Chapter Text
Chapter 4: Scaredy cat
Allison wakes with a start. There’s no slow gaining of consciousness. Her eyes fly open, and she’s suddenly all too aware of everything.
The sunlight streaming through the gaps in her curtains is too harsh, her head aches something awful, and her wrist is throbbing.
She doesn’t want to get out of bed, but she knows she has too. She doesn’t wanna be in this house any longer than she has too.
She managed to make it to her closet. Going through her clothes, she decided to wear a long sleeved sweater to cover her horrendous bruise. It was pretty cold outside, so thankfully she wouldn’t have to explain why she was wearing it.
She stood in front of her mirror examining her jaded appearance and trying to muster up the courage to go downstairs.
Finally she turned the door knob slowly and made her way downstairs.
She looked in the kitchen at her mom doing what she always did. Making breakfast for Dan. He sat at the head of the table snickering at his paper. The sight made her sick–even more than it did before.
“I really don’t have the energy for this ,” Allison thought
She headed out the door before giving her mother or Dan a chance to say anything.
Allison tried faking her smile when she arrived at school but it soon fell.
She neglected her seat at the front of Mrs.O’Donnells classroom. Her head was still throbbing–probably from all the crying. The harsh fluorescent lights and Mrs.O’Donnels infuriating voice made it worse.
After what felt like an eternity it was lunchtime . She grabbed her tray of unpalatable food and sat at her regular table. She hated it, she hated all of them. As the group rambled on about their usual bullshit, Allison got lost in thought:
This whole perfect girl next door facade was starting to get tiring. She never enjoyed any of it. She hated cheerleading, the short skirts and the way her ribs hurt from all the running around and cartwheeling.
She had only joined the team to please her mother–who only wanted to please Dan. She hated the popular crowd. She hated their judgmental stares and their holier than thou attitudes. She missed dressing the way she wanted to. Now she dressed like all of them.
She missed her old friends Robin, Barb—Hell, she even missed Steve Harrington, which is something she’d never thought she would say. She had completely ditched them at the beginning last year to start this whole thing and to be completely frank, she was so sick of it.
Hanging out with Eddie reminded her of her old self. She felt happier in her room with Eddie than she had in the last two years. She was truly starting to feel like the old Allison again—Before Dan and her mother ruined it.
Chrissy noticed she was lost in her own depressing thoughts. So she nudged her shoulder and asked “Hey, Allison are you okay?”
Breaking her silence for a moment she said “Hm? Oh yeah, I’m fine. I’m just gonna go outside and get some air.”
She really didn’t have a place in mind, she just needed to get out of there.
She sat on the rail by the school. Taking deep breaths like the counselor told her to do. It was starting to work until— “Ahem, hey you good?”
She turned around and there he was. “What do you want, Eddie?” she snapped.
“Woah no need to be rude princess, just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Yeah I'm fine, ” she lied.
The two were silent for a moment before Eddie had an idea.
“I know a place, we can go sit and hang out, ya’know since you're fine.”
“I don’t know Eddie. I-”
He grabbed her hand gently , interrupting her “Come on scaredy cat.”
He started leading her across the football field and towards the woods. The fallen leaves crunching beneath her feet, the cold autumn air was making her fingers numb.
“So is this the part of the slasher film where the murderer lurs his victim to the woods,” She giggled.
“Yeah–yeah my sacrificial altar is just up ahead,” he said through a laugh.
When they arrived it most definitely wasn’t an altar, just a small old picnic bench. She took a seat across from him. Now just awkward silence between them. Eddie couldn’t stand it so he finally spoke up.
“So are you gonna tell me what's wrong?”
She bites the corner of her cheek, feeling unsure if she should tell him about the awful things that happened the night before.
Eddie's words from yesterday rang through her head. “You’re gonna drive yourself crazy, bottling it all up like that. It’s not healthy.”
“Listen–uh you don't have to but I'm here to listen,” he said sympathetically.
“No I want to tell you–it's just I don't know how to say it,” she murmured.
“Take your time,” he said quietly. She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing
“Last night after you left
–
“Dan, my step dad. He–well he wasn’t happy about you being there and me not telling him.”
“Yeah I kind of figured that.”
Tears started to form in her eyes. Shit stop don’t cry in front of him again
Eddie simply grabbed her hand. Well shit he had to just go and do that.
Tears are now falling. Seeing this Eddie moves to her side of the table. He holds her close to him. Giving gentle pats on her head and a quiet “Shhh it’s okay.”
“Why do you care so much?” she asked softly.
“You don’t even like me,” she added.
“Doesn’t matter” he lied. “Everyone should have someone to talk to.”
She began to fill Eddie in on the events of the previous night. About the things Dan said and the way he grabbed her wrist. The way she was angry that her mom did nothing.
Eddie shot up from the table. “He did what!?” The anger was radiating off of him.
“He can’t get away with that.”
“Eddie, please just sit down.”
“No he needs to be taught a lesson– hell I will go do it right now!”
She gets up from the table and grabs his hand. Looking up at him she says
“Eddie please don't take this the wrong way but he would snap you–like a twig.”
Her fingers are intertwined with his. The pad of her thumb rubbing small circles over his palm.
“I don't care. He can't just hurt you.” She stares into his eyes. His big brown eyes.
Their faces are close. Their lips are almost touching. Their noses bumping.
She can feel his breath. He can smell her fruity lip gloss.
This is it. That moment was going to change everything.
Well it was supposed to be.
“I should go,” Allison whispered.