Y/N Wheeler is often the forgotten sibling. Always in the background, she grew up ensuring that everyone else's needs were met besides her own. When she meets Eddie "The Freak" Munson, he starts to show her what it's like being your unapologetic sel...
"How could you not tell me?" Nancy snapped as she approached me while I was waiting at the car after school.
I had survived the day. I had endured the snickering, sneers, and ogling of my classmates. Much of the day had blurred together and I felt immense relief as the last bell of the day rang. I thought that the stress of the day would finally be relieved, but Nancy seemed to have a different idea. All of my frustrations from the day were released as I responded.
"We've hardly been on speaking terms lately and you feel entitled to know what is going on in my personal life? Please, you probably have such little interest in my life that the only reason you're upset is because you couldn't be the first person to criticize me about it." I let out a deep breath, but it caught in my throat. I couldn't tell if I wanted to cry or scream.
At my words, Nancy looked as if she had been punched in the gut. "How... how could you even think that?"
There was so much pain in her voice that I knew what I had said wasn't true. Our watery eyes met each other's. A strained "I'm sorry" was all I could manage to get out. The weight of the day was so heavy I felt as if I was going to collapse, but Nancy was quickly at my side.
"You're not the one that should be apologizing... I know I've been a crappy sister lately. I've had a lot of my plate and I'm sorry that I took it out on you. I'm sorry that I've been so cold towards you that you didn't feel as though you could tell me about Eddie." She squeezed my shoulders lovingly.
I wrapped my arms around her and whispered a weak "Thank you" into her ear.
As we concluded our embrace, Mike arrived, a smile growing on his face. "So do you guys like each other again?" Nancy and I looked at each other and we each let out a light laugh, nodding in response to his question. "Good. I wasn't sure how much longer I could take the awkward silences between you two."
The three of us got into the car and started on our way home.
_____________
I was so happy to finally be home. Today had been one of the worst days I had ever experienced. I was grateful that Nancy and I were finally on speaking terms again, but that did little to better the day.
Comments of all sorts had been thrown at me, some mocking me and some applauding me. The remarks were one thing, but the worst part was how Eddie acted. With our secret getting out, he almost seemed to distance himself from me.
I didn't see him until the lunch period and, although we sat next to each other, it felt like he was miles away. Perhaps he was trying not to add anymore attention to what we were already experiencing, or maybe he was embarrassed that everyone finally knew what was going on between us. I couldn't get a good read on him and he didn't offer up many words.
Today I mended the relationship with my sister, but now I was worried that my other relationship was breaking.
I was laying in my bed, wallowing in the emotions and events of the day when the doorbell rang. With how jaded I was, I barely registered the sound. However, moments later there was a knock on my bedroom door and then a curly-haired metalhead was walking towards me.
"Eddie!" I yelped with surprise.
"Hey, Y/N." He said with sadness in his smile. "You doing okay?"
I patted the bed, motioning for him to sit next to me. He obliged.
"I'll be alright." I said as he took his seat beside me.
He took my hand in his. "I'm sorry about today."
"It's not your fault that people found out." I stated, assuming he was apologizing for what I endured after the secret got out.
"No. That's not what I mean. I'm actually kind of glad the secret is out... What I mean is," I let in a sharp breath, not knowing what he was going to say next. "I'm sorry for how I acted." I opened my mouth to say something, but he went on. "I tried to stay away because I knew it would draw more attention to you if I didn't and I didn't want to put you through that. But, if it were up to me... I would have proudly walked through that school with you to show us off to everyone."
I let out the breath I was holding. "You mean it?"
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Eddie squeezed my hand and looked at me with care in his eyes. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to start calling you my girlfriend."
I stared at Eddie for probably too long, playing those wonderful words over in my head. I smiled at him and teased, "I don't know, I'll have to think about it." And before he could retort, I leaned in and gave him a kiss.
He pulled away. "You're such a little shit." He joked before he now pulled me in for another kiss.
The day that had been a living hell was now quickly becoming one of my favorite days. The day that I became Eddie's girlfriend. No secrets, no compromises, just out in the open affection for one another.
Sitting in my bedroom, my sanctuary away from the judging world, with Eddie's warmth surrounding me, I finally felt all of the burdens from the day drift away. I knew that tomorrow was going to be just as tough as today had been, because rumors seldom disappeared in a day and teenagers were ruthless, but knowing that both Eddie and Nancy would both be by my side made the thought of facing it less daunting.
