Master of Puppets

Chapter 6

January 21st, 1984

Eddie Munson filed into the locker room with the rest of his classmates at Hawkins High. It was a particularly cold day, so he was grateful to be inside, even if the locker room smelled like five thousand sweaty socks got shoved down a garbage disposal. There was no air conditioning either, so despite the frigid weather, it was always somehow humid.

This was one of the many reasons Eddie hated gym with a burning passion. He preferred to avoid physical activity as much as possible, and the hazing from the rest of the boys was difficult to ignore. It didn't do him any favors that he enjoyed getting under their skin just as much as they enjoyed getting under his.

He took off his shirt and used it to dab away the sweat on his face. The Hawkins gym uniform was definitely something that didn't match his metal loving, hard rock aesthetic. Tiny green shorts with a white, nearly cropped shirt that - creatively - just said "GYM". He had his hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and was forced to take off his rings, thanks to the coach insisting upon it. Luckily, no one had said anything about the black nail polish, so it still felt like he had a piece of his signature identity, along with his tattoos.

Eddie started folding his shirt and putting away his shoes. When he glanced up, his attention was instantly captured by a few boys changing clothes across the room. It was by complete accident, he hadn't meant to look up and see them, but his brain turned to static the moment he did. The way their abs curved down leading to their shorts, the subtle flex of their shoulder blades as they moved. He felt his cheeks flush.

"Munson." A voice barked, breaking him out of his daze. He hadn't realized he was staring. "You should take a picture, it'll last longer."

Jason Carver. Ugh.

He was truly the definition of a prick. He and his gang of thick headed jocks had, had a target on Eddie's back since middle school. Eddie always bit back, so he wasn't sure why they kept it up. Maybe it was because they relished torturing the one closeted gay kid in school.

"Damn, I left my camera at home. Good idea, Jason." Eddie sneered. He turned around and shut the locker door, only to be shoved back into it.

"Creep."

Snickering sounded throughout the locker room. Eddie looked back at them with a glare, about to snap back, when a voice came from the other side of the room.

"Hey. Knock it off, Carver."

He looked up to find Steve Harrington standing by the door. Steve gave Jason a look that was clearly a warning, shaking his head. The jock looked back at Eddie, scoffed, and walked off.

Steve had always had power in the school. He was pretty much the authority on most things and it was by the sheer grace of god he decided to use his powers for good. At least according to Eddie.

Eddie rolled his eyes as they walked off and went to thank Harrington. Only when he turned around, Steve wasn't standing there.

Chrissy Cunningham was.

Her eyes were gone, replaced by gaping holes that left blood dripping down her cheeks. Her head hung limply to the side. He stared at her in horror and opened his mouth to scream, but it came out muffled, as if he were under water.