[ She hates to think of the damage Eddie's boots could do to the trellis under her window. Even his high-tops are probably big enough to break a section or two off. Hopefully his feet are flexible enough to accommodate her parents' landscaping without destroying anything.
Things Chrissy never thought she'd be contemplating: whether or not Eddie can grip things with his toes. ] i'm on the side by the garage. you can't miss it.
[ She does leave her window open, and her lights on to boot, just to prevent that particular horror show from coming to pass. Her mom wouldn't be nearly as happy to have a teenage metalhead climbing through her window as Chrissy. Deciding to channel her nervous energy into something useful, she sneaks out of her room to go grab some towels from the linen closet and also a spare blanket for good measure, something she can dangle out the window just in case. ]
[ Somehow this isn't even the weirdest thing that's happened to Eddie. He isn't sure how he ended up this far away from home. It probably made sense at the time. He knew he was going to be drinking, so why would he drive?
But walking this far away and somehow losing his shoes in the process? Yeah, not his brightest idea.
Thank fuck for Chrissy though, because the thought of walking back home while it's starting to rain is not exactly in his top ten things he wants to do. He just hopes that he can somehow make it up to Chrissy's window without causing a huge ruckus because the last thing he needs right now is to get Chrissy in trouble and ensure he is never welcome back to Cunningham residence.
Not that he'll ever be let through the front door, but that's a whole 'nother story.
He braces himself when he reaches her home, noticing the trellis immediately. This isn't going to be easy, and gym class has never been his strong suit. He can't help but think about how this feels very much like Romeo & Juliet, only he hopes it ends with less death, of course. By some miracle -- and maybe it's to do with the fact that he is, in fact, still barefoot -- he does manage to scale to the top and sees the open window that she described --
along with the towel that she's dangling out the window, which garners her a laugh. He presses his mouth against his arm to muffle the sound, lest he alert the rest of her family to his sneaking into her room. He maneuvers the rest of the way to the window and unceremoniously climbs through, collapsing onto his back with a wild grin up at Chrissy and a wave with the wiggle of his fingers. ]
[ The more time that drags on between her sending the message and Eddie appearing in her window, the more nervous she gets. It's stupid. She knows it's stupid. It's just Eddie. He won't make fun of her for her wallpaper with its tiny roses, or the shelf above her bed with her stuffed animals on it — she doesn't sleep with them in her bed any more, at least — or the delicate white chenille bedspread draped perfectly neatly over her double bed. He knows what she's like, and he's always been very patient with her and very accepting, and honestly, she doesn't get why the rest of the school is so afraid of him?
Sure, his music is really loud, and he can be pretty weird and intense sometimes, and his hair is wild and his clothes are a little intimidating, but apart from that?
He's just a boy, like any other boy she knows.
He's just a boy, she tells herself, hurrying over to her vanity to apply some lip gloss and finger-comb through her hair to make sure she doesn't look a mess. She's not wearing any other makeup, which is embarrassing, but hopefully Eddie's still drunk enough that he won't notice. She doesn't have time to put on concealer or her favorite eyeshadow, not even to swipe a little mascara over her lashes. Whatever. It's fine.
There's a bit of commotion outside her window, and by the time she's turned around to look, Eddie's got his top half dangling through, followed quickly by his legs as he tumbles in and lands on her soft pink shag carpet like a tipped-over turtle.
She can't help the way she giggles, lifting her hand to wiggle her fingers back at him. ]
[ Now that he's in Chrissy's room, he feels like he can finally breathe normally again. Eddie has been on the verge of a panic attack ever since he realized how far away from his home he had managed to wander, and even more so when the drizzling started up. The last thing he needed was to pass out in a ditch, get rained on all night, and end up getting sick as a result. Then he really wouldn't be able to get back home.
But now he feels safe. And still a little wobbly, which is probably apparent by the way he tries to sit up and then immediately decides that's a bad idea and lays back down. ]
Nice place you've got here.
[ He can't really see much from his position on the floor, but it looks very much like how he imagined it would. It's a stark contrast with is own, between his two guitars, the Corroded Coffin banner, and a mattress with god knows what kind of stain on it. ]
I think...I'm just gonna rest here for a while.
[ Maybe in the morning he'll be able to sneak out again, and walk the lonely hour long walk back home. Or maybe he'll be able to call one of his bandmates to get a ride. Or even Steve. But for now he's content to just stay where he is. ]
[ Maybe she hasn't thought this through, but it's hard to worry about that when she's watching Eddie struggle on her bedroom floor, making an attempt to sit up before flopping back down again with such flair that she giggles again. ]
You're soaked.
[ His normally frizzy hair looks about ten times bigger because of the moisture stuck in it, and his bathrobe looks like he's just pulled it out of the washer instead of the dryer, and while she knew he was coming over barefoot, it's one thing to understand a fact in the abstract and something entirely different to see him with wet and muddy feet thankfully tangled in the towel she'd left draped over the windowsill. ]
Oh, Eddie, your feet. [ It seems to be enough to motivate her to get up out of her seat, crossing over to where he's lying so she can kneel at his side, one hand settling on the hard knob of his knee through his pajama bottoms. ] Are you hurt or anything? [ She uses the edge of the towel to dab at the mud and leaves stuck to his skin, wrinkling her nose a little. Feet are weird, alright, and boy feet are even weirder. ] I don't really have anything dry for you to change into, I'm sorry.
[ He cracks an eye open at Chrissy and gives her a grin and a thumbs up. ]
How observant of you.
[ It's spoken in a teasing tone, and honestly the fact that Eddie is somewhere dry and warm has him not nearly as worried about the state he is in right now. He feels like the situation finally a lot less dire. ]
What about my feet?
[ He tries to lift one up and scrunches his nose when he sees how dirty they look. A real shame about his shoes. He liked that pair. ] I don't feel hurt. But I don't feel much of anything? [ The cold and rain have numbed him a bit, but now that he's laying down, feeling is starting to come back to him. ]
Eh, it's okay. I think I'll live. [ He sighs when he feels her start to dab at him with the towel, cleaning his feet off. Yeah, this is definitely one of the weirder turn of events he's gone through. ] Do you have, like, a robe or something I can maybe wear while we dry my clothes?
[ Eddie lifts his leg like he's doing a side crunch and looks at his foot like he's never seen it before; it makes Chrissy huff out a little laugh through her nose. ]
You really are still drunk, aren't you?
[ She pats his leg and tries to focus on finishing her self-imposed task as quickly as possible, feeling a little bit like Mary Magdalene drying Jesus's feet with her hair. All she needs to really complete the picture would be some perfume to dab on them later, to well and truly bring the situation from strange to downright bizarre.
It's just that she can't risk him getting mud and/or leaves in her carpet! A shag carpet seemed like a great idea in theory, but in practice, it's impossible to keep clean. ]
We can't use my dryer, I'm sorry. My mom would hear it going and she'd totally flip. [ Luckily his clothes don't seem to be that wet, just mostly uncomfortably damp, and if she hangs them up, they should dry okay overnight. She has a fan in her room, that will help. ] Although... [ Eyeing him consideringly, she rises up on her knees a little so she's leaning over him more than she was before, and reaches out with her fingers pressed together to have her hands look like little paddles so she can slide them to the side of Eddie's hips. Only after she's basically groping him does she seem to realize what she's doing, but by then it's too late. She's committed. She needs to carry on. ]
You're pretty skinny. [ She lifts her hands away from his hips, careful to keep them the same distance apart, and brings them to her own hips as if she's measuring something. Which she is. ] I think I have some shorts that might fit you.
[ He smiles apologetically up at Chrissy as he watches how carefully she cleans and drives his feet so they won't ruin the carpet. She shouldn't have to deal with him while he's still kind of drunk. He gives a shrug -- or at least something resemble one. ][ There's a frown at the rejection of the drying idea. Yeah, that was probably pushing his luck, those things do make a lot of noise.
Then she's coming up with another idea, and Eddie raises his eyebrow. ]
Uh...are you sure? [ He looks down at his bottom half and then back up at Chrissy and tilts his head ot the side as if trying to compute how he could possibly fit in a pair of her shorts. ]
I'd, like, totally parade in my underwear and all but I wouldn't want to, you know, scar you for life or anything. [ He shoots her a smile to let her know that he's definitely teasing her. [But seriously, if you have, like, an oversized shirt or something, I'm wearing boxers, that might be enough for the night. We hang up my clothes to dry for now. Maybe?
[ When Laura Cunningham had encouraged Chrissy to take up swimming, it had been yet another way to keep her weight down. It's good exercise, Christine, she'd said. Lord knows you need all the help you can get to stay slim.
She'd been thrilled when Chrissy took so well to it, when she decided she really liked it, when she got good enough to become a lifeguard over the summer. It kept her busy, it kept her wearing something tight and spandex and therefore kept her nervous enough about her body that she didn't overeat, and it kept her out of the house. (That part was Chrissy's favorite.) It also, and this part wasn't planned for, kept her in close proximity to boys. (That was pretty good, too.)
Boys like Billy. She never would have been brave enough to even make eye contact with Billy at school if they hadn't been thrust together at the pool every day for the entire summer, but after a while, proximity breeds familiarity, and she realized she started to feel comfortable enough around him to actually talk to him. He's...well. He's a bad boy for sure, and he definitely knows it, but he is also kind of nice to look at, especially shirtless in his trunks. She's a red-blooded American girl, alright, she can look at a good-looking boy and admire what she sees, even if she knows better than to do more than look.
Her mother doesn't know that, though. And her mom has been such a bitch since Chrissy broke up with Jason, so much worse than usual, that right now all she wants to do is throw up a proverbial middle finger to her, to make her choke on the hopes and dreams she's been trying to shove down Chrissy's throat. She wants to make steam come out her ears, wants to make her spend the entire night screaming and fuming while Chrissy's out having a good time. What better way to do that than to go on a fake date with the baddest boy she knows?
She's just putting the finishing touches on her outfit when she hears the doorbell ring. Purposefully holding back so her mom will get to the door before she does, Chrissy lingers at the top of the stairs until she hears voices before letting herself run down them with the sort of reckless speed that would normally have her mom barking a reprimand at her, acutely aware of how her skirt flounces around her thighs, dangerously short if she moves too quickly. Perfect. ]
Billy! Hi. [ She slips past her mother and steps out onto the porch, immediately sliding her arm around Billy's waist and pressing herself up against him. They haven't really touched since the summer when they were doing rescue drills, but she's comfortable enough with him that she only feels a little bit flustered when she puts her hand on his chest right where his shirt is gaping far too low. ] Mom, you remember Billy, right? From the pool?
[ From the expression on her mom's face, the answer is unfortunately, yes. Even more perfect. ] He's taking me dancing. And, oh gosh, we need to leave if we don't want to be late.
[ Billy's quick to slide his arm around her when she steps in close, first just at her waist before slipping down to cup her ass, just enough of a squeeze to annoy without being too gross about it as he flashes her mother a grin, the kind specifically calculated to put parents at ease. He knows absolutely nothing about him is going to achieve that, but then that's most of the fun, and exactly the point. ]
Hello, Mrs Cunningham, it's great to finally meet you. Chrissy's told me so much about you.
[ His grin widens, and he can practically see her about to have an aneurysm. He can see she wants to tell Chrissy to get back inside, the words are basically already forming on her lips, so he steers her backwards and waves. That's their cue. ]
And she's absolutely right, we've gotta go if we want to get a good spot. Have a fantastic evening, I promise I won't get her back too late. Three's okay, right?
[ But he doesn't give the woman time to respond before he's ushering them off towards his car, hand still on her ass until he's got her in the passenger seat. Once he's in his own seat behind the wheel he grins at her more sincerely, laughing at the whole thing. ]
[ Jason was always careful to keep a respectful hand at the small of her back, no lower, when he picked her up for dates. He'd smile charmingly and call her mom ma'am, laugh and brush aside her attempts to get him to call her by her first name, and solemnly swear to have Chrissy home by ten.
Billy's in the ballpark, but it's painfully obvious he's play-acting to mock social convention, which is exactly what Chrissy wanted.
His hand cupping her ass as casual as can be has her biting her lip, nearly rising up on her toes, especially when he uses his grip to steer her towards the stairs. ]
Bye, mom! [ Giggling helplessly as Billy guides her down to the driveway, smacking him on the chest when he jokes about her curfew, Chrissy lets herself be led around to the passenger side of his car with his hand still comfortably curled around one cheek, her face pink and her mouth twitching with more poorly-suppressed laughter. That he opens the door for her and makes sure she gets it without hitting her head is noted, and she squeezes his arm gratefully as he pulls back and shuts the door before going around to his side and sliding in easy as can be. ]
Something tells me you've done this before, Billy. [ Craning her neck over her shoulder, she watches her mom start down the front steps and bursts into another fit of giggles. ] C'mon, let's get out of here fast before she slashes your tires.
[ Billy waits just long enough to wave, pleasant as can be, before gunning it down the street with a wicked grin. He does slow it down to a more reasonable speed once they're out of sight, and gives her a wink. In the blink of an eye the act he put on is gone, back to his usual cavalier attitude as he shrugs. ]
Maybe once or twice. If you'd wanted I could've had her eating out of the palm of my hand, but pissing 'em off is so much more fun.
[ The mood in the car shifts back to something Chrissy remembers from the pool over the summer, when Billy would flirt outrageously with any girl withing speaking distance and Chrissy would roll her eyes at him and pretend she wasn't a little bit flattered. It's not quite comfortable, but it is familiar. She's not dumb enough to ever be wholly comfortable with Billy. He's a bad boy, and she knows she's a challenge. But he's funny, and he only ever tried to snap the hem of her swimsuit against her ass once, and he really is nice to look at.
She's spent her evenings with worse company. ]
Sure. [ She eyes him skeptically, taking in his mullet and his earring and his too-low shirt with one raised eyebrow. ] I'd pay good money to see you all cleaned up and ready for church. That's the only way my mom would approve of you. And even then you'd be on thin ice.
[ He can practically feel her skepticism, like a wave of disbelief rolling over him, and he laughs, grinning widely, because he sure as hell doesn't blame her. ]
You don't think I could, do you. Just 'cause I ignore all the moves doesn't mean I don't still know 'em.
[ For all of his faults, Billy does have a nice laugh. Chrissy grins at him, rolling her eyes and primly pulling down the hem of her skirt and tucking it around her thighs to make sure it's still keeping her modesty. Forget that for most of their acquaintance, Billy's seen her in a spandex swimsuit which displayed one hell of a lot more skin than her current outfit. ]
[ He guides the car along the road, ultimately pulling into their destination with a resigned kind of grumble that doesn't last long. Be nice, be friendly, let her have a good time. ]
Careful or I might show up for Sunday dinner and prove you wrong. You ready?
[ She reaches out as he pulls the car into park, circling her fingers around the firm muscle of his forearm, waiting for him to look at her before grinning at him. ] You promise?
[ Laughing, she squeezes his arm before turning and opening her car door, slipping out and bouncing out of the car like she's powered by high-volt batteries, smoothing her skirt down and straightening her shirt so she looks good before they go inside. ] Born ready, baby. Let's go.
[ Baby. Right. What the hell did he get himself into? But he winks when she asks if he promises and gets out of the car, trying not to get caught off-guard by her bubbliness. It's....well it would be annoying if it were anyone else, but it weirdly works for her, and it's better than the darker looks he's caught when she thinks nobody's looking. He shakes his head to dispel that particular line of thought and follows after her, some last minute primping of his own as he walks.
No fun. The point of this whole outing is to prove that outside of the parameters he'd set there was no way he was going to have fun. ]
Yeah, yeah. Try to save some of that pep for the dance floor or whatever.
[ Chrissy's been a performer her whole life. At school, at church, at home... She's learned a few tricks to get herself through things without wanting to scream, even pleasant things, and one of those tricks is to approach a situation channeling the feeling she wants to carry her through to the end. She wants to have fun tonight, that's the whole point of forcing Billy to take her dancing, so she's going to have fun right from the start.
Hawkins isn't exactly the epicenter of a bustling nightlife, but the club is busy enough that she feels the need to slip her arm through Billy's, pressing in close. ]
[ But it's all tease, tongue pressed behind his teeth before he slips his arm out to drape across her shoulders instead as he steers them over to the bar, ordering a beer for himself, and indicating the bartender should get Chrissy whatever she asks for. ]
[ She hadn't expected him to take her with him, but she decides not to mention it as he steers them towards the bar and gets himself a beer. She's not upset to have the opportunity to get herself something to drink, and Billy's arm feels good around her shoulders. ]
Just a pop for me, please. [ The bartender asks her what kind, and she flusters a little, asking for a Coke, which then turns into a rum and Coke after she shoots Billy a little look like she's checking to make sure he won't tease her or isn't going to try and tell her not to drink. Jason would always make her just drink water when they went out.
She looks up at him and nods as they wait for their drinks to arrive. ] Yeah, it's nice. People are too busy having fun to pay attention to you. Takes the pressure off.
what about me reads as scary?? eddie, i wear pastel colors and ribbons in my hair when i'm not in uniform. none of that is scary! if anything, i look like a dork.
"pretending to be something more dangerous so other creatures will leave you alone?" that's you to a tee. i think if people knew how kind and thoughtful you are you'd be the most popular boy in school so you pretend to be all rough and gruff instead.
you do. and really, at the end of the day, that's kind of all i care about? let everyone else think i'm a threat. then at least they won't pick on the kids
i guess i just remember what it was like to be them. scared and alone. i wanted to make sure nobody had to feel like that, that they had a place where they could belong.
i'm so needy it's embarrassing. always bothering you about silly stuff. you can just tell me to shut up it's okay.
[ Eddie's pretty much the only person who hasn't passive-aggressively made it clear that Chrissy is a needy freak who needs to chill out and stop taking every little dig or snide comment personally even though that's clearly how they were intended to be taken.
He's always been so kind to her, she's terrified of messing that up. ]
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tfln @shreddie
Date: 2022-08-27 01:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-08-27 01:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-08-27 01:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-08-28 02:32 am (UTC)what is life without a little danger?
no subject
Date: 2022-08-28 03:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-08-28 02:12 pm (UTC)not TOO dangerously.
[ please keep tentacle demons away from him kthx ]
tfln @thefreak
Date: 2022-08-27 02:39 pm (UTC)[ She hates to think of the damage Eddie's boots could do to the trellis under her window. Even his high-tops are probably big enough to break a section or two off. Hopefully his feet are flexible enough to accommodate her parents' landscaping without destroying anything.
Things Chrissy never thought she'd be contemplating: whether or not Eddie can grip things with his toes. ]
i'm on the side by the garage. you can't miss it.
[ She does leave her window open, and her lights on to boot, just to prevent that particular horror show from coming to pass. Her mom wouldn't be nearly as happy to have a teenage metalhead climbing through her window as Chrissy. Deciding to channel her nervous energy into something useful, she sneaks out of her room to go grab some towels from the linen closet and also a spare blanket for good measure, something she can dangle out the window just in case. ]
💖
Date: 2022-08-28 02:43 pm (UTC)But walking this far away and somehow losing his shoes in the process? Yeah, not his brightest idea.
Thank fuck for Chrissy though, because the thought of walking back home while it's starting to rain is not exactly in his top ten things he wants to do. He just hopes that he can somehow make it up to Chrissy's window without causing a huge ruckus because the last thing he needs right now is to get Chrissy in trouble and ensure he is never welcome back to Cunningham residence.
Not that he'll ever be let through the front door, but that's a whole 'nother story.
He braces himself when he reaches her home, noticing the trellis immediately. This isn't going to be easy, and gym class has never been his strong suit. He can't help but think about how this feels very much like Romeo & Juliet, only he hopes it ends with less death, of course. By some miracle -- and maybe it's to do with the fact that he is, in fact, still barefoot -- he does manage to scale to the top and sees the open window that she described --
along with the towel that she's dangling out the window, which garners her a laugh. He presses his mouth against his arm to muffle the sound, lest he alert the rest of her family to his sneaking into her room. He maneuvers the rest of the way to the window and unceremoniously climbs through, collapsing onto his back with a wild grin up at Chrissy and a wave with the wiggle of his fingers. ]
Hey.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-28 03:37 pm (UTC)Sure, his music is really loud, and he can be pretty weird and intense sometimes, and his hair is wild and his clothes are a little intimidating, but apart from that?
He's just a boy, like any other boy she knows.
He's just a boy, she tells herself, hurrying over to her vanity to apply some lip gloss and finger-comb through her hair to make sure she doesn't look a mess. She's not wearing any other makeup, which is embarrassing, but hopefully Eddie's still drunk enough that he won't notice. She doesn't have time to put on concealer or her favorite eyeshadow, not even to swipe a little mascara over her lashes. Whatever. It's fine.
There's a bit of commotion outside her window, and by the time she's turned around to look, Eddie's got his top half dangling through, followed quickly by his legs as he tumbles in and lands on her soft pink shag carpet like a tipped-over turtle.
She can't help the way she giggles, lifting her hand to wiggle her fingers back at him. ]
Hi, Eddie.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-31 12:24 am (UTC)But now he feels safe. And still a little wobbly, which is probably apparent by the way he tries to sit up and then immediately decides that's a bad idea and lays back down. ]
Nice place you've got here.
[ He can't really see much from his position on the floor, but it looks very much like how he imagined it would. It's a stark contrast with is own, between his two guitars, the Corroded Coffin banner, and a mattress with god knows what kind of stain on it. ]
I think...I'm just gonna rest here for a while.
[ Maybe in the morning he'll be able to sneak out again, and walk the lonely hour long walk back home. Or maybe he'll be able to call one of his bandmates to get a ride. Or even Steve. But for now he's content to just stay where he is. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-08-31 01:46 am (UTC)You're soaked.
[ His normally frizzy hair looks about ten times bigger because of the moisture stuck in it, and his bathrobe looks like he's just pulled it out of the washer instead of the dryer, and while she knew he was coming over barefoot, it's one thing to understand a fact in the abstract and something entirely different to see him with wet and muddy feet thankfully tangled in the towel she'd left draped over the windowsill. ]
Oh, Eddie, your feet. [ It seems to be enough to motivate her to get up out of her seat, crossing over to where he's lying so she can kneel at his side, one hand settling on the hard knob of his knee through his pajama bottoms. ] Are you hurt or anything? [ She uses the edge of the towel to dab at the mud and leaves stuck to his skin, wrinkling her nose a little. Feet are weird, alright, and boy feet are even weirder. ] I don't really have anything dry for you to change into, I'm sorry.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-03 02:22 am (UTC)How observant of you.
[ It's spoken in a teasing tone, and honestly the fact that Eddie is somewhere dry and warm has him not nearly as worried about the state he is in right now. He feels like the situation finally a lot less dire. ]
What about my feet?
[ He tries to lift one up and scrunches his nose when he sees how dirty they look. A real shame about his shoes. He liked that pair. ] I don't feel hurt. But I don't feel much of anything? [ The cold and rain have numbed him a bit, but now that he's laying down, feeling is starting to come back to him. ]
Eh, it's okay. I think I'll live. [ He sighs when he feels her start to dab at him with the towel, cleaning his feet off. Yeah, this is definitely one of the weirder turn of events he's gone through. ] Do you have, like, a robe or something I can maybe wear while we dry my clothes?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-03 03:21 am (UTC)You really are still drunk, aren't you?
[ She pats his leg and tries to focus on finishing her self-imposed task as quickly as possible, feeling a little bit like Mary Magdalene drying Jesus's feet with her hair. All she needs to really complete the picture would be some perfume to dab on them later, to well and truly bring the situation from strange to downright bizarre.
It's just that she can't risk him getting mud and/or leaves in her carpet! A shag carpet seemed like a great idea in theory, but in practice, it's impossible to keep clean. ]
We can't use my dryer, I'm sorry. My mom would hear it going and she'd totally flip. [ Luckily his clothes don't seem to be that wet, just mostly uncomfortably damp, and if she hangs them up, they should dry okay overnight. She has a fan in her room, that will help. ] Although... [ Eyeing him consideringly, she rises up on her knees a little so she's leaning over him more than she was before, and reaches out with her fingers pressed together to have her hands look like little paddles so she can slide them to the side of Eddie's hips. Only after she's basically groping him does she seem to realize what she's doing, but by then it's too late. She's committed. She needs to carry on. ]
You're pretty skinny. [ She lifts her hands away from his hips, careful to keep them the same distance apart, and brings them to her own hips as if she's measuring something. Which she is. ] I think I have some shorts that might fit you.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-09 02:42 am (UTC)Then she's coming up with another idea, and Eddie raises his eyebrow. ]
Uh...are you sure? [ He looks down at his bottom half and then back up at Chrissy and tilts his head ot the side as if trying to compute how he could possibly fit in a pair of her shorts. ]
I'd, like, totally parade in my underwear and all but I wouldn't want to, you know, scar you for life or anything. [ He shoots her a smile to let her know that he's definitely teasing her. [But seriously, if you have, like, an oversized shirt or something, I'm wearing boxers, that might be enough for the night. We hang up my clothes to dry for now. Maybe?
fake dating @rockulikeahurricane
Date: 2022-08-29 03:08 am (UTC)She'd been thrilled when Chrissy took so well to it, when she decided she really liked it, when she got good enough to become a lifeguard over the summer. It kept her busy, it kept her wearing something tight and spandex and therefore kept her nervous enough about her body that she didn't overeat, and it kept her out of the house. (That part was Chrissy's favorite.) It also, and this part wasn't planned for, kept her in close proximity to boys. (That was pretty good, too.)
Boys like Billy. She never would have been brave enough to even make eye contact with Billy at school if they hadn't been thrust together at the pool every day for the entire summer, but after a while, proximity breeds familiarity, and she realized she started to feel comfortable enough around him to actually talk to him. He's...well. He's a bad boy for sure, and he definitely knows it, but he is also kind of nice to look at, especially shirtless in his trunks. She's a red-blooded American girl, alright, she can look at a good-looking boy and admire what she sees, even if she knows better than to do more than look.
Her mother doesn't know that, though. And her mom has been such a bitch since Chrissy broke up with Jason, so much worse than usual, that right now all she wants to do is throw up a proverbial middle finger to her, to make her choke on the hopes and dreams she's been trying to shove down Chrissy's throat. She wants to make steam come out her ears, wants to make her spend the entire night screaming and fuming while Chrissy's out having a good time. What better way to do that than to go on a fake date with the baddest boy she knows?
She's just putting the finishing touches on her outfit when she hears the doorbell ring. Purposefully holding back so her mom will get to the door before she does, Chrissy lingers at the top of the stairs until she hears voices before letting herself run down them with the sort of reckless speed that would normally have her mom barking a reprimand at her, acutely aware of how her skirt flounces around her thighs, dangerously short if she moves too quickly. Perfect. ]
Billy! Hi. [ She slips past her mother and steps out onto the porch, immediately sliding her arm around Billy's waist and pressing herself up against him. They haven't really touched since the summer when they were doing rescue drills, but she's comfortable enough with him that she only feels a little bit flustered when she puts her hand on his chest right where his shirt is gaping far too low. ] Mom, you remember Billy, right? From the pool?
[ From the expression on her mom's face, the answer is unfortunately, yes. Even more perfect. ] He's taking me dancing. And, oh gosh, we need to leave if we don't want to be late.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-29 01:58 pm (UTC)Hello, Mrs Cunningham, it's great to finally meet you. Chrissy's told me so much about you.
[ His grin widens, and he can practically see her about to have an aneurysm. He can see she wants to tell Chrissy to get back inside, the words are basically already forming on her lips, so he steers her backwards and waves. That's their cue. ]
And she's absolutely right, we've gotta go if we want to get a good spot. Have a fantastic evening, I promise I won't get her back too late. Three's okay, right?
[ But he doesn't give the woman time to respond before he's ushering them off towards his car, hand still on her ass until he's got her in the passenger seat. Once he's in his own seat behind the wheel he grins at her more sincerely, laughing at the whole thing. ]
So? How did I do?
no subject
Date: 2022-08-29 02:23 pm (UTC)Billy's in the ballpark, but it's painfully obvious he's play-acting to mock social convention, which is exactly what Chrissy wanted.
His hand cupping her ass as casual as can be has her biting her lip, nearly rising up on her toes, especially when he uses his grip to steer her towards the stairs. ]
Bye, mom! [ Giggling helplessly as Billy guides her down to the driveway, smacking him on the chest when he jokes about her curfew, Chrissy lets herself be led around to the passenger side of his car with his hand still comfortably curled around one cheek, her face pink and her mouth twitching with more poorly-suppressed laughter. That he opens the door for her and makes sure she gets it without hitting her head is noted, and she squeezes his arm gratefully as he pulls back and shuts the door before going around to his side and sliding in easy as can be. ]
Something tells me you've done this before, Billy. [ Craning her neck over her shoulder, she watches her mom start down the front steps and bursts into another fit of giggles. ] C'mon, let's get out of here fast before she slashes your tires.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-29 05:32 pm (UTC)Maybe once or twice. If you'd wanted I could've had her eating out of the palm of my hand, but pissing 'em off is so much more fun.
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Date: 2022-08-29 05:44 pm (UTC)She's spent her evenings with worse company. ]
Sure. [ She eyes him skeptically, taking in his mullet and his earring and his too-low shirt with one raised eyebrow. ] I'd pay good money to see you all cleaned up and ready for church. That's the only way my mom would approve of you. And even then you'd be on thin ice.
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Date: 2022-08-30 01:11 am (UTC)You don't think I could, do you. Just 'cause I ignore all the moves doesn't mean I don't still know 'em.
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Date: 2022-08-30 01:31 am (UTC)I'll believe that when I see it, Hargrove.
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Date: 2022-09-01 11:41 pm (UTC)Careful or I might show up for Sunday dinner and prove you wrong. You ready?
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Date: 2022-09-02 01:11 am (UTC)[ Laughing, she squeezes his arm before turning and opening her car door, slipping out and bouncing out of the car like she's powered by high-volt batteries, smoothing her skirt down and straightening her shirt so she looks good before they go inside. ] Born ready, baby. Let's go.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-07 05:18 pm (UTC)No fun. The point of this whole outing is to prove that outside of the parameters he'd set there was no way he was going to have fun. ]
Yeah, yeah. Try to save some of that pep for the dance floor or whatever.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-07 05:26 pm (UTC)Hawkins isn't exactly the epicenter of a bustling nightlife, but the club is busy enough that she feels the need to slip her arm through Billy's, pressing in close. ]
Go on, go get a drink. I know you want to.
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Date: 2022-09-11 07:46 pm (UTC)[ But it's all tease, tongue pressed behind his teeth before he slips his arm out to drape across her shoulders instead as he steers them over to the bar, ordering a beer for himself, and indicating the bartender should get Chrissy whatever she asks for. ]
Crowded enough for you in here?
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Date: 2022-09-18 01:07 am (UTC)Just a pop for me, please. [ The bartender asks her what kind, and she flusters a little, asking for a Coke, which then turns into a rum and Coke after she shoots Billy a little look like she's checking to make sure he won't tease her or isn't going to try and tell her not to drink. Jason would always make her just drink water when they went out.
She looks up at him and nods as they wait for their drinks to arrive. ] Yeah, it's nice. People are too busy having fun to pay attention to you. Takes the pressure off.
tfln @thefreak
Date: 2022-09-03 10:08 pm (UTC)you're talking about yourself again.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 04:15 am (UTC)what? am not!
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Date: 2022-09-06 10:19 am (UTC)"pretending to be something more dangerous so other creatures will leave you alone?" that's you to a tee. i think if people knew how kind and thoughtful you are you'd be the most popular boy in school so you pretend to be all rough and gruff instead.
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Date: 2022-09-07 03:54 am (UTC)huh, well when you put it that way, i guess maybe i do take after nature sometimes.
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Date: 2022-09-07 12:25 pm (UTC)lucky for me i can see through your disguise, though. i know how nice you are.
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Date: 2022-09-08 04:22 am (UTC)you do. and really, at the end of the day, that's kind of all i care about? let everyone else think i'm a threat. then at least they won't pick on the kids
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Date: 2022-09-08 08:05 am (UTC)you're really sweet with them. they look up to you a lot and i can see why.
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Date: 2022-09-09 03:09 am (UTC)i guess i just remember what it was like to be them. scared and alone. i wanted to make sure nobody had to feel like that, that they had a place where they could belong.
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Date: 2022-09-09 03:25 am (UTC)you make me feel that way too. like i don't have to be alone. like i could belong. it means the world to me.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-09 09:35 pm (UTC)really, i do that? well, shit, i wasn't even trying, but. i'm glad you feel like you belong with me.
tfln @munstar
Date: 2022-09-06 10:24 am (UTC)[ Eddie's pretty much the only person who hasn't passive-aggressively made it clear that Chrissy is a needy freak who needs to chill out and stop taking every little dig or snide comment personally even though that's clearly how they were intended to be taken.
He's always been so kind to her, she's terrified of messing that up. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-11 07:32 am (UTC)And second: I'm not going to tell you to shut up.
[He might do something to distract her if it seems like she's upset, but that's not the same thing.]
You okay?