The Break (An Eddie Munson Story)

Chapter 58: California Bound

A/N: Ah, I don't know. I'm not hugely happy with the way this chapter turned out. Thoughts?

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Eddie was the receiver of many phone calls. Most were from Dustin, with Hellfire Club updates and general chatter about school, Suzie and life in Hawkins. Uncle Wayne would call every other week to check in on how Eddie was settling in and to hear how much his nephew was thriving, now that he was away from the small town's constant scrutiny. Occasionally Steve would drop Eddie a line, nothing much was said beyond the pleasantries and questions about your wellbeing. The only other person to call the Byers household and ask after the metal head was his new sweetheart. Their calls lasted almost as long as Dustin's, as they giggled over school gossip, entered into heated debates about MTV's influence on popculture, stressed over essay deadlines and planned their next date.

Yes, Eddie was the receiver of many calls and yet, you had failed to pick up the phone or reply to his answering machine messages. When Jonathan had first informed the household that you were skipping out on Sunday dinner, no one had really been all that worried. Apparently, before Eddie's arrival and since moving out, you often had had to cancel, due to scheduling conflicts at work. As much as the brunet had been hoping to see you again, he shrugged off any initial concerns and instead called his partner to ask if they wanted to go see a movie.

While his mind had been temporarily distracted by their presence and the horror they had chosen to watch, thoughts of you had crept into Eddie's mind during the quieter hours of the night. Alone in bed, he recollected your last meeting together. While awkward in places, things had almost felt normal again. Sure, he had momentarily thought about you in a way that was inappropriate, now he was in a relationship but memories like that would take time to fade away. Besides, nothing had happened between you both. In fact, you had been rather supportive of his new coupling. The words, 'You deserve to be happy, Eds. Don't forget that' had left your lips with a genuine sincerity. And you had smiled, right?

He was lying to himself and he knew it. Eddie was no fool, knowing how easy it was to hide a mountain of hurt behind a row of pearly whites and a well-rehearsed, I'm fine. The brunet considered for a moment how he would feel, if roles were reversed and it was you he saw dating someone else. He did not have to imagine the scenario too much. It was not difficult to conjure up the memory of his conversation with Steve all those many moons ago, where Eddie had pleaded to know what secrets you held behind your plastic lies. The true reasoning for your trauma and nervousness of the dark, was beyond anything Eddie could have imagined and had undoubtedly, been part of the reasoning why your relationship had become unravelled.

When the phone rang that night, the had been a part of him, that had hoped it was you finally returning his call. The brunet knew he should not have kept his hopes up but after a month if being reunited, he was truly wanting to establish a bond with you again, even if only as friends. Eddie cared about you deeply and although there was a lack of romantic love within his feelings for you, the young man only wanted you to be happy and he wished to be one of the reasons you smiled.

But it had not been you on the other end of the line. Instead, Eddie had been met with a crackling sound and a vaguely familiar voice. "Hello?"

"Eddie, is that you?"

It took him a moment to decipher who exactly was calling. The words were faint, dipping in and out of coherency over the din of the static but after a moment it dawned upon Eddie who it was. "Steve?"

"Hey, yeah, it's me. Look-" much to Eddie's growing frustration, the rest of the sentence was cut off.

Cupping the phone tohis air, the brunet strained to make out the rest of Steve's explanation. "Hello, Steve? Are you there? I can't hear you."

"Y/N called me and-"

At the mention of your name, the brunet's worry peaked. He had been waiting for you to get in touch, leaving countless voicemails and yet, you had reached out to Steve instead. Eddie had to admit, he felt a familiar sting of hurt at your actions but quickly shook his head, freeing himself of the green-tinged jealousy- there were more important matters at hand. "The lines bad, you're breaking up. What's happened to Y/N, are they okay?"

"I think somethings..."

Damn that line, he thought. Only Steve Harrington could have chosen the worst phonebooth in America to make such an important call. "Steve! Steve, I can't hear you."

While Jonathan had become accustomed to Eddie receiving multiple calls during the week, he had to sometimes admit, he wished the brunet would adopt a quieter speaking voice. It was the sound of frantic yelling that had drawn the young man from his room and towards the shared living space. His initial intent had been to politely ask Eddie to be more mindful of the other residents but at the mention of Steve's name, he had become more invested in the nature of the call. "What's going on?"

Hand cupped over the receiver, Eddie was quick to reply. "Steve's calling me but the line is shit. I can't make out what he's saying."

"On way...California..." the discombobulated voice said, static swallowing the rest of the explanation.

"You're on your way here?" Eddie questioned, hoping fir some clarification. Things had to be bad if Steve was willing to make the out of state journey, right? "Is Y/N alright?"

"Y/N...crying...don't know why..."

The metal head had a million and one follow up questions and even if he could not hear Steve fully, he had been determined to get more answers but before another syllable could even grace his lips, the sound of an automated tone cut through their technologically impeded conversation. "You have run out of credit, please enter more coins to continue your call. You have run out of credit, please enter more coins to continue your call. You-"

Click.

"Fuck!" Eddie cursed to the dead line, since he could not take his frustration out on Steve for his incompetency. "How the fuck does he not have enough change?"

Little did Eddie know that, miles away and parked in a gas station, Steve Harrington was screaming his own frustrations. "Nancy, I need more money here!" he demanded, turning his own pickets inside out and finding nothing but lint and a Family Video rental card.

The cupholders were empty. The draw under the dash board was empty. The carpet under the seats was sans pennies. The duo were truly out if coins and Nancy was becoming equally as impatient as her travelling companion. "Damn it, Steve. I'm looking!"

Steve's gaze flickered from the car to the phone booth and back. It was hopeless. He needed to call Eddie back and try again to explain the situation with Y/N. The line might have been dire but it was the only option available at this time. With a groan of defeat, Steve stormed away from the phonebox and towards the car. "Go to the gas attendant and ask him to break a note!" he yelled, as if it were the most obvious solution in the world.

In California, Eddie remained by the phone, frozen in place. Unsure of what to make of Steve's call. Anxiety coarsed through his veins, as he took to biting his nails- a habit he had tried to quite time and time again over the duration of your relationship. He had never been quite able to kick it.

Despite his own concerns, Jonathan tried to remain unperturbed by the disruption to their otherwise general evening. Having dealt with the Upside Down time and time again, he had become used to dealing with a crisis, as and when they suddenly arose. The young man's main curiosity stemmed from Eddie's earlier relayed information. "Did you say Steve is coming here?"

"I think so, it was difficult to tell what he way saying. the metal head admitted, biting his nails in a practiced response to his building worry. He paused mud-chew, mind spiralling, as the thoughts whirled around his brain a mile a minute. Every single one of them focused completely on you. "I..." he started, trying not to fear the worst, while worrying that it was all too late. "I think Y/N is in trouble."