Wrapped Around Your Finger - Eddie Munson

Chapter Nine: The Plot

We said goodbye to Max as she skated off. I'd given in to Chrissy and agreed to go to the party, which unfortunately was being hosted by Jason and his goons. We arrived at The Hideout where Jason's friend Alex, or Mason they all looked the same to me, was hosting his party.

Chrissy walked in and was met with a roar of cheers from the basketball team, I made sure to stay behind her and keep to myself.  That was until I lost her. I was nursing my drink in a corner, watching everyone else do keg stands when someone walked up next to me.

"Hi there," He said, "I don't think I've seen you around before?"

"I just moved here from Boston." I said over the music, "I'm Hannah, Chrissy's friend."

"Alex." He smiled.

"Nice to meet you."

Alex and I chatted while we laughed at people whose stomachs were too weak to handle the keg stand they just did when he walked in. Eddie, followed by the rest of Corroded Coffin. Shit. I excused myself from Alex as I went to track Chrissy down.

"Hannah! Woah, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Eddie and the rest of Corroded Coffin are here."

"I thought they weren't playing tonight, Jason?" She looked to him.

"Oh yeah, sorry Chrissy I forgot to tell you. One of the bands backed out and so the freak band got the spot." He shrugged, throwing a glare my way. That fucker knew exactly what he was doing.

"Oh God, Hannah I'm so sorry."

"It's ok, you didn't know." I answered, glaring back at Jason. "I'll catch up with you, I think I'm gonna step out for a minute." I made my way towards the exit so I could run off into the woods, maybe forever. That wouldn't be so bad, living the rest of my days as a Hermit. I could even become a local Hawkins cryptid.

"Hey, where you going?" I was snapped out of my thoughts when Alex caught up to me.

"I'm just going outside for a minute, need some air." I lied, sort of.

"You seemed pretty spooked when Corroded Coffin walked in, everything ok?"

"Yeah, just got a... uh, complicated relationship with their guitarist."

"That Munson guy?" I nodded, "Well he'd better uncomplicate it quick cause if you haven't noticed, a lot of The Hideout has their eyes on you."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" I sighed.

"Tell you- Oh, Oh! No, no, it's not like that. Um, I don't... I don't play for that team, if you understand." I felt my cheeks heat up from embarrassment. He wasn't flirting with me, he was gay. I felt so stupid.

"I'm so sorry." I laughed nervously, "That's just what happened last time so I guess I was expecting it again."

"Don't worry about it! Just, can you not go around and tell people? It's not something I really want everyone knowing." He asked. I made the motion of locking my lips and tossing the key. "So, what's up with you and Munson?"

"I don't know exactly, he won't really say. We had a couple really nice dates and we get along well, but on both dates someone tried to start something with us. On the second one, Jason an his asshole friends jumped us. I split my lip in the process, but we handled it!
Now he's telling me he doesn't think we should be together because he's worried about me getting hurt. Like, if I was worried about getting hurt I wouldn't be putting myself in that position!" I shouted. We had made our way out to the woods now.

"Let it out!" Alex cheered.

"And I just don't understand why he thinks I can't handle myself! I don't understand why Jason and his friends have to be such assholes. What do they get out of this? And why, of all times to choose to end things with me, did Eddie choose the day after we slept together!" I turned and hit the tree I was standing next to.

"Wait, seriously?" Alex asked, I responded with a nod.

"Yeah, real dick move."

"We could do something about it." He paused, "Like make him jealous."

"How?"

"We could pretend we're interested in each other. He doesn't know me or that I'm gay! If he sees you with someone else, maybe it'll get him to rethink things." I thought about it a moment before I agreed.

"Shall we?" He asked, holding out his hand.

I took it as we left the woods and went back inside The Hideout. Corroded Coffin hadn't gone up for their set yet. I walked up close to the stage with Alex, hand in hand. I slyly looked around for Eddie and spotted him off to the side of the crowd.

He was leaning against the wall, looking around the room before turning his attention to the girl beside him. She was talking with him and laughing over every little thing he said. I nudged Alex and pointed over at Eddie and his new mystery girl, who he was standing quite close to. He shook his head and tutted. I snapped my head back to Alex when Eddie suddenly looked our way.

"Dance with me!" Alex yelled over the music.

He took my other hand and turned me to him. We danced together, mostly just jumping around to the beat of the music. We switched sides so I was facing Eddie's direction. I peeked over Alex's shoulder to see him walking outside with that girl.

"I don't think he noticed." I said, pointing towards the door. "Do you smoke?" I asked.

We walked outside together, heading back to the spot in the woods. Eddie was standing outside sharing a cigarette with the mystery girl. I caught his eye for a moment as he watched Alex and I walk together. How could he be so cold and aloof?

"Don't let it get you down." Alex took a hit and passed it to me. "He looks like he doesn't bathe anyway." I snorted.

"Sadly, he does. He smells like mints and cinnamon." I groaned. "Fuck, it's so bad. He's got me wrapped around his finger." I asked the spliff on the bottom of my boot and pocketed the filter.

"Thanks for sharing with me." Alex stood up, stretching out his legs. "Wanna go back in?"

"Nah, I think I'm gonna sit out here for a while and head home." I said, waving goodbye to Alex.

I laid back in the leaves, staring up at the night sky. It hurt to think about how Eddie and I had stargazed at Lover's Lake the night of our second date. It hurt even more to remember what Eddie said to me in this same forest and what happened after he kept his promise on it. I quickly sat up when I heard the sound of dirt and leave crunching.

"Hannah? Oh good, you're ok. I, uh, didn't see you come back out of the woods. Wanted to make sure you didn't get murdered or abducted by aliens or something." It was Eddie, just what I needed.

"Nope. I'm fine. Why don't you go check in on that girl who's been attached to your hip since you got here." I bit.

"That girl? You mean Garreth's cousin?"

"Whoever she is, you seemed real interested in each other." I scoffed.

"Are you jealous?" He smirked and crossed his arms.

"Why would I be jealous? Cause it's not me that's going to get fucked and dumped the next day? I'm all set." I snapped, getting up and storming past him.

"That's not what happened." He said, grabbing me arm so I couldn't leave. "You know that."

"No, I don't."