takes place during chapter xxvi

                            AFTER A FEW DAYS OF HUNTING HIM DOWN, Mason really thought he knew who Eddie Munson was. Well, as much as two people on complete opposite ends of the social spectrum who've spent years back-and-forth bickering and mocking could know each other. Okay... so maybe Mason didn't know who Eddie Munson was at all. But he was fine with that, at least. Before the whole murder thing. Before Chrissy. Before Vecna, and before Mason had been apart of the pitchfork-and-torches witch hunt group trying to track down and haul Eddie's ass straight to jail.

But then the whole Lover's Lake fiasco hit, and Mason's frame of thinking was thrown upside-down. (Pun not intended.)

     After Nancy had woken up and she and Steve climbed through the gate, it took a while before she was ready to share what Vecna had shown her. In those hours, Mason came to the decision that maybe Eddie Munson wasn't all that bad.

It was while Val was in Max's shower, Steve had taken Dustin and Lucas to grab groceries from Steve's house, and Max and Nancy were in Max's bedroom trying to recount privately that Mason and Eddie were stuck alone in the Mayfields' living room. Beyond the whole supernatural part, it was pretty awkward, and Mason honestly would have rather left with Steve than spend any more alone time with the freak. But nevertheless he sat on the stuffy couch across from Eddie, eyes downcast and mind scouring for anything he could use as common ground to start up a conversation.

Finally, after a painstaking ten minutes, Eddie sighed heavily and stood from the armchair. He stuck his hands into his back pockets and looked around the living room.

     "So," he said, before his eyes landed on Mason and he pursed his lips. "You think Max has a lighter around here?"

     Mason's lip curled involuntarily. "Seriously, dude? You're thinking about getting high right now? Are y—Like, are you serious?"

     Eddie met his gaze and raised his eyebrows, then shook his head nonchalantly, sitting back down on the armchair. "Nah, 'course not. Just wondering, I mean. For.. for no reason, y'know."

Trying not to roll his eyes, Mason drew in a breath and leaned back on the couch, huffing out an exhale. "So.. you—you and Val, huh? What... what's that about?"

     "Yeah, okay, we don't have to do this." Eddie waved his hands around, exhaling an awkward laugh. "We don't have to do the whole small-talk thing. Let's just pretend.. we're not here. Deal?"

"Yeah, deal," Mason agreed, shrugging a nod and leaning back again. "I didn't want to... either. So. So let's not. Yeah. Yeah, let—we can—"

"D–Come on, man." Eddie's lips pulled down and he shook his head, spreading his hands, his brow scrunched. "You're talking an awful lot for someone who isn't here."

Mason nodded, leaning forward, running his hands down his jeans and puffing up his lips. He glanced around, his mind flashing with images of whatever the hell was on the other side of that gate in Eddie's trailer. Finally, he burst.

"What was that, man?" His voice broke, a twinge of fear hiding behind his macho-man façade. "That—that gate thing. What was it? Was that where you guys were when—"

"Yeah, uh.." Eddie breathed out a laugh. "Yeah. I think they call it the Upside Down. You—you seriously don't know... any of this? Like, at all?"

     Mason shrugged, then shook his head, raising his eyebrows. "No, man, I'm fully out of the loop. Like, seriously. All of it. The Upside Down, Fleetwood Mac, Chrissy. All of it. Especially.... especially Chrissy."

Eddie fell silent. Mason watched him, trying to read whatever was going on in his mind, but he was too guarded. His head was down. Mason waited, kept silent so long he could count the minutes ticking by on the clock hanging in the kitchen, but he didn't push Eddie to say anything. Hell, he didn't even know what he wanted to hear; he just wanted to hear... anything.

     "You two were close, huh?" Eddie's voice was quieter when he spoke, a small, disbelieving laugh following his words. "I thought we could've been, too. I see why you got along, though. I mean, I barely know you, but.. you have the same sense of humor. I bet you're wondering why we were even together in the first place, right?"

Mason wanted to shout "Fuck, yes, please tell me why the fuck she was with you, of all people," but he just outwardly shrugged noncommittally, a casual frown on his face.

"She needed drugs." Eddie's voice was monotone. Not harsh, but not gentle, either, which Mason thought was a good representation of the man himself. "Can you believe that?"

     Mason bit his lip. After a moment, he shook his head, looking back to Eddie with a sour smile on his lips. He scoffed. "Yeah, you know, it's funny. I wasn't sure how much of any of this I believed. I've been skeptical of it all. But—but you telling me that has.. I dunno, knocked some sense into me; because if this shit's crazy enough for Chrissy Cunningham to want drugs... then yeah, something's gotta be up. So... so sure, I believe it."

     Eddie managed a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, man, we're kinda going through the same thing here, right? I mean, like, being thrown into all this shit when, you know, a week ago I was planning our final D&D campaign."

Mason's smile fell and he shook his head. "I mean, kinda. I was practicing for the championships, not a roleplaying game, but I see where you're coming from with that. You know—"

He faltered as the bathroom door opened and Val stood in the doorway, drying her hair with an off-white towel. She scrunched up her face. "God, I never thought a shower would feel so goddamn good."

Both Mason and Eddie's heads spun to face Val, then back to each other. They shared a short glance. When Val dropped the towel from her face and lifted her head to look between the guys, a slow smile spread across her lips. She let out a laughing scoff.

"This looks like fun," she said, pointing between Eddie and Mason. She took a few steps back and headed down the hall towards Max's bedroom, still facing the guys. "I'll just leave you two... to it, then."

"Oh, actually," Mason said, as both he and Eddie stood and tried to follow Val into Max's room. "I need to talk with Nancy, too, so..."

Val opened the door just wide enough for her to fit inside. She leaned her head out and gave them a fake pout, lifting her shoulders. "Sorry, boys. No can-do. This is the Cursed By Vecna and Lived Through It club. No outsiders allowed."

Mason had just enough time to give her a muttered "Fuck you" before she'd shut the door in his face.

He turned back to Eddie, offering him a fake smile as if he hadn't just tried to bail on him. "Back to just us, then," he said, before walking down the hall and brushing past Eddie. "Because my sister's a bitch."

"Hey," Eddie called, turning around. He didn't take a seat like Mason did, instead continuing to stand, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to ask... you—uh, you started calling her that, kinda outta nowhere. I thought you guys hated each other. At least, that's all I've heard."

Mason turned his head. He pressed his lips together, propping his chin up on his fist and leaning against his knees. "I've been wondering that myself, honestly. And the truth is.. I don't know, man. I hated her until all this. I really, truly hated her. At least, I thought I did."

     "You didn't, really," Eddie guessed, raising his eyebrows.

     "Bingo." Mason leaned back, puffing up his cheeks. "It was about the time she almost died that I realized, 'Hey, douchebag, you should probably not be a dick anymore.' So now... I'm trying not to be a dick anymore. It's like a chain reaction."

Eddie laughed at that—really laughed—and a smile made its way onto Mason's lips.

"If it's any comfort at all," Eddie added, still smiling, "I know Val's not, uh.. not the easiest person to get along with. But she's amazing."

"Yeah," Mason grinned, "she's okay, I guess. And you treat her like a princess, which can't be helping her ego. So thanks."

     Eddie spread his hands innocently. "Don't be jealous, man. I can treat you like a princess, too, if you want me to."

     "Oh, please do," Mason agreed with a laugh, tilting his head to him. "I'd love that."

     "Of course you would," came Val's voice, and the boys' heads spun to see her leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed and a teasing smile on her face. "I've always said you're a princess, Mason. I'm glad you can finally accept it."

     Eddie's laugh was almost loud enough to cover Mason's "You suck, Val," but she still heard it; and when she grinned, it was like she was sharing an inside joke with her two best friends. Like everything was normal.

     And she felt happy, something she hadn't experienced in so long she was beginning to think it was impossible.

hi guys :)
quick question! (i already asked this on my message board
but not everyone that reads this follows me) —
how would you guys feel about a 'lucas on the line,' 'runaway max,' 'rebel robin' type-prequel for val? about her past and her old friendship with eddie before high school?
would yall read that? be honest guys🤔 i don't wanna write a whole book just for yall to ignore it 😑
anyways love u guys so much bye <3