"Why not?" The counselor asked. "Just because you're from different friend groups doesn't mean you have to stay forty feet apart at all times."

"Once again, I don't see that happening," the click of her walkman rewinding sounded, signaling that it was done.

"Brandy, is there something bothering you?" She asked.

"What do you mean?" the teen asked.

"Well, usually you're very attentive when you're being spoken to, but today you just seem to be fiddling with those cassettes.

Brandy was silent, her brows furrowing.

"Anything you say stays between us," She assured.

"I don't want to bother you," Brandy shook her head, tucking a blonde strand of hair behind her ear.

"That's what I'm here for," Ms. Kelley told her in confidence.

"Well, four days ago was the anniversary of my dad's death, and normally I handle it pretty well," She began. "But mom just bailed on me, and went on a date," Her eyes didn't leave her cassette tapes. One by the Cramps, one by Metallica, two by Blue Öyster Cult, and the one in the player was Black Sabbath.

"I can understand how that could be frustrating, it appears that music seems a good coping mechanism for you though," Ms. Kelley observed.

"It was his favorite music, he was a big rocker." She laughed.

"Is it yours as well?" Ms. Kelley asked.

"I don't know, I really only listen to his tapes when I'm upset," Brandy picked at her nail bed.

"Do you have any music you like outside of your dad's tapes?" The older woman queried.

"Well," Brandy thought for a minute. "I like some music on the radio, like Joan Jett, or Pat Benatar."

"Is that all?"

"Off the top of my head," Brandy shrugged, "I don't really listen to music much, the only radio we have is in our kitchen. but we only turn it on during storms or things like that."

"What about your car radio?" Ms. Kelley asked, writing down something on a file.

"I just keep at one station really,"

"What about your dad's music? Would listening to it in the car be something you would enjoy?" A chill went up Brandy's spine.

"No, I'm afraid it'll eat the tapes." She lied.

"Well," Ms. Kelley hummed, lifting her sleeve to look at her wristwatch. "It appears I've kept you a little longer than I originally expected."

"I'm not going to be counted as tardy am I?" The blonde asked worryingly, leaning forward in her seat.

"No, no. Not to worry, I'll write you a note." Ms. Kelley waved a dismissive hand.

"Oh, okay." She nodded unsurely while the raven-haired woman wrote down on a yellow slip of paper.

"Here you go," She smiled, handing the note to Brandy. "Go on now, you're about," she checked her watch, "Eight minutes late to class."

"Okay," Brandy grabbed her things, placing her headphones over her blonde beach waves. "Thank you," She expressed as she closed the door.

Letting out a deep exhale, she pressed play on the walkman. Geometry had to be her least favorite subject, it wasn't that it was her worst. She found it boring. Staring drearily at shapes and equations for an hour wasn't exactly her idea of engaging and enthralling schoolwork. If she wanted to look at shapes she would've signed up for art class.

The halls were deserted. The drums of her music thumped rhythmically in her ears. She looked down at the note gripped in her hand. Another sigh, maybe talking to somebody wasn't a terrible idea, even if it made her stomach knot and bile rise in her throat in the moment, she felt a lot better once she left the room. Like a fraction of her anxieties had been left behind in the room as she left it. Talking out loud almost made her process what she was thinking better.

Rounding a corner she ran square into a chest for the second time that week. The girl let out a grunt, dropping all her belongings, from her pencils and pens, to her folders full of papers that were now scattered across the white tiled floor. Only, funnily enough, her mind wasn't concerned about her now unorganized papers and the person only further messing them up as they tried to desperately stack them together. She wasn't worried about her freshly sharpened pencils or the ballpoint pens, the thing she was most concerned about was her tapes.

She didn't bother looking at the person who dropped to the floor to help her while she scrambled to grab her music. "Shit! Sorry!" She recognized the voice before she even looked at the boy helping messily gather her school notes and utensils. Their heads turned at once, both crouched to the same level as onyx eyes met coal eyes.

Eddie handed her the stacked-together yet disorganized school papers. He kept his face neutral, waiting for any signs of annoyance, anger, or general bitchiness. Instead, she looked more frazzled than anything else. The cheerleader quickly placed the things Eddie had handed her to the side. Instead, she began stacking cassette tapes on top of each other.

Eddie grabbed one, looking at it in surprise. "You like Metallica?" He asked in sincerity, but it clearly didn't come across that way. A dark look flashed upon the girl's features, but as soon as it appeared it was gone. As if she had manually switched emotions.

"Am I not allowed to?" She asked with a twinge of offense in her tone.

"No! No!" He said quickly, her brows furrowing, "I mean- Yes!" Eddie corrected, waving his hands in the air as be did so. "Of course, you can listen to them! I just meant-" Eddie quit explaining himself when he heard the sound of laughter. Looking over at the blonde as she laughed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. It was silvery yet high-pitched, her laugh becoming almost raspy as she chuckled.

Brandy looked at his face, he scratched the back of his neck as he looked past her awkwardly. He was a bit of a prick but Brandy had to admit he was almost amusing in his own way. "Sorry," She apologized, "Didn't mean to make you feel silly."

Eddie cleared his throat awkwardly as he stood from his crouched position. "Silly?" He asked fighting with his bracelet behind his back. "No," He shook his head, "Nah," he assured, closing his eyes briefly.

Brandy stood as well, grabbing her things from the floor, she started back of her trip to class before she stopped, turning around. "Aren't you going to geometry?" She asked him.

Eddie stopped as well, turning around as he passed her, "Oh, no." He shook his head. "Prior engagements and whatnot," He explained, gesturing to his shirt. Hellfire.

"Oh, okay." Brandy nodded in understanding, but it was more of an understanding now of why his grades were so terrible. She began once again to her class before she stopped again but it wasn't her that spoke this time.

"Hey, uh- are you still doing that tutor thing tomorrow?" He asked, pointing his index fingers at her in questioning.

"If you show up I'll be there," Brandy smiled at him.

"Okay," He nodded at her, walking off muttering something.

👀👀👀 soooooo, what do we thinkkkkkkk? Writing Eddie hurts my head, I can't properly describe his mannerisms.