Chapter Text
“And then at lunch, this guy came up to us and told me he liked my Weird Al shirt, and -”
“Wow, slow down, you actually wore the Weird Al shirt? Come on, man, I told you that was a bad idea!”
“Shut up, Steve, I’m not done with the story! So this guy came and said my shirt was cool and then he started talking to us and told us about this D&D club at school so we’re going to join! Isn’t that awesome!?” Dustin finished, bouncing in place, his curls springing with each movement.
“Yeah that’s great, dude. Can you stop blocking the counter?”
“No one is even here, why does it matter? Also why didn’t you tell me the high school had a D&D club? I thought we were best friends!”
“I didn’t even know that the club existed, so how was I supposed to tell you? Who’s even in it?”
“I don’t know. I only know the guy who invited us. He said his name was Eddie.”
Steve frowned slightly, his brows furrowing as he tried to think of a face to the name. There were a number of Eddie’s at the high school, none of which Steve had been particularly close with. And it was impossible to know if any of them played D&D, since apparently nerds didn’t have to actually look like nerds, if the Sinclair kids were anything to go by.
“Alright, well, if the sessions run late or something or if I’m not working, let me know. I can pick you guys up. Robin has marching band practice after school sometimes and I told her I’d try to pick her up too, so I’d already be at the school.”
“Really? Yes! You’re the best, Steve! He told us to meet him after school Friday to talk about the campaign and work on our character sheets, so you could pick us up after that and we could all go to the arcade! Now, since I’m in high school officially, can I rent Nightmare on Elm Street? Please?”
Steve snorted. “When you’re 17, sure. Now get out of here and go do your homework. I know some teacher had to give you something on the first day.”
Huffing, Dustin stomped out of the Family Video, flipping Steve off just as the door closed behind him. Steve just laughed and waved.
Alone again, Steve started to wrack his brain for who this Eddie could be that was in the D&D club. Was it someone who would be nice to the kids? Were they safe? Was this just a prank that an upperclassman was playing?
Silently, Steve resolved to be there early Friday, waiting in the parking lot, so that if the kids needed to leave earlier than they expected, there would be someone there and waiting, ready to help.
---
Friday rolled around, and Steve was already ready for the day to be over.
The entire week, the kids had been coming into the store to gush about their new friend.
Eddie is so cool, he knows everything about D&D!
Eddie said he could give me tips on DM-ing, that way I can run my own campaign later this year. Well… if I’m not shit at it, he says.
Eddie said he could drive Max and I to the record shop next week so we can pick up some new tapes. He even said he’d show us some of the stuff that he likes to listen to!
Steve was sick of hearing about Eddie. He didn’t know who this guy was, what he looked like, what grade he was in, but Steve didn’t like him. Was it jealousy? Maybe. Would he ever admit to that? Not in a million years.
And so, when Friday arrived, Steve drove over to the high school to wait for the kids. He parked the car so it faced the building, giving him a view of most of the doors. Climbing out, he sat on the hood, enjoying the warm sun.
It wouldn’t be much longer before the weather started to cool. Summer was ending and fall was quickly approaching. The marching band, which was running drills in an empty field to Steve’s right, would have to start bundling up in layers for practice. Steve had already put an extra jacket, scarf, and hat in the back of his car for when Robin inevitably forgot and got cold.
The parking lot was mostly empty, with only a few cars scattered around from the various after school activities. Steve recognized a couple, but couldn’t remember the drivers. A T-Bird caught Steve’s eyes, making him hum appreciatively. A few spaces down was a Charger, which Steve would have thought was cool if it wasn’t for the busted headlight, dented door, and badly scratched paint, like someone had keyed it.
Looking to the other end of the parking lot, Steve saw a van , sitting by itself. It was large, and boxy, and could really use a wash. It was a ‘71 Chevy, with a white stripe down its sides. The doors on the back of the van were white too, though Steve could spot small patches of rust in a few places. The van wasn’t in bad shape, though. There wasn’t any serious damage, and it looked like the tires were in decent condition. Overall, it looked like the average high schooler’s car, even if it was larger than most cars parked at the school. It looked familiar, too, like Steve had seen it before. He couldn’t remember the driver, but he felt like the car had been at more places than just the school. Parties, maybe. Could have been some jock’s car that he’d gotten so he could squeeze a mattress in the back so he could comfortably hook up with girls out at Lover’s Lake.
Marching band ended, the band heading back inside to pack up their instruments and gather their stuff, and Steve had yet to see the kids. If he was being optimistic, that meant that they were having fun with the new D&D group. If he was being pessimistic, and in his mind, realistic, they were moping somewhere in the school over getting pranked.
He was on the verge of breaking into the school and finding them himself when a pair of side doors opened and a group of boys came tumbling out. Steve saw the kids straight away, bouncing around and causing a ruckus, like a group of ill behaved puppies. A couple upperclassmen, ones that Steve vaguely recognized but didn’t know the names of, had joined in, shouting excitedly. Two of them had leather jackets, which made Steve start to sweat just looking at them. The third had on a cut off flannel, his hair curly and reminding Steve a bit of Dustin. The curly haired one didn’t seem as hyper as the others, but he was grinning ear to ear all the same.
And then finally, in the center of all the chaos, strutting like he owned the place and smiling smugly at the other boys, was Eddie Munson.
His long hair was as shaggy as ever and his hands were adorned in the many rings he was never seen without. Like the other upperclassmen, he had on a leather jacket, that he had thrown a cut off denim vest over top of, as though it weren’t August and they weren’t coming out of a heatwave. He had a bandana in his back left pocket and a chain strung from a belt loop into his front pocket, likely attached to his wallet. Munson had his backpack slung over one shoulder, which he held on to, keeping it from falling as Dustin excitedly slapped at his arm. In Munson’s free hand was his infamous lunchbox, something Steve recognized straight away.
Mentally, Steve was kicking himself. He should have known . He should have known that the Eddie the kids had been talking about was Eddie “The Freak” Munson. Eddie, who painted his nails black and made devil horns at people. Eddie, who had unapologetically been in drama club his freshman and sophomore year, even when he got made fun of for it. Eddie, who had been held back to repeat his junior year and had apparently been held back again to repeat his senior.
Eddie, who was a drug dealer. Who sold to most of Steve’s friends and teammates when he was in school. Who Steve would see slipping in and out of parties, selling to drunk teenagers.
Who was now hanging out with the teens Steve felt responsible for.
Before he could do anything, Lucas spotted Steve from across the lot.
“Steve!” he shouted, breaking away from the group and running towards him. “Steve, guess what! Basketball tryouts are next month! You’re still going to help me practice even though school started, right?”
“Yeah, kid, I’ll still help. You made a lot of progress over the summer, there’s no way you aren’t making the team.”
Dustin and Mike had broken away from the seniors as well, leaving the upperclassmen to stare after them in confusion. Dustin was in a full out sprint trying to catch up to Lucas while shouting about half orcs and something called a Kenku. Mike was jogging at a slower pace, trying not to look too eager to see Steve, while also excitedly talking about his character, which he called a paladin. Steve didn't understand anything that Dustin or Mike were talking about, but he smiled and nodded along, telling them that it sounded cool and that he was glad they had fun. Just as the kids got to Steve’s car, they stopped to shout a goodbye at the upperclassmen, promising to see them on Monday, before they turned on each other, descending into a fight over who got to ride in the passenger seat.
“Hey, hey! None of you get shotgun!” Robin yelled, seeing the boys trying to pull open the passenger door. She started to run across the parking lot, her instrument case bouncing against her thigh and the keychains on her backpack jingling. “I’m older, I get to sit in the front! Move it, pipsqueaks!”
As the boys groaned, Steve went around to the back, opening the trunk so they could all pile their school stuff in. “Stop pouting, we’re still going to the arcade, like I promised. Is Mayfield meeting us there? No? Weird, okay. Come on, hustle! Stuff in the back!”
When Steve looked back up, the upperclassmen from the D&D club had mostly dispersed. They were each walking to their cars, leaving Munson behind, who was still staring at Steve and the others, a bewildered look on his face.
Steve raised his hand and gave a half hearted wave, which earned him a series of confused blinks. Then, Munson quickly turned on his heels and walked to the Chevy van at the side of the lot and climbed into the driver’s seat.
Well , Steve thought, Now I know where I’ve seen that car before. It was definitely at the parties I went to.
Inside the car, the boys were arguing and shoving each other around in the backseat while Steve and Robin buckled up in the front.
“Is there a reason you didn’t tell me that Eddie Munson was the one running the club the kids are joining?” Steve asked quietly, shooting Robin an irritated look.
“Oh come on, you don’t buy into the “freak” stuff, do you? Just because he likes to wear black and plays nerd games doesn’t mean he’s a Satanist.”
“No, I don’t give a shit about that stuff. I’m talking about what he keeps in his lunch box.”
Robin raised a brow, “What, his lunch? Does he eat something weird?”
“No, he… Come on, you have to know about this, right?”
“Know about what?” she asked, looking even more confused.
Steve glanced in the rearview mirror, making sure the kids weren’t paying attention. Thankfully, they weren’t. Instead they had their character sheets out and were yelling at each other over what stats or spells or whatever other nerd stuff they picked.
“Munson… Well,” Steve started, still keeping his voice down. “He sells.”
“Sells?”
“Drugs.”
“ Oh . Shit. How do you… the parties.”
Steve nodded. “The parties. And I had friends who bought from him. Hell, I’ve probably smoked weed that Tommy bought off him. He’s got harder stuff too, but he doesn’t keep that in the lunchbox.”
“And you’re worried about him being around the kids? I get it, I guess, but Munson is a decent guy. He’s nice to the band kids and I had an art class with him last year. This dude kept bugging me, trying to get me to go out with him to the lake or to Skull Rock, and Munson chased him off for me. I asked him why and he just shrugged and said I looked uncomfortable.”
“Great, so he’s a decent human being,” Steve said, sounding borderline irritated. “Doesn’t change what he does in his free time.”
“Your kids are smart, mama bear. They won’t touch that stuff, don’t worry,” Robin said, punching Steve’s shoulder lightly. Before he could respond, Dustin was popping his head up between the two of them
“Steve, I forgot to bring quarters, do you have any money?”
Sighing heavily, Steve nodded. “I brought quarters for each of you. But when they're gone, they're gone, got it? I’m not giving you more!”
The boys nodded, pretending like they believed the statement, even though they knew that when they were getting close to being half way out of quarters, Steve would do what he always did and go get them more without any of them asking.