the freak (eddie munson)

1

Rose Vila Wheeler

My arms droop low past my hips as I hunch my body over carrying all my suitcases.

My back is hurting as I try to walk as humanly fast as possible behind Mike. Little shit is only carrying one suitcase and couldn't even bother to help me.

Apparently I was going to crush the flowers he got El.

I miss her. I miss all of them. It makes my heart beat extremely fast knowing that they're here in the same airport as me just a few feet away.

After the events in last summer, we all parted. I started my first year in college in New York, it's much different from Hawkins. I really didn't do much there though, I didn't really put myself out there. I guess I was too busy with school.

And Mike stayed in Hawkins, him and the rest of my family. According to him he's been sitting at the airport waiting for me to arrive for two hours. He's so dramatic. Jonathan, Will, and El have stayed in California. I'm most excited to see them.

I've missed them so much.

But to only make matters worse, my ears feel like little tiny air bubbles are stuck in them for being up in the air for hours. It's okay to say I'm absolutely jet lagged.

And to be truthful, the only thing I'm thinking about is lying down in my bedroom. My bed. Oh my god my bed! I totally forgot the comfort of my bed. The soft cushions that swallow me whole when I lay down.
God I just want to go to bed.

"Mike!" Past Mike's shoulder, I see El standing there. She has bangs covering her forehead and her hair is already past her shoulders.

It's pretty.

God she's so grown.

Even with everything that happened last summer, I miss it. Being here with everyone. I miss Steve. Robin. I miss the kids.
And god do I miss Hopper.
I wonder how Joyce is.

I watch as they both run up to each other and greet each other with a kiss.

That's something I didn't miss.

It's gross seeing my brother swapping spit with my basically sister.

"Uh, gross get a room you two." I say, stopping beside them and finally setting my arms free as my suitcases drop to the ground beside me.

It feels like I finally have my regulated blood pressure again!

I shake my arms and El meets my eyes and a pretty smile appears on her pretty face.

"Careful, careful! You're squ- you're squishing your present!"

El breaks there full on slobbering make out sesh to look down and see the yellow flowers wrapped in newspaper.

"I uh, handpicked they myself, they were yellow. And I know how much you like yellow. But now I'm kind of realizing that it's kinda too much yellow, I also know you like purple so I put some purple in there as well so I kind of did like a 70/30 split-"

"Perfect thank you." El says.
She takes her flowers and she walks up to me.

"Hi." She says. I laugh and touch her hair.

"Hey El."

"It's longer right? Joyce trims it every once and a while, but she says it makes it longer." I pull her into a tight hug.

"It's perfect El. I've missed you."

I look past her shoulder and I see Will. Will and Mike's awkward hug. They pat each other on the back and I watch as Will's face slowly drops from a big smile.