don't fear the reaper

chapter 5: alice in wonderland

It was the phone ringing that woke her the next day. Her eyes puffy and bright red. The familiar feeling of an arm wrapped around her waist kept her in bed. Eddie came home with her to keep an eye on her while Hopper went to the Byers.

She'd cried almost all night, Eddie tried his hardest to calm her down, keeping her as close to him as possible.

"I got it." His voice was beyond sleepy as he rubbed his eyes getting up from her twin sized bed and walking to the kitchen where the phone hung. The giant Metallica shirt she usually wore to bed fit him better than it did her, paired with the red pajama pants he kept at her house in case he unexpectedly slept over (much to Hopper's discontent).

She didn't know what she did to deserve someone like Eddie. They were platonic with a capital P but loved each other in a way that made the entire town of Hawkins believe Eddie "The Freak" Munson was dating Chief Jim Hopper's only daughter. I mean, if the conversation came up they might have the possibility of falling for each other but that was a big if. One of the first times they hung out he gave her a tattoo and she gave him one, she gave him the bats on his forearm and he gave her an outline of a ufo picking up a cow that didn't even really look like a cow but she didn't care.

"Hey dumbass." She picked her head up off the bed and looked to the doorway. Eddie was standing there with his hand over the phone. "It's Nancy Wheeler. She says it's important." Al rolled her eyes and begrudgingly got up taking the phone from Eddie.

"What do you want Wheeler?"

"Hey Allison, thank God I really need to talk to you."

"If this is about Barb I haven't seen her." Her voice broke a bit as she said her name. "If this is about Steve tell him to go fuck himself." On hearing that Eddie pumped his fist and held his hand out for a high five, she didn't even look and lazily slapped his hand. "And if this is you calling to tell me how sorry you are about Will I don't want to hear it."

"Al please just listen to me we need your-"

"No! I don't have to do shit! Just because we were-" She stopped. "are friends with Barb doesn't make us friends. You've ignored me the entire time I've been in Hawkins and all of a sudden you want to be friends? Immediately after my little brother died? And my friend disappears?" The anger from the night of the party kicked back in and she couldn't stop herself.

"I mean if you hadn't gone off to fuck Steve Harrington maybe Barb would still be here but no! You chose him over Barb and now she's gone."

"Allison you don't mean-"

"I do Nancy, I do! Just don't. Don't call ever again." She slammed the phone back onto the receiver before sliding her back down the wall, covering her face entirely with her hands so Eddie wouldn't see her cry, she didn't like being mean, it was something that just happened when too much was going on and she couldn't contain it. As she slid her hands back onto her head and tucked her head to her knees Eddie slid down and sat next to her.

"Everyone I love dies." Her fists bunched and she began somewhat punching her head, Eddie immediately grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her.

"Hey, hey. That's not true and you fucking know it." He was mad, and hurt.

"My sister, she's dead, she was only seven. Seven Eds." She slowly looked at him. "And Will, oh God Will." She slammed her eyes shut as the first real tears fell from them.

"I know. I know." He let go of one of her hands and put it on her head, moving his thumb back and forth on her temple.

"And Barb. I know, I know she didn't run away and I know she's not ignoring me because I've called her a billion times and she won't answer me."