Chrissy Wakes Up (Stranger Things FanFic)

Chrissy Wakes Up

"Chrissy, wake up!"

She snapped out of her reverie with a start, her blue eyes wide. "Huh?"

Eddie's grin faltered a little. "You uh ... you kinda spaced out on me there a little. You okay?"

Chrissy gave a rapid nod. "Yeah. Sorry." She paused, wrapping her arms around herself in a childish gesture that made her seem even smaller than her slight frame. "Did you find it yet?"

"Oh ... Er, not yet, hold on." Eddie started rummaging through his boxes and bags again.

"You sure you have it?"

"Yeah, yeah," he assured her. "It's uh ... somewhere. Uh ... one sec." Jumping to his feet, he almost sprinted out of the cramped living room and into his bedroom. The guitar on the wall gleamed as he flicked on the light, and out of habit he pressed his fingers to his lips and then to its polished surface. "Sorry I'm late, sweetheart," he mumbled.

Why was he stressing out so much about impressing this girl? Did he think there would ever be anything more to this than a quick transaction? She was Chrissy Cunningham, queen of Hawkins High, head cheerleader, dating that asshole Jason Carver. And he was Eddie Munson, the freak drug dealer who couldn't even graduate high school. So why did he care if he disappointed her? What was it to him?

He was so wrapped up in these thoughts that her quiet question nearly escaped his notice entirely.

"Can ... can I come in there with you?"

He froze. "In ... in my room?" Suddenly he felt hot all over. Turning back to the doorway, he could see Chrissy looking back art him, still standing in the centre of the living room's dirty carpet. Her cheerleader uniform shone immaculately against the backdrop of his uncle's rundown trailer home.

She smiled and gave a weak laugh, her pale cheeks flushing. "I don't mean ... No funny business," she said. "I just ... don't want to be alone." She paused, then added: "At all."

"Oh!" The heat receded, leaving Eddie feeling ... what? Disappointed? Oh come on, he scolded himself. Like anything was ever going to happen. Aloud he said: "Sure! Come in."

She came forward hesitantly and stood in the doorway to his room, looking around curiously.

"You ... want to sit down?" Eddie invited, waving a hand at the end of his bed. "No funny business," he added with a lopsided grin.

Chrissy smiled briefly and sat down on the end of his bed. The sight of her sitting there was so unreal, so at odds with what his reality was supposed to be, that for a second he felt like laughing. Instead he turned his back to her and started searching for the K again.

"Is that the guitar you play with your band?" he heard Chrissy ask from behind him.

"Uh, yeah!" He looked up at it and smiled affectionately. "That's my baby."

"It looks great," Chrissy replied. "A real rock star guitar."

Now Eddie was beaming. "Well, you know," he shrugged, still rummaging through his drawers. "They say you should dress for the job you want ... Aha!" He held up a small tin triumphantly. "Here you are! Told you I had it!"

Turning back to Chrissy, he saw she wasn't looking at him, but out into the living room with a tight, pinched expression. Apprehension? Desperation? Fear? He wasn't sure, but he didn't like it. "Hey," he said, his own smile fading. "You sure you're okay?"

Chrissy turned to look back at him, and he saw plainly now that it was fear on her face. She wasn't just nervous or spooked, though - she looked terrified. She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came. Instead she looked down at her hands, which were clasped tightly in her lap.