This Year is My Year

Opposite Worlds

I stared at his hand, Eddie's words ringing in my head.

"Remember, no fist fights, fair maiden."

I looked back up at him, remembering every phone call I had with Dustin before the one that he told me about Eddie. All of the times Jason had shoved him, spat on him, ripped up his books. How Lucas joined the basketball team just to spare himself from the torture. How Dustin was the only vulnerable one of the little ones before finding Eddie, since Mike had Nancy and Lucas had basketball. How terribly lonely my baby brother was for months.

I looked into his cold, blue eyes, wondering if he actually knew who I was. Where was Eddie?

"Sorry, it is Y/N, right? I'll feel like a total jackass if I got that wrong," Jason was trying to joke with Steve. Steve maintained his cold stare.

"You know Y/N's last name, right, Jason?" Steve was trying to get Jason to back off of trying to get to know me. Jason's brows furrowed and he nodded.

"Henderson, right? Y/N Henderson," he looked back at me, trying to flash that lifeless smile. I felt rage building in my chest. Where was Eddie?

"Correct. As in Dustin Henderson's big sister," Steve emphasized each syllable. "The kid you tortured for the better part of a semester this year."

"Oh, now, slow down," Jason was doing that "good old boy" routine that I'm sure worked on the idiots he manipulated. "Tortured him? I don't think that's fair – just a little bit of teasing to make the kid know he was one of us."

The rage was boiling in my chest now, I felt like I actually had steam coming out of my ears. Where was Eddie?

"Listen, Y/N, I think you might have gotten some misinformation," he smiled that snake-like grin. "I definitely did not 'torture' your brother. I think you know that if you run in a certain crowd, people just always assume that when you interact with them, it might be negative."

Jason was trying to connect with me since I had been part of the popular crowd at one point. I remembered being a senior when he was a sophomore, and he was grating even back then. He was desperate for that group's approval, picking on the same people that the rest of the group deemed unworthy. The other seniors loved how cruel he could be without much prompting. This was one of the main reasons I was no longer friends with those people.

"Look, I think Dustin's a great kid – I'd never bully him. I love that little freak." Jason smiled, his hand still out for me to shake.

I took Jason's hand and pulled him close. His mask dropped for a moment as he was surprised by my force.

"Don't you ever call him a freak. Don't you ever insinuate that my baby brother is a liar." Each word was low, menacing. I leaned closer. "The only reason you aren't laid out flat on the floor is because of Eddie Munson. If I had my way, I probably would have tried to kill you."

I dropped his hand, and raced out of the kitchen, shaking with rage. I needed to find Eddie. I needed him to tell me not to murder Jason Carver. I needed him to hold me and calm me down. Where was he?

I heard Jason call my name behind me and desperately hoped he would not follow me.

~~~

I sipped my third beer as Mike was telling me about his latest idea for a new D&D character. I snorted into the foam when he made me laugh, feeling cool to hold alcohol.

Mike and Lucas had been so jealous when I welcomed them to my party and they saw the Iron Maiden shirt I was wearing. I proudly told them that Eddie had let me borrow it – I mean, we were practically family at this point.