Beauty & The Freak || Eddie Munson

Chapter 21

╔══════ ≪ °❈° ≫ ══════╗

There weren't very many days where Mom and Dad let me skip school. Today was an exception. The young kids from the church were preparing for a play over the weekend. Robin and I had volunteered to help set up the stage for them. It was going to be an all day task. Hence the reason for us skipping school.

Robin was assembling cutouts of trees with glue, and I focused on painting the ones she had already finished. There were a few others helping, but they were mostly assembling the dry pieces together on the stage.

"How has the tutoring been with Eddie? Do you think he's going to graduate this year?" Robin asked, holding a cardboard branch to the base while the glue adhered them together.

"Aside from yesterday, everything has been great. He knows all the work. He just doesn't turn it in. So, when he finishes all the stuff, I have been collecting it from him and turning it in. I have faith he will graduate with flying colors." I thought about it.

"I can't believe we are graduating soon. I wish we would have become friends sooner. Might have made this whole high school gig a lot better."

"I know, it's so crazy. 12 years have gone by so fast." I said. "I'm glad we are at least friends now, though. That was just God's timing, I guess."

"Do you think you could still be friends with Chrissy?" Robin asked.

"God teaches us to forgive. I think Chrissy just let her Queen of Hawkin's High ego get to her head, and that Jason probably had something to do with how she acted towards me. When Chrissy and I hung out. Things were really nice, and I enjoyed the company."

"Chrissy seems nice." Robin shrugged, holding another piece of the tree together.

I carefully used the paint-brush with brown paint on it across the base of one she had already completed. Specs of greens, browns, and black covered my clothing and hands from the paint.

"She is." I agreed. "What do you plan to do after graduation?"

"I thought about college for a while. I really don't think that path is for me anymore. I kind of just want to travel. Maybe even find a girlfriend this summer. Hopefully, someone I could settle down with."

Girlfriend? I didn't know that Robin liked girls—which I really didn't care about. It wasn't any of my business. Others... might not be accepting of that. I loved Robin regardless.

"What about you? Got any fancy college plans?" Robin returned the question.

"I planned to take the summer to figure out what I wanted to do. College was in the books. Now, I'm not so sure." I shrugged.

"And there's nothing wrong with that. College isn't for everyone. What about you and Eddie? Is that something you see being long-lasting?"

I haven't thought about that yet. Eddie was great. He truly was. But I didn't know how long he was going to be in my life for. He was the first boyfriend I have ever had. God had his plans for us, and I hoped Eddie was going to be my one true love. He was great to me. So loving and respectful... and so damn handsome.

I was involuntarily smiling as I thought about him.

"That smile on your face answered my question."

"Are you going to prom with anyone?" I asked, sliding another part of the tree over to dry.

"Would you think I was weird for asking, Steve?" Robin giggled.

"Steve would be a great prom date." I said.