#young!Eddie munson | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sataniquepanique · 2 years ago

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The Queen of Hellfire: Part One

Part One: Labyrinth

Summary: Two women had a monumental impact on Eddie Munson's life: his mother, and Meg.

Genre: angst, some fluff, Eddie x OFC

Warnings: mentions of DV, mentions of alcoholism, trauma responses, smoking

Word Count: 8.8k

A/N: I'm very interested in knowing Eddie's backstory, so I created something with that in mind. I always imaged Eddie being a shy kid, who eventually grew into the character we know and love. I have a few chapters planned. This is my first go at an OC, so go easy on me <3

September, 1980

The hallways of Hawkins High were stifling; even though it was September, summer still had a vice grip on the state of Indiana with no immediate plans of letting go. Eddie was nauseous. The heat paired with his nerves about the first day of freshman year were eating away at his internal organs; it would be a miracle if he made it through the day without spewing all over the hallway. Running a hand through his hair, he tried to tame the short curls in what he knew was a futile attempt.

Mental note: never shave your head again, Munson; the growing out phase is painfully embarrassing.

No one could guess by his calm demeanor that Eddie was fighting the overwhelming urge to sprint all the way back home to Forest Hills, seeking the asylum of his room, back to the safeguard of Uncle Wayne. A neutral expression hid the fear coursing through his body like poison; he had gotten very good at masking over the years, a mechanism he picked up back when he was in the care of his parents.

He gripped the strap of his backpack tighter, the old canvas bag had seen better days. What was once black, is now a deep, dull gray, littered with small tears, scuffs, and a few painted doodles. Duct tape was basically holding it together at this point, having used it throughout middle school and abusing it almost daily by cramming each pocket full of novels, DnD manuals, firecrackers, and any other bizarre paraphernalia that peaked his curiosity. Money has always been tight, even with Uncle Wayne working overtime at the plant, so back-to-school shopping was non-existent in the Munson household. Any new clothes that Eddie owned were more than likely shoplifted by the young teenager, the rest of his meager wardrobe consisting of thrifted pieces mixed with Wayne’s old hand-me-downs. He had only recently started fitting into his uncle’s clothes, having finally started to grow into himself within the past year. Though they were all still a size too large, Eddie would frequently wear one of Wayne’s old flannels; the threadbare fabric brought comfort on days where he just wanted to disappear.

Days like today.

Grasping a class schedule in his fist, Eddie quickly maneuvered the crowded hallways, careful to avoid eye contact with any upperclassmen as he searched for his locker assignment, number 116. Wedged between the biology lab and the library, the small expanse of lockers revealed numbers 105-125. Tongue poked out in concentration, he spun the dial a few times, trying to remember the combination.

31.

17.

…2?

Yeah, 2.

According to the crumpled grid in his hand, he had the earliest lunch period, meaning only two classes stood between him and sneaking outside to read in solitude. Tossing some textbooks into his already over-stuffed bag, he slammed the metal door shut and made a beeline for English. The thought of 40 minutes full of literature calmed his nerves a bit. Books had always been a safe haven for him, even as a young child. His mom had read to him often, almost every night before bed, painting his imagination full of far away worlds and magical creatures. Beneath his bed were always piles of books, hidden away from his father who would more than likely try to throw them in the garbage given the chance. Eddie would escape to his fantasy worlds when things got tough; frequently hiding in his closet to read while his dad was storming around the house in a haze of alcohol and anger.

In Middle School, he was a frequent flyer in the guidance office, usually for talking out of turn or pulling a prank on an unsuspecting student; but during the end of 7th grade his counselor called Wayne in for a meeting. Eddie was doing poorly is most of his classes, and his uncle immediately jumped to his defense, citing the visible intelligence of the kid, one that the counselors agreed wholeheartedly upon. He wasn’t dumb by any means, he just wasn’t being challenged, leading to him slacking off and not completing any of his work. They explained at length about how smart Eddie was, providing written statements from teachers about his knack for building narratives and the quickness at which he could problem solve. The solution provided was to put Eddie in some accelerated classes, to which he gave a stark refusal. The other kids had already labeled him a weirdo, with his tattered clothes and quirky interests, he didn’t need to add anything else to the list. Eventually, through the coaxing of Uncle Wayne, he agreed to Advanced English. As it turns out, AP English was one of the best things to happen in the young boys life. Mrs. Lewis incorporated so many great literary masterpieces into her curriculum, even doing a deep dive into the writing style of Tolkien, Eddie’s favorite.

This year, he chose to forgo enrolling into any higher level classes, wanting to make a fresh start in high school; a clean slate where no one knew his name. He could fly under the radar and just be a normal teenager, no more bullies, no more taunts. High school would be different.

———

The exit door was across the cafeteria, flanked by long tables filled to the brim with rowdy students, conversing loudly and adding to Eddie’s already overwhelmed senses. As his eyes scanned the occupied tables, he noticed the numerous other freshman that had seemingly found their respective cliques. A storm of jealousy and sadness formed in his gut; he didn’t have any friends in his grade, so like with most things throughout his life, Eddie was on his own. His two partners-in-crime, Gareth and Jeff, were younger and still in Hawkins Middle, and although he knew he’d see them after school, it doesn’t do him any good as he stands in the proverbial lion’s den. Making friends was never his forte, choosing to keep to himself for the most part. After growing up in a broken home, Eddie had grown accustomed to loneliness; it had made him apprehensive about anyone and anything, so getting into his tight knit circle was an exceptional feat.

Clutching a tattered copy of A Wizard of Earthsea, Eddie hiked his backpack up higher and quickly snuck towards the door to the outside patio before anyone noticed him. Head down as he reached for the door handle, his body crashed into an immovable object. Dazed, he looked up to see the largest boy he’s ever seen, clad in a white and green Hawkins Tigers football jersey, blocking the exit and staring down at him menacingly.

“Where’re you headed, dork?” He spat, teeth showing somewhere between a snarl and a smile.

Eddie tried to push his way past, “I-I’m just going outside—“

The jock slapped the book out of Eddie’s hand, the paperback losing a few pages as it bounced off the floor. He stared at the large boy’s chest, too afraid to look him in the eye, but also too scared to move.

“Well…?” The older boy motioned towards the floor, “are you going to pick your shit up or just keep staring at me like some sort of homo?”

The slur caused Eddie’s throat to constrict, bringing back memories of his father hurling the same exact insult at him a few years back when he had first attempted to grow out his hair. Swallowing the bile in his throat, he bent down to pick up his novel, only to be kicked over by the linebacker, head hitting one of the metal chair legs of a nearby table. Eddie shakily started to get up, as the other boy moved to push him over again, only this time someone stepped in between.

“Enough, asshole!”

Her voice was demanding and strong as she squared up in front of a boy that was at least twice her size. Eddie peered around her legs, trying to make out the expression of the older boy.

“Fuck you, Meg,” the jock barked, any hint of a smile wiped from his round face.

Eddie glanced up at the girl as she shifted her weight slightly to one hip.

“Oh Petey,” she crossed her arms mockingly as she coo’d, “you wish you could be so lucky.”

The jock (now understood as Pete apparently), clenched his jaw, the tips of his ears growing pink.

“Go back to your gang of fuckin’ losers, crazy bitch,” he steps closer to the auburn haired girl, looming at least a head taller, but she doesn’t flinch. Eddie watches as she tilts her gaze upward to meet Pete’s beady eyes, straightening her spine as a threat.

“I’ll show you fucking crazy, Petey boy. Is that what you want? Remember what happened last time?” Her voice was calm, but something in the tone visibly effected Pete. He pushed past her, glaring down at Eddie still cowering on the floor.

The mystery girl watched him leave, finally turning her attention to Eddie, squatting down to help pick up the scattered pages of his novel.

“You okay?” Eye level with him now, Eddie looked at the face of his savior.

He swears the blue of her eyes is his new favorite color.

Her face was soft as she searched his own for a response. He grabbed the destroyed paperback quickly, averting his gaze, “y-yeah, I think I’m good. Uh—thank you.”

She handed him the loose sheets of paper that had fallen out, “You’re a freshman, right?”

Eddie nodded, shoving the book in his backpack. His eyes drifted back to her, taking in the numerous patches on her black denim jacket that was a few sizes too large. KISS, Queen, Iron Maiden, and a few other graphics he couldn’t make out littered the worn garment.

“Do you wanna come sit with us?” The girl stood up, pointing casually over towards the back of the cafeteria. Eddie rose off the floor and followed her finger; a table of four students of varying grades was posted up in the furthest corner, clearly in a heated discussion about something. If he was being honest, he wanted nothing more than to follow this girl, but every part of his body was screaming at him to run away to seclusion. Uncle Wayne’s voice popped in his head, gruff but encouraging, “do it kid, put yourself out there.” Tossing his backpack over a shoulder, he gave a shy nod, and the girl smiled.

“I’m Meg, by the way,” she held out her hand, a formality which, to Eddie, made her seem older than she was. She couldn't have been more than two years his senior. He cautiously took her hand, squeezing slightly as she shook it.

“Eddie,” he managed as they approached her lunch table.

“Well, Eddie the Freshman, welcome to the Island of Misfit Toys,” she motioned towards her group of friends, and something in Eddie’s chest sparked a feeling that could only be described as belonging.

The kids before him were all dressed in shades of black, three sporting shirts from bands he loved. One of the boys was standing with a leg perched on a chair, waving wildly while he argued with a mousy-haired kid across the table. A small blonde girl sat beside the latter, laughing occasionally at their antics while she watched the banter like a tennis match.

“Guys!” Meg called, breaking the attention away from the raven-haired boy on the chair.

“This is Eddie, he’s gonna sit with us, today’s his first day,” she said, rounding the table to sit next to the tall kid that was still leaning on the plastic chair, the one who was now glaring at Eddie. The group went around introducing themselves, the small blonde named Kate was very sweet and moved her bag for Eddie to take up residence next to her. The boy beside her was Rick, he wore a weathered denim jacket atop a Led Zeppelin tee that reeked of weed; his incredibly chill demeanor made Eddie instantly like him. A boy named Matt was seated at the end of the table doing homework. He had round glasses that made him look extremely smart, not to mention the stack of textbooks in front of him with numerous papers and bookmarks scattered throughout. The tall argumentative boy finally sat down next to Meg, reaching across to steal a carrot from her lunch. After a few silent seconds, it was clear he had no intention of introducing himself.

Meg pulled her lunchbag away from his reach, “…and this is Adam, he’s a piece of shit,” she joked, the boys angular face finding her cheek where he placed a chaste kiss followed by a playful bite. She smiled, giving him a shove as he grinned deviously.

“Eddie,” Adam turned his focus towards the other side of the table, eyeing up the new freshman, “we were just discussing our latest campaign,”

“—you mean Meg’s slaughter-fest?” Matt interjected, looking up from his work.

Meg smirked from across the table, putting her hands up in defense, “Listen, it’s not my fault you’re unlucky in combat.”

Eddie’s heart skipped a beat, “Wait…are you talking about Dungeons and Dragons?” He asked quietly.

The table stared at him like it was obvious.

“Yeah, we have a weekly party that gets together. We rotate houses and make a night out of it,” Kate chimes in, her eyes were kind as they blinked up at Eddie.

Uncle Wayne had gifted him with a Dungeon and Dragons Basic Set for Christmas a few years ago, not entirely understanding what it was, but knowing that his nephew was so enthralled by anything fantasy that he was eager to contribute to the boy’s interests. Eddie was hooked the second he saw the cover, quickly involving Jeff and Gareth to create a small adventuring party. They learned as they went, letting Eddie take over DM duties and hosting one-shots almost every weekend. The three of them had been teased in middle school for playing, but it hadn’t bothered Eddie because he at least had his friends by his side. He wasn’t about to give up D&D now that he was in high school, but he was also not about to advertise the fact that he played, afraid of the ridicule he’d face at the hands of older kids. He understood the perception of the game, the claims of satanic indoctrination and ritualistic practices. To say he was shocked by the open admission of a functioning high school D&D party would be an understatement.

“Do you play?” Meg’s voice brought his heart rate down, meeting her gaze with a shy smile.

“Uh, yeah. I’m not very good though…” he looked down at his hands, knowing that he was selling himself short.

“Gotta start somewhere, right?” She offered happily.

He felt safe with her, something he hadn’t experienced this quickly since being taken in by Uncle Wayne.

“I actually DM for my party,” Eddie mumbled, not sure why he was being so open with this group of strangers.

Meg’s eyes went wide, “Wow, really? That’s amazing!”

Eddie liked the way her eyes crinkled at the edges when she smiled.

“I DM for this group—“ she motioned towards her friends.

“—yeah and she’s fucking ruthless,” Adam rolled his eyes.

The sound of the bell made Eddie jump, the shuffling of the cafeteria growing louder as everyone made their way to the next class. Meg stood up, swinging her bag over a shoulder as she bent down to whisper in Adam’s ear, “Yeah, but you like when I’m ruthless.”

He smirked, pulling her down into a fierce kiss before she returned to full height, running a hand through Adam’s dark curls.

“C’mon Eddie,” she motioned to him, “I’ll walk you to your next class.”

He practically jumped to follow her, trailing behind as she effortlessly weaved her way through the throngs of students. She asked him questions about himself, something that threw him off; no one ever really cared enough to inquire about his interests, save for Wayne. Consistently being written off as “the problem kid”, growing up he was always being told by adults that he was “too much” or “annoying”; the comments shut him down, at least in public, forcing him into a reserved shell that only broke around the three key people in his life. Meg seemed to have no problem opening up to him, and Eddie was a little jealous of her confidence. Even the gait in which she walked was one of self-assurance, and he struggled a little to keep up, occasionally tripping over his own timid feet. Meg gave him more insight into her world; she was a junior, her other hobby is writing, and her favorite band is Queen. Eddie wanted—no, needed—to know more. He wanted to discuss literature with her, wanted to drive around and listen to A Night at the Opera with her singing every lyric beside him.

“The party is meeting tonight to do a planning session for the next campaign, wanna join?” Meg stopped at Eddie’s World History classroom, spinning on her heel to face him.

The invitation gave him pause. He felt weird joining a different party from his own, but he didn’t want to pass up any chance to get closer to her.

Swallowing any bit of apprehension, Eddie nodded.

Meg suddenly grabbed Eddie’s hand, pushing up his flannel sleeve and uncapping a pen with her mouth. Scribbling onto his forearm in a rush, she winks as she starts to walk backwards down the hall.

“That’s my address, come over at 7!” She calls before turning around.

Eddie looks down at the note on his skin, tracing a finger where she had held so delicately onto his wrist.

———

By the time they got to Meg’s house, Wayne was already 100% tired of hearing about her. Eddie had talked about her the entire ride over, annoying the daylight out of his uncle who had graciously offered to drive the boy across town on his night off. When Eddie jumped out of the car, Adam’s yelling from inside the rancher permeated the front walk; he couldn’t tell if it was serious or in jest. Eddie rang the doorbell, hands shoved into his pockets nervously. Just as he glanced back at Wayne driving off, the door swung open, Meg breaking into a wide smile at the sight of him.

“Hi!” She chimed, opening her mouth to say something else but interrupted by another outburst courtesy of Adam.

“—DUDE! Come on!—“

Eddie grimaced slightly and looked at Meg’s annoyed expression, “What’s got him all revved up?”

She rolled her eyes, “Who fucking knows…”

Moving over and motioning him to come inside, she shut the door and ushered the him into the living room where the rest of the lunchroom crew had gathered around the coffee table. Meg took a seat at the head of the table, as Eddie moved towards an empty spot next to Rick.

“Eddie,” she called, “sit next to me, as a fellow DM I’d love to get your input on some stuff.”

He bowed his head as he took a seat beside her, trying to hide the rush of blood to his face.

The session went well, Eddie had never played with this large of a group before and it was a lot more fun than the threesome he was used to. Towards the end of the night, after a particularly divisive decision, Adam got agitated again. Eddie watched from the end of the table as he argued with Rick and Kate, voice rising as he stood and began to point his finger aggressively at the two of them. Eddie felt his heart start to race, an involuntary reaction due to his early years of hearing his parents violent outbursts. Clasping his hands together under the table, he willed his body to stop shaking, taking deep breaths through his nose.

Adam slammed his fist onto the table, scattering miniatures and making Eddie jump.

Meg leapt up and put her hand on Adam’s forearm.

“Adam, babe,” she said softly, “everything’s okay, please calm down—“

“—Shut the fuck up, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” he slapped her hand away, and Eddie felt a surge of emotion. He watched as Meg slunk backwards, rubbing the hand Adam had hit. Her eyes were glassy as she sat back down next to Eddie, and he instinctively reached to take her hand in his. She looked at him sheepishly, and he watched as his favorite shade of blue clouded over.

Adam stormed out shortly afterward, slamming the front door and revving the engine on his truck loudly before peeling out of the driveway. Eddie hadn’t let go of Meg’s hand, rubbing small circles over her knuckle, the same thing he did to comfort his mother when he was younger.

The rest of the party cleaned up, slowly starting to joke and goof around again. Meg released Eddie’s hold, and walked the newcomer to the door when she saw Uncle Wayne’s headlights outside. Holding the door as he left, Meg grabbed the back of Eddie’s sleeve before he walked away.

“Hey,” her voice was low and sad, “thanks for coming, sorry for…all of that, he—“

“—don’t worry about it,” Eddie interrupted, he frankly didn’t need to hear any excuses for Adam’s shitty behavior, and he wasn’t about to listen to Meg apologize for something that wasn’t her fault, “I had a lot of fun, see you tomorrow?”

Meg nodded, a small smile playing at her lips, “See you tomorrow, Eddie the Freshman.”

Visually tracing the water stains on his bedroom ceiling, Eddie couldn’t stop his mind from drifting back to Meg, but more specifically Meg and Adam. He didn’t like the way Adam spoke to her, arrogance seeping out of every syllable he spoke. More importantly, Eddie hated the way Adam touched her; full of aggression and disrespect. She deserved passion without anger, tenderness backed by admiration, love without the jagged edge of pain.

Eddie mentally argued with himself; maybe he’s just projecting. He barely knows Adam, he could just be having a few off days and isn’t actually a bad guy. Meg’s smart, and he desperately wanted to trust her judgement, but a small voice in the back of his head was screaming.

He’s seen this dynamic before.

———

Eddie searched for Meg in the sea of students the next morning before homeroom, hoping to catch any glimpse of her auburn hair or black denim jacket. Rick and Kate stopped by his locker when they caught sight of him anxiously waiting. They wasted no time in reiterating how much fun the previous night was, giving no mention of Adam’s episode. The first period bell rang, a cue for the three of them to go their separate ways. He gave up looking for Meg with a sigh. He’d catch her at lunch, but he’d also have to see Adam, which created a pit in the bottom of Eddie’s stomach.

He practically bolted towards the lunchroom at 11:00, eager to sit with his new found friends. Slowing down as he approached (he didn't want to seem desperate), he saw Meg laughing at something Adam was whispering in her ear. Seeing them happy caused conflicting emotions, Eddie was relieved to see them getting along, but he also yearned to be the one making her laugh, to be the one that could get that close to her. He set his bag down and took the empty seat next to Meg. She turned immediately, smiling broadly as she playfully bumped his shoulder.

“Hey fresh meat,” she sang, “how’s your second day going?”

Eddie stifled a nervous laugh, opting to shoot a sarcastic grin her way instead.

The rest of lunch was uneventful, something he was grateful for. The five of them joked around and talked about making plans for the weekend. Adam was actually kind of funny, and very charismatic; Eddie could almost see why Meg fell for him. The shrill cry of the bell echoed through the cafeteria, and Meg groaned as she grabbed her bag off the floor.

“What’s up?” Eddie asked, concerned at her pained face.

She shook her head, “It’s nothing, I have to meet with my guidance counselor this period to talk about my ‘future plans’ after high school,” she feigned a gag.

The dramatics made Eddie laugh, “What’s wrong with that?”

Meg shrugged as they walked side by side from the lunchroom, “Nothing, really, I just…wanna do life my own way. I don’t want to be told what I should do, y’know?”

Eddie stops at the intersection of two hallways, “What do you want then?”

She stared off into the distance thoughtfully, “…I want to write. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. It’s also partly why I’m the DM of the party,” she chuckled, “I’m the only one that can actually keep up a good narrative.”

Her sincerity made Eddie’s heart soar. The second bell rang, and she quickly took to the opposite hallway, “Want a ride home later?” she called.

Eddie nodded a little too quickly, and Meg shot him a smile before opening the door to the guidance office.

“See ya later, Munson!”

———

Slumped against the brick wall outside the front of the school, Eddie waited for Meg after the final bell. Carefully picking through each face that streamed past, he finally caught sight of her as she pushed past the doors. His stomach dropped when he saw her defeated expression. Jogging over, he fell in step as she strode towards the parking lot, avoiding eye contact with him.

“Hey!” He bumped her shoulder like she had done to him earlier, trying to be chipper in the hopes of being the one to lift her spirits, but she wouldn’t crack.

She walked him over to a black Dodge Dart, unlocking the door and sliding behind the wheel. Eddie waited as she leaned over and unlocked the passenger side, quickly throwing his bag onto the floor and settling in next to her. They sat in silence for a beat, Meg staring straight ahead while Eddie watched anxiously. If she was anything like him, she would talk when she’s ready, she didn’t need someone prying incessantly.

In a single burst of energy, she smacked the steering wheel with her palm as hard as she could. Eddie’s eyes widened in alarm as he reached for her, pausing and thinking it better to not touch at the moment.

“FUCK!” She yelled, throwing her head back against the headrest, eyes falling closed with a sigh.

He watched as her chest rose and fell, paying attention to when it started to slow.

“Hey…” he whispers softly, “what happened?”

Meg rolls her head to look at him, eyes dull and tired.

“They’re threatening to make me repeat a year,” she scoffs, and Eddie can hear the pain behind her words.

He shakes his head in disbelief, “For what? You’re super smart!”

Meg lets out a sad chuckle, “Thanks dude, but that doesn’t mean shit apparently. I’m failing math and gym, and Ms. Kelly said that I need to have at least one extracurricular activity to graduate next year,” She rubs her eyes with the heels of her palms.

A few seconds pass before Eddie speaks up, “…how do you fail gym?”

Meg coughs out a loud laugh, and he smiles knowing he caused it.

“You refuse to participate, that’s how,” she turned the key in the ignition and looked over at him, “Wanna go somewhere? I don’t really want to go home right now.”

Eddie grinned, rolling down his window and pulling a loose cigarette from his backpack, “Of course, I have nowhere else to be. You got a lighter?”

When Meg didn’t answer, he looked over and she was staring at him with an incredulous expression.

“How fucking old are you, dude?” She giggled.

“Fifteen, why?

Meg shrugged, “Don’t you think you’re a little young to be smoking?”

Eddie pulled a face, “Weren’t you just telling me earlier how you don’t like when other people tell you what to do?”

She laughed again, pushing in the cigarette lighter on the control panel, “Fair enough. Did you at least bring enough to share with the class?”

She held out her hand expectantly, wiggling her fingers as Eddie dug through his bag, emerging with another cigarette. He stuck them both in his mouth, pulling the now popped lighter and holding the smoldering coil to both tips.

Passing one to Meg’s waiting fingers, he took a drag of his own.

“I could’ve done that myself, y’know,” she smirked.

Eddie rolled down the passenger window and blew a steady stream of smoke outside, “Pretty girls don’t light their own cigarettes, didn’t you know that?”

Out of his peripheral he caught her shy smile as she pulled out of the parking lot.

———

Turns out ‘somewhere’ is a secluded bank along Lovers Lake, and according to Meg it’s her favorite place to hide from the world. She backed in along the tree-line, her expert maneuvering a sign she had done this many times before. Once parked, she hopped out, opting to leave the battery running in order to keep the radio on. She jumped up onto the trunk, taking a seat to look out at the water. Eddie followed suit, pulling one boney leg up towards his chest. They hadn’t spoken on the drive, just sat and listened to music with the late summer air rushing through the open windows. The lack of communication wasn’t awkward, in fact it made Eddie feel at ease. He had watched how the afternoon sun highlighted the red in Meg’s hair as it danced in the breeze, how her lips moved when she sang along to Led Zeppelin, closing her eyes a beat longer than a blink when she really resonated with a lyric. Now that he was sitting closer to her on the trunk, he mapped the light smattering of freckles on her nose. She turned to look at him, and he felt the blush bloom in his cheeks at being caught.

“So, Eddie Munson,” Meg smiled, “tell me more about yourself.”

“W-what do you mean?” He stuttered, not used to the attention.

“Tell me about your family, tell me about your hobbies,” she hugged her knees, resting her head against them.

“Uh, well, I live with my Uncle Wayne. I’ve been with him since elementary school, since…since my dad went to jail…” he looked down at his hands.

He’d never admit it out loud, but he was embarrassed of his father. Even as a young child, he couldn’t ignore the whispers around town about the ‘no good Munson’s’, not to mention the dirty looks and disapproving head shakes from people in the grocery store when they passed by. The first time Eddie was caught shoplifting, the clerk at the convenience store called the police, resulting in him sitting in the back of a squad car until Uncle Wayne came to pick him up. As he sat and stared at the metal cage separating the front seat, he heard the officer outside speaking to his partner, “—gonna end up just like his old man at this point. Wouldn’t surprise me honestly—“

Eddie hated his dad; hated the way he treated his mom, hated the way he had complete disregard for his own son. He would never end up like him.

He’d make sure of that.

Meg’s head quickly rose from her knees, eyes full of sympathy, “Oh, Eddie, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up any bad shit…I had no idea—“

“—it’s okay,” he waved it off, shooting her a quick, sad smile, “I’m not upset or anything, Wayne takes good care of me. He’s more of a dad than my actual father could ever hope to be.”

Meg nodded, “What did your dad go to jail for, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Eddie laughed, “What didn’t he go to jail for. He won’t get out for a while, not that he was really ever present to begin with…”

“What about your mom?” She whispered, afraid of the answer.

Eddie’s stoic as he looks over at her, “She’s dead. About a year before dad went to prison. He was always a piece of shit, but I think something about losing her really sent him off the deep end. Even after all the shit he did to her, there’s a part of him that still cared. At least, that’s what I choose to believe.”

He felt something warm touch him, looking down to see Meg’s hand wrapping around his own.

“Fuck him,” she whispered, and Eddie nodded.

“Fuck him,” he said proudly, smiling back at her, “What about you, Dungeon Mistress? What’s your origin story?”

Meg shrugged, gazing out at the water, “Not much to tell, honestly. My dad is a businessman, he’s in Indianapolis a lot for work but he’s a lot of fun when he’s home; we’re really similar personality-wise. My mom—“ she tapers off to take a deep breath, “—my mom is…complicated.”

Eddie squeezes her hand, “How so?”

“She’s got these expectations, ones that she forces on me specifically since I’m the oldest. She’s a teacher, so she has this crazy obsession with proper education, and I have no other choice but to go to college.”

“Don’t you want to? Go to college I mean…” He asked.

“Absolutely, I need to get out of this town. She just wants me to be a teacher or a doctor or something like that; she doesn’t support my writing, says I can’t make a living with it and she won’t pay for school unless I major in something practical. She ‘refuses to have Jack Kerouac for a daughter’,” she furrows her brows, shaking her head in the process, “we fight a lot, about everything pretty much. Nothing I do is every good enough for her. I just…I don’t want to have a career that keeps me here. I want to get out.”

No one had ever been this vulnerable with Eddie before, nor had he ever spoken about his own upbringing openly. Sure, his friends knew the story, but they had watched most of it unfold in real time and didn’t need to ask questions. Until this point, nobody else had been worth opening up to.

Meg and Eddie fell into another comfortable silence, hands clasped as the sun set below the horizon. A flock of geese flew over the lake, a sign that summer was finally coming to an end.

Meg let go of Eddie’s hand and laid against the back window to stare at the indigo sky.

“What am I gonna do about school…” she groaned as Eddie leaned back next to her.

“Well,” he thought out loud, “My best friend Jeff is like, a genius. He’s still in Hawkins Middle, but he’s been doing college level math shit for a while; something about wanting to get into MIT or whatever. I could ask him if he could tutor you?”

Her eyes sparkled as she looked over, “Yeah? That’d be awesome, thank you.”

Eddie nodded, “As for your extracurricular, do you have any like…talents or hobbies you can put to use in a club or something?”

Meg laughed, “Fuck no. I can’t play a sport to save my life, I have almost zero coordination, I’m not a chess genius, and I can’t sing or act well enough to join the theater kids.”

Eddie hummed in thought, gazing up at the emerging stars, “Play any instruments?”

“Besides air guitar? Nope.”

Eddie grinned, scratching his cheek as he wracked his brain for an idea.

Just as Meg mumbled a small “I’m so fucked,” it hit him.

“What about D&D,” he sat up, looking over his shoulder at her confused expression.

“What about it…?” She responded suspiciously.

Eddie hopped off the trunk and faced her fully, “Start a D&D club. I guarantee the entire party would join, maybe we could even gain a few closeted players too. We could still meet once a week, but we would have a permanent spot at school to play.”

Meg rose up on her elbows, eyes narrowed, “Eddie, Principal Higgins would never allow us to start that up, you know what they say about D&D—”

“—Who gives a shit!” He threw his arms out, “It’s worth a shot, and if we make a convincing argument, maybe it’ll work.”

Her eyes softened as she sat up fully, “…will you help me?”

“Of course, with anything you need.”

Meg slid off the trunk, a smirk forming as the cogs in her brain started to turn, “What would we call it? It needs a cool name, something that sounds mysterious but doesn’t scream ‘nerd alert’.”

Eddie turned to look out at the lake again, running a hand through his short waves, wracking his brain for an idea.

From behind him, Meg starts rattling off any thought that popped into her head, “What about ‘Dragon Riders’?”

Eddie huffed out a laugh, “That definitely screams ‘nerd alert’.”

“Knights of Hawkins High?”

“Hmm…no.”

“Board Buddies.”

“You’re fucking joking, right?”

Eddie squinted over the expanse of the shoreline, deep in thought. He heard Meg kick some dirt behind him. The radio hummed from the open car windows, the dull sounds of Highway to Hell filling the air.

—Hey momma, look at me,

I’m on my way to the Promised Land,

I’m on the highway to hell—

Eddie spun around.

“Hellfire.”

Meg looked up from her shoes, “What?”

He smiled broadly, “Hellfire Club.”

Everything clicked into place, Meg matching his expression as she walked closer.

“Hellfire Club,” she whispered, relishing in the way it flowed off her tongue, “You’re a genius, Eddie Munson.”

She held out her pinky, “Co-chairs?”

Eddie wrapped his finger around hers, solidifying an unspoken alliance.

———

It had a name, but Hellfire Club needed to have a full write-up of details before it could be presented to Principal Higgins for approval according to Ms. Kelly. The next few weeks were filled with organizing and brainstorming sessions, at first only involving Eddie and Meg, but after they brought the idea up to the lunch crew, the unofficial club had a full roster. Everyone was ecstatic about Hellfire, at the possibility of having a stable meeting place, of bringing D&D to the forefront of the school’s population and not just a shadowy hobby practiced at home. They wanted to show the world that Dungeons and Dragons was an inclusive, fun, escape from the mundane daily drain of the world. All of Eddie’s free time was spent planning for the presentation; he was an almost daily fixture at Meg’s house now, talking animatedly about every detail that came to his brain as he ate dinner with her family. She never made him feel weird or stupid, she listened intently and would bounce outrageous ideas off him in return, eliciting eye rolls from her younger sister.

As D-Day approached, Eddie was inseparable from Meg, spending every lunch period hunched over a notebook with her as they planned.

The day before the presentation, Adam slumped into the seat next to Meg, slamming his backpack onto the cafeteria floor dramatically as his eyes connected with Eddie’s. The emotion behind them wasn’t kind.

Meg paid him no mind as she reached over and stole one of Eddie’s chips, he broke away from Adam’s stare and smiled at her.

Adam coughed, attempting to get Meg’s attention, “You wanna come over after school today?”

She shook her head, shoving a notebook back into her bag, “Can’t, sorry. Me and Eddie have to put the finishing touches on the final presentation for tomorrow.”

Adam let out a strained laugh, “You’re fucking unbelievable, y’know that?”

His tone made the table fall silent, Meg stopped rummaging through her bag to look up at him.

“What are you talking about?”

He shook his head in disbelief, dark hair flopping in front of his eyes as he stood up and grabbed his bag, “I haven’t hung out with you in weeks, you’re constantly ‘busy’ or so you say,” he made dramatic air quotes, and Eddie watched as Meg visibly deflated.

“I am busy, Adam. I need to get this club approved, I need to do this to be on track for graduation next year,” she was trying her best to sound calm, but he was only getting more frustrated.

“Oh yeah, so you can run away to New York or LA for college?” He spat.

“Adam please,” she sounded exhausted, “don’t do this right now…”

“Or are you just trying to spend more time with your new boy toy—“ he walked up behind where Eddie sat and pushed the back of his head towards the table aggressively.

Meg shot up from her seat and grabbed Adam by his arm, pulling him away, “What the fuck is your problem? Eddie didn’t do anything to you, he’s helping me build all of this.”

Adam stared at her, eyes narrowed in anger, “Whatever you say, Meg.”

Kate appeared behind him, putting a small hand on his forearm, “C’mon, we have to get to Bio,” She offered Meg an apologetic smile, leading Adam out of the cafeteria but not before he shot her one last disgusted look.

Eddie stared at the lunch table, unsure of what to say or do. He felt Meg’s presence settle next to him again.

“You okay?” She whispered, reaching down to pick up her bag again.

Eddie nodded, “I don’t have to come over tonight if you don’t want me to…”

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course I want you to,” she shut his offer down immediately.

“But Adam—“

“No, Eddie, please. Hanging out with you is the best part of my day,” she stood up without further explanation and walked out of the cafeteria without looking back.

———

“Do you want to run over it one more time?” Meg flopped back onto her bed, landing beside Eddie who was cross-legged amongst a sea of papers and notebooks.

He shook his head, “Not unless you really want to, I think you’ve got it down.”

She rolled onto her side and smiled up at him, “You really think so?”

Eddie shot her a look, “Of course I do, you’re a really good speaker,” he picked up a few loose sheets of paper and waved them around, “and all of the outlines and campaign examples you’ve written are amazing.”

“Really?” She whispered, doubt lining the edges of her words. He realized at that moment that the confidence he had first admired was shallow, and deep down Meg was just as insecure as him.

Eddie grew serious, “Yeah, they’re really good. You’re a great writer.”

Meg closed her eyes and rolled onto her back, “Thank you…Adam hates it. Says I ramble too much, and the words I choose are pretentious,” she gave a short, sad laugh.

“Or maybe Adam’s just a moron that can’t understand anything past a fifth grade reading level…” Eddie muttered a little too loudly.

Meg’s head shot over in his direction, mouth open in shock but quickly erupting into hysterical laugher. It was infectious, and Eddie joined in, falling back next to her and laughing up at the ceiling.

As they came down from their fit, Meg grew quiet, and Eddie grew bold.

“What’s Adam’s deal?”

“Hmm?” She rolled her head over, eyebrows raised.

“Today at lunch, he made a comment about you ‘running away’.”

Meg hummed again, “Oh that. Yeah, he uh…he doesn’t support me going away to school.”

Eddie furrowed his brows, “Why?”

“He’s content here. His entire life has been in Hawkins, family hasn’t moved anywhere in generations. Adam’s life is…cushy to say the least. Dad has a job lined up for him after he graduates this year, so his future is already set. All he wants is a nice little housewife to come home to at the end of the day, and that is not going to be me. I need to get out of here, I need to explore the world, and Adam holds that dream against me.”

Eddie watched as she stared upwards, gazing at something a million miles away.

“Has he ever…touched you?” He whispered at the popcorn ceiling.

“How do you mean?” She mumbled. It was already out of his mouth, he couldn’t take it back now.

“Has Adam ever hurt you?” He dared to look over, and watched as her jaw tightened. It took a few moments for her to speak, swallowing dryly before confessing into the cool air of the room.

“…once,” it came out as a whisper, and he watched as her eyes glassed over.

“What happened?” His voice was paper thin; it was taking everything to not scream. He wanted to find Adam and make him pay.

“I uh…I didn’t want to have sex with him one night. He got upset and accused me of seeing someone else…and he shoved me into a wall. Hit my head on a shelf and cut the back of it a little.”

Eddie watched as a solitary tear escaped and ran down into her hair. He searched for her hand and grabbed it, interlocking their fingers, “Why are you with him?”

She wiped her eyes with her other hand, “He’s a nice guy, you just need to get to know him, Eds.”

He felt a deep rage start to smolder in his chest, words spilling out before he could stop them, “My mom used to say something similar about my dad…”

Meg looked at him, eyes wide and brimming with tears. She didn’t respond, and Eddie just stared back. Anger faded to sadness; remembering all the times he had stood between his parents as his father hurled beer cans at his mom, spewing accusations and insults as she cowered against the kitchen floor. Eddie had been too young to help his mother, but he refused to let Meg end up a part of the same cycle.

———

The last time Eddie was this anxious, he was playing in the Hawkins Middle School talent show in front of the entire student body. He sat on a bench outside of the principal’s office, tapping his converse against the linoleum floor. He couldn’t hear Meg talking through the heavy wooden door, but he would occasionally catch the low grumble of Principals Higgins’ voice. She had been presenting their Hellfire Club proposal for 15 minutes now, assuring Eddie she could fly solo and leaving him in perpetual purgatory outside the office door.

After 18 minutes (not that he was counting), the door groaned open, and Eddie’s slender body leapt upright from the bench as Meg slowly emerged stone-faced.

“What happened?” Eddie whisper-screamed, falling into step with her as they exited into the deserted main hallway.

He pestered her with questions in the short walk to cafeteria, Meg silently leading the way with a straight face. With every second of silence, Eddie’s heart dropped further into his stomach. They had worked so hard on this, Meg had been so excited.

She swung the cafeteria door open, a cacophony of voices and laughter smacking them in the face as they weaved towards the table in the corner. Eddie stood behind Meg nervously as she approached the group, all of them immediately ceasing conversation to hear the verdict.

“Well…” Meg stated, looking down at the folder in her hand.

Eddie inhaled sharply, waiting for the hammer to fall.

“…I hope you’re all free next Friday, because the inaugural meeting of the Hellfire Club is at 3pm!” She slammed the folder onto the table as the rest of the group cheered.

Eddie exhaled the breath he was holding as Meg spun and threw her arms around his shoulders. He squeezed her middle, bending down to whisper into her ear.

“You did it.”

Her hair smelled like strawberries, and the smile she returned when pulling out of the embrace was as warm as the summer sun.

Eddie glanced past Meg’s face at Adam seated at the table.

If looks could kill, he’d be six feet under.

———

Now that it was an official club, Hellfire needed some advertisement. A sign-up sheet was promptly posted to the main bulletin board by the front office, and was just as quickly defaced. Scribbles of ‘losers’, ‘nerds’, and ‘freaks’ littered the lined sheet, a few doodles of the devil accompanied the monikers. They had assumed it would happen, knowing full well the general attitude towards D&D, so Meg had multiple copies on hand to replace any that were ruined.

The first official meeting was held on the auditorium stage, Kate had pleaded with the drama instructor to let them use the space when it wasn’t being utilized for the theater club. It was overall much more of a conducive environment to play, plenty of room and the addition of miscellaneous props from old productions created a mystical ambiance. The first session was the start of a new campaign Meg had made, and so far it was brutal in the best way. The gameplay adrenaline paired with the new meeting spot had the group buzzing, bringing them all closer as friends.

Winter passed through the state of Indiana like a freight train, pummeling it with snow so thick that Eddie swore the blisters on his hands from shoveling would be there for the rest of his life. The ground finally thawed in late March, leading into the final two months of his Freshman year.

Hellfire was such a key factor in his life now, not only playing but also learning how to better run a campaign. He still hung out with Jeff and Gareth, recounting the events of that weeks club meeting to them every time. Eddie didn’t have to convince Jeff too much to help tutor Meg in math, the second he met her, he understood why Eddie was so enamored. They made a recurring bi-weekly date to study algebra, with Eddie sometimes tagging along just for fun. Both of his younger friends couldn’t wait to make it to high school, knowing that spots in Hellfire were waiting for them.

As the school year wound to a close, Eddie felt a shift in the group of people he’d come to call his friends. Adam and Rick were graduating, leaving not just the school but also Hellfire behind. Meg had offered an invitation to keep playing, but Rick had plans to travel out west for a bit, and Adam flat out refused, citing his need to put ‘childish things aside’ now that he was going to have an adult career. The statement had made Eddie bristle when he heard it, and he knew that Meg was upset as well. Her face remained neutral as she stared at Adam, but Eddie saw the hurt in her eyes. The cracks were forming, and Eddie could only hope it was just a matter of time before the dam broke.

The last day of school was almost as stifling as the first, and Eddie cringed as he felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his neck. His hair was getting longer, almost out of the weird growing-out phase, and it was taking some getting used to. As he slammed his locker door shut for the final time until September, sound of running footsteps caught his attention. Meg was running down the hallway, pushing past the dozens of students clamoring to leave for the summer. She collided into Eddie at full force, wrapping him into the biggest bone crushing hug. Though caught off guard, his smile was so wide he thought his face might rip in two. Meg pulled back, thrusting a piece of paper into Eddie’s face.

“What is this?” He took a closer look, it was her final algebra grades. A solid C.

“Holy shit! You did it!” He handed the page back to her, eyes full of pride.

“No Eddie, you did it. You’re the one that got Jeff to help me. You’re the one that helped create Hellfire. I can’t thank you enough,” she stared at him, admiration and gratitude spilled from every part of her.

“What about gym?” Eddie chuckled as they started to walk out to the parking lot.

Meg unlocked her car, “Oh, yeah, I have a week of summer school for that.”

He laughed as he slid into the passenger seat, “I still don’t understand…”

“I’m never going to run the mile, Eds, I refuse,” she started the ignition, pulling out of the lot to head to their spot by the lake.

Adam and Rick’s graduation was that night, and Eddie had promised he’d come along for support, but for now he was content sitting beside Meg next to Lover’s Lake, talking about their big plans for next year; her last hurrah at Hawkins High, and the year she’d pass the Hellfire torch to Eddie.

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