PROM QUEEN, eddie munson

THE WHEREABOUTS INQUIRY

EDDIE MUNSON FELT LIKE HE'D WOKEN UP with the sun, even though it was lashing down with rain. He felt warmth radiate through him, despite the absence of blankets and the chill of his trailer. He felt her.

On his shoulder lay Sophie Harrington, hair sprawled out everywhere and face smushed. She looked comfortable, more comfortable than she looked with anyone else she knew. That's what Eddie thought anyway. He was content, heart beating funnily as he felt her breathe every so often.

Random sections of his hair were braided and some had come untangled in his sleep. They'd been crafted by Sophie when they were both half-asleep. His nails too were coated with a pink polish, once again curtesy of Sophie. Hers were pink too.

His face softened as she stirred, eyes glued to her face. She was unearthly pretty, Eddie often thought Aphrodite would be jealous. Sophie was what he would define as beauty. After himself of course.

He didn't want to wake her, even though his shoulder felt dead and he was desperate to pee. All of that went away when he looked at her, pools of brown falling to her lips. She had nice lips, just the right shape and colour. Whenever she smiled it was as if they were begging to be kissed.

He unconsciously let his ringed, painted fingers find their way into her golden hair. It was ridiculously silky, slipping in between his fingers. The sudden touch caused her to snuggle into him more. His heart leapt, clouds of red expanding over his cheeks. Her breath tickled his neck and he tried not to die.

Sophie woke slowly, unaware of her surroundings. She just felt pure solace. She squinted her eyes, pulling herself out of Eddie's neck. A faint blush crawled over her porcelain skin, daring to appear prominently to the boy beside her. "Hi."

"Hi," he said sweetly, eyes almost consuming her every detail. "I could get used to sleeping with you, Soph."

Sophie turned away from him, she loathed how she looked in the morning. She hated her untameable hair and bare face. Eddie didn't though, he was bewitched by the beaming blue of her awoken eyes and just how completely huggable she looked.

She scoffed, rubbing her eyes to fully wake up, "you're such a creep."

Eddie only laughed, reaching to pull her hands away from her face. The coolness of his rings was what truly jolted her awake as he drew soothing circles on her hands. "You have like, really nice hands."

"You're weird," she stated matter-of-factly, but still, she didn't make a move to draw her hands away. "What time is it, Eddie?" She yawned, hoping it was no later than 11. Steve would be expecting her to be home by then.

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"It's one," a familiar voice echoed. Only just then had the pair realised that Wayne Munson had been preparing something in the small, compact kitchen the whole time.

Eddie groaned, "dude," he looked to Sophie apologetically, dropping her hands. "Have you been there the whole time?"

Wayne smiled, shaking off his nephew's annoyance. "C'mon, Ed, it's not everyday you see little Soph Harrington in your trailer. You haven't changed at all by the way, not a single bit," he told Sophie earnestly. He knew her better than most people, he used to see her everyday, tangled up with his nephew on the floor. Then he didn't see her at all.

"You too, Wayne," she smiled, not seeing Eddie's uncle was one of the worst parts of their friend-breakup.

"You've been wanting to pee for the last hour," he told Eddie, "go, kid." Eddie obliged, only slightly worried about what his uncle would say to Sophie. Wayne was a decent man, one that nine year-old Sophie would cry to when her dad was being a dick.