Why Him? || Steddie

Chapter 48

     It was a week until graduation day. We had finished 8/10 of them. I would say that we were doing amazing progress...but it felt like anything but that. We had a single week to finish two. We were burnt out to say the least with just those. That and I had to help Eddie along the way with the literature.

     Eddie insisted that no one should know that he's blind still. Savannah promised to never tell anyone as a peace offering between the two of us, so Eddie wanted to be keep the secret between the friend group and him. Once he set his mind to it, he decided that no one would change it. Not even me.

     Due to that though, I had to read him every single thing on the page. My voice was hanging by a thread. The constant amount of little sleep, coffee filled nights, and talking like a book on tape, was very tiring to say the least.

     Eddie knew that. He tried his best to be accommodating. The nights that Wayne wasn't there, it was mostly allnighters. We wanted so badly to have Eddie stand by me on that stand. This torture...would be worth it.

     Tonight was one of those nights. It was currently...2 AM and we were near the end of packet nine. Chemistry was a bitch. We knew that it would be an issue when we first saw the packet...so we left it second to last. We had only like 3 units left but every unit had around 20 pages of reading. My voice was starting to give out from reading since 4.

     At the current moment, Eddie was in the bathroom as I looked over the future pages to see what we would have to do together soon. I hated this portion. When did math and science decide to come together? Why was there multiplication with a bunch of letters? Why did they have to make this a thing?

     I couldn't help but start to feel a little frustrated. How was I supposed to help him in a subject I myself hardly even passed?

      I lifted up my wrist to look at my watch. Eddie had been in there for a minute now. Maybe he needed my help?

      I lightly shook my head out of it. Eddie wasn't on his crutches anymore. He could take care of himself. I didn't have to worry all the time. He can go to the bathroom alone.

    Another 5 minutes passed.

    What was taking him so long? He was normally pretty quick in there.

     It's been around twenty minutes...I think it's safe to say that I can check up on him...right? God I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds.

     I slowly brought myself over to the bathroom door and pressed my ear to it to hear the sound of shaky breathing and the sound of a quiet sob coming shortly after.

   That's it. I'm going in.

     I nudge the doorknob to soon see that it's locked. He had locked it from the interior. Wayne was going to hate me for this...

     I sighed and took a few steps back before running at the door with my elbow ahead of me. There was a small crack as the door slightly gave way and opened.

    I hurried and opened the door to see Eddie tracing the scar with his fingers. Tears were running down his face. I felt so... helpless. I couldn't take away the scar. It was a permanent part of him for all I knew. A permanent S on his stomach.

     Eddie slowly turned his head towards my direction before making his lips into a fine line. "I know you can see me, Harrington."

     I sighed before stepping closer to him and nudging his hand to show that I was. "I'm sorry...I heard you crying and..."

      Eddie slid his back down the closest wall into a sitting position before resting his hands into his palms. "You pity me. I mean I get it, Eve. I'm a blind man, I can barely walk long distances without getting winded...and now I have a permanent reminder that everyone thinks I'm a Satanist."

    I couldn't help but be taken aback by the statement. It had been two weeks since the incident and he hadn't said a word past that night. Why now? Was he suffering this entire time and I was just caught up in school work and walking with him?

    I slowly slid to sit next to him on the bathroom floor before grabbing the back of his hand lightly. "Who said it stood for Satanist, Eddie?"

     Eddie sighed and started to slide even further down. "What else could it be Eve... It's not Chance's name. He has no S's. I doubt Chance wanted Savannah to carve her name into my stomach for evidence...What else starts with an S? There's nothing else I can think of that they would call me."

    I slowly wrapped my hand around Eddie's. "I mean...it probably won't make you feel better...like at all...but my name starts with an S... and people could uh...call you mine."

     Eddie started to lightly chuckle into my hand that was resting on his face due to him never moving it away. "My god, Harrington. Are you flirting with me in the middle of a breakdown?"

    "I mean...maybe. Are you into it?" I lightly smiled while gently pulling his hand away from his face so that I could see him.

    "Perhaps. It was possibly the worst timing ever though."

    "Yeah... I know. It was honestly the only thing I could think of to make light of such a shitty situation." I slowly brought my head to his shoulder. "You know...I've never pitied you. Not even once. I've said it before...and I'll say it a million times until you memorize it."

     Eddie rested his head on top of mine while lightly squeezing tighter onto my hand. "I don't see why not. I mean...look at me."

    I lightly shook my head to not disturb his balance on top of mine. "When I look at you...I see a brave man. A man who risked everything to save the people that he loved and the people that labeled him as a murderer. You're a hero, Eddie."

     His head lightly shook on top of mine as the sounds of chuckles came out. "God...No pressure though."

    "You knew what I meant, Munson."

    "Yeah...but with great power comes great responsibility."

   "My god..." I lightly hit him on the shoulder with my own. "Are you good now? I still need to make a fool out of myself with the Chemistry packet before my voice permanently goes out."

      Eddie nodded and we slowly got off of the floor together.

     We ended up finishing the packet that night. After another 2 days...we completed all of them. Eddie Munson was going to graduate.