MARCH 17TH, 1986
📍hawkins high school
15:03 PM
"hey, chrissy," tillie called over at the blonde.
chrissy immediately turned around, rushing over to her. "tillie, oh my god. are you okay? what happened?"
"nothing," the older twin shook her off. "just myles. i'm okay now though."
"good," chrissy smiled. "is it because of eddie munson?"
matilda furrowed her brows, feigning confusion. "what? eddie?"
"yeah, he ran out of the classroom after you.."
"no he didn't," tillie shook her head.
"how would you know? you weren't there," chrissy reminded, her brows softly furrowed.
"yeah, well, he might've ran out of class but it's wasn't after me. i was in the toilets," she explained, hoping it was enough to convince her.
it wasn't. chrissy wasn't dumb, but she acted oblivious to amuse her sister. "oh, okay then."
"i also needed to tell you that i'm staying out tonight, um, at kate's," she told her.
"kate's?"
"yeah, it's like a birthday sleepover thing, you know," she continued, making up a story. "it's gonna be fun."
"yeah, for sure," chrissy nodded along, but she knew something else.
"i'm going right now, so i won't see you til tomorrow. and you'll need jason to take you to school."
"that's fine," chrissy smiled, followed with a yawn. she had cheerleading practice next and didn't feel up to it at all.
"great, well, see you tomorrow then," matilda smiled, taking a few small steps back down the corridor.
"yeah, see you soon."
— 📻🪐🏹 —
MARCH 17TH, 1986
📍cunningham house
15:23 PM
"stay here, okay?" tillie told him, opening up the car door and stepping out.
"i'll be waiting, princess," eddie replied.
with a small smile, tillie began walking the short distance from eddie's van to her house, before entering.
she headed upstairs and into her room, opening her closet and scanning for the right clothes.
she ended up picking out some grey sweatpants and an oversized tee that she could wear for bed, as well as an outfit for the following day, packing all the items in her bag. heading into her bathroom, she turned the light on and pulled open one of the drawers, taking out her hairbrush and other products she needed, packing them as well.
"matilda? chrissy?" she heard her mother's voice holler up the stairs. she must've arrived home while tillie was preoccupied with her packing. "who's there?"
"it's just me, mother," she called back down, before tugging the bag over her shoulders and making her way downstairs.
"and, where are you going?" samantha inquired, taking note of the bag on her daughter's shoulders.
"sleepover at kate's," tillie answered. "is that okay?"
the older woman narrowed her eyes on her. "i suppose so. just don't eat anything, okay? we really need you to lose that extra weight."
"right. i won't." tillie nodded. "um, well i need to go. i'll be back tomorrow after school."
"i don't really care when you're back, matilda. you could be gone for weeks and it wouldn't phase me."
tillie swallowed and looked down, tucking a small strand of hair behind her ear. she turned on her heels and began heading towards the front door, when her mother spoke out to her again.
"matilda, have you seen a van parked down the street? i've noticed it a few times now," she stated.
"uh, no," the younger blonde responded. "but i'll keep my eye out."
"i'm thinking i should report it. it really brings the neighborhood down."
"you do that, mother," tillie replied, before slipping out of the front door and walking down the street to said van.
eddie leant across and opened her door for her, grabbing her bag as she climbed in.
"you're on my mother's hitlist," she told him.
"what? really?" he laughed. "i'm honored. why am i on it?"
"this damn van," she informed him amusedly, plugging her seatbelt in. "it really 'brings down the neighborhood'."
"oh, sorry," eddie replied. "i'm ruining the rich, white person vibe,"
he began pulling out of his parking spot and driving down the street. "better get out of here while i still can."
"it's a scary place for people like you," she commented with a sigh, before the two of them dropped the act and began laughing.
eddie looked over at her, admiring her grin. "you look happier."
she turned to face him and their eyes connected. "i feel happier."
eddie smiled, before asking, "are you hungry? shall we go get dinner?"
immediately, tillie began shaking her head. "oh, no, i'm fine."
"mattie.."
"really, eddie. i'm not hungry. i'm fine," she told him, but in reality she could feel her stomach itching for food.
"when was the last time you ate?" eddie questioned, struggling to keep his eyes focused on the road and not the beautiful blonde seated beside him.
"i had two apple slices last night," she replied in a quiet tone.
"anything today?"
she knew there was no point in lying to him, as he'd see right through her. she gently shook her head.
suddenly, eddie made an abrupt turn to the left, continuing to drive casually.
"eddie, the trailer park is that way," tillie told him, pointing in the opposite direction.
"i know," he smiled. "we're going for food. now listen, if you think danah's milkshakes are good, just wait until you try one of her burgers."
— 📻🪐🏹 —
MARCH 17TH, 1986
📍danah's diner
16:02 PM
"good afternoon, eddie. and oh—" the woman's eyes lit up when she saw the blonde stood beside him. "matilda. you're glowing, my sweet girl."
tillie smiled brightly. "you're too kind, danah."
"you haven't brought her back since," danah turned to eddie. "i was beginning to worry you broke our promise."
"never," eddie shook his head, smiling at tillie's confusion. "you'll understand when you're older," he teased, making her roll her eyes.
danah grinned, watching the young friends. "you guys remind me of me and my friend when we were your age."
"he must've been a very lucky boy," matilda smiled.
"he was a she," danah replied. "her name was cynthia, but i always called her cece. she was very special to me," the woman grinned sadly, replaying the memories in her head.
"she sounds it," tillie responded. eddie had already heard all about danah's first love, whom she couldn't be with because of the judgement at the time. "what happened?"
"life got in the way," the woman told her. "but enough about me, let's get you a table, yeah?"
she directed them towards a booth, her notepad and menus in hand. the two teens sat either side, facing each other.
"just milkshakes today?" danah asked.
"no, food too, if that's okay," eddie responded.
"of course it is," the woman gushed, handing them the menu's. "anything for my favorite customers. what would you like?"
"i'll just have my regular cheeseburger meal, please, d," eddie ordered, before the two of them turned their attention to matilda.
she looked over at eddie. "i'm really not hungry."
"you need to eat, mattie," the boy replied quietly. "you don't have to eat it all and lick the plate clean, just try and eat a little bit, yeah? please?"
after contemplating for a short while, she gave in. "i'll have the same as eddie, thanks."
danah smiled softly, and wrote it down in her notepad. "and i'm guessing the milkshakes are the same as last time?" eddie nodded in confirmation. "great, i'll get these to you as soon as possible."
the two watched the woman walked away, before tillie turned to eddie. "you better let me pay. for the both of us, seeing as i owe you it."
"you don't owe me anything, princess," eddie responded. "i'm not letting you pay."
"i am paying," tillie stated simply. "i will keep arguing until you give in."
"fine," eddie sighed, knowing he would find a way to pay for the both of them. "whatever makes you happy."
— 📻🪐🏹 —
MARCH 17TH, 1986
📍danah's diner
16:27 PM
"just try it. believe me, mattie, it's amazing," eddie said, taking a sip on his milkshake to help swallow down his burger.
matilda picked up the burger, holding it in her hands as she stared at it. it did look amazing, but she could hear her mother's voice echoing in the back of her mind warning her not to eat it.
"hey, princess," eddie spoke softly, making her avert her gaze from the food and look up at him. "i'm already a secret you're hiding from her. let's just keep this between us too, yeah? what she doesn't know won't hurt her."
"she'll know," tillie told him. "she always does."
"what's she going to do about it? kick you out of the house?" eddie asked. "you can just come to mine. i don't mind having a roommate," he smiled.
"that's actually quite tempting," tillie told him, before looking down and taking a small bite of the burger. "shit, this is actually really good."
"i told you so."
— 📻🪐🏹 —
MARCH 17TH, 1986
📍danah's diner
17:09 PM
"remember, i'm paying," tillie replied, the two of them walking towards the counter. she pulled her money out of pocket, prepared to pay.
"yep, sure," eddie nodded, pulling his own money out slyly. "how much do we owe you, d?"
"just ten please, sweetness," danah told him in response.
before tillie could, eddie handed her his own money. "eddie! are you serious? i wanted to pay."
"too late now," he replied to the blonde with a smirk.
matilda turned to danah. "please, give eddie his money back and let me pay."
danah shrugged, closing the cash register. "already in the register, i'm afraid." she and eddie shared and amused look at the girl's annoyance.
"i hate you both," she said lightly.
eddie grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into him. "hate is a strong word, mattie."
"fine," she said, correcting herself. "strongly dislike."
eddie rolled his eyes, keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders as he began leading her out of the door. she slipped from his grip and approached the counter again, dropping her money into danah's tip box.
"i'm really sorry that you and cece couldn't be together," she told the woman quietly.
"right person, wrong time," danah replied to the blonde sadly. her eyes drifted over to eddie, who was stood a few feet away waiting for them to finish their conversation. "don't make my mistake."
matilda turned her head around to look at the boy, then back to danah with her eyes wide. "eddie? no, we're just friends."
"take it from me, friends don't look at friends that way.."
— 📻🪐🏹 —
danah 🫶
ALSO VOL 2 WTF IM IN SHOCK
WORD COUNT — 1774.