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A MONTH WENT BY and spring break was finally coming up. It was a Friday and it was very clear that everyone was excited. Pauley was as excited as one could be — she could now sleep in all day — but, she didn't really have anything else to do. "Helloooo Pauley." The voice of Eddie came from behind her and she looked over her shoulder before grinning, "Hi." She greeted back as the male fell into the same rhythm of walking as her. "Excited for spring break?" Eddie asked as he looked over at her — Pauley was looking down at her feet as she walked — "Mm, sure... yeah, I am... not necessarily excited but — something along those lines." She shrugged before giggling slightly.

Eddie smiled before he asked the question he's been building up courage to ask her, "You wanna hang out sometime during spring break?" Pauley's eyes widened before she opened her mouth, but she couldn't come up with an answer, "Um, well, um... I'll think about it..?" Her words came out like a question instead of a statement and she mentally face palmed herself. Eddie was glad that he didn't get a downright no, truth was, he was getting feelings for Pauley — and they were slowly becoming bigger and bigger. Eddie and Pauley weren't best friends but they were friends — he was her first friend at the school and he felt proud of himself because of that.

"Earth to Eddie, are you okay?" Pauley waved her hand in front of Eddie's face. The two had stopped outside of their first period class, "Hm? Yeah? Something happen?" Eddie snapped out of his own thoughts and spoke quickly — Pauley couldn't help the grin that appeared on her face, "You zoned out honey." The pet name was something that Pauley started using only a few weeks ago and it made Eddie wild — he of course didn't show it but, he knew that if Pauley called him any other pet names he'd probably melt — if he did indeed melt, he hoped that Pauley would put him in a jar and keep him with her at all times. The bell rang, "Come on, let's go to class." Pauley said and Eddie nodded before the two walked into the class — Eddie following behind her like a lost puppy.

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After third period — everyone headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Pauley stopped in the girls bathroom as she did. Taking off her backpack, she stepped into a stall and locked it before she started to take off her jacket and tank top. Now in her bra, she unzipped her backpack and pulled out a club shirt that had the Hellfire title and logo on it. Eddie had given her a size small — it was still slightly baggy on the arms but it had to do for now. Tonight was both the big basketball game for the school along with a "club meeting." Pauley slid on the shirt and tucked it slightly into her pants. Placing her shirt and jacket into her bag, Pauley zipped it back up before putting it on. She stepped out of the stall and grabbed her headphones from her backpack side pocket.

Reaching further into the pocket, she felt the play button on her Walkman and pressed it — she slid her headphones on and the sound of the mixtape Eddie had given her played.

"The deception with tact — Just what are you trying to say?"

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Walking into the cafeteria, Pauley could clearly see — and hear — Eddie ranting and raving about something as he stepped onto the table. Pauley felt a bit embarrassed, not because of Eddie but because she had to walk over there and sit down — she was only just getting rid of her status as the new kid and she was now going to get into the role of the "only girl that would come within six feet of the weirdos" or "the freaks plaything" which is weird because some kids in Hellfire are lower classmen — but people will label what they always want to label. Taking a deep breath, Pauley just paid attention to the voice of Billy Idol coming from her headphones and walked over — sitting next to Mike Wheeler, the little brother to Nancy Wheeler.

Pauley could feel eyes on her but she didn't dare look behind her. She took off her headphones and now paid attention to Eddie's ranting, "We're the freaks because we like to play a fantasy game." Eddie explained and the other Hellfire members agreed, "But as long as you're into band.. or parties," raising his voice, Eddie continued, "or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets..!" That got the attention of the basketball team. "Loser!" A student yelled as the captain of the basketball team stood up, "You want something freak?" He yelled and Eddie mocked him. Pauley felt herself get tense and it was radiating off of her, Eddie held his hands up as horns and stuck his tongue out at the other teen making him roll his eyes and sit back down. Pauley looked up at him and giggled at his expression making Eddie put his hands back down and his tongue back in his mouth before smiling at her.

Eddie continued, "It's forced conforming." He jumped off the table and stood back as a group of people went by, "That's what's," he raised his tone and he followed the group, "killing the kids!" He — and the other members — laughed at the reaction of the group of teens. Eddie steps back and allows a group of cheerleaders to go by and Pauley can't help but appreciate his respectfulness — especially towards women. "That's the real monster." Eddie says as he walks over to Mike and Dustin — another member of Hellfire — and sits between them, wrapping his arms around both their shoulders. Dustin speaks up. "See, uh... speaking of monster... Lucas has to do his, uh, balls-in-laundry-baskets game." Eddie narrowed his eyes in confusion. Dustin chuckles awkwardly, "So... he's not gonna make it to Hellfire tonight."

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