chapter six

age of eighteen

THE DATE OF her party jumped on Cassandra much faster than she would've liked. It was early Saturday morning and she was already dressed and writing out her checklist at her pristine white desk. Her pink pen glided across the paper, the little sparkles in the ink leaving a small trail of nervous excitement. The little boxes next to each item were messy, but did the job. She counted off the things she needed to do on her fingers, but was snapped out of her head by groaning from her bed. 

"Jesus, Cass. What time is it?" 

She looked over at him with apologetic eyes and studied him as he turned his body over to face her. "Sorry. Tried to be quiet." 

Eddie hummed as he sat up against her head board and ran a hand through his hair. Cassandra's eyes stayed on him, her mouth open slightly as she watched how the soft morning light hit his tattoos and the start of the marks that she'd made the night before, peaking out from his back on the sides of his abdomen. She was completely mesmerized as she watched how his lips curled up slightly, even though she'd woken him up too early and how his eyes sparkled darkly when they finally turned towards her. How he still seemed to like her, even when he had every reason not to. Her cheeks were a shade of pink as her window backlit her and reminded Eddie of their first night after the start of school. A half smile formed on his face and he chuckled slightly to himself as his gaze went down to the lengthy list and the glitter pink pen in her hand. 

"I'm guessing you got that pen especially for that list."

She tried to fight the smile forming on her face, but ultimately failed, and shrugged. "Did you sleep okay?"

"You know I always sleep well here." He chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's like you guys are rich or something and can afford an actual mattress."

"Your bed isn't so bad." She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head as she looked at him.

"I think," he leaned forward, grabbed his underwear and slipped it on before tip toeing over to her desk and pressing a kiss to her lips, "you just like my bed because anything is comfortable after what I do to you." 

Cassandra's nose wrinkled a little and pulled away. "Morning breath, Eddie."

Eddie groaned and rolled his eyes before flicking them around, finding her half full school water bottle and apple slices in her bag. He crunched on them, holding up the bottle and the bag to show her, making her grin and giggle, her shoulders shaking. The rest of the house was quiet as her room was stunningly alive with their small little story—nothing of true consequence. Nothing to make the Hawkins Post or to entice readers to a book shop, but it was theirs. Once he'd swallowed a few slices and had a few sips of water, he bounded over to her and placed a sloppy kiss on her lips. He tasted like the sweet apples, making her smile as she leaned her head back. She grunted slightly and pulled away, her eyes crinkling at she looked at him.

"I have to finish my list." Her voice was quiet and Eddie could almost feel her lips form the words on his own. He smiled slightly and leaned down again, making her giggle and press into him further. The bluebirds were outside in their late summer waltz, their azure coats glinting as the light struck them. Normally Cassandra would've stared in wonder, as she had for almost eighteen years, but the smell and feel of Eddie Munson caught her into a little universe away from their smashing and disastrously wonderful one. She pulled away once more. "I really have to finish it. It's a big day."

Eddie grinned and backed up a little, grabbing his Hellfire shirt from the floor and tossing it over his head. "The last Cassandra Clark birthday party. What will this town do without your social guidance?"

"Crash, burn, become less fabulous."

"Oh obviously." His voice was dripping with sarcasm as he grinned next to her. She scrunched her nose and looked at him, making his heart stop momentarily, before turning back to her list. She quietly whispered it to herself as she looked it over. Eddie only stared at her. The way her auburn hair was tucked behind her ears, the way the light refracted off of it—making it golden. The way she tucked her lip in between her teeth as she concentrated, the way her emerald eyes darted across the paper.

He'd always liked the way she smelled in the mornings. Her perfume would still linger, but he mostly smelled like sleep and what he imagined a home would be like. He didn't mind the sweat so much—it was overpowered by the haze of what could happen. If they didn't live like they did. If the shadows weren't so large that they could both sneak around in them—or better yet, didn't exist. She smelled like dandelions, cooking in the mornings and falling asleep during movies. And he couldn't get enough of it. 

"I should probably go. You've got a busy day." He gulped and pressed down the little flicker of feeling that started within him. Because she was Cassandra Clark, the forbidden fruit hanging high. And he'd fallen from the tree a long while ago—battered, bruised and unwanted. 

"No you don't have to." 

In one fell swoop, she lifted herself from her desk chair, her burnt orange skirt shifting under her oversized dark grey sweater. Eddie zipped up his black jeans and smiled at her innocence.

"So you want to go to the dress store with me and—"

"God, that's right." The rest of her meaning lost in translation. She'd forgotten. Forgotten that there was a whole world outside her bedroom door. "Want me to walk you down?"

"I've graduated from climbing out the window?" Eddie's smile was teasing as he looked at her, hands on his hips. "Wow, Cass, I feel honored. The real Clark staircase. I wonder if I'll survive the awesomeness." 

"Shut up." Her voice was quiet, her smile was real as her cheeks burned. 

She bit her lip and clutched her list as he carefully opened her door and motioned for her to exit politely. A smile curled onto her lips as she swept out of her room, grabbing her purse and white trainers on the way. She slipped them on over her white crew socks and started down the stairs, her hair bouncing with her. She could hear the thumping behind her, smiled and went faster. Her feet had barely touched the floor at the bottom when hands wrapped around her waist and swung her around. It took everything in them to keep their laughter quiet. She turned to face him—her face bright red and smiling so much it hurt. She managed to try and silence him. 

He dragged her towards the kitchen and she grabbed two yogurts out of the fridge while he grabbed two spoons. They were out of low-fat at the store, so she'd gotten regular vanilla ones and hummed as it slid down her throat. It wasn't too sweet, but it still sparked on her tongue and make her smile. Eddie stirred the yogurt with his spoon, not wanting to remind her that he was lactose intolerant. He watched her as scraped at the side. 

"Finish mine for me," he said gently as he slid it towards her. She gave him a skeptical look before the realization dawned on her and she opened her mouth to apologize. "Wouldn't want to waste it." She frowned as she looked at the little cup. "Go on."

She stuck her spoon in and brought it up to her mouth. "Let's go get you some food."

"Secret, remember?" Eddie jeered with a sarcastic smile.

"I'll get out and get you food, you stay in the van. Easy." Her smile was passive as she passed him and walked through the house once more—to where his van was parked on the other side of the house near the graveyard. Eddie placed the spoons in the sink and then quickly followed after her, spinning his key ring around his fingers.

She was pulling on her seatbelt by the time he got to the van, not having bothered to lock it the night before. Her feet were tucked under her legs as she looked at the forest surrounding them—admiring the way the sun hit the green, making it effervescent. How the birds fluttered among the branches, breathing life into them with the breeze. 

"You okay?" Eddie's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, making her whip her head over to him. A smile found its way to her face. 

"Just perfect. Drive on." Eddie chuckled slightly at the authority in her voice. He placed his hand on the back on her seat as he looked over his shoulder to reverse out of the spot he'd parked in, then forward and then he placed both hands on the wheel and turned them onto the increasingly well trodden path. 

There was no music playing as Eddie tapped his hands rhythmically on the steering wheel and Cassandra looked out of the window at the passing cars and houses—the suburban turning as urban as it could as they neared the shops. Eddie pulled around the back of the diner, the spot where teens usually parked to have sex in their cars without their parents knowing. Cassandra grabbed her purse, shot Eddie a smile and bounded out of the van, shutting the door loudly behind her. Eddie watched her scurry towards the building, smiled to himself, reclined his seat and closed his eyes. Without looking, he fiddled with the radio a little, but when it didn't turn on, he hit it once and it spluttered to life. In his violence, he'd knocked it off of the heavy metal channel that it was normally on and Fleetwood Mac started playing. It was one of Cassandra's favorite songs, not that she'd ever admit it to anyone but him: "Landslide". That song was reserved for the art kids and parents, not for the captain of the Hawkins High cheer team. 

Because what Cassandra Clark didn't tell everyone is that her mother had only left her two things: the pearl necklace that Cassandra's father had given her after their third date and a small box of vinyls that she'd played for Cassandra as a child. Rumors, Fleetwood Mac, Madman Across the Water, American Pie and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road among them.

Eddie listened as he tried to find the meaning that Cassandra found in the soft guitar. He knew that she loved dancing to the upbeat bleakness of "American Pie" in her bedroom at night, but he knew that she would always put "Landslide" on if she was happy, especially if her world had become desolate. Because Eddie knew that he always had his uncle. She only had him. 

Eventually, the song changed to Madonna, so he groaned and hit it a few more times to the heavy metal channel on a low volume. His eyes drifted closed, letting him loose track of time. He didn't know how long she'd been in there when she threw the van door open excitedly. He jumped and quickly moved his seat up, hair flying and grabbing around for anything that could be used as a weapon. Cassandra watched, an amused smile forming on her face, and let out a low, incredulous giggle.

"Eddie," she could barely manage to get out.

"What?" he grumbled, his voice sharp.

She didn't even finish her sentence, her eyes creased and she started to giggle, tears welling in her eyes and her shoulders shaking. Eddie's bad mood dissipated as he looked at her, his features softening and the urge to take her picture rising within him. He didn't have the money for a camera that could properly capture her, so he looked around to make sure there were no prying eyes (even though he was sure she'd done it for the both of them) and as she finally stepped into the van, he leaned over the center console and pressed a kiss to her lips. It caught her by surprise, but she smiled nevertheless and leaned in. They were in sync, but she was the first to pull away. She kissed his nose quickly before settling in her seat, the hot food on her lap. 

Eddie sighed as he leaned back and jammed his seatbelt back into the buckle. "Do you want to go eat near Danford Creek?" 

"Sure." He smiled at her briefly then turned on the ignition and sped out of the parking lot, lest the town of Hawkins see them together. He looked over at her briefly ever so often, but kept his eyes on the road. "Did you get to check things off of your list while you were there?"

"Oh yeah, loads of things." She mumbled as she summoned the list and went through it once more. "With enough money, everything just kind of falls into place."

Eddie chuckled. "You'd know more about that than me."

She smiled remorsefully as she looked over the list once more and then back up at their surroundings. Eddie had just turned off of the main road and into a well driven path through the woods. They weren't as thick as the woods on the true edges of town and around Cassandra's house, but they hid the van. She rolled down her window and Eddie rolled his down, letting the passing air make both of their hair fly. Cassandra laid her chin on her hand on the window. She stared out at the passing trees and shrubs. Eddie eventually slowed down once they heard the rushing water. He backed up and parked with the front of the van facing the path and got out. Cassandra was figuring out unbuckling her seat belt and keeping the food from falling over when her door opened.

"Let me take that." Eddie heaved the large brown bag from her legs, allowing her to unbuckle, jump out and close the door behind her. He handed the bag back to her as he opened the back of his truck, cleared a few Dungeons and Dragons pieces, a stray cassette tape and a magazine featuring electric guitars in varying colors and styles. There was a circle around a red and black one with sharp edges in black Sharpie. Cassandra stared at the magazine long enough that Eddie took notice. "Oh . . . yeah. Been thinking about saving up for a guitar."

He started to take the boxes of food out of the large paper bag as she kept her eye on the magazine while taking the tops off of the boxes. The pancakes were still warm, as were the hash browns. She opted out of getting eggs, instead sausages and bacon were shoved into one box. There was a little drink carrier in the bag as well, a semi hot coffee and a little bottle of orange juice shoved in. The grease had soiled the sides, making the brown paper a bit darker in some spots. And finally, in two little plastic packages were the utensils and a napkin each.

They climbed up and sat on either side of the van, the food laid out in front of them and the rushing water acting as the sweetest jukebox song they'd ever heard. Eddie handed Cassandra her utensils and ripped open his own. He stuck his black plastic fork into one of the sausages and shoved it into his mouth, humming as he chewed. 

"This is definitely better than low fat yogurt."

"Those ones weren't," Cassandra admitted as she ate a small piece of the hash browns. 

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Have we moved on from it?"

Cassandra gulped, smiled and nodded. She desperately didn't want him to be disappointed in her. Not on her birthday. "Going for full fat now."

"That's my girl." Her stomach fluttered at the grin that formed on his face as he looked at her. There was something devilish in it—something devilish in the whole way he carried himself. Like his words echoed and his touch burned. Cassandra Clark was never particularly religious, but she knew that if heaven and hell did exist, she would commit every sin in the book if it would sent her down to him. 

But, for now, she was in the thralls of nature as the late summer early autumn sun settled on top of the sunburnt trees—their lower green leaves giving way as they climbed up to yellow and brown versions of themselves. 

Eddie kept pushing food towards her and she kept eating it, even though her head screamed at her not to. But, she had to admit that there was nothing quite like pancakes with maple syrup. They didn't speak for a long time as they ate and admired their surroundings, even though they'd been there countless times. Everyone always forgot about Danford Creek. 

"So what's next for the party?"

Cassandra looked up at him, his face still chewing. "Uh . . . mostly just ready, I guess. I have my dress already and I'm getting my hair blown out later at the salon. Nails too."

"Ah," Eddie muttered thoughtfully, restraining the criticism of popular culture that bubbled up within him. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"Pardon?" Cassandra was mid chew when she looked up and she swallowed quickly.

"What do you want me to get you for your birthday?"

"Don't really want anything." She shrugged and smiled mirthlessly. "Nothing that you could give me, anyway." Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Not like that. I mean a loving family would be nice, but no one could give me that." 

Eddie nodded his head thoughtfully as he poked at another sausage. "Why are we doing this? Getting breakfast, I mean."

"I don't know what you mean." Cassandra's voice was small.

"I think you do."

She opened her mouth, but closed it again. "I mean . . . we don't have to do it again if you don't want to—"

"That's not—"

"And I get that it's weird with me being who I am and you being who you are, but you've seen more of me than anyone ever has—literally and figuratively." She went silent and he only stared at her. "And I like talking with you." Her voice was a whisper. The guards had abandoned post and it seemed as if her mighty walls were now made of the same fabric as the foolish emperor's clothes. 

Eddie's eyes were soft as they stared at her; she was staring at the floor of the van. A half smile graced his face as his eyes darted around her eyelashes, her cheeks, how a few loose hairs swept over her forehead. "Am I in an alternate universe?" His smile broadened to a grin and he chuckled. "The Cassandra Clark likes talking to little 'ole me? Whatever will Steve Harrington do when he hears the news?" She pinched her mouth in an attempt to hide her chuckles, in vain. Her grin matched his as the rushing water almost drowned them out.

"I take it back now."

Eddie's cheeks hurt. "Ah ah ah . . . no take backs, Ms. Clark."

"There are totally take backs, Mr. Munson." She raised her eyebrows as she looked at him and his cheeks dusted pink slightly. She bit back her giggling as she looked everywhere but him. She had resorted to looking down at the ground in front of them when he ducked his head down and brought it up under her, making her lips meet his. The kiss was short and a little awkward, but he quickly leaned in for a second once she realized what was happening. One of her hands found his cheek and caressed it softly as some hair fell out from being tucked behind her ear. They moved in sync as he pressed further into her, but he pulled away and looked at her.

She remembered how dark his eyes were. How the brown within them seemed like a black hole—one that she'd willingly become an astronaut to explore. "Happy Birthday, Cass." She blushed at the crack in his quiet voice as he said it as a new sensation rushed through her body. Normally, he was electric. He cracked down her spine and made her finger tips tingle with anticipation, but this was much smoother, much calmer, but still nerve wracking. It washed over her like the creek next door to them as she looked at him. She could smell the remnants of the maple syrup, coffee and a cigarette on him and she couldn't tear her eyes away. She couldn't think, she couldn't speak, she couldn't feel anything other than him. A small smile found its way to her face as she tilted her head a little. Eddie's eyes widened as he looked at her, he cleared his throat and pulled away. "Sounds like you've got a lot to do. We should probably head back." 

She'd forgotten about her party. She'd forgotten about her friends waiting for her. She'd forgotten about Billy. She'd forgotten about the rest of Hawkins.

She cleared her throat and started to place the tops on the containers—all of them empty and piling them into the paper bag. They left it in the back as they clambered out silently and resumed their usual positions in the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. Cassandra kept the window open for the while that they were on the rural path, but once cars started to pass, they both closed them. Eddie took the back way to her house and drove up to his spot next to the graveyard. He kissed her cheek goodbye and she ran around the house, to her car parked in the front. 

She pulled out of the garage, flipped on the radio to "Freeway of Love" by Aretha Franklin and pulled down the mirror. She checked her makeup and touched up her sheer pink lipstick before closing it with a snap and pressed on the accelerator—shooting down the hill. She made it to the salon in time for her appointment and was immediately thankful that they had nails and hair there. She saw a few other girls her age and a few moms who all stared when she walked in. The woman in the front didn't even ask for her name, instead just showed her to the waiting chair. She sat down, was immediately offered a water and after she put her Walkman headphones over her ears and let Elton John play, three women surrounded her—setting to work on her hair, fingers and toenails. 

She didn't know how long she'd been there, listening to Elton with her eyes closed, but it had been about an hour because her side A was almost finished. She fluttered her eyelashes open to be faced with a nearly identical pair. Nancy Wheeler and her mother. Cassandra kept her eyes on them as she tried to pull her hand away to flip the tape over. Instead, the woman painting her nails, Susan, opened up the Walkman and flipped it for her. But, she didn't need to listen for much longer as someone taped her shoulder, helped her headphones off of her ears and held a mirror in front of her. Her hair was reminiscent of Cindy Crawford and Brooke Shields as they added volume and it was a bit curled. She smiled and looked at her nails—both sets painted a dark, but not too dark red. "Cadillac Red". Her nails had almost completely dried in the time it took to finish her hair. She slipped on the flip flops that the attendants gave her and handed them her credit card.

As she was waiting for it to be rung up, she studied Nancy and her mother as they conversed. The mother was getting her hair done in a 70s blowout while Nancy was having her nails painted a tasteful shade of pale pink. Their smiles were wide and it seemed is if they were in their own little world. Cassandra chewed the inside of her cheek until her attention was taken by an attendant handing her card back to her and wishing her a good rest of her day. She looked back at the duo to see their eyes on her. She looked between them once, carefully placed her purse over her shoulder and shoved her way out of the salon. Her car was parked right out front, so she grabbed her keys out of her purse and tossed it into the passenger seat before stepping in. She wanted to press on the accelerator again, but she hesitated as she thought about the Wheelers. She didn't know what she felt, but she didn't allow herself to explore it as she turned on the ignition and sped back home to finish getting ready.