freakish | eddie munson

011- Dustin's House

My heart fluttered a million times a second. He had just put my name with his last name. Rhoswyn Munson... Wow.

Lucas turned his head, he had clearly heard that. And Eddie didn't seem to be hiding it. Max hadn't heard, and asked what was happening that suddenly got Lucas's attention like that. "He just called her Rhoswyn Munson." Lucas said, his eyes wide as he stared at Eddie with a wide smile.

"You imagine yourself growing old with me?" I asked Eddie, trying to ignore the fact that Max's eyes had widened too. I wondered what she would think if I started dating Eddie. Would she approve? Would I disappoint her? What if I started to distance from Max and not care about her as much because of a relationship? I couldn't do that to Max.

"Hell yeah, I do." I giggled a little, trying to keep my cheeks from turning too red. Was I even ready for a relationship? "I think about it sometimes. I kinda used to have a thing for your best friend, but now she's not really my type... I like girls who are breathing... and girls who actually talk to me and open up to me."

"Did you just make a joke about my best friend's death?" I tried not to laugh, but I did giggle a little. Although I felt bad about it after.

"Sorry, sorry, that was really low of me-" His mood suddenly changed, and he got really fidgeting and nervous.

"It's okay. I mean, I miss her a lot... But in some ways it's almost like all the pain she was in is over. She never ate anything because of her mom, and she just constantly was miserable. Even when she acted fine. She wasn't really suicidal, I know that much, but she definitely did just need a break. And if it weren't for these deaths... We wouldn't know Hawkins was in danger." I wondered if that was okay to say. Was it bad that I didn't miss her that much? We were really close, we always had been, ever since we met in middle school. We even did a cheer combo in a talent show way back together. But I didn't miss her too much. Maybe because I had gotten closer to Max through it, and I had known of Eddie before, but I didn't know him like I did now. Maybe because Robin and I started to bond, and she was actually really cool. Maybe because Dustin and I were starting to get really close, and suddenly like a brother to me. And Steve was like an older brother. Maybe I kinda had Chrissy to thank in a way. As much as I missed her, every single one of these people had parts of her charm in them. So it was almost like she never even left.

- - -

"Rhosie!" Dustin called, trying to run to me, but hobbling over instead. I met him halfway, so he didn't put himself in more pain. I wished his leg would just heal itself already. Poor thing.

"You gotta stop trying to run all the time." I chuckled, and he shrugged a bit. "How's it feeling?"

"Alright. I think it's just now starting to get better. Finally."

"Good! That's good."

Ever since Dustin and I went after Eddie, we had become way close. I'd always liked Dustin, he was always just sweet and fun and pure. But now that we'd actually been through something hard together, there was an unbreakable bond between us. And I became just as aware of him as I was for Max. He was my brother now.

"My mom was wondering if you, Steve and Eddie want to come over to our place for dinner tonight, because I tell her a lot about you three, and she wants to meet the three of you." He said. "she has a cat, I know you're allergic, but I can put the cat in another room while my mom isn't looking. She'll probably be too distracted talking to people to notice anyway."

"I'll be there. When?"

"Tonight, does 6 work? And do you like seafood? She wants to make Sushi, if everyone is okay with it."

"Sushi sounds great. I'll let Eddie and Steve know." Dustin jumped up and down a few times before hobbling away, and I went to go find Eddie and Steve in the other room. Dustin could have told them himself, but I didn't want him pushing his left right as it was starting to get better. "Hey Eddie, Steve. Dustin's mom wants us over for dinner tonight at 6 for sushi. Dustin talks about us a lot, and she wants to meet us."

Steve's eyes lit up and Eddie stood up from where he was sitting. They both immediately agreed, and they said they both likes sushi just fine.

- - -

Before heading over to Dustin's, Eddie came to my trailer panicked. He wanted to look nice for Dustin's mom, so he didn't seem like a bad influence, and begged for my help. I brought him to my room, and told him to sit on my bed so I could do something to his hair. He sat patiently as I looked around for hair ties and bobby pins. I kneeled high on my knees to reach him, and gently combed my fingers through his messy tangled hair. He winced a few times, and I scolded him that he had to take care of it better. He promised me he would, and I tied his hair into a nice man bun. I normally hated man buns, but he looked so handsome that it got harder to breathe. We walked across the road to his trailer, and I helped him find something nice(ish) in his closet.

I was wearing something in my normal style, and pulled my hair half up, straightening the ends and putting on some very light makeup. Steve picked us up, since he knew where Dustin lived. He had picked Dustin up quite a few times for dances and activities before.

The three of us arrived at Dustin's, and within seconds of us ringing the doorbell, Dustin was there. "I put the cat in my room, Rhosie." He said, and I smiled at him. Boy, if anything every hurt this kid, I don't think I'd be able to compose myself.

Eddie pulled Dustin into a gentle headlock, rubbing Dustin's hair and messing it up, while Dustin just laughed. After he was let go, Steve gently took Dustin by the shoulders, and fixed his hair, glaring at Eddie a bit. Eddie and I just laughed, but Dustin clearly looked up to Steve. He looked up to Eddie too. But he looked up to them for different ways. It was admirable.

Dustin's mom ran around the corner, a giant smile on her face. "Oh, it's so good to finally meet you all!" She said, giving each of us a hug. I didn't know how to feel about it when she just about squeezed all the oxygen out of my system. Eddie just laughed as I gasped for air again. "Let me guess, you're obvious Rhosie, and... You must be Steve. Because of the hair. Dustin does his hair like you. And you must be Eddie, Dustin loves Hellfire Club." We all nodded, and she let us in as Dustin lead us over to the dining area.

Eddie leaned over to whisper in my ear. "She's going to be a talkative one, buckle up." I rolled my eyes at him, and gently hit his shoulder.

"Be nice."

Dustin had made little cards with all of our names to mark where we'd sit. He clearly spent time on them, and I nearly melted. He was so excited for this. I sat in between Dustin and Eddie, and Steve sat on the other side of Dustin. And Steve and Eddie sat by his mom.

She just about piled up a mountain of sushi on each of our plates. Way more sushi than any of us needed, but after I had one of them, they were so amazing that I just kept eating them. I never finished them all, but I ate quite a bit more than I thought I would.

"So, Rhosie, Dustin told me that you're Max's sister?" Mrs. Henderson said. I just simply nodded as I chewed my bite. "Max is sweet, she came over once."

Sorry, what? Max, sweet? She was sweet(ish) to me, but to everyone else she was just snarky. I got a kick out of it, but some people were scared of her.

But... After thinking about it... I couldn't see a single person daring to be mean to someone as nice as Mrs. Henderson. And it was no wonder why Dustin was so sweet. Besides, Max was more gentle with Dustin anyway.

By the end of the night, the three of us had been thoroughly interviewed about our life stories, and we had gotten full on sushi, sprite, and cheesecake for dessert.

Right before we left, Dustin came over and gave me a music box. "I found this at the thrift store a few months ago, and I think that it kind of matches your personality, so you can have it." I nearly melted.

"Thank you, Dustin. That's the sweetest!"

Steve drove Eddie and I home, and I held the music box firmly in my hands. That night before bed, instead of putting my ring on my dresser alone, I placed the ring in the music box.