𝓣𝓻𝓾𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓼 𝓞𝓯 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 {Eddie Munson}

93) 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓭.

{a few days later, August, 14th}

-Ariella POV-
" So we're just not gonna talk about you at that readiness thing? What did she do anyway?" Mike asked, before eating a spoonful of ice cream from the bowl him and El were sharing.

" You're so nosy, Mike!" Max exclaimed, "It's that one girl they won't leave your boyfriend alone isn't it?"

"You have another boyfriend?" Will questioned, " No, sorry I meant half-boyfriend." Max corrected, "Half?" Said Lucas, all 5 of them looking at me, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know, okay? We have feelings for each other, we've- I can't say that... but I don't know what we are."

" Isn't that how it works? You like each other, then you go out together?" Lucas asked sarcastically.

"They have went out together, you were there! Steve paid Dustin to spy on them!"

" My brother paid Dustin to spy on me?" I asked, looking at them with raised eyebrows. " Yeah, $20. Dustin didn't even do anything, he just followed around Steve instead of you." Mike then stated.

" Ariel!" Robin called, I looked up to the counter to see Robin pointing to my love, my Eddie.

I smiled largely before running up to hug him. He caught me in his arms, hugging me tightly.
He hummed as our lips touched, I looked to see if anyone saw, I know I told Steve, but I still want to have a little fun. It'll be so fun at school.

" Sit with me, my friends are here." I told him and he followed me to sit down at the booth. As I walked to the table, I overheard the end of my younger friend's conversation.

"she's just too nice for him. She needs to stop dating assholes." Max had said, " Better than your brother." Mike said as I sat down.

" Anyway, you guys know Eddie. Eddie, I don't think you've met Will yet. He's like my second best friend." I proposed, before leaning back into the booth. The thoughts again crossing my mind.

Does he really like her? Why? Because she plays a nerdy game? I've played before, and he knows it! What is she that I'm not? Why hasn't he said anything to her about it? She should be apologizing, drunk or not, she still did it.

She was still all over him, he's so... If a guy touched me like that he'd go ballistic! He was so pressed when Billy was simply just helping me play tennis.

One of my best friends can't help me play a sport, but some random bitch he barely knows that he met at a gig can feel him up?

"Ariel, you okay? You're staring really hard at that table." Max joked, as everyone else was engaging in their own conversation.

" Yeah, I've been here a while I guess I'll go help Robin now-" I started, " Oh! I just saw Steve and her switch." Max told me, and I nodded. Well shit. I have nothing to distract me from that gorgeous face. He's so damn pretty.

I know she's a little different...okay a lot different. She's taller than me by about 5 inches, her hair is short and blonde, and she has bangs, mine is long and dark. And her eyes are brown, mine aren't.

But we'd be a cuter couple anyways if he does date her. Opposites attract? Chrissy said something like that.

" You're quiet." Eddie stated, gently moving hair off of my shoulder. I looked up to see the whole group looking at me.

" Oh, me? My bad- uh-" shit I need an excuse, " I thought you would talk more because he's-" El started but stopped from the look Maxine gave her.

"Just thinking." I said to them. Will and Eddie then began to talk about D&D. While Mike and Lucas joined in, Max leaned over to me.

" Something else happened. I know it. You got quiet after he showed up."

"I-" My read-headed friend raised her eyebrows and shot me a look, " Okay! There was this party right? I went with him, you know, we went together. And I told him his friends could come, his two friends that I know. But somehow Jess showed up." I rambled, but she seemed to be pretty interested.

I noticed Eddie turned his head for a second as I told Max. So I lowered my volume a little. " Okay, so I went to go see one of my friends, key word see, and then I went back to Eddie, he was talking to his friends so I went back outside and told his to meet me there."

" He ditched me for her. Like he never came outside, and when he did he was with her, basically chasing her down, because she was drunk, I guess, but mostly everyone else was drunk or making out with someone, so I was all alone." Max then looked up at me, "That's it? He just ditched you?"

" I wish that was it! One my friends, Patrick, he came to hang out with me, then, did I mention she was drunk? She pushed me into the pool, and it was really embarrassing. But the most aggravating part is that Eddie hasn't done anything, hasn't talked to her, but I don't really remember that happened after that."

" Ariel! Stop dating assholes!" Max exclaimed, "He's not an asshole. He's sweet, I just think we're stuck, hopefully when school starts next week I'll have to courage to do something, but I'm also scared." Max smiled, " I'll do it for you!" I shook my head and smiled back at her.

" I don't know. Maybe I'm taking this too seriously, but I feel like at some point we were falling-the feelings were strong. But she came along and it just feels different. Before we were moving forward. But now we're moving back. Never mind, I'm probably just being dramatic." I expressed to Max.

"I feel like you should talk to him. He clearly doesn't understand. Or maybe show her that he's your girlfriend."

" That's what I was doing, I think, but I think I was doing it wrong. Bil-a friend has given me really good advice." I told her, " Billy? My step-brother, Billy? You can't trust a thing he says."

" No not Billy! We're friends, but he's not very good at that I don't think." The plan! Getting rid of JE, J+E. I would feel bad ruining a friendship, but it's clearly more.

Also Chrissy said that I should shoot my move, and I am. Right?

"Ariel, can I ask you something, like privately?"
Eddie's voice whispers into my ear, I nod and stand up, " I'll be back."

I lead Eddie to a bench outside, I know Robin or Steve would be in the break room. " Are you mad at me? I heard my name a few times. I didn't upset you, did I?"

" Oh, Eddie no- I'm just going to be honest with you and myself. There's something I really want to talk about with you, a few things, but I don't really know to approach it. One of the things I've been wondering for a while, but I- "

He looked at me as I stopped talking, " You know what, just forget I even brought it up. It's not that serious." Okay I'm lying to myself here. I really wanna know, does he really love me? Would he ever even date me, am I just for now? Is he loosing feelings? I'm stressing my self out.

I'm so stressed.