The Freak and His Queen [Eddie Munson x Chrissy Cunningham]

Aliens

Trigger/Content Warning - Language, bullying

July ended and August began with a heatwave that stretched from one week into two. Despite the heat, Eddie was thoroughly enjoying his summer. Working at Family Video with Robin and Steve didn't feel like work at all. Eddie and his band still played gigs every Tuesday night and Hellfire met on Thursdays since Eddie worked Fridays. In his free time, Nancy had been helping him with his resume and interviewing skills, and Robin and Steve had been helping him look through the yellow pages for record labels and stores he could apply at in Columbus. Dustin, Max, and the rest of their twerpy gang were always somewhere underfoot. Eddie was happily splitting co-parenting Dustin duties with Steve. The kid had enough energy to tire them both out.

At the beginning of the summer, Max had introduced her mom to Eddie's uncle and a weird but nice kind of friendship was blossoming between them, meaning Eddie and his uncle were now having dinner at Max's place once a week or so. Max seemed happy about it, which made Eddie happy, so he always helped Max with the cleanup, letting his uncle and Ms. Mayfield sit outside together with a beer.

And then there was Chrissy. Eddie missed her so much during the week that by the time Friday night rolled around he was an antsy mess. When she stopped in during his shift on Fridays on her way home it was all he could do to keep from scooping her up and kissing her for fifteen minutes straight until his break was over. Every week she showed up more tanned and more beautiful than ever and for a few awkward minutes they'd be as nervous around one another as they had been in the beginning. Then Robin or Steve would shoo them out back and they'd sit at the picnic table in the parking lot and kiss and hold hands and look into each other's eyes until they both relaxed. It was pretty embarrassing when Eddie thought about it, but it was what it was.

But even in the best summer of his life where every day was a good day and the days he got to spend with Chrissy were great days, there were still moments that brought Eddie back to his life before. Before all the new friends, before feeling like he really belonged, before feeling like his weirdness wasn't so weird, or bad, and he could be liked by people different than him. And one of those moments was about to happen.

***

Eddie was standing in line with Chrissy outside the movie theatre waiting to buy tickets to see Aliens. His arms were circled around her and she was leaning back against his chest. All he could feel was her, all he could smell was her, all her could think about was her, and he was so very happy until someone yelled: "Hey, Freak!"

Eddie felt Chrissy tense up in his arms instantly. They both recognized that voice. Looking around they saw Jason walking up the block towards them. The people in line around them shuffled away, almost imperceptibly. Nice, Eddie thought. He wasn't surprised. When he saw the look on Jason's face Eddie stepped protectively in front of Chrissy. She put her hand on his back and stayed where she was.

When he was stopped in front of them Jason narrowed his eyes even further. "You know, I'd heard you were hanging out with the Freak but I didn't want to believe it," he snarled at Chrissy.

"Leave us alone, Jason," Chrissy said. She gripped the back of Eddie's T-shirt in her hand.

Jason turned his attention to Eddie. "What did you do to her? Get her hooked on drugs so she'd think she needs you? Did your little cult get to her?"



Eddie felt torn between laughing and sighing. Cult? When would this guy learn? "Chrissy's in charge of her own life, man. She makes her own decisions. And she doesn't do drugs."

"No? Then she's even more fucked up than I thought she was if she wants to be with you." 


Eddie felt Chrissy's hand tighten on his T-shirt and he felt sick. How could he protect her from something like this; from a bad guy like Jason spouting rage-fuelled nonsense?

"It's really not cool to talk about your ex like that, man," he said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Why not? She disgusts me." Jason spat on the ground, almost casually.

Eddie clenched his fists and stepped toward Jason but Chrissy, sweet Chrissy, put her other hand on his arm and held him back. He took a deep breath and let her. If she didn't want him to fight then he wouldn't.

"You're a piece of shit, you know that Jason," Eddie said.

"What was that, Freak? I didn't hear you." Jason leaned forward and pushed Eddie.

"Eddie," Chrissy said his name, so softly he was sure only he had heard.

"I said, you're a piece of shit, but it's ok, you'll figure that out for yourself someday when you're divorced and alone and your kids never call because they hate you and..."

Eddie didn't finish his sentence because Jason swung at him then, but Chrissy, who had been watching for it, yanked him back and Jason's punch went wide and he stumbled, and before he'd righted himself the other people in line had taken a hold of him and were restraining him. Huh, Eddie thought. Now he was surprised.

"Eddie, let's just go, ok," Chrissy said, clinging to him.

Eddie looked down at her while Jason kicked and yelled, trying to free himself from the nice people holding him back. She looked like she was about to cry. Eddie didn't want to upset her anymore. He remembered how she'd looked when Jason had kicked his ass back in high school. He didn't want to put her through that again. Jason was an asshole but he wasn't worth making Chrissy sad over.

So Eddie put his arm around her and kissed her head.

"Bye, Jason," Chrissy said, looking the struggling boy straight in the eyes. "I hope you learn to treat people better." Then she turned and Eddie turned with her.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Jason yelled, but they kept walking.

"Freak!" they heard him scream. "Slut!"

Eddie tightened his arm around Chrissy when they heard that. He wanted to hurt Jason for saying those things to Chrissy, but it wasn't up to him. If Chrissy could walk away then so could he. "Are you ok?" he asked her.

She leaned her head against him. "I'm ok," she said. Then, after they'd walked a little further: "I'm glad I'm with you."

"Good, because I'm glad you're with me too." 

"Can we go to your place and watch a movie there instead?" Chrissy asked.

"We can do anything you want," Eddie answered, squeezing her even tighter to his side.

Author's Note:

Jason was so frightening in the show! I hated that guy! He's such a great villain. I felt so uncomfortable every time he was onscreen and I worried more about what he was going to do than Vecna tbh.

So, Aliens came out in July of 1986. I freaking love Aliens and am forever on the fence over whether I like it better than the first one, which is also a masterpiece. Where do y'all land on that one?