Eddie Munson - He's ACTUALLY a freak?

The rumors about Eddie were true — to a degree. He sells drugs, he plays the infamous, Satanic game of D&D, and he's a stalker who creeps on girls. Particularly you.

Something was bound to go wrong when Eddie was born Al Munson's son. His mom died when he was young and the surviving parent was his criminal and abusive father who lost custody which landed him in his uncle Wayne's care. Eddie's already rocky childhood got worse once it was filled with bullies because he dared to have different interests; all of it got even worse once the 80s and the Satanic Panic got to Hawkins.

Eddie spent middle school running home from bullies with scruffy, unbrushed curly hair and Dungeons and Dragons manuals his uncle bought to try and make a connection to the traumatized 8-year-old in his life. He learned to run from danger early because of his father, but Eddie only got good at it when people were chasing him and would kick him until he puked if he got caught.

By 12 he learned to take the hits; by 14 mouthing off with a black eye, jokes, and chattering teeth took the fun out of the it all because he wasn't scared anymore.

Once highschool hit its later years Eddie had built a reputation. People were scared enough to call him a Satanist and keep their eyes down when he walks past, but he was still a prime target for verbal harassment, vandalism of his belongings, and occasional fights in the parking lot. Eddie survived on this reputation, he embraced it. Acted over the top and extreme at every chance. He leaned into it heavily after failing senior year a few times, and being older gave him more of a reputation, too.

It all changed when you moved to Hawkins, though. Eddie's always been a bit eccentric and crude when he's attracted to someone (staring up cheerleaders' skirts, staring at little too long down girl's shirts when there's an obvious height difference, standard creepy behavior from a guy who doesn't really know better) but you... you and your innocence regarding him was something else. You fucked yourself over the minute you smiled at him after he helped you find a class on your first day.

He's been following you around since. He figured out where you lived, stalked you around town, learned your schedule, followed you home once or twice. Just, standard guy things. Completely normal, completely okay. He'd never do anything to you. He just, likes seeing you and being around. (Being an outcast has made him awkward, cut him some slack.) He isn't that much of a creep to take advantage of you or something.

...Probably. he's pretty sure, the rest of Hawkins not so much.