History Must Repeat Itself

Chapter 37

          Eddie's presence seemed to remind the others that I was there. He was walking at the front with Dustin, messing around. I smiled at them, relieved to see Eddie laugh.

"You care about him a lot, don't you?" Nancy asked, falling into place beside me. I looked back at the chaotic metalhead and his young nerdling.

"He's my best friend. I'd do anything for him, to make sure he's safe." I glanced at Nancy. "I'd do it for any of you."

"Do what exactly?" Nancy was giving me a suspicious look. I shrugged, nothing to elaborate on.

"Have you started looking for a place? For college?" I asked, changing the topic. We talked about our plans for next year. I confirmed I was taking a year off, getting some more money into my pockets and savings.

"Steve must be happy about that," Nancy said.

"Um, yeah, I guess? I think Robin is taking the year off too, so he's got her to hang out with."

"But they're only friends. I think Steve's much happier you're planning to be around."

I looked at her with my eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Jess, really?" Nancy began but was interrupted by an arm wrapping around mine.

"What's going on over here?" Robin asked. "I got bored of Steve. Obviously."

I grinned at her. "I'm sure dear Harrington would love to hear that."

Robin rolled her eyes. "Whatever, he knows he's annoying."

"Robin, you spend lots of time with Steve." Nancy leaned across me. "Would you say Steve enjoys Jess's presence much more than other people's?"

"Oh, definitely," Robin said, 'duh' expression on her face.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to save Eddie from Steve's overbearingness."

I broke away from the pair as they continued their conversation about me and Steve. I whistled, the three leading the pack turned. I pointed at Eddie and curled my finger. Eddie pointed at himself, dramatically mouthing 'me?' before stopping, waiting for me to meet him.

"What's up, beautiful?" Eddie asked, threading his fingers through mine.

"Nothing. I just feel better being with you."

"Yeah, being alone the past few days has really sucked. I started spiraling at a point, considered handing myself into the police so if more deaths happened, they knew it wasn't me."

I snapped my wide eyes to his face as the words came out. Panic flooded my face, my body going cold. My heart began pounding in my chest, my head shaking. Eddie lifted my hand up and placed a kiss on the back.

"I didn't do it because I could see that face in my mind. I knew you'd never forgive me."

I raised my eyebrows briefly. "Yeah, I'd have come down to the station and killed you myself."

Eddie and I had slowed our pace, now behind the group. The pairings ahead of us had changed again. Steve now walked with Nancy and I could see the brain cells jumping between Dustin and Robin as they spoke.

"I see that Harrington and Wheeler have become buddy-buddy," Eddie observed.

"It seems the murders of high school students brought them back together," I commented.

"And how are we feeling about this?"

I glanced up at Eddie. "We?"

"Oh, come on Connors, I'm your best friend, other than Buckley over there, who's got a bias. Whatever you think about the situation, I think the same without a complaint."