i walked into the cafeteria for lunch after fourth period.
i saw Eddie and his senior friends at their table already, then saw jason and his goons watching my every move.
i shook my hair into my face to cover the bruise around my eye and kept my head down as i walked past them, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing my collar and yanking me backwards.
i saw jason's face creep into my vision and i sighed softly.
"hey dyke, where do you think you're going? bathroom's back the way you came." he said in a low tone, straight into my ear.
"i'm going to give someone something, and then i'm leaving." i said, staring straight ahead.
"well go on then, deliver your gift and leave. people like you don't belong here." he spat, walking back to his table.
i took a deep breath, fighting off watering eyes and walked over to eddie's table, stopping just beside him.
"hey, this is for you, a thank you for yesterday." i said, sliding two tabs into my sleeve from my pocket and under his leather jacket, sitting it between his skin and the fabric.
"sit down, i'll introduce you." he smiled up at me.
"i cant, i'm sorry." i said softly, hitting his shoulder gently before turning and walking out of the cafeteria and into the bathroom.
i went to the end stall as per usual and sat on the ground against the wall.
i heard footsteps running toward the door and then inside, then they stopped.
"winnie?" eddie's voice called.
"what are you doing in here?" i asked, looking at his shoes under the stall door.
"what's going on?" he asked, walking to the end stall and stopping.
i stayed silent, trying to think of a lie.
"did jason say something?" he asked after a moment, sitting with his back against the stall door.
"it's stupid, you wouldn't get it." i answered, poking his back.
he flinched forward, turning so he was facing me.
"what did he say?"
"it's stupid, don't worry about it."
"winnie, what did he say?" he repeated.
"he called me a dyke, and said people like me don't belong in this school." i spat, leaning back against the cold, tiled wall.
"open the door." he said, pulling himself to his feet.
"why?" i asked.
"just trust me, open the door."
i sighed and stood up, picking my bag up and slinging it over my shoulder before sliding the lock and pulling the door open.
he put his hands out for mine to take.
i placed my hands lightly in his and he pulled me towards the counter.
he turned me and picked me up by the waist, sitting me down on the cold marble.
he tucked my hair out of my face and pulled me into a kiss, his left hand finding home along my jaw.
"would you let me do that if you were gay?" he asked, looking deeply into my eyes.
i shook my head.
"what about this?" he asked, creeping his right hand up from my waist to my breast, running his thumb over my piercings and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"i'm definitely not gay." i nodded, leaning into his touch.
"then don't let him tell you otherwise. you know the truth." he said, planting another soft kiss on my lips and helping me down from the counter.
we walked into the cafeteria and he sat down, moving his bag from the seat beside him so i could sit.
"sit, darling." he looked up at me through his eyebrows, patting the wooden beam beside him.
i nodded and pulled my bag off my shoulder, placing it on my lap as i sat down, quietly rummaging through it's contents for the lunch holly had made for me.
"fellas, this is Winifred, she's wheeler's sister." he introduced, putting his hand under the table and onto my thigh, running his thumb up and down, occasionally giving it a gentle squeeze.
"hi." i said softly, keeping my head down.
"a girl, with hellfire, really?" one of the guys questioned.
"what about it?" he asked.
"she just...doesn't really belong here. hellfire club is all dudes and dnd, is she even info that stuff?" he teased.
"i am." i nodded, keeping my voice down.
"speak up lady, i couldn't hear you." he smirked.
"shut up, don't be a dick." eddie warned.
"dude she doesn't belong here, just admit it."
"oh she doesn't belong here but your fuckbuddy did?" he responded.
"it's fine, i'll just go. i don't wanna cause shit." i said to eddie, taking my sandwich and standing up.
"sit." he looked up at me.
"hey winnie, you sitting with us?" mike asked, coming up behind me.
"i was-"
"yes, she's sitting with us from now on." eddie answered for me, death glaring the guy that was being a dick.
"alright, at least you're out of the bathroom." mike joked.
"you knew about that?" i asked, watching as he sat near me on the opposite side of the table.
"yeah, didn't everyone?" he shrugged.
i nodded softly, pulling small pieces of my sandwich off and eating them.
"why do you eat it like that?" eddie asked, staring at me with fascination.
"what do you mean?" i asked, furrowing my brows in confusion.
"just bite it, like this." he smirked, leaning over and biting into the side of the sandwich.
"gross, now i have your germs on my sandwich." i joked.
"seriously, just bite- why is it crunchy?" he asked, looking down at the sandwich.
"my 7 year old sister made it, i wouldn't be surprised if it was a chunk of eggshell from her breakfast."
he fake gagged before swallowing it.
"wheeler, how many siblings do you have?" he asked, looking down the table at mike.
"i'm one of four, nance, winnie, me and then holly." he called, nodding slightly towards the newsletter club table where nancy sat.
"right, got it. seriously though, for a 7 year old she makes a mean sandwich." he whispered to me.
i giggled slightly, picking apart the bread and putting the empty paper sleeve back into my bag before picking up the tube of yogurt holly had also given me.
(i know go-gurt was a 90's thing, but just pretend)
"do you have scissors?" i asked eddie.
"don't you?" he questioned.
"i'm not allowed to have scissors because i cut my own hair."
he nodded, rummaging through his bag.
"i don't have a pair of scissors, but i do have a knife?"
"that'll work." i nodded, handing it to him to cut.
he stabbed through the top of the tube and handed it back to me, putting the knife back in his pocket.
"thank you." i smiled, licking the top of it.
he once again, watched me, mesmerized by how i ate it.
"you're doing that staring thing again." i said to him, looking into his eyes.
he looked away and pretended he wasn't.
"you want some?" i asked, offering him the tube of yogurt.
"i'm good, i'm good." he nodded, turning back towards me.