Dr. Pepper Girl

Chapter 9 It's Time For Hellfire!

It is Friday and y/n tries to go about her day as smoothly as possible. After her emotional breakdown she decided to lower her expectations. She does not want to feel hurt anymore when things do not go her way. If she expects less than she will experience less disappointment.

During lunch she sees all the guys at Gareth's table sporting their Hellfire shirts. Even the newest members Dustin, Mike, and Lucas.

Gareth glanced back at you a couple of times casually. But you pretended not to notice. You want to play it cool.

Eddie was also putting on a show by waving his arms around while probably taking about Dungeons and Dragons.

Ashley looks over at him and smiles.

"Hey girl, why you smiling at Munson? Don't you have a boyfriend?" Mary says giggling

"We'll kind of. Do you guys know how Eddie smells like?" Ashley says with a grin

"Um, why would we?" You say between taking bites out of your soggy sandwich.

"Well I found out where Eddie's locker is. He doesn't have a lock on it and I snooped inside when I was going to the bathroom during art class. His leather jacket was in there. So I took a whiff. It was divine."

You and Mary stare at her completely dumbfounded.

"How does it smell?" Mary asks sounding intrigued

"It smelled like musk, weed, and campfire."

"Ashley, you have a boyfriend, why are you literally sniffing around Eddie?" Mary questions

"I don't know. I guess there's something about bad boys that draw me in." Ashley says wiggling her eyebrows

Once the lunch bell rings Gareth walks up to your table and waits for you.

"Are you ready to go to the most interesting class Hawkins High has to offer?" He says sarcastically while giving that wide smile you adore. You can play it cool all you want. When he smiles at you like that you can't help but smile back.

While you both walk to class he asks if you would like to come over tomorrow to watch a movie. You play it cool by saying you can swing by around six o'clock since you had plans earlier in the day (liar). You tell him you don't need to be picked up and insist on riding your bike to his house. He begrudgingly accepts. Gareth says he'll stop at the video store and grab the movie after school. He asks you to choose the movie and you pick Sixteen Candles.

Gareth gives you and Dustin a ride home.

As you step out of his vehicle he tells you to have fun at the dance.

He didn't know your friends already had plans and that you opted to work an extra shift at Giovanni's instead. You purposely did not tell him.

"It's time for Hellfire!" Eddie announced once he finished setting up the table.

Dustin and Jeff arrive with pizza.
Gareth arrives with Mike and Lucas.

They play intensely for a good two hours straight.

At one point Gareth could hear the music coming from the gymnasium. A soft, distant beat.

Mike and Dustin start talking about how they wish their girlfriends lived closer so they could take them to dances.

Eddie stars at both of them and is surprised.

"So your telling me that both of you have girlfriends? Like real life girlfriends?" Eddie asks

"Yes they are real! Hey, don't be jealous that we have girlfriends and you don't."

The face Eddie made was priceless.

Gareth told the guys he had to go to the bathroom.

Gareth's walks to the dance but stops outside the open gymnasium doors.

He looks around hoping to find y/n with her friends having a good time. But he couldn't find her. He also noticed how the gym was decorated. Balloons, streamers, even a disco ball hung from the ceiling.
While he continues to look for y/n he hears "Hold Me Now" by the Thompson Twins playing.

"Hold me now, whoa
Warm my heart
Stay with me
Let loving start
Let loving start"

Gareth starts to realize he never went to any high school dances. Once he joined Hellfire things like dances were far from his mind.

He watches the couples slow dancing. Some of them were casually dancing while others are fully embracing each other. Watching them reminded him of y/n hugging him after showing him her test.

Gareth feels a presence behind him. He turns around and sees Dustin watching him.

"Hey the guys were looking for you. Is everything okay?" Dustin asks

"Y/n said she was going to the dance with her friends. But I don't see her." Gareth tries to say casually.

Dustin tells him that she was working at Giovanni's when him and Jeff went to pick up pizza. He did ask her why she changed her mind. Y/a mentioned how her friends had other plans so she decided to work an extra shift.

"She asked me to the dance and I told her I already made plans. A girl finally wants to go to a dance with me and I turn her down. I wish I could make it up to her."

Dustin puts his hand on Gareth's shoulder and says, "Pick me up tomorrow morning. I have an idea."

Gareth looks over at him , "Whats your idea?"

"We'll discuss it tomorrow. But trust me, I've watched a few John Hughs movies, I know what to do. Now let's go back to the game before Eddie shits a brick. We've been gone a while." Dustin says speed walking