𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 ── eddie munson

016

Eddie was resting underneath the tarp when he heard a car pull up. He sprung up and gave Lola a nod, signalling someone had arrived. She hoped and prayed that it wasn't the police, not out of fear for being arrested, but for being simply too drained to run for her life a third time this week.

He hurtled towards the window with his bust beer bottle clutched to his chest, as if it would defend him from the cops. And guns. 

"Shit." Eddie whispered under his breath, unable to see anyone or anything past the bushes and the trees. 

"Maybe they just went past?" Lola suggested, her tiredness grinding away at her ability to feel scared. Eddie was on edge too. After their intimate all-nighter last night and his throbbing ink, it felt like even the sound of a pin dropping would cause him to jump out of his skin. 

"Yeah." He said, leaning on the window ledge.

Then, the door burst wide open.

"Jesus Christ!" He squawked, presenting his DIY weapon to the intruders.

Dustin, Robin, Max and Steve casually breezed into the boathouse with grocery bags hanging in the air.

"Delivery service!" Dustin beamed. Eddie panted in relief as Steve surveyed the room and shot them both a wave.

Robin tossed a bag Lola's way and she wasted no time tucking in. Max avoided eye contact with her sister completely, instead opting to help Steve push the boat door out, as he was complaining about how 'stuffy and musty' it was. The room flooded with daylight, the mild sun spilling onto the floor. 

"Sit in there." Dustin instructed both Lola and Eddie. They reluctantly piled in with the offer of food being their main motivator. 

"Dude, what is that, a tattoo?" Steve asked, Eddie's hair falling to the opposite side, showing off his messy design.

"Mhm," Eddie hummed, shovelling dry honeycomb cereal into his mouth, "the newest addition to my collection. Lola did it for me."

Lola winced, hearing her full name coming from his mouth sounding like a nails on a chalkboard. Internally, she scolded herself for feeling that way, deciding to consolidate herself with a large bite of her twizzler.

"Why?" Steve asked, not really caring for an answer it seems, as he didn't pine for an answer when Eddie stayed silent. 

"Anyway," Dustin announced, projecting his voice as he pulled up a stool and perched on it, "so we got uh... some good news and some bad news. How do you prefer it?"

Lola's heart sunk. Oh, here we go, she thought.

"Bad news first, always." Eddie answered, washing down his cereal with a swig of his chocolate milk.

"Alright, bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with out Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you. Also, they're, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy."

"Like 100% kind of convinced." Max added, staring directly at Eddie, avoiding Lola's gaze completely.

"And the good news?" Eddie asked, already knowing he was the main suspect after watching his face plastered all over the news.

"They don't think you had anything to do with it," Robin chirped up, pointing a finger to Lola, "so when everyone and their shallow-minded mother start gunning, you'll be excluded from whatever plans they have for Eddie."

Eddie's face dropped, the 'good news' not benefitting him whatsoever. "Hunt the freak, right?"

"Exactly." Robin nodded.