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cheerleader & evileyes
[ Eddie had never really considered himself the college type. He wasn't sure what his plans were once he graduated, but they had never involved even applying to college, much less getting in. But things had changed a lot during his senior year, and his college plans were the least of them. That last year still feels like a dream sometimes, especially now. The sort that he still can't shake, the one that haunts him when he sees a familiar shock of strawberry blonde hair or a specific set of broad shoulders from across campus.
It wasn't that things had been easy, that year in Hawkins. But they as hell had been fun. It had started the way he thinks most things like this do, with a few too many drinks, a shared joint, giggling, drunken confessions. They had never put a name to what they were, even as things moved beyond casual fun. Eddie thinks they were all too afraid that asking to name what was going on would somehow cause it all to end. He knows he had been.
They had agreed on plans for college, seeing it as the perfect transitional space for them. They could be away from their tiny town that was still just a little bit too judgmental, figure themselves out before having to enter the world as 'real' adults. It hadn't been easy, at least not for Eddie, trying to get his grades in shape when he had spent so much time not caring. The audio engineering program had ended up being a perfect fit, relied more on showing what he could do with music than a stellar GPA.
The first few weeks they had barely seen each other as they were wrapped up in the flurry of classes, clubs, and orientations. Eddie hadn't been worried then. Things would settle down soon enough, they'd find their groove. What dates they could manage to schedule with their equally busy schedules quickly became few and far between, and it wasn't much longer until sometimes one of them just wouldn't show up, or two, or all of them. Eddie still feels guilty about that.
Time went on, and things fizzled into nothing, their group chat quiet, texts unanswered. Eddie still scrolls back through them when he's feeling lonely, wonders why none of them ever said something about it. Maybe there was that same fear as before, maybe it was easier to just let things between the three of them go. They're juniors now, and any time he sees Chrissy or Billy from across the quad or in the cafeteria, it sends an ache through his chest.
He's started picking up DJing gigs on the side, putting the skills he's been learning to use. The kind of music he works with isn't exactly his taste, put it pays better than anything at the Hideout ever did. It's a Friday night and the bar he's working is packed with college kids and locals alike, and is known for not checking IDs too closely. When he spots them in the crowd he feels a brief burst of panic. Had they come here together? Because they knew he would be here? Or was this all just an accident?
Usually Eddie loses himself in his music, his set, but that suddenly shifts. All he can think about is finding them as soon as his set's over. Eddie tries to keep an eye on them in the crowd, but there's too many people, and he's afraid they'll leave before he's finished. As soon as his set ends he's rushing out into the crowd, pushing through people in a frantic search to find them.
And he does, because it seems they've already found each other. They're drinking at the bar, Chrissy grinning the way she does when she's really happy, Billy looking relaxed. Eddie practically flings himself in their direction, one arm around Chrissy, the other Billy. ]
Holy shit! [ His voice is hoarse but delighted, and he pulls back so that he can look at them, reassure himself that they're actually here. ] I feel like I'm seeing a couple of ghosts.
It wasn't that things had been easy, that year in Hawkins. But they as hell had been fun. It had started the way he thinks most things like this do, with a few too many drinks, a shared joint, giggling, drunken confessions. They had never put a name to what they were, even as things moved beyond casual fun. Eddie thinks they were all too afraid that asking to name what was going on would somehow cause it all to end. He knows he had been.
They had agreed on plans for college, seeing it as the perfect transitional space for them. They could be away from their tiny town that was still just a little bit too judgmental, figure themselves out before having to enter the world as 'real' adults. It hadn't been easy, at least not for Eddie, trying to get his grades in shape when he had spent so much time not caring. The audio engineering program had ended up being a perfect fit, relied more on showing what he could do with music than a stellar GPA.
The first few weeks they had barely seen each other as they were wrapped up in the flurry of classes, clubs, and orientations. Eddie hadn't been worried then. Things would settle down soon enough, they'd find their groove. What dates they could manage to schedule with their equally busy schedules quickly became few and far between, and it wasn't much longer until sometimes one of them just wouldn't show up, or two, or all of them. Eddie still feels guilty about that.
Time went on, and things fizzled into nothing, their group chat quiet, texts unanswered. Eddie still scrolls back through them when he's feeling lonely, wonders why none of them ever said something about it. Maybe there was that same fear as before, maybe it was easier to just let things between the three of them go. They're juniors now, and any time he sees Chrissy or Billy from across the quad or in the cafeteria, it sends an ache through his chest.
He's started picking up DJing gigs on the side, putting the skills he's been learning to use. The kind of music he works with isn't exactly his taste, put it pays better than anything at the Hideout ever did. It's a Friday night and the bar he's working is packed with college kids and locals alike, and is known for not checking IDs too closely. When he spots them in the crowd he feels a brief burst of panic. Had they come here together? Because they knew he would be here? Or was this all just an accident?
Usually Eddie loses himself in his music, his set, but that suddenly shifts. All he can think about is finding them as soon as his set's over. Eddie tries to keep an eye on them in the crowd, but there's too many people, and he's afraid they'll leave before he's finished. As soon as his set ends he's rushing out into the crowd, pushing through people in a frantic search to find them.
And he does, because it seems they've already found each other. They're drinking at the bar, Chrissy grinning the way she does when she's really happy, Billy looking relaxed. Eddie practically flings himself in their direction, one arm around Chrissy, the other Billy. ]
Holy shit! [ His voice is hoarse but delighted, and he pulls back so that he can look at them, reassure himself that they're actually here. ] I feel like I'm seeing a couple of ghosts.
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She dates here and there, Frat boys that she's not really interested in. Because as cute as some of them can be, and as eager as they are to impress her, none of them are like Eddie or Billy. What they had together was special, and it's easier to just party and fool around with meaningless one night stands here and there than be sad about what she lost.
By the time her junior year rolls around, the whole partying thing is old. She's still in her Sorority, is now head cheerleader. She's worked her ass off for the role. She's making great grades and feels like a semi-functional adult that has her shit together. Her life has taken on the same mundane day to day routine that it had back in high school, but she accepts that's maybe just how life is supposed to be, and she does it with a smile.
She's decided maybe she's gotten good enough at wrapping cheer injuries and training her team, and wants to really apply herself to finish her kinesiology studies so she can get into sports medicine. So she's really applied herself toward her goals on that. She spends more time at the house studying than going out, but she still lets her sorority sisters drag her out from time to time. She runs into Billy at a frat party one night, and the two spend the entire time drinking and talking. And okay, maybe there's a lot of flirting too.
When he suggests they head out to a club to see a local DJ's set, she's eager just to get out of there and spend time with him. All thoughts of studying are shoved aside, and she's glad to have a late night out. The music is loud and catchy, the place is packed, and Chrissy drags Billy out to dance their way through the front of the crowd. Once they get there, she's ecstatic to see who the dj is. She doesn't think she's ever been more proud of Eddie and the person he's grown into becoming.
She cheers and calls out Eddie's name, Billy laughing as she wildly dances. The more they drink and move around together through the crowd, the more carefree she becomes. By the time she sees Eddie moving through the crowd, she gives a gasp of delighted surprise.]
Eddie, oh my god! [Her grin is just as bright as it had been when she first saw Billy earlier that night at the party. With Eddie's arms around the both of them, she reaches out to grab Billy's arm. Chrissy pulls him in with her, so they can have a well-deserved group hug. Her arms are around both of her boys, and she's enveloped in their attention. All is right in the world again.]
You were amazing up there! [She laughs as she pulls back, before she glances over toward Billy.]
Did you know he was going to be here?
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senior year had been alright, had been the saving grace of it all because of chrissy and eddie. they'd never put a name to it but they'd been something and while billy's not exactly the sort to talk about his feelings, he's the sort to be petty and hurt when shit fades away.
it's not like he's not to blame either, more of then than not he'd had something to do for the frat pulling him away. then there had been classes and, honestly, despite his reputation back in hawkins, billy's here on a full ride because he's smart enough for it. so he keeps his grades up too, dives into sig pi; and keeps busy. keeps busy enough that he can say it's not pettiness that had him not answering calls.
but that's not true.
and he misses them. in the end, the frat's good for him in the sense it does knock some sense into his head after the second. the advisors are good, his big bro is easy to talk to about serious shit and also gets good blow. win-win, really.
but billy's still billy even when he's calmer, far away from neil and thriving. his junior year he's calmed down a considerable amount. hasn't changed his ways completely. he's out with becky--- betty? brenda??-- when he runs into chrissy and it's like seeing her for the first time again. beth (it's 'katy') throws a drink in his face and billy cackles, makes his way over to chrissy for the night and that's that.
when he sees a flyer for a dj night, sees eddie is playing it. well, billy's kind of into the idea of a reunion. and he likes the hideout. a night out with chrissy is always a good time and when they're there, billy weaves with her in the crowd and pulls her close with an arm around the waist to dance to the beats eddie's sending out into the crowd. he looks so good up there and billy looks up at him through the set, wants to catch his gaze but eddie's so focused and in his element.
he dances with chrissy, gets them rounds of drinks but not enough that they are more focused on the buzz of alcohol than the music. when eddie comes up to them at the bar, billy's feeling loose and relaxed. happy in a way that rarely showed unless it was the three of them, holed up in the back of eddie's shitty van or sitting on the hood of his camaro. he laughs as an arm winds itself around his shoulders and chrissy's reeling him in like she always does. he slips an arm around her waist, one around eddie's. it's familiar, easy. it's fucking weird. chrissy's question earns a grin, a wink. ) Might have seen a flyer or two.
( then he turns to eddie, still smiling. it's probably looser than the last time they saw each other, less strained at the edges. ) You sound good, man, the set was sick. What are you drinking? I'm getting us a round.
( he guesses chrissy will stick to her usual but knows she'll let him know otherwise. )
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It's fine, he thinks. More than fine. They came here, together, to see him. Eddie thinks he feels his knees buckle at the very idea. ]
A long island.
[ It's a bit of a girly drink, sure, but he's far too sober, and he wants to catch up as quickly as possible. Something about seeing them, about the three of them being together, there's an edge within him that demands to be dulled. As happy as their reunion is, some impossible sadness is welling up within him, pressing against his throat in desperation to be let out. He takes a moment to just look at them, lets his arms drop from their shoulders to settle at both their waists. ]
Yeah, I-- [ Words are suddenly hard to put into coherent sentences, even for as much as he loves what he does. ] Not where I thought I'd end up, but it's great.
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It feels like things have just fallen right back into place, with absolutely no awkwardness. Her heart feels full at having them in this close, at knowing the spark is still there between them.]
Eddie, it's better than great. This is perfect for you. Really!
[Her pride shows itself as her smile is beaming, and she leans in close to him to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. Which of course doesn't feel like enough at all, so she steals a quick press of her lips against his. With the things they used to do together, it's entirely chaste. It's also still not enough. But it's what will have to do for now.
She doesn't realize that she's holding onto Billy's arm until she pulls back, thinking he's trying to slip away. He's wanting to get them drinks, she remembers, but feels drawn to keep him right there with them. Clinginess doesn't look good on her, so her hand drops away.]
I'll grab us a table, okay? You guys go get the drinks.