heart to heart {eddie}

[STELLA HINES]

Stella Hines was sitting at her computer, crying.

She couldn’t think of a time she’d ever been so upset, so frustrated and angry. She wasn’t even angry at Eddie, she was angry at herself because she did something so stupid and childish like drawing a mustache on his face. If she hadn’t pulled such a ridiculous prank, he’d have an A+ in Chemistry and he wouldn’t be blaming her for this (even if he wasn’t really) and they’d still be getting along really well, bonding over their horrible moms. If she wasn’t so obnoxious and loud all the time, things would be perfect. Wouldn’t they? Yeah, she thinks. She’d wear normal colored clothes and walk to places like everybody else and she’d do well in school. Maybe she’d even wear dresses and enter beauty pageants, just to please her mom.

Stella Hines was sitting at her computer, wondering what the hell was wrong with her.

She couldn't even imagine how her mother must've felt about having such an awful daughter. God, had she ever once in her life considered her moms feelings? Her hopes and dreams? Fuck, she was the very definition of a terrible daughter. Stella buried her face into her hands and sobbed. Why was she even still online, talking to Eddie? What the hell was she saying to him now? Her fingers were typing words that she couldn’t recall even thinking. There wasn’t a filter to her now; there rarely was, but she always made sure to keep this sort of crazy in check. She must’ve have sounded fucking insane. He’d already apologized to her and she hated herself for it, because it wasn’t his fault. None of this was. It was hers, obviously. Wasn’t it always?

Stella Hines was sitting at her computer, and she needed to go running.

She’s more aware now of what she’s typing, feeling stupid for being so dramatic as to mention something like running into oncoming traffic. She really does feel like that, though. Her heart was shattered and her brain wouldn’t shut up, replaying all the regrettable things she’d done in life, and all she really felt was numb. No, she didn’t want to talk. God damn it, just get offline. Clicking the little red x in the corner, Stella shoved away from the desk. In minutes, she’d pulled on her warmest running clothes and she was out the door. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered posting on Facebook that she’d have a run at the docks, and she decided to stick with that.

Stella Hines was hailing a cab, and trying not to think.

Should’ve been easy for someone like her, given how incredibly stupid she was in anything to do with school. There wasn’t much to work with, and if she kept this up, she was going to throw herself into the murky ocean water. It was a quiet ride and she spent the entirety of it fidgeting, wishing she’d brought her music player so she’d have somebody else’s voice and rhythm to distract her. The second after she’d paid the driver and stepped out, she was running. She was rushing past the tourists and boat owners and skaterboys and there was nothing but the air whistling and the birds calling and the waves crashing.

Stella Hines was running and crying, and worrying that she’d pushed away one of the few people she actually cared about.

outfit

[EDGAR BROOKE]

Eddie Brooke, on the other hand, sat at his computer regretting everything he had just just typed.

Honestly, he hated himself for being such an asshole sometimes. He wasn't even an asshole all the time, just the times when it was really inconvenient for all the parties involved. He got mad over the stupidest of things, those little things that no one else cared about. Had Stella drawn that mustache on anyone else, they would have laughed and high-fived her and wore it proudly through the halls. But no, Eddie had to go and get mad, and if he had just accepted it for what it was, he could have gone to his locker and gotten his chemistry and turned it in on time. His teacher might have glanced at him and asked about the sharpie all over his face, and he would have replied with the truth and it would have been over and done with.

He didn't know why Stella put up with him. He was boring and didn't know how to have fun like she did. Eddie's fun was quiet in his room and maybe his guitar and some songwriting. Her fun was actually what the rest of society would consider fun, actually going out and doing things and wearing every color of the rainbow and joking around. Stella should have been very bored with Eddie right off the bat, but she wasn't. Eddie also should have been overwhelmed at first, and he was, but he managed and had actually grown to really like Stella. And he went and threw that all away over a Sharpie marker.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Stella had been so upset, he could tell from the fact that she said things about oncoming traffic and no to talking and Eddie knew that he really messed up. At first, he was still upset, staring at his computer and deciding to do nothing. He had already apologized and offered to talk about it, hadn't he? He had logged into Facebook to get his mind off it, and the first thing he saw was his mother's status on how proud of him she was for getting straight A's.

Instantly, that guilty feeling came back. Not just because he hadn't told her about the B in chemistry, but because he knew what she would think if she knew he was doing nothing about this. She didn't know Stella existed, nor that he had even been partnered with a girl for that history project last year, since she would have flown in right away and planned the wedding. She was eccentric like that. But if his mother read that chat, she would be so disappointed. Even though she smothered him sometimes (okay, all the time), Eddie still didn't want to disappoint his mother. The guilt increased as he scrolled down and there was Stella's status from earlier about going to the docks for a run.

Without another thought, he turned off his computer, grabbed his jacket and his wallet, and was out the door.

He grabbed a taxi and told him his destination and remembered to breathe. After he calmed down, he realized that he didn't even know what he was doing. She hadn't wanted to talk about it. She probably didn't even want to see him. He had no idea what to say and the taxi seemed to be getting faster and faster as he came up with a lot of nothing.

When they finally stopped at the docks, Eddie hesitated before paying the driver and stepping out of the car. He still had no idea what to say or what to do or even how to find her. But eventually he closed the door of the taxi, put his wallet in his jacket pocket, and looked around. He didn't have enough money for a return trip, but that wasn't his main concern at that point. His concern was finding Stella.

He pushed past people and looked around them. Luckily, they were mostly leaving because it was getting a little chilly, so the crowd was thinning out. He was looking for her red hair or some sort of brightly colored apparel - there, that had to be her. Had to be. "Stella!" he called, trying to raise his voice above the noise. He was quite out of practice with being loud, but he raised his voice more and called out again, "Stella!"

[/justify]

{ outfit of a quasi-hipster }
{ this was so hard to write at first but then it got easier }
{ i'm also crying but you know that's just stellar right now }

[STELLA HINES]

Stella was exhausted.

Something was wrong.

She had only been running for, what?, half an hour, and she was exhausted. Her breathing was labored and the stitch in her side was killing her and her feet hurt and what was wrong with her? She let out a wordless cry, brushing the back of her hand against her cheeks and her eyelids, angry that she was still crying. She’d been stopped by two concerned parents and she’d had to lie and tell them she was fine. Or that she would be fine, anyway, once they stopped badgering her and let her get back to her jog. She’d snapped at two harmless people, two people who just wanted to make sure she was alright. Why was she always doing that?

She refused to stop, though. She would get through it because she always did. There was always this moment in her runs where it hurt, but she’d kept going, and it’d gone away. This was normal. What was not normal was that it’d come so soon. Was it that she’d been crying? That seemed to take a lot of heavy breathing for some reason. God, she hated crying. She probably looked a mess right now – she knew she did, still did, from earlier. Despite just telling herself to keep going, she came to a sudden stop and tilted her head back, staring up at the sky. It was cloudy and cold and getting colder and she just wanted to sit down somewhere and freeze into a Stellasicle .

Stella!

And now she was hearing things. Because no way in hell, no way in a million trillion years, would Eddie Brooke come after her. So what if she’d signed off sounding like she was going to do something stupid and dangerous? So what if they’d argued? So what? He left it at apologies and that was it and that was all she ever really needed. She kept still, almost too afraid to turn around. And if he had come after her, why? What more could he have to say to her? Maybe that she really was a mess and he didn’t want to be associated with her, because really, why would anyone ever? She took a deep breath, part to recover from her run, part to slow her beating heart. It was going too fast.

Go.

She turned on her heel, quick and sharp, and looked for him. He was almost impossible to spot, dressed rather darkly and blending in with everybody else. But at the same time, he was the first thing she saw. She realized then that there was something about him that drew her eyes right to him, every time. Give her a crowded room and she’d spot Eddie in two seconds. And that made no sense. For a short moment, she was filled with anger. How dare he come after her, after all of that?? And then in the next moment, she was just immeasurably sad. Stella sort of crumbled, as if you could physically see all the walls she’d built up falling down.

“You idiot,” she muttered, not even sure if she was referring to herself or to him. There was no chance of running now, he’d seen her, and he looked determined. So she shuffled towards him, slowly. Perhaps for the first (and hopefully the last) time in her life she’d ever done something slow. “What’re you doing here?” She called, her voice hoarse, her throat sore. Stella was fidgeting again, she noticed. There was a loose thread on her sleeve, and by the time this was over, half the sleeve would probably be gone.

[EDGAR BROOKE]

Eddie was worried. Maybe she couldn't hear him. Maybe she didn't want to hear him. Maybe it wasn't Stella... no, it had to be. It was Stella, there was no doubt in his mind, because he knew when she was there, even when he couldn't see her. When he was turned away from the door in one of the many classrooms they shared, he turned around almost immediately after she walked in because he felt it. It was weird and he didn't like it at first, but that's mainly because he still didn't know what it was. At first he thought it was tension, but now he wasn't so sure.

But whatever it was, it was at the docks and it completely ruled out the possiblity that that wasn't Stella Hines running ahead of him with her bright purple pants and her red shoes and the lilac streak visible in her hair. Her shirt was gray but it didn't matter because it was Stella and she had heard him, because she was turning around to face him. It was lucky that she was, too, because there was no way Eddie could catch her if she was still running.

He had had no time to put contacts on and his glasses were fogging and he couldn't make out her face, but she was walking towards him. Something was wrong with that picture that Eddie couldn't place at first - until he realized that she was walking towards him. Walking. Slowly. He had really messed things up this tim, hadn't he? She was just going to tell him to fuck off and go back to his stupid room with his stupid face and stupid homework, with those exact words.

But he cleaned off his glasses, and he could see her face clearly. Her puffy, red face, even if she had wiped away the tears. He had made her cry.

He had made her cry.

Eddie suddenly felt extremely nauseous and what little color there was drained from his face. Some part of him felt numb and dead, as if with that single thought, his organs were shutting down. It wasn't that he was sick and maybe it wasn't really nausea - it was just guilt on a whole new level. He had done this, it was his fault she was crying and running and not talking and mentioning reckless things and he could never take that back. Edgar Brooke had made Stella Hines cry and his whole world felt like it shifted.

And as she reached him, he couldn't look her in the eyes. Not now. Not those sad eyes. As she asked him what he was doing here, he realized that he needed to speak but still didn't know what to say. "I..." He couldn't find the words and he couldn't look at her face and he couldn't reply to that hoarse voice. He noted she was fidgeting out of the corner of his eye and still said nothing.

Well, he had to say something. So he decided to man up or whatever and say the first thing that came to mind. "I-I figured I could go running with you?" The sentence ended as a question, though not to Stella but to himself. Really, Eddie? That's what you choose to say? Though he had never wanted to run away so much in all of his life, he stayed put, glancing at her face fully for the first time since he had seen it approaching him, before looking at his feet, demanding them not to move. Yes, Eddie, you're going to run in your skinny jeans and your converse and your glasses. She hates you and she was running to get away from you, obviously.

Despite how they met and the recent events, the thought of Stella hated him hurt. It did make sense, of course, but it still hurt like hell and he hoped it wasn't true, even if he deserved it.

[/justify]

{ awkward/hurting!eddie is not very stellar at talking }

[STELLA HINES]

What must they have looked like, standing here on the docks, on a cold and cloudy day? Him in his grays and and her in her colors, complete opposites. To any passer-bys, they were just two kids. Two crazy kids, maybe, because everybody else was leaving due to the weather. But here they were, looking awkward and sad and very much like something was wrong. And something was wrong. Not even with just her. Sure, her world was falling to pieces around her, but right off the bat, she could see something was wrong with Eddie. And it hit her right in the heart. To ask him if he was okay was at the back of her throat, on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it down. Why would Eddie be not okay right now? He really couldn’t… he wasn’t taking the blame for this, was he? It wasn’t his fault she was having a breakdown. Admittedly, it was that whole stupid chat that had led to her feeling like this, but that wasn’t his fault. And she wanted to scream it at him.

Fuck, he could tell she’d been crying. He probably thought her pathetic for being so upset over something so small. Wasn’t that just it, though? Sometimes the little things hurt the most. He seemed to go pale and her worry skyrocketed, but she still found herself holding back on making sure he was okay. There was a very minute feeling that he deserved this, because if she was upset, then he should be too. And then she felt awful for thinking something like that and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, and she swore, closing them tightly, rubbing at her eyes angrily. He started to talk and she looked up, wondering what he could possibly have to say. He wasn’t even looking at her. Normal Stella, Obnoxious Stella, would’ve taken that as a chance to make a face at him, just to get a private laugh out of it. But instead she found herself wishing he would just spare her a glance so she could try to understand what his deal was.

… Wait, what? And despite all of this, despite her heart being broken and her crying harder than she had in a long while, and despite their friendship on the line, she laughed. Stella Hines answered with a quiet giggle and a shake of her head. “You’re kidding, right?” She hadn’t meant to sound mean. It’s just that this was Eddie Brooke. He did his homework and aced tests and didn’t run for the heck of it. “I mean, no offense.” Just about everything about it was offensive. She shook her head again, “no, I’m tired.” Shit, she hadn’t meant to say that. Stella tossed her hair back off her shoulders and half turned away from him. “We could walk. Anything but just stand here. It’s getting cold…er.” She could feel the chill settling on her bones and she needed to get moving before she really did become a Stellasicle. That seemed like a pretty bad idea now that she knew Eddie had come after her, and that he wasn’t going to just dump her. Er. As a friend.

Her resolve having faltered slightly, the next question she asked was entirely on accident: “Are you okay?” And immediately after, she almost clamped her hand against her mouth, but she didn’t. She played it off as well as she could despite yelling at herself for asking. She hadn’t meant to ask that!! She took a step away, indicating she was tired of standing still. And then she started off away from him, still walking slowly. Stella had a feeling that in just a couple of minutes, she’d be sick of it and that she’d want to be running again, but she’d deal with that once she got there. For the time being, she was (surprisingly) perfectly alright with walking along the docks with Eddie.

[EDGAR BROOKE]

This wasn't quite going to the way he planned. He had heard her swear and noticed her rubbing her eyes. Yep, this was going horribly. What happened to him being half a genius? Eddie braced himself for her to start yelling and running away, for her to never want to speak to him again, for her to -

Laugh? She was laughing?!

Eddie's heart warmed a little after that initial fear was replaced by a sort of relief. That was probably the last thing he expected, if he expected anything like that at all. He was glad to hear her laughing at him. He thought she'd never laugh at him like that again. It wasn't quite so loud as usual, but it was still there. "N-nope, not kidding. I don't think..." Still unable to speak english, he didn't even care that she was mocking him because that was better than her crying and he was perfectly fine with this that was happening right now. "None taken." And really, he wasn't offended at all, because Eddie never ran a day in his life when it wasn't required for a class.

Eddie glanced at her again confusedly when she mentioned she was tired, because a) it seemed out of place and b) was Stella ever tired?! But this wasn't the normal Stella and he wasn't the normal Eddie so he let it go. "Walking sounds a lot better than running, actually," he said, which was the most accurate sentence he could come up with in that moment. "Do you, uh, jacket? My jacket?" he asked, not as accurate. He usually watched his voacbulary and grammar and sentence structure around her, but that part of him seemed to go numb, too. Friends didn't let friends freeze to death, right? Eddie didn't care at this point that that was normally something boyfriends offered their girlfriends when they were cold. Though the thought did come to mind and he wished he had worded it better as to not come off like a complete idiot, even if he was being one right now.

Are you okay?

The question still took him by surprised, since he still expected her to hate him, and concern was not part of that equation. Or whatever. What? What was he supposed to say to that? It was so vague that he didn't know, but he took a step towards her and started walking, also getting cold. He fidgeted with his jacket, still okay with her taking it if she was cold. "Uh - I guess? Kind of. I'm alright. I'm just-" He paused, shoulders falling. "-tired." That was the usual response for someone who wasn't really okay but didn't feel like explaining how they weren't okay, wasn't it?

But he wasn't not okay, she wasn't okay. But somehow that made him not okay. At that moment, he really missed the logic that had abandoned him when he really needed to figure things out. He couldn't even think properly at this moment.

"Uh, what about you? Are you okay?"

Which was probably the stupidest and most illogical thing to ask because she was obviously not okay that's why you're here in the first place stupid.

[/justify]

{ feels }

[STELLA HINES]

Being around him was making her feel better, second by second, and it was confusing. If there was anything Stella Hines was certain of, it was that she and Eddie did not get along, that they were as different as could be, that their friendship didn’t make any sense. Why would being in his presence, alone, make her feel better? If anything, she should’ve been angry or upset still or just annoyed. But here she was, sort of relieved. She could breathe easy, although her heart seemed to beating a bit faster than normal, and that didn’t make sense, seeing as they were walking at a very leisurely pace. Stella decided to ignore that as best she could, because it was uncharted territory that she didn’t dare explore just yet.

“Alright.” She glanced at him for a second, not sure if she should say anything else. But this was Stella Hines and if there was one thing she was good at, it was talking. “’Cause I know that… I know that I have this thing where I… say mean stuff?” She pulled her sleeves down further to keep herself distracted. “And I don’t really mean it.” Here, she laughed again, but more at herself and definitely with more bitterness. “Like, your face isn’t stupid.” What the hell had she even been saying in that chat? Stella cleared her throat and looked away, picking up the pace just a bit, as if she could try again to run away from her problems.

Stella managed a small smile and she shook her head again. “Figures you’d say that.” Surprisingly enough, if she really thought about it, walking was better than running. Just this once. Just this one time. It was kind of nice being side by side with Eddie, and not ten steps ahead of him. Stella almost came to a dead stop but she continued, and it led to a bit of a stumble. “What?” Her voice sounded higher than usual, and she coughed to cover it up. “No.” She knew what it meant for a guy to give a girl his jacket if she was cold, and—“No, I’m… I’m fine.” She just needed to get moving a bit more and she’d be all better. “Besides, then you’re without it, and how am I supposed to feel if you freeze to death?”

Tired. Without meaning to, she took a moment to give him a concerned look. What was with her worrying about his health? That’s not how this, how they, worked. They were at each other’s throats most of the time, so why would she care if he was a little on the unwell side? Well, why wouldn’t you? “We should probably be asleep, not wandering out in this weather.” For a second, she wondered if she’d even be any warmer taking a nap in her bed, alone. And then she thought that that was a really really ridiculous thought. Who the hell thought those sorts of things? “Not tired enough for me to—” And she stopped there because wow you idiot, don’t bring that up again.

Stella shrugged. “Y’know.” It didn’t really matter whether or not she was okay. She’d get through it; she always did. Stella stretched and then pointed ahead of them, “see that building with the red awning?” She wasn’t even sure what sort of place it was; if it used to be a store or if it was just a warehouse now. “Race you there?” It seemed official, that her walking was done. She almost sounded like she was joking, but there was seriousness to the question. Almost pleading, as if this was something she needed right now. “I’ll even give you a head start,” she teased. Whether he agreed or not, she knew already that she was going to run there and back until he made it there himself.

[EDGAR BROOKE]

Eddie felt a little better when Stella started talking more. That meant that she was beginning to act a bit like Stella when Eddie hadn't been a total douchebag. The Stella he had grown to tolerate because he got used to her, the one he was the complete opposite of. Because even though they didn't get along, it wasn't like this. It didn't hurt, it was just... normal. The way they bickered pretty much defined thier whole relationship. Not like, a relationship, but like the connection between two individuals or whatever.

He nodded and shrugged, not going to argue. "It's okay, I don't mean it either. When I say mean stuff." Looking at her, he added, "I know my face isn't a being capable of having intelligence, let alone lacking it." Coherent sentences, that was an improvement. But then he paused, and realized something. Eddie looked away her and said, "I know I also have this thing where I can be a complete smartass." Obviously. That was half of Eddie's personality without Stella being there, and it increased when he was around her. He didn't know why, he just wanted to seem smart around her, but it came off as rude and it was frustrating.

Eddie smiled a little and walked with her, eventually falling into step. Marching band training, mostly, but this was slightly different. He hadn't intended it and he didn't even realize it until she stumbled a little and he instinctively flinched to catch her. She didn't fall, and he awkwardly tried to cover it upby scratching the back of his neck. "Nah, I'm cold-blooded, metaphorically. I'd be alright." Which was almost true, he liked the cold to a certain extent. It was alright when the cold was dry, but when it was misty like this? He would have been miserable. But he didn't mention that.

Eddie looked at her just in time to see the concern in her eyes, and he met her with just as much concern as had sent him out on this mention. Then he looked away, with as much awkward questioning as had led him to his lack of words. "Maybe," he said, though honestly he really wasn't that tired. He was alright in this horrible weather, walking with Stella, and being more confused than he ever had been in his life about that fact.

To what? He didn't know, actually. He wanted her to continue, but then considered what she could have said and decided not to ask her. Then he dropped that thought as she asked him to race.

Oh lord. "That one?" he asked with a hint of whining in his voice, as it seemed really far away to him. But this mission was to make Stella feel better, and if that was what it took, then cool. Fine. He'd do it. "Pfft, I could beat you without a head start, thanks," though his tone said You're going to win miss "I'm on the track team and I run for fun", I just stay in my room and do my homework and play guitar. "You can do the 'ready set go' or whatever." He'd probably say it wrong.

[/justify]

[STELLA HINES]

She almost mimicked his movements exactly, nodding and shrugging to show she understood and that she didn’t really care. She did. Sort of. But she didn’t want to make a big deal of it. What he said next got a real laugh out of her and for a moment, normal Stella was back. “Haha, wow, Eddie. Wow.” She elbowed him gently, still snickering. Jeez, what a goofball. What sort of thing was that to say? Eddie being a smartass was the best kind of Eddie, though. She wished right about now that he’d act like that more often, if not just to get a laugh out of it. It seemed so unlike him, and that was probably what she liked best.

Huh. Well, file that under things she didn’t know about Eddie Brooke. “It’s probably a good thing we aren’t roommates then,” she shrugged, as if mentioning them living together was no big deal. “I’ve got to have the heat up all the time.” Having another layer of clothing on was seeming nicer and nicer by the minute, but she’d already said she was alright. Besides, she’d be warmed up in no time after this quick run. So, she shook her head again, but smiled to show her appreciation. “If you don’t mind, fine. But really.” She hadn’t exactly meant to say that. It probably didn’t help that an involuntary shiver shook her tiny frame, and it was gone as quickly as it’d come, but she was significantly colder. Yeah, this weather sucked.

Stella was grateful enough that her sleepiness was falling away. It was only the middle of the day, and she never took naps. And so that she wasn’t nearly as tired as she’d been a couple minutes ago made her quite happy. If she had to, she could stay out here all day. If she had to. She didn’t want to, given how chilly it was. But, of course, she’d rather take outside over inside any day. She rolled her shoulders and rubbed her hands together, letting out a quiet, frustrated sigh. She could swear her fingers were going numb. Stop complaining, stupid. You’re fine. There are people living on the streets with less clothing than you and they do this every day.

“Yeah! Hard to miss.” He sounded very much like he didn’t want to do this, and his tone almost made her laugh again. He really did put up with her. She shrugged, “whatever you say.” It took a lot of focus to not drop into the position they always did in Track before starting a race. This was just something simple and easy, and Eddie didn’t run for fun, and she didn’t want to look like an idiot. So instead she just rocked on her heels, loosening up, because actually stretching was dumb. “Ready…” She looked straight at him, smirking a bit. “Set…” But it was in her eyes, how badly she wanted to thank him for this, for coming after her, and for agreeing to a silly race. “Go!” And she was off.

[EDGAR BROOKE]

Eddie grinned as normal Stella was back, not even caring that it hurt when she elbowed him. His arms were too sensitive for him to admit to anyone, and besides, that was a weakness and he preferred if Stella knew as little of his weaknesses as possible. But he ignored the pain and kept on walking and smiling a little brighter, even though he did tell her he liked the cold and that could maybe be considered a weakness one day. That didn't matter. What mattered was right then.

He shrugged in reply to her comment about roommates. Eddie could imagine living with Stella, but mostly the picture was just them arguing about dumb things like normal, only in the place where they happened to live together. The temperature was one of them. "The only time I don't use my air conditioning is in the dead of winter." It was true. He'd rather have it cold in the room so he could cover up with a blanket and be comfy than hot to where he would be miserable. She shivered, and Eddie knew she was cold. "If you're certain," he said quite uncertainly, with a look that mentioned the fact that he was okay with her being warm and him being the opposite. Because they were opposites, after all, but somehow they were still here talking and getting along.

Eddie could have really done with a nap, but the mist hitting his face kept him awake. He could always do with a nap, though - he enjoyed them as long as he didn't have anything else to do and he didn't oversleep. But being out here was okay and he would stay as long as Stella wanted to, because it occurred to him that he didn't have enough money for a taxi back to Baum.

Yep, definitely that one. Okay, he could do this. Yeah, just a little sprint was no big deal. He awkwardly braced himself to start running while Stella did the thing.

Go!

It felt like Stella was already thirty feet in front of him by the time Eddie actually started picking up the pace. Damn, she was fast. Feeling as slow as a tortoise, he picked up the pace, thinking that would help him. He was practically breathing too heavily to function at the halfway mark. But he still tried, because it wouldn have been unfair of him not to. Though he totally let her win, obviously. Pfft.

And win she did, for Eddie reached the red awning a full five seconds after Stella did, which didn't seem like a lot unless you used the "Mississippi" rule Eddie remembered from his childhood, and that's what applied here. "Congrat-" was all he could get out between breaths. He was fine, really, just winded. Eddie tried to hide it and calm himself down, but he figured Stella could tell how out of breath he was because it was a runner thing. He didn't know.

[/justify]

[STELLA HINES]

Now that they were actually about to race, they stood still for a moment, and it really hit her then how much she appreciated Eddie and what he was doing for her right now. He didn’t need to come out here to make sure she was okay. He didn’t need to come out here and talk to her and agree to a race. He didn’t need to waste his time worrying about her. But he was. He’d actually had to have paid attention to her Facebook post, spent money to take a taxi down here, searched the docks for her, and then call out for her. She wondered if he would’ve actually chased after her if she’d still been running. That didn’t matter so much, though. What mattered was that he was here.

Shaking her head, Stella looked away from him. She took the ponytail holder from her wrist and tied her hair back, careful of the extension, as always. They were perhaps the one thing she always made sure to be careful about. Those and keeping her crazy in check. Stella made a face and shuddered, “but why would anybody use the air conditioning in the winter? Winter is for warmth and family and being cozy.” Thinking about a big fireplace and oversized sweaters was already making her feel better, and she thought back to her father telling her she just had to think the opposite about the weather, and it’d work. So… it wasn’t cold? It was actually really nice out!! … Yeah, okay, dad.

Stella Hines was a runner through and through. It was her very reason for living. She sometimes wished really hard that her mother would just get that already and drop the whole pageant thing. Maybe someday Stella would prove it to her by getting into the Olympics or something. Running now in this chilly weather towards a bright red awning, her shoes pounding on the wood beneath her feet, and the wind in her hair, and her eyes stinging a little, was waking her up more than anything ever had. And it felt really really good. For a second, she forgot everything that had happened today. It was just any other day at the docks.

Then she remembered she was racing and not running to run and that Eddie was behind her and so she stopped just beyond the red awning, almost tripping at having to freeze so suddenly. She turned to see where he was at, expecting him to still be at the start line. But no. He was only a couple of seconds behind her and she smiled a little. Bouncing on her feet, she waited for him to join her, not counting how long it took him, not growing impatient, just being, again, grateful that he’d done this for her. “Thanks.”

Once certain he’d caught his breath, she had planned to suggest heading back, but instead, she gave into the little voice in the back of her mind and launched herself at him. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, burying her face into the crook of his shoulder and his neck a little. He felt a bit warmer than she did and she tried to soak that in. While also trying to ignore just how right it felt to be hugging him. After what felt like a lot longer than the short time it was, she pulled back and looked away a little sheepishly. “Thanks, Eddie. Really.”

[EDGAR BROOKE]

Eddie shrugged at her question. "My family's just a little too far away to visit allwinter, and I guess blankets can provide the warmth and coziness thing." He was trying not to form perfectly crafted sentences now, as to not make some sort of smartass comment again. He didn't want to ruin whatever it was was going on right now. Who would want to? It had started out just really tragic, but now it was actually turning out to be really fun. This was actually probably turning out to be the most fun he had in a while. This had turned from an emotional dive into a stellar day at the docks somehow.

It was a ot of work though, with the running thing. Eddie was not a runner, not in any physical or metaphorical sense. He liked tpo take things slow, slow and steady wins the race. Words he lived by, it seemed, though he honestly hadn't won anything except good grades and time away from his smother. He didn't have a lot of friends or anything. So... maybe it would just take a while for that plan to work out, which would make sense, given the plan.

But yeah, running was hell, and he was still out of breath. Eddie was somewhat warm, though, and that was okay, even if it was fading fast. He leaned against the building the awning was covering the entrance of, smiling before finally catching his breath. You're welcome," he said, pushing himself off the building, relieved that his heart had finally stopped pound-

ing? Pounding? Yeah, it was totally pounding again. The chill that had begun to set in again was knocked out of him as Stella Hines near tackled him to the ground. He stumbled a little, but caught her and managed to keep them both up. It was lucky she was so small, and he was kind of wiry, otherwise they would have landed on the ground and that would have been awkward and Stella Hines was hugging him.

He was taken aback at first, since not so long ago it seemed that she hated himand never wanted to talk to him again, but he got it sooner than he normally caught onto things and hugged her back, glad for the warmth and just Stella's hug. Which, you know, was a totally platonic event that just happened. It seemed like ages while it lasted, but then finally, she let go, and so did he, and wow it didn't seem like it was long at all.

Yeah, no, Eddie couldn't look her in the eye, either, and whatever shy side he had kind of absorbed him and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, you're welcome," he paused, "it was the least I could do since, you know, you're such a great person," he added, which wasn't at all sarcastic. "I mean, yeah." He couldn't bring himself to use the word 'friend' for some reason, but whatever.

[/justify]

[STELLA HINES]

“Oh…” She made a sort of face, both concerned and annoyed. She could have assumed that he wouldn’t like spending time with his family, anyway, because of his mother (which she totally got), but it was just as easy to assume how painful it must be to spend the holidays without your parents. She found herself saying, “I’m sorry,” which confused her because she wasn’t the sort to really worry about other people and their families. But for some reason, it was really upsetting her. Blankets might be cozy and warm but no way was it the same. And if her mother wasn’t crazy, Stella would probably invite Eddie over for Thanksgiving or Chr—wait. What? No. Anyway.

Why did she ever stop running? Here she was, warm and breathing in crisp cold air, her legs kind of tingling and her hair tickling the back of her neck. It was the most stellar feeling in the entire universe. She wanted to go on about it to Eddie, ask if he was feeling the same, if he understood why she loved it so much. And even if he said he did, she would have doubted it. She didn’t think there was anybody anywhere who understood, and it was a huge bummer. There were probably professional runners, guys who ran in the Olympics, but they had to train to death and it was probably so stressful. No, she didn’t think anybody could ever understand. And that was actually okay.

Stella wished she hadn’t let go. … Er. Because… she was cold. Hugs were warm. And that was the only. Whatever. Okay. He was talking. She was avoiding looking at him, but when she glanced over, she realized he was avoiding looking at her. And she took the second to just stare at him and then she was looking away again, blushing this time. Really properly actually blushing and she was momentarily grateful that it was cold out because at least then she could blame it on the weather. “Um. Thank you.” Clearing her throat a little, she stepped around him, as if to head back towards civilization.

“I guess we have to share a taxi back, yeah?” She was totally teasing, again. And they were getting along so well, she imagined they could handle the ride back. “Unless you want to walk? I’d be okay with that!!” She’d rather do that any time, but most people preferred cars or buses. Hey, at least her way meant less pollution for the Earth. Or whatever.

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[EDGAR BROOKE]

Eddie shrugged. His parents weren't really that far away, but he liked to think they were. He could hop on a train to Boston and be there in under four hours. That's exactly what he did for Christmas and his birthday if happened to be on a weekend, and then over the summer. But he just really didn't like being at home with his nagging neurotic genius mother or his father who worked all day and was hardly ever home except when Eddie planned on visiting. So it really was his own fault that he didn't go back.

But yeah, Eddie was pretty much exhausted after that run, which was probably a short sprint to Stella. But for someone who didn't run, or stretch beforehand, it was a nightmare. He was almost positive he was going to be sore, but he could be wrong. Only because he didn't know that much about running, though, because he was usually right. ... Okay yeah, smartass. Work on that character flaw. Anyways.

The chill that set in after Stella let go was actually worse than the one before, and he nearly shivered. But he kept his composure, one thing he was lucky to be able to do, and crossed his arms loosely to try and fight it. Wow, this was awkward. Moving on with the conversation. Yeah.

"If you want to share a taxi back. Otherwise I'd have to walk, and I'm not sure I could do that." He was a little embarrassed that he didn't bring enough money, but it wasn't like he could complain. "Or we can walk back together." It had been totally worth it because what if he hadn't been able to catch up? Then he wouldn't be feeling so stellar right now. He wondered if Stella felt stellar, too.

He then realized how cold his head was, and felt for his hat. Nope. It was gone. He looked back at where he had run from and saw it lying, soaked and stepped on, on the sidewalk a few feet behind him. Oh. It must have fallen off while he was running. Picking it up, he brushed it off, but no, it would have to be washed.

"So, taxi or walking?" he asked, obviously favoring the former, since now his hat was in no way wearable. Gross. Also taxi's required less physical labor and he had done enough of that today.

[/justify]