#hellcheer squad

Eddie Munson is making her laugh for what feels like the first time in weeks. Months, even. It makes her feel almost giddy with relief to recall memories of life before the nightmares began. As if the weights latched around her ankles have been unshackled so she can swim to the surface, if only for a little while. Out of nowhere, fate has decided to throw her a life raft in the form of a heavy metal, rule breaking misfit that somehow never seems to be afraid of anyone. Chrissy wishes he could share just a slice of that resilience with her that seems to come to him so effortlessly.

Amidst these fleeting observations, she re-focuses on her surroundings with a huge smile still pulling at her lips just to find Eddie looking at her in a way that causes her breath to catch in her throat. She locks eyes with him and feels the twinge of a faraway memory she can almost put her finger on.

“You really don’t remember me?” He presses with a rueful grin and his arms crossed comfortably across his chest, hands tucked into his armpits. Her thoughts are momentarily sidetracked by the way his forearms are flexing from their position, showcasing the tattoos scattered on his pale skin like a canvas.

She feels a twinge of guilt for spacing out – she must seem like such a jerk right now.

“I’m sorry!” She offers sincerely with a breathy laugh and sees that he’s not actually offended. No, he’s still simply teasing her. It’s been such a long time since she’s been able to be playful with a guy, if only for the sake of a good conversation. A hearty laugh. A temporary, but real connection.

It unnerves her how quickly he’s just... unraveled her and the weeks of creeping fear that’ve been clinging to her like a parasite.

“Middle school. Talent show. You were doing this cheer thing. You know, the...", he begins half-heartedly mimicking what she’s assuming is cheering with pompoms, causing her to burst into laughter anew. God, he’s hilarious.

“It was pretty cool, actually. And I... I was with my band.”

It hits her like a freight train then and she remembers in vivid, colorful detail.

“CORRODED COFFIN – ”

He claps his hands together in utter triumph and points at her with vigor.

“Corro – YES! I knew it! I knew you’d remember!” he declares victoriously, visibly delighted that she remembers not only him, but his bands name as well.

“Oh my God! Yes, of course, with a name like that, how could I forget?!” She replies excitedly, and he gives her one of those looks again that makes her heart skip a beat.

“I dunno’. You’re a freak,” he quips with a wry grin that holds no malice, tilting his head and, almost affectionately, looking at her with the kindest, prettiest brown eyes she thinks she’s ever seen.

Her mouth falls open in surprise at the unexpected label as she grasps for words, but can only giggle incredulously and shake her head at him, unsure why being called a freak by Eddie Munson feels more like an honor than an insult.

“No, it’s just – you looked so – “

“Different? Yeah. Well, uh, my hair was buzzed, and I didn't have these sweet ol’ tatties yet,” he declares with a hint of pride, stopping his relaxed pacing to yank the collar of his shirt down and partially expose an intricate tattoo on his chest. Her eyes linger a beat too long before she realizes she's studying the pattern a little too attentively, then clears her throat, internally scolding herself for acting so inappropriate.

“You played guitar, right?” She squints as she tries to dredge up the memory of their band playing on the old middle school stage. It feels like eons ago, but the recollection that they’d met before this (and that he actually remembered her), fills her with a strange kind of warmth she’s not even remotely capable of addressing at the present.

“Uh-huh. Still do. Stiiill do. You should come see us sometime,” he mentions offhandedly, not making eye contact with her in a manner that could almost be described as bashful. “Uh, we play at The Hideout on Tuesday’s. It's pretty cool. We... we actually get a crowd… of about five… drunks,” he informs her with a chuckle, causing her to giggle again, attempting to soak up these rare moments of peace while she still has them. Still has him.

He playfully punches the tree behind him before pushing himself off of it to face her again.

“It's not exactly the Garden, but you gotta’ start somewhere, right? So... “

She finds herself gazing at him appreciatively with a genuine smile on her lips, the feeling of some long-forgotten innocence blooming inside of her like a field of daisies in the spring.

“You know… you're not what I thought you'd be like,” she confesses softly with an easy smile, tilting her head slightly to peer at him while taking in the pleasant surprise that is Eddie Munson.

“Mean and scary?” He enquires, hiding a little smile behind the hair he’s covering up his mouth with, his silver rings glistening in the evening sun. Another wave of affection courses through her at the adorable gesture before she has the chance to snuff it out.

 “Yeah”, she confesses, a bit sheepishly.

“Yeah, well, I actually kinda’ thought you'd be kinda’ mean and scary, too,” he reveals, walking goofily over to the table to peer down at her as he clambers back onto the seat.  

“Me?” She whispers in feigned astonishment while blinking up at him with a purposefully innocent doe-eyed expression, unable to keep the smile off of her lips at their banter.

“Terrifying,” he confirms as a slight blush dusts across his cheeks, returning her smile with a cheeky one of his own as he props his chin upon his fist to look at her.

“Uh, so, in other good news, flattery works with me, so... twenty-five percent discount for the half. Fifteen bucks. You're robbing me blind here, you know.”

Amidst the creeping blush upon her own cheeks at his generosity (and at that thoroughly distracting smile of his) a cold stone drops into the pit of her stomach, reminding her why she’s here in the first place. She struggles to find the words, afraid she might offend him, so she asks as gently as she can while her eyes flicker up to meet his in a way she hopes will convey her genuine sincerity.

“Do you have anything… maybe… stronger?”