The night was cold and dark. Margaret lay on her bed, eyes closed but mind wide awake, she hated the reason. She couldn't stop thinking about what was beyond her tightly closed bedroom door, or rather, who. Her lip beginning to tingle from her tooth which had been sunken into it for about 5 minutes.

Eddie lay on the couch, eyes open and staring up to the ceiling. Guilt filling almost every part of him. Dread being what made up the rest. The dread of having to wake up - should he ever manage to fall asleep in the first place - and have to avoid her against his every want. She didn't want him here, with good reason, he almost didn't want to be here. He felt bad enough for what he'd done, never mind having to look at her every time she stepped foot into her main living area, having to act as if he didn't want to talk to her, to apologise, when he did. Although, what he didn't want was to force an apology on her and then be dropped on his ass.

He'd imagined she'd be sound asleep not giving a damn about him or his presence. He'd also imagined that she'd be in there hurting from what they'd seen in his trailer last night, when he'd ran.

He always god damn ran.

He had made leaps and strides with her that night, they'd actually spoke, played D&D and she wasn't the shallow witch he'd thought her to be. Now that was gone, other than knowing she wasn't shallow.

She hated him.

He used to believe she hated him before but now he knew that was not the case, he'd irritated her sure but he now knew what her hatred felt like.

The lock on her bedroom door clicked. Eddie had been laying on her large couch with one arm (the one nearest the back of the sofa) on his chest and the other under his head. Now he'd sat up quickly. He'd still been fully dressed, he had only removed his shoes.

He hadn't even used the sheets she left out for him, only the pillow.

He turned his head, knowing how dark it was he could still make out her figure exiting from the room at the end. She didn't turn her head to look his way, only opened the bathroom door, closing it tightly behind her, and locking it.

The clink causing Eddie to lift both his hands, covering his face, elbows planted on his knees.

Why did he think she was coming to speak to him.

He heard the tap turn on in the bathroom almost immediately, running fairly heavily. Margaret stood looking into the mirror, cursing herself for not being able to sleep. Her fingers slowly sliding under the warm, not hot, water. Splashing her face with warm water always calmed her, the same way splashing her face with cold water energised her.

She put both her hands under, cupping some water before swiftly scoping them up to her face. The warm sensation caressing her skin.

She did the same thing once more.

Afterward, reaching for the clean towel hanging over the towel rack, dabbing her face gently. Two quiet knocks coming from the door and making her roll her eyes. Hadn't she been clear enough on his conditions of shelter?

Eddie had heard the tap, worrying as to why she'd gone in there, immediately turning the water on loudly. He peeled himself from the couch, making his way to the bathroom door. Allowing his palm to rest there for a moment while he decided if this was a good idea.

Of course it fucking isn't, he'd thought.

And yet his hand folded into a fist, knuckles knocking twice, gently on the door.

No response.

"Hey, you okay in there?" He spoke with his forehead now pressed to the door. He waited on a response which he wasn't getting.

Silence.

"Look, I know I'm supposed to leave you alone but I want to make sure you're alright" he sighed as he spoke. She couldn't care for his pity. He'd lost the right to worry over her safety when he'd left her the way he had, knowing she'd watched her best friend brutally die.

He knocked again, "come on Margaret, let's not be immature-" he got cut off by the sudden unlocking and swinging open of the bathroom door, which he, was still leaning against causing him to stumble forward, managing to catch himself before he knocked the girl flat on her ass. Still being only inches from her, his chest suddenly feeling tight.

"Do you often bother people this much when they use the restroom?" She spoke in a bleak, heartless tone. She didn't even sound sarcastic, only apathetic.

He stared down at her, she stared up at him, not in the way he wanted her too. Her eyes hadn't scoured every inch of his face as the did when she cleaned up his lip that was still in the process of scabbing over.

She looked totally disinterested in him.

She raised a brow, still waiting for an answer.

"No" was all he could muster, stepping back to let her exit. She did while he stood a few steps back. She opened her bedroom door once again.

"Then do not do it with me" she didn't even look back at him as she spoke, only enter her room, closing the door behind her. Not locking it this time, not that it made much of a difference.

Jesus H Christ, how was he going to get out of this mess?

Margaret Sawyer was more difficult to understand and more so to gain her forgiveness than it was to win a game of D&D, and that game was half to do with luck and bravery.

Although, you needed more bravery for this girl.

Her body hit the bed again, she almost felt a surge of wrongdoing, that she'd been harsh on him. Perhaps she had, but she had to be, he'd seen her at her most vulnerable one time and fled.

She'd never allow that again.

It was going to be difficult.

The phones piercing ringing awoke Eddie, Margaret however had already been up and making breakfast. Pancakes. Made from scratch. Although, she'd had to stop before even putting the first dollop of mixture into her frying pan, making her way to pick the phone up from the wall.

"Speaking?" She uttered.

"It's me" Dustins very recognisable voice came down the line.

Eddie watched waiting for any hint at a name, sure, he usually would've bounded over and lifted his ear to the other side of the phone, although this didn't seem like the time.

"Hello me, what can I do for you?" Eddies brow furrowed as she spoke with the slither of sarcasm.

She had her back to him, a baggy T-shirt over her top half, shorts on her bottom half. Her darker hair clipped up with a claw clip, spilling down to frame her face. She looked, almost, angelic.

"Unfortunately he is" she muttered now leaning into the wall at the side of the phone, her hip and shoulder pushing off to steady herself, "I'm just about to".

Dustin had asked if Eddie was still alive. She'd replied that unfortunately he was, Dustin joking that he'd half imagined Eddies death at her hands. He then asked if she'd fed him, as if Eddie was her responsibility. As if he were a dog.

"We will drop off some food for him, for both of you" Dustin spoke cheerily down the line. Something that Eddie, again, couldn't hear.

He still didn't know who it even was, an irking feeling it was Jason, or Thomas. God forbid. Am angry feeling beginning to boil in his stomach. The idea of her being this way with them? Joking, picking fun.

"I'm more than capable of doing that myself" she was referring to the fact she could very well get her own food and did not need the 15 year old kid she babysits to do it for her.

"You need to stay with Eddie" Dustin realised after he'd spoke how demanding that sounded, he could imagine the throttled he'd be getting should she have been in front of him, "what I mean is, you need to keep him safe, like the hero you are"

Margaret let out a small giggle at that. Dustin was being serious, well, he wasn't trying to be sarcastic, he was more intent on getting on her good side.

Eddie felt his fists ball up at the idea of her giggling that way to Jason, he didn't know why, most likely due to his hatred for Jason and his goonies, right? At least that's what he told himself. Typical Margaret, swanning over those asshats.

"Okay, 4 knocks when you get here so I know it's you" she spoke in a whisper like tone down the phone.

Now Eddie was nearly certain she'd been talking to one of the basketball guys.

"I'll knock a tune" Dustin beamed through the phone.

"Totally unnecessary, 4 knocks will do" she quickly counteracted, Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley and Maxine Mayfield would look odd enough appearing at some random caravan no one, except, Max, Eddie and Steve knew she owned, never mind Dustin knocking a tune as if it were some secret entry, "perhaps bring clothing Hm? goodbye" she added quickly before he could argue, putting the phone back to the wall.

The girl walked straight forward, turning into the kitchen and giving her batter another mix to make sure everything was well folded in. She also enjoyed making pancakes, her gramps had taught her.

Eddie stood from the couch, walking over to sit at one of the stools across the counter from where Margaret stood. She knew he was there but didn't look up. Just turned on the hob, flame turning a cool blue and down low.

Eddie knew he shouldn't, he knew it would end in an argument but, "who was that?" He sounded jealous, so very jealous. He wasn't. He definitely was not jealous, he just didn't like Jason and he hated Thomas.

She let out a brief chuckle that was not at all humorous.

"I must've blanked on the part where that was your business?" She again kept her eyes on the batter she'd just dolloped into the pan, causing it to sizzle after she spoke. She knew that really, it was kind of his business, but that was besides the point.

Eddie sat in his black jeans, Hellfire T-shirt, jewellery, hair down and messy, with socks but no shoes.

She slid the utensil under the pancake, flipping it perfectly, golden brown and delicious looking.

"As if I don't know" he muttered making that same unhumorous chuckle that had just seconds ago left her lips. He turned his head to the side just as she finally lifted her head to look at him.

A scowl spread across her face.

Do not take the bait, She reminded herself.

"Can't say I'm surprised" he muttered this time, head dropping to look at his own hands. She flipped the pancake out and on to a plate, less gentle as her first flip. Plopping more batter into the pan.

"And what, prey tell, are you unsurprised about?" She pushed, knowing she shouldn't have.

He lifted his head to meet herself while her eyes settled back on the bubbling pancake.

"Typical cheerleader move" he dared to say, her head snapping up so her furious eyes met his furious ones, she stalked around the counter, not giving a shit about the soon to be burning pancake, "putting me at risk to get a quickie right?" Her hand instinctively lifted, colliding with his face after hearing those words.

"How dare you" she spat at the man in front of her running his hand over his slightly pink cheek.

"How dare I?" He let out a laugh, "you want me to hide in the bathroom while he's here?" Eddie stood up from the stool, him feeling as though he was towering over her, even with her not being over short.

"While who's here?" Curiosity got the best of her.

"Jason" Eddie nearly growled in anger, face mow inches from her own.

"Jason?" She uttered, fury coursing through her veins, "you mean Chrissy's boyfriend? You know the best friend of mine that I just watched die?" She noticed his face soften, only for a second.

He went to speak, defend himself in anyway he could when 4 loud knocks came from the metal door behind him. Margaret pushing into his side to walk behind him and open it.

Eddie turning around, preparing to be correct.

The door opened, "we brought snacks" Dustin smiled looked up at the two, "and Nancy".

Oh shit, Eddie had thought.

Oh shit indeed.