Darker Things (Eddie Munson)

Crazy for You

Penelope Shearer was the only person who scared Eddie, even slightly. She gave him butterflies.

She was of British descent (her Dad being English) which was only apparent when she spoke certain words, having moved from England when she was 8. Slightly younger than him, she acted with a self-assurance unusual in nearly everyone, never mind teenagers, but maybe it was the Englishness in her? Eddie wasn't sure.

Definitely not one of the popular girls, but not unpopular either she had a reputation for her eviscerating sense of humour, for doing (and being able to obtain) weed and rumours of other dark deeds with boys, and even occasional violence despite her diminutive stature. Eddie doubted some of these rumours, but not the weed part. These deeds had acquired mythical status, especially in her absence.

Pen had been away for a few months with her family. He wasn't exactly sure what her Dad did as he had never bothered to ask, but he thought it might have been something to do with the Military. She had returned with something darker not only in her dress sense but also her demeanour. Eddie thought she had almost gone a bit metal, or goth, which caught his attention. Her round brown eyes were now lined black everyday and black clothes, lots of black clothes.

Tonight was no different. Seemingly no-one noticed the exchange between them as he plonked himself back down on the table top. Or was too chicken to mention it if they did.

Eddie watched her from across the dance floor.

She was wearing a short black tulle ra-ra skirt, black doc marten boots, black leg warmers and sheer black tights, and a cropped black T shirt with pink capped sleeves, the only hint of colour on her apart from her tumbling back-combed mane of shiny chestnut brown hair.
He wanted her, and he hated it.

Her return had seen her change classes so they were no longer together, Eddie wasn't sure what had happened but the only time he plucked up the courage to speak to her she had blanked him. He wasn't willing to try again.

Penny had chance to think about Eddie whilst she was away. She thought about him a lot. She missed his sense of humour, quirkiness, not to mention how she missed his beautiful, big brown eyes. Thoughts of them sneaked into her brain late at night when she touched herself. She imagined him watching her as she did it. Frequently.

It had almost been a subconscious decision that she started to dress differently. Not so much how he dressed, but more like how she thought he would like her to dress.

Frankly, it had pissed her off no end that he hadn't noticed.

Groups of kids were now heading to the dance floor, there was safety in numbers there.

Eddie had attended enough shitty high school dances to know that this was the pre-cursor to everyone pairing off. He smiled as he watched them all, Gareth and Jeff negotiating their way through an unexpected double date, his eyes wandering back over to Pen every now and then, she seemed to be having a ball with her frankly obnoxious friends.

"Off for a smoke" he said to no-one in particular as he stretched his lithe frame and walked out of the door, unlit cigarette between his lips.

Pen stopped pretending like she was having a good time long enough to shoot a glance over to where Eddie was sat. Her heart sinking that he was no longer sat on the table.

She walked over to the door and headed outside, maybe he was outside smoking?

Either way a doob would help her out no end at that moment whether he was there or not.

She disappeared around the corner of the building where there was cover from trees, and took one that she had prepared earlier out of her bag. Lighting it, she savoured the first initial hit as it settled in with her nervous system.