𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍 彡 [e. munson] [✔]

─ 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫.

Being mad at herself couldn't even begin to cover the emotions Magdalena felt when she faltered during her explanation—too eager to cover up her newfound feelings towards Eddie. Apparently, in that moment, her heart decided to do the talking instead of her brain. At least her dad didn't catch onto it. Well, that's what the girl thought. Marion expertly spotted that unmistakable shift in his daughter's demeanor when she referenced Eddie. First of all, she talked a bit faster, and second of all, she got lost in what she wanted to say until it sounded totally false.

For a young lady with such a rough exterior, Magdalena acted like the complete opposite right in front of her dad. Nevertheless, Marion May didn't consult his daughter about her inconsistent actions. He would never be the one to stand in front of a young romance and ruin it for his sweet child. He knew very well that Magdalena didn't need protecting and she had previously mentioned that herself. She wasn't some damsel in distress who needed her dad to sort out her love life if and when a boy broke her heart. If a boy broke her heart, she'd break his nose. And that was a wholehearted promise.

"Ain't that the truth? I have spoken to that kid a thousand times and his mannerisms can't be compared to a cold-hearted killer. But you know how this town is. Once they get a hold of information, they won't be able to let it go. Eddie's a good guy. And pretty intelligent. I'm sure he'll manage."

"Dad, focus solely on me. Put down your beef patty and listen, okay? I believe in Eddie just as much as you do, but the people in this town will stop at nothing to prosecute him once they know all the details of Chrissy's murder. He's gonna get ripped to fucking shreds. Maybe even literally. I can't—We can't let that happen. You said it yourself, he's a good guy."

Magdalena tenaciously stated as she locked eyes with her dad, who went along with her demand and gently laid his hamburger back down onto the plate, proceeding to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand. The man never once dismissed the urgency in Magdalena's voice. If anything, it made him worry that she was worrying. The brunette's hands were partly shaking as she was wishing to do something—anything for Eddie in the midst of all this. Why she felt like she needed to do something, Magdalena couldn't quite figure out, but it certainly had a whole lot to do with her slightly sensitive side. Or in other words, the side she barely showed when she was out in public.

After her words were no longer lingering throughout the kitchen, the brunette waited and waited and then waited some more for her dad to give some of his patented advice. Magdalena knew it was difficult for her dad to come up with something considering the last time she'd asked for any advice was at the beginning of freshman year. But truth be told when Marion May opened his mouth to counsel his daughter, it never backfired. Having this reputation around town of being a bit kooky and a nonconformist didn't mean that Magdalena's dad couldn't provide her with the very best words. The man continued staring into Magdalena's pale eyes—an exact copy of his ex-wife's and when he saw metaphorical thunderclouds, he understood she was seriously distraught. Marion cleared his throat, leaning forward a bit all while anticipation was eating away at the brunette sitting across from him.

"Let me tell you a quick story about a teenage girl who stopped at nothing to give her boyfriend a good name despite his past behavior. This girl saw the best in people and knew everyone was redeemable in some way or another. She made everyone feel like they belonged and were loved. And I think right now we could both be experiencing a simple case of deja vu. This whole "Eddie fiasco" could be a similar scenario."

Marion almost spelled it out for his daughter and that single raise of his left eyebrow didn't help Magdalena whatsoever. There were too many emotional sensations going through the girl's body with all this talk of Billy and the way she treated him all the way to a full conversation about how she was beginning to do the same with Eddie. The man could see just by his daughter's body language and everything she had said thus far that she cared for Eddie more than she liked to admit. Marion knew all the signs by now. Magdalena behaved somewhat similarly when she spoke of Billy in the past. The girl loved her boyfriend endlessly and Marion had never seen his poor child so crushed when he passed away. Marion also didn't think that Magdalena would ever open up her heart to anyone, but things apparently changed. Which was great. Change was a great thing, especially for a young mind.

"I think you might be right. But don't get cocky just 'cause I said that. I know parents love hearing that they're right in every situation. I'm gonna go try and get some sleep. Lulu talked my ears off all day. I need to recover."

The girl halfheartedly waved to her dad—attempting to seem drained of all her energy, but she should've known her mediocre acting skills weren't up to par this time around. No wonder the theater kids refused to let her join their club during tenth grade. The part about heading to bed in order to get some rest was a complete fib as well. Magdalena May knew full well she wouldn't be able to get a wink of sleep. Not after dragging herself and Lulu into another year filled with another supernatural freak show and definitely not after realizing that she might in fact have romantic feelings towards Eddie Munson. That freaked her out. But not as much as it probably should've.

1986 was slowly but surely turning out to be one of the most unconventional times of Magdalena's nineteen years of life.