𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 || EDDIE MUNSON

Second Family

BRANDY was immediately greeted with a hug that almost tackled her to the ground, "Hey, Bev!" Brandy laughed, grabbing the girl in a tight hug, spinning her around the foyer of the home. "Happy birthday," She said, placing the girl back down.

"Thanks!" The girl beamed. "Jameson's still getting ready," Beverly groaned. "He mowed before you got here." Brandy fought the urge to give an 'of course', Jameson was always doing things around the house. Mowing, fixing appliances, cleaning out gutters, taking his sister places, even cooking dinner. He did most things for his family. It was admirable.

"Hey," She bent down to her level, "I invited a friend of mine, hope that's okay?"

"It's awesome!" Beverly jumped.

"Good you see you stranger," A velvety voice sounded. Brandy walked slowly from the foyer to the lamp-lit living room, the sounds of the T.V playing faintly.

Brandy's eyes shifted to Charlene Fletcher, Jameson, and Beverly's mother, sitting on a loveseat on the far side of the living room. A wine glass in her hand, the woman shifted her body ever so slightly, her silky blue nightgown flowing down to her ankles. "Hey, Lena." Brandy greeted. "You about to go to bed?" She asked in confusion, with the time being around six in the afternoon.

"Oh no," She laughed, throwing her firey auburn hair over her shoulder. "I don't ever get both of them out of the house," her iceberg blue eyes gleamed with excitement. "I need a little me time,"

"Don't we all," Brandy huffed. "Oh," She said, turning to the young girl beside her. "Forgot about this," Brandy pulled a small box from her pocket, handing it to Beverly. "Figured you were a little too young for make-up, a little too old for toys."

Beverly eagerly ripped open the package, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "They're so pretty!" She squealed. Beverly ran to her mother, showing her the little silver butterflies that dangled on small silver hoops. "Look!"

"They're lovely." Charlene hummed.

"Can you help me out them on?" Beverly asked ecstatically.

"Of course, sweet pea." The older woman hummed.

"I'm gonna go see what's taking lazy so long," Brandy nodded at the stairs as she spoke of Jameson.

The girl moved through her house as if it were her own, it was in a way, even if she hadn't been here in a while. Brandy walked up the squeaky steps, a hand sliding on the railing of the oaken banister. Happy family photos hung on the wall to the stairs, Brandy smiled momentarily at them.

The girl stood outside Jameson's door, a The Smiths poster thumbtacked to the outside of the door. "Open up loser!" Brandy banged her fist rhythmically against the door.

The door opened, Jameson's face blank and slightly annoyed as he blinked slowly at her.

"Avon?" Brandy joked, Jameson's guise broke down as he cracked into a smile.

"I've alread accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, I don't need a pamphlet." The boy quipped as he motioned for her to come in.

"You're Jewish," Brandy laughed, walking into the poster-filled room.

"That was the joke, smart-ass," Jameson told her as she walked over to the art easel by his window.

"You paint this?" She asked him gingerly, her fingers ghosting over the edge of the beautifully painted canvas.

"It's not finished," Jameson searched the back of his neck awkwardly, sage green eyes watched the girl marvel at the painted sunset. A coral and peach shadow dusted over lavender paint strokes, all hovering angelically above a nearly perfectly pictured lake.

"Not done?" She asked in surprise, "It looks amazing." She breathed.

"An artist's work is never done, don't you know?" the boy hummed.

"Say..." She mumbled, her face inched closer to the canvas, her dark eyes squinted. "Is that lover's lake?" Brandy questioned looking back at him.

"It will be once I add the trees," He told her with a sigh.

"Could give you a perm and start calling you Bob Ross at this point." Brandy joked, collapsing onto Jameson's bed. "Hey, I invited Eddie, hope that's okay." She said. "Bev seems okay with it."

"Eddie?" He raised a brow.

"What?" She asked with a cringe.

"Yeah," Jameson nodded. "Guy seems kind of... I don't know.-" The redhead sighed. "Like he hates everyone," Jameson muttered. "Or maybe it's just me," He pointed to himself. "That's a very real possibility."

Brandy rolled onto her stomach, looking at Jameson as she idly swung her feet. "He just acts like he doesn't give two shits about things or people, don't take it to heart." She advised.

"I think he was more excited at the birthday ambush than I was," The boy sat beside her. "Tell me again how he doesn't give two shits," Jameson whispered.

"You gotta dethaw him, he's a little frosty," Brandy told him.

"A little?" He laughed.

"He's honestly a sweetheart after a while, you just gotta look for it." She told him. "He takes Dustin Henderson home from school all the time, he feeds this stray cat that camps out at his house, don't even get me started on him opening doors I-"

"I'll believe it when I see it," He laughed. "Every conversation feels like I'm being hazed." The boy blankly stared into the void as he spoke.

"Maybe you are." Brandy grinned at him.

Jameson let out a bitter-sounding chuckle, the girl watched his eyes as he slowly zoned back into reality. "Yeah, maybe." He mumbled.

"Jameson Joshua Fletcher," Brandy said like a mother shocked and horrified at what their child had said. "Are you scared of Eddie Munson?" She asked almost stunned.

"I wouldn't say scared," He shook his head. "He's just a little intimidating to look at,"

Brandy's grin turned devilish, "You are scared." She teased.

"Am not," He declared with a point of his index finger. "And I said intimidated not scared." Jameson clarified.

"No no," She sat up with a laugh, "You're totally afraid of having a conversation with him!" Brandy prodded him with her elbow.

"I am not!" He rebutted childishly.

"Okay," She nodded with a knowing smile plastered to the curves of her face. "I just guess we'll see when we get to the rink," Brandy told him as she stood up from the bed. "If you can plan a birthday ambush you can talk to him without having a common goal," She told him.

"You're a terrible friend." Jameson deadpanned.

"Only to you,"

Sorry for such a short and late chapter, I had some family drama so I couldn't really focus to update nor did I feel up to it. Also. Y'all see Tommy's 5 am Instagram post???