12. came to a crescendo

It's Halloween week, and there are a lot of Halloween decorations around each house, even before the actual day of trick-or-treating.

As Clemency got out of the car with Nancy, she walked the opposite direction from her, because Eddie told her to meet him by the parking lot. Looking around, and trying to find Eddie's van, when she heard a quiet voice call her, then she finally found Eddie peeking over to her, as he hid in his van.

Clemency hurriedly approached him, as she crossed her arms, looking at him while raising an eyebrow. "Why did you want to meet up here? We have a second period together." Clemency says, as the guy crossed his arms as well, and squinted his eyes at her. "But you still agreed to meet me, because you wanna see this face, early in the morning..." Eddie teased, nodding his head, as he pointed towards his face, making Clemency roll her eyes in response.

"Okay, but I wanted you to meet me, because I wanted to hang out later." He says, as Clemency looked, confused. "And you could have just told me that on the phone earlier, you know that? It seems like, you're the one who wanted to see me..." She teased back, as Eddie gave the shorter girl a deadpanned look.

"So, what are we gonna do later? Trick-or-treating?" She scoffs as Eddie dramatically pinches the bridge of his nose in response. "No, we're going to the movie rental later, and find some new movies to watch... only if you're not busy, of course." Eddie informed, as Clemency tried to recall if she had things to do for later, but then remembered the exam they have on the subject she has with Eddie, which is scheduled the next day.

"Wait- we have an exam tomorrow!" She exclaimed, and pursed her lips in disappointment. "So? It's tomorrow morning, not later tonight." He says, as Clemency glared at him, and blinked in frustration. "Yeah? Which means I have to study... wait, didn't you say you wanted to graduate already... which you also said it's in '85, but you're still here for the school year '85 to '86...." She informed, making Eddie sigh.

"So, you're suggesting...?" Eddie disappointingly says, as walked closer to the guy. "I'm tutoring you starting today... but of course, only if you want to."

"But we're still hanging out later?" He playfully asked, while Clemency was giving him a stern look. "Studying. We are studying. But yeah, I am coming over, if you count that as hanging out, then yeah, we're hanging out." She says, as Eddie sighed.

"Wait, but can we go by Family Video later? You know, if we finished studying, maybe we could watch a movie after?" He says, as Clemency pursed her lips, and nodded her head in response, making Eddie softly smile, reaching his hands on top of the shorter girl's head, patting it, making her grimace at him, as she hurriedly went to her class.

‧₊˚

It's Amanda's first day in Hawkins High, and luckily she is in the same class as Clemency in her first period, making the two exclaim as soon they see each other, as the other students, giving them a judging look, as they looked back at them, covering their mouths, in embarrassment.

They immediately sat next to each other, as they talked about the most random stuff, right before their class started.

"Are you going to the party later tonight?" Amanda asked, as Clemency looked confused. Nobody really told her there is a party, or if there is, nobody gave her any invitations yet. Amanda quickly grabbed the paper invitation in her pocket and showed it to Clemency, as the girl pursed her lips.

"I'm studying at Eddie's place later..." She says, making Amanda look at her, confused and disappointed. "You're studying? Really? Come on, just one night off of school and school work, a night to relax, you know." A night to relax, more like a night of chaos, Clemency thought. She will never be a party person, well it really depends on her mood, if she is not in the mood, she might smash someone with a vase in the head again, and maybe accidentally kill them this time.

"I really need to study, and hanging out with Eddie is fun, so I'm pretty cool with a night like that." She says, as Amanda wiggled her eyebrows at the girl, earning a deadpanned look. "So, you and Eddie huh... well, I already sort of had that idea in my head, when he went looking for you at Wyatt's...." Amanda recalls, as she looked up and squinted her eyes, making Clemency sigh, being done with her friend. "I told you, he's just a friend, all right?" She said as she looked at the window beside her. "He's just a friend, all right?" Amanda mocked, as Clemency rolled her eyes at the girl.

‧₊˚

During break time, Clemency went to her locker and left her books, she headed to the cafeteria, and there she saw Chrissy's friends calling out for her, as Chrissy gave her a soft smile that she returned back to the girl, but looked at her friends, confused.

"What's the matter?" She asked, as one of the cheerleaders waved hello to her, as the basketball players kept eyeing her. "Are you coming to the party later?" The girl asked her, as she awkwardly smiled and shook her head. "I have a lot of things to do later, I'm sorry." She said as the girls frowned and nodded.

"You have a date later, Wheeler?" Jason says, with that annoying smug on his face, as Clemency gave him a fake smile. "No..." She quietly responded, as one of Jason's friends named Andy, tilted his head.

"Do you have a boyfriend? If not, can I be your boyfriend?" Andy continued, as everyone on that table gawked at his boldness, while Clemency looked at him, in annoyance, but smiled as she tried to hide it, "No... thank you."

She then noticed that Chrissy seemed to have caught up with this, but before she could say anything, one of the girls spoke up. "Do you wanna sit with us?"

"No, I'm sitting with my friend, over there." She says, pointing at Amanda's sit, as they looked at where she was pointing and nodded, Clemency hurriedly got out of there and sat with her friend, panting.

"You okay?" Amanda says, out of concern. "The basketball team and the cheerleaders... well, except Chrissy, makes me so uncomfortable." She whined, as her friend gave her an apple that she brought with her to school.

‧₊˚

As soon as the day ended, Clemency said goodbye to Amanda as she left, and went home, as Clemency looked for Nancy, to tell her she won't ride the car with her, and hurriedly looked for Eddie's van, and softly smiled to herself as soon as she saw him.

"So, where do we go first?" Eddie asks as soon as Clemency sat beside him. She wondered, he can't really drop her directly in front of their house, given that her mom would most likely be around.

"I'm thinking of going home first, but it's risky.... What if I just bike there, like, right now?" She suggested, as Eddie shook his head. "No... I'll just drop you before Dearborn street." he says, as Clemency pursed her lips and nodded in agreement.

As Eddie drove, Clemency, sitting very low, tried hiding herself. Eddie chuckled seeing her in his peripheral vision, making her glare at him. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I met your brother and his friend. They seem like good kids." He chuckled out, as Clemency nodded. "They are good kids." She reassured, smiling to herself. "Oh, also, you don't look like your brother."

Clemency pursed her lips looking at him, and sighed, "Yeah, I get that a lot." Making Eddie grin. "They are very passionate about playing D&D, you guys would definitely get along." She says, smiling at the memory of the boys when they were much younger, but suddenly felt sad, remembering Will isn't around to play with them, making her let out a deep sigh, Eddie looked at the girl with his eyebrows furrowed, at the sudden change in demeanor.

"What's wrong?" He softly asked, still keeping his eyes on the road. "One of their friends moved out, just months ago, and he really loves D&D." She sadly says. "Cheer up, princess. It's not like their friend won't come back... right?" He asked, hesitation in his voice.

"No, yeah, of course they'll probably visit here again." Clemency responded, sighing to herself, as Eddie nodded. "See? And by then, maybe he could play with us." He says, softly smiling at her, making Clemency chuckle.

"I think he'll like you." Clemency thought, making Eddie all happy. "You think so?" He softly asked.

"Of course, I think you are very likable." She chuckled out, making Eddie mischievously grin, and wondered teasingly, "So, you like me?"

"Yeah, as a living breathing human, sure." She sternly says, as he gives her a grimace look through his peripheral vision.

As Eddie stopped the van, Clemency went out and walked off, as he called out, "Am I picking you up in this area again?"

"No, I'll meet you at the Hideaway pub." She says, as Eddie nodded in response and drove off, while Clemency quickly ran all the way to their house.

Reaching the Wheelers, Clemency hurried up stairs and drop some unnecessary stuff, kept the only things she needed, and took more stop she had to bring. "Clemency?" Her mom called out from downstairs, as she looked at the door. "I'm upstairs, mom." She yelled back, grabbed her stuff, and went out.

She ran downstairs, just as Karen peeked, "Where are you going?" She wondered, as Clemency gave her a soft smile.

"I'm spending the night at a friend's house, we have to study for an exam." She truthfully says, as Karen nodded in response. "Okay, good luck on studying, then." She says as the girl hurried out.

‧₊˚

Eddie leaned his back in the van's door, as he waited for Clemency to arrive, when he heard a few familiar sounding voices, making him worried, as he found out his suspicion was right. Jason and his friends are here, giving him a mocking look, as he sighed, and glared at them, and kept his mouth shut. As the group slowly approaches, all in unfortunate timing, Clemency arrives.

Eddie looks over to her, but the boys fortunately did not notice, and tried his best not to look obviously nervous as Clemency approached, making Eddie confused.

"Hi Jason, hi guys!" She greets the boys, as they look over to her, and smiles, but curiosity fills their eyes. "Why are you here?" one of his friends, who kept nagging her at the cafeteria asks, as she gave him a fake smile. "Buying myself a burger to take out...? Why else would I be here?" She asked, as she went inside the pub, and the boys followed her inside, finally ignoring Eddie, as he sighed in relief, and quickly went in his van, and drove on a different area, but still the direction they were heading to.

She bought only one burger, and luckily, the service is quite fast, but she has another problem, the boys did not even seem to be there to order, but just to follow her, as she gave them an irritated look, "Don't you guys have a party to go to... and Jason, your girlfriend's probably looking for you." Clemency sternly says, as the boys looked at the time, "Shit, we still need to pick up Chrissy." He says, as they all went out, Clemency followed their tracks, with a look of grimace on her face, and sighed.

Clemency went out, and made sure they were not there anymore, and went to Eddie's van, as Eddie sat inside, waiting for her.

She went and sat beside him, still panting from the nervousness and the running, as Eddie looked over to her. "Did you also get me a burger?" He playfully asked, as Clemency glared at him. "You can have this if you want." She sarcastically says, giving the burger to him.

"Hey, I'm just messing with you..." He softly says. "Well, I only bought it because they'll know I was lying..." She says, as Eddie chuckled, and giving back the burger to her. "Keep it, and just eat it while we're studying later." He quietly says while starting the van and drove to the Family Video.

‧₊˚

"Shit!" Clemency exclaims, as she remembers that Steve and Robin worked at the Family Video, just as Eddie parked. The girl sat very low, hiding herself, making Eddie worry, and looked over to her. "What's wrong?"

"My friends... They work here." She says in panic,Eddie furrowing his eyebrows as he looks at her, and looks outside, trying to find her friends.

"Who are these friends of yours anyways-" He says, but stops as he sees Steve and Robin. "You had been here after my friends already worked here, you probably know them." She says, as he slowly turned his head to look at her.

"You're friends with Steve Harrington? THE Steve Harrington- Oh wait, yeah, he dated your sister, of course you are friends with him..." He sternly says, as Clemency gave him a deadpanned look. "Okay, so I had been told, Steve was a douche in his sophomore year.... But that's all in the past, he's a good person, really!" Clemency defended, as Eddie kept his look of grimace at him.

"Well, that guy still kept calling me a freak even after he left High School, you know, whenever I come here." He says, as Clemency purses her lips. "He just didn't know you're a fun person..." She says, earning a chuckle from Eddie as he sighed. "All right, I'll go there now, okay. You stay here." He says as he leaves the girl in his van.

Clemency peeked inside the store, seeing the look of grimace on Steve's face upon seeing her friend, and she sighed. She thought it might seem impossible, but she knew they would end up being friends, one way or another.

‧₊˚

While Clemency got changed into more comfortable clothes, Eddie laid their snacks and drinks, and took two blankets. Clemency looked over at him as she saw him hold the two blankets. "Why do you have two blankets?" She asked as she dried her hair, Eddie furrowing his eyebrows as he looked at her.

"One for you, one for me?" He quietly stammers. "That blanket on your right hand is big enough for two." She pointed, as Eddie looked at the blanket, giving it to the girl, as he went back to his room with the other blanket.

"....And it's not like we're even gonna have time to sleep-" She says, but stopped as she noticed Eddie's mischievous look, as he got back from his room, and wiggling his eyebrows at the girl, while she looked in grimace. "Because, we're studying all night, Munson." She sternly says, making Eddie frown, as the girl playfully shakes her head in disappointment.

"I'm just teasing..." He mischievously says, with Clemency rolling her eyes at the guy. "You always tease me." She softly says, curling her lips. "It's because you're teasable, princess." Eddie chuckled out, as he pats the girl's head, but she ducked to avoid his hand, making him softly chuckle.

‧₊˚

"Okay, so what is the Freytag's Pyramid?" Clemency asks Eddie, as he is lost in thought, staring at the girl's face, with softened eyes. Her hair fell onto her face, making her reach her hand, tucking her hair behind her ear, as she focused on her notes, making Eddie let out a heavy sigh. Clemency looked at Eddie with knitted eyebrows, as he gawked over her, making her look in grimace. "Eddie... are you even listening?" She says, as Eddie shook away his thoughts, and softly smiled at the girl, making her roll her eyes.

"Freytag's Pyramid? Uhm... uh.. A pyramid...?" He asked, unsure, while Clemency let out a heavy sigh. "Okay, Freytag's pyramid. It's this structure in dramatic writing and it has five parts. So, the five parts are...?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him, as he slowly came closer to her, keeping his eyes on hers, as he tugged her hair behind her ears, as she gave a dumbfounded look back at him.

"It has a beginning and an end, I think?" He softly says, keeping himself close to her face, as Clemency felt her heart beating off of her chest. "...and a climax?" He added as he looked towards her lips, making her sigh and felt her face heating up.

"...it can also be called middle-" She stammered, as Eddie leaned in, and gently put his lips on hers, but quickly backed away, nervously looking at her, as she looked back with widened eyes. "Is that okay?" He asked in hesitation, as Clemency reached her arm to drop her notes at the table, making Eddie's eyes follow her arm, with furrowed eyebrows.

Clemency grabbed Eddie's face, as he turned his head back towards her, still his eyes filled with confusion. Clemency pulled Eddie's lips back to her. Eddie closed his eyes, and put both his hands on the couch, on both sides of the girl, steadying himself.

‧₊˚

As the next morning came, and Wayne reached his and his nephew's trailer, he opened the door, startling both Clemency and Eddie, waking them up, as they slept sharing one blanket. The three looked at each other, and froze in place.

"Shit..." she mumbled to herself, as she realized the time, and quickly got off of their blanket wrap, and grabbed her notes on the table to put it in her bag. Clemency quickly kissed the top of Eddie's head. "I'll see you in school." She quietly says, as she excused herself and waved at Wayne, hurriedly leaving.

As soon as the girl left, Wayne looked at his nephew. "So, is she your girlfriend already?" He asked making Eddie furrow his eyebrows at his uncle, as he stupidly smiled to himself.

‧₊˚