MATILDA, eddie munson.

003.

JANUARY 16TH, 1986
📍 hawkins high school
17:45 PM

another round of vomit landed in the toilet bowl as matilda focused on keeping her hair out of her face. she took in a deep breath, hearing the bathroom door open.

before long, she gagged again, and repositioned herself over the toilet as more came up.

"um, hey dude?" a voice spoke. "you alright?"

tillie pulled herself up off the floor and used toilet paper to wipe her mouth, flushing it down the toilet with the rest of her vomit. she opened the door, seeing a man stood outside her cubicle with a joint in his hand.

"not a dude," he said upon seeing her. tillie recognized the male as eddie munson, a fellow senior, even though he should have graduated two years prior.

"not a dude," she confirmed with a small smile.

"your name is matilda, right?" he asked, receiving a nod in response. he lit the splint in his hand and placed it in his mouth, inhaling it. he reached out and offered it to tillie.

"oh, um, thanks but no thanks," she told him.

he nodded and took another drag on the roll. "mattie...can i call you mattie? mattie, you do know this is the male bathroom, right?"

"uh, yeah, i am aware," tillie replied. "i needed to throw up, and this was the closest toilet, so.." she explained to the boy. "it was either here in a toilet or the corridor floor."

eddie looked her up and down, before moving towards the wall and sliding down it, taking a seat on the floor. "why did you need to throw up?"

"why is it any of your business?"

eddie shrugged. "it's not. i'm just nosy."

"well, i just—" tillie started, beginning to wash her hands. "i felt ill," she continued, drying her hands on her jeans. "is that okay with you?"

"mhm," eddie nodded, exhaling the smoke from his lips.

"okay, well," the blonde cleared her throat and headed towards the door. "i'll leave you and your weed alone."

before he could respond, she opened the door to leave, stopping when she heard him speak.

"mattie, you're a terrible liar," she turned around to look at him. "has anyone ever told you that?"

"what?"

"you're not ill," he stated. "why would you have come to school if you were?"

"why does it concern you?" matilda asked, her annoyance growing at this boy who was invading her privacy.

"it doesn't," eddie answered. "but i can tell there's something else bothering you, and i'm a pretty good listener."

"oh, yeah?" she cocked her head to the side. "says who?"

"me," he smiled. he gestured to the empty space beside him, and used his hand to waft the smoke he'd left away.

she stared at the free spot beside him, deciding if she was really up to spilling everything to a boy she'd never before spoken to. sighing, she decided to walk towards him, and slouched down next to him.