MONEY, MONEY, MONEY || EDDIE MUNSON

|| 16: Hey, Harrington? ||

Eddie was freaking the fuck out. He was riddled with guilt and he had no idea how to cope. He felt completely awful about how everything went down, he hadn't even had a chance to explain himself or the story to Kathy.

He loved her, he knew at least that much. Maybe not when he agreed to the bet; hell, he barely knew who she was. But after talking to her and getting to know her, he knew she was special, maybe even the one.

He had to do something, so he called the best person he could think of when it came to romance.

"Hey, Harrington?"

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"You're screwed, dude." Steve 'the hair' Harrington so graciously reminded the metal head over the phone.
"Yeah, I'm aware, that's why I'm calling you." Eddie retorted, not in the mood for insults even though he absolutely deserved them.

"Is there anything I can do, Steve?" He was pleading at this point, his voice practically turning to a whimper at the thought of never seeing Kathy again.

"Dude, the last girl I was with literally fell out of love with me, I'm not the best person to come to about this shit. Especially if it's my ex's best friend." He had a point, Eddie thought.

"Still," he relented, "there has to be something?" Eddie never thought he'd be this whipped for anyone, yet here he is, begging for his best friend's best friend to help him out.

"Well, did you ever really love her?" Ouch.
"Of course I did- do! Why would I stay with her if I didn't?"
"Because you got payed, dumbass."
"So? I didn't get a salary from Wheeler, dick. I blew the money he gave me on dates and milkshakes, spent some of my own before the bomb dropped. I stayed because she was nice to be around, she made my life happier, she made me happier. I fucked it all up, I-"

"Well don't tell me that." Steve interrupted. "Tell her."

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It had been a long weekend, and by the time Sunday evening rolled around he hadn't made any effort to communicate with Kathy.

Eddie didn't go to Kathy's cabin, he didn't want to bother her, or get beat up by her dad. Hopper was scary. He'd seen the way he glared at Mike Wheeler when he was with Jane.

Fucking Mike Wheeler, he thought, Eddie wanted to blame the freshman so bad for the situation he was in right now. He wanted to blame anyone, but he couldn't.

This was completely and entirely his fault and he needed to suck it up and at least call, he would take a beating from the sherif if it meant he could talk to his girl- Kathy. To hear her voice again would be a blessing.

Eddie strutted up to his phone, filled with a temporary confidence that was flickering and fading by the second. When he'd finally punched Kathy's number into the phone he was shaking, terrified of her reaction.

Would she hang up? Berate him? Start crying? He didn't know what was worse, he honestly just wanted her to know the full context before she made the decision to leave him entirely.

Eventually, someone picked up. "Hello?" A voice said, not Kathy's though. Willow's. Kathy's best friend, the one that had nearly beat him to death when she found out he was a dick.

"Willow, is Kathy there?" Before he could even think to speak again, Willow started to shriek.
"Oh hell no! You do not get to claw your way back into this poor girls life after everything you have made her suffer! Especially after you knew exactly what happened with Tommy you fucking lying cu-"

Distantly he heard a second, more calm yet strained voice. "God, Willow. Your gonna wake El and Max up, give me the phone." And with that he heard the voice he'd been desperate for.

"Please never call this number again." Then the line went flat. Eddie was stuck, he felt like he couldn't move, couldn't blink, couldn't even breath. He was genuinely heartbroken.

Did she truly think she was that unlovable? When he looked at her, his chest was full of devotion, full of love. Could she not see that in his eyes? In the words of affirmation he offered her every time he saw her face?

He felt lost, but he couldn't give up. He needed this girl, and even if he couldn't have her, she'd let her know that she is not unlovable.

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a/n fucking hell I thought the stranger things fandom died but obviously not 😭 I thought people stopped reading this but when I opened wattpad for the first time in a MONTH I have 3.2k reads??? Insane, thank you so much 😭 I'll try and finish this book but I can't promise regular or quick updates. But thank you so much for reading, saving, voting and commenting on this book, I'm so grateful, thank you so much for reading ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️