Eddie hadn’t meant to follow you at first.

Okay—yeah, that was a lie.

The second you said you were “just hanging out with Nancy and Robin,” something in his chest twisted. Not jealousy, not really… more like curiosity wrapped in a weird, restless energy he couldn’t shake. Because you were always so calm. So put together. And Eddie knew better than anyone that people like that didn’t just not have something boiling underneath.

So he kept a distance. His van stayed a few cars back, engine rumbling low as you drove across town. When you pulled into a random parking lot, Eddie frowned, leaning forward over the steering wheel.

“What the hell…?”

You, Nancy, and Robin got out, laughing about something, like this was the most normal thing in the world. Then you headed straight into a building with blacked-out windows and a bold sign Eddie had to squint to read.

Rage Room.

“…you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

He killed the engine but didn’t get out right away. His fingers tapped anxiously against the wheel. You? Here? No way. He’d never seen you mad. Not once. Not even when things got bad at home—when your voice would go quiet instead of loud, when your eyes would go distant instead of sharp.

That was what bothered him.

After a minute, he slipped out of the van and wandered closer, boots crunching softly on gravel. Through the side window, he caught movement—and then he froze.

Inside a caged-off room, wearing a protective visor and gloves—

You.

Swinging a baseball bat.

The crack of glass echoed even through the walls as a bottle exploded against the floor. Another swing—this time a TV shattered, sparks flickering for a second before dying. Your movements were fast, sharp, almost desperate. Not wild—controlled, but intense. Like every hit had a purpose.

Eddie’s breath caught.

“…shit.”

“You weren’t supposed to see that yet.”

He turned, startled, to find Nancy and Robin standing behind him, arms crossed but not exactly mad. More… knowingly amused.

Robin tilted her head. “You followed her, didn’t you?”

Eddie didn’t even bother denying it. His eyes flicked back to you. “She—she’s never… I’ve never seen her like that.”

Nancy’s expression softened. “That’s kind of the point.”

Another crash sounded inside. You knocked over a shelf, sending glass and metal clattering everywhere. Then you just stood there for a second, chest rising and falling hard.

Eddie swallowed. “She okay?”

Robin shrugged lightly. “Better after this than before it.”

“She doesn’t talk about it much,” Nancy added quietly. “But she needs somewhere to put it. All of it.”

Eddie nodded slowly, his gaze glued to you. He could see it now—the tension in your shoulders, the way your grip tightened on the bat like you were holding onto something bigger than it.

Then, finally—

You stopped.

The bat slipped from your hands, hitting the floor with a dull clang. You bent slightly, hands on your knees, breathing hard. A few seconds passed. Then you straightened, pulling off the visor.

Your shoulders dropped.

Not dramatically—just enough that Eddie noticed. Like something heavy had finally been set down.

You took a deep breath. Then another.

And for the first time since he’d been watching—

You looked… lighter.

Eddie exhaled without realizing he’d been holding it in.

Robin nudged him. “You gonna go in there, or just stand here having a life-changing moment?”

He ran a hand through his hair, still staring at you. “I just… didn’t know she had all that in her.”

Nancy gave him a small, knowing smile. “Everyone’s got something in them, Eddie.”

Inside, you rolled your shoulders once more, glancing toward the door—

Right where Eddie was standing.