The Freak and his Princess

You and Eddie have been best friends since freshman year, it was your first day at Hawkins high after moving in the summer. You were so nervous, especially as the new kid no one knew but you were a regular kid, you figured eventually you'd find some friends but it was still as nerve-wracking as ever.

You walked in trying to be as confident as you could and within 10 seconds you crashed into someone, your bag fell off your shoulder and their books fell on the floor. You scrambled to help, already embarrassed before you noticed it was a book about D+D. He introduced himself as Eddie, and it wasn't long before you started to talk about how you both loved dungeons and dragons. Turns out he was in the same homeroom and a few of your classes.

He seemed just as excited to talk to you as you did about finally gaining a friend. And over the years you learned why. Whilst you were still into some of the same things as other kids, dressing in pinks, dresses and skirts and your cheer uniform, Eddie was his own person, a standout, what others deemed to be an outcast. He liked metal music, got his first tattoo at 15, dressed in black, had his ripped jeans and grew his hair out like the rockstars he listened to. This was Indiana in the 80s, people didn't exactly see him as normal and labelled him Eddie 'The freak' Munson.

You were one of the only 'normal' people who treated him like a person. Sure over the years you both made other friends and had clubs and extracurricular activities but it never stopped you from hanging out or going to play D+D with the Hellfire club. People judged but you never cared too much, you were still one of Hawkins's cheerleaders, a straight-A student and so nice to everyone that people kinda let it slide, but it still never stopped them from calling Eddie.

You always defended him whenever you could, even when Eddie would insist you didn't need to. He could take it, it rarely ever phased him and you always admired that about him. He'd insist he didn't want everyone to hate you just because of him but he was your friend, practically your best friend. No, he was your best friend. And if he wouldn't take shit from anyone then you could too. Although that didn't stop Jason fucking carver and his basketball idiots.

Thankfully your parents didn't buy into the rumours or town gossip about him, they had known him since you first became friends and knew he was a decent boy. Hell, your dad liked him even more since he liked the same kind of music, that was probably why you both got along so well. Your parents were definitely more chill than others and let you pursue whatever interests came up without judging you, they just wanted you to be yourself.

That's why your home became a kind of safe haven for Eddie, he lived with his uncle at the trailer park after his parents had died a few years ago. Your mom would always insist that Eddie came for dinner or your dad would invite him to come back to talk about music and bands. They just wanted to make sure he felt comfortable around them like he had somewhere to go. It could be easy for a kid like Eddie to fall onto the wrong tracks but you were always there to make sure he didn't.

This weekend your parents were going out of town for some convention for your mom's work, they always went together and turned it into a little getaway for themselves. Even though they liked Eddie and let him stay over when you were both a bit younger, since you got older it happened less and less. But what they don't know won't hurt them right?

You invited Eddie to come round so you could watch a movie so that Friday after school you both headed to his van, headed to Family Video and intensely debated over which movie to pick, your choice of 'Star Wars Empire Strikes Back or Eddie's choice, Poltergiest, obviously, he loves good horror.

You ended up getting both.

You stopped at a gas station for snacks before getting back to your house. On the drive home, Eddie was trying to convince you to screw studying all together nonstop, but you of course insisted. Eddie was always a bit of a pushover when it came to you.