I started towards Algebra, grinning to myself. I suddenly felt a heavy set of arms drape around me, pulling me in for a hug. I looked up and smiled wider.
"How goes it, Mar-got?" Jason Carver asked, smiling at me. Ever since he met me, he always pronounced my name how it was spelled, refusing to use the silent "T". I leaned into him.
"Oh, it goes, Jace – how about you?" I asked. He dropped me and shrugged, still grinning at me.
"Living the dream, girl," he replied. He looked down, raising an eyebrow. "Did I just see you talking to Eddie Munson?"
"Yeah! We're partners for Ms. Donnell's big English project," I answered. He furrowed his brows. I elbowed him. "What?"
"Nothing – he's just weird."
"He's nice!" I replied. He nodded.
"No, yeah, he's nice for the most part. He's just super weird," he repeated. I shrugged.
"Yeah, he's a little dorky, but he's harmless," I said. I nudged him again. "Not everyone wears their letterman jacket every day and calls it fashion."
He laughed and playfully punched my arm, conceding to my observation. I hoped he would not continue to push me about this, because I didn't know how to explain my utter fascination with Eddie Munson.
When I had moved to Hawkins, I was determined to rebrand myself, wanting to leave behind the goofy nerd I had been previously. I had just gotten my braces off and learned how to use contacts and makeup. I was not going to be bullied anymore. I was not going to be ostracized. I was going to have friends and go to parties and finally kiss boys. It definitely helped that Hawkins was small and unused to change, so as a new transfer, I was easily welcomed.
I had quickly fallen in with the crowd of popular kids and for the first time in my life, I was the person in the room everyone was drawn to. People wanted to invite me to things, handsome boys asked me on dates, and I had friends.
But I could not stop noticing the long-haired dork who sat in the back of my classes.
I was so excited when Ms. Donnell announced us as partners. Eddie was aggressively against the norm – he made decisions that set him apart from everyone and made him stick out like a sore thumb. He seemed to do whatever he wanted to do, whenever he wanted to do it, and I was green with envy over it. I was desperate for an ounce of the self-assurance he had – maybe if I had any of it, I wouldn't have felt the compulsion to completely change myself once I moved to Hawkins.
And even though the popular kids I was now friends with made fun of him and his friend group, he continued to be himself.
I thought he was confident in himself, but the last couple of days had confused me. He was bumbling and awkward; nothing like the mysterious metalhead I had built up in my head. He seemed to want to share the interesting things he enjoyed while being horrifically embarrassed by them at the same time. I even had to push him to pick The Hobbit – I knew he had read it. I had seen him walk around with a copy that was practically falling apart because of how much he had read it.
I had agonized all night about the party I was throwing tonight. In the moment, I didn't invite Eddie because I knew that my friends would be bewildered by my actions. I didn't know how to explain that Eddie Munson was the personification of everything I wanted to be – confident in who they actually were and unfazed by what others thought of them.
Because if they knew that, they would know who Margot Patterson was before Hawkins. Dorky. Unlikeable. A freak.
I had decided this morning though that it shouldn't matter – it had been rude for me to talk about the party without inviting him. And part of me wanted another excuse to see him outside of school.
I sat in Algebra, still grinning at the idea of Eddie Munson coming to my party. Chrissy Cunningham sat by me, tossing a bag of M&Ms on my desk. I looked up and smiled at her.
"Don't ever say I didn't do anything for you," she quipped, smiling at me. I grabbed the bag and opened it up, leaning back in my chair.
"I'll sing your praises," I teased. She smiled but furrowed her brows.
"Looks like that Eddie kid is already rubbing off on you – speaking funny and everything now," she said. I felt heat creep into my face but played it off.
"Nah, I just don't speak like every jock or cheerleader around here," I replied. She laughed and nodded her head.
"Fair enough," she said, pulling a notebook out of her bag. We turned our attention to the front. I yawned and started glancing around the class. This was my favorite class to sit in – I was right by the door and Mr. Gian left his door open to prevent the room from getting stuffy.
I heard stomping down the hallway, followed by laughter. I watched the hallway, wanting to see what was happening. As if he knew I was thinking of him, Eddie stumbled down the hall, horsing around with his two friends, Gareth and Jeff, who often shared classes with me. I smiled, enjoying how ridiculous they were being. I placed my chin on my hand, resting my elbow on my desk.
Eddie suddenly looked over, locking eyes with me. My smile grew and I waved at him with my other hand. His cheeks turned pink, and he smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head. I felt my stomach flip.
He waved at me, his smile growing before his friends called out to him. He looked to them, his long curls tossing over his shoulders. He looked at me one more time and shot me finger guns before traipsing off. I tried to hide my laughter and looked down at my notebook. I could feel Chrissy watching me but refused to look at her.
---
"Mar-got – should I lock this scotch up, too?" Jason called from downstairs. I sighed, wanting to finish my makeup. I padded outside of my room and leaned over the bannister.
"Carver – anything that isn't what we bought today needs to be locked up!" I answered. He appeared in the foyer, grinning up at me.
"I was hoping you'd let me have this one," he replied, holding up some expensive bottle my dad had probably bought years ago. I shook my head.
"I would rather my father not murder me when he and my mom get back, thank you very much," I quipped. I went back to my room to finish getting ready.
"I've arrived!" Chrissy called from downstairs, slamming the front door behind her. I called out a hello and finished swiping my eyeliner on. I stopped to look in the mirror, admiring the darker makeup I had put on. Chrissy bounded into my room, calling my name and throwing her arms out. I laughed as she twirled.
"Chrissy, do you ever change out of that cheerleader uniform?" I teased. She grinned and shrugged.
"Jason said he thought it looked cute on me – I'm hoping to seal the deal tonight," she replied, winking at me. I laughed and shook my head.
Since I had moved here, Chrissy and I had become friends, and she always talked about the intense crush she had harbored for Jason. It was sweet how they flirted – Jason was always a gentleman with her, unlike some of the basketball team he always brought around. And while he was appropriately protective of us, but I still wish he wouldn't bring them around.
"Maybe if you actually told him how you felt, you two would seal the deal," I joked. I crossed to my closet and stared at my clothes, trying to decide what to wear.
"Maybe you could put in a good word with him," Chrissy mused, trying to leverage my friendship with Jason. I grabbed a green dress that I loved to wear and left the closet.
"For the umpteenth time, Cunningham – no! I don't want to play matchmaker," I insisted. I started walking her out of my room. "He likes you, too – now go downstairs and help him set up!"
She groaned as I closed the door behind her so I could change. I started dressing, piling my dirty clothes into a hamper and I heard music start downstairs. I smiled, hoping that the two of them would finally admit their feelings tonight.
I looked in the mirror one more time, smoothing my dress out. I tucked one of my curls behind my ear and thought back to Margot from a year and a half ago. She would barely recognize the Margot in front of me now – faking confidence and dressed like one of the popular kids I had always admired.
I left my room, bounding downstairs to go meet my friends. Jason and Chrissy were giggling with each other, drinking punch that Jason and I had made earlier. Jason looked up and beamed at me, leaning on the kitchen counter.
"This dress is so great," Chrissy complimented. I grinned and twirled before Jason handed me a glass of punch. I finished it quickly, my nerves slowly building for the night.
---
I was drunk.
Maybe not drunk, but definitely toasty.
The party had picked up, the music pounding. I had started playing drink games with Jason and the basketball team, making them all laugh with well-timed jokes I had often practiced.
One of the basketball players, Andy, kept trying to wrap an arm around my waist despite my repeated orders to stop. He tried it again and I shoved him, snapping my head to Jason so he would talk to him. Jason winced and set a hand on Andy's shoulder, getting him to step away from me.
I was angry and stormed away, going to my foyer to get a breath of fresh air. I glanced back to the party, stunned by the amount of people who wanted to hang out with me. The doorbell rang and I turned to the door, feeling uninhibited from the amount of alcohol I had drank. I swung the door open, exclaiming a greeting.
I stopped, my face breaking into a grin.
"If it isn't Eddie the Brave!" I announced, referencing the name his club had used for him. He flushed and looked at his feet, clearing his throat.
He was in his usual garb – ripped jeans and a t-shirt under his normal jacket. He had a pack of beer in his hand. I noticed his rings – I had tried to figure out what they were the day before when we had studied together, but didn't want to be caught staring.
"I hope it's still okay that I came," he said, stuffing one of his ring-clad hands in his pocket. I grinned.
"Of course, it is – I would have been disappointed if you didn't come!" I replied, grabbing his arm to pull him inside. He looked surprised when I closed the door behind us and grinned at him. I watched him as he smiled nervously at me before pulling his boots off. I stopped him. "What are you doing?"
"Oh – I thought you said your mom was a stickler," he explained, holding his boot in his hand. I felt my smile grow. I really did not know who Eddie Munson was. He was obviously not the rebellious partier that I thought he was.
"Want to go hang out by the pool?" I asked, suddenly wanting to learn as much as I could about him.