015 guidance counselor
Eden didn't know why what Jason had said in the gym was still looping in her mind, but it was. She hadn't been able to focus on anything but his speech as the day went on to the point that her fourth period teacher pulled her out of the room and told her to go talk to Ms. Kelly.
So, that's where Eden was heading. She ran her hands through her hair as her breathing picked up, just trying to get to Ms. Kelly's office as quickly as she could. Her mind replaying Jason's words over and over again.
Though she did get a moments break when she slammed into someone else, tumbling back a bit before she steadied herself. "Woah, I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." The person apologized, hand on Edens arm to steady her. Eden shook her head. "No, sorry it was my bad."
She looked up and was surprisingly met with the face of Eddie Munson staring back at her. "You look stressed." He noted, lightly smiling down at the girl. Eden chuckled dryly. "You could say that." Eddie nodded slowly, pulling his hand back off Edens arm. "I can help with that, if you'd like."
Eden cocked an eyebrow, giving him a look. Eddie's eyes widened slightly. "Not like that, sorry. I just meant I have a few things with me that could help take the edge off for a cheap price." Eden bit her lip, nodding as she heard her own heartbeat in her ears. "Yeah, okay. How much?"
"Twenty bucks. Honestly it's usually thirty, but I hate to see people in a panic. So, meet me in the wooded area behind the school for the last bit of lunch and I can help your problems float away." Eddie tried selling and Eden just chuckled lightly. He smiled, once again seeing how that sounded once it came out.
"Thank you." Eden smiled, moving past the boy. "Hey! What's your name?" Eddie wondered but Eden just kept walking, pushing the door open to Ms. Kelly's office.
Eden looked around the office quietly. "Hello?" She heard some movement from a separate room before Ms. Kelly popped out, smiling. "What can I help you with, Eden?" Eden lightly scratched her arm. "Uh, sorry. Mrs. Wilson said she'd call down for me?" Ms. Kelly nodded. "Oh, yes! Come on back."
Eden breathed out deeply and headed back, taking a seat across from where Ms. Kelly had sat. "So, what happened? I haven't seen you in here in a while. Did something trigger something?" Eden took in a shaky breath, her encounter with Eddie quickly leaving her mind as it went back to Jason and what he'd said. "Um, uh, yeah. At the, uh, pep rally."
Ms. Kelly nodded, marking a few things down on her paper. "Jason's speech? Bringing up Heather and the fire?" Eden nodded, holding back from grabbing at her own throat in an effort to lessen the weight of breathing.
"That must have been hard to be reminded of. Have you had any other times recently where she has been brought up?" Eden thought of her nightmare that very morning and nodded. "It, uh, it sounds kind of silly but I had this nightmare last night. It was all about her and I woke up with this splitting headache."
Ms. Kelly wrote that down. "So it seems you'd already been thinking of her when Jason made his speech and the speech just sent you into a spiral?" Eden shrugged. "I don't— I don't know. I... I mean it was a dick move to use their deaths in a speech about a basketball game. He just— he had no right."
"Don't you think we're all trying to heal in our own ways? And that this might just be his?" Ms. Kelly wondered. Eden shook her head no instantly. "Not all of us had something to heal from. And that's not me just invalidating people, it's the truth. Some people never even knew Heather or Billy or anyone else. Some people just use their deaths in a speech and then go on with their day not carrying around the weight of losing that person. Like actually losing them."
"I know people who are healing. Who can't just talk about what happened with a small smile and a few sad looks. Some of us can't just get over it that easily." Eden finished and Ms. Kelly reached her hand across her desk. "Breathe, Eden. I need you to breathe."
Eden focused on breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly until she was able to do it naturally again. She frowned. "I don't want it to effect me. I want to be able to hear someone say her name without going into a panic because I didn't like the reason they said her name. I just— god I just want her back."
The bell rung indicating lunch was beginning and Eden sighed, lowering herself as she put her hands in her head. Ms. Kelly handed her a note. "I want you to take this lunch period and fifth period to yourself. So, after lunch just give your fifth period teacher this note so you can take the class period to just calm your mind. Okay? And after spring break come talk with me first thing in the morning."
Eden nodded, slowly standing. "Thank you." Ms. Kelly nodded with a smile. "Enjoy your break, Eden." Eden grabbed her bag, nodding. "Yeah, you too." She quickly left the room with her note in hand as she headed down the hall.
Eden made her way back to her car quickly, finding she wanted some alone time before she met with Eddie to hopefully take the edge off. Once inside, Eden sighed, placing her head on her steering wheel.
She didn't even know if she wanted weed anymore, not wanting to deal with the questions from her brother later in the day. She also felt as though she needed to calm down on her own, like she was being sort of stupid for even thinking to resorting to drugs to fix her mental problems in the moment.
No matter how hard Eden tried to hide it, she missed Heather. That much was obvious. She didn't even know why now out of all times it was hitting her like it was. As if these last few months of bliss were just that, bliss. Giving her some time before the true grief and guilt set in.
It was probably the nightmare. Bringing back up the memories and guilt of her tragic friends passing. Without those images playing in her mind the night before this would have probably just been another day. Jason wouldn't have triggered her and she would be going on as if nothing was wrong.
But that wasn't how it was going for her.
After a bit more time, Eden exited her car and began heading back towards the school. Almost immediately, though, Dustin was standing in front of her looking hopeful. "Eden! Just the person I was hoping to run into."
Eden smiled lightly at the boy, catching the fact that he had just walked away from the schools phone booth while flipping it off. He had probably been talking to Steve. "Hey. What's up?"
Dustin smiled. "So. Tonight we have this super big campaign that we just can't miss and need a sub. How fun does that sound?" Eden just smiled lightly, though she didn't know what he was talking about. "Sorry, uh... campaign?" Dustin sighed. "Like D&D. It's a D&D game tonight."
Eden nodded. "Oh, okay." She stood there for a moment before sighing. "Sorry, Dustin. I already promised my brother and his friend I'd go to the championship game tonight." Dustin frowned. "Seriously? You can't cancel on them to come hang out with your super cool friend Dustin?"
"Sorry, not this time. Also I don't exactly know anything about D&D so I'd be more harmful then helpful. But, I hope your campaign goes well!" Eden apologized. Dustin sighed. "Thanks." But then he remembered something. "Hey! Why are you still avoiding Steve? I've just kind of noticed it recently."
Eden bit her lip. "Um, that's kind of complicated." Dustin chuckled lightly. "Eden. I'm a man in high school, I can handle it." Eden shook her head, lightly smiling. "He just showed me he wasn't interested so I'm not going to put anymore energy into it."
"But he's like super into you." Dustin replied and Edens eyes widened at how forward he was about that. "Well, he doesn't show it. I've got to go." Eden responded, quickly walking away.
She sighed as she headed towards the back of the school, not seeing a reason to be late to the deal that was about to go down. Except Eden was questioning her purchase more and more.
When she made it to the back area, she saw the punk rock boy already waiting. Eden hurried a bit to make her way over to him, smiling lightly when he noticed her. "I've been thinking." He started and Eden raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"I don't deal to people I don't know. So, I think further introductions are in order before we continue this transaction. Which means, I'll need your name." He continued, smirking to himself as he found his idea to be genius and full-proof.
Eden smirked lightly. "But if this is a one time thing, wouldn't it be easier to go back to our lives with no strings attached?" Eddie shrugged. "Maybe. But you don't exactly have a forgettable face."
Eden smiled as she bit down on the corner of her lip. "Eden." Eddie smiled back victoriously. "Okay, Eden. What will it be?" Eden sighed, tapping her foot lightly as she looked around trying to think. For some reason she didn't want to seem uncool by accepting a deal and not taking it, but part of her just knew she shouldn't.
And Eddie seemed to pick up on that as well. "Hey. Uh, we don't have to go through with this if you don't want to. It just seemed like earlier you really needed it but we can just stop here and there will be no harm or foul." Edens head just went into her hands. "Sorry. I'm just thinking about a lot right now and I don't know if weed is going to fix any of that for me."
"You're fine, no worries. Here, if you ever change your mind... just let me know and the price drop will still count." Eddie offered, sitting across from Eden with his hands holding up his head as he looked at her. Eden lifted her head up and lightly laughed. "I can give you full price."
Eddie shook his head. "Nope. I won't have it. I'm a man of my word and when I say sale I mean sale." Eden laughed a bit more at that, nodding. "Okay then."
"By the way, has anyone ever told you that you look like Tina? You know, the girl who graduated last year?" Eddie wondered as it had been on his mind since he first saw Eden. She just shook her head. "Uh, no I've actually never heard that before. I honestly don't know if our paths have ever crossed but I've never been compared to a Tina before."
Eddie shrugged. "Huh. Interesting." Eden nodded lightly before standing, fixing her clothes as she did so. "Well, I'm sorry for wasting the last bit of your lunch period. I guess I'll see you around." Eddie smiled. "No time was wasted, don't worry. I will see you around, Eden."
She lightly smiled before Eden grabbed her bag, pulling it over her shoulder as she walked away from Eddie. Surprisingly Eddie had made for a decent distraction and Eden was feeling much better. Maybe she just needed someone to talk to her like she wasn't about to freak out to settle her.
No matter, but now Eden knew she didn't need to skip her fifth period anymore but if she had an excuse not to go she would take it. She could go and find Robin as that was her off period and the two could hang out for a bit.
Yeah, Eden was definitely feeling better. But who knows how long that ever lasts.
AUTHORS NOTE!
sorry this literally took so long and I rushed that ending so I could post this. I've been in such a writing slump that I want to get out of so I'm going to try and get out more chapters!