Long Live

Chapter One: The Meeting

"Can you read it again, Mama?" my son asked, looking up at me with big brown eyes that belonged to his dad as I kissed his head. I did that every night no matter what had happened that day.

"Again? Don't you get tired of hearing the story?" I ask with a smile.

"No. It's like Dad is here." He says as he does every night that he asks me to read the story.

I grab the tattered hand bound book and smile as I run my hand over the faded face on the cover. It was a picture of my only love that I took when I was younger. Eddie was shirtless and looking at me behind the camera. My father had spent money on a fancy camera for me which allowed me to take the picture in black and white.

He had a peaceful look on his face as he stared at me behind the camera. I remembered that day as if it was yesterday. I had been wearing his vest and my panties while I danced around his room as if I had owned the place and we weren't on the edge of our lives being ruined. It was the day we got married. The thought bringing tears to my eyes. I cleared my throat, shaking my head slightly as I ignored the familiar ache in her chest when I thought about that day.

"Mama. Are you ok?" He asks as he watches my back. I quickly got my emotions in check and nodded.

"Of course. Just admiring your dad's face." I sat on his bed with him. "Ready for the most metal love story in the history of love stories?" I ask with a soft giggle. I always asked that and always giggled.

Once he confirmed that he was ready I started reading.

Chapter 1: The Meeting

She didn't know her way around Hawkins yet and thanks to her father's constant moving around she was 20 and still in senior year which embarrassed her.

She was looking up at shop signs as she tried to find the record store she was sure every town had. She definitely didn't mean to slam into someone's chest as she looked up.

"I'm so sorry. I should watch where I'm going." she said as she looked up and met the warmest brown eyes she had ever seen before.

"No need to be sorry." He said with a smile on his pink lips, "I'm Eddie. Resident freak of Hawkins." He says with a grin. He's very proud of that title it seems.

She introduces herself with a smile as she shakes his head, "Then I'm going to be friends with you cause I'm a freak too, Eddie." Her eyes never left him as she spoke. She was already enamored with him.

"It's nice to meet you, sweetheart." he said with a grin as he looked at her. His curly hair was long and frizzy. It looked like he spent hours perfecting the messy look.

She chuckled softly as she looked up at him, "Your eyes are beautiful." she said and smiled more when he flushed.

"Ma'am we just met and you're already flirting. How flattering." He teases with a grin, "Your eyes are beautiful too. Can I help you find something?"

"I'm looking for the record store. I'm trying to find a metal group I haven't heard of before." She said sighing heavily.

He grinned at that and nods, "I have a tape that might interest you. They're a local band that I recorded at one of their practices." He said before pointing to his van, "Wait here I'll go get it."

"Ok." She says nodding before watching him go to the old van parked a few spots down from where they stood. He was gone for a moment before he came back hair bouncing around his shoulders as he did so.

"Here you go." He says with a grin handing it over to her. He looked intrigued to see her reaction to it, "My number is on it so you can call me after you listen to it and you can tell me what you think."

"Are you their manager or something?" she asked with a soft smirk on her lips as she looked up at him.

"Something like that." He said as he folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head slightly with a grin.

"Well...I have time if you want to see a live reaction." She said with a smirk. She just didn't want to let Eddie leave honestly. Something about him filled her with a warm, comfortable, and safe feeling.

Eddie hummed and looked at his watch, "I have time. I can lead you to a place where you can turn it up." He said as he watched her face. He'd tell her later what he was feeling at that moment.

"How about you drive and I'll ride shotgun? We can use my car." she said, holding out the keys with a head tilt.

He chuckled and took her keys with a nod. "Lead the way, sweetheart." he says and follows her to her car. It was a black 67 Shelby mustang gt500 with white racing stripes which had Eddie whistling low.

"I don't know if I can drive sensibly in her." Eddie said, shaking his head as he looked at her and opened her door.

"Don't get caught and be safe about it." she chuckled and climbed in, ejecting the tape that was already in there to put the other one in.

Eddie climbed in with a laugh and started the car with a cheer. This was a car he would've loved to have before the band became a thing, but he loved his van. He pulled out carefully before he put it into gear and drove off heading for the old quarry road.

"I'm gonna play it now." She warned before pressing play and turning it up. Her face broke into a grin as she read 'Corroded Coffin' on the case as the first chords strike. She headbanged slightly along to the music while Eddie tapped his fingers to the music.

He parked on the old quarry road when the 4th and final song came on and watched her face as she listened to it. She turned to him when it was over.

"Well. What did you think?" he asked, sounding nervous as he looked at her.

"They're amazing! I can't believe they haven't gotten a record deal yet." she said with a smile. She truly believed her words and her excitement was obvious. "Do they have any more songs?"

"They're always working on more so they will soon." He nodded, "The singer is a hard worker after all."

"They don't seem like something Hawkins would support. I mean I've only been here 3 days, but the looks I get from loud music and fast driving tells me all I need to know about this town."

"If you wanted an accepting town you picked the wrong one." He said, shaking his head slightly. "What are you doing here anyway?" He asked with a head tilt.

"My dad's a scientist at the labs. I've got to go to high school tomorrow." She said as she leaned back and put her feet on the dash.

"Are you a teacher's aide or..." Eddie asked, causing her to chuckle and shake her head.

"I wish, but no I'm a student in my senior year at 20 years old." she said before pointing a finger at him, "Do not laugh at me, Eddie."

"Sweetheart I wouldn't dare laugh. I'm 21 and a senior so don't worry." He said, shaking his head slightly. "Higgins is an ass, but I know how to handle him."

"Want to share some words of wisdom for me?" she asked, looking at him with a small smile and a head tilt.

"Well if you don't mind being bullied and labeled a freak then you could stick with me and my group." He spoke in a low tone as he spoke about being bullied and labeled a freak.

"I already told you they'll call me a freak anyway. I might as well have good company while I graduate this year. I can even help you graduate. We can do it together." she said while holding her hand out to the curly haired man. "Deal?"

He stared at her hand before shaking it, "Deal. Welcome to Hellfire, sweetheart. You're in for a treat."