The weirdo and the freak

Bad business

Lunchtime went by in a bit of a blur. I couldn't stop myself thinking back to what Steve had said. Surely he didn't mean it though when he said I was beautiful, it was probably just his way of sucking up to me. Eddie didn't turn up for lunch when he normally would have done. I kept looking around for him and none of the lads knew where he was. 5 minutes from the end of lunch he came through the cafeteria doors looking flustered and bothered clutching himself tightly around the middle. He sat next to me, pecked me on the cheek and squeezed my thigh under the table. He didn't seem right. Something was definitely on his mind.

"Is everything ok Eddie? You don't seem yourself, what's wrong?" I questioned, a thousand scenarios running through my head, all with bad outcomes. "Talk to me baby, what's the matter?"

"I'm fine, I just had some business to deal with and it didn't go as smoothly as I thought that it would but I'm ok. Will you meet me at the van after school? Think that you could come to mine for an hour after school tonight?" Eddie asked with a few tears in his eyes.

"Of course, I will need to go home in time for dinner though. I want to keep on my Aunt's good side so that she doesn't try and stop you coming over." I smiled but deep down felt panicked. What was wrong? What had happened? Was he ok?

I got to Eddie's van before him and stood against the door waiting for him. He came out looking like he was scared and I noticed now that he was limping slightly to the van. He kissed me, for the first time since we got to school this morning and opened the door for me. He got in and we drove in complete tensed silence to his trailer.

We arrived and both got out of the van at the same time. Eddie ran to the trailer door and opened it in a hurry as though we were being chased. As we walked through the door he started to relax a little. I sat down and patted the sofa next to me for him to sit with me. He carried on pacing the trailer's living room almost ignoring me. "I can't sit. I need to just clear my head." I hadn't seen him be this agitated before and I didn't like it, it worried me.

I appreciated what he was saying but needed him to tell me more about what had happened. "Eddie, you need to calm down and tell me what happened. I can't help you if you don't tell me."

Eddie ran his fingers through his own hair and sighed. "Steve was right. I am a drug dealing freak and you are better off without me. Maybe he was right and you should have waited until you had met him, at least I know you would always be safe with him and he wouldn't get you mixed up in shit." He looked so sad but I didn't want to interrupt him. "I had some business to attend too at lunch and it went wrong. There were a few of them and they jumped me, stole the gear that I had on me and my money." Eddie lifted his shirt and proceeded to show me the bruises appearing on his ribs from where they had attacked him.

"Who the hell did this to you Eddie? Tell me. Now! I want to know which piece of drug taking trash at our school did this?" I stood up and walked towards him, demanding answers.

"It doesn't matter. Even if I told you then what would you be able to do about it?" Eddie could see that I was getting frustrated as he started undressing his top half and inspecting his bruises. He looked up and saw the anger in my tensed jaw and sadness in my eyes. "Fine, but you cannot say anything to anyone. Do you understand?" I nodded. "It was a couple of lad's off of the swim team, I've been giving them stuff to help with their performances in the pool. "Eddie must of seen the shock in my face and the concern as well. "Don't panic though, it isn't Harrington. I wouldn't sell to him knowing he was going to be around Dustin and the boys. To be fair I don't think he has even done so much as let a lit cigarette touch his lips, let alone anything harder. I know that is hypocritical of me to say but I only smoke a little every now and again and never around the kids."

This was enough for me, he didn't need to tell me anything else I did think that I should maybe speak to Steve about it though now that we were now on talking terms. I helped Eddie sort himself out before he drove me home. "Did you want to come in and have some dinner with us?" I asked.

"I would sweetheart but I have some more business to attend too. Thankfully I knew better than to take everything with me to the meeting this afternoon. I also promised Uncle Wayne I'd have dinner with him tonight so that he won't mind if I come over to yours after. Make sure that your window is unlocked about 10ish though. Promise me?" I nodded, leant over and kissed Eddie before jumping out of the van and leaving him to his business. Since meeting him Thursday this was the longest that we were going to have been apart and it felt unnatural.