Eddie Munson, Asher's best friend.

The two first met when Asher was in the seventh grade and he was trying to steal some food from the grocery store, since he hadn't ate anything in three days. While he was trying to shove as much food as he could into his jacket, Eddie saw Asher and also saw that Asher was failing miserably. Eddie had heard of Asher before so he knew of the kid's reputation, but he knew that his reputation was just made up by people that didn't know him; so he just thought of Asher as some kid. So, when Eddie saw Asher failing miserably, he went over to him and helped him steal some food.

After that day, the two became friends, with Eddie being the first person to ever actually look out for Asher. The two would start to spend a lot of time together, with Eddie teaching Asher a bunch of tricks about shoplifting, teaching him how to play the guitar, giving him weed at a discounted price and introducing him to metal music. When Asher got into high school, Eddie had became Asher's only friends, with Dustin still being in middle school, which meant that Asher had also became friends with all of Eddie's friends. After that, Asher had became an honorary member of Hellfire, but he refused to play D&D.

"Shit, he seems really revved up today" Dustin mentions as him, Mike and Asher are standing a few feet away from their lunch table.

"He's always revved up" Mike mentions to Dustin "We'll just act casual."

"Ash, you tell him" Dustin says, looking up at the blonde sixteen year old.

"Me? Why me? I'm not even in Hellfire" Asher says shaking his head, knowing that Eddie wouldn't take it well. If he told Eddie that Lucas was missing Hellfire for basketball, he knew that Eddie would go on a rant about it basically talking about how stupid basketball is.

"Because he likes you more" Mike answers "He's less likely to kill you."

"Like he ever could with his weak and scrawny arms" Asher mutters as they walk over to the table where Asher and Hellfire usually sit.

"Society has to blame something. We're an easy target" Doug mentions as Mike, Asher and Dustin sit down, with Eddie throwing Asher's lunch over to him. Every day, Eddie would always bring Asher his lunch for him, knowing that there wasn't enough food at home for Asher to bring in his own food.

"Exactly. We're the freaks because we like to play a fantasy game" Eddie says before standing up on the table "But as long as you're into band or science... or parties or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets!"

"You want something, freak?" Jason shouts over as he stands up, making Eddie make a face at him.

"It's force conforming" Eddie continues ranting to his friends before jumping off of the table "That's what's killing the kids! That's the real monster."

"So, uh, speaking of monsters" Dustin says nervously "Uh, Lucas has to do his, uh, balls in laundry baskets game. So... he's not gonna make it to Hellfire tonight. And I know there is no way we can beat your sadistic campaign without him. So, me, Mike and Ash--"

"Don't drag me into this" Asher quickly cuts Dustin off, knowing he has nothing to do with it.

"Sorry. Me and Mike, we were talking, shooting the shit, and we were thinking that maybe we might--" Dustin goes to say before being cut off again.

"Postpone" Mike quickly says, just wanting Dustin to get to the point, making everyone apart from Eddie yell at him.

"Postpone?" Gareth yells.

"You can't just drop this on us!" Jeff also yells.

"Over my dead body!" Doug says with a sarcastic laugh.

"Shut up!" Eddie yells, making the table go quiet "You saying Sinclair's been taken in by the dark side?"

"That's exactly what they're saying" Asher mentions "I think?"

"You think?" Eddie asks, throwing a pretzel at Asher's head.

"Well that was just rude" Asher mumbles before picking up the pretzel that landed on his lap before eating it.

"And rather than find a sub for him, you want... you want to postpone The Cult Of Vecna?" Eddie asks Mike and Dustin.

"I don't want to postpone it. We don't want to postpone it" Mike says to Eddie "It's just that most of the subs will be at the Championship game."

"Oh, it's the Championship game?" Eddie asks.

"Yeah?" Mike asks, looking very confused.

"Can I level with you?" Eddie asks Mike "Jeff graduates this year. Ash and Gareth's got, what? A year and a half? Me, I am army-crawling my way towards a D in Ms O'Donnell's. If I don't blow her final, I'm gonna walk that stage next month, I'm gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye, I'm gonna flip him the bird, I'm gonna snatch that diploma and I'm gonna run like hell outta here."

"Didn't you say that last year?" Asher asks Eddie, remembering Eddie gave him that exact speech a year ago.

"And the year before that?" Jeff asks, also remembering a speech similar to that.

"Yeah, yeah and I was full of shit" Eddie mentions to the two "This year's different. This year is my year. I can feel it. Eighty-six baby. You know what that means? It means you boys are the future of Hellfire. I knew it the moment I saw you. You were sat on that table right over there, looking like... looking like two little lost sheep. You were wearing a Weird Al T-shirt, which I thought was brave."

"Thank you" Dustin whispers out.

"Mike, you were wearing whatever shit your mommy bought you from goddamn Gap" Eddie says, which makes the whole table laugh before Eddie drags Dustin and Mike out of their seats "And we showed you that school doesn't have to be the worst years of your lives, right? Okay, no, no. Well, I'm here to tell you that there are other lost sheepies out there who need help. Who need you. And all you guys gotta do, is get your Bo-Peeps on and go find one" Eddie says before pushing the two away from the table, who end up walking out of the cafeteria "Have they always been like this?" Eddie asks Asher.

"Dustin, yes" Asher mentions "Mike, no. He was just a dickhead."

"You going to be a junior next year?" Gareth asks Asher, remembering Asher mentioning that he might be held back.

"If I don't fail" Asher says with a shrug "So probably not."

"No, you are" Eddie says to Asher "Like hell am I going to let you keep yourself held back."

"Says the third year senior" Asher says to Eddie with a fake smile.

"And I don't want you to end up like me, so you're not gonna be held back, got it?" Eddie says to Asher, throwing another pretzel at Eddie.

"Okay dad" Asher sarcastically says to Eddie before eating the pretzel.

"I should be your dad, I'm doing a better job than him" Eddie says before standing up "And if you don't mind, I have business to take care of" He says before getting up and walking away from the table, making Asher, Gareth, Jeff and Doug all look at each other.

"Drug deal" The four of them all say that the same time.

1219 Words