(ep 3 pt 2 & ep 4 pt 1)

I popped out from under the tarp and sighed before heaving myself out of the boat.

"I swear, one day I am going to aggressively tickle Dustin into oblivion," I scowled.

"Why tickling?" Eddie asked as he continued eating.

"He's too pure to be punched," I shrugged and reached into a bag and pulled out some cookies. "Hell yeah." I grinned. Cookies were my weakness. Robin must have convinced Steve to buy them for me.

"Where do you think they're going?" Eddie questioned.

"I don't know but I will make out with Robin when she gets back," I bit into one of the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

"Isn't that like gay?" Eddie asked.

"Do you have a problem with it?" I asked.

"No, no. But why make out with Robin when you could make out with me," Eddie smirked.

My face got super red and I turned away.

"Sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Flirting and sarcasm are my only defenses," Eddie laughed.

"You also have good looks and..." My voice trailed off. "Nah, that's it."

"Really, Wheeler? Nothing else you think can help other than my looks?"

"Maybe it's just your super soft and cute personality under your hard shell," I shrugged and stuffed a cookie into my mouth.

"You know, you're not how I thought you would be," Eddie said.

"How did you think I would be? Hotter? Because believe me, I definitely am hotter than you think. I've just been wearing the same flannel and ripped jeans for a day straight," I looked down at my grungy outfit.

"Nah, I thought you'd be like Nancy. At the campaign the other night, you looked so uninterested it reminded me of how Mike describes Nancy."

"I'm nothing like Nancy. Our mom calls us night and day. She's all preppy and smart and has a boyfriend and I barely passed my classes while still remaining single," I ranted. "Also, Nancy is like a total genius. I'm only smart when it comes to music and drawing flowers."

"So you're artistically inclined and Nancy has a stick up her ass?" Eddie joked.

"Basically. Mike is like a good mix of both of us. My younger sister, Holly, she's a total diva like my mother."

Eddie went quiet before speaking again. "Do you think our lives will ever be normal again?"

I had to think. "No, I really don't think so. I've spent nearly three years trying to go back to normal. After Will, and then Barb and Billy and Hopper, I can't go back to how I was. We can never go back to who we were, not fully at least."

"Dustin was right."

I looked at Eddie confused. "Right about what?

He smiled a bit. "You're smarter than you think you are."

I gave him a small smile in return. We looked at each other for a moment. It wasn't awkward or anything, just taking in each other's appearances and features. It seemed that Eddie had many tattoos and we were kind of the same. Striving to hide our feelings to avoid being hurt.

It's crazy how much I had changed. A year ago, I wouldn't even think about being in a boathouse alone with Eddie Munson, let alone telling him my deepest secrets.

Just then the walkie sprang to life with a frantic Lucas. I grabbed it and listened. Eddie walked over to listen with me.

"Dustin. It's lucas. Do you copy? Dustin?"

"Lucas? Where the hell have you been?"

"Just listen. Are you guys looking for Eddie?" Lucas sounded worried.

"Yeah, we found him no thanks to you." Dustin was probably rolling his eyes.

"You found him?"

"He's at a boathouse on Coal Mill Road with Charlie. Don't worry, they're safe." Great. Dustin revealed our location.

"You guys know he killed Chrissy, right?"

"That's bullshit. Eddie tried to save Chrissy."

"Then why do all the cops say he did?" Lucas alleged.

"Lucas, you're so behind, it's ridiculous okay?" Max interrupted. "Just meet us at the school and we'll explain later.

"I can't. I think some real bad shit's about to go down." He sounded worried.

"What are you talking about? What bad shit?" Max questioned.

Lucas didn't respond.

"Lucas? Lucas?" Max's voice sounded panicked over the radio.

Silence again. Something was happening. Something bad was going to happen. And I couldn't help or try to stop it.

"Okay, how about no more walkie unless we need it," Eddie grabbed it from my hand and turned the volume down.

"Somethings wrong, Eddie," I started pacing back and forth. "Lucas needs help. I can't just sit here and wait to be caught. I'm going home. I can just say I was tired from work and passed out at Robin's house. Shit, but my bike is still at work."

"You're eighteen and still riding a bike? Don't you have a car?"

"Nancy uses it for her journalism shit. She has more of a social life than me," I pointed out. "Anyway, that doesn't matter right now. I need to help."

I walked towards the door.

"No, wait!" Eddie said a bit too loud. He pulled me back and I spun into his arms. It was quite theatrical.

We kind of just stood there, our faces inches apart. Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to kiss him.

I swear I was going bat shit crazy if I wanted to kiss Eddie Munson.

His hands were still on my waist and mine were on his shoulders.

"Charlie," He whispered, hot breath close to my lips.

I didn't know what to do. I could run out the door. Or I could embrace this newfound sentimentalism.

He leaned into me and I panicked but couldn't run.

Eh, I guess I'll embrace this then.

I leaned into him but had to stand on my tippy toes. He was frickin tall.

His lips met mine hesitantly. So, of course, I did all the work by deepening this damn kiss.

No, our tongues did not fight for dominance. That's just gross.

But the kiss was hella good, a bit short yet sweet.

I pulled away first and leaned my head against his chest.

"Holy shit," I muttered. It was slowly starting to sink in. "Oh my god."

I looked at Eddie who seemed confused.

"What?" He asked.

I laughed. "I just made out with Eddie Munson. In a boathouse. While hiding from the police."

"Are you kidding me? I've been wanting to do that since forever!" Eddie said excitedly. "You might not believe it but I have liked you for quite some time."

"No way, I actually refuse to believe that," I chuckled.

"You don't remember me?" He asked in disbelief.

"Sorry, my memory is like shit water," I apologized.

"Let's see. It was around the beginning of last summer. I didn't have this long hair yet and not nearly as many tattoos. I used to come into Scoops Ahoy every Friday before my band's show and order..."

"Oh my god, black cherry ice cream with peanut butter sauce," I remembered suddenly. "That was you? I used to think that was disgusting."

"Yeah, you always did look cute in that horrible sailors uniform."

My brain was baffled about how this guy with short curly hair from last summer was the same guy standing in front of me.

"Lemme get this straight, you never talked to me even though you knew my brother?" I asked with a sly smile.

"Hey, like you said, inside the hard exterior is this shy and soft, very introverted guy," He shrugged.

It was getting dark and I could kind of make out his figure in the poor light of an old lamp we found. It was strange how we were so connected but yet so far away from each other until now.

"Charlie, Charlie, do you copy?" Robin asked over the walkie. "Charlieeeee?"

"Charlie, we have a code red," Dustin said.

I reached for the walkie. "It's me. I do copy. What's going on?"

"Jason, Patrick and Andy are after us now. And Max is Vecna's next victim," Dustin explained. "We're going to the Wheelers right now, I think you should come here. Your parents aren't home."

"What about Eddie? I can't leave him here," I responded.

"Please just come here," Max pleaded over the walkie.

I looked over at Eddie who just gave me a short nod.

"I'll be there in an hour maybe. I just have to lie low in the woods," I responded.

"Copy that, over and out," Max said.

I walked over to Eddie and he glanced at me worried.

"Promise me you won't get hurt?" He asked, looking like a sad puppy.

"I can't promise but I will try," I whispered, kissing his cheek.

"Wheeler, if we survive this and I somehow clear my name, let me take you on a date. Not like anything classy but maybe a burger at the diner or something," Eddie hugged me.

"I promise Munson," I smiled at him, backing up towards the door. "I'll call you on the walkie when I get there."

He gave a small, sad wave as I opened the door and crept out of the boathouse. 

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A/N: after watching both vol 1 and 2 i've decided that this show deserves a happy ending so i'm going off script and making sure no one sobs themselves to sleep at all :) yay!