MATILDA, eddie munson.

018.

FEBRUARY 24TH, 1986
📍 hawkins high school
10:49 AM

sitting in the library, matilda flicked through a biology textbook, using it to help her finish the homework that was due that afternoon.

the library, of course, was peacefully silent, as teenagers studied and read. that was until, a certain boy stumbled through the door.

"mr munson!" the librarian hissed. "was i not clear enough when i said you were banned from here?"

"no, no, you were very clear," eddie told her, quickly heading towards tillie's direction. "i just need to have a quick word with my friend matilda here. promise it'll be thirty seconds, tops."

the librarian tried to argue back, but at this point eddie had already sat down beside his blonde friend.

matilda raised an eyebrow, putting her pen down on the table. "you're banned from the library? why?"

"i'm too loud, apparently," he replied with a shrug. "i don't know. anyways, i know we were supposed to work on the scrapbook tonight, but—"

"you can't make it," matilda finished for him.

"no, of course i can make it. i'd cancel any plans to spend time with you," he answered casually. "what i was going to say was, that it's been raining heavily all day and it's not forecast to stop. which means, obviously, we won't be able to do it at our usual spot."

"oh, right," tillie said awkwardly. "so, do you just want to do it another day, or..?"

"god, no," he dismissed. "time is ticking, mattie. the due date is approaching. we do not have the time to do it a goddamn other day," he said, his voice getting louder.

"mr munson!" the librarian spat at him. "out! now!"

"just one second," he told her, holding his finger up. he turned back to tillie, who looked greatly amused. "so, i was going to ask if you wanted to come to my place after school."

"really?" matilda asked. "sure, but i'll need to—"

"drive you and your little lady sister home, i know," he finished for her. "i can pick you up, say three-twenty?"

"yeah, okay," she nodded. "do you even know where i live?"

"you live in one of those huge houses in loch nora, right?"

"yeah, number five," the blonde confirmed. "just please don't park directly in front of my house. park further up the street and i'll come find you. it's just my mother will probably be home, and if she sees you or your van, she'll probably have a heart attack and drop dead on the spot, which wouldn't be a bad thing, but still."

"park up the street," eddie repeated with a smile. "got it."

"mr munson!"

"i'm leaving, i'm leaving," he told the librarian, standing up with his arms out in defense. he looked back at tillie. "three-twenty. up your street. see you then."

— 📻🪐🏹—

FEBRUARY 24TH, 1986
📍 hawkins high school
15:17 PM

she was right, her mother was home, which unfortunately meant making an excuse to leave.

"so, i'm going to go walk up to joanne's house, so we can study together," she lied. "is that okay?"

"of course, glad to have you out of the house for a change," her mother replied, a hidden anger in her tone.

"thanks," she smiled slightly. "well, i'm going to head out now. i'll see you both later," she said to both her mother and sister, who was also in the room.