DEAR EDDIE // a eddie munson story

001; the talent show

Hawkins, Indiana
Friday May 9th 1980;

Hawkins Middle school was filled with nerves and jitters as students and their family and friends gathered in the auditorium. It had been a warm spring day, the warmest of the year thus far. Almost no clouds on the sky and the winds had been warm, making recess an absolute delight. She was sat backstage, twelve year old Veronica Jefferson. She was a small girl, skinny and scrawny, a little too small for her age. Some of the other sixth grade girls teased her for it every now and then, poking her ribs and boney knees, calling her a skeleton. She couldn't care less, or at least that's what she tried to convince herself of. Most girls her age are self conscious and have no idea what they're talking about anyway, that's what her grandma says. So she tried to ignore it as she looked around, seeing the other girls getting ready. Stacey Carlson was singing, and so was Tina Wilson, Amber Johnson and Tammy Smith. Jessica Steward was doing a baton twirling number and Maria Crawford was dancing with her best friend Stephanie Donaldson. Some boy from her class was doing magic tricks and another one was playing the saxophone. She sighed, turning around in her seat as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. There she was, ordinary young little Nicky. Her eyes as blue as the ocean and her brown hair having only been brushed through sloppily earlier in the morning. She wasn't one of those girls you'd see on the cover of a magazine, that's for sure, however her grandma always told her that she's a beautiful girl, the cutest she'd ever seen with that button nose of hers.

The talent show soon started, teachers urging every kid standing backstage to be quiet. It wasn't aimed at her, she knew that. She was quietly pacing back and forth, picking at her fingernails. The noise was coming from a group of eight grade boys in the back, all of them carrying around instruments, besides one boy with mop of curly brown hair upon his head. He was jumping around with a pair of wooden beaten up drum sticks in the back pocket of his wash out black jeans. Their math teacher had to hush them three or four times, but she could still hear their snickering and mumbled laughs. There was something amusing, and almost mesmerizing, about the group, she couldn't keep her eyes away. One of the boys turned around, a heavy looking guitar hung around his slim frame. He was tall for his age, with long skinny legs and scrawny arms. He was dressed in black washed out jeans as well and a long sleeved shirt that looked like it was a size or two too big for him. He looked kind, even with his pale skin and buzzed head. Their gazes locked for a moment, excitement glimmering in his big brown eyes. She looked down at her feet, her nervousness building with every breath she took.

"Hi, are you nervous?"

A chirp and sweet voice popped up behind her, making her turn around hastily. There stood the prettiest girl in all of Hawkins middle school, Chrissy Cunningham. Actually, she could've possibly been the prettiest girl in the whole world for all Nicky knew. The seventh grade girl was beloved by everyone, and she was nothing but kind and gentle. She was truly the prettiest girl in the whole entire school, her apple cheeks rosy and her big blue eyes always sparkling. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled up into a high and tight ponytail, with a bright pink ribbon tied into a bow around it. She was wearing a matching pink and white cheerleading uniform, and she held a pair of pompoms in her hands. "Y-yeah a little" Veronica stammered, glancing down at her red pointed toe flats, her nicest pair that her grandma had bought her for the talent show. "Yeah I can tell" Chrissy spoke softly, a sweet giggle escaping her glossed pink lips "are you singing?". Veronica shook her head, "no, uhm I'm playing the piano" she hummed, clasping her hands together in front of her body. "Oh fun" Chrissy smiled warmly "I can't wait to hear you play". There was a brief pause between the two girls, although she thought Chrissy's presence was calming even if she barely knew her. "You have nothing to be nervous about, I'm sure you'll do great" Chrissy then urged, a kind smile upon her lips and a gentle pat on her shoulder. "Thank you" she whispered as she heard the first student go on "and good luck to you too, I guess you're doing... uhm, your cheerleading thing?". Chrissy laughed, nodding her head with excitement, her ponytail bobbing up and down on the top of her head "I am yeah, it's quite fun... you should try it out sometime"