EDDIE MUNSON IMAGINES

SUMMER BEFORE

the summer before your senior year felt like it was more of a fever dream than anything else. from watching max's stepbrother die to a monster so hideous and terrifying to working a minumum wage job while the boys came to visit you frequently in hopes of getting the chance to talk with you for as long as they could. 

standing in front of the high school was giving you an uncomfortable feeling, urging you to run away yet go inside the building at the same time. it was a strange sensation and you were scared of where it was going to lead you. 

"______, hey," nancy said as she walked up to you, causing you to turn and face her with a slightly nervous look masking your facial features. she furrowed her eyebrows in worry, wondering what was going on. "everything okay?" 

"yeah, i, uh, i just am not ready, i guess," you said, debating on telling her but instead, you held it back and didn't say a word. nancy smiled at you, linking her arm around yours as she brought you inside the dreaded building and to her locker. 

"if this is about this year being your last one, it will get so much better once you're out of here, trust me," she said, unlocking the small metal door and collecting books and binders in her arms. you leaned against the lockers next to hers, your eyes studying the crowd as you took note of him walking in with gareth. you watched him walk towards the back of the hallway, making a left turn. nancy snapped you out of it with a repeated question.

"______, are you coming over today?" she asked, seeing your eyes meet hers once more as you shrugged. 

"probably not, my mom is in a weird fight with my dad right now so i'll probably be out," you told her before hearing the bell ring. you sighed, reshouldering your backpack before walking off in the direction of your class. you were zoning out and back to the memories of summer, the times before the mind flayer came to attack you and your friends. 

"_______, we have to show you this!" lucas yelled as he ran into the clothing store, you turned to face him in confusion, putting another t shirt up on the rack as will and mike were with him. 

"you guys have to stop yelling so much," you laughed, smiling over at your boss before looking back over at them, continuing to put clothing on the racks. "anyways, what is it?"

"this perfume, okay, look," he began as you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. "it sounds weird, but trust me. we need to know if you like this smell."

"why?" you asked slowly, placing two blue and red t shirts on the rack as your boss was now helping a customer at the counter. 

"because mike is in a weird fight with his girlfriend and we need to get her a gift," lucas said as will sighed, looking around the store. 

"what the hell did you do, wheeler?" you asked, laughing slightly.

"i had to, hopper was making me," mike said as you looked over at him. "i lied to her because i had to, _______. can you please just tell us if this smells good?"

"why would you guys ask me of all people?" you smiled, shaking your head before turning back to face your work. 

"steve told us what kind you liked," lucas said as you cleared your throat, stopping putting clothes up on the rack as the boys exchanged looks in confusion and slight worry. 

"steve?" you asked, your eyes refocusing back on the task at hand as you slowly began putting clothes back up. 

"yeah," will said, speaking up finally. he was now interested in the conversation because it had turned away from mike and eleven, which the conversation and topic had been all day for him.