I'd managed to fake being sick, somehow convincing my mom that I couldn't go into school. I had to be careful because she was downstairs, I'd left a ladder leading up to my bedroom window for Eddie.

I couldn't face Jason after last night, and I knew Chrissy would've already been told about it so I just had to avoid them both, I couldn't bring myself to see them at school.

So, I'm spending the day with Eddie.

I moved a few things around at my desk, moving my drawings into a drawer, they were unfinished so they didn't look great.

I glanced around my room and realised how different it was from Eddie's room. He had posters of rockstars, I had posters of Abba. My room was decorated in white and light shades of blue, his room lacked colour except for red.

It sort of set in how different Eddie and I really were. I'd never dared to experiment with my style. I usually stick to my pretty preppy outfits while Eddie rocks leather jackets and wears clothes that are practically falling apart. He didn't seem to care about how people perceive him, but I did, my reputation was everything to me.

It made me wonder how we seemed to get along well despite having nothing in common.

I heard a thud behind me, I turned around in confusion to find Eddie laying on his back on my floor right next to my window.

"Everything okay, Valerie?" My mom calls from downstairs, shit, she must've heard.

"Everything's fine! I dropped my..." I look around my room in panic, I needed to find something heavy, "Dictionary!"

I glared at Eddie, who was still on the floor, he gave me a thumbs up.

"Always so graceful." I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"Thank you, I try my best." he smiles, getting up and closing my window for me, "A landing pad would've been nice though."

"Clearly I didn't know you were gonna roll in here like James Bond."

"You're right, do you want me to go back downstairs and knock at your front door? If your window wasn't so small I'd be able to get in here normally." he replies, smug.

He began to look at my drawings again, carefully admiring each one. He spends particularly long looking at one of the better ones I'd made, it was a drawing of a cat skull I'd found while on a walk. A little morbid, I know, but it was good shading practice with the way the sunlight slipped through the gaps in the bones.

"These are really good, Wheeler." he tells me, not taking his eyes off them.

"Do you actually think so or are you just saying that to make me feel better? I didn't think I was any good at art, that's all." I ask, for some reason I'm insecure when it comes to art even though I know deep down I'm not bad at it.

I don't know why I want Eddie's validation, maybe because he seems more creative than me, like he'd recognise good art.

"I'm serious, you have talent, but there's one thing I've gotta ask."

"What is it?"

He turns around and stares to the ceiling directly above my bed in slight disapproval and I can tell he's trying not to laugh, I want to disappear in embarrassment when I realise what he's looking at.

"Why do you have a Matt Dillon poster directly above your bed?"

Fuck my life.

"Well, I..." I begin but it's hard to find words to get me out of this situation, "I think he's a good actor."

"Mhm." he's laughing, he's not believing me, "Any reason he's right above your bed?"

"I just like to be reminded of his talent before I go to sleep, it's inspiring." I answer.

"Uh huh, I bet." he nods.

He stares up at Matt Dillon for a little while longer, he's definitely judging my taste but I didn't really care.

"I remember your acting, I wouldn't call it inspiring but it was definitely something." he raises his eyebrows.

The only time I'd ever acted for a crowd was when I was Juliet for out school's version of Romeo & Juliet in Sophomore year, my acting was awful and I'm not really sure how I managed to get that role. I just remember being excited to have a kiss scene with Chris Campbell, he played Romeo and I had a huge crush on him at the time.

"Romeo and Juliet? You watched that?" I ask, laughing.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"I only auditioned because I had a huge crush on Chris Campbell." I admit, laughing to myself.

"Chris Campbell? You liked him?" Eddie shudders.

"I thought it would be a great idea to audition so I'd get to do a kiss scene with him and I somehow got the role." I laugh, sitting down on my bed.

I'm not sure why I trust Eddie with my embarrassing secrets, but I do, and I'm having fun being able to tell someone.

"Let me get this straight. Perfect, popular, princess of Hawkins High Valerie Wheeler liked dorky, theatre nerd Chris Campbell?" he had a confused expression on his face.

"Why wouldn't I? He was a great guy."

"Because everyone worships you and Chris is an absolute nobody, the type of guy your friends would make fun of."

"They aren't my friends anymore." I tell him, I'm still not used to knowing that I won't be able to talk to Jason and Chrissy anymore. It's going to take some time to sink in.

"Thank god for that." he laughs, "I have a question, it might be stupid but..."

"Do you wanna join Hellfire?" he asks, fidgeting with his ring.

I weigh up my options, I either find new friends to replace Chrissy and Jason or I spend my last year at high school with an actual friend, Eddie, but have the risk of being bullied.

I think Eddie is changing me, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. If you asked me last week I would've said that I wouldn't be caught dead in Hellfire. But now? Now I would say:

"Of course."

And I smile excitedly, I like spending time with Eddie, I like how patient he is with me, I like how I can trust him.

Everyone at school treats him like shit, my own friends treat him like shit, he doesn't deserve that, he doesn't deserve any of it.

People see a guy who doesn't conform to their bullshit standards and they look down on him simply because he's different. That makes me sad. People don't know him, they don't know that he's actually nicer than 95% of the people at that school.

I've spent my entire high school experience with people I don't actually like just because I enjoyed the popularity and attention, it's bullshit. I've never fitted in with these people, I've hid my personality for years and now I've finally found someone I can be myself around but I'm nearly at the end of high school. There's no time left.

"Eddie," I begin.

"Yeah?"

"I just really wish I met you earlier, that's all." I smile slightly, "And I also don't know how to play D&D, so you might have to teach me."

☆ ☆ ☆

if i make a tiktok account u guys better tag me in eddie edits 🤬

i've edited this chapter like 7 times so there's probably some spelling mistakes so plz point them out if u find any 😔

feel free to vote if u enjoyed this chapter, it helps more ppl find this book which really helps me out!