Against all odds || Stranger Things 4 | Hellcheer

Chapter 30

Eddie rubs his face for the tenth time to try and get the sleep out of it. He didn't say anything about the nightmares that kept him up for most part of the night. Chrissy's got enough to worry about already and he would hate to take that fierce look off of her. Instead he lets her pick some clothes for him in Rick's closet to go undercover, pulls his hair in a low bun and forces a baseball cap on top of his head. He looks like his uncle, which feels nice.

Nancy picks them up at 9 sharp, with a bunch of her mother's pancakes stacked in a tupperware, "In case you didn't have breakfast."

On the back seat, Eddie stuffs two of them into his mouth in hope it'll boost his energy while the girls talk about hair style. Acting confident isn't new to him, but it's getting harder and harder in those circumstances.

They stop by the trailer park like they had planned to. Nancy pretends to be checking on Max - who actually spent the night at the Wheelers with the rest of the gang, minus Steve and Robin who were at the Creel house - while Eddie sneaks into his trailer. The front door is crossed with police tape but he figures nobody will notice if some of it is ripped off. At least it means Wayne didn't spend the night here.

Thinking about his uncle makes Eddie's heart sink. He wishes he could let the man know he's okay. That he has nothing to do with that gruesome murder. But the feeling is cast away when he looks up at the ceiling. There's a crack, right where that jock's body was flung onto, surrounded by a swelling dark stain. If he didn't know better, he'd think of a leak...Eddie clicks his walkie.

"Henderson, you there?"

"Ye- Steve, you're going the wrong way!"

"Not if you want to sneak in the back," says Harrighton before the walkie clicks out.

Eddie wishes he could throw it at their face. Every time he sees the two of them bickering he feels the sting of jealousy. He's so envious of their relationship, of the way Dustin praises Harrington...He wonders if the boy thinks as highly of him.

"Sorry Eddie. Yes, I hear you."

"Uh...what exactly is that gate supposed to look like?"

It takes some convincing from Dustin - and the knowledge that Harrington is listening to the conversation - to get Eddie to scratch the chipped ceiling and see what's underneath the rotten paint. He's glad nobody's here to witness him holding a broom at arms length from his stand on a chair. Surely enough, the gate reveals itself.

It's small, roughly the size of his forearm and only a few inches wide. A dark red membrane surrounded by thin vines spreading out under the layer of paint. He shivers. He doesn't like it at all...He's glad his uncle isn't staying near that thing. Eddie himself doesn't stay any longer than he needs.

He grabs Chirssy's shoes and puts on his own. Before he leaves, he scribbles a note for Wayne that he sticks on a beer in the fridge - that way he's sure the police won't find it if they come back.

***

"Do you mind if we make another quick detour," asks Chrissy when they go back on the road.

She's still unsure about it, but Eddie has sneaked his hand over the passenger seat to play with her hair and it builds up her confidence.

"I'd like to stop by my house..."

Nancy gives her a sharp look before turning back to her driving. Eddie's fingers stop moving.

"You, uh...you sure about that?"

"At this time, it should be just my Dad..."

Nancy glances again. After a moment, Eddie starts fiddling with her hair again.

"I'll be quick, I promise. I just want him to see I'm okay."

This time Nancy stares at her longer. Chrissy figures she knows what she really means. That she wants to see her father one last time and make sure if something happens to her, he won't blame Eddie for it.

"Sure," finally says Nancy. "Steve and Robin should be able to handle the kids until we arrive."

"Thank you."

Eddie rubs his knuckles on the back of her neck until they stop in front of her house. Part of her wants to grab his hand and drag him along, but she knows it's foolish. She doesn't even want him and her dad to meet yet, she just wishes she could fuel up from his energy a little longer.

***

Eddie stares worriedly at the porch of Chrissy's house where she stands, waiting for the door to open. With her back turned to the street, her dark hair and unusually funky outfit, it's almost like Eddie's looking at somebody else. He's not sure how he feels about it.

Although he would never admit out loud, he has come across a few of those movies where the good girl turns herself into a naughty one, just to please some bad boy she's in love with. He doesn't want Chrissy to think she needs to change for him. Doesn't want her to switch from one act to another.

"I see now why Mike has been growing his hair."

Nancy's voice snaps him out of his thoughts. He finds her looking at him through the rear mirror. His reply is unintelligible, even to him. What is he supposed to say to this? 'Thank you.' 'Of course I'd be a bad influence to anyone around me.'

She smiles and although he appreciates the effort, Eddie's attention gets caught by movement on the other side of the street. Chrissy is walking back, twisting the hem of her sleeves with her fingers. His heart sinks. He could tell how eager she was to see her father - he understands why, he wishes he had bumped into Wayne earlier - and her deception is obvious.

He doesn't think twice when she stops in the middle of the road, face down, shoulders shaking. He bolts out of the car to reach her and pull her into his arms. She grabs on his shirt and lets out a loud whine.

"I'm sorry," he says softly.

"I don't even know why I'm crying," she stammers through her sobs.

Eddie doesn't say anything. He's having a hard time dealing with it himself - the fact that he might not get the chance to say goodbye, if only in his head, and share one last hug. Putting words on it would make the regrets too real.

He strokes her hair until she calms down, which happens quicker than he thought. Or maybe he's the one who's not ready to go yet...

By the time they meet the rest of the group behind Hawkins High, Chrissy has composed herself. Although she takes his hand from the moment they get out of the car and holds it tightly as they sneak in the hallways toward the editorial room. He's more than grateful for that, because without it, he might have just turned heel and run away once they step in and he sees the gate.

The dark red hole is way bigger than the one in his trailer. Large enough for any of them to walk through it. It's surrounded by black vines that extend all over the wall and is as eerie than the one from his nightmare. The image of his uncle being sucked in flashes back in his mind.

He pulls Chrissy to the far end of the room where several bags full of hardware and various junk are stacked. That way, he's selfishly putting everyone else between them and the gate. It's not like any of them is paying attention anyway. They're all gathered around Dustin who is holding his walkie and staring at it with a face of intense concentration.

Eddie doesn't recognize the girl's voice coming from the walkie, but she seems to be a game changer.

"What's going on," asks Nancy.

"It's El," says Harrington excitedly. "She's with the doc and got her powers back!"