Wisteria (Eddie x Chrissy) ST

Serpent

Warning: Mentions of previous non-consensual touching and ED.

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"Bye!" Chrissy shouts for the third time, waving at the group of girls in the car. The Riviera parked by the curb finally takes off and speeds down Roseline Drive. It's completely out of sight within seconds.

'That was fun. Charlotte and Natalie are in the loop and I gave them the okay. That's as good as announcing it over the loudspeaker at school.'

Smiling to herself, she heads inside the large house. Her bookbag and shoes are left by the door. This place... Such a difference compared to where she spent the last couple of hours. It's silent and devoid of warmth as if nobody lives here. Little more than a furnished residence waiting for someone to come along to turn it into a home.

The curtains are drawn, leaving it dim throughout the foyer and hallway. Streaks of light from outside peek through the spaces around the window. The golden evening rays are narrow and bright, making the particles of dust in the air visible. She stands there and takes it in.

So empty.

'It won't be like this when I have my own place.'

The thought brings her some comfort as she trudges upstairs to her bedroom. Things will change. They always do. She'll eventually move out. It doesn't matter if it's an apartment, rental or trailer. That will be everything this one isn't. All the lavish furniture and decor in the world can't make up for what's missing here.

She drags her feet across the fluffy carpet toward the bed and abruptly stops next to it. When did that start? The plan already shifted. That isn't exactly right. No, the old plan is deep in the trash while a new one is being stitched together.

This time, it won't be other people making those decisions. Not anymore. Crawling onto the mattress, she flops down in the middle and gets comfortable. Blue eyes stare up at the ceiling, contemplating the current situation. There used to be a sense of ease in knowing what was supposed to happen. That the details were worked out and she only had to follow along for things to be okay. Now everything is up in the air in complete disarray... and it's exciting.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want. There's always a way out. Other options. Even if it means having it rough for a while."

He doesn't get how much those words mean to her. Ideas like that were usually dismissed as impossible before, even if she secretly prayed that wasn't true. Maybe hearing it from someone trustworthy made it seem realistic. She bought the '86 necklace a while ago for a reason. Part of her hoped that would be the big year.

"I also know you're not happy... You can try to be."

Chrissy grabs a pillow and wraps her arms around it. Eddie's right. She isn't happy. Being content once in a while isn't the same as real happiness. There's no point in pretending or lying to herself. That can change too.

'Being with him makes me happy.'

A hand presses against her chest. That isn't enough to contain it. She's not sure what 'it' actually is. All these budding emotions are bouncing off each other, racing to the front of the line. Thinking back on the small things makes it painfully obvious he feels a similar way. A good chunk of the songs on the B–side of that mixtape are about admiring a woman or breaking out of some kind of confinement. He's always going out of his way to do stuff for her, teasing, or flirting. Writing it off as being a really nice friend can only go so far before treading into major denial territory.

What is she supposed to do with this? Perhaps asking Charlotte is the best option. Natalie too to balance out the whole heart versus head situation. They can have a cheerleader council meeting before the big sleepover. That gives her two days to see how things go at school and with Eddie and Jason. A lot could change by then.