Hawkins 68.8

Masterlist

Hawkins 68.8

Pairing: Eddie Munson x f!reader

Word Count: 15.9k

Content: Fluff

Summary: When Eddie Munson starts paying attention to the host of Hawkins best radio station, he finds himself transfixed with a mystery. Who is Radio Girl?

**Hiya! I have an idea for a really heartbreaking epilogue to this little one shot. Let me know if you're interested! I hope to have more stuff coming out soon.**

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"HEY THERE HAWKINS! Boys and girls, ladies and gents, preppy snobs and the rest of you normal folk, it's a lovely 30 degrees on this Manic Monday morning. So, I suggest a sweater or jacket unless you're expecting help from that 'special' someone. If you're hoping to be late for work or school, take Addams Ave. Seems a log truck has tipped over, or maybe God's playing Lincoln Logs. Either way, a great way to waste forty-five minutes on your morning drive. Well, that's all the news for this sleepy town at the top of the hour. It's 6am, March 3rd guys. This has been your best friend, nagging mother, annoying little sister, girl in the hall, fantasy mystery girl starting off your morn by opening your mind. Let's get back to the music! Here's Van Halen..."

Thundering drums shook the floor of the trailer. The vibration was enough to start lulling him back to sleep. Crashing symbols finally jerked the boy fully awake, half scaring him to death. Eddie was surprised to find it more appealing than his usual wake up call from his Uncle. One thing was sure, his blood was pumping now. He found himself humming along as he got around for school. The older man was making breakfast, both looking tired from his late shift and pleased thanks to the radio.

"This station is alright," Wayne noted, turning the music down now that Eddie was awake. That was high praise from the man.

"Better than what you usually wake me up with," Eddie chuckled and listened, fully amused, as his Uncle grumbled about how disappointing it was that no one listened to Johnny Cash anymore. They shuffled around one another in a familiar rhythm. Plates were filled with eggs and toast. Coffee was poured. Songs began to switch in the background, never something Eddie recognized but not overall terrible. Better than anything the other radio stations around Hawkins played.

"I like the girl," Wayne commented when his plate was finally clean.

"What girl?"

"The one who hosts the show. C'mon Ed, you're smarter than that."

Eddie sighed, pushing the food around on his plate. "Oh. I always tune out the announcers. It's not like anything they say will matter for me."

"Well that's a load of bull. I know you don't exactly like it here, but maybe there are some things worth hearing about." Wayne was always trying to get Eddie out into the town. Eddie assumed it was because his Uncle wanted him to get a job or a life outside of his interests. It never occurred to him that Wayne might want his nephew to be seen as the good kid he actually was. But before Eddie could argue, Wayne was turning up the volume once more.

"That was Burning Down The House, Talking Heads. This short little break is to remind folks that Cookie Season is almost over! Only a few more weeks left to order those tantalizing, hip widening, good for the soul, Girl Scout Cookies. Hawkins Troop 815 will be down by Bradley's Big Buy from 4 to 5pm, Monday through Thursday. Ring the station for more direct information and help those girls get to summer camp!

And of course we can not forget that Spring Break is on the way. Hawkins YMCA, in conjunction with the Public Pool, are hosting free swimming lessons for kids four to eight. Jerry and Gina want to thank all the listeners who got out and donated to make this opportunity possible.

Last thing gang, Hawkins High and Middle School will be  doing a book drive starting at the end of March. They want to get the word out to you fine people early to put it on your calendars! All books will be split between the Elementary, Middle, and High School. Get some forgotten books into the hands of an excited kid. We're taking everything from textbooks to comic books, so get to boxing!

That's enough of me. Thanks so much for this special request song, may it remind you of your dwarvish homeland while on adventures dear Nog."

So many things surprised Eddie that he wasn't sure what to latch onto. For one, his uncle was smiling a great deal. Two, the radio announcer was a girl. Three, she'd just mentioned Dustin Henderson's Dungeons and Dragons character as the person who sent in a special request. And four, Dio was playing on the radio. Rainbow in the Dark. So many thoughts raced through his head, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. He didn't have a lot of time to ruminate on things before his uncle was lecturing him again.

"Like that girl. See son, you've got so many things goin' on that you can take advantage of. Sure they'll need help at that book thing that's coming up. You like to read. Could be a good time."

"Not sure they'll like havin' me. My grimey fingers getting all over the books," Eddie sighed, pushing away his plate. His mind was still on overdrive about the announcer.

"Never know 'til ya ask. Plus you could learn a few things from that show. This morning, right when I was getting off work, there was a whole talking section about the detriment of societal structures. Something about how school popularity contests are taking away from the real purpose of group education. Didn't mean a ton to me, but sounded like something you'd agree with." With that, Wayne ruffled the boy's mop of hair and drug himself to the couch to sleep.

For a moment, Eddie sat perplexed at the small kitchen table. The music surrounded him, comfortable and familiar. His foot absentmindedly tapped along while his thoughts raced out ahead of him. He didn't think any girl at Hawkins High would openly defy the popularity caste system. And she had to be a student, she knew Henderson. The only person that kid knew outside of the school was Steve Harrington. Eddie was lucky that the radio volume was still up, or else he would've stayed locked in his thoughts when the most important announcement was given.

"Alright people, coming up is our non-stop hour of rock. You know what that means! It's 7am. See you all on the other side."

If it wasn't for that, Eddie definitely would have been late for school.

***

"Phew. Right, okay. Set the cassettes in the player... timer on for automatic switch over..." You felt the sting of stress in your forehead as you concentrated on the machines. Though you'd set this up over a hundred times at this point, the process always offered a heavy wave of anxiety. Even the thought of dead air was something you couldn't allow; it had happened once and the police had been called - someone thought you were having some emergency. Luckily the old sheriff didn't hold it against you. Even more luckily, Mr.Clark had done all the talking and you didn't have to face the terrifying prospect of directly communicating with anyone new.

"All set?" The teacher poked his head in the door.

"All set."

"Good because you'll have to book it," The man swung open the AV room, more like closet, door and waved a frantic hand.

You followed his prompting, throwing your bag over your shoulder and rushing down the hall.

"Thanks Mr.C!" The call over your shoulder stopped him by the side door, him needing to head back across the parking lot to the middle school.

He gave a wave, accompanied by a reminder, "Don't forget Kaminsky is helping you lock up today!"

A brief nod was all the response you had time for. The crowds had already thinned, allowing for faster travel in the hallways. By the time the bell rang, you were non-discriptly slipping into your seat. Incessant chatter rattled around the classroom. It was easy to let the white noise lull your sleep deprived body. A sudden rapping on your desk brought you back to reality. Ahead of you, a stern looking older man was forcing together fluffy gray eyebrows. The look was harsh, but the words he muttered were layered with a kinder tone.

"Take a nap in study hall y/l/n, not my class."

"Sorry Mr. Kaminsky," Your hands brushed through your hair as you gave a sheepish smile. The tiniest relaxation of his brow confirmed he wasn't truly upset.

Conversations dwindled to hushed whispers as the man took command of the room. Cool sunlight flushed the blackboard, chilly air penetrated the window panes and seeped through your clothes. Now shivering and scribbling pencils accompanied the rhythm of murmurs around you. Staring at your own notes, you couldn't help but focus in on the gossip around you over the repeat introduction of Newton's laws.

"I couldn't believe it! That freak took up the whole lesson yesterday asking questions about ... I don't even remember... like narration something? ...Basically how a book should like, be structured to make sense. We spent the whole lesson! Like, excuse me psycho, but some of us want to just get the answers for the test and move on."

"Ugh. If that devil worshiper thinks anyone's gonna care about some freak story he comes up with - he's even crazier than he acts."

"Bet it'd be some like, horror thing. Like a sacrifice manual."

The conversation dissolved into cruel snickers. Your expression had tightened, frustration building in your chest. Still, the lack of sleep had left your mind unprepared to hold back your sharpened tongue. "Yes, because having a genuine academic interest in something must be a mark of the beast. Everyone knows shopping is close to godliness."

"What?" The girl behind you shrieked. Your pencil ripped a gash across the page, eyes widening a fraction and jaw clenching closed. You held your breath and silently gave thanks for Mr.Kaminsky handling his classroom.

"Miss Charmichael! Is there something confusing about Newton's Laws of Motion?" The old man's tone was just as harsh and biting as your own. You had to bite your lip harshly to keep from laughing.

"N-no! Y/l/n said something and-"

"Has anyone here ever heard Miss y/l/n speak out of turn?"

Suddenly your face was burning. It seemed particularly cruel of the teacher to embarrass you whilst dealing with the bratty girl behind you. But, you guessed it was fair - seeing as you had been talking during the class. The classroom was uncomfortably quiet under the hawk-like eye of Kaminsky. However, he actually seemed to want an answer this time, refusing to move on with the lesson while his question was unfulfilled. Truthfully, you were close to confessing just to get out of the discomfort.

Then someone came to the rescue.

"Y/l/n talk in class? Never."

You couldn't help but crane your head around, glancing past the obnoxious girls behind you to the lab table beside them. There, sharing a mischievous smile, was none other than the 'freak' Charmichael was talking about: Eddie Munson.

He locked eyes with you for a second. An incredibly brief flash of a softer, yet guarded look passed over his features. You quickly turned back to face your desk. The last thing you wanted was any more attention.

"First question you've answered in my class Mr.Munson, and correctly too. May this nice turn of events continue." Kaminsky nodded and returned to the lesson.

Your notes, however, were no longer focused on the laws of motion. Instead, a new radio discussion was taking shape on the page.

***

Eddie's day was starting off better than he'd expected. Good music thanks to his Uncle and this new Hawkins radio station, having y/l/n stick up for him before class could even begin, and the mystery of this radio jockey to keep his mind occupied. Y/l/n had quickly evaded him when he tried to say thank you. The poor girl's face went white. Her grip on a particularly thick collection of Poe stories tightened. She offered only a hasty nod before disappearing down the hall. Her doe eyed expression had brightened his smile even more. He couldn’t help it, she was positively adorable. Eddie hoped he hadn't scared her.

His thoughts didn't linger there much longer as a curly headed fiend dropped into his seat. The cafeteria was crowded and loud, but Eddie was too focused to let anything other than the mystery take hold of him. Dustin Henderson had the answer to his question and he was going to get it out of him no matter what.

"Man, everyone is so testy today. I kid you not! Mrs.Click is totally out to get us. I dropped my pencil and she chewed my head off. I -" Dustin rapidly rambled, organizing his lunch before cutting himself off with a large bite.

"Great. Who's the radio girl?"

Dustin nearly choked. Mike stiffened, shooting a look at Lucas before shoving his own lunch in his mouth. Apparently having a full mouth was the first safe guard to not answering Eddie's question.

"Who are you talking about?" Lucas gave a lackluster performance.

"Well I'm not sure, that's why I asked. Woke up this morning to an energetic voice giving out a special request song to Nog. Figured that few people knew of that guy, so you have to know her. Right Dustin?" Eddie kept eyeing the boy, leaning forward to help increase the pressure.

"I- uh, psh, I dunno what you're talking about. Eddie, man, dude, there's no way I know about someone you don't know about."

"Wow. That was crap." Mike's voice was deadpan.

Dustin, immediately, fought back, "Thanks Mike! You're really helping out here. Think you could do more than sit on your ass? Party sticks together man. Coulda backed me up!"

The two boys began bickering animatedly. Eddie sighed, shaking his head before ultimately intervening.

"That's enough. I don't care who tells me. I just want to know how you three losers know this radio girl."

Lucas, Mike, and Dustin shared looks of concern. Then, their shoulders slumped in and Eddie knew he'd won.

"We know her from AV club," Mike answered slowly.

"You're in another club?" This took Eddie off track for a moment.

The boys nodded. Mike continued, "We did it mostly in middle school. But y-... our friend, she was the only member for years so she came over and helped us out when Mr.Clark started it up again."

Before Eddie could ask his next question, Lucas was already answering it. "We can't tell you who she is, man. She's like, really really shy. Even though she's older than us, she was terrified the first time we met her."

"Seriously. She's great, awesome, stupid smart, but meeting you would probably kill her." Dustin shook his head.

"Are we talking about the same person? The one who apparently gives radio shows calling out how dumb popularity is and plays decent music? She's shy?"

"Deathly dude. Why do you think she runs a radio show?" Dustin looked at Eddie as if he'd just cheered over a nat one.

Lucas continued to flex his emotional maturity, calmly and clearly stating the situation. "She has a hard time talking in front of people. That was why she joined AV club in the first place. It's a lot easier for her to communicate over the phone or walkie. Somehow it got her excited enough to start the show. We give her requests and she uses our D&D names so no one knows it's her."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so you can't just go asking around and trying to figure it out, okay? It's like a big deal. She'd totally be hounded every day. No one can know. And dude, imagine being absolutely terrified of talking to people and then loud mouth of the school Eddie Munson shows up trying to talk to you. It'd scare you to death." Mike interjected.

"I'm not a loud mouth!"

"Eccentric then," Dustin rolled his eyes.

"You do realize this makes me want to figure it out more, right?" Eddie sighed, clearly frustrated by his friends.

"You can either track her down and cause her to panic, or you can leave her alone and keep the best radio station in Hawkins going. That's up to you man," Dustin shoved a finger into Eddie's shoulder.

Their table sat in an awkward silence for a moment, no one quite sure what to say after the freshman had dressed down their fearless leader. Everyone seemed lost in thought.

"I'll leave it alone... for now," Eddie relented. "I'd never want to scare anyone."

"You're not scary!" Dustin squealed, now overcome with guilt from playing into the rest of the school's view of him.

"We just mean, like you're an excitable guy and talk loud and that would totally make her feel insanely shy." Lucas explained.

"Let's- let's listen! The show's on now!" Mike suggested.

"How? It's lunch?"

All the boys smiled softly and shrugged at Eddie. It was clear they enjoyed holding some information over their dungeon master.

"She's just that good," Dustin beamed.

***

"Today's Lunchtime Layout is an offshoot of the Five AM Free Meeting. We're continuing to look into the current state of education. Parents and teachers alike are in an uproar over the low testing scores. If you're looking for a way to bolster education, here's your sign. Lunchtime Layout proudly presents... How Music and Art helps your kids more than Sports -"

You heard your voice switch off from one of the tables as you passed by. Focusing on the surprisingly decent lunch on your tray allowed you to hide the smile that crept onto your lips. It was funny to see the athletes pissed off. They were too stupid to understand that almost none of them could score a scholarship with just their atheletic performance, which just proved your Lunchtime Layout even more. Still, somewhere in the cacophony of voices, your own could still be heard. At least someone thought you were still worth listening to.

Clattering your tray next to Robin, a girl from your band class, you let yourself be content in her conversation. Robin could always talk enough for the both of you - it's part of what made her a good friend.

"D'you think that Kaminsky is an alien? I wouldn't be surprised. The way he runs things feels so foreign, weird. I swear I heard him speaking another language the other day. Just out of the blue! Like he forgot English. That's some alien crap, right?"

You chuckled, as always finding Robin amusing. "It's Polish. His family's from Poland, they escaped to America because of World War II. Thought you would recognize it since you supposedly speak Russian."

"Okay we'll circle back to that in a minute because you just said three full sentences. In a row. At lunch," Robin was very surprised. You must've still been tired.

"Don't get used to it," You teased before starting to eat.

She returned to her theory stating that instead of an alien, Kaminsky could be a secret agent posted here in Hawkins to ensure that Russians didn't take control of the town - cause 1) clearly the Russians would need control of Hawkins, Indiana and 2) the Polish hate the Russians right?

You weren't so sure about that, but continued to let her babble. It was hard to miss that your own voice was still cutting through the crowd. Most people had turned off the discussion, not willing to let their popularity status be questioned by a random stranger. But there was someone listening. And before you could stop yourself, you were scanning the room for the sound.

Dustin Henderson looked right at you and then immediately away. That boy couldn't be more obvious if he tried. An eyebrow raised as you waited for him to flick his eyes back to you. With a simple nod you directed his attention and gave a small excuse to Robin.

"Vending machine. Want anything?"

"Yoohoo if they have it."

"You do realize that you can get actual chocolate milk in the cafeteria, right?" You couldn't help but scold her a bit.

"I see nothing wrong with Chocolate drink," She chuckled, shooing you away.

Rowdy conversation attacked your ears as you slipped through the lunchroom practically unnoticed. Irritated grumbles from the basketball team caused you to quickly skirt their realm of influence, coming up to the vending machine just behind the curly haired kid. Dustin pretended to be thinking.

"You don't have any change, do you?" You rolled your eyes.

"Didn't expect to have a secret spy mission today," He retorted.

"Well, you tell me what you're acting so squirrely about and I'll get you whatever you like." You knew bribery would do wonders. Afterall, you were bribing him to be on your side.

"Even... Reece's Pieces?"

"You heard me, Henderson."

"We were listening to the show."

"See I gathered as much. Why did you stare at me, dummy?"

"Couldn't help it. Eddie was asking and-"

"What?"

You whipped Dustin around to look at you, fear being held just behind your stony countenance. The poor kid cowered for a moment before recognizing this similar frustration and hanging his head in shame. You moved him out of the way and bought the candy and a soda. With strict gestures, you handed the package out to the boy. Your words were stringent, "Please, just... Dustin I-I can't-"

"I know. We have your back. Swear."

A bit of a smile tickled the corner of your lips. At least you could always count on these dorks.

"Thank you. Oh, and let me know if they ever get that new microphone in at Radio Shack."

And then, just as you were turning to leave, you fully registered what Dustin had told you.

"Wait... Eddie Munson?"

***

Eddie was perplexed. It seemed to be the theme of the day. He drowned himself in the words coming through the walkie ahead of him. An inspiring speech, a clear concise argument built off of interviews and sound science, as well as a complete and unyielding passion held Eddie's attention tightly. He'd never heard anyone speak so candidly. He'd never thought anyone could validate his interests with such fervor and true excitement. In the crowded, painfully loud cafeteria, all Eddie could hear was this radio voice.

When the boy turned to comment to his friends, Dustin was missing. Eddie couldn't help but look for him. He was nearly back at their table, candy pouring into his hand. The boy downed a handful, a smile appearing on his face.

"Where did you get that?" He barked.

Dustin's eyes went wide before offering a clearly fake shrug. "The vending machine, dummy."

"You never have money for the vending machine. Why'd you even go up there?" Lucas eyed him. A blatant look of 'stop asking' was shared. It didn't take long for Eddie to connect the dots.

"She's here?"

The three boys were struck with fear. They began clamoring over one another, desperetly trying to keep Eddie from doing anything rash, reckless, or downright stupid. He'd never seen them beg like this before. It reminded him that just minutes ago they were telling him to back off of the radio girl, to not stress out their extremely shy friend. At least he could trust their loyalty - seeing them rabidly snapping at him proved as much.

He held a finger up to his lips. "I'm just surprised is all. I haven't even looked around the room yet -" Though the more he fought his curiosity, the more he wanted to give into it - "Just let me listen to the rest of this. Okay?"

He pulled the walkie closer to him, getting distracted by the conversation again. The band teacher was explaining how all students involved in a musical pursuit within the school, on average, scored higher on math testing. Radio girl then added that students involved in theatre or vocal music tended to achieve higher standards in English and Literature in comparison to non-artistically involved students. Eddie was blissfully unaware of the younger boys watching him, cataloging every tiny nod and slight smile at the girl's words. They didn't miss the subtle disappointment that wrinkled his forehead as the segment came to a close. Nor did they miss the sparkle in the boy's eye when the Live at Five Q&A segment was mentioned.

***

Eddie sped home that afternoon, immediately turning on the radio and sitting ceremoniously by the phone. As soon as the number was laid out for callers, he dialed at lightning speed. His leg bounced rapidly as the line rang over and over. Eddie almost hung up when a few other people got answered before him. It was stupid to be waiting on some unseen person to answer a question he hadn't even come up with yet. Why was this such a big deal anyway? He was acting irrational and-

"Hey there, you're on the air! What's your name?"

Eddie froze. Sure he'd just imagined it, he went back to waiting. The radio hissed, empty.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

"Yes! Hi! Hello!" He nearly jumped out of his seat. His own voice echoed back to him.

"Phew, thought I'd lost ya there. What's your name?"

"Um, Ed-ward. Edward."

"Well, Edward, what's your question?"

Eddie wasn't sure what was going on. He hadn't thought this far ahead when it came to talking to, finding this radio girl. Luckily, his mouth was already running ahead of him. It had offered a fairly thoughtful question.

"Your discussion earlier talked about the academic success of artistic and musical students. I'd consider myself those things, but I haven't done well in school at all. What should I do?"

"Hmm." The girl's voice was soft, pressed as tightly to his ear as he could get it through the receiver. "Okay... do you test well?"

Eddie was surprised. He didn't think he was going to be answering any questions. "Uh, yeah. I guess so?"

"And do you happen to be heavily dedicated to a few, highly specific creative endeavors?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with it?"

"Edward, my friend, I have a possible answer to your question. The fact is, most artistically gifted students have a difficult time being successful in school. Current curriculums don't satisfy the creative instinct nor the competitive drive. Seeing as you hyper focus and test well, I'd wager you have some sort of Attention Deficit Disorder. Now, I'm not a psychologist, but the chance is high. It would explain how commonplace studies don't interest you and therefore your focus turns to more satisfying pursuits such as music and stories. Most artistic types are what psychologists call, neurodivergent. Basically, our brains don't work the same as other peoples. That's why normal methods don't always work for you. Things that can help include making games out of studying, imploring methods to keep you working - reward systems."

Eddie seemed transfixed. Other than the kids, no one ever deigned to speak to him as an equal. Classmates looked down on him, condescended to him. Teachers either did the same or spoke over his head. Who the hell was this girl? Before their conversation could continue, a strange and angry tone buzzed through the radio and phone.

"Hang on there. Stay on the line," The girl said into the phone. Then her voice was loudly coming through the speakers again. "Thanks for the question! That was the signal for our music break folks. We'll be back with more questions after this."

Laid back guitar riffs filled the empty space her voice left behind. Eddie hung onto the phone, not willing to hang up but unsure he'd heard her correctly.

"Hey, still there?"

He'd heard her correctly. Eddie wasn't sure why he was so nervous. It felt like a delicate situation, music in the background as he now conversed with the girl off the air.

"Y-yeah, I'm still here."

"Good. I just wanted to say... you're not stupid. Whatever you have going on, just know that. Okay?"

Eddie was frozen again.

"Edward?"

He smiled at her using his full name. No one ever did that. He wasn't sure why he'd given it except it made him feel less like 'Eddie the freak'. He didn't know who she was and she wouldn't know who he was. It felt right. Dramatic irony even.

"Thank you, Radio Girl." He couldn't help but smile.

"Anytime."

***

Eddie was howling. Tears were forming in his eyes and he had to gasp to catch his breath. A chorus of giggles continued on the other end of the line. It was a killer sound. For the fifth afternoon in a row, his right ear was glued to the phone. Somehow their discussion of reader engagement had turned into a chat about Dracula, which had then dissolved into campish, drawn out, terrible jokes. Still, they were both laughing.

He'd slowly figured out things about the girl. She was in fact a student at Hawkins, likely a senior as she was taking the few advanced classes the school offered. He was certain they even had classes together: English and Physics to be exact. Radio Girl loved high fantasy, having nearly gone to tears discussing Arwen's plight of troth to Aragorn - a fact that surprised Eddie with a weak-kneed response. Even more than high fantasy, she adored gothic literature. He could remember the exact English project she'd done, detailing the history of the gothic writer's 'party'. A near thirty minute presentation discussing how Mary Shelley, her husband, and Lord Byron created both Frankenstein and Vampires over one hang-out. Hearing her talk about it again had pulled every memory back.

Except, of course, who she was.

"It just is so damn funny that Polidori and Bram Stoker thought Lord Byron was so damn dramatic that he'd be the perfect person to shift the vampire character to. I love the idea of this overly dramatic dude being considered a supernatural creature ‘cause he dislikes people and pulls chicks left and right!"

"I can't imagine Dracula any other way. Dude, when I learned about who Byron based vampires on, I nearly wet myself. That dude was scary. I prefer dark, mysterious man who's so hot women let him kill them."

"Well, it is killing them with a dramatic flair. So I kinda see the appeal." Radio Girl was still laughing. Joking around as if they were long time friends.

A sneaky smile tugged at Eddie's lips, "You find dramatics appealing?"

There was a bit of silence, the girl either confused or flustered at his question. But her wit seemed to regain itself, "I find all dramatics from dark, mysterious men appealing. Did you not know I'm a renaissance woman reincarnate?"

He laughed again.

"But back to the point from, wow, fifty minutes ago - make sure your friends feel invested in the story. You have to help them get attached to the characters you are writing about. Make the characters' hopes and dreams their hopes and dreams. Get your friends on the characters' side: have them love the loved ones, sidekicks, etc. just as much as the characters do. That way when the bad guy steals the main character's one chance at... I don't know, bringing their parent's killer to justice, your friends feel just as betrayed as the character does. Make it hurt, man."

"Was that a Batman reference?" Eddie teased. In truth, he was deflecting from the overwhelming grip she had on his chest. The kids weren't lying when they'd told him about how eloquent she was over the phone or radio. He couldn't imagine her stumbling for a phrase as she apparently did in real life. Every word out of her seemed to be an instant masterpiece.

Eddie could listen to her talk for hours, and had every day since he'd first paid attention to her show. They’d gone back and forth, Eddie hiding his D&D campaign as a story he was writing - still keeping their identities vague. He needed more puzzle pieces before revealing himself.

"What part of 'I find dark, mysterious, dramatic men appealing' don't you get?"

Their laughter echoed in his ears, but her words began to replay in his mind. Maybe he would be able to tell her who he was. After all, some people would say he was dark, mysterious, and dramatic-

"EDDIE! C'MON MAN! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO START FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO!" Mike Wheeler's voice cut through the thin walls of the trailer.

"Edward? Is that-" Radio Girl's voice had shrunk significantly. A slight waver shook his name.

"I'm really sorry. I forgot about this thing with my friends and they've been waiting. Talk tomorrow. Bye Radio Girl!" He slammed the phone down on the receiver. The door to the trailer whipped open, Eddie peering down in frustration at the Hellfire Club outside his door.

Mike grumbled to himself as he ignored the glare, "The least you could do is let us in on time since we had to do this here instead of school."

"You just interrupted an incredibly important phone call, Wheeler. If you want death, I am more than happy to oblige." Eddie snapped back.

Instead of the fear Eddie had anticipated, Mike, as well as Dustin and Lucas, had the biggest grin on his face. The three kids tried to cover their snickers. Eddie only got more frustrated.

"Oh, we know about your phone calls," Dustin hummed. "Heard you call in every night this week and ask a question. Seems like Max was right."

Mike groaned, "Man, I owe her five bucks."

"What are you talking about?" Eddie offered his most intimidating look. They all got their acts back together. It didn't last long. They could help but send shit-eating grins his way as Lucas answered.

"Max said she heard you talking to a girl on the phone. Apparently you're a noisy neighbor. I recognized that our friend was mysteriously absent during the hour of rock. No ads, no track listings."

"That's not-"

"Don't even lie. We just heard everything." Mike grinned. The whole group, not just the freshmen, began mocking Eddie's recent laughs and compliments and comments to the Radio Girl. Each time he tried to stop them, they got worse. He was tamping down a heavy blush as much as he could. He was glad to think of her nonetheless. And to be reminded of her advice.

The campaign tonight? He was definitely gonna make it hurt.

***

The calls became a habit. For two weeks, 'Edward' would call in for the Q&A. He always seemed much more prepared than your usual callers. His questions were thoughtful, not just asking for a restating of what had already been said. He also seemed to be perfectly placed in the call line, redirecting your attention and lightening your mood after particularly aggressive or rude individuals. When your classmate inspired discussion on narrative structure came out, Edward had had so many questions that you had him call back. Your music hour was exactly that, the boy on the other side of the phone dragging you into passionate conversation that kept you from even giving track listings out. The next ten days followed the same pattern. You found yourself pleased at his consistency. That pleasure became an excitement, an anticipation. By the time you noticed the change, you were considering opening the phone lines in the morning in the hopes that he'd call.

In a worried haze, you wandered through the crowded halls. Crystal clear chimes of the bell meant nothing to your furiously thinking mind. If you'd slowed yourself down, you would have realized that you were about to walk directly into the closed doors. But you were processing a mile a minute and were lining up the perfect shot. It was by grace of the universe alone that someone stopped you.

"Hey! Watch out!"

You blinked. Your nose was an inch away from the glass. Stumbling back, you felt your heart pounding in your chest. A pair of hands lightly landed on your shoulders, a slightly blurry figure coming into focus. Soft, sweet brown eyes blinked at you. They were filled with worry and the tiniest glint of humor. It would have been funny to you too if you weren't about to freak out.

"Hate to break it to ya y/l/n, but you can't walk through walls."

"Can't blame a girl for trying."

You weren't sure how a coherent sentence came out of you. Especially not one that made the boy ahead of you laugh. It was ironic, being kept out of harms way by Eddie Munson only to have him drop a massive bomb in your life. And he didn't know it at all. But that laugh? You knew that laugh very well.

With ease, your mind pieced together a puzzle that should have been obvious: Edward "Eddie" Munson.

***

"You WHAT?"

"You heard me."

"How did this happen?"

"It's not my fault! It just happened!" Exasperation strained your voice. Robin looked at you, gaping. All she could offer was disbelief.

"Things like this don't just happen y/n! You've just been what, conversing with some metalhead on the daily? When? What class? Because I've never gotten more than two sentences out of you in a row. Do you even have a class together? How do you know him? True, Steve and I know of him ‘cause of the twerps, but that doesn't explain you. I mean, how, how, do you of all people get into conversations with Eddie Munson? To the point that you're clearly flustered about it?"

A long, stringent sigh escaped your lips. An overwhelming blush covered your whole body. "Well, you may not believe me if I tell you."

"Then come up with some sort of proof. I mean, this is insane-" Robin was about to go into another rant.

"I have a way. But you have to swear not to mention this."

"Why?"

"Because my how is unbelievable and the proof of it comes in the form of three kids."

***

The AV room seemed a lot less impressive when you were going to have guests. The recordings were going to plan, finished homework laid strewn atop your backpack, and dust sat in little sweeped piles just cleared from the heavy machines. Large headphones hung around your neck while a pre-recorded ad played over the radio. Music would be going when people arrived. There'd be time enough to hush their voices, prove your point to Robin, and likely enter the most embarrassing conversation of your life when Dustin, Lucas, and Mike asked why you were revealing this secret to your friend.

The phone rang, an odd occurrence so early in the morning. You thought about letting it go to the machine, but the nerves of the coming confession had you going on muscle memory.

"Hello?"

"Oh, you're there! I mean, of course you are the show is going. I-I just didn't expect an answer this early."

"Ed-ward?"

Without warning your heart was thundering in your chest. You blinked back the surprise. Everyone you knew was on the way at this very moment. You had to get off the phone with Eddie and calm down.

With Eddie.

It was the first time you'd thought of him that way; using a colloquial title, nickname, something that made you feel closer than over the phone companions.

"I was just hoping to leave ya a fun message, say good morning. Thought it might be a nice idea. Ya know. Just a normal, non-creepy, morning wake-up call... er... greeting. Wanting to ensure a day of merriment for you dear lady! And now I'm going crazy. Anyway, I won't see you around the school or I will. Who knows?! Think I should hang up now lest I verbally vomit some more-"

"E-Ed-ward?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. I hope you have a good morning too."

Goodbyes were offered softly, a rosy blush burning your face. With a sturdy click, the next tape began to whir. The last one before you needed to take charge of everything again. The headphones around your neck buzzed with rock. You realized you’d been snuck in more metal than you used to. You hoped Eddie appreciated that, knew it was for him. What was supposed to be your next discussion topic turned into a gushing dorkfest as your pencil drug silly little hearts across the page. 

The door swung open with a loud squeal. You shook in your chair, surprised and irritated. The group filed in, Dustin quickly grabbing the door and slamming it shut. His eyes had gone wide looking down the hallway. A tiny click told you he’d locked the door. Words stoppered in your throat, making it difficult to swallow and impossible to speak. Mike and Lucas were jammed into a corner, looking far too big for the space. Dustin offered a big smile, leaning his full weight against the locked door. And Robin stood, gangly and confused next to another person. When you finally registered the last person, you thought you’d throw up.

“Steve insisted. Sorry,” Robin glared.

“I don’t mean to pry. I just got interested when everyone started in together. I hope this is alright. I can totally leave if you need,” The boy offered with a shrug. You couldn’t form words, just shook your head to indicate he didn’t have to leave.

If you could have predicted your own death, you assumed it’d be something like this; being stared at by strangers while your insides clawed themselves to bits. How you were going to explain yourself was a complete mystery. Had you thought about the consequences of being in front of a group of people and having to speak, you never would have said anything to Robin. The lump in your throat felt rock solid as you swallowed. Your heart hammered against your chest - so much for calming down before they arrived.

“Y/n? You good?” Lucas spoke quietly. You shook your head.

“So why are you here anyway?” Mike asked. His blunt question bounced off Robin like it was nothing.

“Well little miss can’t speak over here has gotten herself into a situation and needs my help. However, I need some clarification on the circumstances. Thus this weird robot closet,” Robin smarted back.

“I-I,” You tried to speak. You felt faint but wired, light headed but completely amped. The choked sound that came out of you redirected everyone’s attention, their eyes on you. That was so much worse.

Steve questioned, “Is she alright?”

“Hey, maybe we should... Uh-, let's turn around. If we don’t look at her it’ll help,” Lucas piped up. That kid deserved all good things. The relief was immediate.

“Thanks Lucas.”

You weren’t sure how to begin at first, just filling your lungs with air to ease the shakiness of your hands. Eventually, you began the painful process of explaining. “S-so you’re all… all here- and S-s-steve? - all here because Robin knows s-something. A-and she needs… Robin needs context. And proof. So… so um… you- you guys are the proof. Yes.”

Everyone stayed quiet, waiting for you to continue. You thought you heard a rustle outside the door but wrote it off as some strange sound from your headphones. The music was still going. You had time.

“I… I am the one that hosts Hawkins 68.8.”

Robin whipped around, eyes wide, mouth agape. “Seriously?”

“She’s not lying!” Dustin yelled over his shoulder.

“Dustin, don’t yell in here,” You sighed.

“There’s no way.” Robin spoke. Steve agreed with her. Suddenly the two people around your age were arguing with the freshmen, snapping at one another and growing louder. The room was much too small for this many people. And the music was beginning to wind down. You only had about twenty seconds before you were live.

“SHUT UP!”

Everyone turned to look at you. Silence hung tight in the air. You motioned a zipper over your lips and put on the headphones. The ragtag team stood motionless as you flicked on the red ‘On Air’ light and rolled towards the microphone. With a simple turn of a dial, the music playing on the radio filled the room. It slowly faded as you adjusted your own microphone volume.

“HEY THERE HAWKINS! Just letting you know that it’s 7am. Unless you’re playing hookie, it’s time to get out that door and on the road. Speaking of on the road, there’s been an accident on Lakeview Road that is blocking traffic. Hope you're ready to rock this morning. This one goes out to my favorite trumpet player. Robin, happy Friday.”

Blondie blasted through the speaker. You shut off your mic, set up the next few tracks, and finally cut off the light. Still, it stayed silent.

“Holy shit.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on Robin’s face. You sent her a measly shrug.

“So, you’ve obviously been doing this for a while. When… when did…?”

“Only a couple weeks ago.”

“And, on the air?”

“No… no. Not really. Like answering questions, yes. Full, really great conversations, all off air.”

“Wow. So you didn’t know who it was, not at all, until-”

“Yesterday. Yep.”

“What are you talking about?” Dustin whined, clearly voicing the opinion of all the boys in the room.

“Nothing!” You and Robin nodded at one another.

“Bullshit.”

“Dustin, language man!” Steve scolded the boy. “Clearly this is a private, albeit interesting conversation. So let’s all just leave the two girls alone.” He went to the door, allowing Dustin to open it a fraction. Steve stepped out, waving the boys along. All they did was shove him out and slam the door.

“This is about Eddie, isn’t it?” Dustin offered the loudest whisper imaginable. The blood in your body ran cold everywhere except for your face, which you were sure was burning to the touch. All three boys began furiously discussing with one another, Dustin mostly repeating ‘I knew it!’ and Mike grumbling about owing someone some money. Defeated and irritated sighs bonded you and Robin together.

“You twerps want to explain how you know about all this?” Robin took charge.

“Eddie can’t hide anything from us.”

“Totally transparent.”

“He just came into school one day and was on a mission to figure out who you were.” You nearly puked at the thought. Lucas continued, hoping to help you keep from tipping over, “But we were adamant that he leave you alone. Never told him who you were. He totally doesn’t know.”

“Usually he drops this kinda stuff, gets bored. But he didn’t with you… that’s when we noticed he was asking to listen at lunch every day and calling into the show after school,” Mike’s eyebrows nearly touched his hair. His desperate attempt to keep from cracking a smile at your expense was admirable even though it was a complete failure.

“Dude’s got it bad. Hundred percent,” Dustin beamed at you. At least someone was enjoying the situation you were in.

“You’re sure about that? What do you babies know about it?” Robin came to your defense. “You can’t just say that if you aren’t sure.”

“I am sure! Y/n! Robin is-”

“Dustin, shut up.” Lucas sighed. “You figured it out while you were talking to Eddie yesterday?”

You nodded.

“Duh. You’re like, the smartest. Eddie couldn’t put two and two together if he tried. He’ll never know.” Dustin was laughing to himself.

“He stopped me from walking into the wall. I made a joke and he laughed. That’s how I figured it out. And I had thought I’d heard Mike at one point, on the other end of the line. It was faint, but now I know it was you.” You quietly explained.

There was another ruckus, the boys and Robin hollering over one another. It was clear that they were all surprised. In truth, you were too. You couldn’t believe that two times you’d gotten yourself into a situation where Edward Munson was saving you from harm's way and enjoying your sarcasm. You could barely believe that you’d spent nearly two weeks talking with him every night. But here you were, a blushy mess just thinking about it all. Your normal embarrassment around people was gone and replaced with a new kind.

“So you’re telling me, you, you, interacted and talked in person with Eddie Munson without exploding?” You nodded. Mike continued, “And he didn’t immediately figure out it was you?” You shook your head.

“What an idiot,” Dustin shot the boys a look of disappointment.

“Don’t say that. It isn’t true.”

Everyone turned to look at you again. Robin gave you that look of pity reserved solely for friends feeling hopeless in romantic endeavors. You’d shared it before many times. You took the silence to give out the host farewell. Dustin, sweet as ever, helped get everything set up for the school day. Mike and Lucas quietly conversed with one another. Robin, sneaking a peak at your notes, gave you a wide-eyed look. You warned her with as good of hand signals as you could.

“You know…” Lucas began, “Eddie is really a nice guy.”

“Yeah! Y/n, he’s into a lot of the stuff you like. And he’s always looking out for us.” Mike added, clearly trying to talk up his friend. There wasn’t a need.

“I know,” You replied simply.

Again all eyes were on you. This time, there was nothing to distract from the clear fondness written all over your face. It was just as much of a surprise to you as it was to everyone else. Shocked glances flicked around the room. For once, you were the only person willing to talk.

“Robin’s right. It’s not smart to make assumptions. I mean, Dusty, you thought Steve and Robin should date and clearly they’d never work. It isn’t a big deal. He has no clue who I am… which is good! You know? This way we never have to meet in person and… and I-I can’t mess it up …Let’s not be late for class.”

Very quickly, you stuffed your homework into your backpack. You nodded to them, pushing the door open. It was heavy, likely a little stuck at first. But you shoved your way out nonetheless and held the door open as everyone filed out. The boys surrounded you, an odd act that made you realize they weren’t little anymore. The keys clicked the lock on the door and you headed off into the school, strange gaggle of friends following behind you due to their complete confusion. Each step led you further and further into terror. 

Why had you told them?

***

Eddie couldn’t see her. He’d just barely heard her and only for a few words each time. The complete embarrassment he felt from her answering the phone, from him calling her from the front office, and then noticing Dustin with Harrington and Robin in the school was the final straw. He had to know who she was. He followed them, getting shoved from entering what he now realized was the AV room. Steve Harrington had sent him the lamest look when he got kicked out. And then, on top of it all, he’d been sitting at the door with his ear pressed against it when they tried to leave. He’d been nudged out of the way and just when he thought he’d finally get to see Radio Girl, the freshmen were waving him off. Their wild gestures ending as they swiftly barricaded the girl from view.

Aside from thinking how cute and short the girl must be, Eddie was devastated. He’d narrowed down his search from every girl in school to those he had English and Physics with. The list was quite short now and left him feeling dismal. There wasn’t a single person it could be that he genuinely liked in real life, except y/n y/l/n - she was nice. At least, she’d never openly been mean to him. She’d defended him in class once with quite the sharp wit actually. But she always seemed scared to death to talk to him.

Sitting outside the now locked AV room, Eddie couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for himself. Two weeks. He’d been trying and failing to figure the Radio Girl out for two weeks. And nothing. He could hear her morning announcement in his head again, muffled through the heavy wooden door. And the crystal clear command she’d used to quiet everyone in the room. He knew her voice. Hell, he knew everything that she’d ever said to him. He knew her love of The Fall of the House of Usher and her hatred of The Raven. He knew she only liked strawberry ice cream when it was in neapolitan. He knew how she would gasp if she laughed and lost her breath. How could he not know her sitting in the same room as him? Walking down the same hall?

That thought brought him back to reality. She was right down the hall. Before the group could disappear around the corner, Eddie was running towards them. Radio Girl was still blocked from view, but he saw the kids abruptly stop and halted himself. He padded forward, trying to keep quiet.

“Guys, I… I know that you’re excitab-able and all… and-and you prob-obably… you wanna talk abou-about well… you know. B-bu- but… but… please, just don’t say any-anything. I have a friend now. One that gets to really talk to me. He… he would b-be so disappointed finding out it’s me. I’m not getting any hopes up… not yours… and-and not mine either.”

The way the girl’s voice shook broke Eddie’s heart. He knew it was his Radio Girl, but she barely resembled herself now. He could hear the echoes of other student chatter, the growing crowd and secret conversation likely pressing her into a corner of herself. Lucas had said she was awfully shy. Her sighs were fully defeated. Whatever she had been discussing with them, she’d already lost. Memories of her perfect soliloquies, descriptions and stories, all their private conversations flooded his mind. Eddie couldn’t imagine anyone being disappointed in her, whether or not she was frightened to speak in person. All he wanted was to wrap his arms around the girl and help her feel safe - the way she did when she hid behind the phone. He’d love to see her smile while hearing her laugh. He’d love to see the look in her eyes, whatever color they were, as she wistfully waxed about a story. His body had decided before his mind that he was going to go right up to her.

He didn’t get that far.

As if sensing him, Dustin whipped around and barreled right into him. He was talking at a rapid pace and Eddie had to grab onto the lockers to not fall over.

“Hey Henderson. Oh Christ,” The wind was nearly knocked out of him. Dustin was still chattering on. “I can’t understand you, doofus. Slow down.”

“Do you like the radio girl? Why do you keep calling her? Have you figured out who she is? When were you going to tell us that you were talking to her every day? For hours! What do you know about her? Why were you following me? What is your deal Eddie? What is it?”

The string of questions got more pushy the longer Dustin went on.

“Okay, okay, okay! Chill out, dude!” Eddie held his hands up in defense. “I followed you because I was confused about you guys with Harrington and Robin. Then you slammed the door in my face and I realized you were in the AV room.”

“And the other stuff?”

Mike’s voice scared Eddie shitless. Where had the little creep come from? Getting his bearings, Eddie noted Lucas had joined them as well. It was going to be a long morning.

“We’re waiting!” Dustin’s sing-song voice hit a sour note. They all seemed very frustrated with him.

The older boy sighed, tugging at his hair and mentally cursing himself for going along with the antics of three fifteen year olds. Nonetheless, he answered, “Well, I know she goes to school here. She’s a senior - no underclassman is self-loathing enough to take the advanced history class early. She likes Poe, Frankenstein, Dracula, dark romance stuff - but The Curious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is her favorite. …Thinking about it, it is fitting… She’s a hell of a strategist. That session where Kas and Vecna kidnapped all the people you previously saved? Her idea. I… well, I started calling her to ask questions. I mean, her talk show stuff is seriously thought out, so interesting and I couldn’t help but wonder about it. And then she was so sweet, told me to call back since she didn’t have time for all my questions. We just got into the habit of it. It’s insane. You weren’t kidding when you said she was smart, but she doesn’t treat me like a complete idiot. Not at all like anyone here. I know she broke her arm twice, in two different places. I know we have to be in the same English class… I swear I’ve heard her talk about gothic literature in person. And she’s in my physics class too - was complaining about Kaminsky’s homework. Girl can curse. It was so funny. She’s so funny. And her laugh? Huh, um, yes. Anyway, yeah I guess I’ve kept calling cause it’s fun. She’s fun. I don’t know. It’s nice to talk to someone without them treating me like a freak. I don’t know man, I don’t know. This morning she was playing Ozzy and Dio and Iron Maiden and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to talk to her again. How stupid I have to be to not see her and immediately know, there’s my girl. I couldn’t help when I saw you guys cause I thought that maybe, just maybe if I could see her that I’d be able to get her out of my head. Get on with normal life. But hell, at this point it’s a lost cause and I don’t want anything but her in my head. I feel crazy. I can’t go after her. Partially cause you three keep getting in the way, partially cause if she knew it was me she would probably freak out, and partially because she seemed so scared just talking to you guys. Yes, I heard. At least the part just now in the hall. And I don’t think I could stand causing her to feel that way.”

Eddie was pretty sure that was the longest he’d talked without being interrupted aside from campaigns. The silence in the hallway now was palpable. Even with students rushing by to get to class, the emptiness around the group of boys continued to echo. Eddie felt tired. He felt like he’d just dumped out two weeks worth of thoughts; that his brain was accepting the release and ready to rest after carrying it all for so long.

“So he likes her,” Lucas stated matter-of-factly. It wasn’t even directed to Eddie.

“No shit,” Eddie mumbled, starting to notice heat creeping up his neck.

“You called her ‘my girl’,” Dustin snickered. It earned him a firm slap on the arm.

“Should we tell him?” Mike asked.

“What?”

“I think we could?” Lucas shrugged.

“Tell me what?”

“Depends. Do you think she’ll be more upset if we tell him? Or will the pros outweigh the cons?” Dustin offered.

“Just tell me you idiots!”

“Impatient,” Lucas scoffed. “I think we have to tell him.”

“It’s on you if she gets upset!” Mike held his hands up, wiping away any guilt he might find later.

Eddie began to growl in frustration, “If you three don’t tell-”

“She knows it's you.”

Eddie stared at Lucas. The heat from his neck took over his whole head, burning his ears and face. They had to be kidding. There was no way. He hadn’t given any indication. Never mentioned Hellfire, or his band, or went by Eddie. How did she figure him out so easily when she was still a complete mystery?

“Apparently, she thought she heard me over the phone one time… probably when we had that session at your place and I- uh- I interrupted your call. But she wasn’t sure until she made you laugh,” Mike explained.

“What?”

“Eddie, man, she made you laugh. Recently! Like, yesterday,” Dustin chuckled, shaking his head as the older boy’s face screwed up in confusion.

“So, she figured out it was me?” Was all he could squeeze out. His mind raced, going back over the previous day as best he could. He had to remember. She’d been right there and he’d missed her.

“Yep. And yet she was mysteriously missing from last night's hour of rock again,” Lucas added, scuffing his shoe on the floor as if the information was boring. But he was right. They’d talked for hours and she knew it was him the whole time.

Before he could get anything else out of the kids, the bell was screaming at them. As much as he was hoping to throttle information out of the sneaky little bastards, he refused to miss class. He was going to figure out who she was. Today. Starting with Physics.

***

Five minutes into Kaminsky’s class Eddie had rounded the corner from hopeful to hopeless. Every time he sized someone up, wondering if they were his Radio Girl, something would prove him wrong. He was certain he’d heard all the possible voices during roll. Nothing. The gloom and doom of failing so swiftly pushed him down in his seat. He moped the whole class. And though he frequently felt eyes on him, when he turned to look, no one was looking his direction. At least he wasn’t alone in his agitated state - y/l/n had been wringing her hands and bouncing her leg the entire class.

Kaminsky dismissed the class after the bell cried out. Homework was offered, a few students held back to chat with him. Eddie, scuffing his sneakers on the floor, missed his classmate blushing as he passed. He set his focus on the wrong thing, searching the hallway with an eagle eye, scouring every face for the proof he was looking for. Desperate ears waited for the voice he longed to hear.

By the time he did hear it, he was halfway down the hall, surrounded by people and the ability to find the girl gone.

“Thank you Mr. Kaminsky. I’ll be fine on my own tonight. Have a good weekend!”

Eddie whipped around. The boy got shoved back and forth. When his eye caught the door to the physics classroom it was completely empty. A frustrated groan slipped past his lips, fists clenching and head dropping down. A sea of confused students milled around him, avoiding the quiet outburst. Though he wanted to, he couldn’t bring himself to look up. Somewhere, likely walking past him at that exact moment, his Radio Girl was slipping through his grasp. How badly must she think of him for not recognizing her? He hoped she didn’t blame his lack of recognition on herself. She was amazing, all the time. Eddie was just so focused he couldn’t see what was right in front of him.

“Eddie!”

The boy sighed, looking up to find Mike waving him over. Questions about Hellfire rained down. Eddie had to shake his head to refocus. His fixation on Radio Girl had distracted him from the campaign tonight. He’d finished it already, with the girl’s help of course, but he couldn’t help his embarrassed feelings over being caught unprepared.

“I’m losing it,” He mumbled to himself.

Mike patted his arm, offering a smug smile with his shrugging shoulders, “Yeah. You haven’t once realized that you and Radio Girl are gonna be in the same place all night.”

“Holy shit!” Eddie beamed, nearly jumping. “She’s closing up by herself. I heard her tell Kaminsky!”

Together, in quiet excitement, the two boys rejoiced at the elder’s good luck. He’d be suave, they decided, casually walking out of the drama room at the exact right time. Mike assured him that girls loved that stuff. Eddie’s mind drifted to the Radio Girl’s admission of her preference for the dark, mysterious, and dramatic. He’d be a total gentleman. Swoon worthy. He’d be high on a destructive game of D&D and it’d be perfect.

“Where’s Henderson? You gotta tell the rest of the club to come battle ready. I’m gonna be on top of the world boys!” Eddie cackled. His yo-yoing emotions were toying with him. No girl had ever held so much control over him - especially without knowing. The childish giddiness of adolescent love had thrown him out of whack. Now, despite his earlier hopeless droning, he was soaring. It was this happy-go-lucky burst that sent him spinning around, searching the emptying hallway for the curly-headed kid.

If he thought his heart couldn’t beat any faster, Dustin was animatedly talking at a girl as she placed books in her locker. Eddie immediately recognized the brightly colored title: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As if wanting to supply him more proof, the girl handed a pack of Reece’s pieces over her shoulder. Dustin snatched them gratefully. He must have mentioned something exciting, the girl stilling before whipping around.

There she was.

Time seemed to slow. A bright, lively look lit up her face. Her shoulders were relaxed, her chin lifting with certainty. And then, the final knife in his chest, she smiled. Eddie stood there, unwilling to stop himself from soaking in every moment he was in her presence. He didn’t mind how oblivious he’d been.

Eddie audibly sighed, leaning back against the lockers and watching the interaction. Dustin was yanking a large box from his backpack. The girl’s delicate hands snatched it with intensity, her grin only growing. The bell cut his reverie short. He watched as she tousled the younger boy’s hair and waved him off to class. And then, Eddie watched the transformation take place. The mask was taken away and replaced with the secret identity. The once confident frame curled around a set of books and notebooks. Starry eyes were downcast, hidden from his view. Something within him ached to run right up to her. It all made sense. She could barely stand to talk in class. The teachers loved her - likely due to the value she attributed to their work. Now that he thought about it, he had seen her sweet face nodding along as the kids pestered her. Even better, two times - two - she had revealed herself. Two wonderfully witty moments that, while she likely hadn’t meant to share, he had been privy to. She’d been sitting two feet away from him the whole time. Eddie’s eyes shamelessly followed her down the hallway, his smile spreading ear to ear.

Y/n had pulled a total Clark Kent on him.

***

A rapid, jolting knock shook the door. Soft music hummed through the concealed room. Steady fingers gripped the knobs on the sound board, adjusting the gain as a louder song faded in. Another knock echoed through the room. The wheels of your stool creaked as you rolled over and flicked the lock with a loud click.

“I told Dustin I’d be fine. I don’t need anyone to help me lock up boys,” Your voice carried as you headed back to the desk. Another knock came, this one more tentative, and you noticed the person on the other side didn’t take advantage of the unlocked door. The music drifted off, quieter as you set down your headphones, and stood hesitantly on the other side of the door. Your heart pounded against your chest. The pads of your fingertips grazed the wooden door, hesitant as your mind wandered to one sole thought.

“Edward?”

You weren’t sure what you were expecting. There was a chance your voice hadn’t even carried through to the other side.

“Hey Radio Girl.”

Your heart seemed to stop up your throat. Eddie Munson was on the other side of the AV Room door. You weren’t sure what to say. The terrifying thought of the door opening kept you silent. It wasn’t a worry you needed to hold onto - Eddie would never take advantage of you. Before you could respond, he was already talking a mile a minute.

“I just want to tell you that I won’t be able to call tonight. I, uh, I have a meeting tonight. A club thing. I didn’t… I didn’t want you to think that I was blowing you off.”

Fondness spread through every inch of your body. How you could have ever felt nervous around him, you couldn’t understand. A goofy grin was pulling across your face. You leaned into the door, forehead resting against it. “Shame you’re gonna miss out on all the calls today. Sure I’ll get some real invested folks in your stead.”

Eddie laughed. Your smile only brightened.

“Don’t go snatching up some new person with lots of questions. I want my spot when I call back.” You could hear him smiling too. It felt so good to hear his voice without all the static. And though your hand hovered over the doorknob, you couldn’t quite bring yourself to open it. Just evident enough in the back of your mind, the nagging voice reminded you that you would be a disappointment to him.

“Doubt anyone else would indulge my dorky conversations.”

He laughed again.

“Well, don’t be late on my account,” Nerves began to take root once more. “I don’t want to keep you from anything important.”

“Oh believe me, if this wasn’t a promise to the kids then you’d never get rid of me,” He was chuckling. It buzzed through the door, warm against your chest. Silly dramatic daydreams filled your mind and before you knew it, the boy was saying goodbye.

“B-bye!” You called out. Embarrassment colored your face at your outburst. Still, you couldn’t bring yourself to do anything but giggle. You were giggling. Nothing could take away the quiet excitement buried deep in your chest. Not embarrassment, not worry, nothing. Eddie Munson had had the chance to burst through your door, find out who you were and make his judgment. But he didn’t. He didn’t take the unlocking door as an answer to his knock. He had waited; waited to see if you would open the door.

Maybe, just maybe you could open that door the next time…

You just hoped he knocked again.

***

Eddie was about to knock when the teens yanked him back. Their whispers echoed through the darkened, empty hall. They were furious, fussy, frantic in their desire to help set everything right. He was sure their nervousness was starting to rub off on him.

“Why is he wearing a cape?”

“Cause it’s cool!”

“It’s stupid!”

“I have to agree, Henderson this is a bit much.”

“Give him his jacket back.”

“Not the vest. Just the jacket. You said she said dark and mysterious right?”

“Y-yeah but-”

“No vest. It’s too light. Stuff it in your bag.”

“Oh that’s good! Maybe you can offer it if she’s cold. Nice, nice.”

“Get that stupid thing out of here!”

“It totally would’ve worked.”

Dustin grumbled as he stomped back through the hallway, long black fabric trailing behind him. Eddie brushed the boys off of him, hands waving them away. Bright smiles and thumbs up were offered as he was left alone in the hall. They’d ended the session early - partly because Eddie had nearly killed their entire party and partly to ensure that he didn’t miss his shot with y/n. The amount of times that Mike Wheeler had drilled into him that he only had one chance to make this work equaled the amount of knots tied in Eddie’s stomach. Knowing no one could see him, he practiced how he’d stand. He leaned on the lockers in different ways, shifted his weight from foot to foot, and tried stilling himself. Nothing worked. His energy outweighed everything else, his knees practically shaking as he paced back and forth in front of the door. It was as if he had to move. His body not knowing what else to do with the crashing waves of emotions roiling through his chest. But then his ears perked, the confirmation that y/n hadn’t left yet coming muffled through the door.

“That was… and… one of… and a favorite of mine…”

Eddie found himself crouched by the door again, ear pressed firmly as the faint music began to play. It was almost nine. Radio Girl - y/n - always said goodnight at nine. They’d stayed up talking later than that many times. Eddie wondered if it’d been a burden, staying so late at the school every night just to talk to him. He hoped it wasn’t. Soft guitar drifted through the door. A smile twitched at his lips. In an easy adjustment, he rested his back against the door, head nodding along softly.

“It’s one of your favorites, right?”

Eddie jumped. A small snicker whispered past his ear.

“Sorry. Pretty sure I just gave you a heart attack. I- uh… I heard voices in the hall and I guessed you might be out here.”

From the sound of it, y/n had joined him on the other side of the door. Her voice was so close, like she was mirroring his position. He imagined her knees pulled up to her chest, hair shifting around her face as she pressed her head back to the door. Maybe her hands were just at the edge of the door; their fingers mere centimeters from touching if he slipped his back. His breath felt thunderous, invasive and unwelcome in the silent hallway. He needed to calm down. He needed to say something back.

“Hope I didn’t intrude,” He squeezed out.

He could hear her laugh, light as a feather, “Oh the intrusion was blaring. Whispering? In a hallway? Outside a closed door? You ought to know better.”

“Guess the mysterious entrance is out of the question now, seeing as I’ve blown my cover,” He whined, gauging her reaction.

“Giving up that easily? Oh, I’m ashamed. Don’t tell me you of all people didn’t think of a back-up plan!”

Eddie perked up. He couldn’t help it. She hadn’t said no to his idea. Hope fluttered, a relentless bird in his chest, pushing his next words out in a yelp.

“I never said I hadn’t thought of a dramatic one!” His grin could have lit up the whole school. “However, I did happen to relinquish my cape.”

Her laughter reinforced his resolve. “You had the option of a cape and you didn’t choose it? Amature hour, Munson.”

Eddie was too gregarious to notice the slip. “Damn. Can’t believe Henderson was right. He’s gonna be such a shit about it.”

“Oh absolutely.”

 And then the lightbulb went off. Though he’d been told that y/n knew it was him, he’d been skeptical until now. But she’d said his name, a smile evident in her voice. And Eddie was desperate for her to do it again.

He cleared his throat, mind wildly searching for the right thing to say. “By the way, I think you’re in need of a ride. The terrible trio were so frantic ‘cause Harrington was waiting on them. Mike said something about the teachers giving you a ride… and I may have overheard your conversation with Kaminsky…”

It was silent. Alarm bells rang out in Eddie’s head. He was sure he’d just screwed up the whole situation. Y/n would think he was a complete creep and never speak to him again.

“A young, helpless girl being escorted home by a man she’s yet to meet face to face?”

Eddie winced.

“Sounds dark and mysterious to me.”

He could tell she was tentative, but it was definitely her way of saying yes.

“R-really? You’d let me give you a ride?”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?” Now she was teasing him.

“No! Just playing hard to get. Dark mysterious men let the ladies come to them… right?”

Incredible laughter shook the door. Her giggles played a light tune. Eddie let it drown out everything else. If she’d ever played it over the radio, he had no doubt that everyone would fall in love with her in an instant.

“You know, I have absolutely nothing to disprove that logic,” Her words came out shaky; part laughter, part sigh. A hole opened up, silence spreading between them. Eddie’s immediate concern that she was changing her mind was quickly eased. “Not to mention I’m starving. The teachers never really want to stop for something. Think I could convince a dark, mysterious, dramatic figure to grab a bite?”

Eddie sat dumbfounded. His wide eyes softened the hallway around him, blurring everything all at once. He replayed the moment in his mind, forcing himself to make sure he’d actually heard the girl correctly.

Had y/n just asked him out?

***

DID I JUST ASK HIM OUT? The thought pounded against your brain over and over again. What had you been thinking? Not a single word had been spoken since. At least thirty seconds of dead air had gathered around the two of you. From inside the AV room you had no way of knowing what was going on in Eddie Munson’s mind. Was he even still sitting there? You were sure he’d left. Realizing how incredibly presumptuous and ridiculous you had been, you shoved away from the door. On your feet you paced, and fixed a few tapes. You packed your things only to find, as usual, that there was only one way out of this broom closet of a space. It occurred to you that maybe you could pile things up and fit into the air vents. The first two attempts to reach it failed and a beep on the cassette player reminded you you still had obligations left.

You weren’t exactly sure how you were going to get through a sign-off. Not after clearly striking out in your first and only attempt of asking someone out. You wished you’d wasted that blunder on someone who didn’t matter, someone who wouldn’t leave a gaping hole in your life by disappearing. The fact that Eddie Munson had garnered such a spot within your regard was a testament to how special he was. You could only come to one conclusion: You screwed up.

“H-hey there Hawkins. That-that was Mötley Crüe with Home Sweet Home. Speaking of, the sky is dark, the hour is late, and it’s time to say goodnight. Music will carry you through till tomorrow. Tune in at 5am for the weather report. Night Hawkins.”

Fingers tugged at your face, your hands dragging down your frustration and pulling you into yourself. That was your worst sign off in years. You slowly cut off all the equipment but the broadcast relay and the nightly cassette tower. It was eerily quiet. Your gaze drifted to the door. And, without meaning to, unable to stop it, the most defeated sigh fell from your lips. It ached in your chest. At least the walk home would offer a distraction.

“You know, I was terrified of not being able to shut up. All throughout school, since like the first day of kindergarten, I just couldn’t be quiet. Couldn’t sit still, always had something to say. And it freaked me out constantly. No one could talk to me cause I just kept blabbing. So, obviously, it didn’t help me make many friends. And it got me in tons of trouble. Not only would I be a constant interruption, but I had no filter. So literally anything in my mind came out of my mouth. Called my third grade teacher a grizzly bear and got in-school suspension. Which, if it hadn’t been for the teacher falling asleep, I surely would have stayed there forever cause I still couldn’t stop talking. When middle school came around, I’d figured out I could whisper to myself and get caught less. Thinking about it now is so insanely creepy. Some buzzcut kid whispering to themselves in the corner of the room? No wonder people think I worship the devil or some shit. I guess it was around junior year that I figured out I could just chat with myself in my head. I hold fake conversations with people a lot, try out voices and dialogue for campaigns, win my argument with Henderson from lunch, stuff like that. Until recently, I’ve never had the skill of listening outside of D&D. But for the past few weeks all I’ve wanted to do is shut up and listen. Of course, the one time that I need to come up with a response I go completely blank. And you probably think I’m some jerk who ignored what you had to say. I just feel like you should know that you- you shouldn’t be nervous to talk to me. Cause if you wanna not talk I’m sure I can talk enough for the both of us. But if you do want to, I’d be totally down to listen. I mean, hell, you’ve been all superhero secret identity-ing me for days and as soon as I realized it I lost all my cool. But of course y/n y/l/n is a secret badass. I mean, killer smart, flies under the radar, has surprisingly witty retorts whenever needed. Literally pulling a whole Clark Kent on all of Hawkins and-”

As soon as you’d opened the door, the floodgates opened with it. Leaning on the doorframe, hands wildly gesturing, Eddie Munson captured your entire attention. He was still there. Taking in his words, you held back a blush as best you could. It was very uncommon for you to be this close to the boy, the last time being when you figured out he was your mystery caller. Up close you could take in the wonder in his eyes, the overexertion in every expression, his unfairly sweet smile that came packaged with dimples. Your heart was bursting at his confession, his desire to make you comfortable winning you over instantly. It didn’t hurt that his leaning over you had you weak in the knees.

You wanted to respond in some elegant way. Show him his efforts weren’t in vain. Maybe even charm him so as to forget your earlier blunder. However, what came out didn’t exactly meet your expectations for your first real face to face conversation.

“Clark Kent? Really?”

The slight look of concern on the boy’s face melted away. In its place, an enchanting smile bloomed. You couldn’t help but reciprocate a small one of your own. With a tentative reach you waited for a handshake.

“H-hi, I’m y/n y/l/n.”

In a charming fashion only he could pull off, the curly headed boy turned your handshake into a romantic gesture, cradling your hand to his lips. “Edward Munson, dear lady.”

***

The buzz of the neon ‘open’ sign filled the space between Eddie and y/n. It exemplified the charge he felt. He kept looking over the menu, eyes dancing across her partially hidden face. Every part of him was begging for another close look into her eyes. What had often been a fleeting glance in his direction had become a soft, starlit gaze that held him transfixed.

Her quiet laughter had spurred him on, his antics fueled by adoration. She’d listened intently as he chattered on. The small, precious smile never left her face, even when she was too nervous to look at him. She’d bobbed her head with the music, he teased that the host must have good taste. The drive had left him wondering if he’d talked too much. But her lips never downturned and he didn’t miss the looks she thought were secret. He was sure they had been in the past, but now that he knew? There was no way he’d ever miss one again.

“What can I get for ya sweetie?” The older waitress gave Eddie a crinkly smile before looking at the girl. Y/n went wide eyed. To his pleasure, she looked right at him. The tension in her brow relaxed and he watched the transformation, in reverse from the last time. She blossomed like a rose.

“I’ll have a double cheeseburger, extra bacon, grilled onions, with fries and a chocolate milkshake. Oo! Could I also get some ranch?”

“You’re killing me y/l/n,” Eddie mumbled to himself. He nodded to the waitress when she asked if he wanted the usual.

“What?” The girl eyed him when they were left alone. All he could do was smile, shaking his head and covering his face with his hands. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing… It’s just… it’s you.”

“Is that a good thing?”

Eddie heard the tiniest shift in her voice. It yanked his heart into his throat. She had no clue the effect she had on him. Since he’d truly heard her, y/n had turned him into a puddle. “I, uh, I feel like Aragorn when he first met Arwen.”

His concern at freaking her out was unfounded. When he got the courage to look up at her, she was blushing heavily and fighting a smile. Once again she was having a hard time finding words.

“Something to say?” Eddie teased.

“Yeah,” She finally mustered, taking a deep breath and flashing him the sneakiest grin, “Shut up.”

The food arrived, their conversation finally finding its pace. The once quiet diner was full of laughter. Every inch of Eddie’s body felt light with wonder, abuzz with electricity. Crackling static initiated the shifts between songs. Their conversation had meandered for hours, requiring an extra helping of fries, a second milkshake, and a stolen cherry. Cool evening air seeped through the windows chilling the leather seats. Tiny hills and valleys appeared on y/n’s arms, tiny shivers sliding easily up and down her spine. Eddie fought the urge to reach out and pull her tight, warm her up. But things were too delicate. Anything he did could cause the moment to collapse around him.

Then she touched his arm.

In truth, it was to put money in his jacket pocket for dinner. She said she couldn’t let him pay when she’d eaten half the restaurant. Their waitress made a point to tell him he’d found a good match. All he could do was nod and leave a great tip. The night air chilled them to the bone and when y/n shivered just outside the safety of the diner, Eddie jumped at the chance to offer his coat. The heavy leather jacket sat large on her shoulders. Eddie wasn’t sure whether or not the cold or his gesture dusted pink across the girl’s face, but he accepted it nonetheless. He scrambled to help her into the van, jumping in himself to blast the heat.

***

The drive to your house was both too long and too short. Too short because you desperately wanted the night to keep going - fearful that you’d wake up tomorrow to find that you’d dreamt the whole thing. And too long because you were positive that you’d not picked a bunch of love songs for the late hours, and yet here they were playing on your station. Everything was labeled with the date and you’d picked them out days ago. You were certain you didn’t pick the songs. You didn’t play this much lovey-dovey stuff except for Valentine’s Day. Still, three songs in a row now had clearly been love songs. It caused your face to burn. Nimble fingers gripped at the cuffs of Eddie’s jacket around your shoulders as you aimed to shift your thoughts.

Specifically trying not to focus on the incredibly sweet and attractive boy humming along next to you. Eddie brought the van to a halt, muttering his understanding at your quiet directions. You hoped he didn’t notice your reddened complexion. It didn’t help one bit that I Want To Know What Love Is was scoring the goodbye.

“Th-thank you for bringing me home.” You offered a delicate smile, “I had a lot of fun.” Your hands felt clammy and you resisted the urge to look at the boy next to you for more than a few seconds. It wasn’t a date. No one had acknowledged the date-like nature the outing had. When Eddie hadn’t mentioned it or teased about it, you were certain he didn’t see it in the same light as you. All you had to do was make it out of the car and into your house without fumbling. You’d stay friends, your now certified crush would be deeply hidden, and you could go on as if you hadn’t fallen head over heels for someone via a few phone calls. Just as your hand touched the door, you heard it. Unmistakable and deadly.

Dead air.

And it wasn’t Eddie. It was the radio. You were certain that you’d set everything up correctly.

“What's wrong?” Eddie noted your hesitation, big brown eyes offering sincere concern.

“Dead air? I set everything up before we left. Everything was in order. It was all labeled and…”

“-it. Hello Hawkins. Just a… few technical difficulties. Mike! We’ll be right back with, uh, rock and stuff… for fu-”

“SH! The mic is on!”

“H-Here is… is… Foreigner! Yep. Foreigner!”

You heard the distinct click of the microphone, the silent buzz, and finally another track began to play. As your mind raced, shivers took over your arms and legs. Thoughts raced through your mind and frustration began to build, winding tightly into your shoulders.

“I’m gonna kill them.”

Eddie took the words right out of your mouth. You looked over to him and watched his lithe fingers rub circles into his temples. His brows knitted together. If you hadn’t been so irritated yourself, you would have allowed yourself to melt at the way he scrunched his face up in frustration. When he finally turned to look at you, an unmistakable blush had risen across his face. The thought occurred to you that he’d offered you a ride home so the boys could have a crack at the radio station. It didn’t make complete sense, as you would have allowed them to try if they’d asked, but you couldn’t help the worry.

With a weak smile, he threw that concern out the window, “I’m so sorry. I… well, it seems that the brats have taken it upon themselves to… help. I’ll kick the crap out of them if you want. This wasn’t part of the plan at all.”

“Plan?”

Eddie’s blush deepened. You could feel yourself begin to match, your cheeks setting afire. His sheepish smile did you in, “Well, I… oh man… I’d planned on surprising you after the sign off. Pull a whole dark and mysterious gentleman thing. I- uh, I’ve just really liked our calls and was thinking it’d be nice to spend time together in person. And-”

“And in true Dracula fashion, you somehow got me to do the asking out for you?” You teased.

“You asked me out?” Eddie looked shocked. Though, the glint in his eye told you he was just as in on the joke. You couldn’t stop your giggles. He continued, “But it seems the boys thought that we needed um… a better score for the evening. Decided to put on every romantic song you have in that closet it seems.”

“You really need that much help, Munson?” The teasing wouldn’t stop spilling out of you. You couldn’t help it. You were overflowing with a fondness that felt neverending.

“That depends…” He hopped out of the car, walking around to let you out. Eddie took his hand in yours and guided you slowly to your front door. You looked at the door with dismay before turning back to the much more interesting character beside you. “I had a really good time with you tonight y/n.”

The chill of the air brought your two figures together, huddled closely under the glow of a yellow porchlight. His dimples were back, situated just so next to his heartwarming smile. It was hard to look away, so you didn’t. Your sigh, however, was kept to the quietest possible release. Muffled singing could be heard just over his humming engine - the radio still playing love songs. You’d already forgiven the rugrats. It was easy to forgive almost anything with Eddie Munson holding your hands ever so softly. His thumbs swiped over your knuckles.

“I really like your jacket. I think I ought to get one just like it,” Eddie changed the subject. You suspected it was just an excuse to touch you more, his hands sliding along his jacket that hung over your shoulders. You didn’t mind at all.

“I’d give you this one, but I’m actually quite partial to it,” You beamed.

Eddie chuckled, head dipping down to look at your face more closely, “I can understand. You make it look good.” He was spurred on by your blush, suddenly gentle as he detailed your beauty. His voice, a whisper in the night, took hold of your chest and left you breathless. A calloused hand softly brushed your cheek, you leaning in to meet it with an unabashed certainty. “I’ve never looked forward to anything more than hearing your voice. I’m serious about not finding any other phone partners. I doubt I could make it a day without listening to you.”

“Now you’re just being nice.” You shook your head, “You can’t seriously want to hear me chat every minute of every day.”

“You’re right,” He grinned, mischievous as ever, “Sometimes I want to do this.” Smooth and steady, Eddie pulled you flush to his chest. One hand tilted your chin up to him, the other resting snug on your lower back. His lips brushed over yours, tentative and sweet. And then in one moment of impulse, you kissed him back. It was intoxicating to hold him. After weeks of being held only in conversation, the physical sensation sent tendrils of sparks dancing across your skin.

“Okay, full honesty, I may want to do that more than just sometimes,” He snickered, nose brushing up against yours as he pulled away. A smile spread across your face, wider than a mile. “But I should, uh, I should ask, would you like to go out with me? On an official date next time?”

“Oh Eddie,” You shook your head, unable to stop the teasing, “You know I only answer questions between five and seven pm.”

He laughed and you soaked it in. It was better than anything you played on the radio.

“Alright, alright,” He gave you a sneaky look.

“So… you’ll call me?” You grinned.

“Absolutely.”

You raised to your tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips and nudging him towards his van. “Good, because I’m dying to answer.”