Fight or Flight (Eddie Munson x Y/N)

9. "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

"God, that's disgusting," you mutter under your breath as you look over at the lunch line, watching student after student being served brown bricks that were supposed to be slices of meatloaf.

You make a face and unconsciously clutch the paper bag with your lunch just a little tighter. You always packed your lunch because you knew there was no guarantee that the lunch ladies wouldn't serve you something that made you want to hurl.

You quickly scan the room for Stacy. She said she'd save you a seat where she normally sits at one of the middle tables, but she doesn't seem to be there. As you are surveying the huge lunch room in the hopes of spotting her chatting at another table with someone else, you suddenly lock eyes with dark brown eyes and wild wavy hair. The recognition is starling and you feel your stomach instinctually drop once—and then a second time when you feel hot breath next to your ear.

"Boo," the voice whispers, hot and invasive. It barely registers who the voice belongs to as you drop your lunch bag.

Jason Carver chuckles softly, running his hand through his soft blonde hair as he bends down to pick up your bag, now standing in front of you, replacing your vision of Eddie.   "I think you dropped this."

You grab it quickly from him, making eye contact with him for the first time. "Jason," you reply dryly, attempting to tilt your chin up, showing him that you're not the same person the night of his party. Or the one who ran away from that night for three years. The oscillation between sacred little bird and renewed empowered bad bitch was starting to get exhausting. You couldn't seem to find your footing into who you actually were, who you wanted to be, who you were capable of being now.

"Hi doll," he purred. "You sure knew how to work that mouth today in Mrs. O'Donnell's class."

"Doll?" You stammer. "Pretty sure Chrissy would castrate you if she heard—"

"Yeah, Chrissy and I aren't together anymore," Jason smiles slowly. You notice his eyes flicker up and down your body, stopping alarmingly long at your breasts.

Before you can respond, he takes another step closer to you, making you freeze. "I'm glad you're back, doll. Makes things interesting around here in boring old Hawkins," he whispers in your ear, before placing a slow kiss on your cheek.

Every inch of you wants to explode, scream, disappear, claw his eyes out—but all you can do is stand there, frozen.

As Jason's head moves to the side to kiss your cheek , you can again see Eddie, who you now see has not taken his eyes off you, his intense brown eyes clearly having witnessed the whole exchange with Jason. You feel his eyes bore into yours but just as quick as you lock eyes, he looks away, pressing his tongue against his teeth in an expression that looks... upset? Angry?

You don't understand but you feel a brief sense of safety when you lock eyes with Eddie...and almost a sense of abandonment when they leave. You're left with Jason.

Before you can push Jason off and say something snarky, something to redeem yourself from the weak-as-shit passiveness you've thus far exhibited in the exchange , the moment passes and Jason looks back into your eyes. "See you around, doll." He slinks away with his lackeys, all wearing their green and yellow varsity jackets.

You feel like you're sweating as he walks away, still not exactly sure how to proceed in your own body. You shake your hands slightly as your sides, trying to literally shake off the exchange. Jason was into you? When the fuck did that happen? Was he just messing with you? Did he know about what happened at his party? Did he have something to do it?

"Stop," you say quietly to yourself, something your therapist taught you to stop a train of thought.

Slightly regaining your sense of self, you figure since Stacy still hasn't shown up—and you do plan on blaming the creepy Jason exchange on her absence—you might as well ask Eddie when and where...and WHAT... tutoring would take place.  You need a distraction from what just happened—you don't want to be alone with your own thoughts.

"Hey," you say, walking up to a table filled with boys wearing Hellfire Club t-shirts. "I realized we never figured out the whole tutoring thing the other day."

"Tutoring thing, huh?" The heavy set boy with the curly hair pipes up with a chuckle. "Eddie, you didn't say anything about tutoring when we were talking about Y/N yester —" he wheezes as Eddie shuts him up my smacking him with the back of his hand in the stomach.

"Yeah, uh... right," Eddie clears his throat. "Whenever. I guess. Um, I guess English would be a good place to start. Mrs. O'Donnell basically thinks I can't read so..."

The tone in his voice is different from the day before. Harsh. Not playful. Cold.

"Um, okay, great!" You say, trying to express enthusiasm into a conversation that seems awkward. Eddie was talking about you? What was he saying? Does everyone know what happened or are there a bunch of rumors flying around? Fuck. Coming back was more complicated than you realized it would be. "Do you want to meet at the Hawkins Public Library around 3 today?"

"Sure, Y/N. As long as you don't plan on bringing your boyfriend with you," Eddie smiles sarcastically batting his long eyelashes. "He and I don't exactly...play nice."

"Oh god, Jason?" you nervously laugh, "Nooo, he's definitely not my b—"

"No need to explain," Eddie rudely cuts you off and waves a ring-clad hand in front of his face. "Just don't bring him, okay? If this session goes well, we can talk guitar."

You're pissed now. What the fuck was his problem all of a sudden? If this was how he was, you never would've have offered to help.

You match his tone. "Got it. Let's hope this session is worth my while then. Guess I'll see you then." You turn in your heel quickly and walk away, purposefully swaying your hips in a way that you hope conveys a sense of strength.

"Dude, what the fuck was that?" Gareth pipes up.

"Nothing dude, shut up." Eddie mumbles.

Author's note: hmmm jealous much? 🤔😉