eddie found a wednesday night youth service on his way home from richie's apartment the next morning. he felt like it was his only option.
and when wednesday rolled around, his attendance didn't go unnoticed.
"hey, i don't think i've seen you here before," a blonde girl called to him as he entered the room. "sorry! i just, you look a little lost. are you new?"
"um, yeah. this is my first time here." eddie replied, watching as the girl waived him over to her. he approached her, almost hesitantly.
"welcome! i'm greta, are you a student at usc?" greta smiled, pulling out a folded pamphlet from a drawer at the desk she stood next to.
"oh, uh, no. sorry, i didn't know that i had to be." greta shook her head.
"no, no! you don't! i was just asking since it's on campus, we have to ask. uh, what's your name? how did you hear about us?"
"i'm eddie. i have friends that go to usc, and i was looking for a new church. i found an ad online." greta nodded.
"nice to meet you, eddie. why are you looking for a new church?" she asked, seeming genuinely interested. she handed the pamphlet to him before he could answer.
"oh, uh, my mom died? sorry, i'm from maine, and my mom passed away a few weeks ago, and my best friend goes to fidm so i've been staying with her. i don't have any other family, so i'm just here until i'm ready to handle everything at home. i just wanted to attend service while i was gone. so." greta nodded once more, giving him a sad smile.
"oh, i'm sorry for your loss. we're more than happy to have you. come with me, we can find a seat for you with some other people who are more aquatinted with the church, maybe it'll give you some guidance."
"yeah, yeah, thanks." eddie smiled and followed her through a set of double doors and into a hallway. they passed through, and eddie let himself fall just barely behind her as entered into the church itself.
the door opening made a few heads turn, but eddie could tell that the service hadn't started yet.
greta walked through the church, and stood in front of a small group sitting in plastic chairs.
"hey, guys. this is eddie. would you mind kind of taking him in for a bit and helping him get used to the service? it's his first time here." eddie stood by awkwardly.
"of course. take a seat, man." a boy, who couldn't have been much older than eddie, nodded to an empty seat.
"thank you." eddie said, both to the boy and to greta as she walked off. he sat, and waited for what was next.
"nice to meet you, i'm myra!" a girl with bright blonde hair squeaked out. eddie smiled and looked at her out stretched hand, taking it kindly.
"yeah, you too."
-
"hey, would you guys mind if i brought someone along tonight?" eddie piped up, causing the conversation to go silent immediately. the others looked around in confusion. eddie scrambled to come up with something else to say. "i, uh, i've been going to a wednesday night service at usc for about a month now. i met a girl, she's really nice. i think you guys would like her."
it was a saturday night, they were all at mikes dorm; sitting around and waiting for an appropriate time to start their walk to a local dive bar.
"a girl?" bill stuttered out, immediately earning a jab in the ribs from bev, who smiled.
"of course she can come! that's really nice, bear." bev glared around the room, enticing the others to agree.
"yeah, eddie. i think that would be fun." stan nodded.
