Your little sister (Max) and mom have been having a hard time. You decide to move to Hawkins to help out, and while giving up California and your senior year might be hard, there is a boy across the trailer park who just might make it worth it...
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Driving Max back to the house, you picked up lunch, and the rest of the day passed in a flurry of unpacking and getting ready for the next day. Max had helped a little bit but ended up going on a walk after a bit. You had pretty much everything unpacked and put away by four. Coming out of your room, you realized that you were quite alone. She must have still been on her walk. Grabbing a flashlight because it was only October 6, but the sun had set just after six the day before. You wrapped yourself up in Matt's jacket and set out. There was a little walking path through the woods, and, figuring that this was where Max had headed, you set off down it. Taking deep breaths of the musty forest air, you appreciated the green that still remained. California had been pretty brown when you'd left, and even the scattered evergreens and bushes were pleasant.
Before long, the path in front of you forked to the left and the right. Smiling to yourself, you took the left-handed path, as you were wont to do. You looked through the forest to see if you could catch a glimpse of Max, but there was no one inside. The path bent around a large tree, and you found yourself at a small pond with a wooden bench next to it. Sitting down, you smiled as you saw the bench faced the setting sun.
Watching the sunset was one of your favorite things to do. The pause each day to watch the shadows and lights change over the ocean brought you a sense of serenity and calm to the hassle of the day. Once the sun was down, the night began. With the night came the sense of quiet and rest and magic that you loved to feel. You reached into your jacket and pulled out the book you had stashed there. You were starting out on a new journey, so it only made sense that you had brought the Hobbit to read. It had been a few years since you had read it, but every time you did, it gave a sense of normalcy to your chaotic world.
Being invested in the book and the slowly sinking sun, you didn't hear the person approaching from behind until he spoke. "Oh, shit. Hi," a mildly familiar voice surprised you. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Eddie said.
"I guess I was really getting into my book," you replied and looked up at him. He wore similar clothes to yesterday, but his Metallica shirt had been replaced by an Iron Maiden one.
"Is it your first time," he inquired. He gestured to the book in your hands.
"Ha! No, not my first time. Not by a long shot," you retorted. "Have you read it?" He gestured to the bench. You nodded and scooted over.
"Oh, only a few dozen times," he answered and fluffed his hair out of his face. "Do you mind if I smoke? I like coming out here at night."
"No, that's fine. But, if I'm sharing my bench, you'll have to share your smoke," you told him, feeling bolder than you actually felt.
"Hey, fair is fair," Eddie said. He pulled out a little tin from inside his leather jacket and pulled out a tightly wrapped joint. "Do you want to start it?" he offered it to you.
"Gladly," you replied and took it from him. Using the lighter he offered to you, you pulled a long drag and immediately started coughing. "The fuck is this," you stuttered out while handing it back to him.
