Love Turns You Upside Down | Eddie Munson

Its A Long Way Back - 24

Seeing the Wheelers house in ruins struck a cord within me, deep down. I feel suddenly short of breath, and as if there was something pressing down on my chest and squeezing my lungs. My feet stop at the curb without my say, and I examine the ruined home. Parts of the roof has sagged in, some of the walls broken and decaying, vines clinging to the remaining structure.

My heart stings as I recall the many memories I've made at the Wheeler's house, all the times we took refuge in the basement. All the times I've sat in Nancy's room and listened to her gush about boy problems, or studying. I glance over at Nancy, wanting to make sure she is okay. Her face is hard as stone, her eyes not willing to leak any emotion. She continues walking up to the house and I follow on her heels, stepping over cracks in the earth.

We push open the door, and climb up the stairs, carefully avoiding the cracked boards. We pile one by one into Nancy's room-and I know something is wrong. I can't put my finger on it, but I've been in her room enough to know that it doesn't look like it does here.

Eddie is the last one to walk into the room, and he leans up against a wall next to me, examining the room. I watch as he tilts his head back, ruffling his hair with his left hand. His gaze flickers to mine and I look away quickly, embarrassed that he caught me looking at him.

Steve steps over to Nancy's white vanity, his fingers tracing the figures on top, and then over a large pile of notecards, moving some aside.

"Jesus. How many did you make?" He turns to Nancy, holding a few up to show her and then looking down at them. Her brows furrow and she walks toward him, snagging one out of his hand.

"I get that grades are important but perhaps studying can wait until we get out?"

"These are from sophomore chemistry."  Nancy announces, her voice laced with confusion.

I move away from Eddie's proximity and begin walking around the room, examining things. I stop and examine myself in the cracked mirror that I've never seen before in her room. I examine the edges when something catches my eye-the wallpaper is different.

"Nancy this isn't the same wallpaper." I point out. She turns towards me and her eyes cling to the walls, and then they finally rest on the mirror. She sighs and begins shaking her head.

"And that mirror went to a yard sale." She murmurs. She stands in silence, slowly circling the room, her eyes missing nothing. I step away from her and move back next to Eddie, resting against the closet door. Subconsciously, he shifts his weight towards me and my shoulder brushes against his arm. The sudden unexpected feeling sends a jolt through me, but I keep my feet planted. We all stand in silence, watching her, and I try to focus my thoughts on anything else but Eddie's arm against my shoulder.

"Nancy you're freaking me out." Steve interjects her trance after a minute or so.

"I think...my guns aren't here because they don't exist." She pieces her thoughts into a sentence carefully.

"They.. don't exist?" Eddie articulates his words, frustration clear in each syllable. I yearn to reach and touch his hand that lingers so close to mine, to somehow comfort him. To let him know that it's okay, that we will find another way or weapon. That we will be fine. It's just another inconvenience. We will figure it out-we always do.

I ponder touching him considerably, but I don't need anyone seeing and questioning us, especially Steve or Nancy. I can hear them blabbing on about it already. We have more important things to worry about now, clearly. Especially since the guns we walked miles for, just happen to not just be here, but they also don't exist. Nancy continued moving around her room turns and swipes a book off her desk.