Birds Of A Feather // Eddie Munson

012

I cant believe I just did that. I just made out with Eddie Munson outside of school. What if someone saw us? I mentally slap myself in the face and walk in the doors of the school. Praying I wouldn't see anyone i know.

I walk into class, slumping down into my seat and setting my bag down on the desk. "Sorry I'm late Ms O'Donnell, it wont happen again." I look up to see the door swinging open with an overly excited Eddie appearing in the doorframe, strolling in and sitting himself down next to me. "Yeah," he looked at me and grinned "won't happen again." He looked back at the teacher and put his feet up on the desk.

The whole time I'm looking at him, completely starstruck. He leaned over slightly, not taking his eyes off of the chalkboard and said "You might wanna pick your jaw up off the floor. Nobody noticed anything but if you're looking at me like that, people will most definitely start to speculate, Princess" I just nodded and moved my head to face the front.

I opened my notebook and wrote
'Why are you sat next to me?  - _-'
He snickered as he read it, replying and sliding my book back to me.
'just wanted to so stop bein a stick in the mud 0.0'

His writing may well have just been hieroglyphics with the way it was scrawled across the page, but if you squint you can just about tell what he's trying to say. I shook my head and closed the book, putting it back in my bag and turning to pay attention to the class being taught.

Every now and then I'd write something and Eddie would copy what I had written, although he absolutely had zero intention of using those notes later. It made me laugh thinking about why he bothers writing them in the first place, probably to get his parents off of his back about doing work or something.

The bell rings and classes go by in a blur until lunch. I walk into the cafeteria and look around for Chrissy and Jason, I feel like I haven't seen anyone from the team in so long. I walk over to where they normally sit, everyone was there except Chrissy. I sit down, not taking my bag off and lean over to one of the other girls on the team, Diane. "Hey, um have you seen Chris at all today?" Diana looked at me and nodded and in between her agressive my chewing her gum she said "Yeah, saw her all day except now. Didn't say we're she was going though, sorry Elaine."

I raised my hand and thanked her anyway. "So where've you been for the past month?" Jason said, earning an odd look from Lucas who was sat 4 seats away from him. "Fell doing a cheer stunt at the park and broke my arm. Stupid, I know!" I tried to laugh it off but every time someone mentioned my arm my chest got tight and I just remember what really happened. "Right, and you're sure that's what happened?" I raised an eyebrow and adjusted my skirt. "Whats that supposed to mean, Jason?"

The cafeteria doors opened and in walked Eddie, wearing his signature look, yet something was different. His hair was in a low bun, held together by a green scrunchie. My scrunchie. It was obviously someone's on the cheer team and I was the only one at the table not wearing mine so, almost immediately every eye on the table turned to me. "So... I'm gonna go look for Chrissy." I went to get up when Jason scoffed "You've been bailing on us a lot recently, Henderson. What's your deal?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Whats my deal?" I tilted my head to the side inquisitively, crossing my arms. "More like what's your deal? You've been nothing but weird every single time I've seen you for the past 2 months. It's creepy." Jason leaned on the table, so annoyed that his eyebrows were almost touching. "What's up Jason? Have I hit a nerve, because I told Chrissy everything about what happened at-" Jason lunged up out of his seat and grabbed my left wrist pulling me forward, making me hiss in pain. He leaned into my ear and spoke in a threateningly low tone, "That's not something that needs to be discussed where all of our friends are."

I pull my wrist back hoping he'd let go, but he just tightened his grip "Are we clear." I pulled again "Jason, let me go. You're hurting me." Jason spoke again, louder this time "I said, are we clear?" I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying and to try and distract myself from the pain in my wrist. "Crystal. Now let me go." Still nothing. What more could he have to say to me, or does he just enjoy watching me on the verge of tears? "I love Chrissy, she loves me. Nothing you said to her changed what we have. When I let go, you're going to sit back down and act normal. Chrissy will be here in 5 minutes."

"Yeah well, you kinda fucked this up for yourself pal. You're the one gripping me by the wrist like I'm a child that's about to run off." He drops my hand and I look around. Eddies eyes are burning into Jason, if looks could kill I'm sure Jason would be dead. I sit down like Jason told me to and take my bag off, grabbing my Walkman and headphones. I put the headphones on and click play, '(I've had) the time of my life' begins to play and i smile to myself, thinking of the day when Steve dropped me and Dustin off at school. Actually, I think I'm gonna rent a copy of dirty dancing after school tomorrow, I haven't seen it in a while.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and someone pull my headphones off, I look to my left and see a smiling Chrissy. I smile at her and give her a hug, which she returns but not in the usual way she did. She seemed more deflated, I'd noticed this over the past month but I wasn't sure what was going on with her. Every time I asked she brushed it off as if nothing was wrong, as her best friend I knew that it was a lie, I just didn't know what I could do to help if she wouldn't tell me what was going on.

"Hey, Chrissy!" I reach down to my lap and press pause on my Walkman. "How are you, M'lady." I pretend to do a hat tip and she laughs at me, lightly hitting my arm. "I'm good, I'm not gonna be in last period by the way. I have a um, meeting." I raise my eyebrow at her, knowing she was lying. "Yeah a meeting with my mum it's about like-" i stop her mid sentence "if you're going on a date with Jason, it's fine. I'll cover for you and say you had period problems so you went home. Even if I think Jason's a total waste of oxygen, I don't want you to get in trouble." She smiles at me and hugs me tightly

"Thanks, Elaine. You know me too well." She bites at the skin on her lip as she turns to Diane and strikes up a conversation with her like normal, i join in in passing conversation but it's all incredibly dull. I just cant wait for today to be over.

The bell rings for the end of lunch and I grab my bag and slip it on, clipping my Walkman to my skirt waistband but my headphones stayed slung around my neck. As I'm walking out of the cafeteria I look over at Eddie and he nods at me to go over to him. I comply because, well.. why not?

"What happened back there with Jason? Did he hurt you? Threaten you? I saw him grab your bad wrist." He put his first against his mouth and tapped against it lightly, waiting for my response. "Eddie, it's fine. I don't need you to protect me, I got it all covered." Eddie nods frantically, pieces of hair falling out of his bun. "Yeah well if he pulls something like that again then you tell me. I'll come to your rescue every time, even if you think you don't need me." He winked at the last part, showing me that he was just kidding, but a part of me felt like he was serious.

"Sure, Munson. And I, you. But for now I have to get to last period so if you don't mind..." He perks up quickly "Oh yeah, I've got somewhere to be too Princess. Thanks for the reminder." He grabs his lunchbox that is absolutely not filled with lunch and runs out of the back exit of the cafeteria. What a strange boy.

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All I have to say about this chapter is, can Jason shut up I hate him.
(Not proofread)