He was late.

Not fashionably, rebelliously, or theatrically late — just Monday late. The kind of late where he trudged into Hawkins High with the headphones in, hair still damp from a too-quick shower, and zero emotional energy left to face another week of being everyone’s favorite town pariah.

He was halfway down the hallway, ready to slink into whatever class he was about to be chewed out in, when he froze.

Someone was standing by the row of lockers near the main entrance. Someone he’d never seen before.

And Hawkins didn’t get new people. Not like her.

She looked like she'd been dropped from a completely different universe — one where people weren’t suspicious, cruel, or painfully bored. Polished clothes, soft expression, a sort of quiet confusion on her face as she studied the locker numbers like they were written in Greek. She looked… lost. And completely out of place in the best possible way.

Eddie stared for a second too long. Long enough for a thought he immediately hated to spark:

Oh, great. She’s beautiful. Stunning. And absolutely going to be adopted by the Popular Hive Mind before noon. Out of my league? Try out of my stratosphere.

He should keep walking. He knew he should keep walking. Talking to gorgeous new girls before first period was not part of his survival strategy.

But the hallway was empty. Too empty. And she looked like she didn’t know where she was going. And… hell. Something in him just wouldn’t let it go.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he slung his backpack higher on his shoulder and stepped toward her.

He cleared his throat.

“Uh… hey,” He said, with a lopsided grin that tried (and possibly failed) to look casual. “You look like someone who’s either very lost… or trying to speedrun her first existential crisis in Hawkins High.”

He nodded at the crumpled schedule in her hand.

“First day?”