"You okay?" a voice asks, and I'm just about ready to hide.

No one needs to know about my panic attacks, I pressed my hand against my mouth to try and muffle my heavy breaths, my heart pounding as I slumped myself on the floor against the wall, the only thing stopping the stranger from seeing me was a dumpster.

"I know you're still here, I just wanna know if you're okay." he says.

"I'm fine." I force out in between inhales.

"Wheeler?"

I heard footsteps approaching, I frantically wiped the tears away and tried to slow my breathing in a desperate attempt to look somewhat composed for whoever this guy was.

"You don't look fine, no offence." he raised his eyebrows, and when I looked up at him I realised who he was.

Eddie Munson, great, why is he everywhere?

"I'm just recovering from an asthma attack, no big deal." I lie, looking away from him.

"Is that why you're crying?" he asks, seeing right through my lie.

He sat himself down next to me, he tucked my hair behind my ear and instinctively placed two fingers against my neck, just under my jaw, he was feeling my pulse.

I saw him mouth something to himself, I didn't know what he said.

"I think you were having a panic attack, Wheeler." he tells me.

"No shit, Sherlock." I shuffle myself away from him.

If anyone catches us out here together then I'm never going to be able to live it down. Valerie Wheeler sitting with the local drug dealer, I could practically hear the rumours already.

"You didn't need to lie, that's all." he shrugs.

"Not everyone is exactly understanding about certain conditions which is why I don't want people knowing, I'll get called crazy."

"People might understand having panic attacks when there's a trigger, like remembering a traumatic event or something. Mine are completely random, I could be eating breakfast and then boom, I feel like I'm about to die." I sigh, "It's literally like I'm going insane."

"I had panic attacks a lot growing up, and I mean a lot." he tells me, "Nothing to be ashamed of, sometimes our brains just choose to go rogue like that."

I never thought Eddie Munson would be this understanding, I'm pleasantly surprised.

"And you think I'd call you crazy? Me? Out of everyone? I'm the local looney according to your friends, no one could be crazier than me." he laughs, lightening the mood a little.

"You are a little... eccentric."

"You can't call me eccentric when you're the one with mascara all around your eyes like a panda." he jokes, I'm suddenly incredibly aware that my makeup has definitely smudged everywhere.

"I'm actually auditioning for Corroded Coffin, that's why I look like this." I tell him, joking.

I realised then that he'd managed to distract me enough to calm me down, this had never happened this quickly before.

"Real funny, but you're actually kinda rocking that look. All you need are some better clothes and you'd fit in Corroded Coffin pretty well." he nods, impressed.

He stood up dramatically, it was like every movement Eddie made had to be wildly theatrical, it was entertaining.

"Do you wanna hang out at my place? Or will your little boyfriend Jason not like that?" he asks, smug smile on his face.

I think he could tell I didn't like Jason, it was like he could see through my facade.

"He's far from my boyfriend." I roll my eyes before grabbing onto Eddie's hand as he helps me get up.

"I'll come to your place with you, but can I ask you something?" I couldn't believe I was actually doing this but something about Eddie was incredibly intriguing.

"Go for it."

"Why are you being nice to me?" It just didn't feel real.

My friends are assholes to him, and here he is helping me get through my panic attack and asking me to hang out with him.

"Because you're Mike's sister." he answers plainly.

Alright, fair enough I guess.

"And also because I think you're not so different from me." he tells me.

"You're a drug dealer and I'm stuck in the popular group, I'm not really seeing how we're similar, no offence."

"It's funny that you say that because all the people who look down on me for dealing drugs are the same ones purchasing from me." he laughs, shaking his head.

"I wasn't judging you, simply saying the situation as it is."

"I keep all my customers confidential, but all I'm going to say is that a lot of your friends are extremely hypocritical." he shrugs, we began to walk towards the parking lot.

"My friends buy from you?"

"Some of them." he nods, I'm not sure whether to believe him.

"All your friends are rich, how else would I be able to afford this sweet ride?" he laughs, pointing at his car.

"Holy shit, this is yours?"

"All mine. Hop in, Princess, we're headed to La Casa de Eddie!" he cheers, giving his car a few pats like it was his pet.

"Oh god, don't call me that again." I laugh through an exaggerated shudder before getting into his car.

I can't help but look around just to make sure nobody's witnessing this, I'm still not sure how I feel about hanging out with Eddie but something about him is strangely comforting, his overwhelming presence was something I needed.

"It's pretty fitting, you're like the princess of Hawkins High."

"Right, and you're the jester." I joke, laughing again.

I'm in Eddie Munson's car, I'm enjoying talking to him, I'm laughing.

Something feels off though, the way he's being so nice to me after everything my friends do to him. Maybe this is special treatment because he's friends with my brother, either way, I need company right now and he's the only one offering me that.

Maybe, just maybe I was wrong about him.

☆ ☆ ☆

guys i actually adore eddie so much i can't AHHHH i didn't proofread again so if there's any spelling mistakes plz point them out 😇

feel free to vote if you enjoyed this chapter, it helps others find this book which really helps me out <3