CHAPTER XV:
twisted ideas

( March 1986 )

THE SUN WAS FINALLY BEGINNING TO RISE AND FESTER INTO THE BOAT SHED THAT CLEO AND EDDIE HAD BEEN FAST ASLEEP IN. After Cleodora shared how she had developed a fear of bodies of water, she soon got comfortable on the wood flooring and had been whisked away into a peaceful sleep with the comfort of Eddie's presence.

Now with the sun rising and Eddie had been the first one to wake up. His eyes drifted to the body beside him that was more so leaning on him to see the sun shining on Cleo's sleeping face. He had gone to move himself to act as a shield from it, but then he got a glimpse of what the sun had been doing to her face.

Cleodora's facial features had been magnified in attraction by the lighting. Frail pieces of hair had hung on her face slightly, her short eyelashes appeared to be lighter than ever, and the blemishes on her cheeks that had surely been caused by acne had been turned into a honey brown almost comparing to freckles.

Eddie watched as the steady breaths keeping her alive had created a gentle rise and fall of her whole body and at that moment he fully understood how his younger self had proudly been infatuated with the girl. Even then, he couldn't deny how charming she appeared.

      She had then begun to stir awake and doing the only thing he could think of, Eddie had put his head back down to act as though he were still fast asleep.

Lifting her head groggily, Cleo looked down to see what exactly she had been using as a pillow aside from her hands and found that it had been Eddie's shoulder. Widening her eyes, heat rushed to her cheeks at the thought of him waking up to her sleeping on him and she quickly turned over to her other side but with her back still pressed against his shoulder.

Eddie, who still continued to fake his sleeping, had finally sat up in his spot. Cleo, beside him, had taken that as her cue to also sit up, stretched her arms, and yawn.

      "'Morning, Dora," Eddie said as sleep still lingered in his vocal cords.

      "Good morning, Ed-"

      "Cleo, we need you!"

      The heads of the old friends had quickly turned in the direction of the door bursting open. In a second's time, the two went from being so close that their knees were touching, to being about a foot away from each other.

      Cleo stood up, "could you be any louder?" she whined walking up to the duo of Dustin and Steve. Dustin walked past her to give something to Eddie who still remained on the floor.

      "We have something in the car for you to make up for it," Steve pointed his thumb behind his back. Cleo furrowed her brows at the boy. He leaned down slightly to her, "I suggested we bring breakfast," he said for only her ears to hear.

      Her eyes brightened at the sound of what he had said. Grabbing his cheeks in her hands, she brought him lower to meet her eye to eye. "Harrington, I adore you right now!"

Moving past their interaction, Dustin and Eddie were still in the same spot with Dustin crouching down to give him his breakfast that he had held in a grocery bag. While Dustin spoke to him, Eddie's eyes had been looking over Dustin's shoulder to see Cleodora happily hugging Steve. Henderson's train of speech trailed off when he noticed Eddie not paying attention and he followed his line of sight to see the same thing.

      "Hey, Eddie, are you going to be-"

      "I'll be fine," Eddie answered before she could finish her question. Henderson's train of speech trailed off when he noticed Eddie not paying attention and he followed his line of sight to see Cleo grabbing Steve's hand and running out of the shed.

      "Are you-"

      "Are they, like, dating?" Eddie cut Dustin off.

      The smile on the younger boy's face grew at the question. "Well, they're-"

      "Dustin, come on before Steve comes to yell at you," Cleo peeked her head over the doorframe.

      "Yeah, in a second-"

      "No, not a second, now shitbird," Steve interrupted. Sighing and standing up, Dustin began walking to the door to join Cleo.

      "Sorry," he mumbled to Eddie and left the older boy to be alone with his thoughts.

NOTE. what if... what if i said i just published a season 3 steve harrington book yesterday? what would you do 😶