Beauty & The Freak || Eddie Munson

Chapter 22

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Eddie drove us to school that morning, but by lunch, he was nowhere to be found. I even made my way to the main doors. Seeing his van was still here meant one of two things. He was hiding in some classroom, or he had wandered to his spot in the woods.

I was hesitant about going to lunch. Eddie was more important to me than eating was. I knew Robin was waiting for me, but she would understand why I skipped. I pushed the front doors of the building open, hearing them slam shut heavily behind me.

Biting my inner cheek, I turned on my heels and started towards the woods. Eddie had to be there. Something was just telling me so. Though, I wasn't sure what state I would find him in. He had been doing so well with actually coming to school. I was so proud of him. I couldn't stand to see him give up now, for any reason.

The grass was wet as I walked across the field. Mud caked against the bottom of my shoes, but I hardly cared about them at all. From a distance, I could see Eddie sitting at his picnic bench with his back facing me. I didn't want to startle him, so I stepped on a few extra sticks with my steps to alert him.

A twig snapped underneath my feet, and within seconds, he was peering over his shoulder. His eyes were a light shade of pink and glossed over.

"Shouldn't you be at lunch?" Eddie asked.

I grabbed his arm and pulled it over my shoulder so that I could lean into his side. His fingers found the bottom of my hair and began twirling the ends.

"Shouldn't you be at lunch?" I revered the question.

Eddie sighed. "I know."

"What's wrong?"

"I just couldn't think."

"Can I ask you something?"

"I already know what you're going to ask."

"Is your dad still hanging around?"

"Yeah. Wayne is letting him stay with us. Giving us the same old bullshit story about how he's changed."

"Do you think he's changed?"

"No. He never will."

"I'm sorry baby..." I wrapped my arms around his torso and tried to hug him. I was sitting at an odd angle, so the hug was awkward.

"I just..." Eddie trailed him, "I wish he would stop doing this."

"I know. It's not fair to you."

I could tell Eddie was clenching his jaw and gritting his teeth. His cheeks sank in and his face turned redder by the second. I think I even saw a brink of sweat drip from his forehead from holding the anger in.

"What can I do to help you?"

"I thought it was really nice that you prayed for me." Eddie admitted, "I'm still not a full believer, but it was a gracious gesture, and I know everything you said was from the heart. Just being with you makes it better, sweetheart. I promise. I know I've been shitty lately and I don't want to talk about it much."

"Eddie, you have every right to feel the way you have been. I can't imagine what it would be like. I feel terrible that there isn't anything I can do. I mean, I could try to beat your dad up, but I don't know how well of a job I will do." I poked him in the side.

I was hoping to get any sort of reaction out of him. A smile. A laugh. A grunt. An annoyed glance. Anything.

"I don't know why I even let him bother me like this anymore."