Teaching | Eddie Munson

The After-party

"Did you see it?" The excited voice snapped Victoria out of her daze. She blinked, pulling her eyes away from the cluttered table full of empty bottles, her gaze sluggishly following the sound. Robin's wide grin greeted her, the kind of smile so infectious that it tugged at Victoria's lips despite her exhaustion. It was well past midnight, and the weight of the night's events was pressing down on her, each minute a heavier burden. The alcohol in her system was no longer giving her energy but instead draining what little was left. Too tired to truly care what Robin was so thrilled about, she braced herself for whatever story her friend had to spill.

Robin, blissfully unaware of Victoria's weariness, continued with a burst of excitement, her words nearly tripping over themselves. "Vickie hugged me when she left! And it wasn't just some quick, 'Hey, bye,' kind of hug either, like you'd give if you were in a rush and already breaking curfew." Robin's hands animated her words as she babbled, eyes wide with disbelief. "She held on for a second too long—long enough for it to mean something, you know?"

Victoria blinked again, trying to process. She couldn't quite wrap her head around what Robin's definition of a "meaningful" hug might be, but she wasn't about to dive into that discussion. She was just... happy. Happy that Robin, her endlessly kind and nervous friend, had found the courage to make moves—however small—towards expressing herself. Towards being who she truly was, without the fear of judgment that usually hung over her.

"Sounds exciting," Victoria managed to chuckle, the sound half-hearted but genuine. "I'm glad you're happy. You deserve it."

Robin beamed even brighter, though she tried to play it cool, shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal. "You know, it's too soon to say anything for sure, but... well, you know."

Victoria could see right through her, but she let it slide. It was sweet to see Robin so caught up in her emotions. It made everything seem a little less heavy. Still, her mind was beginning to drift back to the evening's events—what a mess it had been—and her body begged her for rest. But of course, Robin wasn't finished.

"Anyway," Robin continued, her tone shifting slightly, "I was looking for you for another reason."

"Oh God, what is it now?" Victoria raised a brow suspiciously, already bracing herself for whatever was coming.

"Nothing bad!" Robin laughed, sensing her friend's sudden tension. "Steve just wanted me to ask if you're staying for the after-party. Most people are already gone, but he thought we could stick around a bit longer. Just the gang, you know?"

Victoria snorted, rolling her eyes. "Couldn't he ask me himself?"

Robin smirked knowingly. "Pretty sure he expected that exact reaction, and that's why he sent me." She gave Victoria a curious look, tilting her head slightly. "What's up with you two, anyway?"

Victoria stiffened, caught off guard by the question. She figured Steve had already spilled everything to Robin about their little argument earlier. Apparently not. Her shoulders slumped, not wanting to dive into the details. "Nothing. He just... pissed me off."

Robin opened her mouth to pry further, but Victoria cut her off. "Look, I'll stay if Max wants to. I wouldn't want her going home al—"

Her voice faltered, her eyes locking onto something behind Robin. Time seemed to slow down. There, just by the stairs, was Eddie. He stood with two other guys from the basketball team—arrogant pricks who strutted around the school as if they owned it. One of them was rummaging through his pockets, and then she saw it: Eddie passing a small bag to the other one. A bag of weed.

Victoria felt heat rise in her chest, the blood rushing through her veins like wildfire. Robin was still talking—her lips were moving—but all Victoria could hear was a faint buzzing in her ears. Everything else around her blurred, the room narrowing into that single moment, that single image of Eddie and his little drug deal.