I-Have-Problems :)

“Like a puppy,” Eddie whined. “The only thing that’s keeping him from here right now is wood shop.”

“Okay, I’m still wrapping my head around this,” Jeff said. “What do you mean you bagged — that and now he won’t leave you alone?”

“Yeah!” Eddie said throwing his hands in the air. “Exactly. I don’t get it either!”

“Boys!” The librarian hushed.

“Was he high?” Jeff whispered.

“I mean we smoked,” Eddie whispered. “But it was barely a buzz. It wouldn’t have affected Gareth and he’s a lightweight.”

“So what are you going to do?” Jeff asked.

“I don’t know,” Eddie groaned. “I’ve tried shaking him but he keeps finding me.”

“Does he got something against you?” Jeff asked. “Is he like — blackmailing you?”

“Jeff —“ Eddie looked around before lowering down on the table and voice so quiet yet high pitched panic. “He sucked my dick. I got more blackmail on him.”

“What?”

“Boys!” The librarian snapped. “One more interruption and you can leave —“

The two looked at each other before breaking out into shit-eating grins.

“Balls!” “Cock!”

“Get out!”

Eddie and Jeff scrambled to pick up their items before dashing out of the library laughing, forgetting the reason that they were kicked out in the first place.

———

Hawkins High was no exception to cliques, each table was practically assigned to a group. The jocks, band geeks, the popular kids, and Hellfire Club. There’s hardly any deviation. Except —

“Eddie!”

Eddie snapped his head up, watching Steve pass by his friends’ table to set his lunch tray next to Eddie’s.

“Missed you in English today,” Steve said, as if they normally interacted in their English class. Eddie looked over Steve’s shoulder to Tommy Hagan, who looked like he was about to explode.

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “Got kicked out of study hall. Took a little adventure into town.”

“You should’ve told me,” Steve pouted. Honest to god pouted. “I would’ve went with you.”

“Jeff went with me,” Eddie said, throwing his thumb over his shoulder to Jeff sitting beside him. He quickly glanced, catching Jeff’s wide eyes. The little shit didn’t believe him. “He’s my best friend since middle school.”

“Steve,” Steve said, introducing himself.

“Yeah,” Jeff nodded. “We — uh — share home ec together.”

“Right,” Steve said. “You made those killer brownies last month.”

“Yeah,” Jeff said. “There — uh — a special recipe of mine.”

“Did you make weed brownies in class?” Eddie asked.

“No,” Jeff grinned. “I made weed brownies without weed in them.”

“So not special special brownies,” Eddie joked.

Steve snorted his drink. It wasn’t even that funny of a joke.

“Hey.”

The table turned to Gareth’s big ass frown and Freak, standing at the edge of the table.

“What’s he doing here?”

“He’s Eddie’s new friend,” Jeff said. Eddie shot Jeff a glare. “He’s having lunch with us today.”

“Steve,” Steve introduced himself again.

Gareth sat down with a huff.

“Freak,” Freak kindly introduced himself. Steve glanced at Eddie wide-eyed.

“Frank is his government name,” Eddie explained. “Some dick in his freshman English class read his name wrong and it stuck.”

“A badge of pride,” Freak grinned.

“Nice to meet you guys,” Steve said.

“Thanks for letting me sit with you for lunch.”

“You can’t sit with your own friends?” Gareth sneered. Eddie guessed if anyone was going to ask Steve the obvious questions no one wanted to ask, it would be Gareth.

“I mean I can,” Steve shrugged. “Just wanted to spend time with Eddie.”

Eddie took another glance towards Tommy Hagan and his table. Eddie knew Tommy and Steve had a falling out and that Tommy seemed to follow Hargrove around, but after winter break the two seemed to be at least on talking terms when Hargrove wasn’t around.

Eddie felt a hand squeeze on his knee.

He jerked up, barely avoiding smashing Steve’s hand into the table.

Steve pulled his hand back.

Eddie kind of missed the touch.

“Sorry,” they said simultaneously.

“Okay,” Jeff interrupted, seeing the need to pull the attention away from Steve. “We need to figure out a set list for tomorrow.”

“What’s tomorrow?” Steve asked.

“Our first gig,” Freak grinned.

“Gig?” Steve asked. Gareth groaned.

“We have a band,” Eddie explained. “Metal — like heavy rock. We got hired to play at the Hideout. If all goes good, it’s gonna be a regular thing for actual money.”

Steve’s face brightened up. “Can I come?”

“Uh — sure,” Eddie said, his brow furrowed for a brief moment. “It gets loud.”

“I’ll find earplugs,” Steve said. The first bell rang. “Shit. I got a test coming up I need to study for. I gotta go. I’ll catch you later?”

“Sure?” Eddie said unsurely.

“Great,” Steve squeezed Eddie’s shoulder as he stood up. “Nice to meet you all. Can’t wait to see you play tomorrow.”

Steve grabbed his lunch tray and left, the boys all watching him as he took his tray to the return spot and leave the cafeteria.

“What the hell was that?” Gareth asked sharply. “Who does he think he is?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie admitted honestly. “This all started this morning. He’s following me around —“