It's been over two weeks since we moved out from Ohio. Things have gotten pretty odd. The guy Eddie that I met in the woods is always looking at me, he tries to make small talk all the time that we share paths. Oh, and the golden retriever captain of the basketball team is kinda hitting on me too, even though he has a girlfriend. Douchebag.
Both of them are annoying.
In other news, Rose, it's on my back every time I get home. So it hasn't been anything good happening lately, well the only thing good is that it's already lunch. I'm starving.
Walking inside the cafeteria like every other teenager here. I see someone standing at one of the tables.
"Partiesssss." Eddie says with a childish tone while he stands on one of the tables. "Or games where you toss baaaaaalls into laundry baskets!" I see what he meant by that as Jason gets up from his table.
"You want something freak?" Jason threatens, and Eddie answers with a wired face, mocking him.
They are so childish, oh my god.
As I walk beside Eddie's table, he jumps from the table to the floor. He barely touched me. I walk past and when he notices it was me he makes some kind of reverence.
"Princess." I roll my eyes at his nickname.
Eddie Munson
Hanna walks past me, leaving her scenes of vanilla on the way.
"Who was that?" I hear Dustin asking, while I can't take my eyes off her.
"The prettiest girl in school and maybe in all Hawkins too," I say, placing my arms between Dustin and Mike shoulders.
They laugh at my words.
"And she is joining our club soon."
"How do you know that?" Mike asks.
"Just a feeling," I smirk. "Well guys, see you later, I have some...business to do," I say taking the black metal box where I keep the drugs to then leave where I can smoke peacefully, and hopefully she will be there.
Hanna O'Connell
"Someone seems to be enjoying my spot." I hear Eddie coming from behind me as I sit on the bench table.
"I don't see your name anywhere."
"Douche." He says, placing the metal box I've seen before beside me, to take a seat himself after that, like there wasn't any more place to sit in.
I take a sip of my bottle of water, trying to ignore his presence. I hear something gnash. From my peripheral vision, I see him opening the metal box and taking a pack of cigarettes out of it. Lighten it to then suck on it.
"Do you smoke?" He asks, offering his cigarette while he blows the smoke from the corner of his mouth.
I don't want to take anything from him but I haven't smoked in a while and I could really use one.
Whatever.
I take the cigarette and bring it to my lips to then suck on the tobacco. The feeling brings some kind of ease to my body.
"Thanks." I gave him back the cigarette.
"Oh, she does speak." Eddie fakes a surprised tone.
"Shut up."
"You're welcome." He answers.
And just like that, Eddie and I stayed in silence. Passing the cigarette from one to another. No small talk, just two strangers sharing a cigarette.
It oddly felt...nice.
After the moment that we had in the woods, Eddie and me, I can't stop thinking about him. To the point that the last bell rang, announcing that classes had ended, and the professor had to shake my shoulder to get me out of my thoughts. What the hell is happening to me?
While waiting at the bus stop I think I hear my name, but it felt like a whisper in the distance so ignore it.
¨Hanna!¨ Now for sure I heard my name.
I turn my head to the side to see Eddie driving his bicycle in my direction. My heart starts accelerating.
¨Do you want a ride?¨ He speaks as he stops in front of me. I cross my arms as I feel like my heart is going to get out of my chest.
¨Not to be mean, but I dont think we fit in...that.¨
¨Well if you want to wait for the next bus another...¨ He checks the watch in his left hand. ¨Two hours because the first bus just left. It's your choice.¨
I sigh, taking my eyes another place because I can't look at his without feeling something on my belly. ¨Fine. I will take your offer.¨
¨You will have to go in the middle of the handlebar.¨ Eddie instructs by taking my grist as he sits on the bicycle to bring me in front of the handlebar. He even helps me by lifting me by my hips. His touch felt so warm even with my jeans in between.
I had to let a controlled breath out because this is too much for me right now.
Eddie drives us away from the bus stop to the road. The air hit me and his face.
Wait... I was so distracted that he didn't notice the redness in my cheeks that I never told him where I live.
I'm so stupid.
¨Eddie?¨ He hums, placing his head aligned with mine.
¨I just remembered that I never told you where I live.¨ He laughs.
God, if I wasn't red enough, his laugh just make me look like a tomato.
¨Where do you live, princess?¨
¨Um- on the trailers of east of Hawkins. Do you...¨
¨Yeah I know where is it.¨ His change of tone took me off guard.
¨Ok.¨
Thank god, we weren't that far from where I live. I dont think I would survive any other moment being that close to Eddie.
Entering the residences down the avenue that leads to the houses at the back where my trailer is located. I felt the steepness of the street make me slip a little making me struggle to hold on, but Eddie let go of one of the handlebars to hold me by the hip helping me stay in place.
We stop in the middle of the street. I jump on the handlebar, while Eddie hops off from his seat.
¨Thanks for the ride, Eddie.¨
Eddie Munson
My name coming out of her mouth felt so forbidden and good at the same time.
¨No problem Hanna.¨ I wanted to call her princess so bad but I have to control myself. I've never acted towards someone as I do with her.
I clear my throat. ¨Well I have to go, I have a war to win.¨ she raises her brow not understanding what I meant. ¨I'll explain later.¨
¨You are so weird.¨ Half a smile shows on her lips.
¨No for anything, people call me Eddie the freak Munson.¨ I do some kind of reverence that makes a shy laugh come out of her. ¨See ya'.¨ The hellfire club doesn't start until 8:00 pm but I don't want her to know that we live in the same neighborhood. At least not for now.
Hanna O'Connell
After saying goodbye to Eddie, I felt my heart beating at its normal phase. Opening the door from the trailer, I see my mom sitting on the sofa with tears in her eyes.
"Mom? Are you okay?" I give a step forward to where she is.
She sighs with a fake laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Everything is fine, honey." She says as she gets up from the sofa. "Ruby is doing homework in her room, I will check if she is done so we can go shopping at the mall." She explained dodging eye contact.
What happened?
I kept looking at the sofa as if it was going to give me a clue.
"Anna! Did you eat something at school?" My mom shouts at me from my room.
"Yes!" I shout back.
"Ok, your sister already finished her homework, so we can go now." She smiles, holding eye contact for a second to then looking away.
Ruby comes behind her as they walk out of my room.
"How was school?" I ask Ruby as she walks in front of me. She doesn't answer.
It was that bad, huh?
I huff, walking to the outside to get in the car.
The ride was quiet. My mom always tries to make us talk to her about how school and if wears friends and things like that, but she was silent too. I want to ask her if that was wrong, but as always she won't tell me, she never wants to tell me things. Not even if I can help her.
That is something I hate about her, even more, because I'm like that too.
As we walk into the mall, my mom holds Ruby's hand while I walk with my arms crossed on my chest. I've never liked to go shopping since my mom used to dress me the way she wanted me to, not giving a shit about my opinion.
"Ruby, do you want some ice cream?" Ruby nods at my mother's question. "Come on, girls, this place has some delicious ice cream." She walked us to a store called Scoops Ahoy.
What the...
The name really stands for the decoration. The place looks like a wanna be 'pirate boat' and there is a guy with a sailor costume that a child would wear for Halloween.
"Good evening." My mom says to the boy in front of the counter that separates us.
"Miss O'Connell, how are you?" The boy with well-styled hair says.
"We are doing fine, thank you for asking, Steve." She smiles. "Oh, these are my daughters, Hanna and Ruby." The boy turns to look at us.
Did she just say, Steve?!
He looks at Ruby, then at me. He raises his eyebrows as he meets my eyes with mine.
"Hi," Steve says.
I give him a nod.
"She so shy." My mom says, brushing my hair with her hand.
Steve smiles.
Oh my god, he has the smile of a charmer.
What is more annoying, a douchebag golden retriever or a charmer? I mentally roll my eyes.
"Mom, I forgot, I have to do a project for tomorrow for...history." I lie.
She glared at me for a second before putting her perfect mask on.
"She's not like this, she has been exhausted with the move." My mom tried to explain to Steve.
"Don't worry, Miss O'Connell, we will meet at another time." I noticed Steve lying at this point.
"Oh yeah, she could really use a friend...or even more." I widen my eyes at her words.
"Mom!"
"I'm just saying."
"Let's just leave."
"Fine, sorry, she doesn't like mama to get involved." Steve looks at her like he comprehends, then he laughs a little. My mom doesn't notice as she asks Ruby what flavor she wants.
Chocolate mint, like always.