3-27 (A Stranger Things AU)

Chapter 14

I walked through the mall, paperwork clutched to my chest in one arm, my other hand locked tightly around my backpack strap. Music filled my head, a loud mixture of guitars and bass and screaming vocals, my lips subconsciously moving over the familiar lyrics of Wait and Bleed by Slipknot. Robin had dug out her old iPod classic for me the other day, allowing me to use her laptop to pirate my favourite songs to add to her already eclectic library.
Hurrying through the large, swarming, crowds of people, I scanned store fronts, desperate to find just one hiring poster.

Don't panic, I breathed to myself, hauling air into my lungs like it'd run out at any second. I had only been looking around for 10-15 minuets tops. I still had loads of places to check out...

By the time I had made it to the third floor, I had submitted only two copies of my CV and tears were filling my eyes so fast that my vision blurred. Huffing with frustration at my lack of opportunity, quickly swiping at my watery eyes, I threw my body down onto a bench, backpack between my legs, staring down at the scuffed toes of my sneakers as I kicked them against the linoleum. Two job applications was better than none, I reminded myself, gritting my teeth so hard I could hear the bones creak in my jaw.

One had been to a vintage records company manned by hipsters that loitered around the vinyls, desperately hoping an opportunity came about to give out useless information on artists and song formats that only served to make them look even more pretentious. My heart sank into my feet every time I thought about having to show up to work there each morning and suffer through endless hours of mansplaining and whining. My second application was much more fitting. Barnes and Noble. A bookworms paradise. I could catalogue and organise for hours on end, surrounded by my favourite things in the whole wide world. A book store wasn't just a store, it was a tardis. An infinite supply of lives, adventures and stories. I could pour myself into every display. Work with passion. As I began day dreaming of the endless hours spent lovingly caring for books to the background soundtrack of Metallica playing through my iPod, I noticed someone sit down next to me out of the corner of my eyes.

I didn't look up.

And then they pushed my headphones back from my ears, forcing me to turn to them. Eddie grinned at me, his big hopeful eyes instantly cheering me up.

"Oh hey Eddie." I smiled at him, attempting to dig my iPod out of the pocket of my jeans to pause the music playing. The papers I had been holding fluttered from my grip as I struggled, making me hiss a curse as I finally retrieved the tiny little shiny music player and the far away tinny sound that emitted from my headphones stopped. Eddie reached out faster than I could react and began picking up my CV's and the forged documents Hopper had made up for me. Eddie attempted to push them back into a neat order, his eyes scanning along the bold printed text. He lifted his eyebrows at me as he handed them back.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Ugh..." I groaned, pushing my face into my hands and squeezing my eyes shut tightly. I could feel my blood pressure rising in my veins with every passing second.

"Hey." Eddie said softly, pushing an arm around my shoulders and drawing me into his side, squeezing me against his ribcage. He tugged at my hands and smiled down at me when I finally looked up at him. Cheeks burning. "Come on." He encouraged.

"I'm trying to get a job." I admitted, chewing on the fatty insides of my cheeks.

"Oh really?" Eddie smirked, his eyes flashing mischievously.

"Please don't!" I wailed, throwing my head back onto my shoulders, just about ready to have a complete meltdown.

"Fry!" Eddie laughed, shaking me, trying to get me to look back at him. I deliberately turned my head away, refusing him.
"You're hired!" He finally blurted out, immediately making me jump in my seat, eyes locked upon his, my heart racing in my chest.