Work Text:
MARCH 1984
“Your dad is Lionel Moose, right? The cop?”
“Yeah, he retired a year, year and a half ago.” The girl explained, kicking at the dirt beneath her feet, dreading the inevitable follow-up question.
“Oh. And how is he doing?”
Eddie sat beside the girl on the bench, almost pressed together, facing opposite directions. She was nearly silent, trying to sputter out a response… and as she did, he felt guilty.
“Shit,” he mumbled to himself, feeling like he should’ve known this. Hell, he probably did (small town and whatnot.)
Peering over at Moose, he didn’t really know how to comfort this grieving girl, she was basically a stranger.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
She cut him off with a raise of her hand as she looked up, making proper eye contact for the first time in this rendezvous. Her deep brown eyes seemed weary as she said, “no, you’re fine. I’m mostly normal about it now.”
He sighed, mentally kicking himself, “no, man, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
Word vomit was Eddie’s forte.
“How about this?” The upperclassman proposed, “I cut you a deal this time: fifteen bucks for the half.”
Glancing back at Moose, she let out a chuckle, eyes still watery, “is it that easy to get a discount? I just gotta put on the waterworks for ya?”
“Just this once, Moose.” He jokingly rolled his eyes, proud he was able to make this girl laugh after he almost made her cry.
“Sure,” She smiled as he looked away and set his little black box onto the table.
Next thing he knew, their arms brushed together momentarily before a bill between a pair of slender fingers came into view next to the aforementioned box. Eddie took the pair of ten dollar bills and he still felt her big, sad eyes on him, as if she was studying him at this moment.
He didn’t say anything as he glanced over and she was still staring. But once she realized he was looking back at her, she tore her eyes away quickly with a near smile gracing her face.
There were a few moments of silence as he sorted everything out, “here you go, Moose.” Eddie handed over a baggie and a five dollar bill.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, pocketing both the items. “Probably be a week or two before I seek you out again. Just as a heads up.”
Eddie nodded, packing up the box and sliding it over as he watched her stand up from the table. “Sure thing, I’m pretty easy to find. Here or the arcade, sometimes the body shop on Pine.”
She walked away, nodding, and before she left the clearing, she turned back and with a smile on her face, she gave him a kind wave and said, “See you around, Eddie.”
It occurred to him at that moment while he gave a polite wave back that he never got her name.
.•*•.•*•.
DECEMBER 1984
Eddie didn’t eat school lunch most days, usually opting for bringing his own assortment of snacks. But who could resist pizza day? Nobody.
He stood in line alone, next in line to grab a tray, when he felt a tug on the pocket of his jean vest. He didn’t react right away as he heard giggles behind him. Jesus, it was probably some sick prank. Unfortunately, his curiosity got the better of him and he peered over his shoulder.
Behind him in line was Moose, a sheepish look on her face as a trio of girls skittered away and left her in the lunch line alone.
“Hey, Munson.” She greeted, slipping a piece of notebook paper into the front pocket of her overalls.
“Hi, Moose.” He felt mostly at ease as he turned around with a chuckle, slipping a hand into the pocket that was just messed with.
Despite having a moment of relief, he remembered the few conversations he had with Jeff and Wally concerning the last time he actually spoke to the girl behind him. They were convinced that she asked him out back in October, which is coincidentally the last time they spoke. (Not like they really talked outside of her buying weed from him or when he’d pop up wherever she found herself working for the time being.)
Pulling a neatly folded piece of paper out of the pocket that was being messed with, he laid it on the blue tray and it read, in very sloppy handwriting, ‘GOT ANY?? :)’
“Jesus Christ,” he mumbled to himself as he started going through the lunch line, the girl with the note right next to him.
As the pair dished up together, they made plans to meet out behind the school, opting to not go to the clearing on account of the snow that was coming down pretty heavily the whole morning.
Eddie was already outside, jacket zipped up and a cigarette between his fingers when Moose walked out grumbling to herself, an angry look on her face.
“You alright?” Eddie asked, taking a drag.
“No.” She stopped beside him, leaning against the brick. “Ate shit coming out of the gym.”
He looked down and winced when he saw her jean overalls tattered on the knees; dirt, snow, and blood coating the area. “You should probably go to the nurse.”
“Think so?” She kicked her leg out, peering at the mess over her oversized jacket. “Yeah, it’s usually pretty bad if the denim gets ripped, right?”
“Usually.” He shrugged. “Maybe this can wait until later if you just want to go there now?”
“No,” she protested, lighting brushing the dirt off the knees of her pants, wincing as she did so. “I need to wrap this up before school ends. I’m going for a drive right after.”
“Busy night, Moose?”
Shrugging, she straightened back up, digging through her pockets.
He watched her in silence, really trying to imagine if he said yes to her invitation to the Halloween party. And the more he thought about that scenario, the more he didn’t believe his friends. Admittedly he wanted to say yes that day but then he remembered who her friends were and he couldn subject himself to that (as selfish as it sounds).
If she were to ask again.. maybe—
“Here you go.” Her hand was in front of his chest, a bill between her fingers.
.•*•.•*•.
AUGUST 1985
He would’ve thought Moose was one of the victims in the mall fire if he hadn’t actually seen her in passing twice since she got back from wherever she disappeared to after they got pulled over back in June.
Eddie didn’t expect her to poke her head out of the back door of the Palace Arcade with a smile and a “hi, Eddie.”
“Moose, hey.” Eddie greeted, making eye contact with the girl as she came outside and holy shit— she looked good. Hot, even.
She was wearing a vibrant bikini top with the bottoms peeking out from under a pair of baggy jean shorts and her dark hair was put up haphazardly.
He tried to keep his eyes on her own as she sat down, but as her large, dark eyes met his, he had to look away. Unfortunately for him, the only other thing his stupid, stupid brain wanted to look at was her chest as she sat down opposite him.
She was speaking, but he wasn’t processing a single word until he finally looked back up at her face and then he heard her. “Eddie?”
He was embarrassed, trying to play it cool, “yeah.”
She laughed, shaking her head and taking a clip from the back of her head out of her long, dark hair, “how you been? Van alright?”
“It’s, yeah— I’ve been good. Van is awesome.” Eddie stated, focusing way too hard on his lunch box full of weed. He had to change the subject. “What’re you up to this evening?”
Moose shrugged, pulling all of her hair onto one shoulder with a sigh, “I’m taking my sister and her friends for a little evening swim.”
“Need to show ‘em it’s not as fun as it sounds?” Eddie suggested with a laugh.
“Exactly.” She smiled at him. “They’re all starting high school next week so I need to do that before some fuckwit of an upperclassman tries to.”
“Speaking from experience?”
Nodding, she was kind of taken aback by the followup question, momentarily forgetting how curious Eddie Munson was, “my freshman year; first boyfriend.”
Eddie couldn’t help the words that spilled out next, “and how long did that last?”
“ Wow ,” she laughed, still playing with the ends of her hair, “two years too long. And yours?”
“My what?” Eddie questioned, his eyes starting to wander once again.
“Your last relationship.”
“Oh. It was a while ago, six, maybe seven months?”
Moose hummed, once again leaning against the old picnic table, “would I know her?”
“Don’t think so.” He shrugged, laughing it off. “Yours?”
“Oof.” Moose nodded, playing with her chipped nails, “I’m pretty sure you do.”
“ Really ?”
“Don’t think too hard about it,” she shrugged, “might hurt yourself.”
“Yes ma’am. What can I do for you today?”
Slapping a bill onto the table, she answered, “twenty bag.”
Eddie nodded, tearing his eyes away from the girl opposite him and sliding the twenty dollar bill under his black box before he began to rummage through it.