𓆩♡𓆪

𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐙𝐈𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐄𝐑 as she walked through the woods, away from the school building.

Class has just let out for the day, and she was basically running away from today's hoard of people asking if she can throw a party at her big, empty house or knew where to get alcohol for a party at somebody else's big, empty house. She had slipped away into the woods near the school to avoid answering any questions of that nature.

Holding her sketchbook closer to her, feeling her pouch full of colored pencils pressing against her chest, Lizzie continued walking. She came up to a clearing in the woods, spotting a picnic table in the middle of the area.

Her first thought was that it was a little bit odd that a picnic table was in the middle of the woods, but she shook off any weird vibes, instead approaching the out-of-place table.

She set her art supplies down on the tabletop and slid onto the bench, smoothing out her jean skirt as she sat.

She flipped to a blank page in her sketchbook before picking up a pencil. She chewed on the eraser as she pondered what she wanted to draw today.

"Please tell me that I'm seeing things."

Lizzie jumped at the voice that sudden broke the peaceful silence of the woods. She turned to see who had spoken, recognizing the boy as Eddie Munson, a senior who had been held back a year.

"What?" Lizzie was confused by his entry statement.

"I said; 'I hope that I'm seeing things'," Eddie rephrased, not moving any closer, remaining in his same position, leaned against a tree.

"And why's that?" Lizzie set her pencil down and gave her full attention to him.

"Because Lizzie Harrington, the quietest person I've ever met, and quite the goody two shoes, no offense, is sitting at my table in the woods." Eddie finally took a few steps closer, smiling teasingly as he approached.

"Your table?" Lizzie furrowed her brow. She didn't think that one person could claim a random table in the middle of the woods.

"Yeah," Eddie reached her, putting his hands on the tabletop. "I use this table for my, uh, business."

"Do you sell drugs, Eddie?" Lizzie came right out with it.

This made Eddie throw back his head and laugh. "I don't know if I should be offended or impressed." He smiled at her. "I thought you were were innocent, Harrington."

"Even if I'm innocent, I'm not stupid." Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"I didn't think you were."

Lizzie found herself blushing at his words, looking down at the blank paper before her to hide her face.

"Whatcha drawing?" Eddie took a seat in the bench across from her and made himself comfortable.

Lizzie quickly closed her sketchbook, putting her hands on top of it protectively.

Eddie held his hands up in the air in surrender. "I won't push." He spoke softly. "Just wondering."

Lizzie sighed before opening back up to the blank page. "I wasn't drawing anything, actually."

"Then why'd you hide it from me?" Eddie was laughing at her again, but Lizzie didn't feel stupid or judged, in fact, she wanted to laugh too.

She bit back a smile. "I don't know. I'm just used to people peeking at what I'm working on, it's a reflex."

"Well, like I said, I won't push." Eddie drummed his fingers on the table.

There was a pause in their conversation, and Lizzie found herself breaking it. "I'm having a bit of artist's block lately, do you have any ideas?"

Eddie thought for a moment. "You could do a sunset."

"I just painted one last night." Lizzie giggled.

"Really?" Eddie's eyes twinkled. "I guess great minds think alike."

"I guess so." Lizzie couldn't fight the smile threatening to take over her face any longer. Her cheeks began to ache from how wide her grin was getting.

"Well, maybe you could draw me." Was Eddie's next suggestion.

"I don't know," Lizzie hesitated. "I'm not very good at drawing people."

"I'm sure you're amazing," Eddie reassured her. "You're amazing at everything."

"Except making friends." Lizzie scoffed.

"What are you talking about? You just made one right now!" Eddie grinned.

"We're friends?" Lizzie asked, baffled.

"Sure we are." Eddie shrugged. "Why couldn't we be?"

"Because-" Lizzie started to make up some lame excuse as to why they couldn't possibly be friends, but she stopped herself, realizing how silly she sounded.

"Don't be cliché, Harrington." Eddie said, reading her mind. "Just because you're the quiet good girl and I'm the school's D&D freak doesn't mean anything. We can totally still be friends."

Lizzie didn't respond right away, she was thinking.

"What? Do you care about what people might think if they knew that we talked? And you liked me? The horror." Eddie teased her.

"You think I like you?" Lizzie raised an eyebrow, teasing him back.

"You are so much sassier than I thought you'd be." Eddie's hair bounced as he laughed once again.

"Well, you're alot funnier than I thought you would be." Lizzie shot back, making sure he knew she was teasing him by smiling slyly.

"Ouch," Eddie mockingly winced, like her words caused him physical pain. They shared another laugh together.

A wave of silence fell over the two of them, only this time it wasn't awkward, and Lizzie didn't feel forced to break it. It was the comfortable kind of silence, and Lizzie loved comfort.

"I better get going," Eddie spoke suddenly. "I have places to be, things to do, and-"

"Drugs to sell?" Lizzie offered.

"I was gonna say girlfriends to steal, but alrighty then," Eddie looked shocked at her words.

"Mhmm." Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Like you could even steal one person's girlfriend."

"You'd be surprised," Eddie got up from the table. "Maybe I actually pull. You don't know. You don't know anything about me."

"I know that you don't pull." Lizzie wasn't phased.

Eddie was laughing again, getting to his feet. "Thanks for keeping me humble, Harrington. I appreciate that."

"Anytime." Lizzie smiled, feeling proud of herself.

Eddie turned to go, but Lizzie called after him. "When will I see you again?"

He turned slowly around to face her, a big smile on his face. "I thought you didn't like me."

"Maybe I do." Lizzie was blushing again, and she didn't know why. "I mean, I liked talking to you."

Eddie dropped the taunting act immediately, his expression growing soft. "I liked talking with you too. And I don't know when we'll cross paths again. But I hope it's soon."

He shot her a wink. Oh my God, he shot her a wink.

Lizzie cheeks were flaming at this point, but luckily Eddie had turned and walked off before he could notice.

Lizzie looked back down at her sketchbook, not wanting to draw anymore. She bit her lip to fight her smile, gathering up her pencils and book before rising to her feet, preparing to leave.

I hope it's soon, too.

𓆩♡𓆪

Eddie hadn't left Lizzie's mind since she talked to him yesterday afternoon. The bell had just rung, dismissing the eager students. Lizzie knew that Steve would be at the house today, because he wasn't working, and she didn't feel like going home yet.

She considered going back to Eddie's table in the woods, but decided against it, not wanting to seem too desperate. Even though she really wanted to see him again.

Lizzie never thought that she would've taken a liking to Eddie Munson, as they seemingly had nothing in common. But their conversation flowed so well, something that Lizzie hadn't experienced with anyone before. It left her wanting more.

After deciding to go out to the soccer field to sit under the bleachers and draw, knowing that nobody would bother her there, Lizzie made her way to her predetermined spot.

She bent down to squeeze underneath the bleachers, getting on her hands and knees and crawling a bit farther back. She sat up, her back pressed against the underside of a step. Then, she pulled out her art stuff from her backpack.

She opened her sketchbook in her lap, taking out the pencil that she had tucked behind her ear all day. She pressed the tip of the lead against the page, but then her mind went blank.

She groaned, frustrated by her lack of creative ideas. This past week Lizzie had really been struggling to come up with drawing concepts, and she was severely lacking motivation. School was dragging her down, and she couldn't wait for spring break, which started in a couple of days. Surely inspiration would strike her when she had more free time and less to stress out about.

"Still got that artist's block, huh? I'm telling you, you should totally just draw me."

Lizzie jolted to look up at Eddie's voice, and she saw that he was bent down, peering at her under the bleachers.

"You've got to stop doing that!" Lizzie clutched her chest, feeling her heart racing underneath her palm.

"C'mon, it's kind of funny." Eddie smiled.

"How did you find me?" She asked, ignoring his previous statement.

"I followed you out." Eddie shrugged.

"Creepy." Lizzie replied.

"Mhm." Eddie hummed, croaching down even lower and shuffling under the bleachers, getting closer to her. Lizzie pulled her legs to her chest, setting her sketchbook aside to make room for him. Once he was situated about a foot away, he put her attention back on her.

Just then, a devious smile took over his face and he reached inside his leather jacket. Lizzie raised an eyebrow as she watched him pull out a beer bottle.

"I was thinking," He held the glass bottle between his fingers. "If you're really not as innocent as everybody says you are, then you wouldn't mind sharing this with me, would you now?"

"Figuratively, yes." Lizzie nodded. "But remember, I'm also not stupid. But you might be, did you forget that we're both underage?"

"Did you just call me stupid?" Eddie's mouth was agape in shock, but the corners of his mouth were turning upwards so Lizzie knew he was taking it all in good fun, which was how she meant it.

Lizzie shrugged. "What if I am?"

"Then you're alot meaner than I thought you would be too, Jesus Christ!" Eddie chuckled. He reached into the chest pocket in his jacket and pulled out a bottle opener, cracking the cap off the beer. "And no, I didn't forget. I just don't give a shit."

Lizzie watched Eddie take a long swig from the bottle before he held it out to her, but she shook her head. "Eddie, I don't want to get in trouble."

He set the bottle down beside him, putting his hands in his lap and interlocking his fingers. He put his full attention on Lizzie. "And what is the worst that could happen if we did get caught?"

"Uh, we could get arrested!" Lizzie exclaimed, absolutely horrified at the thought.

Eddie scoffed. "Listen, I've been caught drinking by cops multiple times in my life, and what do they do about it? Nothing. They just drive you to the station and make you wait for your guardian to come and pick you up. Then you go home." He smirked, "And do it all again."

"I don't believe that," Lizzie narrowed her eyes.

"We'll you should, it's true!" Eddie grabbed the bottle again and drank from it again. "The Hawkins Police are some of the laziest people in all of Indiana. Besides, don't you ever want to break loose from this whole "good girl" thing? Live a little bit?"

Lizzie frowned. "It's not a "thing", Eddie. This is who I am."

"No, I think that it's who you're comfortable being." Eddie shook his head. "Who do you want to be?"

Lizzie chewed on her lip for a moment. Then, she snatched the bottle right from his hand. "Give me that."

Eddie raised his eyebrows, looking impressed as Lizzie took a really long drink. She handed him the bottle back as she choked down the liquid.

"That's awful!" She said, her face scrunching up in disgust. "It tastes like soggy bread."

Eddie laughed out loud at her as she stuck out her tongue, swallowing a bunch, trying to remove the taste from her mouth.

"How do you drink that?" Lizzie coughed as Eddie finished the bottle off.

"Well, I think it tastes good, sweetheart." His voice was low.

Lizzie's face heated up, her ears burning at this nickname. Eddie didn't notice her getting flustered while he was shoving the now empty bottle under one of the steps, hiding it away.

Lizzie immediately snapped out of her blushing. "Eddie!"

"What?" He froze, looking scared.

"That's littering!" She scolded. "Throw that away in a trash can, right now!"

Eddie immediately got ot his feet, having to keep his back bent because of the low benches above. "Yes, ma'am."

He stepped out from under the bleachers, walking over to a nearby trash can, dropping the beer bottle inside. Then, he returned to Lizzie.

"You make me try new things and I make you throw away your trash," Lizzie joked. "I think we make a good team."

"Whatever you say," Eddie breathed, getting back in his comfortable position from before. Then, he faced her again. "So, what else have you always wanted to do, but have been scared to try?"

Lizzie thought for a moment. "I used to want to be a cheerleader when I was a little girl. But then Steve started playing basketball and I didn't want people to think we were anything alike, or I was trying to steal his spotlight or something. So, I never even tried out."

"I think you shouldn't care what people think about you so much," Eddie said. "You should just do what you want to, whatever makes you happy."

"Are you saying I should try out for the cheerleading team?" Lizzie asked, giggling at the mental picture of herself in that dumb, ugly green and yellow uniform.

"I was talking more generally, like in your life, you shouldn't care," Eddie explained. "But yeah, if that's how you wanna take it, then you should become the goddamn cheer captain if you want."

"You know what," Lizzie pondered. "I think I will."

"There you go." Eddie smiled at her. "Doesn't it feel good to do something for you?

"Yeah, I guess it does." Lizzie returned his smile.

The two of them stared at one another for a moment before they were interrupted by a younger teen running up to the bleachers and looking under at them.

"Eddie, we're starting on the new campaign without you, you better hurry." The short, curly haired boy said before turning and running off the feild, gone just as fast as he came.

"I have to go," Eddie stood once again, hunching over until he made it out into the open. He turned to Lizzie, walking backwards. "You really should consider drawing me! Unless you want to stare at that blank page forever!"

With this, he turned his back to her and left the field. Lizzie smiled softly to herself, already starting to replay their whole conversation over in her head.

"You should just do what you want to, whatever makes you happy."

Those words in particular really stuck with her, and Lizzie was starting to wonder if she had been wrong about herself, and she actually didn't have it all figured out.

𓆩♡𓆪

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