Chapter Text
Diamonds and Rust — Judas Priest
August 1985 | Hawkins, IN
The crunch of gravel and leaves erupted as my car passed the sign to Forest Hills Trailer Park. I drove straight ahead and then made a slight turn before pulling up to the one place that haunted my past. The rusty doors to my Ford Pinto squeaked open as I exited, keeping one foot in as if at any moment the main character of my nightmares might pop out and I'll need to make a clean getaway. I stared up at my childhood trailer, the front door rattled against the door frame, swinging open and shut with the summer breeze.
It took me forever to finally gain the courage to shut my car door and walk up the front steps. I sighed as I entered the trailer, feeling the floors slightly give from under my weight as if they hadn't been stepped on in years, and maybe that was true. Who knows where my mom really ended up after I left. The one thing I know is the only reason this place is mine is because she's in prison, and my aunt fought with her to leave it to me instead of letting the bank take it.
I scoffed at the thought of her in prison in my head. How it took her this long to end up there was beyond me. One would think the child neglect would've done it, but no, she's in prison for robbery and possession. Not sure what other crimes she committed on top of that, but that's all that was relayed to me.
I made my way towards the only bedroom in the trailer, dropping my bags down as a puff of dust formed around it. I wiped my hands in disgust, looking around to see my mom's things still lingering in the room. My mom was probably so happy to have the space once I finally left, the only reason she gave me the room was so she could have someplace to lock me up where she didn't have to see me when we both happened to be home at the same time.
My fingers grazed against the peeling wallpaper before finding the window and opening it up. Once I was able to air out the room, I wasted no time walking through the rest of the trailer and opening every window, door, and vent I could find. My mom always used to complain that I was the reason why the house was a mess, but judging by the state of the trailer, clearly, I wasn't the problem.
I grabbed the box of industrial trash bags from my trunk and a shoebox of cassettes, throwing them both onto a cleared space on the counter. I pulled open a bag, pressing play on my cassette player as Metallica filled the space around me. The black trash bag began to fill as my hands threw away anything and everything that was unusable, useless, or reminiscent of my mother. Slowly a pile of trash bags grew outside my front door as I made my way through the place.
Every so often, I would pause to change my music or flip through papers. A box I salvaged started to fill with photos, certificates, and other items of my childhood that were buried under all the trash. For a moment, I thought maybe my mom kept them out of sentiment, but reality quickly brushed that idea away, knowing she most likely didn't even know they were there.
I wasn't exactly keeping track of the time, but judging by the pile of tapes I had listened to, I knew hours had passed since I started cleaning. I threw down the wet rag, looking around the trailer to see the place somewhat livable. I definitely still had a few more days of cleaning left, but this would do for now. I grabbed the final bag by my feet and tossed it outside, noticing the sun beginning to set over the trees. "Shit" I sighed, knowing it was way later than I initially thought. I pushed the hair from my face as I looked down at my watch and quickly gave myself a sniff test. "Oh fuck" I coughed as I took in a whiff of a hard day's work. I desperately needed dinner, a shower, and clean bed sheets.
I grabbed a few bags from my car and unpacked some necessary items before returning to my car and getting in. I drove, doing my best to get around town based on my memory from living here years ago. Once I made it to the town's square, I realized how much Hawkins had changed, with some of the shops I used to frequent looking shut down. "Dammit" I whined as I approached the one place I was hoping would still be open, finding boarded-up windows and graffiti covering a relic of my past, "Benny's Burgers" still attached to the top of the building as a distant memory of what it once was.
After driving around a little longer, I gave up and made my way to the SuperMart I knew had been recently built from all the signs I saw advertising it around town. I quickly parked and walked in, grabbing a microwave dinner and finding some blankets and sheets for the bed. "Cheryl Ann?" I heard my name called as I looked up from putting things on the checkout counter. I turned to see a somewhat familiar face looking back at me with a huge smile, "Oh my gosh, that is you! You look just like your mother" the brunette woman greeted me.
"I- I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked her, my brows pinched together as I did my best to remember.
"Susan Harrington," she said to me, "Steve's mom" as if that was supposed to make me remember. "It's been years, I'm not surprised you don't remember me. Mr. Harrington and I travel a lot even back then, so you probably saw Steve's nanny more than us" she explained to me while I still stood unsure of who she or her son Steve was.
"Okay... well, it's nice to see you" I said, giving her a tight-lipped smile as I went back to the cashier, who gave me my total before I handed her some cash.
"You as well, Cheryl Ann" she grinned back at me, "and I just wanted to say" her hand reached out to my arm as I attempted to leave with my bags, "I'm sorry to hear about what happened with your mother, hopefully, things will get better from here" she whispered to me.
"Please, Mrs. Harrington" I did my best to fake a smile, "it's just Cheryl," I said before turning back around and letting my face drop into irritation. I wasted no time getting out of that store and into my car, my tires peeling out of the parking lot as I made my way back to the trailer.
"Cheryl Ann" I squealed as I mocked Mrs. Harrington, "I'm sorry to hear about what happened with your mother" I rolled my eyes, "oh fuck you, you're not sorry"
My headlights shined on the trailer as I parked my car, grabbing my grocery bags and yanking the front door open before letting it slam shut. I tossed the bags onto the counter before pulling out the little microwaved meal and popping it in to heat up. "Sorry," I scoffed, "nobody's sorry. I'm not even sorry!" I shouted to myself, "she had it coming" my fist slammed down onto the counter. I let out an irritated groan, hating how the first human interaction I had ended with some fake sentiment about my mother.
I guess I expected that from a town like Hawkins, where nothing leaves and barely anything changes. Even though I physically left, I was still chained down to Donna Skinner. Mrs. Harrington proved that no matter how many years I spent away, my mother's reputation made sure it would be as if I never left.
The beeping from the microwave broke my trance, shaking my head as I popped it open and grabbed the hot plate of food, "shit shit shit" I whispered as I tried not to drop it while also trying not to burn my fingertips. I grabbed a fork from the dishrack and mixed up the plate of mashed potatoes and meatloaf, taking a paper towel and holding the plate with it before kicking open the trailer door. I sat out on my front steps, picking away at my plate, happy that I was getting something in my stomach. I couldn't lie, microwaved meals were my comfort food, one of the few things kid-me could heat up that still managed to taste good. My headphones continued to play music as I ate, my fork mushing together my food before taking a bite.
The muffled sound of a door shutting caused my head to jerk as I saw a figure come into the light from the street lamp. I immediately pulled off my headphones and stood up, placing my plate of food to the side. My movement caught the man's attention as I rushed over to them, already knowing who it was.
"Cheryl Ann?!" he called my name with clear excitement
"Mr. Wayne" I hugged the man in front of me
"Cheryl Ann, you know it's just Uncle Wayne" he laughed as he hugged me tightly
"And it's just Cheryl" I quipped back as I pulled away
Wayne kept his hands on my shoulders as he looked at me, "gosh, you got big"
"And you got old"
"Your Aunt called letting me know you'd be moving back, but I didn't know when. When did you get here? How have you been?"
"This morning" I gave him a half smile, "and it's been alright, all things considered"
"I see you were busy" he pointed to the trash bags with a cigarette before lighting it.
"Yeah, well... we both know how Donna was" I rolled my eyes at him.
"You got everything you need in there? Food, blankets, towels, soap?" Wayne began to list things off.
"Yes" I laughed, "yes, Uncle Wayne I have everything" I smiled at him
"Everything?"
"Well..." I trailed off, "you wouldn't happen to have a pillow to spare?"
He gave a small grunt with a nod, "Eddie!" he shouted towards his trailer, waiting a few seconds before shouting again, "Edward Munson!"
After a minute, the sounds of rustling and banging could be heard before the trailer's door swung open, "what?!" a tall figure appeared
"Get me one of the pillows in the closet" Wayne shouted back. The figure stood at the door for a moment before disappearing
"Eddie is still here?" I looked back at Wayne, making no effort to hide the surprise in my voice
"Yeah" he shrugged, doing his best to sound irritated about it, "you'd think I'd catch a break by now, but not with him" I huffed out a laugh, knowing he didn't mean it. No matter how grumpy he sounded, Wayne adored Eddie like he was his own child. It was something I always envied.
It wasn't long before the figure emerged from the trailer, pillow in hand as he approached Wayne and me, "here" he mumbled.
"Eddie, say hi" Wayne tilted his head to me.
It wasn't until he was in front of me that I could finally make Eddie's face out. I knew it was him, but the last time I was here, his hair was buzzed, and he wasn't as tall. "Hi Eddie" I grinned at him, his familiar eyes immediately meeting mine, staring for a moment before I could see the realization settle in on his face.
"Cherry?!" He said in disbelief, "well, look what the cat dragged in"
Wayne snatched the pillow from Eddie, briefly smacking it against the back of his head before handing it to me. I couldn't help but let out a quick laugh, trying my best to cover it with a cough even though both of them definitely heard it. "It's still Cheryl, Ed, was and always will be Cheryl" I rolled my eyes at him, trying my best to hide a smile.
"Yeah, whatever you say, Cherry" Eddie jokingly blew me off
"Still stubborn as ever" I mumbled under my breath, looking back at Wayne, who gave a slight chuckle
"Well, it's good to have you back home, Cheryl. I'm off to the yard, I'll see you kids later" Wayne groaned as he flicked his cigarette to the ground and made his way to his truck.
"Yard? What happened to the job at the lab?" I asked, turning to follow him.
"Lab got shut down, some kind of chem leak that killed a girl" Eddie explained.
"Shit" I whispered, watching as Wayne started his truck. "Wait!" I shouted to him before he could drive off, walking over to his window as he rolled it down for me
"You alright, Cheryl?" He asked, causing a soft smile on my face, missing how he would ask me that whenever he saw me as a kid
"Yeah" I nodded, "I just wanted to say" I looked down while leaning against the car door, "that I'm sorry I stopped calling"
Wayne gave me a small tsk, opening up his truck door as I took a step back, then pulled me into a hug, "it's alright, Cheryl, I know why you did" he whispered into my hair. "Now I gotta go" He pulled me away before turning around to get back in his truck, "don't get into any trouble" he pointed to Eddie and me before driving off.
We stood in silence, watching as Wayne drove off with a wave goodbye. I could hear the clicking of metal against each other as I turned to see Eddie fidgeting with his hands, his rings causing the noise as they knocked against each other while his tongue poked out of his mouth as he avoided looking at me. "Still doin' that thing with your tongue" I pointed to his mouth before he immediately stopped, making me huff out a laugh, "how you been, Ed?" I asked, kicking the dirt beneath us slightly.
He shrugged, "oh ya know, same old same old." I nodded in response as it got quiet between us, the both of us awkwardly standing where Wayne had left us.
"I like the new hairstyle" I pointed to his long hair that covered his shoulders
"Thanks" Eddie mumbled before we both went quiet again. Just as I was about to walk back to my trailer, I could hear Eddie's throat clear. I stopped, turning back to face him, "uh..." he briefly looked at me, his fingers coming up to play with his hair as he used it to cover his face, "happy belated birthday... I know it was a few days ago"
Had I taken a step or even breathed a little too hard, I would've missed what he said, "I... thank you, Eddie" I smiled, "I didn't think you'd remember it"
"Yeah, well, how could I forget the most annoying neighbor in the world's birthday" he teased, his hair dropping from his face before he looked down and turned around to head back into his trailer.
I sat in bed, leaning against the wall and letting the breeze from the cracked open window hit my face. It had been a week since I moved in, and I was finally beginning to get comfortable staying here. I looked out the window to see movement across from me, leaning in a little and turning my head as I focused. I watched as Eddie picked things up around his room and threw them into what looked like a laundry basket. I felt a small smile fight its way onto my face, remembering how I used to watch Eddie through my window as a kid since our rooms faced each other. Once Wayne got him his first guitar, he'd stay up late standing on top of his bed strumming and head banging like he was playing at a concert.
I let out a small relaxed sigh, closing my eyes and pressing my head against the window slightly before finally getting out of bed. I pulled on some shorts to wear with the tank top I had slept in and left my room to grab the newspaper on the counter that was dropped off a few days ago. I flipped through a few pages, pulling out the classified section and grabbing a pen and cup of water before heading outside. I walked over to the picnic table by the side of my house, between me and the Munson's, and sat down to skim the job listings.
The sounds of muffled rock music coming from the Munson trailer kept distracting me, wishing I was doing anything other than looking for a job. I huffed, looking up to see Eddie pass the door, head banging along as he continued to do whatever he was doing. He passed by again, looking to see me staring back at him. I watched as he stopped, standing for a moment before opening the door, "mornin' Cherry" he grinned at me with an arm perched on the door frame while the other held the door open, shirtless and wearing a pair of black jeans he must've cut into shorts.
"Mornin' Edward" I cocked my head at him knowing he hated being called Edward just as much as I hated being called Cherry.
"Whatcha uh... whatcha doing?" he pointed to the newspaper on the table before walking towards me. I watched Eddie, noticing the tattoos he now had inked on his body.
"Classifieds, looking for a job" I held the paper up to him, a few circles on some listings that I thought looked promising, "you working these days?"
Eddie grabbed it from me, reading over the paper before tossing it back, "uh yeah, you could say that. I do some side gigs here and there but help out mainly at the junkyard with my uncle or Thatcher’s if I'm not in school" he explained to me, pushing his hair back from his face as the heat started to hit the both of us.
"Anything you can help me get a job at?" I asked him sincerely, offering him one of the scrunchies I had on my wrist.
He took it from me, throwing his hair into a makeshift bun/ponytail. I could tell the long hair must be somewhat new, considering the struggle he had trying to wrap his hair up. "No," Eddie said flatly, his tone was more serious than I was expecting, causing my brow to raise, "nothing you'd want to do, Cherry"
I nodded, pursing my lips, "so... you're still in school?" I asked, kicking my foot against the side of the table, gesturing for Eddie to sit.
"Yeah, but this year's my year. I'm gonna graduate," he said proudly as if announcing it to the entire world.
"Weren't you a year ahead of me?" I asked, earning silence in return. I nodded, looking off to the side, "I didn't graduate either" I admitted. I could feel Eddie's stare burning into the side of my face as I avoided looking at him.
"What?!" he finally said, surprised
I just nodded, letting out a sigh and turning to face him, "yeah... so guess I'll be seeing you around school."
"Just like old days" Eddie joked
"Still gonna avoid me in the halls?"
"And at lunch too" he grinned widely at me, earning a swift kick to the leg, which he tried to dodge before kicking my bench, pushing it back slightly.
"Hey!" I laughed, the two of us now kicking at each other before finally getting tired.
"I haven't eaten if you wanna grab a bite?" Eddie asked, sitting up and wiping his hands on his jean cut-offs.
"Where? Benny's shut down" I asked, standing up and folding the newspaper in my hands.
"Yeah, but Dixon's is still open"
"Have you found anything worth applying to?" Eddie asked, pointing his fork at my newspaper with a few more red circles.
I shrugged, "nothing worth writing home about"
"Have you thought about SuperMart? I heard they're hiring"
"No, I didn't see a listing in the paper," I said while making a note to check if they were hiring. "So what's been going on since I left? I drove around when I got here and saw some stores shut down and a sign about a mall, but I couldn't find it" I asked Eddie, putting the paper down and taking the last few bites of my pancakes.
"There was a mall" Eddie stretched his arms up and threw his napkin onto his empty plate, "place burned down, some people died, it was nuts. Mall even shut businesses down when it got built, so the town is still trying to recover from that"
"Shit" I leaned back into my seat, "is that what happened with Benny's?"
"No, he uh... Benny died" Eddie looked down, "cops said suicide, but some people think it was made to look that way"
"What do you mean?" I asked him awkwardly, trying to ignore this sinking feeling in my stomach.
Eddie let out a sigh, his shoulders falling as he looked up at me, "you gotta know Cherry, the people around here are bored, they'll say anything to make their lives more interesting..." he trailed off. I knew where this was going, he was about to tell me the same thing I used to hear kids tell me in grade school. He let out a deep breath before continuing, "people think your mom had something to do with it... especially after she got arrested. They think she tried to rob him or something and ended up shooting him" he told me, leaning forward onto the table, his fingers playing with his hair as he brought it up to hide his face.
I took a deep breath, scrunching my nose as I looked out the window of the diner, "'course they do" I said bitterly, "whatever, it's nothing I hadn't heard before" I brushed off.
We sat in silence as the waitress brought the check to our table. I grabbed my wallet from my pocket, about to take money out before Eddie beat me to it by shoving cash into the waitress' hands and rushing her off before I could try and pay.
He looked at me smugly, his goofy smile doing a good job at helping ease the tension that the mention of my mother had created, "think we can stop by SuperMart before we head back?"
I was able to fill out an application to SuperMart on the spot, being told they'd give me a call once the manager read it over. After that, Eddie and I headed home and spent our days separately. I spent mine continuing to clean out the trailer, mopping the floors, and tossing old rugs covered in stains and dried-up gum and food. Once the final bag was thrown out, I took a look at the last few pictures I managed to find before adding them to the box. I let out a content sigh, the trailer was officially cleaned out after spending the week on it.
I hopped in the shower, letting the warm water run over my body, thinking about how school was about to start in a few days. I was lucky enough that my aunt was willing to help pay the bills on the trailer, so I really only needed the job to pay for things like food and gas, so it shouldn't be too bad having to work and go to school. I know if I had asked her, she would've sent me money for that, too but I left North Carolina to be less of a burden on her, not more.
I stood under the water for a few more minutes before finally shutting it off, quickly drying off my hair before wrapping my towel around my body and brushing my teeth before heading to my room. The small light from my lamp illuminated the room as I dropped my towel on the hook behind my door, looking at myself in front of my full-length mirror as I threw on some underwear. I noticed my bare skin, thinking of Eddie's tattoos and wondering what I'd look like with some. I only turned 18 just over a week ago, and I didn't have time between my birthday and moving here to think about getting one, not that I knew what I would want in the first place.
The sounds of a crash broke me from my trance as my head whipped to where the noise came from. I stared at my window, seeing the curtains were still open from this morning, and across Eddie stood frozen and wide-eyed as we made eye contact before he ducked down. I stared in shock, looking down at my bare self before rushing to the window and pulling the curtains shut. My face beat red as my arms covered my chest before I quickly pulled on an old ripped-up shirt from my drawer, my body dropping onto my bed and digging my head into the sheets from embarrassment. I prayed, hoping Eddie didn't just see me naked, but I knew he most definitely did by his reaction. I let out a muffled scream into my blanket, banging my fists into my bed as I tried to get rid of the embarrassment I was now consumed with.
//
AN ; here's a render I made of Cheryl & Eddie's trailers for reference
