latent love [eddie munson]

03

Emily's POV

Once my Mom leaves me alone in my new room I start unpacking. I look around at my new room first. I take note of the desk, dresser and television. My bed sits in the corner. It's bigger than the one I was used to in California.Doesn't sound like a whole lot but to me it is. I go to unpack my luggage I brought with me to Hawkins. I open the top drawer in my dresser and find a photo album.

It's labeled, Emily's Memories. I had no idea this existed so I take a break from unpacking. I sit down in bed and open it up to the first page. I'm greeted with pictures of when I was in the hospital after birth. Me and my mom in the hospital together. My grandparents were there too. No pictures of my father at my own birth. Why am I not surprised?

As I flip through the next few pages, I can see my self get gradually older. The album had been done in chronological order which makes me smile at the thought of my mom putting so much effort into it. As I continue some photos have been cut. As if someone has been cut out. I quickly realize it was my father who had been cut out. I'm thankful she did that. The thought of seeing him in pictures makes my stomach churn.

Flipping to the next page photos from when Dustin was born appear. I smile at the toothless grinning baby I'm holding in one of the photos. Next to that is a photo of Dustin, Mom, Richard and me.

Richard is Dustin's biological dad and my stepdad. My dad never liked Richard. He would always talk so poorly about Richard. When mom started dating Richard, dad forbid me from forming a relationship with him. So I kept my distance from my step dad.

I sometimes wondered if maybe my dad was jealous of Richard. He'd make comments about how Richard didn't deserve my Mom. How my mom needed a real man. It made me question if maybe he still had feelings for my mom but they weren't reciprocated. The abuse wasn't as serious when I was younger, only mental and emotional trauma. As I grew older and looked more like my mom, he'd remind me of our resemblance. Every time I'd do something he didn't like I'd be compared to her in a negative light. I reminded him of my mom, someone he couldn't have. Maybe that's why he the abuse went from emotional to physical.

On the next pages, there are more photos of me and Dustin from the few times dad allowed me to visit growing up. One photo features Dustin making a goofy face smashed up against the sliding glass door. It makes me giggle to myself. There's a knock at the door which startles me for a moment but then I smile because dad would have never knocked. After all, 'kids do not deserve privacy.'

"Come in," I say.

It's Dustin, he notices the photo album in my hand. "What're you looking at?" He asks.

"Mom left this in my room, it's a photo album for me. You're in it too, see." I say pointing to the silly photo of him.

"Ew, why do I look like that?" He cringes, closing the album in my lap.

"Whatever it's just a cute baby photo." I laugh at his reaction to the photo.

"No it's not, it's embarrassing. Anyways Mom wants us down for dinner." He says as he turns to leave, I follow behind him.

We both head down stairs. I'm greeted by mom serving dinner, Susan playing on her phone, and Richard sitting down reading the newspaper. He looks up from the paper and smiles.

"Emily! How was the flight?" He asks setting the news paper down.

"Boring but worth it." I smile, I've been doing that a lot recently. I take a seat next to Susan.

"Poor thing, I fell asleep as soon as we got on. Slept the whole way." Susan chimes in, laughing at herself.

"Well, either way, we're happy you're here. Your mom especially, says our home is finally complete." Richard says.

"I'm happy to be here. Thank you."

—

"So what grade are you in now?" Susan asks Dustin as we all sit down and we start to eat.

"I'm going into my sophomore year," Dustin answers. I sit and listen to everyone talk.

"Oh wow, you're in high school! How's that been for you?" Susan responds.

She seems shocked like there's no way Dustin could be a high school student which makes me smile to myself. He does look a lot younger than he is, he always has. It's the baby face. I have one too so I can't judge. We must get it from Mom.

"It was kinda bad at first. No one wanted anything to do with Mike and I but eventually, Eddie found us. We joined the Hell Fire club and it's been so much better." I can physically see my mom tense at the mention of this kid Eddie.

"Hell Fire Club? What is that? Some type of Satan thing?" She asked seeming very concerned for Dustin.

He just laughs, "No we play Dungeons and Dragons."

"Yeah, with that pedo." My mom chimes in.

"Oh my god, mom. How many times do I have to tell you he's not a pedo! He's only 19." Dustin rolls his eyes.

"I don't care how old he claims to be. Next to you, he looks like a grown adult who shouldn't be playing with high school kids. I've seen him hanging around you when I pick you up from school."

"He is a high school kid," Dustin argues. The rest of the table sits in silence listening to them go back and forth.

"Who's failed his senior year multiple times now." Mom replies, irritation heavy in her voice.

"It's his second  year as a senior." Dustin corrects her which only adds to Moms annoyance.

"Richard back me up, Dustin should not be around man. He's got long hair and is covered in tattoos!" She glares at Richard who's just trying to eat dinner. He swallows his food before responding.

"Claudia I don't know this kid. If Dustin says he's good then he must be good. I trust Dustin and he seems a lot happier since he's come into his life." Richard explains. Mom doesn't say another word she just gives Richard a look that says we'll be talking about this later and changes the subject.

The rest of dinner is tense. Dustin doesn't talk much after that. Mom and Susan just talk about past experiences they had together, while everyone listens. I sit in silence as I do in most social situations. Been told for as long as I can remember, not to speak unless spoken to. Something I'd have to learn to break.