This Year is My Year

Something Stupid

I successfully convinced Eddie to nap for a bit with the promise of a whole day together, just the two of us. This was not a hard thing to promise (even though I pretended it was so he would actually sleep) – we were often surrounded by Hellfire Club, or the little ones, or my friends, and our alone time was relegated to our sleepovers with one another or sneaking off in the middle of a party. And while I loved that, it was not the same as walking around the mall, holding your boyfriend's hand.

I was washing the dishes, shooing away everyone so they could relax and hang out around the TV. Alan sat with me in the kitchen, making me laugh with his observations from the party last night.

"And that psychopath you punched last night? While he might be a psychopath, he certainly is a dreamboat," he sipped at his coffee, winking at me. I laughed loudly.

"Alan, I'm concerned about your taste if you think he's cute. He's awful," I was drying the frying pan. He shrugged.

"You like a bad boy with a leather jacket and long hair. I like a bad boy with boat shoes and a varsity jacket."

We laughed together and I shook my head. Steve came into the kitchen in a flurry, throwing the fridge open. We watched him as he panicked in front of it.

"All good, Steve?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He did not turn to me.

"Helena wants orange juice, and I swear to god, people were making screwdrivers last night, and now I can't find any orange juice!"

Alan glanced to me before crossing to the fridge and pulling out the carton that was right in front of Steve but had somehow avoided his gaze. Steve sighed, relieved, and grinned at Alan.

"You've got to get it together, Harrington," I laughed before shutting the water off, finishing the dishes. Steve smiled nervously at me and grabbed a glass, pouring Helena juice. He slunk back to the living room. Alan and I looked to each other before breaking out in laughter.

"I will tell you something, though – Helena is over the moon for your friend with the hair," Alan shared. I raised my eyebrows.

"Well Steve is very obviously head over heels for your friend with the hair," I retorted, referencing Helena's huge, gorgeous curls. We laughed again and I followed him back to the living room.

Everyone was sprawled out, making each other laugh. I smiled at my baby brother in the middle of the couch, holding everyone's attention as his shows played. He was telling stories about last night, bragging about how the older kids thought he was cool and the shot he did with Eddie.

"Which you immediately threw up," Mike teased. Everyone laughed as Dustin glared at him. He was still wearing Eddie's shirt – I don't think he was ever going to take that off. I beamed at the group before going back to my room to get cleaned up.

Eddie was sprawled out on my bed, shirtless and sleeping on his stomach. I smiled as he snored, going to the bathroom to shower and get ready for our day.

I was washing my hair when I heard the door open. I poked my head around the shower curtain and smiled at Eddie. He was brushing his teeth, grinning at me.

"Feeling better, sleepyhead?" I asked. He rinsed his mouth out and crossed to me, kissing me quickly.

"Much better," he answered, smiling. His smile turned to a wicked grin. "Need some company in there?"

"Eddie Munson, you are so dirty," I laughed, closing the curtain again. I rinsed my hair.

"That wasn't an answer, dove!" he called over the curtain, making me laugh again.