Eddie Munson - A Collection of One-Shots!

038. Betty

No one expected it, but it happened.

No had ever thought that the middle school talent show band, Corroded Coffin would make the big time, but they did.

Eddie had made it. 86 had finally been his year.
He'd graduated, and they'd been scouted by an agent the following weekend.

One year later, they were playing at the Garden, like he always wanted.

None of us had seen him for those twelve months, we hadn't seen any of them.

But in the summer of 87, we'd all excitedly travelled down to the edge of Indiana, to surprise them at their scheduled, sold out concert.

What I'd hoped for, was to see the guy I'd known all through highschool, the guy who'd been hard but sweet, the guy I'd missed my chance with.

And the person I met, sadly wasn't him.

******
Flashback.

"Oh man, you should see my house." He said, as he ushered us all into their dressing room.

"You should see all of our houses." He added, flopping down onto the couch.

"Finally living in the mansion you always wanted?" I asked, airily.

It was clear he hadn't even really noticed me until I'd physically spoken.

"It's not a mansion..... not yet." He said, with a grin.

Speaking to me like just another adoring fan, and not one of his supposed, closest friends.

It was a little disheartening and disappointing, but in order to try and celebrate their success, their whirlwind success, I chose to momentarily quash it down.

But as the conversation flowed, it became very apparent that out of them all, one had failed to stay grounded. Jeff, Grant, Gareth and Freak, were all just exactly how I remembered them.

Laughing, joking exactly like we used to at lunch.

The former Hellfire Dungeon Master?
Not so much. In fact, not at all.

"Got myself the dream car I wanted, too." He said, talking over me, as I was talking to Jeff about a small, high school memory.

"Okay, what car?" I asked, a little annoyed.

Recognising that he clearly needed to and wanted to be heard.

"Dodge charger, matte black." He said, pretty pleased with himself, as the very air left my lungs.

It wasn't his dream car though.
It was my dream car. It always had been.

I was still driving a beat up, worn out blue mustang. I was nowhere near my dream car.

"If you're free tomorrow, I could take you for a spin in it?" He offered, as Steve eyed me carefully.

"That's okay." I said, politely declining.

I was threatening to burst, at any given second.
I couldn't be the only one seeing this.

Seeing the arrogance, the materialism, the bragging.

"What about you Henderson?" He asked, as Dustin looked at me, before a forced smile spread across his face.

"Sure, I'll take one for the team. Sounds great." He said.

"What hotel are you staying in?" He asked us.

"Hotel? You mean motel." Steve said, with a playful scoff.

"Oh we can't be having that. I'll get you rooms at ours. No biggee." He said, waving Steve off.

"That's okay Eddie, some of us still like our beat up cars and shitty motels." I said, forgetting myself.