Crescendo || Steddie

Chapter 3

-Eddie's perspective-

     WHY'D I DO THAT? WHY AM I LIKE THIS? That was my only way home... why did I have to run away from Steve talking to me?

    I guess walking will have to do...

   "What are you still doing here, Eddie?" A familiar voice echoed behind me. As I turned around, I saw the familiar red head next door, Max Mayfield.

   "I could ask you the same thing, sport." I slightly raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Not that I don't enjoy your company...it's just that it's late."

    She shrugged before tucking her hair behind her ear "It's the perfect skating spot. No adults at this time to say otherwise."

    I mean she was right. There wasn't cameras or anything at the front. Technically, there was...but they were mostly for decor. They constantly ran out of battery...making them useless. "Alright I get your point...I missed the bus."

    Max shook her head before taking a seat at the closest curb to me. "Now, I may have seen things, but I don't think that's true. I saw you get off that bus"

   She...saw that? How? I didn't even see her? "Well..."

   "If you're avoiding Will, you're gonna have to try harder. He's very persistent. Saw him get on that bus too." Max looked up at me with a smile. "But I don't see why you'd want that. He seems nice."

   I shook my head before taking a seat next to her. "That's not it. Not at all. Will's super nice. It's...someone else."

    Max raised an eyebrow at me as her smile grew to be ear to ear. "Don't tell me you still have a thing for that guy?!"

     I sighed before placing my head into my hands. "I don't know...maybe? I mean it's kinda hard to avoid him. Kinda regret telling you about it."

    Max let out a small laugh before placing her hand onto my shoulder. "You didn't have to tell me. I could see it. You've went to every choir concert he's in since...well as long as I've been here. You don't even LIKE choir."

    I slowly turned my head towards her and gave a small smile. "Yeah, choir music is kinda...too popish for me for sure."

   "See? It's so obvious!"

   "Yeah yeah yeah...he doesn't even know I exist though. At least until recently." I sighed again before leaning back onto the sidewalk. "What's the point of even letting him know me? He's just going to hate me like the rest of his friends."

   "Well...you don't know that." She slowly leaned back to lay next to me and turn towards me. "If I said that about my scenario you would totally correct me. Why is it any different now that it's you?"

    She was right. Her crush didn't even acknowledge her the majority of the time. They were hyper focused on someone else. But I would totally correct her if she never tried to reach out.

   "Alright. Fine. I'll let him talk with me. But...you have to do the same with yours. Doesn't matter when...just...you have to."

    She nodded before reaching her pinky that was free out between the two of us. "Pinky promise?"

     I nodded and linked mine with hers "pinky promise."

     There was a comfortable silence as we got off of the ground and casually looked at each other. Being neighbors had it's perks. We both weren't exactly in the best places in that trailer park. But we had each other.

    "So...if you need a ride, Billy will be here any minute to pick me up. I can't guarantee he won't be a dick like usual, but I mean...it's better than walking miles in the dark." Max awkwardly smiled at me.

    "Okay..."

-time skip to next day-

    Max was absolutely right. He was a dick when he heard that he had to give me a ride as well. He went off about how Max shouldn't be hanging around people like me right in front of my face.

   It took almost everything in me not to say anything the whole car ride.

   But I knew, if I did...it would just make things worse for her later. That wouldn't be fair to her.

   But here I was now. Watching Max awkwardly try to walk up to her crush. Silently cheering her on from the back of the class in the percussion section.

    Right when I think she's going to and the person turned her way, she pulls a move that I would do. She ran to her seat.

    I shook my head lightly with a smile. At least she tried. Better than what I've accomplished.

"Hey..."

    As I turned slowly to the voice, my heart raced. Steve...

   "Listen, Munson...if I did something wrong...I'd like to fix it. Kinda sucked being left behind on that bus."

    I shook my head slowly before sending him a smile. "Just...messing with you man. You've done nothing wrong."

    "Okay...good. Can we...I dunno...be friends?" He held his hand out towards me with a smile.

    Friends? He...really wanted to be friends with me? Not as a joke?

   "S-sure dude." I awkwardly placed my hand in his and he shook it firmly.

   "Awesome!" His face lit up with a smile. "Tell me more about yourself, Edward."

   The band started to play around us but it felt like we were in our own little bubble. I let out a small laugh. "For starters...don't call me Edward, Steven"

   He let out a small laugh as well. "Fair enough...but that means you can't call me Steven either."

   I nodded slowly as I felt the outer corners of my mouth lift. "Fair enough" I looked around at everyone who was currently staring at Mike to whisper over to Steve "We should probably...I don't know...get back to practicing."

   Steve nodded and took his leave to get back to his xylophone he's declared his own.

  Holy shit. Steve Harrington...is my friend.