Hellfire's Angel | Stranger Things

Eddie

           Frankie was beginning to wish she hadn't gone to the party after all. Her friends were being very attentive, always making sure her cup was filled up with alcohol. She knew drinking wouldn't help her right now, in fact, it would only make her worse. There had been great relief from her breakup, but that didn't mean her heart wasn't also still aching. Especially when he turned up tonight and walked passed her like she wasn't even there.

She would have to learn to deal with it, seeing him every day at school until they graduated. If they both stuck around in Hawkins, it meant watching each other fall in love with other people. And she wasn't sure how she would feel about that. Tonight she was watching him chat to other girls, occasionally casting glances across the room at her. Slowly her vision was becoming blurred and she stopped caring to look.

The constant refills were becoming too much, so when a boy from her math class was offering cigarettes to any girl he could in the hopes he'd get something in return, she plucked one from the packet, lit it with his lighter and then handed him her drink while she wandered off outside. The backyard was too busy, so she exited through the side gate towards the front of the house and propped herself up on the porch.

She lay down on her back to stare up at the night sky, hoping she was invisible that way. The only risk of seeing her was the glow of the cigarette and the cloud of smoke coming out of her mouth. She'd smoked before, never while lying on her back, and never to the point where she was addicted like some people. To be social at parties, was her usual behaviour. But this wasn't being very social out here by herself.

A car pulled up into the drive, she didn't avert her eyes from the sky to see who it was. Most likely someone with a new keg of beer. At the rate Jackie and Beth were topping up her cup, the bar would need refilling. She heard a door close, only one, so it was someone on their own. She took the cigarette from her mouth and gave it a tap before putting it back in her mouth and casting a glance at the newcomer.

It was a he, who was humming to himself as he walked up the path. He was heading for the side gate, the one she'd just come through. He looked familiar, someone from school, they may even share some classes. Perhaps it was the alcohol clouding her memory, for she never usually forgot people's names.

He stopped in his tracks suddenly as his eyes landed on hers, or rather, the glow of the cigarette. She inhaled deeply, releasing a puff of smoke into the air. He looked like he wanted to speak, his mouth opened slightly. She removed the cigarette again to tap off the ash and sat up slowly.

"It's Eddie, isn't it?" she said, suddenly realising. "We have Chemistry together."

He gave a low chuckle at that. "Do we?" he replied, "I hadn't noticed."

She was too drunk to get the joke. "We have other classes too... I helped you with a History paper once."

"You have a sharp memory." He took a few steps closer to her. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

She glanced at the cigarette then up at him. "For peace. Too much noise in there, too many people."

"Maybe you shouldn't have come to a party then, is that not what they're meant to be like?"

She put the cigarette back in her mouth and took a long drag. "Funny," she replied. "What brings you here anyway? I didn't have you pinned down as a party person."

"What because I'm a freak?"

She screwed up her eyes and exhaled. "No, I didn't mean that - I just thought you were interested in other type of parties."