BAD HABIT # eddie munson

EDDIE MUNSONS VIRIDITY

Eddie hated Stevie Henderson. He hated her teeth and the way they made her smile crooked when she grinned, he hated the way she laughed because it sounded just so stupid when she snorted. He hated the way she walked like she always had places to be, or how she talked like she loathed the world around her.

"People say Hawkins is cursed, right? Like that's the reason we've lost almost every game?" The crowd booed, egging on each other's shouts.

He hated the way she dressed, because whenever he'd see her in the halls it made him want to compliment her. He loathed her cleverness and determination to beat him, even though it spurred him on even more.

"We agree, Tigers," cheerleaders simmering down their chants, the gym fell silent, "That's why it's never going to happen again." Shouts of joy and competitiveness erupted from the crowd, along with pom poms shaking annoyingly loud.

He hated how she would ignore his stares from across the cafeteria, and even avoid his stares when they were up close. He hated her witty remarks and the way she always had to be right.

Stevie sat on the cold metal bleacher, staring a hole into Jason Carver's forehead. Many people thought her usual pissy behavior and attitude towards Jason sprouted from him rejecting a date, although the truth was that she just really, really hated Carver. Partially because of how he used Chrissy to boost his popularity like she was a show dog.

He hated her kindness, because even though she had it, she never showed it. He hated how the littlest thing he'd done in the seventh grade made her so unbearably angry. He fumed when she would give him a snooty look, and how she always left him wondering if she was just teasing him or wanted nothing to do with him.

All the players ran onto the main gym floor next to Jason, where they started a clapping chant. It lasted a rough two minutes before they waved the crowd down to hushed whispers. "So I say, Hawkins High, we're more ready than ever to kick Fraiser's ass!" Frasier High, the school that beats the Tigers every. Single. Year. It was doubtful that they'd actually win, but Lucas was a solid player, she figured if anyone could play, it was him.

He hated how she sat two rows in front of him, even though Dustin had sat with him, meaning she'd be alone on her bleacher purely because she didn't want to be seated next to Eddie. He hated the way she looked at Jason Carver, staring at him, hearts for eyes instead of pure hatred (well, that's what he saw. In reality, Stevie was trying to find a way to make the rafters on the ceiling fall onto his head.) What he mostly hated about that, was that he would have no reason to be upset even if she did like Jason Carver.

The cheer team stood, quickly waddling their way to the front of the gym and starting the short routine that probably took them weeks to practice. Henderson cheered louder than she would've expected herself to, grinning from ear to ear and occasionally yelling along with the other folks chanting. It was unlike her to be so joyful at a school function, but seeing Chrissy living what she'd wanted to since they were young was so satisfying to the child inside of her.

But hey, it wouldn't matter if she liked him anyways, because Eddie Munson hated Stevie Henderson, didn't he?

"You were incredible, Chrissy!" The blonde exclaimed, wrapping herself into a tight knit hug with her childhood friend. "Really? It was kind of embarrassing when Jason pointed me out, wasn't it?" Stevie rolled her eyes, letting go of the girl and putting her hands onto her shoulders.

"Nothing you do is embarrassing, Chris. If something you or Jason did was outlandish you would've heard me complaining by now." The cheerleader snickered, taking Stevie's hand and squeezing it before letting go to walk towards her other friends. The conversation cutoff made Stevie's stomach hurt with want, having so desperately needed to catch up with the girl but not being given a chance to do so.