Boltedfruit Archive

“He’s just driving me up the wall.”

“Who?”

Steve huffs into the box of tapes he’s been going through and rewinding for an hour.

“Eddie. He’s been calling me nonstop, talking about some story campaign or whatever for his nerdy game.”

Robin hums. “Oh.”

“Oh?”

“Sorry, is that a new addition to your brood?”

“Who?”

“This Eddie guy?”

He laughs. “Robin, I mean Eddie , as in Eddie Munson? You know, the guy who almost died trying to give us time to beat Vecna? He saved Dustin’s life?”

He turns, still laughing lightly and sees Robin giving him a blank look in response. She shrugs, clearly apologetic.

“Steve…you went back and got Dustin. Remember?”

He feels his confusion spread over his face. “Yeah, I went back and got him and Eddie out of there.”

Robin bites her lower lip. Nods, as if to herself.

She changes the subject and Steve feels so wrongfooted just then. He feels put off, crazy.

She has to be pranking him, that’s it. It’s just a joke.

Just a joke.

–

Dustin doesn’t know who Steve’s talking about when he suggests Eddie give him a ride home that afternoon. Mike isn’t shy about asking him if he hit his head again.

But when Steve calls Eddie back that night, he picks up like he always does, just as happy as usual to talk about anything and everything. Where just a day before Steve would have found it annoying, instead he’s relieved just to hear his voice.

It goes on for a week.

Finally, he gets fed up. They’re in Mike Wheeler’s musty basement and he’s trying to help El craft something out of macaroni for Max’s hospital room. He’s not heard Eddie’s name even once, and from the group of kids who idolize the guy, it’s unusual to say the least.

“I thought Eddie was working on a new campaign for you dweebs.”

Mike is the one to groan above the confusion from the others. “Steve, we all know you’ve had a pretty rough time the last couple years, getting hit on the head all the time and everything, but aren’t you a little old to have an imaginary friend?”

“Mike.”

“El, he’s lost it!”

El is quiet, contemplative as she cradles pieces of macaroni in her palm. She turns back to her project, takes it, and retreats to the table.

Steve wonders if this is Upside Down related. But the kid would have said something if it was, right?

Lucas gives him this gentle, pitying look and it just settles so wrong inside him. That none of them seem to know who Eddie is. Like he never existed. It’s a prank gone too far. Way too far.

–

When Steve calls Eddie that night, he hears a shaky breath leave him.

“You okay?”

Eddie doesn’t answer for a beat. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“C’mon Munson, tell me what’s going on. The kids are already acting weird, Robin too. Don’t tell me some big drama happened when I wasn’t looking?”

“I, uh. Well. I guess I’m just grateful one person remembers me, y’know?”

Ice scours his spine, makes him heavy and slow, worries the phone might slip from his fingers.

“I’m coming over.”

–

His uncle isn’t home. But when he pulls up, he notices Eddie is sitting on the front stoop.

“It’s freezing. Why aren’t you inside?”

“Yeah. About that.”

He pulls out a key and messes with his front door. It doesn’t open.

Eddie turns with tears in his eyes and shaky hands that he throws his hands up in defeat.

“It’s been like this all week, Steve. I-I don’t know what to do—”

He ends up driving back to Loch Nora with Eddie in his passenger seat. He’s been sniffling quietly for several minutes, and it’s so far from the Eddie he spent time with.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but we’re gonna fix it. It’s gonna be okay.”

Eddie snorts at that. “You think it’s Vecna?”

Steve grips the steering wheel, feels the leather creak. Feels Eddie’s eyes heavy on him.

He turns, briefly locks eyes with him. “If it is, we’ll fix it. I’ll fix it.”

That finally gets Eddie to smile, if only barely.