𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏: 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲?
𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧: 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨
"𝐖𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬... 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞"
(this part right here is just the background of Eddie and my character if you don't want to read it you can scroll)
Date: September 9, 1972
"You're such a loser with your shaved head you look like an eagle" they smaller bullies taunted him.
Eddie didn't seem to mind or care about how they kept making fun of him. They had pushed him to the floor and taken out all of his school supplies from his backpack.
"If you don't stop-"
"Or what? You're gonna run to mommy?" they all laughed. "Yeah, your crackhead mommy" another taunted having them laugh once more. They pushed and yanked Eddie around, throwing his backpack to the floor and destroying his belongings. Most of his stuff were now wet and muddy. Drawings, Homework, even his favorite toy, all ruined.
Once the bullies had left Eddie started to pick his stuff up. He held back tears just thinking about the massive beating he'd receive once his dad saw the mess.
"You shouldn't listen to what those dummies say" a sudden girly voice appeared.
Eddie looked up to see one of his many unknown classmates. He knew who she was but didn't know her name. He scoffed and kept picking his stuff up.
"Like I care what they say about me" he said without looking at her.
She bent down to help him only to have Eddie swat her hand away. "Stop trying to help me! I don't need your help!" he yelled and pushed her to the floor.
She stood up angry and balled her hands into fists landing a straight blow to his cheek.
Back at her home her parents bickered at her for punching his face even though he deserved it. "Jupiter we raised you better than this" Her mom pinched her nose and shook her head in clear disappointment.
"It's not my fault! he pushed me when all I wanted was to help him" Jupiter fought back at her parents "he was getting bullied by other boys. I couldn't just stand around and do nothing about it! they destroyed his stuff!".
Her dad however wanted to punish her for her actions at school. "That is no excuse for punching him, Elizabeth" her dad said furiously as he unhook his belt.
Jupiter's eyes widened, she knew what was going to happen. She tried to run away from his grip but her childish legs couldn't compare to her dad. She screamed and shrieked calling out to her mom to help her stop her dad.
"James stop! Leave her alone!" her mom pleaded as the dad took his own method into lecturing the young girl. He locked the door and ignored the mothers desperate banging's on the door. With every step he took he'd snap his belt, looking down at Jupiter with eyes filled with rage and hate. Her heart thumped and thumped at a pace so quick she thought it would jump out of her small body waiting for the impact of her fathers belt.
A few hours have passed since her "lecturing". She was inside her room tightly hugging a stuffed animal on her Disney themed bed sheets. The sun had already set and the moon was starting to rise making her room darker than it already felt.
All she could think of was the incident from earlier, the whips of her fathers belt damaging her fragile body, how it ached even to make the smallest of movements. But of course this wasn't the first time it has happened. These "lectures" she'd receive from her father occurred many times for the past year or two.
Her mom has tried defending her but would only witness how she'd get hurt as well. Even if her mother had the chance to actually stop her dad that would only result in her dad becoming more violent and hit her mom for even attempting to save her.
"Jupiter?" her mom called out softly for her from her bedroom door. Seeing as she didn't respond she sat on the edge of her bed in silence.
"I made you a cake downstairs and your favorite food too" she said in hopes Jupiter would respond but received nothing but silence.
Jupiter never answered for three reasons; 1. Whenever she gets sad or in a emotional state she goes completely mute; 2. She didn't want to leave her room she would rather rot in it; and number 3. The idea of having to pretend that she wasn't abused by her dad on her birthday was mentally draining for her.
Her mom sighed in defeat seeing as her daughter was completely quiet and not forming an answer she stood up to leave the room but not before she finally heard her speak.
"Wait for me", her voice was wobbly and raspy from crying too much. With every small movement she made she hid a small noise of pain.
Usually on her birthday her parents would take her out and get her anything she could ever want or desire, then they would stop to eat at a fancy restaurant and sing happy birthday to her. But all that stopped a long time ago. Last time that happened it was on her third birthday. Today she was turning six and so far she hasn't been having a good day and all she really wanted was to eat and go back to sleep without saying a single word.
What Jupiter didn't know was that her mom had invited Eddie over. Once she saw the bald boy she punched earlier today she hid behind her mom legs wanting to stay feet's away from him.
Her mom seemed to noticed her frightened state and bent down to Jupiter's level to look at her bright hazel eyes, "Just try to get along with him, okay?". She looked at Eddie with an annoyed face and then back to her mom where she just nodded her head.
Her mom and the other adult left to the kitchen while she and Eddie sat on the dinner table playing with the food, neither of them wanting to say a word.
"I'm sorry for pushing you at school". Eddie spoke up trying to at least break the awkward silence but received no answer so he stayed quiet again.
"Did your dad force you to say that?" Jupiter finally spoke up.
"That's not my dad that's my uncle and no he didn't force me to say that"
"Well, did your uncle force you to come here?". Eddie nodded his head. She went back to staring at her with a sad look on her face.
"You're the first one to ever come to my birthday even if it's by force" she mumbled the last part hoping he wouldn't hear it. Eddie did in fact hear what she mumbled. Those words were having a million knives stab him in the chest.
"You should eat the food mom made. She gets really sad when people don't eat her food".
They both sat there in silence once more eating the food until Eddie saw something that caught his attention
"You like scooby-doo?" he motioned to her socks that she had on. She nodded her head.
"Who's your favorite character?" Eddie asked excitedly. This was the first time he had ever seen anyone interested in the same things as him.
"I like Velma a lot but i also shaggy and obviously Scoob. Do you like candy candy?"
"What? No, that's a girly show"
"You're lame"
"No I'm not!" Eddie yelled in defense. He suddenly got confused when he saw her laughing so hard her face turned red.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Be-because-" she couldn't speak from her immense amounts of laughter. "Because you have a juice mustache". Eddie licked his front lip which in fact did have a fruit mustache and made him laugh too. "Look! Now we both have fruit mustaches!" Jupiter pointed to the top of her lips while giggling.
This small and dumb thing made Eddie burst out in laughter. He had never laughed so hard before in his life and let alone with a girl when everyone avoided him for being a freak.
"What's your name?" he asked.
She quiet down and stared at her cup with a frown. "You're going to make fun of my name, aren't you?"
Eddie shook his head. "No I won't I just genuinely don't know your name and I know it sounds stupid 'cus we're in the same class and all that but I never really bothered to care about anyone's name".
Which is actually true. Eddie never cared about his classmates and he never had any friends so why should he care about their names when no one bothered to care about his? But this girl was different. This random girl from his class that punched him and got forced to come to her birthday made him feel a different emotion than the ones he's used to feeling; anger, sadness, fear. Just one simple moment with her made him feel happy.
"I'm Edward Munson but my uncle calls me Eddie". He thought that by saying his name it would persuade her to say hers but received silence. He was starting to think that Jupiter liked being quiet.
"It's Jupiter" she replied.
"What's Jupiter?"
"My name. My name is Jupiter Elizabeth Jones but my mom calls me JJ"
In Eddie's mind the name Jupiter was like hearing a choir of angels sing. Taking to note every detail about her. Her big hazel eyes and short curly hair. To him she was no longer a stranger.
"It's a stupid name everyone says so" she mumbles while she plays with the empty plate.
Eddie was a nobody in his class. He was also a very quiet student so everything he did went unnoticed, it was like he wasn't there in the first place. But he always saw how they teased her and made fun of everything she did or had.
"It's not. I like the name it's very...." he choked on his words not wanting to say what he really wanted to say "Unique. It's a unique name that no one else has".
Jupiter's eyes lit in excitement hearing that Eddie liked her name. "You don't think it's lame?"
He shook his head. "I think it's badass".
This was the first time someone outside her family had said something nice about her name. When everyone thought it was lame or weird or even atrocious, Eddie admitted to liking her name.
"So does that mean we're friends?" he asked nervously thinking she was going to reject him.
"Best friends" Jupiter held out her hand and shook it with Eddie's.
That was her one and only friend in her whole life, Eddie Munson.
They spent two years together in Hawkins before she moved to a different state. Eddie was devastated to hear the news that his only friend was moving far away from him.
"Mom and Dad say that starting a new life would help them, or at least that's what they think it'll help" she told Eddie. When she moved they both stayed in touch with letters and occasional calls here and there. Jupiter and her mom would come stay in Hawkins for spring break and summer.
At least until one summer Eddie received what apparently was his last and final letter from Jupiter.
In the letter it was written how Jupiter hated him and never wanted to know about him anymore. Eddie didn't believe the letter and assumed it was a lie. He and his uncle called and called time and time again to Jupiter's house only to have her mom answer. Jupiter's mom said that Jupiter did hate him but couldn't bring herself to tell him so she wrote it.
Eddie's uncle demanded to hear it from Jupiter.
"I'm sorry but Jupiter won't be home for a while. She's at a special hospital receiving treatment" was her response.
His uncle confused as hell demanded again a different answer and explanation. "What kind of special treatment? is she sick? did she get cancer?" he asked.
"I'm sorry mister Munson but I cannot regard that information"
"For Christ sakes, Sophia. My boy's been going crazy ever since he got that letter saying she hated him, hasn't even left his room at all" he sighed on the phone trying to recompose himself. "Please, just put her on the phone. That's all I'm asking".
Before she could answer someone interrupted her. "Who's on the phone?". He recognized that voice in the background, it was Jupiter's dad.
"I'm sorry but you have the wrong number" Was all she said before she hung up the phone.
Eddie's uncle sighed and slammed the phone. "Shit" he muttered under his breath.
"It's okay. She clear in that letter that she wanted to do nothing about me, so be it" Eddie said. Deep down Eddie knew that something about the letter was off. Not wanting to overthink everything anymore he shrugged those feelings off and shoved them deep down in himself. An action that would serve him no good in the future.
Ten years have passed since Jupiter last talked to Eddie or knew about him. In that ten year gap Jupiter escaped from the lab she was in and reunited with her only known friend, El (she and El were in the same lab together and formed a inseparable bond) and unintentionally made new friends as well. That and add about two life threating world ending wars with Demogorgons, baby Demogorgons, Mind Flayers, Russian commies and portals to interdimensional worlds.
After El lost her powers Joyce thought it was a good idea to move out of Hawkins. Jupiter agreed and this wouldn't be the first time she moved to a different state. She moved to Lenora California with Will, El, Jonathan and Joyce ready to start a new life, hoping different things would occur.
Or at least that's what she thought....
Current year: 1986
Today was the day Jupiter would leave for her flight to Hawkins. She sat in the airport chairs with her headphones over her head listening to the cranberries. Jupiter was so entangled in her thoughts that she didn't notice Argyle calling her name.
"Jupiter!". She was snapped out of her trance with Argyle snapping his fingers at her to get her attention, "they just called your flight".
"Sorry" she mumbles. She picked up her stuff from the floor which was just two suitcases and a purse.
"Just promise me you'll be safe" Joyce said, nervous as she always was whenever Jupiter left to a place that was far.
"I will. You don't have to worry about me Joyce I'll be fine" She reassured her. Joyce was always very protective of Jupiter but deep down she knew Jupiter wouldn't betray her trust.
Jupiter gave each of them a long hug but hugged El the longest. "Please be safe while I'm gone, okay? And have lots of fun with Mike too".
El nodded her head fighting back the tears that she ultimately just released when Jupiter hugged her again. "I will but you have to promise you'll be back safely" El said holding out her pinky finger. Jupiter softly chuckled at her. "I pinky promise that I will" she said as they intertwined their pinkies together.
She waved goodbye on the escalators seeing how smaller and smaller they got till Jupiter couldn't see not even their silhouette. This was her first time travelling alone in a plane. She was going to spend spring break in Hawkins, or at least that was what she had told them. She usually never lies to Joyce but in this particular situation she had to. If Joyce had known the reason behind this spring break trip Jupiter wouldn't have been able to go through with her plan.
A part of Jupiter still lives in Hawkins and it's not just for the memories but a specific person that lives there. Two weeks before her flight she sent him a letter but now that she thinks about it that probably would've scared him. After all he hasn't seen her in years, ten years to be exact so she wouldn't be surprised if he thought she was dead.
"Miss, please put your seatbelt on". The flight attendant said.
Jupiter placed her headphones on and played a mix tape she had made of her favorite songs before leaving so she wouldn't shuffle through different cassettes.
(For context she's listening to Dreams by the cranberries)
Jupiter although nervous about being in a plane she found it comforting seeing the clouds mixed in with the pink, orange and yellow colors of the sunset.
While stuck in a loop of her thoughts she began to think about his reaction when he sees her after ten years. Will he pissed? mad? disappointed? heartbroken? millions and millions of different scenarios ran through her mind like a tornado where he'd yell at her and cuss her out. Despite the constant overthinking, deep down in her heart a part of her hoped that he still knew she existed and they'd reunite and be best friends again. But a different part of her felt that he hated her guts and completely eradicated her existence from his brain.
At times she likes to believe that somewhere, hopefully, deep inside his brain there's still fragments of his memories with her.
-Two weeks ago-
"Hey Eddie!"
Eddie heard his uncle call out to him while he was peacefully trying to light a joint. He ignored him thinking it was just to tell him that he couldn't keep getting to school late and kept trying to light his joint.
"EDDIE!" his uncle yelled louder.
"ALRIGHT I HEARD YOU". Eddie groaned and cursed multiple times 'shit' under his breath. He threw his stuff to the ground and hid it under his dirty pile of clothes to go check what he wanted.
"What is it?" Eddie asked in a annoyed tone.
"There's a letter here for you" his uncle said between his cigarette. He handed Eddie a red envelope with multiple stamps and his trailers address on it which was weird since no one knew where he lived.
"Who's it from?" Eddie looked at the letter from the back and the front multiple times still confused as to who sent it.
His uncle shrugged his shoulders and kept rummaging through the other letters. Eddie turned around to walk to his room again till his uncle stopped him one more time. "Oh and by the way I found a old box of pictures of you and that girl you always hung out with as a kid".
Eddie's eyes shot to him when he said that. He questioned if he was referring to Jupiter the only girl that ever got near him. "Who? Jupiter?".
"I don't remember what her name was all I remember is the punch she gave you at school" he laughed at that. "Can't believe a girl freaking punched you and then became friends with her".
Eddie rolled his eyes at him, "Yeah whatever" he mumbled. Eddie closed his bedroom door and sat on the floor where he originally was before his uncle interrupted him. He inhaled the smoke and softly bowed it out. Eddie wasn't a huge fan of smoking or getting high if not he was rather internally disgusted by it. At times whenever he was tense or stressed out about something or just really needed a distraction from his loud mind he'd crush his grams, roll it and smoke while his favorite vinyl's played in the background.
Eddie turned his head to the side and saw the box was next to the edge of his bed labeled under 'Kids memories'. Inside was just pictures of him with who used to be his best friend, the girl that never mistreated him.
With every picture he saw it brought a smile, a sad and melancholic one. He had forgotten about those pictures but he had never forgotten about his only best friend and the letters they both promise they'd send to each other when she moved away from Hawkins.
Dear Eddie:
I finally moved into my new home IT'S HUGE. I also finally have my own bedroom as well and it's very different to the one i had back in Hawkins. Mom seems to be happier too. She got a new job she really loves! I guess she was right all along.
I also started my new school but i havent made any new friends. They're all mean and awful and they don't like the sames things i do.
I miss you a lot Eddie:( Utah isnt as fun as Hawkins but in all honesty Hawkins isnt fun at all the only reason it was even fun to begin with was because of you. You made my days in Hawkins fun and i miss them:(
I hope we get to see each other one day. Mom says we'll visit Hawkins in summer or maybe spring break! So that way we'll spend time together!
Lots of love,
J.J. (Jupiter Jones)
Eddie couldn't help but smile remembering when she mentioned that she used JJ as a way to shorten her name. He had been shoving these emotions down for years till he found the final picture they took before she moved away. She wore the same oversized Metallica shirt he had in his uncles couch in this very trailer. That day they ate their favorite ice cream and watched their favorite movie. That day was the last he ever felt truly happy.
He wiped the tears that had slipped from him and regained his composure when he remembered the sudden abrupt letter that ended his friendship with her and to his surprise his uncle still kept it even after all these years. He took it out and read it feeling the same emotions he felt when he read it for the first time.
Eddie pushed his head against his bed letting his emotions get the best of him. He was starting to think that reading the letter while high wasn't the best idea. He shook his head and shoved the letter into his jacket.
He pushed the box away from him and grabbed the letter his uncle had given him. The envelope smelled weird like it had perfume on it but This wasn't just any perfume this was a girly perfume and a expensive one at that.
He couldn't tell who it's from since Eddie never really talked to girls, or anyone at all outside of his D&D club. When he opened up the envelope multiple cut up letters fell from it. Whoever sent him this must be pretty into true crime or just loves being mysterious. Thinking it was just some random asshole pulling a prank on him he placed the letters back inside the envelope and threw it in his trash can.
"fucking mistake doing this" he said. He threw his body on his mattress, overwhelmed and exhausted by his thoughts and feelings about Jupiter. His constant thoughts about her made him so tired to the point he eventually just fell asleep.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning he saw his uncle in the kitchen sipping Coffee which caught him by surprise since he works night shifts at the plant he rarely sees him at all. "Morning Ed".
"Morning" Eddie awkwardly replied to him. "Feels odd seeing you here so early".
"Yeah I know. Feels weird being here so early too. By the way I found another one of those letters for you".
Eddie furrowed his brows as he grabbed another red envelope, this time decorated with drawn butterflies. He pushed the envelope into the backpocket of his jeans so he could throw it away later.
Eddie still disturbed by his thoughts from last night he decided to ask his uncle a question. "Can I ask something?"
"Sure go ahead"
"After all these years, why did you keep the last letter she sent me? I'm just genuinely curious..."
"Cus' you really expect me to believe all that crap that she hated your guts and never wanted to be your friend? Bullshit. If anyone with common sense saw how she acted around you they'd knew that girl never had no hate in her bones, especially to you. Hell! I'd go as far as saying she had a crush on you!"
Eddie choked on his coffee and coughed violently all while his uncle laughed at him. "For an old man you still have jokes in you".
"Aw, c'mon Eddie. You can't convince me that girl didn't like you or do you think I was so stupid I never noticed the way you'd look at that her? The way you'd gawk or stared at her all those times she visited for spring break and summer? Please Eddie I'm old not blind" his uncle scoffed.
"Yeah yeah whatever I had a silly crush on her and did nothing about it because I thought she didn't like me back but back to the topic of the conversation, what if she's dead?"
His uncle loudly laughed. "You really are a stupid boy. No wonder you can't pass high school".
"Shut up and answer my question" Eddie was starting to get very annoyed at his uncle ignoring his question and deviating from it.
"You tryin' to tell me that girl is dead? Eddie, don't you think if she actually did die her mom wouldn't have called? I'd say it was that son of a bitch James that wrote that letter, lord knows he hated you." James was Jupiter's dad and he really but REALLY hated Eddie's guts. He never really liked Eddie's behavior or how he influenced his daughter so he did everything he could to take her away from him.
"Yeah well I say she's dead and her family just didn't care much about telling us"
"Whatever you say just get your ass to school".
He dismissed what he said and just waved him goodbye. Throughout the whole car ride from the trailer park to school he kept thinking about his uncles words. He wasn't wrong when he said he liked Jupiter. It wasn't even a crush Eddie was genuinely head over heels for his best friend and he'd be lying even after years of no communication he still didn't have a crush on her. He thought it was stupid to still think of her even after ten years.
When Eddie Arrived to school he realized he was so deep and stuck within his own thoughts he didn't even play music like he usually does. He turned off the car and sighed deeply, banging his head against the wheel. He kept wondering as to why after ten years her name was brought up again. He pushed the thoughts away not wanting to think about it anymore.
But that task certainly failed.
At lunch time he was just as distracted. He didn't even hear his club members calling out to him. "Hey Eddie" Dustin called out to him but received no response. "EDDIE!" now that snapped him from his thoughts.
"Dude are you okay? You seem distracted..." Gareth asked.
"Yeah I'm fine I just got so buzzed last night I barely slept a wink". That was a lie but believable enough for his companions. He couldn't just randomly tell them that his childhood best friend had potentially had come back from the dead.
They all just collectively nodded their heads and went back to their original conversation. But Dustin knew something was up because Eddie wasn't acting like his usual self.
"Hey Eddie" Dustin called out to him but received just a small 'Hm?' In response. "Are you sure you're okay? You just seem out of it...more than usual"
Eddie internally sighs and rubs his eyes debating if he should tell him or not. "Did you ever have a best friend that just one day magically told you they hated your guts and never wanted to be friends with you ever again? and just disappeared?"
They both shook their heads.
"You know, way but way before I met you guys I used to have a best friend. A girl best friend"
Dustin and Mike looked at Eddie confused. They thought he was lying. "You? With a girl? That's highly impossible" Mike said.
Eddie softly chuckles knowing that was true. "Yeah I know but this girl...she was different, way more different than all the other girls".
"What happened to her?" Dustin asked already invested on who this mysterious girl was.
"She had to move out of state but she promised she would write to me and she did but one day she sent this letter saying she hated my guts and never wanted to be friends with me". Eddie fiddled around with the letter he had mistakenly put inside his jacket. The envelope was a dirty white and now it was smeared with dirt.
"With no explanation whatsoever?"
Eddie shook his head. Seeing how even to Dustin and Mike that weird Dustin grabbed the letter from Eddie's hands and turned over to Mike. Eddie thought it was a stupid idea if they tried to uncover the mystery of his old best friend but deep down he still believed there was a chance she was still out there.
Throughout the rest of the school day Eddie couldn't pay attention even if he wanted to. He was unable to stop thinking about Jupiter or his memories with her. The only thing that would snap him from the trance was the bell.
In each class he would be reminded of things Jupiter liked. Science it reminded him of that one time she saved a bunny from being crushed and how she mentioned weird animal facts she knew from books she'd read in the library. He also remembered that Jupiter has an intense fear of thunder and lightning. Whenever it would pour and she heard even the slightest sound that could be thunder she would hide under the coffee table wrapped around in a blanket till it would pass.
That was one of the many reasons Eddie thought Jupiter was a one in a million. She knew one too many facts including grotesque ones that would weird people out. Her favorite animals were bunnies, bats, cats and dogs. She loved to read books, any book in general. There were times where Eddie would sense she was feeling down so he'd take her to the library and give her a book but the deal was it had to be a book she had never read before.
But she always chose the same books. Pride & Prejudice, Frankestein, Dracula and her all time favorite, Alice in Wonderland.
In his English class he remembered the day he sense that Jupiter wasn't feeling like her usual self. So he took her to her favorite place, the library.
"What book do you wanna read today?" Eddie asked Jupiter.
Jupiter roamed around the halls endlessly not being interested in any of the books showcased to her. "I don't know" she mumbled. Her eyes shot open and speed walked to her favorite section where she grabbed her obviously favorite book.
Eddie rolled his eyes. "Not this book again. Jupiter you've read this book more times than you can count with your own fingers".
"and? imagine how good and well written a book has to be for you to read it over and over again" she waved the book at Eddie's face. "Why don't you go and read comics. I'll stay here and read this".
Eddie smile a bit upon the memory. He wasn't listening at all to what his teacher was saying even if he tried to listen his thoughts would invade him. He thought of a small life for Jupiter in Hawkins high.
He thought if Jupiter was still with him to this day she would've loved to be in advanced English. She had the smarts for it but she would've loved it for the books. He thought that Jupiter would've loved to be in different types of clubs; like book club, art club, music club and drama club. She had a odd fascination for the arts. Eddie would always find Jupiter painting, drawing, reading, re-enacting lines from her favorite book or playing with her fake drum set.
"Hey Eds"
"Yeah?"
"What do you wanna be when you grow up?". The sudden question made Eddie stop from reading his comic and stare at the leaves from the tree.
"I wanna form a band and be super famous. Like Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd"
"Can I be the one to make the logo for your band?"
"Sure!"
He also thought that her favorite subjects would be English and History. Which reminded him that Jupiter also had weird and obscene facts about historical figures that Eddie once told her to never tell anyone else. Her favorite time period was ancient Greece and ancient Egypt and would constantly tell Eddie about Cleopatra and how she should've been known for her intelligence and not because she was with Julius Cesar.
He imagined hanging out with her after school to go to Starcourt (before it got shut down). Going to the bowling alley together and eat pizza. Hanging out in his trailer park helping him do his math homework because he couldn't do math at all but Jupiter was a math whiz even though she absolutely despises the subject.
All these thoughts about Jupiter drained him out. The way he felt couldn't be described with the word sad or depressed, it was a feeling he couldn't even describe. He wanted to leave and get high so he could have his thoughts about Jupiter go away.
Once the class had ended for the day he walked back to his van ready to head home and get buzzed again. Eddie sighed and leaned his head on the steering wheel loudly sighing.
"EDDIE!!!" The sudden scream of Dustin banging his head against the vans windows made him jump back.
"JESUS CHRIST!" Eddie yelled.
"Ed-" Dustin wheezed out "Eddie I think-" with every word Dustin attempted to say would only come out with a wheeze and a puff.
"Henderson, what the hell? you scared the shit out of me" he said as he opened the car door. Dustin was unable to speak. He kept wheezing and having to search for his breath.
"What Dustin can't say is that we cracked the code" Mike said.
Eddie furrowed his brows in confusion. "What code?".
"The letter. The letter was fake. There was a second one to it hidden inside the envelope" Dustin said groaning at his lack of breathing.
"Wait, what?" Eddie asked again still confused on how Dustin and Mike 'cracked' the letter.
Dustin groaned loudly. "Just drive us to your trailer and we'll explain in more detail but all you have to know is that this old girl best friend of yours was in danger and hopefully she's still alive".
With many questions and still confused Eddie felt a small joy in his heart when Dustin said that she still might be alive but he still questioned if she truly was.
"Okay, when was the last time you saw her?" Dustin asked.
"Ten years ago, the day before she left to another state"
"So you received this letter shortly after moved, right? No explanation no nothing?"
"Sounds about right"
"Then if my theory is right this letter is fake because ten years ago she was like what? Nine years old? What nine year old knows how to write this perfect with perfect grammar and punctuation?"
"Well technically she was a very smart girl so I wouldn't be surprised if she already knew how to do all that"
Mike rolled his eyes. "Eddie, even if she did no nine year old would still write like this because they're still learning how to write".
"Exactly no nine year old knows how to use commas or any punctuation correctly"
"So what does this mean?" Eddie asked once more. Mike and Dustin wanted to crash his van and smack Eddie for being so stupid.
"Just get to the trailer park....." Dustin slowly trailed off. The radio in Eddie's van started to garble and change stations by itself.
"Uh... Eddie... did you by any chance turn the radio on?". Eddie shook his head. His heart pounded in fear and confusion. Dustin and Mike both looked at each other with a knowing look.
The radio shifted to different songs till it got to the song Somebody's Watching Me. The song shifted to where it said "I always feel like somebody's watching me (and i have no privacy). Dustin and Mike both look at each other again with the same knowing look. Eddie smacked his radio off to make the music stop forcing everyone to go on a silent drive.
When they arrived at the trailer park Dustin threw his backpack on the floor and slammed the letters on the table that was next to the kitchen. "Yeah sure like this is your house" Eddie mumbled annoyed at Dustin's behavior.
"So in this letter she, or the person who wrote this, made it sound like they hated your guts and never wanted to be friends with you, right? but here's the catch if this really was her how come she didn't give an explanation? People don't stop suddenly being friends with someone without a cause" Dustin said as he placed the letter in front of Eddie.
"Well, her dad hated me and used to say that I was dirty scum and shouldn't be friends with his daughter"
"But then I'd say that would be a really stupid assumption 'cus if he didn't want you to be friends with her he could've just changed her to a different school. He could've done literally anything to keep you away from her but yet he never did UNTIL she moved out of state" Dustin explained.
Eddie just shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe or maybe not. Or... Well... now that you mention it she did say something about that her parents thought she was sick or possessed but never told me anything else"
After Eddie mentioned that now both Dustin and Mike started gluing the pieces together. "What if that something else meant that she was in extreme danger and couldn't tell you why".
"But why would she be in danger? you sound like you're saying that she got kidnapped into area 51 or some shit" Eddie chuckled as he chugged on a beer.
Dustin groaned. "But hear me out. Remember when we told you that there was a enveloped behind the envelope?" he asked.
Eddie nodded his head still not understanding anything what they said and to be quite frank he didn't want to hear anything else from this topic. He just wanted them to get over their stupid theory and move on.
"Henderson I highly doubt that she would've gone through all the trouble in hiding a... secret..." His words were cut off when he saw that Dustin wasn't lying when there was an envelope inside the envelope.
"Your best friend hid this letter because she knew she couldn't openly tell you this in a separate one without getting caught."
Eddies heart was beating in excitement and terror, and a little guilt. After ten years he discovers this when all this time he thought she hated him.
"What does the letter say?" he asks a bit nervous. His hands were shaky when he took the letter from Dustin.
Dear Eds:
I'm writing this letter as quickly as I can before dad sends it to the post office. I'm afraid this might be the last letter you ever receive from me. My dad is sending me away to a special doctor because he thinks I'm sick and beyond a cure.
Two days ago I heard dad talking with mom about him sending me away over a incident that happened. It had been a while since I saw my mom and dad fight but that day I saw their worst one. Dad looked angrier, an anger I never saw from him. I saw the way he started hit mom and tried stopping him but I guess he didn't like that.
I don't know what it is that I did but I was so angry at him that I couldn't let slide how he was treating mom. All I remember was me screaming at him and he flew into the air and hit the kitchen wall. I don't know how I did that but he was scared of me.
I can't say the name of the place or the doctors name at all mom says these are some very bad men.
I don't know what dad wrote in the letter he's going to send to you but I know he's going to pretend to be me but whatever you do don't believe the letter don't believe anything it says.
I hope one day I get to see you again. I plan to escape that place sooner or later and when I do the first thing I'm doing is writing you a letter. But please Eds, from the bottom of my heart just please don't believe in what that letter says, please.
Whatever that letter says just know I don't hate you. I have no regrets in meeting you. You were my only friend but I would never change you for anyone else. I will never regret the days we had together but I do regret that the day I left I didn't hug you longer or tell you what I truly felt. If the day were to ever come when I cant leave that place even if I tried to, you'll still shine like gold in my memories and hopefully I'll still shine in yours.
Lots of love,
JJ
Eddie sets the letter down at the table, a million questions ran through his mind. He places his hands on his face to hide the fact that he wanted to not cry but downright sob his eyes out. The only thing keeping that back was the lump on his throat and his brain yelling at him to keep it together.
"We also have a theory of what these bad men could be and trust me it's going to sound completely insane what we're going to try and explain." Dusting said. "Right here in Hawkins used to be a lab where on the outside it said it only worked for electricity. We all believed that till the incident where our friend Will disappeared."
"Yeah and well point is in this place they make weapons for Russians and commies and other stuff but they also have other type of weapons. Human weapons."
In Eddie's mind none of what they said was making sense. Jupiter didn't have powers and she most certainly wouldn't have been sent to this supposed lab where they make weapons.
"So what if the place she couldn't mention was this lab? and the reason why her dad said she was 'beyond a cure' was because she had...powers..." Dustin concluded, hoping Eddie at least understood some of it.
"and just as the letter says what if she actually did escape but couldn't do so because she would get caught? and after all these years she's finally able to send a letter?... do you think she sent you any?" Mike asked.
Eddie's heart was beating so hard he swore it could come out of his ass. Everything made very little sense to him, but that's when it struck him.
"Shit, Shit, SHIT!" Eddie cursed as he sprinted to his room destroying everything in searching for something.
"Um...what are you doing?" Mike asks confused.
"I can't find it!" Eddie yells desperately. He kept throwing and pushing his clothes to the floor.
"Find what? Eddie you do realize we're a bit too young to get high, right?" Dustin said as he peeked at what Eddie was doing.
Eddie scrambled through his pile of dirty clothes and messy bed till he found the letter his uncle had given him last night and this morning. "AHA I FOUND IT" Eddie says victoriously. He showed them the letters he had in his hands.
"My uncle gave me this letter last night but it's just a bunch of cut up letters from a magazine." he said handing them the letter.
Dustin grabbed the envelope and started looking at the random letters that were inside. Mike took them and separated them piece by piece till he formed a message.
I AM STILL ALIVE PLEASE REMEMBER ME JJ
"Holy freaking shit" Dustin said.
Now this is when Eddie's nerves took over his body and made him collapse his back on the fridge.
She's alive....
She's....alive....
Alive....
It was all Eddie could muster to think of. He couldn't believe she still contacted him even if it was through magazine letters. His best friend was still alive. If Dustin and Mike weren't around him he'd scream and jump in joy.
"We also have another theory" Mike said breaking the silence.
"We might actually know who this is." Dustin turned to see Eddie looking at him with confusion.
"But...how?" he asked.
"Mike and I did a little digging and we came to the conclusion that this person might be someone that's close with another friend of ours..." Dustin motioned to Mike where he pulled out of his pocket a picture that El had sent him back in September.
Eddie looked it at confused still not knowing what Mike wanted him to see. "What am I looking at? your family?".
"Look closely. Do you recognize her?" he asked and pointed at a girl that was next to a smaller looking girl he didn't recognize. Eddie skimmed around the picture but couldn't recognize anyone aside from his old classmate Jonathan Byers. He shook his head in defeat.
"Listen I don't know what you're trying to show me here but I haven't her in ten years so forgive me if I cant recognize her right away." Eddie raised his hands in defeat.
Dustin groaned both annoyed and pissed at Eddie. "THAT'S HER" Dustin yelled at Eddie. He pointed at the taller looking girl, "That's her."
Eddie stared at the picture in disbelief. The girl Dustin pointed at was supposedly his long lost best friend.
"Her name's Jupiter, right? Jupiter Jones?" Mike said.
Hearing her name again was a bittersweet feeling to Eddie. "Yeah. Jupiter Elizabeth Jones" he won't say he's surprised he remembers her name when that was one of the many things he liked about her. "How do you know her?" Eddie asked looking up at Mike.
"She's my girlfriends sister instead that they're not blood related. They knew each other from the same place... the lab. And just like her they both have abilities... one them being able to manipulate the static of radio and other stuff to communicate..."
At least Mike cleared that up because Eddie knew she didn't have siblings. "so you're saying that Jupiter, the Jupiter I'm assuming that you and I know, was taken away by bad men because she has powers and now she wants to communicate with me again through the radio?" Eddie asked in disbelief.
Mike nodded his head. "I know it sounds crazy, believe me but you just have to trust us on this".
Eddie scoffed at Mike. He was visibly angry. "You know I would've expected this shitty prank from the other normies but not from you two".
Mike and Dustin both scared tried explaining to Eddie they weren't lying but he wasn't buying it.
"Oh come on. You expect me to believe this bullshit? powers? human weapons? please I'm not THAT stupid" Eddie stood up storming away and shut himself in his room not wanting to hear about her name anymore.
"Eddie please. We just want to help." Dustin pleaded against Eddie's door.
"No. Just leave and forget about everything that happened today, okay?. It was a stupid mistake doing this in the first place" Eddie said.
Dustin and Mike didn't want to anger him so they did as he said. When they closed the trailer door they remembered they left their bikes at school because they came in Eddie's car to his trailer.
Eddie stayed in his room not wanting to leave or do anything. All he wanted was to forget everything and rot in his bed. He hated himself for still remembering her, every little detail about her.
In a surge of fury Eddie pummeled his pillow in his face and yelled in frustration. He punched at it while cursing everything he could think of. When his anger died down he let the tears he was holding back just naturally come out.
Eddie laid back down on his bed, hugging his pillow. He had been sobbing so much he didn't realize how heavy and tired his eyes felt. He ultimately gave in and fell asleep not caring if he still had his clothes on, he was too tired to take them off.
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Six hours had passed since Eddie fell asleep. When he woke up didn't know what time it was. He went outside his room to go look for a drink in an attempt to at least drink his sorrows away. Back in his room he sat on the edge of his bed sipping his beer while listening to his vinyl play in the background.
He noticed that the red envelope with the butterflies was still there at the countertop. Eddie debated over and over again if he should read it or not. Denial and about five beers kept him from reading it till he gave in.
He grabbed the envelope and opened it. It had the same scent as the other letter. He sat on the floor with his back pressed against his bed as he began to read the letter.
Dear Eddie:
This letter is basically a shot in the dark since I don't know if you still live in that trailer park with your uncle but I hope this letter doesn't scare you although I think it would so I'm sorry in advance if it does. Before you jump to conclusions this is not a ghost writing to you or some random stalker, the person behind this paper and this pen is a person you know.
I've written and re-written this letter more times than I can count with my own fingers, probably because I cant find the right words to say. If memory serves me right it's been ten years since I last wrote you a letter and in that letter it said something in between the lines of that you shouldn't write to me again because we were not best friends anymore, that I hated your guts blah blah blah. Needless to say that the person who wrote that letter wasn't me but someone else that wanted you away from my life. That someone else was my dad and the evil "doctor" he sent me to.
I can't say or give hints as to who I am but probably with the details you'll know, or not. By the time you get this letter in two weeks time I'll be on a plane to Hawkins for spring break.
I genuinely wonder what you look like now. Are you still bald? I remember you always shaved your head because you wanted to look like that skeleton from Iron Maiden (is that still your favorite band?). I've certainly changed a lot but that sounds stupid it's been ten years of course I've changed. I have semi long hair and I also started taking care more of my natural curls so my hair looks bouncy! I seem to have the same face too and the same eyes but in body I don't even look like me.
A part of me wants to tell you everything in this letter but the more logical reasoning of me says that I shouldn't, I don't want to risk your life. But I can say this, the day dad sent the letter I had secretly disguised my letter with it, did you ever get to read it? I hope you did. When dad sent that letter a few hours later a tall man with white hair came to my house to take me away. Dad said I was sick, mom said I wasn't and I didn't know who to believe.
Ever since I arrived to that place I was purely convinced I was possessed, or just as dad said whenever he got his fury attacks, I was cursed. Mom used to say I wasn't, that I was blessed with a gift that dad couldn't understand. Part of me hates that mom didn't fight for me when they took me away. She just stood there crying as those men placed me in the black car.
The place I was taken away to was a facility where there were other kids cursed as I was. The man that took me away also said the same thing mom used to say, that I was blessed with a gift that no one can understand and that I was in that facility for a good reason. But whenever we didn't obey his rules we'd get punished just how dad used to do so.
I cant give details about that place either or my experience there on paper (and I keep forgetting about it) maybe I'll tell it to you in person if you don't think it's weird.
I feel like I'm talking too much none-sense in a letter and you probably wont even read it or let alone open it.
I do hope you get to see this letter, Eddie. I know it's been years since we stopped talking but there never once was a day I didn't think about you. Not a day passed where your memory wasn't present. And I know I've said this twice already in this sentence but I really really REALLY never stopped thinking about you when I was stuck in that hell hole. The idea of seeing you again kept me sane? Alive? I don't know what word to use here. All I know is that everyday I thought about going back to the library with you and read Alice in Wonderland while you read comics, or go to the bowling alley.
Do you think we can meet up? I was thinking we could meet up at the park we always used to spend time at. I'll probably be in Hawkins when you receive this letter, more or less five days before spring break.
I cant wait to see you!
Lots of love,
JJ
Eddie had been trying to hold back his tears but after reading the part where she said she had never stopped thinking about him made him break his entire composure and start to sob uncontrollably on the floor. His best friend thought about him and only him. A wide smile formed on his face, this time happy tears fell from him.
"Goddamn, Jupiter" he softly chuckled. The idea of reuniting with her made his heart skip multiple beats but at the same time it would sink.
What if it's not her? What if it's just a prank?
He knew if he wanted to make sure it was Jupiter he needed backup and he knew the perfect people for that.
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Jupiter was finally relieved when she arrived at Hawkins. She took her headphones off and placed them inside her backpack.
"I don't see her" Robin said as she tried to see any signs of her friend.
"Robin can you calm down? The plane just got here she's probably still-"
Steve was interrupted by the abrupt gasp from Robin when she noticed her best friend in the whole world at the staircase.
"Jupiter!" Robin yelled "Jupiter over here!".
Jupiter smiled widely and waved her hands over to them. Robin ran over to Jupiter to give her the tightest hug she's ever had. "I've missed you so freaking much!" Robin said.
"Harrington!" Jupiter hugged Steve as well to which he returned. He too was happy to see her.
"Oh my gosh, Spring break literally got so much better right now that you're here" Robin said. Steve gave her an offended look.
Back at the car, Steve was talking with Robin If Vicky liked her back or not.
"Do you with what I deal with every day?" Steve scoffed "I honestly don't know how you handled her".
Jupiter softly chuckled. She liked the friendship they both had. Jupiter doesn't remember exactly when she became part of their friendship but all she knows is that whenever she felt like her world was crumbling down, Robin and Steve were always there for her.
After the long car ride from the airport to their destination, the wheeler's house where Nancy was also very excited to see Jupiter again. Jupiter was also greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler.
"I am so sorry I wasn't able to go pick you up at airport. I got busy with school and the newspaper and having to prep for the final basketball game" Nancy rambled but Jupiter cut her off.
"Nance, it's fine. I didn't mind being picked up by Robin and Steve. But thank you oh so much with letting me stay here for the time being."
"No need to! I always love having your company".
"Um, sorry to interrupt but we gotta go" Robin said behind Jupiter.
Steve and Robin both waved them goodbye before closing the front door. Jupiter noticed a weird look in Nancy's eyes but shrugged it off. Before going into her room for the time she was staying here, she knocked at Mike's door.
He was laying down in his bed completely submerged on a paper in his hands. "You still playing D&D?" she said snapping Mike from the letter.
"Jupiter!" Mike excitedly said as he jumped from his bed and hugged Jupiter. Mike and Jupiter were close friends but that was because Mike was El's boyfriend and during last summer she had to keep an eye on them wherever they went.
"Hey there. Are you reading one of El's letters?". Mike nodded his head "I wanted to read one before going to sleep".
Jupiter chuckled. "Well just make sure you don't take too long".
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When Jupiter closed her rooms door she slumped her body down on the bed. Her suitcases were thrown on the floor. She was too tired to move her body.
That moment of peace soon went away when the door was knocked.
"Come in!" she shouted.
Nancy was the one who had knocked. She had a plate of cookies in her hands.
"You want some? They're fresh out the oven"
"You know I don't say no to your moms cookies"
When Nancy sat down next to me on the bed I already knew she wanted to ask me something.
"What are you going to ask me?" Jupiter said as she munched on the cookies.
"It still creeps me out how you know things"
Jupiter shrugged her shoulders, "it's a gift".
"I know you came here for a different reason other than spring break. You've been acting all distant and quiet"
Jupiter sighs and lays down on the bed. She trusted that Nancy wouldn't tell a soul the things Jupiter told her. "Did I ever mention to you that I used to have a normal life before I was taken?"
"Well, kind of. You weren't a big fan of speaking of being social"
Jupiter laughed at Nancy's remark. "I wouldn't say that my life was normal, it never was. But a specific person made it seem normal. My best friend"
"Robin? But you just saw her"
Jupiter shook her head. "It's someone else but I don't think he remembers me anymore. Even I wouldn't remember me after disappearing for ten years".
"Then who is this person?" Nancy asked just eager to know.
"That is classified information but if my plans goes as planned... maybe I will tell you".
Before Nancy could protest they were interrupted by Mrs. Wheeler, "Girls, I just wanted to let you know that it's a little bit past bedtime. Now I know you want to keep talking but Nancy you still have school tomorrow".
"I know mom. I'll leave in a minute" Nancy said to her mom. Once the door had been closed Nancy looked back at Jupiter. "I know you're probably scared this person wont remember you but there's no harm in trying."
Nancy wasn't exactly good at moral support, let alone at uplifting. Her 'uplifting' was equivalent to a basic white mom living in the suburbs. Jupiter however still appreciated her efforts. She smiled and hugged Nancy before she left the room.
Jupiter sighed away the boulder that weighed on her chest when Nancy left. Tomorrow was the day she wrote on the letter that she'd meet Eddie. The thought of seeing him again made her stomach twist and turn, but at the same time jump in excitement.
I wonder if Eddie still remembers me...
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Next morning:
"Good morning Jupiter!" Mrs. Wheeler cheerfully greeted her guest, "Or should I say afternoon? you slept in today" she laughed. "Wish I could sleep in like these kids do everyday" Ted said as he read the newspaper. Jupiter personally didn't like Ted, she absolutely hated him and his behavior.
"Do you have anything planned for today?" Mrs. Wheeler asked Jupiter.
"well I was planning on hanging around the city today and go to the pizzeria or the bowling alley for a while" she lied.
"Oh well that's good! I was going to ask if you could pick Mike up from school today since Nancy stays in late for the school paper"
"Of course I can. I'd be happy enough to go pick him up".
Jupiters heart thumped hard against her chest. She hated lying but if she didn't Mrs. Wheeler would've called Joyce and told her something was wrong.
Once she finished eating the breakfast Mrs. Wheeler made her she showered and changed her clothes before leaving. She thought it would be a good idea to annoy Mike, Dustin and Lucas today.
Surprisingly enough, Hawkins high was just a few blocks away so she could just easily get there in a couple of minutes, but she decided to take the bus. Jupiter sat down on one of the cold benches of the public bus and played music on her Walkman.
When Jupiter arrived to Hawkins High she needed to get through without being seeing. She hid behind a wall and focused on the drink the guard had tipping it over so it fell on his clothes. The guard left the security area giving Jupiter the quick chance of sneaking in.
Once she stepped inside she was overwhelmed with mass amounts of people talking and chatting. Multiple of those being cheerleaders and jocks talking or making out on the wall.
"Hey sweetheart didn't Halloween pass already?" A jock mocked at Jupiter earning a few laughs from his peers.
"Yeah it did, so why don't you go tell your mom to stop hanging from the tree? she looks tacky" Jupiter replied at him.
The jock's smile faded and his peers laughed harder at him. "You fucking freak".
"That's what your mom said when she gave birth to you" she insulted back.
His peers laughed hysterically at how this random girl was insulting me. The jock was visibly pissed and yelled at the other jocks to shut up.
Jupiter turned her back and walked away while flipping him off. She wanted to find Mike and the others but had no idea where they could be. In between the thick crowd of teenagers Jupiter placed her headphones on and closed her eyes to try and focus on one point where she could attempt to find Mike.
Jupiter smiled seeing that Mike was in the AV room with Dustin but felt odd not seeing Lucas or Max with them.
"I'm telling you Mike this girl that Eddie was talking about yesterday is El's sister!" Dustin said.
"Okay so what if it's not her? what are we gonna tell him?"
"BOO!" Jupiter yelled in the quiet room. Dustin screamed and fell back shit "SHIT!" he said.
"What the hell Jupiter?!" Mike said, annoyed at what Jupiter did.
Jupiter laughed loudly at their reactions, they were priceless. "I wanted to surprise you guys".
"By jump scaring us?! jesus christ Jupiter, I almost shit my heart out" Dustin said covering his chest with his hand.
She nodded her head. "And before you ask I was going to be extra bored at your house doing nothing but hear your dad complain so, I sneaked inside and decided to be with you guys!".
"Well you could've just greeted us by not jump scaring us to the point we have a heart attack" Dustin stared at Jupiter who just rolled her eyes.
When they left the AV room they decided to walk over to the crowded cafeteria. Jupiter was getting a little bit hungry so she told Mike and Dustin she was going to buy something to eat and then she'd join them.
While she waited in line she felt a pair of eyes on her. Through the corner of her eyes she saw the jock she insulted when she got here sending daggers to her back. Jupiter shrugged it off and minded her business just wanting to order her food.
When Jupiter went in to pay for her food she felt a pair of hands take her purse away. "Hey!" she yelled.
While on the other side of the cafeteria was Mike and Dustin at their usual table with Eddie and the other members of the Hellfire Club.
"Henderson, Wheeler I-.... I wanted to-" Eddie found it hard to say what he wanted to say, he kept choking on his words.
"Eddie you don't have to say sorry. We completely under-" Dustin was cut off by Eddie's hands. "No please, I'm sorry for the way I acted and I totally need your help in something".
"What do you need?" While Dustin and Eddie talked, Mike's attention was over to Jupiter who was caught by Jason's teammates. His eyes widened when he saw them holding Jupiter by her arms as one of them dumped her stuff on the floor.
"Uh, hello? Wheeler? Hello?" Eddie snapped his fingers in front of Mike's face.
"Mike we're you paying attention?" Dustin asked him. Mike pointed over to across the cafeteria where Jupiter was. "Shit" Dustin cursed under his breath.
"What the hell is happening?" Eddie said and looked to where everyone was looking. There were three jocks that played Basketball with Jason tormenting a short girl dressed in black, just normal jock activities.
The whole cafeteria turned to see what was happening. "This what you get for makin' fun of me you freak" he snarled at her.
Jupiter scoffed at him. "How could I not? you have the face of a clown so it's hard not to make fun of you".
The cafeteria laughed at her response, other muttering and exchanging conversation.
"Oh shit. I've never seen anyone talk back to one them" Eddie seemed surprised seeing how a girl half their size was mocking and insulting them.
The Jock heavily breathed in and out through his nose as Jupiter laughed at him. Her eyes widened when she saw him take her Walkman and continuously stepped on it till it was nothing but smithereens. Her heart dropped when he took her Alice in Wonderland book and ripped it apart.
Jupiter yanked her arms away and fell to the floor about to start crying over the loss of her favorite book.
"Come on man. Don't you think you went too far?" one of them said.
"NO SHE HASN'T SHE HAS TO PAY!" He yelled. He turned back to Jupiter staring down at her at the floor, "You got something else to say freak?" he said.
Jupiter stood up and stared at the jock menacingly. Her hands were balled into fists with the amount of rage that ran through her. "Actually..." she said inching closer and closer to him "I do have something to say". She held either side of the jocks head and headbutted his nose.
The cafeteria all made sounds of pains at the sudden blow she had landed on his nose. Eddie laughed hysterically at this. "My GOD! this girl has fire in her!" Eddie says, amused with the show displayed in front of him.
"Shit" he cursed. He touched his nose where blood had started to come out. "YOU BROKE MY NOSE YOU BITCH" He yelled.
"You deserve more than a broken nose, asshole". Jupiter turned to see the other jocks both pulling up their sleeves ready to fight.
"You're gonna regret that" one of them said.
"Oh? am I?" she taunted them. Jupiter dodged his punch and grabbed his arm flipping him over. His body collapsed on the cold tiled floor.
"Jocks will forever be the most annoying and stuck up breed of boys that think they peaked in their career in high school, go to college with everything paid only to have their bitchy cheerleader girlfriend get pregnant, drop out, get married into a loveless marriage, grow a fucking gut from drinking too much beer and own a car company" Jupiter said loud enough so the whole cafeteria could hear it. She bent down to his level on the floor, "You are no different than us freaks, but you would rather spend your life treating us like a pile of dog shit than ever realize that". She kicked both of sides of his face with her boot knowing they would leave a mark.
The other jock just ran away from the cafeteria not wanting to get beaten up by Jupiter. Everyone started cheering at Jupiter for doing something that half of the school was afraid to do. Jupiter smiled and dramatically bowed at them.
When Eddie got a glimpse of who the girl was his heart skipped a beat.
"Is that...?"
His thoughts were cut off when he heard the schools guards calling out to her. "Hey! Get back here!".
"RUN JUPITER!!!" Dustin and Mike yelled in unison.
Eddie heard the name they yelled which made him do something he didn't think through. He stood on the table and yelled "HEY!" to the guards throwing them chocolate pudding.
"FOOD FIGHT!!" They yelled. The whole cafeteria erupted into a war of foods giving Jupiter the chance to escape.
Eddie went under tables to get that girls belongings. He grabbed her purse, Walkman, cassettes and book. He looked at the book cover where on the corner was written "Property of JEJ". He went through everything in the purse all having the same initials till he came to the conclusions that the girl from the cafeteria was in fact Jupiter.
"Jesus christ it's like a jungle-"
"What the hell does this mean" Eddie cuts Mike off from his sentence and points to the initials written on the book.
"Uh... someone's initials?" Dustin said.
"Don't bullshit me!" Eddie yells. He was confused and frustrated. "only one person in this whole world would read Alice in Wonderland over and over again. That one person was Jupiter so either that was actually her or someone else is just as obsessed as she was with this book".
Dustin sighs knowing he has to explain to Eddie again everything. "Eddie, we weren't lying to you when we said that we knew her. I know it's hard to wrap yourself around the whole situation but all we needed was for you to trust us".
Eddie lets out a tired sigh and leans on the wall. He was tired and thought he was losing his mind... more than it already was. "so... that girl?..."
Dustin nods his head "Yep. That was her".
Eddie chuckles softly. By the time he read the letter she had already arrived to Hawkins.
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In the girls bathroom Jupiter was panting, not from running but from nerves.
Holy shit... holy shit holy shit HOLY SHIT....
It was all she could think about. She's only been here for one day but already caused a fight and a food war.
Jupiter thought about the long haired boy that saved her from being caught. She thought he was pretty handsome and maybe she could give him a thanks later.
Her head whipped when she heard the bathroom door open and quickly sat on the toilet making sure not to make a noise. "Dude what the hell are we doing in the girls bathroom?!" she heard Mike's voice. Jupiter was confused but kept quiet and tried to overhear their conversation.
"Listen to me, okay?". That was a voice that she couldn't tell apart. She looked at the shoes and noticed a pair of white Nikes to the voice she didn't recognize. "I read the other letter she sent me" he said.
"What letter? There was a second letter?" Dustin asked.
"Yes there was a second letter. Remember I told you that she sent me two letters but we opened only one?". They both nod their heads. "Well in the other letter she said that by the time I would read it she would already here".
Her eyes widened when it clicked for her. The white Nikes and blue jeans... The unknown voice belonged to the only person she had two letters to... Eddie Munson.
Jupiter's breath was shaky and she felt as if her heart would jump out of her chest. Her hands were sweaty and trembling. Her best friend was right outside this bathroom door talking to Dustin and Mike. It took every once in her to not run out of the stall and hug him after so long.
She pulled her hand away in regret, negative thoughts swarming her mind making her think Eddie hated her.
"In the letter she wrote what you two said yesterday about the bad government men and evil doctors but she couldn't write why because she didn't wanna risk getting caught"
What we're those two doing with Eddie?....
"Eddie we literally tried telling you that we knew her. The girl in the picture? that was her" Mike told Eddie.
Eddie sighed and leaned on the sink. This whole Jupiter situation made him mentally exhausted. "Does she still like the same music?"
"She listens to Abba and The cranberries a lot. Back in California, El always told me she would stay in her room listening to music and reading-"
"Alice in Wonderland" Eddie cut Mike unintentionally to say the name of the book. He softly chuckled a small smile forming on his lips. "Even after ten years she still reads the same book". The thought of Jupiter still re-reading Alice in Wonderland was a sweet feeling for Eddie. He was never a big fan for literature but he admired how Jupiter just never seemed to get tired over reading.
"Yeah... Alice in Wonderland. How do you know that?"
"Well as her childhood best friend I knew everything about her. She'd always go to the library whenever she needed a little pick me up, in fact we went to the library so much that the librarian gave us a little card for when we'd take books home." Eddie bites his lip trying to swallow the river of tears that wanted to come out. "I always remembered her reading everywhere she went. She read that book so many times she'd just stare at the wall reading it in her mind. I remember she once told me I should give reading actual books and not comics".
Jupiter chuckled quietly in the bathroom stall. Her heart squeezed and ached knowing that Eddie still remembered everything about her. She couldn't help but cry at Eddie talking about her.
"And The cranberries were her favorite band but she'd always say that Queen was going to be her forever favorite band. She knew all the lyrics to their songs, all of them. She would hum the song at random times too".
"If anyone ever heard you talk about Jupiter they'd be convinced that you're in love with her" Dustin said.
"We're just friends, Henderson"
"Stage one: denial" Dustin joked.
The bell rang loudly catching their attention. Eddie, Dustin and Mike all ran away from the girls bathroom in hopes that they wouldn't be caught.
Jupiter stepped out of the bathroom stall shortly after they left. When Jupiter went to wipe her eyes someone came in. This was a girl rushing to the stall to throw up. The sound made Jupiter's skin crawl and her stomach twist and turn.
She quickly left the bathroom in hopes she could unhear the un-godly sounds of people vomiting.
"Jupiter? is that you?"
She turns her head to see Max dressed in clothes she never typically wore. Max went in to hug Jupiter before she could even tell her that it was her.
Max held a sweet spot for Jupiter. When Jupiter still lived in Hawkins she would occasionally babysit Max. There were also days where she'd save Max from Billy's anger or tantrums.
"Are you okay?" Jupiter asked Max very concerned.
"Y-Yeah I'm totally fine. Why wouldn't I be?". Jupiter knew that Max was lying. Unironically, Jupiter has this "gift" where she can smell when people are lying.
Jupiter gave her a small smile not wanting to press anymore about her probably knowing that she's still in a process of grief over Billy's death. "Nothing. I just wanted to see if you were still okay".
"Well I am" Max said harshly. "I'm glad you're here... I missed you..." Max said before entering the bathroom.
Jupiter realized she couldn't stand in the hallway forever so she came up with the idea of spending her time at the library, her favorite place. She paced around the halls trying to search for a book to read.
Pride and Prejudice had caught her eye. She sat down on the floor listening to music on her Walkman waiting for time to pass.
Eddie skipped his class since he couldn't concentrate even if he wanted to and went to the library where literally nobody would find him. At times would find peace and comfort in there, but maybe it was because libraries reminded him of her.
The librarian never gave it a second thought as to why Eddie roamed around the library for hours on end. He walked and walked thinking of ways how he could open up a conversation with her but came up with nothing.
Eddie sighed in frustration. "Jesus H. Christ!" he cursed accidentally kicking someone. Eddie noticed this and quickly bent down asking if the person was okay.
"Yeah, Yeah I'm totally fine!" she reassured. Eddie was still bent down picking up the stuff he had kicked.
"I'm so so so sorry for kicking you I really didn't notice you there" Eddie rambled. He handed them the book noticing the pair of girly hands that reached for the book.
"It's okay it's totally ok-" she stopped midway when she saw Eddie in front of her on his knees still holding the book. They were so close to each other that their breaths panned their faces. Eyes locked in shocked and hands touching each other.
They both stood up from the floor unable to speak. Jupiter carefully walked away from him but he kept walking towards her like a game of cat and mouse.
"You seem familiar to me...like I know you from somewhere" Eddie said.
"So what if you do? What if you don't? What are you going to do?" Jupiter teased at him hoping that a big enough distraction would make him lose focus so she could run away.
"Look I just want to talk, please" Eddie persisted on her. He suddenly couldn't move from where he was, like an invisible barrier was set in front of him.
"I already gave you an address to speak to me and in privacy." she said, inching closer to the invisible barrier. "You already know who I am but you're in denial of it. If you want to come out of that denial then come visit me at the park, I'll be waiting for you". she walked away completely ignoring Eddie's calls.
"Wait!" Eddie called out "Hey wait!". Once the invisible barrier was gone he saw no sight of her anywhere. He ran his hands through his hair in anger. Jupiter was right in front of him and he scared her off.
He slid down the racks of book till his butt hit the carpeted floor. "Come visit me in the park, I'll be waiting for you" those words looped in Eddie's head like a vinyl. He was still in disbelief that the girl in front of him was actually Jupiter. He kept thinking about how different she looked. Long curly hair, dark makeup, dark clothes.
Just thinking about her brought a small pink tint to his face...
Jupiter looked back at him, seeing him put his hands through his dark brown locks in defeat, a little bit jealous because she wanted to touch his hair. She finally breathed and felt calm. Inside she felt all types of emotions but mostly giddy and happy because she saw her childhood best friend and not just that she also spoke to him. She spoke to Eddie.
Sure it was a small interaction that probably gave him more questions rather than answers but she still talked to him nonetheless. She slid down the wall content from that small interaction, a huge smile plastered on her face.
"Dude where the hell were you?" One of the D&D club members asked.
"Library" Eddie simply said. "Where's Wheeler and his friend?"
They all shrugged their shoulders.
Eddie left the cafeteria once more in search of the two boys. He found them leaving their science classroom, catching them both by surprise. He yanked them from their collars away from a big crowd to a secluded area where they could talk.
"Eddie what the hell?" Dustin rubbed his shirt from the wrinkles he now got from Eddie pulling at it.
"I saw her. I saw her, she had long hair and was wearing all black clothes. She had a long sleeve shirt on with a long black skirt and a black purse." Eddie started to ramble.
Dustin and Mike looked at each other knowingly of the girl was but didn't stop Eddie from his rambling.
"Point is you guys HAVE to help me" he practically begged at this point.
Dustin and Mike looked at each other once more. "Fine, we will. But you'll have to go by our rules, 'kay?" Dustin said.
Eddie nodded his head aggressively. "Fine, fine, whatever, just please for the love of GOD help me".
Eddie deep down wanted to believe it was her but it's just like she said, he's in constant denial of her existence. He probably did that in order forget about her and her memory. But what if, just what if, that truly was his best friend? One of his most kept dreams would be coming true...
He would finally see Jupiter again.
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HI READERS!
this the author here and i just wanted to say thank you so much for reading this chapter! It took me so long to write it and after many edits it's finally here!!!
I hope you enjoy this as much as I did while writing it!
Please remember that votes, comments and shares are highly appreciated!!