Wednesday, May 2nd, 1984

Dear Diary,

Today is special because I'm ACTUALLY going to Hellfire for the first time tonight, and I'm nervous and excited all at once.

The school day crawls by, every minute dragging like it's stuck in quicksand. I glance at the clock every few seconds, willing it to move faster, but no luck. It's like the universe knows I'm dying to get to Hellfire and has decided to mess with me for fun.

Ugh, come on.

Finally, the last bell rings, and I've never packed my stuff so fast in my life. I zip my bag, sling it over my shoulder, and bolt out of the classroom.

My sneakers squeak against the floor as I weave through the crowded hallway, ignoring the confused looks from a few classmates.

I don't care. I've got places to be.

I sprint to my locker, grab what I need, slam it shut, and make a beeline for the Hellfire room. By the time I get there, I'm breathless, my heart racing. I crack the door open and peek inside, trying to catch my breath, only to find the room empty.

I frown, a little disappointed.

I thought at least Eddie would already be here.

It's still kinda early, though. Hellfire doesn't officially start for another twenty minutes.

Stepping inside, I set my bag down near one of the chairs and sink into the seat closest to Eddie's throne. My foot starts tapping nervously as I glance at the clock on the wall. The minutes crawl by, slow and agonizing. With a sigh, I run a hand through my hair and let my eyes wander around the room.

It feels weird sitting here alone, but at least I have the decorations I helped make to keep me company. My eyes land on one of the maps I drew for Eddie. It's pinned up on the wall, and despite the jittery energy buzzing through me, a small smile spreads across my face.

Okay, at least that turned out pretty good.

The door creaks open, and I look up to see Eddie stepping in with a bag of junk food in hand.

"Oh... hey," he says, eyebrows raising in surprise when he spots me. "You're here early."

My heart skips a beat as his eyes meet mine.

He looks so good in his "Hellfire Club" t-shirt and ripped jeans. His tattoos peek out from under the sleeves, and his rings catch the light just right. How does he always manage to look so good?

I bite my lip, hoping he doesn't notice me staring.

"Yeah, hey... sorry. I hope that's okay..."

Eddie shrugs, setting the bag of food down on the table. "Yeah, of course it's okay." His eyes drop to my tapping foot, and he smirks. "You nervous?"

I glance down, realizing I'm still fidgeting like a maniac. "Oh. Uh... yeah, I guess I am."

Eddie chuckles softly, folding his arms over his chest as he leans against the table. "Why are you nervous? You know the guys."

I shrug, glancing away. "Yeah, but it's still my first time here, and I've never played anything like this before. Plus... I've put it off for so long, and now it's the end of the school year, so I feel like a party crasher."

"Don't feel guilty," Eddie says, shaking his head. "I'm just glad you're here now. Better late than never, right?"

I smile softly, finally meeting his eyes.

Why does he always know exactly what to say to make me feel better?

"Yeah, you're right."

Eddie smirks, his confidence radiating. "See? Nothing to be nervous about. Relax."

Before I can respond, the door swings open again, and Ronnie, Jeff, Dougie, and Gareth file in, bringing their usual loud energy with them.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Ronnie says with a teasing grin as she plops into her seat.

"Yeah, I know, I know," I say, chuckling nervously. "You probably thought I'd never show up."

Dougie smirks as he drops into his chair. "We were beginning to wonder."

Jeff shakes his head, grinning. "Can't believe it. You finally took the plunge, huh?"

I laugh awkwardly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Yeah, I know. I'm-" I glance at Eddie before catching myself from saying sorry. "But hey, I'm here now, right?"

Ronnie leans back, arms crossed, and grins. "No complaints from me." She glances at Eddie, one eyebrow raised. "Well, Munson, I'm surprised you finally got her to show. Took you long enough."

Eddie rolls his eyes, smirking. "Hey, I never gave up. I knew she'd cave eventually."

Gareth takes a seat and looks at me sheepishly. "Hey... just wanna say thanks for stepping in with Tommy H a while back."

I blink, caught off guard. "Oh, uh... yeah, no problem. Tommy's a dick. I couldn't just leave you there."

Gareth nods, gratitude clear in his eyes. "Not too many people would've done that, so... thanks."

I smile softly. "You're welcome, Gareth."

Eddie claps his hands together, breaking the moment. "Alright, alright. Enough with the niceties. Let's kill some goblins!"

The group erupts into cheers, and the energy in the room shifts instantly. My nerves fade a little as I pick up my dice, anticipation bubbling up inside me. I glance around the table, taking it all in, and when I catch Eddie's eye, he's grinning.

"Henderson," he says, his voice dripping with playful confidence, "you're in trouble now. Once you're hooked, there's no escaping D&D."

I laugh softly, shaking my head. "Yeah... I think I'm okay with that."

So, Diary,

Tonight was kinda awesome. I'm happy to say Nyx survived her first adventure.

The guys are seriously cool. I mean, I already knew that, but being IN THE GAME with them is on another level. Eddie is an incredible Dungeon Master. He has this way of bringing the story to life, like you're actually there, in the middle of some epic quest. The way he changes his voice for the NPCs? Hilarious and kind of impressive. I was nervous at first, of course, trying to figure out how to play, worrying about messing up, but Eddie was there every step of the way, making sure I didn't feel out of place.

When I stumbled on a decision or couldn't figure out what Nyx should do next, he'd lean over with this little grin and throw out a tip, something like, "Trust your gut, Henderson. Rogues are all about instinct." And he said it like he KNEW I'd nail it. That's the thing about Eddie, he's always got my back, no matter what.

The guys were great too. Ronnie kept calling out my rolls, cheering when I landed a critical hit, and Dougie kept slipping me snacks like we were sneaking candy at a sleepover. Gareth was mostly quiet, but would throw out advice here and there since his last character was a rogue too. And Jeff kept us focused on the task at hand.

It didn't take long for me to feel like I belonged, just like every time I've hung out with them. Everyone was joking around, trash-talking goblins, and planning our next move like we'd been doing this together for years. By the time we finished, I was smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. Nyx didn't just survive, she kicked ASS. I think I even surprised myself a little.

I think I'm already addicted to D&D. Better late than never, right?