Call Me Wayne
A Stranger Things Fanfic
Nobody ever came to the Munson trailer. That was just a fact. The guys Wayne liked to spend time with usually sat around at a diner over a mug of coffee for an hour before heading home, and Eddie never brought friends around. Some might think he was embarrassed, but Wayne knew his nephew better.
Eddie had learned to live in a small town that despised differences by wearing the things that shamed him as badges of honor and keeping the things he cared about close and safe from prying eyes. People might not think it to look at him, but he was a private boy, and, being a private man himself, Wayne could respect that.
So to say he was surprised the day the cute little cheerleader showed up would be an understatement.
Eddie was already gone when Wayne woke up, so the trailer stayed quiet as he fixed some coffee and food.
Bang. The slam of the door didn’t startle Wayne. Not anymore. He had lived with a teenage boy too many years.
“Sorry, Wayne.” Eddie slid past him into his room. “Forgot something important.”
Wayne nodded absently as he grabbed a mug and poured his coffee. He picked it up and took a sip as he turned around–then almost spat it back out.
There, at the door, was a young girl. Probably only a little younger than his nephew, but much smaller, and she seemed to be doing her best to shrink further. She wore a Hawkins High cheer uniform (they hadn’t changed those much since he had been at school) and had her strawberry-blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She broached a smile and raised one hand in an almost-wave.
“Hi, Mr. Munson. I, um, I didn’t mean to intrude, but Eddie wanted to grab a tape to show me.” Wayne nodded as though this were perfectly ordinary behavior for his nephew.
She twisted the end of her ponytail around one finger. “My name’s Chrissy, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you.” It usually took several reminders for Wayne to learn the names of Eddie’s friends, but he had a feeling this one would stick.
“Found it!” Eddie returned, displaying a tape between two fingers. “Now, you don’t have to like it, but it is necessary for you to listen to it at least once to broaden your musical horizons.” He slid past Wayne into the kitchen, opened a cabinet, grabbed a bag of chips, and tossed it to her. “You ready to go?”
She beamed at him, and Wayne was fairly certain that smile could light up the room. She turned back and waved at Wayne. “Bye, Mr. Munson!”
He looked at this girl–the first girl he could remember coming into the trailer since he’d bought it–and at his nephew smiling at her like she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen.
“Call me Wayne.”