MATILDA, eddie munson.

016.

FEBRUARY 17TH, 1986
📍hawkins high school
11:16 AM

"now, who can tell me what shell shock was?" mr dorton asked, eyes scanning the room. "matilda?"

"uh, it was a reaction to the noise of explosions and guns," the blonde answered. "it caused soldiers to suffer things such as tremors, screaming fits, nightmares and impaired senses. now, it's recognized as a case of ptsd."

mr dorton nodded at her response. "that is correct, miss cunningham. can you all please make a note on that? it may or may not be important in your final exam," he hinted.

as students began to write down tillie's definition, eddie moved closer to her, lightly grazing her knee with his. she felt her cheeks warm at the contact, but didn't pull away, keeping their legs touching.

"you're so smart," eddie commented in a hushed tone.

"not really," she replied. "i just have a good memory. they're sort of linked if you think about it like—"

"mattie, just accept the damn compliment," eddie smiled.

— 📻🪐🏹 —

FEBRUARY 17TH, 1986
📍hawkins high school
12:41 PM

it was a rare occasion — matilda was actually sitting in the canteen. not eating, but sat in there nonetheless.

opposite her sat chrissy, nibbling on an apple. thankfully the basketball team had practice today, so they weren't there to taunt tillie.

across the hall sat eddie, munching on french fries as he watched matilda converse with her sister.

she looked pretty today, even prettier than usual. it wasn't that she had done her makeup differently, or that her hair was in a new style. it was due to the smile that seemed stuck on her face.

god, he loved her smile. how, when it was a real, genuine smile, she would beam from ear to ear, her eyes crinkled slightly in the corners and her small dimples on show.

of course, even without a grin on her face she was beautiful. but it seemed to make her glow, to add onto her beauty. she looked angelic.

"eddie.. eddie! hello? anyone in there?" dustin said, waving his hand in front of the boy's face. he turned around to face the other people on the table. "what is wrong with him? he's been so weird lately."

"i don't know," mike shrugged.

"he's acting like you do when you're around el," dustin replied. "hold up, you don't think there is a girl, do you?"

"a girl? seriously?" gareth laughed. "come on now, be realistic."

ignoring him, dustin followed eddie's eyeline, discovering the boy was staring at a table with two blondes.

"he's staring at one of them," dustin informed them, gesturing towards their table.

"the cunningham twins? are you for real?" jeff asked. "i doubt eddie has even spoken to either of them."

"well, he's enchanted by something," dustin responded, reaching over in front of eddie's face again. he began clicking his fingers. "eddie. eddie. eddie. eddie. eddie.."

"god, what, henderson?" eddie hissed, awakening from his trance.

dustin raised an eyebrow. "so, you're into blondes, huh?"

"what?" eddie queried.

"the cunningham's? which is it?" gareth asked him. "which one do you like?"

"neither," eddie denied, shaking his head. "neither of them. i was just daydreaming. "

"hm, see, the drool on the corner of your mouth says otherwise," dustin commented, pointing at eddie's lips.

the older boy pushed the younger one's finger out of his face, before wiping his mouth. "shut up. and i am not drooling."

"whatever you say," dustin sassed.

meanwhile, back across the hall, chrissy noticed the munson boy staring longingly at her twin.

"munson so has a crush on you," she told her sister.

"what?" matilda exclaimed, trying her hardest not to blush. "he does not."

"oh he so does," chrissy replied. "this is the third time i've noticed him gazing at you this week."

"he's probably looking at you," tillie told the younger blonde. "i mean, you're the one who gets all the attention from boys."

"tils, boys stare at you too, you know. a lot of them are scared of you, though. hence why none of them talk to you," chrissy informed her, voice full of sincerity.

"i don't believe you at all but good to know," tillie said in response. "if eddie was looking at either of us, it would've been you."

"no, i think he was staring at his princess," chrissy giggled.

"oh, shut up."

— 📻🪐🏹 —

gotta love a bit of dual pov
& the teasing from their friends ofc

again, this is a shorter chapter i'm sorry!! the next one is a long and vv cute one to make up for it <33

WORD COUNT — 766.