Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Alone Again

  Tuesday nights were Eddie's favorite. The smell of piss and beer swam through the smoky room as he entered The Hideout. There were only two people here so far, but Eddie had a feeling tonight was going to be busy. Gareth and the rest of the band would be there soon. Eddie liked turning up early, sneaking beers and blowing rails in the bathroom to get himself amped up, dancing with any woman who looked like she might need a fix. He had never planned on selling drugs, but it was easy money and he had gotten caught enough times by now to know how to remain low key.

  Once it was time to start playing, there were eight people in the crowd. The band went through their usual set, Harry once again complained the entire time that they were washed up. Eddie was so stoked to play this new song he barely paid attention to the people booing or drunkenly clapping along. He was completely focused on blasting off the faces of everyone who came out.

  The guys needed a restroom break, so they took a quick intermission. Eddie sat on the edge of the stage, taking shots of whiskey from his flask. A familiar voice spoke and caused him to turn ghost white. She was running her hand through her hair, adjusting her necklace, trying not to cry. They made eye contact and it almost brought Eddie to tears. He began to walk over to her, but she shook her head and gestured over her shoulder. The man from the picture she had turned face down on her shelf was walking over  with four shots and two beers.

  Stomach doing back flips, Eddie lit a cigarette and stomped outside to try to focus on the music. He didn't mess with girls, he tried not to even look at anyone who wasn't trying to do a deal. He didn't want the distractions. When he fell, he drowned, and he was so angry this girl was here with a man who clearly didn't deserve her. Maybe her dad is weirdly protective... maybe he really is just her father.

  Deciding to assume they were family, he threw his cigarette butt and jogged back to the stage. The rest of the band was already standing in position, waiting for him to return. They played the last two songs of their normal set list, and Eddie's eyes were glued to her the entire time. They weren't kissing. He wasn't holding her hand. Surely, if they were an item, he would hold her. How could he not be all over her? He had to be her dad.

  Harry stood in front of the stage and yelled "Still no new music? What the fuck?!" Eddie giggled into a squealing microphone. "We're playing this song for the first time tonight. It's a little heavier than what we normally play, but it's a little glimpse of what's to come from Corroded Coffin." She whistled. Her dad grabbed her by the wrist and slammed her hand down on the table. Eddie's blood boiled at the sight of him hurting her. She looked Eddie in the eye and mouthed "Sorry".

  They played the song. It was perfect. A couple people actually clapped when they were done. Eddie hopped down from the stage and lit another smoke. He worked the room, seeing how everyone felt about their new tune. Consensus was everyone dug it and wanted more like it. He ended his rounds by cautiously walking past her. He looked her dad in the eye and said "Thanks for coming out, I hope you enjoyed the set." She smiled. He grumbled, "I don't understand how anyone could sit through that more than once."

  Hate burned across Eddie's face. "Your daughter seemed to enjoy herself," he said through gritted teeth. The man stood up and poked a finger into Eddie's chest. "That's my wife, motherfucker." Eddie glanced over at her. She was crying. He only had a couple seconds to decide what to do, and he didn't want to spend the night in jail. He raised his hands, slowly stepping back towards the stage. "My greatest apologies" he choked out.

  The guys got their equipment together. Jeff wanted to do shots, and for the first time ever Eddie wanted to go home. "Are you feeling okay?", Gareth asked. "Yeah I didn't sleep last night I was too jittery. And I had to do the mile in gym today." Eddie walked outside without another word. He heard her, crying again, and looked around to try to find her. He was careful not to say anything, unsure if her... husband? was nearby.

  "I'm sorry this is so embarrassing," she sobbed, covering her left eye. "He'll be back any minute. Don't worry about me, Eddie." The way she said his name tore his heart to shreds. "I can't help it," he admitted. Their eyes locked and he finally saw what she had been hiding. Blood pooled beneath her skin around her left eye. It was already so deep purple. "Holy shit who did—did he—what happened?"

  She sat down on a parking block and pulled out a joint. Tears slowly fell from her eyes. They were the kind of tears you couldn't even fight back if you tried, they just poured. She spoke matter of factly, "Joe, the guy I came here with, sometimes I'm an idiot and piss him off so bad. I do it to myself. I'm fine. I need to get my shit together and stop making him so angry." Eddie squinted at her while she lit the doobie. Her left eye was starting to swell shut. "Fuck that," he snarled.

  "Eddie—" he snatched the joint from her and put a finger over her lips. He leaned in next to her ear, his hair resting on her shoulder and tickling her ear. "Where did he go?" he whispered, taking a deep inhale and blowing out into her face. She shook her head.

  Eddie kicked the gravel parking lot and slammed his fist into the brick exterior of the building. "Don't protect him. He's a bitch. Just tell me, please." She stood up and started walking toward the alley behind The Hideout. "You're leaving?", Eddie yelled. She kept walking. A corvette whipped into the alley, almost hitting her. "Beth, get the fuck in the car!", he screamed. Eddie tried to chase them down, but he was too drunk to even make it to the alley before the car disappeared.

  Eddie flew home. He wanted to go to her house and kill that guy. He hadn't taken that option off the table, yet. When he got into the trailer, it was completely silent. Wayne was working. Eddie grabbed a TV dinner from the freezer and preheated the oven based on the instructions. It was supposed to be meatloaf and potatoes but it looked more like ketchup mush and paste.

  Echoes of boots across linoleum with the whine of leather against leather drowned out the sound of Eddie whispering to himself all the things he wanted to do to this Joe guy. The timer went off and Eddie practically inhaled his dinner. He took some more shots of whiskey and decided he had to go check on her.

  It was 1:00 AM and Eddie was driving the speed limit. Hawkins PD had nothing to do on Tuesday nights, so he knew they'd be posted up everywhere. He even kept his music at a reasonable volume, desperate to make it to her house without getting into trouble. He needed to make sure she was okay.

  The house across the street and two doors down had a FOR SALE sign in the front yard. He backed into that driveway and turned off the van. The lights were on in her living room. Her shapely shadow was frozen, head hung, in the kitchen window. Joe was pacing the living room, arms flying in every direction.

  Eddie didn't believe for one second he could beat this guy's ass. He grabbed his pocket knife and quietly made his way to Beth's porch. By the time he got there, there was no yelling. No movement. Nothing.

  Crickets chirped as combat boots inconspicuously floated over the wet grass. Beth's bedroom had a giant window. If Joe had taken her in there to beat her up again, it should be easy enough to find out from outside that window. Eddie tried not to breathe too loudly as he pushed his ear up against the bedroom window.

  Beth was breathing heavily. Joe was calling her a whore, and a bitch, and then there was a slap. Eddie bit his finger, trying to stop himself from breaking the window right there. "I'm cumming," Beth moaned. Thunder snapped in Eddie's mind. They were fucking?

  He wept all the way to the van. By the time he made it back home, it was an all out melt down. Eddie was so angry, so disappointed, so jealous. Burning with envy, he threw all of his clothes on the floor and finished off his flask. As he slipped off to sleep, he wrapped his hand around his stiffening dick and whispered, "Beth."