Love Story: Volume One

season one: part one

"Will you ever stop doing that, Steve?"

He scoffed but smiled sweetly at her. "You're my best friend."

"What do you need?"

He scoffed. "What makes you think I need something?" Edwina looked pointedly at the obviously scheming boy. "Fine. I'm throwing this party tonight..."

"I have a test I have to study for."

"That's funny because Nancy said the same thing, and she's still going."

"Well, Nancy has an obligation to go. She's your girlfriend."

"Well, some could argue that since you are my best friend, you have an obligation to go."

Edwina rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll go. But I'm studying first. I'll show up later."

He grinned, and she shoved him off. "I'll take it as a victory."

"Of course, you would." The one-minute bell rang. "Now get out of here dingus. I have band."

He walked away but yelled back. "I'm the dingus?"

She flipped him off, walked into the band room, unlocked her band locker, and sat down in the best section.

Flutes.

"I don't know why you're still friends with him. He's an idiot."

"Yeah, but he's my idiot."

"Well, you know you have other friends right? Friends that you haven't hung out with in a while."

"I get it! I get it, Robin."

She rolled her eyes and started warming up. Edwina laughed to herself. Robin was so bossy. Well not bossy. More like assertive.

And she had every right to. First chair as a sophomore. One of the smartest people in Hawkins at 16. It was a big feat. Edwina had never really tried that hard in band, and gladly gave up first chair when Robin had come along. No more embarrassingly bad solos in front of bored parents and crying babies. And not surprisingly, Robin and Edwina became really good friends. If she wasn't hanging out with Steve, then she was with Robin. Dustin was never really home, and never went into her room when she had friends over, so they had never had the pleasure of meeting. Dustin liked to tell himself that his cousin had no friends and that he was her only source of entertainment. It made him feel like he was important. And Edwina couldn't bring down his ego.

Not yet anyway.

"Hello? Earth to Eddie?" Robin waved her hands in front of her friend's spaced-out face.

"Wha- oh. Just daydreaming."

"Obviously. Dreaming about Harrington? Again?"

Edwina's face flushed. "I do not dream about Steve."

"Uh-huh."

...

Edwina hadn't really done anything special for the party, partially because she forgot about it, and partially because she forgot to do laundry. She put on chapstick in her car's mirror and walked up Steve's driveway. She noticed that Tommy and Carol were also there by the other car parked further up. She stopped at the door and knocked. She didn't really know why she was knocking, but she still stood there for a bit longer before walking in.

Tommy and Carol were nowhere to be seen, and Edwina did not under any circumstances want to find them. She didn't need to be scarred for life. Steve wasn't by the pool, in the kitchen, or in the dining room. The living room was empty too, so she walked upstairs. Edwina thought it would be smarter to check Steve's room first, since that's where he spent most of his time. She didn't hear anything, so she opened the door.