#like i was a girl on paper but i was broadly treated as such so little

[fantastic-mr-corvid]

bro why the fuck is understanding my gender locked behind reckoning with my traumatic childhood and the de-gendering & social masculinization i went though due to poverty and having to turn to masculinity/male social systems due to being rejected from girlhood at a young age and needed a social systems to protect myself from the consequences of being an autistic traumatized gifted student.

cant i just have a quick answer? a shortcut? without dredging all that up? without getting a PHD in gender-studies? please??

[poisonlove]

We can't be friends | w.a

Request @ortegalvr

Pairing: Wednesday Addams X reader

Warning: Fluffy, Sad

Belladonna

The belladonna plant, also known as Atropa belladonna, is notorious for being poisonous, but some of its chemicals can be used in medicine to treat certain conditions, as in traditional medicine. However, its use requires extreme caution and medical supervision due to its toxicity.

I scrunch up my nose and look at the words in our herbology book with confusion. I had to do thorough research on poisonous plants and any potential benefits they might bring, so I decided to take advantage of this research time at the Weathervane.

"Here's your macchiato," I raise my head from the book and see the barista. The brown-eyed, curly-haired guy gives me a small smile. "Thank you," I return the smile and notice him walking back to the counter, wiping some cups.

I sigh audibly and sip the coffee, closing my eyes to the delicious flavor. It wasn't Italian, but it was still good, less watery than I imagined. I lick my lower lip and return my eyes to my notes, tapping the pen on the paper, thinking of some other poisonous plant.

I needed to get a good grade.

The sound of the bell in the shop marks someone's arrival, and I look up curiously, seeing a familiar figure. A sensation of chill runs through my body, my heart pounding frantically against my chest.

I couldn't move.

Wednesday Addams was accompanied by a girl, a blonde with colorful highlights. The blonde was smiling broadly and chatting with the brunette, who was looking at her with her usual apathetic gaze. Wednesday was wearing an all-black school uniform, her unmistakable braids hanging over her shoulders.

Her eyes flick in my direction, and I feel my shoulders slump, my eyes softening as I look at Wednesday after so many years. Wednesday seemed surprised to see me, but she didn't show it. Her posture remained perfect, no hint of shock or surprise, just her eyes staring into mine as if trying to read something in them.

The blonde, noticing where Wednesday was looking, leans towards her, probably asking who I was, interrupting the staring contest that had developed between me and her. "I didn't know you knew anyone here in Jericho," is the only thing I manage to catch from their dialogue, and I lower my head to the table, playing with my hands.

It was a habit I had when I was nervous and embarrassed, which was plausible considering it's been years since I've seen little Addams. "Wed, are you okay?" the blonde asks again, two tables away from me. I purse my lips, feeling bitterness in my mouth at the nickname she gave her.

Wed? Now you're letting her call you by my nickname? I thought bitterly.

I sigh audibly and turn my attention back to my assignment, trying to ignore the conversations between the blonde and Wednesday, even though the latter barely spoke. I unconsciously smile, knowing it was just like her to behave this way.

Let's say that every time we went out together, I was the one who talked the most of the two, the brunette just looked at me without blinking, her deer-like eyes watching me with curiosity as I talked and talked. It made me smile and shiver at the same time to be watched with such intensity, but Wednesday loved listening to me talk, she always said she liked my voice

Oleander... Poison... Wednesday.

I knew perfectly well that Wednesday loved this kind of thing, studying every kind of weapon or poisonous plant, a passion her mother passed on to her. But this connection came to mind only now seeing Addams' figure.

I raise my gaze, unconsciously looking at the girl who was my downfall, the love of my life... A girl I still think could be mine. I see her talking to the blonde, smiling shyly, almost imperceptibly at her words.

Apparently, she can understand you, right?

Because I'm different from her, right?

"No! You can't understand! I don't want to hurt you," Wednesday's voice suddenly rises, looking at me seriously.

"But..." I start, feeling tears welling up in my eyes.Wednesday turns her back on me and walks towards the entrance of my room, her hand on the doorknob, her back rigid.

"We can't keep seeing each other, I don't want to see you anymore," her voice lowers again, a cold chill creeping into my bones.

"You're leaving me?" I whisper, looking at the brunette in disbelief. Wednesday doesn't even hint at turning around, her shoulders slumping as she opens the door.

"Wed," I say timidly, my voice breaking as tears threaten to fall. Addams tightly grips the doorknob, her posture still perfect.

"Don't be pathetic, y/n... You're smarter than this," she says with such coldness that it leaves me stunned. After this sentence, Wednesday walks through the door of my room, leaving my house and my life.

It's been 3 years since that moment, and I still shiver at the memory.

I clench my jaw tightly, trying to suppress the anger and pain I still feel, as I delve into my assignment, trying to find comfort in the pages of the book.

"What do you want to order, Wed?" asks a high-pitched voice. I look at the paper while waiting for her rather obvious response.

"Iced espresso," Wednesday replies neutrally.

Her favorite, I know.

Apparently, she still liked the coffee I made her try at my house during our first study project.

Umm... What can I offer you?" I ask nervously as I watch the brunette marveling around my kitchen. Wednesday touches my microwave and looks at it closely.

"What do you have?" she asks spontaneously, her voice small but determined.

"I asked you for a reason, don't you think?" I chuckle timidly, smiling at Addams' strangeness. Wednesday didn't seem like a very... Simple girl, indeed, she had a morbid sense of humor and a loyalty to the color black.

Wednesday gazes into my eyes, making me blush at their intensity. Black eyes stare into mine without blinking, whether curious or annoyed, I still don't know.

"What's that?" she points to the coffee machine, and I blink incredulously.

"You really don't know what it is?" I ask in surprise, and she tilts her head sideways, analyzing me with her gaze.

"It's a coffee machine... Do you want to try my family's famous iced espresso?" I ask proudly, my eyes lighting up with excitement.

The corners of Addams' mouth lift, and she timidly nods her head.

I shake my head and try to focus, a solitary tear rolling down my cheek before falling onto the book. I clench my jaw and try not to cry. Focus on the task.

Don't be weak, don't be pathetic

"Enid, can you hurry up and finish the frappé? It's almost writing time," Wednesday asks with a hint of irritation, earning a glare from what I now know is called Enid.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch their interaction, Wednesday's black eyes pointing towards my direction again. I look away towards her features: high cheekbones, full lips, a stoic but incredibly attractive gaze. Wednesday remains motionless, staring at me, and I surrender to her gaze, starting to pack up my things to put them in my backpack.

The memory of our first date...

We were in the dark room of Wednesday's house, enveloped by the tense and mysterious atmosphere of a horror movie playing on the big screen. Sitting on the couch, I was completely immersed in the plot, but every now and then a shiver of terror would make me jump.

I felt the tension building inside me as the scenes became increasingly eerie. My hands were clenched into fists on my knees, and my heart was beating so fast I feared it might burst from my chest, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen.

Suddenly, a particularly scary scene materialized on the screen, and I couldn't hold back a small scream of terror. Without hesitation, Wednesday grabbed my hand firmly, surprising me with her quick action.

The touch of her hand on mine made me jump, but immediately I felt a sense of calm spreading inside me. Her fingers were cold, but the grip was comforting, as if she wanted to protect me from the terror surrounding usI looked at Wednesday with gratitude, finding comfort in her dark and deep eyes.

She didn't say a word, but her simple gesture spoke more than a thousand words. In that moment, I understood that I wasn't alone, that she was there with me, ready to support me.

So, with Wednesday's hand in mine, I faced the rest of the movie with a renewed sense of courage, knowing that no matter how terrifying it was, I could overcome it with her by my side.

Our first kiss, which happened later that evening.

Wednesday and I locked eyes, a silence filled with tension and emotion enveloping the room.

Our gaze met, and I could sense the same uncertainty I felt.Then, slowly, Wednesday leaned towards me, her eyes fixed on mine with intensity. My heart was pounding so hard I feared it might burst, but I couldn't tear my gaze away from her.

Her lips brushed against mine cautiously, as if she was afraid of hurting me. I felt the warmth of her breath on my face, and a shiver ran down my spine as I leaned in closer to her. Our first kiss was a moment of pure enchantment, a whirlwind of overwhelming emotions.

Wednesday's lips were soft and warm against mine, and the contact was so intense that for a moment it seemed like the world around us stopped.

An onslaught of memories overwhelms me, making me feel vulnerable. My heart breaks at the memories of what we were, of what we shared.

I feel like that flood of memories could easily drive me to madness, but I don't want to feed this monstrous fire. I just want to let this story die, and I'll be alright.

"Shit," I whisper, clenching my jaw tightly.

I stand up from the chair, and the cup near me falls to the ground, attracting the attention of the others. Tyler, the barista, walks over to me and crouches down to pick up the broken pieces. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," I say with concern. "It's okay, accidents happen," he says, smiling kindly.

My eyes glance at Wednesday, and I see her turn her head upon hearing the noise. The blonde next to her continues to drink her frappé, unfazed by the events. Wednesday keeps looking at me in a strange way, her eyes... Glassy. They're kind. Her body invites me to approach and I freeze at the thought of standing just a few steps away from her, face to face.

Maybe she wants to talk and sort things out?

Be friends?

I purse my lips and break the eye contact between us. I grab the backpack with my assignments inside and look at Tyler with concern, who smiles broadly at me.

I give him a small smile and leave the shop, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.

We can't be friends, there are too many feelings.

But I'd like to just pretend, maybe one day not too far away I'll be able to.

But a part of me... Wait until you like me again.

[scarfacemarston]

Heya! I hope you don’t mind me requesting this, but I saw the Molly headcannons you wrote back in February. Truth be told only now I’m finally playing them game, and I’ve fallen in love with Molly..she deserves so much more than Dutch!!

More up to you wether you wanna do headcannons or something, but I was wondering if it’s possible for you to do a Molly X Fem!Reader! Reader’s been away for some time, and she comes back with a gift for Molly (you mention she likes strawberry sweets, and reader brings them back for her)

Thank you lovely! :)

You have a DAMN good memory. I'm so impressed. I know it took a while since I left out of the country and had IRL stuff to deal with, but hopefully you'll enjoy it!

You let out a tired sigh as you dismounted your horse. It had been a long few days, and it would be hours before you could finally see your beloved partner, Molly. However, you had your responsibilities as a Van der Linde gang member. You believed in pulling your weight and felt you had more to prove as a woman. That’s why you were now in Strawberry, staking out the area for potential schemes. The mayor of Strawberry appeared gullible. He should be particularly easy to scam, and you had found several abandoned homesteads taking away quite a bit of loot if you said so yourself. It had been a productive few days, and now you were finally on the way to camp when you paused.

Molly.

Molly’s strawberry candies. Some of her favorite treats she’s found since she arrived in the U.S. Luckily, most stores carried them, even places like Valentine. A place like Strawberry, a wannabe tourist destination, would absolutely have. That is where you were now, picking out the morsels. You politely waved away the grocer. You knew your girl well enough.

Soon after, you left the store with Molly’s chocolates and breakfast tea to accompany it.

It took about half a day before returning to the camp at Horseshoe Overlook. The day couldn’t have ended soon enough as you tiredly made your way through camp, untacking your horse for a well-deserved rest.

You waved tiredly at a few members of the camp who greeted you, but there was only one you wanted to see.

There she was, reading by the candlelight in your shared tent. She had moved of Dutch’s tent not long after the two of you knew you had something special.

Molly smiled broadly, closing her book with a bookmark in place. She stood up excitedly, taking in your tired features, reaching for a warm embrace. Moly had a hidden strength to her that not many knew about. You embraced her warmly in return, relishing the feeling of home.

“I’ve missed you something awful, my dear. These long trips are becoming difficult on both of us, I see.” Molly said, eyeing you carefully. You nodded in agreement.

“I know. I hate being away from you for so long, but I have to provide. I know my worth, you know my worth, but I have to prove it to everyone else.” You said. This was a conversation the two of you had repeatedly.

“I know, but I worry about you. Just promise you’ll come home to me.” Molly said, grasping your hand between hers.

“Always, but enough of that! I have something for you.” You said, reaching into your satchel. 

You grinned broadly as you gave her the box with tissue paper, “Strawberry candies…..from Strawberry! If you eat any more of these, you’ll turn into one, you’ll then be my little strawberry.” You laughed at your lame joke.

Molly rolled her eyes and gently swatted your wrist in mock annoyance.

“At least you didn’t make a joke about my hair.” Molly muttered with a small smile.

Molly reached for one of the strawberry chocolates, taking a delicate bite. She closed her eyes in delight, releasing a small “Oh!”.

“These are sinful. You spoil me, my dear. You really know how to treat a woman.” She said before turning to glare at Dutch.

Dutch was still a sore spot for her, but Dutch had moved on, and now that she had you, she had joyfully moved on as well, but that didn’t mean she didn’t still feel the sting of her past relationship.

You gently took the half-bitten chocolate strawberry from Molly’s fingers, popping it in your mouth.

“Hm, yes. These are quite sinful, but you know what is more sweet and sinful?

“Please don’t make a joke about my lips.” Molly said with a small giggle. You pouted.

"Well, that ruins the surprise, then!” you exclaimed. Molly rolled her eyes once more before grabbing you by the collar to kiss you passionately. You let out a surprised squeak before eagerly returning the kiss.

“Thank you, honey, for everything. You make me feel like someone special,” Molly paused, smiling sincerely. She reached into the box of strawberry candies, feeding you a bite.

“For my sweet,” Molly said, laughing at her attempt to copy you.

You laughed eagerly, taking a bite from her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ End

[bcrichsweetheart]

Don't Stand So Close To Me - Part 3 - Who Are You

Summary: Eddie puts his new plan into place so Lyra can see he's not a treat and just wants to get to know her. Lyra encounters a jealous bully.

Warning: Swearing, bullying, angst, implied intimacy, talk of abstinence

Word count: 4.5K

Part 2 | Part 4 | Chapter list | Eddie Munson Fanfiction Masterlist

Lyra got off the bus as it pulled up at school. Her brain was abuzz with a night full of played-through scenarios, and ultimately this whole Eddie thing was just too risky.

Sure he had let down his guard a little around her, and he really didn't seem the demon specific sectors of the school ecosystem would have you believe, but on a personal level, he felt dangerous to Lyra. Not because of anything he had done yet, but what she thought he might be capable of.

Eddie had already started chipping away at her walls of defence, and a little was fine, but yesterday he somehow managed to zero in on their weak points, and Lyra could not afford to repeat offend in her parents' eyes. She was on thin ice as it was. Embarrassing them by getting expelled, especially what she had been removed for. She had to keep focused on her work and not get sucked into temptation again.

Lyra gets to her locker and grabs a pen from her bag to jab into the side of the locker door to wrestle it open. She half expects to hear Eddie's voice ring out about how there is a much cooler way to open the door, as usual, but there is nothing. Lyra even checks behind the door, but he's not there.

She shrugs and thinks maybe the universe was cutting her some slack and breathing room. That was until she looked into her locker.

On the back of the door were taped three items. Two sweetheart candies. One said 'Hello,' and the second said 'Be Kind' Lyra smiles and shakes her head. This guy would get a telling off for breaking into her locker, but the candies were amusing.

Underneath both of those was a cassette tape. It looked like a blank.

Lyra peels away the cassette. It had no tracklist. She opened up the case, and inside were two pieces of paper. One was a note of some kind. The other had 'Lyrics' written at the top.

Lyra quickly checks around her for anyone near enough to read over her shoulder, and the hallways are filling up a little, so she leaves the candies, pockets the tape and its documentation, makes the great book exchange for the day and heads to the ladies.

She finds an empty cubicle and unfolds the note.

"Lyra,

I know, personally, that sometimes it's hard to find the words.

I thought that instead of saying the words you don't mean, if you wanted to, you could get someone else to say the real ones for you.

E"

She knows from the scratchy black and red handwriting this was Eddie. So at least that mystery was solved.

Lyra folds up the note slowly, confused by what he meant until she reads the second sheet.

"Lyrics:

'Who are you?

I really wanna know.'

"

Lyra takes the tape, puts it in her Walkman, and hears the intro to "Who are you" by The Who. She smiles broadly to herself in this private environment where she could allow it.

An incredibly sweet gesture, she thought. Lyra quickly corrects her brain. Kind, an incredibly kind gesture. Especially after nearly half a year of being fairly sharp with him, sometimes losing her temper with him.

Her brain jumps ahead severalfold. What was his end game? Probably the same as all guys this age. They all seem kind at first, don't they? Until you're standing in a room, defending yourself against their onslaught of lies.

She sighs and tries to shake the negativity from her mind. Calm down. Just take it at face value. It was a kindness.

Lyra tucked the note in her wallet and the lyrics sheet back in the tape case along with the tape itself and put it in a small zip compartment of her bag.

With her headphones still on her head, Lyra steps out of the cubicle only to be confronted by a tall, slender girl all decked out in her cheerleading garb.

"Tabitha?" Lyra asks, puzzled, "Everything ok?"

Tabitha almost sneers in reply and pokes Lyra back into the stall, "I think we need a little chat."

----+++----+++----+++----+++----+++----+++----+++----+++----+++----

Eddie was excited to see how his new idea would be received, but also, he had to "break into" someone else's locker to do it and not get caught. He had gotten up and made it to school much earlier than everyone else.

He'd double-checked the cassette worked in his van and made sure to rewind it before placing it in the case. Next, he checked over the notes to ensure the letters were clear and couldn't be misinterpreted by Lyra. Once satisfied, he put them in the cassette.

He must have purchased ten packets of love heart type sweets to ensure he could find the ones he wanted. A groan of annoyance emits from Eddie when they both appear within the first 8 sweets of the first packet he opens. He shrugs and pours the unwanted ones from the first pack into his mouth as a makeshift sweet and chalky breakfast.

He heads inside, runs up and down the hallway making sure the coast is clear and jogs back up to his old locker, "Hey, honey. Remember me?" He says gently to the metal door in front of him.

He puts the pins in the lock to turn as the key with no issue at all. Next, he runs his left hand down the left-hand side of the door until he feels the little bump under his palm. Then, with his right at the top right corner of the locker, he hits both spots simultaneously, and the door pops open.

"Still got it", Eddie whispers in congratulations to himself. The only reason this old door was so fucked was because of the number of times Eddie had been shoved into it by Hawkins douchebags. Alas, only one time by a play co-star after hours. He could still feel the cold steel slam against the back of his head now. He sometimes wondered if not for his mass of curly hair that, the impacts would have been a lot worse.

It grieved Eddie sometimes that if he'd known, all it would take was a change in clothes, attitude, being very vocal about playing D&D and a few satanic symbols. He would have done it years before.

It very rarely happened to him now, but when it did, he'd just laugh or let them know how much he liked it, especially being so close to them. Most of them malfunctioned at those antics. Mostly in disgust, or at least a big show of disgust. A few had given him that doe-eyed look for a split second during their rant about how much of a scourge Eddie was on Hawkins. Then he would lock eyes with them and smile, and Eddie knew they wanted to be close to him too. They'd let him go immediately after that. Some never bothered him again, some bothered him at a later date in private in a preferable manner, and some never bothered him at all in any way again through sheer fear of being outed.

Eddie wasn't foolish enough to be open about his preferences at school. He wasn't a complete idiot. He just knew how to push buttons sufficient to make the prudes recoil, to leave him and hellfire alone.

Almost any evidence of this being his old locker was gone. All the Corroded Coffin and Hellfire flyers and stickers. The band pins he'd turned into magnets. The broken shard of mirror. The images of guitars. All gone, now.

Looking deeper into the locker, Eddie could see that some things had stayed. His drawing of Bilbo's house, one of his old D&D characters, an Elf Mage named Ser'en. Scorched by fire, her black hooded billowing tattered cloak still flew around her flame red hair and piercing emerald eyes. She was so badass to play. Eddie thought he should bring her back as a non-player character one of these days.

Eddie rips several pieces of clear scotch tape off with his teeth and attaches them to the side of the locker. Then, peeling pieces off as he needed them to affix the items to the inside of Lyra's door. Then he locks the door back up and gives it a little pat.

Now all he had to do was wait, and that might have been the most challenging part of any day for Eddie. Waiting for something to happen.

He must have tried out viewing points from all over the hallway before she finally arrived. He didn't want to be right in her face or at his own locker where her eyes could find him. He just wanted to see an honest reaction from her, not a curated one.

Eddie leans against the side of Jeff's locker because he can half hide behind it, and as Hellfire crowd one another, Eddie can just peer through them.

"You're here early, Eddie", Jeff muses, "And you're at my locker?"

"Yeah, well, nice to have a change of scenery sometimes, isn't it?" Eddie quickly scans the hall and nods toward some passing cheerleaders. "You know how they avoid my locker," Eddie says in a creepy old man voice at Jeff, making him laugh. Soon the other members arrived. The last few he knew caught the same bus as Lyra.

Eddie adjusts his position again so he can glance at Lyra's locker whenever but still look like he was half paying attention to the current conversation, making sure to be a quieter Eddie this morning to not warn her of his presence.

She finally gets to her locker, and Eddie subconsciously straightens up his posture and vest. Fuck he thinks, checking to see if anyone noticed before settling back into his lean. Everyone seems to be still happily chatting away. He's got away with it.

Lyra wrestles with her locker as standard, armed only with her trusty pen for leverage. Eddie shakes his head.

"Uh, you don't think so?" Gareth complains, "I tell you, I'm ten times the drummer that band has currently got!"

Eddie realises his movements have been dragged into the very animated conversation around him and thinks quickly, "Ten? No...I'd give you five times at a push. All that marching and drumming is an absolute killer." Gareth seems satisfied with the fact at least Eddie thinks he's better, and the conversation continues.

Eddie glances back for a few moments and sees her check behind the door for him. It's all he can do not to laugh. He just grips onto his wallet chain in anticipation instead.

Then she looks over at his locker and down the hall, but her eyes don't find him. Then she does this little shrug like she's almost disappointed. Eddie's hand reaches for his own chest.

"You ok?" Kevin asks quietly, with concern in his voice. He was one of the newest members of hellfire, painfully shy. Eddie would put money on him being a friend of Dorothy's but never pushed the issue or asked him about it.

Eddie quickly snaps back to the conversation for a moment and looks down where his hand is. "Oh yeah, just a touch of indigestion, I think. Candy for breakfast," he laughs, "I'll be fine in a few." Kevin smiles up at Eddie and gets reabsorbed into the group conversation.

Eddie quickly glances back over. He watches the smile on her face appear, and her eyes widen with surprise as she opens the locker. Eddie feels one of his own start to emerge and quickly presses his lips together in a bid to fight it.

Then something unexpected happens. Lyra looks at the notes but doesn't read them. Instead, she looks around and quickly makes off with them.

"Fuck!" Eddie accidentally says out loud.

Hellfire all look at him with wide eyes.

"As you were hellions, I just remembered something I need to do." He smiles, grabs his bag, and moves quickly down the hall, still following her at a distance.

Eddie tries to snake his way through the crowds, but he inadvertently bumps into a few people trying to keep up with Lyra. He sees her take a sharp left, screws up his fist and bites it in annoyance. The fucking toilets. God damn it!

Eddie can't really stare at the door of the girl's toilets without causing some kind of a stir, so he stays back and pretends to read his book, leaning against the corner of a wall, where he can at least occasionally glance at the turning.

He wonders to himself what Lyra's reaction might be, is she laughing at his suggestion, is it already in the toilet being flushed away to God knows where is she frowning or enraged, or is there that minuscule chance she's lifted the paper to her face and smelt the cologne he dropped a little of on the note. Just as an extra clue this was all from him, obviously.

He manages to stay like this for a few seconds, running through scenarios in his head before he's interrupted. A sly pinch on his backside.

"Eddie, hello?!" Says an annoyed voice under her breath.

Eddie shakes his head back to the reality of the hallway, "Uh, sorry, Tabatha. I didn't see you there", he says, behind his book quietly. He knew better than to talk directly to her in public, primarily because her circle of friends was the sports bunch.

"You just like pushed passed me twice and blanked me", she seethes into her compact mirror, "Anyway, I thought we could do the exchange at lunch, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure." He says quickly, his eyes glancing back up at the turning, immediately realising he was doing this all wrong, but the anticipation was eating him up inside.

This was Tabatha, he'd had a crush on her for years, and for a discount on weed, he was finally getting to explore some of that on a monthly basis, fifteen minutes at a time. He'd forgotten it was today, and 'yeah yeah, sure' was not gonna help him get any further in their trysts. What the fuck was wrong with him today? Urgh, idiot!

"Sorry, Tabs, I got this play coming up and finals, you know. So, of course, angel, anything you want," he says much more gently into his book.

"That's more like it", she purrs quietly, her arm brushing Eddie's and it sending a shiver down his spine. Of course, a relationship between the two of them could never happen, definitely not whilst at school, but even if it could happen, they had very little in the way of common interests, but when had that stopped anyone before, right?

Tabatha was so hot. Like, so extremely hot, it was near to impossible to resist. The extra kicker for Eddie was that she was part of the abstinence club, and she and her boyfriend Adam were apparently waiting for marriage. Eddie knew neither of them were. Sometimes that knowledge made him feel downright wicked and kind of powerful, and sometimes it made him resent them deeply.

Eddie's eyes get drawn back to the turning and still, nothing, had he missed her? They had the same class in a while. He could ask her then.

"Are you waiting for someone else, Eddie?" Tabitha whispers, maybe with a tinge of jealousy. They both knew this wasn't exclusive, but the scales were imbalanced. She could be as jealous as she wanted. Eddie wasn't allowed. He was just supposed to understand and accept. A year down the line, he'd trained himself to do exactly that, but she had not.

"What is it to you if I was, Tabs? You know they couldn't possibly compare, right?" Eddie quietly states with a bit of sarcasm that he doesn't know if she'll pick up on it. It was just to tease her. She knew damn well how good she looked and how wound Eddie was around her little finger.

Tabatha snaps her compact shut and heads into the ladies herself. Eddie waits a few more minutes for Lyra and then heads to class.

Mrs Poole actually clutches her pearls as Eddie enters the class first. He nods a greeting at her and heads straight to his desk.

Once in his seat, there is an awkward five minutes or so when it is just the two of them. Occasionally their eyes meet, Eddie would give her a false closed-mouth smile, and she would look away quickly, sharpen a pencil, or go clean the board.

Eddie slowly finds these interactions more and more amusing, making his smile more enormous and more crazy or sinister each time. She was evidently terrified of him, and he found it ridiculous.

Eventually, people started filing in, and Eddie resumed his usual doodling on his notepad, pretending to not notice his surroundings. However, the first student who enters the room after him immediately gets beckoned to Mrs Poole's desk for an in-depth discussion, making Eddie laugh.

The class seats start filling, but no sign of Lyra is yet. She was never late. Eddie chews the inside of his cheek nervously.

Maybe it was a stupid thing to suggest. Lyra was quite uptight, perhaps the act of giving someone a tape seemed a bit romantic, like a mixtape, but obviously, it wasn't meant that way at all. No way! He just wanted to get to know her. Like he wanted to since day two of seeing her, and also like his Uncle suggested. It just made sense, right? Yeah, that was all. Then he could see if they could be friends, and she wouldn't have to be all alone.

Just as Eddie has assured himself, he's done the right thing and gained a self pat on the back. Lyra enters the classroom, he feels his posture straighten up, but then he forces it back down. He turns to her to try and catch her eye, but her head is bowed down.

She puts her stationary on the table as standard. She fiddles with everything until it's to her liking, but her pencil, she keeps adjusting it slightly, and again, and again. Finally, she turns it completely the other way around.

All the fidgeting is making Eddie feel on edge. He knows that obsessive altering behaviour. He's done it himself more times than he cared to count. It was about control and grounding, the way her fingers traced over the pencil ridges before she moved it. She's counting them.

As soon as Mrs Poole is absorbed in writing on the board, Eddie takes his chance, "Hey, Lyra. Are you ok?" It feels stupid as it leaves his mouth; he knows she isn't, but she does finally look at him.

Eddie's heart plummets to depths. Lyra stares back at him hard, trembling, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen, lashes wet, tear tracks down her cheeks she roughly wipes away when she catches his eyes tracing them, and her mouth tight, holding in everything she can. All she gives him is a sharp "No" before she turns her attention back to the table.

Eddie feels another set of eyes boring into him. He half expects it to be Mrs Poole, but it isn't. It's Tabatha. She looks between Eddie and Lyra and then turns back around.

"Right, so do we have any topics we'd like to centre the debate around today?" Mrs Poole looks around the class, hopefully. Her eyes purposefully avoid Eddie. Not that he cared much right now. He was worried for Lyra. He wanted to explain it was just a friendly thing, he hadn't meant to upset her this much, and maybe he overstepped her boundaries, and he was sorry, and he could fix it.

Tabatha's hand shoots up. "Yes, Tabatha?" Mrs Poole says kindly.

"I think we should talk about something brought to our attention over the last few months. It's a plague of sin affecting our school." Tabatha begins.

Mrs Poole's eyes go directly to Eddie, who mouths, "Years" at her making her look away again.

"What sin specifically are you talking about, Tabatha?" Mrs Poole enquires.

Eddie disengages from the class conversation and pretends to drop something on the floor to lean over to Lyra, "I'm sorry", he whispers.

"Leave me alone", Lyra whispers back with annoyance in her voice.

"No! I mean... I will. I just didn't mean to upset you with the tape. I'm sorry." Eddie tries again quietly before settling back in his chair.

Lyra turns to him, her brow in a deep frown, "No. It's not-" Lyra starts before Tabatha's voice rings out, and they both turn towards it.

"Lust, Mrs Poole. There have been rumours floating around the school for months now. Detailing all sorts of depraved things, and I for one think it's finally got to the truth of the matter, stop these rumours from infecting the purity of Hawkins High."

Eddie hears a pencil snap from Lyra's desk and puts his hand to his face, dragging his fingers down his jaw.

"Tabatha, I'm not sure it's an entirely appropriate topic of conversation." Mrs Poole says, a little flustered.

"Oh, but Mrs Poole, if we don't discuss it in a setting like this, it's only going to be twisted by the rumour mill. Maybe it can be a much simpler debate and appropriate. I believe that sex before marriage is entirely wrong. Abstinence is difficult but not impossible. Sometimes we might be led astray by temptation, but we can resist. Well, as long as you are not of weak moral fibre, that is," Tabatha states plainly, as innocently as she can.

"Well said, Tabatha. I doubt anyone would argue with that reasoning. Probably not much room for debate," Mrs Poole nervously chuckles.

A hand pierces the air, "Well, like, is that more of, like, well, a religious stance? But, like, not everyone in school follows the same, like, religion, ya know." Toby, one of the resident skateboarders, asks.

"It can have religious roots, yes, but some people would rather save themselves for their forever person anyway. It's just good morals. Wouldn't you want that for you and your future wife?" Mrs Poole asks nervously, expecting the worst.

"Damn. I dunno. I guess I wouldn't care all that much. What's wrong with experience?" Toby asks genuinely, "I would not mind that...not at all," he says, directing his words toward Lyra and giggling a little, which ripples through the classroom.

Eddie isn't laughing. He sees Lyra's head bow a little more towards the desk she is etching into with her broken pencil.

"So what you are saying, Toby, is you'd prefer a whore, or slut, riddled with God knows what for a wife?" Tabatha sneers at him.

"Hey, I'll take what I can get." Toby laughs, a few others joining in.

Tabatha rolls her eyes, "I feel this proves my point about weak moral fibre", she says as she gestures at Toby.

Another hand pierces the air sharply. This time it's ignored.

"Tabatha, I feel language like that doesn't need to be used to prove your point. Shall we move on to something else?" Mrs Poole tries to encourage. Until there is a loud bang of a fist hitting the desk, and all eyes are drawn to it.

Eddie raises his hand and pounces as soon as Mrs Poole makes eye contact.

"If I may, whilst I agree with some of the questions raised by our good friend Toby here. I feel like the main problem with sex before marriage is being avoided. It's patriarchal bullshit."

"Language!" Mrs Poole tries to shout over him, but he's out of his seat now.

"You can't see why some guy hundreds of years ago was like, oh when I get married, I want someone who has no experience at all? I'll tell you why. It's because he doesn't want a woman to tell him he's bad at it or that someone was better."

"Eddie, sit down!" Mrs Poole protests, but she is unheard as he paces around the class.

"God forbid a woman held power, or experience or knowledge over a man, especially not in the bedroom. Where his masculinity is really meant to shine." Eddie gives the class a jazz hands-type move, causing a few laughs.

"Edward Munson!! I won't tell you again to"

Eddie moves through a few desks until he's near the front so Tabatha can hear him clearly. He knew she was a complete bitch, and he had no problem with that, but a bully? Eddie couldn't stand it.

"And what is saddest of all is when a woman tears another woman down, for the approval of a man, who couldn't give two shits about how satisfied she is in the bedroom, her dreams of their nuclear family life together, her actual existence as a fellow human being and ultimately ding, ding, ding will trade her in for another as soon as he has an excuse to. Which, by the way, is eight times out of ten sex-related."

"Ok, that's quite enough. I'm calling the principal."

Eddie walks around to his desk and collects his things.

"If you want to save yourself for someone special, do it. If you don't, then don't. Just be smart about it. And most importantly, it's not your fucking business which of those choices anyone else makes, and if they wanted your opinion on their life, they would have asked for it. "

Eddie wanted to say more, so much more. He wanted to out their behaviours and display them for the hypocrites they were, but he resisted for two reasons. One, he did not want his head kicked in, and two, if he did, they could fight back and defend themselves, but if he didn't, they'd just have to stew.

"All of that is coming from a real privileged position. Not everyone gets to make that choice themselves. So maybe before you start judging someone about something that you shouldn't even be thinking about, you total perverts, you should assess yourselves first. Stones and glass and all that mumbo jumbo." Eddie wiggles his fingers and crosses his eyes before sitting down and awaiting his escort to the principles office.

Eddie didn't need the class to know who was doing what. He just needed the select few to see, he had the ammo, and this was a warning shot.

Mrs Poole glares at Eddie and looks around the class, "Maybe we can spend the rest of the class writing a small piece about how judgement can affect anyone of us."

Eddie turns to look at Lyra, who is busy packing her stuff, tears streaming down her face. Had he made everything worse now? He was so confused. He just wanted to help her. To protect her.

Lyra pushes a note onto Eddie's desk before storming out of the class.

Eddie opens it up quickly as soon as she's gone.

"The tape was fine, it didn't upset me, but I don't need you to stand up for me."