chapter five
shitty disney movie

"You've never done this before?" Chrissy's voice had a panicked undertone to it, her nails digging into the fabric of the van's seat.

The trees flew past the window as Arwen turned herself around in the seat to face Chrissy. "No, no. I haven't. But I'll still be there, and so will Eddie. And he's done this a lot. You'll be okay, I promise."

Eddie hummed in agreement, looking at her through the rear view mirror. "We'll start you light, okay?"

Chrissy smiled, barely, but she smiled. "Okay.."

"And we'll watch cheesy movies." Arwen grinned, gesturing to the backpack that sat on the mat at her feet. "I rented a bunch of them from Robin yesterday. There's a shitty disney movie?"

Chrissy seemed to calm down at that, her body relaxing into the van's seat. "Hey, what song is this? I've never heard it."

"Chrissy, no-"

"Well, Chrissy," Eddie drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, a cheeky smile crossing his face. "I'm glad you asked is Ozzy fucking Osbourne, sweetheart."

~~

"Hey, I'm gonna run to the bathroom. Will you be alright?" Arwen asked, gently squeezing Chrissy's hand.

Chrissy jumped, turning to look at her quickly. She smiled tightly, it didn't reach her eyes, and nodded. "Yea- Yes! I'll be fine, I'll just.. pick out a movie."

"Okay," Arwen smiled, pulling her lips in between her teeth as she stepped past Eddie who was sloppily picking up discarded rappers, mumbling an apology for the mess.

The truth is, Arwen was the only girl who he'd had in his trailer. Had there been girls he'd wanted to bring there? Sure, of course. He'd had passing crushes on plenty of girls, but none of them matched how he felt for Arwen.

No, none of them even came near how he felt for her. Not that she would ever find that out, though.

Arwen.. Arwen, she had a future. A bright one, and Eddie was destined to remain in Hawkins. He couldn't, he refused, to hold her back from that.  

She didn't feel the same, anyway. Eddie knew that, but in the off- one in a million chance that she did, it could never work. Girls like her never wanted guys like him, they were always a phase. Something that had to happen before she could settle down and be with who she was truly supposed to be with.

A boy who had a future, someone who could offer her stability and a good life.

He was sort of glad she would never see him as he saw her, because one, that means she would see him, all of him, for how he was. And two, he would only hold her back from her dreams.. and that's the very last thing he'd want to do.

The conversation Eddie and Chrissy held faded out as Arwen shut and locked the bathroom door behind her.

She sighed, eyes focusing on herself in the bathroom mirror. Her palms dug into the yellowed ceramic sink.

She tilted her head back and forth, examining her features. The thin walls provided little to no sound proofing, meaning she could hear the music that was faintly playing in the living room along with sound of Chrissy fumbling with the TV and VHS sets.

She wondered what movie Chrissy would choose. Though, in the end it wouldn't end up mattering what she chose, none of them would be watching it in the end.

"Sorry, I'm late, sweetheart."

Arwen giggled at the nickname, especially knowing it was for his guitar.

"Hey, Chrissy! What movie did you choose?" Arwen called to Chrissy through the door, not taking her eyes off the mirror as she carefully touched up her hair. At the lack of response, Arwen turned her head to the door, pausing to listen for any sounds that could be Chrissy. "Chrissy? You there?"

Again, no response. Arwen's heart skipped a beat and her blood ran cold. Her hands grew shaky as she reached for the door, carefully stepping out and peering into the living room.

"Chris..." Her voice caught in her throat at the sight of Chrissy in the middle of the living room, VHS tape in hand, completely frozen. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her body twitched. "Holy shit!"

She ran forward toward her, hesitating the closer she got. She'd remembered taking a CNA class during the summer, but what they'd taught about seizures escaped her mind.

Was she supposed to not touch them? Arwen couldn't remember, something she'd beat herself up for later.

"Shit!" She muttered, "Eddie!"

Fuck it.

"Chrissy, Chrissy! Hey, Hey. Chrissy, come on." Arwen begged, hands moving to cup her face. "Come back to me, please!"

"Hey, guys. I found it. Peaceful, bliss just moments away.." Eddie's voice trailed off at the sight of Chrissy standing there, eyes rolled back in her head and body twitching. "Chrissy?"

"Eddie, she won't wake up! She won't snap out of it!" Arwen's voice was desperate as she turned to him, tears pricking at her eyes. "Did- Did she take too much?"

"No- No, she- uh- she didn't take anything yet! I have it here.." Eddie waved his hand in front of her face. "Chrissy.. Chrissy? Hello?"

"I think she's having a seiz-" Arwen jumped as Eddie lurched forward, shouting the blonde's name. "A seizure."

"No, she's standing." Eddie shook his head, snapping his fingers in her face. "Chrissy! Hey, hello? Chrissy? Hey, hello! Chrissy!"

Arwen's breath hitched as the lights in the room flickered wildly. "Eddie?"

"Time to wake up!" Eddie clapped, voice growing more and more frantic as the seconds passed agonizingly slowly.

"Chrissy, can you hear me?" Arwen called out to her, "Snap out of it! Please!"

"Hello? Can you hear me? Wake up, Chrissy! Chrissy wake up!" Eddie began shaking her, ignoring Arwen's fleeting attempts to warn him not to do that. "I don't like this, Chrissy! Wake up! Chrissy! Chrissy!"

"Chrissy. Please!" Arwen was begging her now, "Wake up! Please!"

"Holy shit!" Arwen's hands flew to her mouth and she backed up quickly as Chrissy's feet lifted off the floor. She yelped, jumping back and bumping into Eddie as Chrissy hit the ceiling.

"Jesus Christ!"

Arwen screamed, hands covering her face as she scrambled back into the corner. Her body shook in fear at the sounds of bones crunching flooded her ears.

Arwen remained in the corner, cowering as Chrissy's body fell limp to the living room floor.

She could have been there for seconds, or hours, she wasn't sure, before Eddie's voice pulled her out of her shocked state.

"Arwen. Arwen." Eddie's frantic voice flooded her ears as he wrapped his hands around her wrists, pulling her to her feet. "We have- We need to go. Now."

Arwen could barely walk, her legs felt like jelly, heart sinking into her stomach at the sight of Chrissy's dead body. "Oh my god!"

Unable to rationalize it, she stumbled out of the trailer behind Eddie, slamming the door quickly.

Her mind felt foggy as she tripped over her own feet, catching herself on the hood of Eddie's van. She used the van as a crutch to get to the passenger's side.

Arwen pulled open the door, seemingly having to use more strength than usual. She got in quickly, eyes flickering to the trailer at the sound of Eddie starting the van. 

"What are we- Where are go- Eddie, where are we going?!" Arwen was panicking as she slammed the van door behind her.

"I don't know! I don't know!" Eddie's voice mirrored hers, equally as panicked and overwhelmed by what they had just seen. "I don't- Fuck!"

"We just fucking.. We left her there!" Arwen's voice was uneasy and hushed. The exact opposite of how it usually was, calm and collected.

"I know!" Eddie snapped, grip tightening on the steering wheel as he peeled out of the drive way. "She's- she was-"

Arwen gripped the seatbelt, squeezing her eyes shut as Eddie pressed his foot against the gas pedal. The van sputtered forward, causing the trees to become a blur outside the van's window.

"She-She.." Arwen stammered, racking her brain to figure out any logical excuse to justify what happened.

She'd wished she had taken the drugs, if she had maybe, maybe, this would all be some kind of awful trip...

but she was sober, and this was real.

~~

a/n; in light of recent events. things for arwen will be changing drastically!! also arwen x chrissy x eddie would have been so beautiful