A/N - This chapter was inspired by the song 1985 by Bowling For Soup. It is set in the mid-00s, so I hope you all enjoy me actually knowing stuff about the time period I'm writing in!
You frowned to yourself as you turned over the packet in your hand, searching for the sell-by date amongst the brightly coloured packaging. There had definitely been a time in your life that the mere idea of grocery shopping for your family was laughable, and right now was a terrible time to be remembering that fact. You let out a soft sigh when you finally found the date you'd been looking for, adding it to your cart and returning your attention to your list.
"Y/N?" Your head shot up at the familiar voice, finding one person you hadn't expected to see standing in front of you. You'd known Eddie since you'd transferred to his school in Hawkins in 3rd grade, but when you'd left high school, you'd fallen out of touch. You'd heard he'd left town in search of something more exciting, but now, here he was, standing in front of you almost 20 years later.
"Eddie?" you murmured, brow furrowing slightly, and then suddenly, you were grinning at him, and you were the exact same girl he'd known back in his school days. "I thought you were living in California-"
"I am," he started, so excited to be interacting with you again that he was talking before you'd even finished, the same way he had when you were kids. "I was just coming to clear out Uncle Wayne's trailer, finally managed to convince the old man to put my mind at ease and move in to a retirement community."
You nodded, still looking so joyful to be seeing him again. "You haven't changed," you confessed quietly, and then your shoulders had sunk and your expression had fallen slightly. "Sorry, I must look a total mess," you pressed on, attempting a smile as you glanced down at your clothes. Paint-splattered mom jeans, which were probably as old as your kids were, and a t-shirt that was wearing thin. It wasn't exactly how you'd dressed back in high school.
"Don't be ridiculous," he hummed, his expression so soft that it had almost taken your breath away. "I mean, I can't say I don't miss the snakeskin mini skirt you used to wear to gigs, but you still look as beautiful as ever." Your breath caught in your throat at his comment, a small smile pulling at the corners of your lips. "How's Keith?"
Keith. Of course, Eddie remembered Keith. You'd gotten married pretty young, not long after high school, and Eddie had been invited to the wedding, even if he hadn't actually attended.
"We, uh-" you cleared your throat, forcing a smile. "We're in the process of getting a divorce, actually," you murmured. "After almost 18 years of trying to make it work," you added softly, glancing up to find him frowning at you.
"Shit-"
"But the kids are doing well," you interjected. "We're doing the whole co-parenting thing and it's working out."
He nodded. "Great," he started again. "Good."
"Sorry," you breathed out softly, shaking your head. "There's no good way to tell people you're getting a divorce," you confessed. "Believe me, I've had a lot of practice," you added with a soft chuckle.
"We should get a coffee," Eddie told you. "Come on, it's on me."
"I've got to finish my shopping-"
"Then after," he pressed on. "It's been so long since we caught up."
You nodded. "20 minutes?"
"Take as long as you need. I'll meet you at the diner next door?"
"Perfect."
You'd spent the rest of your time shopping thinking back on the time you'd spent hanging out with Eddie as a teenager. Hell, he'd been one of the only people in your life who'd ever understood why you loved Sabbath and Zeppelin and Metallica. He'd taken you to concerts that you wouldn't have gotten into alone and introduced you to a hundred new bands that you otherwise never would've even heard of. He'd been one of your first proper crushes too. And even now, you couldn't deny the love that you'd always held for him.
