MATILDA, eddie munson.

024.

"yeah, no, we can say that," matilda told him.

"good, because they're coming over now," eddie informed her, looking at his friends from over her shoulder.

"hey, eddie!" one of them, jeff, hollered. "what are you doing man?"

"you guys know matilda, right?" eddie asked them as they arrived in front of them.

"yeah, we know her," gareth nodded, eyeing the blonde up and down. "what is she doing here?"

"she's come to watch us," eddie answered, glancing over at tillie. "she's so eager to watch us perform, right mattie?"

"oh, yeah," tillie confirmed, a slight tease in her tone. "really desperate."

the other boys all still seemed confused by her presence. "i didn't realize you guys even talked," jeff stated, the other boys agreeing with his comment.

"we've been working on an assignment together for mr dorton," he informed them. "we talk quite a lot actually."

"right, well we better get the drum kit in there," gareth announced, leaning down to help pick some of the parts up off the ground.

"yeah," the other two members agreed, beginning to help him, before the three of them headed inside.

matilda turned to her friend once they'd left. "they don't like me."

"are you kidding?" eddie exclaimed dramatically, putting an arm around her shoulder and directing her gently into the bar. "they love you."

"is your ability to mix up love and hate the reason you're failing english?" she asked him tauntingly, leaning into his touch.

eddie rolled his eyes, before a smirk appeared on his face. "hit the nail with the hammer there, mats."

"oh, don't even!" she squealed, pulling away from his side, only to be brought back in by the boy.

"is your ability to mix up common phrases the reason you're failing english?"

"i will have you know," tillie told him. "i currently have a b in english. so, not failing.. yet."

eddie chuckled, pulling open the door for them to enter the small bar. he caught sight of some men eating burgers, and a sudden worry crossed his mind. "hey, have you eaten today?"

"yeah," she nodded, allowing eddie to direct her to a table near the front of the stage.

"really?" eddie eyed her skeptically. "what have you had?"

"i've had some water. oh, and a few sips of orange juice," she told him. "and yesterday i had a piece of gum. wait, no, two actually."

"mattie," eddie sighed, pausing to look down at her. "seriously?"

"what?" she exclaimed.

"we both know that's not enough food. when was the last time you ate a meal? a full meal?"

tillie thought back, but couldn't plot a date over these past few months when she'd eaten a regular sized, balanced meal. "i don't know."