The Stranger -Sequal To Vienna-

Chapter 12

Eddie's POV

After hanging out with Alex and unfortunately Bex as well, I stopped at the HideOut for a beer.

I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I have a son. It's honestly really hard to believe.

Me.

I have a son.

Today helped though, just spending time with him was good. It would have been better if Bex wasn't trying to get in my pants the entire time, making comments about the time we spent together when Alex would wander off into the living room of the trailer.

"Hey, Eddie!" James smacks my shoulder and sits on the barstool beside me, "Not seen you since your set!" He says with a smile.

Stevie and I used to come in here all the time but since Billy and now Bex showed up, we're usually only here on the nights that Corroded Coffin plays, "What's up with you?"

"Oh, you know. Staying busy." I say taking a long sip of my beer.
"I know that look" James points at me, "What's wrong?"

"I'm Fine." I sigh, finishing off my beer and sliding it to the front of the bar. I'm deciding whether or not to spill everything that's gone on in the past month but I don't want to open that bottle just yet.

I mean how do you tell someone that your girlfriend's shitty ex showed up fucking everything up and no one really knows what the fuck he wants. On top of that, an ex of yours showed up after two fucking years. Oh and guess what YOU HAVE A KID YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.

"That bad huh?" James laughs, making a motion to Colt across the room for two more drinks, "Seriously, What's going on?" I give him a confused look but then I just look back down at the bar. James has a way of figuring people out even when you really don't want him to.

"You don't wanna hear my shit." I look over at him. I watch as Colt walks over, grabbing two beers out of the cooler before he opens them and sets them in front of James, "It's a lot of shit and seriously I'm fine."

"Well, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't wanna hear it. " James smiles, sliding one of the beers over to me, "I mean how bad could it be."

"James, it's the literally textbook definition of 'when the shit hits the fan' level shit." I laugh, "Truly man, you don't wanna hear about it."

"Come on, kid. It's fine, just tell me! No amount of shit is too much." James punches me lightly in the shoulder.

I let out a breath, "Fine, but you asked for this." James smiles and nods his head. I then tell him everything.

Everything that has happened since Stevie got out of the hospital. From Billy to Stevie's music shop shutting down, to Alex

"Wow, that's a lot of shit man." He takes a drink of his beer, "A kid though, Holy Shit."

"Tell me about it."

"How did Wayne react to you telling him about the little guy," James asks.

"Well, he wasn't too happy about it but once we were done talking, he start basically baby-proofing the fucking trailer. All sharp objects got put away or high up in the cabinets the corner of the coffee table I've gotten many fucking bruises from the corner got replaced. Even the carpet got nailed down so Alex doesn't trip."

"How does Stevie feel about it all?" Colt asks suddenly joining the conversation.

"She's a rock. In good ways and bad. Like she is so fucking supportive of the whole situation, I'm sure she had a hand in the "baby-proofing the trailer" fiasco. But she also has a habit of bottling all that shit up inside."

"Sounds like someone else I know." Colt jokes, throwing the now empty beer bottles away before replacing them with two more.

"Shut up." I say, grabbing a beer.

"So what are you going to do now?" James asks, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, obviously I'm gonna take care of my son."

"Do you happen to know how you are gonna do that?" Colt asks, leaning on the bar, "Because last time I checked your band and other 'business' doesn't really enable you to raise a kid, Eddie."

Damn.

Colt's always gotta ask the hardest questions.

"Haven't really thought that far." I really haven't. I mean last time I was here it was just me that I had to look out for.

Sure, I had Stevie and Dustin but she barely lets me pay for anything, besides when we go out to Mo's place then I get to pay.

Now I have Alex to think about. "Shit, What am I going to do now?" I lay my head on the bar.

"Well, I think an actual job is probably where you need to start," Colt states and I look up at him.

"You do realize that I would probably have to go 40 miles outside of Hawkins to get any sort of job because of who I am right? No one is going to hire a dude who's a known drug dealer man. I've been arrested before."

Like I get it. We reap what we sow but I did what I had to do to survive.

"Well, I may have an idea." James rests his foot on the bottom rung of my chair, Colt and I look over at him. "What if you work here?"

"Really?" I ask, excitement starting to rise in my stomach. The Hideout had been a home away from home for years. Working here would be great.

"Yeah! Colt's always bitching about getting someone else in here to help, you need a job to support your son, and you come here a lot anyways and might as well get paid to do so"

"Holy Shit! You have no idea how much thi-" I start but James interrupts me.

"One condition though." James looks me in the eyes. I've never seen him so serious, "The dealing is gonna have to stop."

"What?"

"I understand that's how you made your money all these years, and I've let it slide because you're a good kid, but now you have a kid and if you are gonna work here, I don't want you dealing. The last thing we need is you getting arrested or fucking worse because of drugs." I stay silent for a minute, thinking. I've never thought of not dealing. It's all I've known since forever basically. "Eddie?" James's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"Can I think about it?" I ask, "I understand that it may not seem like not dealing is a big deal but it's basically the only thing I am good at besides music."

"Yeah. It's your choice, kid. Think it over and let me know." After that, I left the HideOut.

I needed to clear my head and think about it. As I said, it may not seem like a big deal, but one aspect of it is, There will always be someone else to fill my spot. Some else will start dealing with the people I do now. That person might not be the best kind of person, I mean they're a drug dealer and we aren't exactly the epitome of angelic, but at least I know what I'm giving to people is good and not laced with something. I can't say that for other people. Maybe Stevie can help me.

I drive straight to her house. She'll know what to do. I pull quickly into her driveway and I see that Steve's car is there too. She told me the golden trio were hanging out today,so it doesn't surprise me. I'm walking up to the door and I can see through the window they are talking in the living room. I can hear her voice and I stop.

"I just don't understand how he can be so stupid you know?" She exclaims, I hear nothing but anger and stress in her voice. "Like I've put years of my life in this and then here comes Alex to fuck it all up!"

Alex?

My Alex? Did she seriously just say that? I back away from the door and get back into my van. There's no way she said that. My blood is boiling as I pull back out of the driveway.