𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 || EDDIE MUNSON

Queen of My Pitiful Soul

EDDIE looked over at Brandy in his passenger seat, she wasn't sprawled out like before, and she seemed much more reserved than last time. He couldn't help feeling that it was his fault. Her feet were tucked halfway beneath her as she leaned against the door of the van, her head pressed to the cool window. Eddie cleared his throat awkwardly, the sound being a bit disruptive as the only other noise was the sound of the van itself and the almost silent radio playing what he recognized as a Queen song.

"Are you okay?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the slightly foggy road ahead of him. It was nearly deserted, the only other vehicles were seldom, one passing about every five minutes or so. When the girl didn't answer he took a glance, just barely seeing her in the cover of darkness within the van. "Hey," He said gently, putting a hand on her knee. It seemed to bring her out of her mind a bit, her demeanor becoming more alert as opposed to looking sad and drunk. "You good?" He asked, gently rubbing her knee with his thumb.

"I'm fine," She shook her head, looking at the road ahead of them, illuminated by the nearly full moon and the dim headlights of the van. She desperately wanted to lean into his touch, but she knew even in her inebriated state that she had already made a big enough fool of herself that night.

"It's pretty out tonight," Eddie changed the subject, he needed to keep her awake until they got to his trailer. Then he could give her some water, maybe something to eat, then he'd let her knock out.

Brandy looked out her window solemnly, "You know my dad died on a road like this?" She looked back at him, eyes glazed over.

"Or not," Eddie said awkwardly.

"Sorry, didn't mean to be morbid," The girl let out a long sigh, "He didn't actually die on the road itself, but he might as well've." She corrected, as if it made the previous statement any less grim.

Eddie furrowed his brows, looking over at Brandy. Her face seemed exhausted, really exhausted, it finally hit Eddie that she had had a rough night, outside of not having a designated driver to take her home. He squeezed her knee reassuringly, there wasn't any verbal confirmation needed, he didn't know what there was to say. For a moment Eddie thought he may have overstepped a boundary as Brandy just looked down at his hand that sat atop her leg, a perplexed expression across her face. Eddie went to move his hand only for the girl to stop him, placing her hand over his own. She squeezed it tightly, not a word was said as they continued down the road as they were. Brandy's fingertips clasped over his, while his thumb silently ran over her knee.

The boy didn't really have any words to say to her, she didn't seem in a sour mood per se, but she wasn't overly giggly and merry as she was earlier. Eddie imagined she was some form of contrite, upset over his words to her in the Wheeler's driveway, he could've been a bit less blunt, maybe even worded himself better. He wanted to kiss her again, deeply. Just not in the state she was in, it felt wrong. But he was like a stray animal, you feed him once, maybe out of pity, or even because it wasn't properly thought through. But once you feed a stray, they come back.

"God," Brandy mumbled, "I feel sick," She told him.

"Do not puke in my van," Eddie said sternly. "We're almost there, close your eyes or something."

"Worse." Was all she said, "How close?" Brandy muttered, she felt like the world around her was moving. Like she was desperately hanging onto a buoy in the middle of a sea storm, just waiting for it to pass. She gripped his hand tightly, deeply inhaling, hoping for the nauseous feeling in her body to go away.

"You have about two minutes," He told her reassuringly, though his eyes showed his weariness of the ill girl.

When they pulled into Eddie's driveway Brandy stayed as still as a statue in her seat, one hand to her stomach the other against the dashboard. Though Eddie's mind didn't quite compute that she was doing this action due to her sudden sickness, in his mind it was due to her drunkness. And so he moved over to the passenger side of the van after he got out, opening her door he put a hand to her upper back, and then one to her outstretched wrist, gently tugging her.