ᴍᴇʟ | ᴇ. ᴍᴜɴsᴏɴ

xxi.

!!! TW MENTIONS OF DEATH !!!

SATURDAY, MARCH 29TH 1986 | WHEELER HOUSE

it's been two days since melissa had been staying at the wheelers. two days since she hadn't spoken a word to anyone. two days since dustin had tried to get the blonde to go out in the world because, apparently the police didn't think of her as a suspect, but as a hostage. two days since dustin had given her eddie's letter. two days since it had been unopened. two days since she almost lost max. two days since she lost eddie.

"melissa? could you help the kids fill the car?" mrs. wheeler asked as she pulled the blonde from her thoughts.

melissa nodded and took the box mrs. wheeler had in her hands. she walked outside and handed steve the box, who put it away in the boot of his car. she glanced at dustin as she realised he was inspecting her and when they locked eyes, dustin immediately looked away, his gut wrenching from guilt.

suddenly, the blonde heard mrs. wheeler and nancy talking about one of the latter girl's stuffed animals, but she didn't really pay attention to it. when mrs. wheeler said something about a pizza, though, she listened clearly. the group saw a pizza van driving onto the driveway and watched as five people stepped out of the car. melissa watched as four of them ran to nancy, mrs. wheeler and dustin. melissa went to robin and steve, feeling a little awkward and smiled at the pair.

suddenly, she had a feeling as if someone was watching her and when she turned around, she saw a girl with a buzzcut eyeing her down as if she was untrustworthy. dustin must've noticed it, too, because he interfered in the eye contact immediately.

"el, this is melissa, you can trust her. she's a friend. mel, this is eleven, the one with the superpowers", dustin introduced the two, "and, this is will."

"where's lucas?" will asked after saying hi to the blonde.

dustin said he was at the hospital, but when eleven asked him if lucas was hurt, he realised they didn't know about max just yet. melissa decided to leave the three of them, thinking it was a private conversation and went to stand with robin and steve again.

"have you read his letter yet?" robin asked the blonde, but she shook his head, "mel, the only way of getting proper closure is by reading the letter. please, eddie wo-"

"don't say his name."

robin and steve were stunned. it was the first time she spoke again in two days and it was only to defend her pain by hearing eddie's name. neither of them would ever be able to understand her pain, but at least now they had a tiny idea of how much pain his death caused her.

"i won't", robin assured melissa, "if you read the letter."

melissa gulped and looked robin in the eyes, secretly knowing she was right. so, she nodded and went inside. she walked up the stairs into nancy's room, where she and robin had been sleeping and sat on the bed. she took eddie's letter out of her pocket and laid it in front of her. she was going to read it, but first, she had to mentally prepare for it. just when she thought she was ready, a knock on the door caught her attention and robin's head appeared in the opening.

"hey, uh, a few of us are going to the hospital. dustin and steve are staying, but if you want me to stay, i will. just in case you need a shoulder later and don't want it to be dustin or steve", robin explained.

"yeah. yeah, i'd like that", melissa weakly smiled.

robin nodded and asked if she wanted her to wait outside or inside. mel asked the girl to wait inside so she could be there the minute she finished the letter, so she did. melissa picked up the letter and started reading it, immediately recognising eddie's neat handwriting.