Sweet Child O' Mine - Eddie Munson & Y/N

1 - How It Ended...

Hawkins, Indiana - July 1985

I graduated from Hawkins High last year, along with the rest of my class and my younger brother, Steve, was all set to graduate this year with the plan of working over the summer and postponing college for a year or so. My plan ever since I can remember was to graduate and blow this dead ass town and move to the city, Indianapolis was the goal, I hated Hawkins and didn't wanna waste away here with all the other losers in dead end jobs. I wanted a career in music, and being a decent singer, songwriter and guitarist meant it was actually possible so long as I was anywhere but here. When I met Eddie early on at Hawkins High we became close from day one, gaining the reputation of being quite the troublesome pair, eventually falling in love and becoming boyfriend and girlfriend with the now combined dream of stardom in the city. It was all going to plan until Eddie didn't graduate with me, but because I loved him, I stayed in town as waited another year for him to try again, which is where we are today.

It was another beautiful summer in Hawkins, the warm sun beaming through the town as the high school kicks out for the summer, I waited in the school parking lot for Eddie so we could celebrate his final report card which would confirm he was graduating this year. I watched him approach the car with a somber look smeared across his face, and I knew. I didn't need a sixth sense to tell me what that report card was gonna say and even when he promised me this would be "our year", I knew right away he'd fucked up and wasn't graduating... again. "Well, what's the verdict, Munson?" I asked trying to hide that I already knew, he balled the piece of paper up into his pocket and got in the van without saying a word. I slowly wandered round the the passengers side and climbed up the step into the van, keeping my eyes fixed on him waiting for me to confirm the worst. But he didn't. He just drove.

Eddie and I never really had uncomfortable silenced, every second spent together was perfect in every way, even if it was just us on the couch watching some shitty movie together. But this, I wanted this silence to end. It was a deafening silence, awkward and tense. I just sat and watched him drive through the sunny streets of Hawkins until he pulled up at our spot, a small, tree covered corner of Lovers Lake, stopping the van and turning it off before his ring clad hands clasped tightly together in his lap. "I'm sorry, princess..." his voice barely a whisper as he spoke, I could hear it trembling as he readied himself to confess to what he'd done. I let out a deep, defeated sigh with the intention of him hearing the disappointment behind it,
"You're not graduating this year, are you?" I asked, I don't know why I did... I already knew the answer. I could hear his breath catch in his throat as his mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out, only a small sob that he tried to conceal with a clear of his throat.
"I am so, so sorry, Y/N. I swear to you, I really tried this time. I did!" he sobbed as his whole body starting shaking, his fist now clenched in his lap.
"The same way you swore to me this would be it, it would finally be 'our year', Eddie?" I could feel the tears streaming down my face, but I honestly didn't know if I was angry or hurt, or terrified of doing what I knew needed to be done.

"Please, princess. I promise you, I'll graduate next year - '86 will be our year, or I'll die trying!" his sobbing becoming uncontrollable as he faced me, his eyes swimming with hurt and hatred for himself in this moment. He knew the cost of breaking his promise again, I told him last year that I can't keep sitting here and pinning the rest of my life on his inability to grow up. Every time he promised he'd do better, he'd start fights or focus more on his fucking D&D Club than homework, even knowing what was at stake. Forcing my eyes to meet his, I said the words I would live to regret,
"I'm sorry, Ed's. I- I can't keep waiting for you if you won't even try for me." my sobbing causing my body to hurt and shake as I spoke, he tried to interject with pleas and apologies but I needed to say it. It had to be done. Now. "No. No, Eddie. You broke another promise to me and I won't sit here and listen to you make another one at the risk of our relationship anymore. I love you more than anything, Eddie... I just wish I meant the same to you. I'm sorry." I sobbed before climbing out of the van and walking through the clearing that his van couldn't access. I could hear him sobbing in the van behind me, his fists pounding the seats and the steering wheel and the dashboard, but I kept my head down and walked in silence. My misty, tear filled eyes somehow managing to navigate me out of the woods and back to my house.