ᴍᴇʟ | ᴇ. ᴍᴜɴsᴏɴ

ii.

FRIDAY, MARCH 21ST, 1986 | HAWKINS, INDIANA

walking out of chemistry, which apparently lasted two hours instead of one, the girl that sat next to melissa called for her.

"melissa, right?" she spoke, "hey, can i ask you something?"

"yeah, sure," melissa smiled.

"so, uh, this might be a weird question, but i feel like i know you from somewhere. or is that just me being silly?" the girl questioned.

melissa looked at her in surprise and when she tried to say something, she couldn't.

"my name's robin buckley, in case that might help jog your memory," robin smiled awkwardly.

"oh! didn't i go to a camp thingy with you?" melissa recalled.

"oh, my god, thank you! this has been bugging you since this morning when i saw you talking to that guy with the long hair," robin smiled.

melissa smiled back at her and when she looked over robin's shoulder, she saw eddie standing against the door frame.

"hey, uh, do you mind if i go to my friend over there? i agreed to have lunch with him," melissa apologised.

"oh, no, sure, go ahead!" robin smiled.

melissa smiled and told the dark blonde goodbye. she walked towards eddie and smiled at him.

"you don't mind sitting with my... friends, right?" eddie wondered.

"oh, no, don't worry." she assured him. "at least i'll have someone to sit with, you know?"

eddie nodded and looked to the ground. he led the girl to the cafeteria and asked her if she had brought lunch or not.

"no, i told my dad i'd pick up lunch here. are there any vending machines here?" melissa questioned.

"yeah, but, aren't you going to eat some real food?" eddie replied.

melissa shook her head, "no, i didn't bring more than five bucks for the vending machine."

"well, why don't i buy you lunch? i mean, you're new and well, you have the best music taste -for which i love you, by the way- and i'm not going to let you eat some crap food that you can't even call food." eddie protested.

"i can't believe you would do that. but, i can't let you do this, i mean, i'm not letting you buy my lunch just because of the 'crappy food you wouldn't even call food'. thanks, though", melissa dismissed.

"oh, c'mon, melissa. you won't even let me drive you home, let me just do this. just this once?" eddie pleaded.

melissa shook her head and looked at her curly-haired friend.

"no, please, i'm not accepting that", she denied.

"all right, fine. i am buying you lunch one day, though", eddie decided.

melissa looked at him and smiled. following eddie to the table a couple of guys were seated, melissa smiled at them and received a couple of smiles back.

"guys, this is melissa, melissa, these are the guys", eddie introduced them, "gareth, move, will you? melissa, sit here."

the blonde smiled at him and placed her bag on the chair.

"cool pins", one of the guys complimented as she took out her wallet.

"thanks", melissa smiled, "all right, do you want anything from the machine, eddie?"

eddie looked at melissa and shook his head, "no, thanks. if i'm not buying you lunch, you're not buying me something from a machine."

melissa nodded and just as she turned around, eddie called her back, changing his mind.