𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 // 𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

5

"Dungeons and Dragons, at first regarded as a harmless game of make-believe, now has both parents and psychologists concerned... Studies have linked violent behavior to the game, saying it promotes satanic worship, ritual sacrifice, sodomy, suicide, and even... Murder." Eddie sticks out his tongue and laughs with his group of friends.

across the room, y/n starts making her way along the wall when all of a sudden she sees a boy jump on the table.
"But as long as you're into band, or science, or ~parties~" he snickers.
"Or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets!" He says now cupping his hands around his mouth.

"You want something freak?" Chrissy's boyfriend, stands up and shouts.
The boy on the table gives himself horns and sticks his tongue out at him.
Y/n lets out a small giggle.
He jumps off the table and sits back down with his friends.
"So Eddie about the campaign.."
He takes a second and looks around the lunchroom, eventually his gaze locks onto something.

"Dustin.." he says interrupting him.
"Who's that?" He points at someone from across the lunchroom.
Dustin turns to look at the person Eddie could be talking about.
"Her?" Dustin asks also pointing.
"That's y/n Hargrove, Billy's younger sister." He looks back at Eddie who is twiddling a guitar pick in his fingers.

"Hm.. what were you saying?" He says redirecting his attention to Dustin.
"Well about the campaign tonight.. Lucas can't make it." Eddies face drops.
"what do you mean he can't make it?" Eddie says in a frustrated tone.
He listens to Dustin ramble about the basketball game and how Lucas will be busy.

"So what you're saying is, Sinclair has been taken by the dark side?" Eddie says giving Dustin a death stare.
"Uh, something like that." Dustin says shrugging.

"Me, I am army-crawling my way toward a D in Ms. O'Donnell's. If I don't blow her final, I'm gonna walk that stage, I'm gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye, I'm gonna flip him the bird, I'm gonna snatch that diploma. I'm gonna run like hell outta here." He says starting to snicker again.

Y/n watches as he grabs Dustin and Mike by the shoulders. They look scared. She wondered if he was a bully or if they were close friends. She knew that they spent time together, but Billy had some of the kids wrapped around his finger too. She watched as he made them look around the lunch room. She slowly started making her way towards them and got close enough that she could hear their conversation.

"Well, I'm here to tell you that there are other little lost sheepies out there who need help." He says looking at the boys longingly, trying to make them understand their significance.
"Who need YOU... And all you guys gotta do is get your Bo-Peeps on and go and find one." He says releasing the two boys with a shove.

-NEXT PERIOD-
I was one of the first students to arrive to class. I took a seat in the back of the class where I'm comfortable.
I crack open my book, that I hadn't had a chance to touch and waited for the rest of my class to file in. I hear the bell ring but I was too into my book to realize what was going on around me.

I hear the teacher start talking so I lower my book a little.
Every year, the teachers waste everyone's time on the first day introducing the students to each other even if they've known them forever. I've never understood that.

I feel a tap on my foot. I ignore it thinking it's just one of the brats that attacked me in the bathroom or something. I feel another tap, except this one's a little more harsh.

"What?" I said without looking back at the person.

"I just wanted to ask what you were reading.." he leaned up and glanced at my book over my shoulder, also watching to make sure Ms.O'Donnell didn't see us talking.

"You know, every year Ms. O'Donnell has us do this project where she has us pick a book and write an essay on it.." he talked as I kept ignoring him.

"Last year, I chose the book Lord of the Flies and I wrote the essay on what I expected the plot to be.. a little bug king, leading over the other flies." He said now drumming his pencil on the desk.
"Apparently that's not what it's about at all." I snickered considering that was one of my favorite books.

"Shhhh" I quietly hissed back at him.

"You know I would expect a shy, bookworm like yourself to be less feisty." He said slouching back in his seat.

"I'm not a bookworm. I just like reading." I said quietly.

"Now children, this year for the essay assignment. To help us connect to one another in these harsh times, your essay will be in teams of two."
Ms. O'Donnell said while tapping a piece of chalk on the edge of the board.
Chatter erupted around the class of people talking about who they wanted their partner to be.

"That's what I wanted to hear." I could feel him smiling.
"Would you like to work together on it?" He said once again leaning over.
Of course, our conversation was interrupted by the bell.
"I'll think about it and let you know tomorrow." I said grabbing my stuff and quickly exiting the room.

I run to my locker and put my English books in it. I immediately feel a presence on my shoulder. I close my locker and turn around to see max.

"H-hey." She says to me as if she'd never talked to me before.

"Hey" I said slowly sliding the straps of my gym bag over my shoulder.
"So, the counselor wanted to see us this afternoon after school to talk about everything.." she said to me, struggling to make eye contact.
"I know you probably have cheer practice. I just didn't want to go alone." Max says now picking at her nails.

"It's okay Max." I say gently holding her shoulder.
"I'll be there."