mixtape (reddie)

Chapter 17

"You probably have herpes," Eddie says.

Richie glances up, but just enough to pull in the expression adorning Eddie's face. He looks confident, saying these words so matter-of-factly that Richie is sure Eddie could convince him of anything if he were to use that tone.

"Wuh-Where the hell would I get h-h-herpes from, Eh-Eh-" Bill stutters.

"Eddie," the small boy finishes, mumbling "You know I hate it when you stutter my name."

"Eddie," Bill repeats, this time more surely.

"You can get herpes from McDonald's," Stan chimes in. He's holding a book in his hands, so he's not quite paying attention, but he's got enough focus to follow their conversation. "There was this mom who filed a lawsuit against McDonald's because her kid went pee in there and came out with herpes."

"D-Did she win?" Bill asks.

"Which McDonald's? Was this in Derry? Was it the one on Main Street? Is there a herpes outbreak?" Eddie asks with a voice full of concern.

"You're scaring them again, Stanley," Bev's voice comes from the seat in front of Richie. He can't see her, but a mess of firey red hair sticks up to remind him that she's there.

"Oh, but it's so fun," Stan sighs, a smirk on his face as he returns to his book.

As Eddie and Bill start a conversation about whether or not cooking AIDs into a burger would kill someone, Richie lets his eyes fall back down onto the empty sheet of paper in front of him. His headphones dangle around his neck, tape turning, the music nearly inaudible over the screaming sounds of the Derry bus they're all packed into.

Today's the freshman field trip down to the Bangor aquarium, where they're doing a Christmas special show with the sea lions and dolphins. It's only November, but Richie isn't complaining. It's a reason to skip class.

When the freshman class was first loading onto the buses, Richie was stepping onto one that looked fairly empty when he had heard "Hey, Tozier!"

He looked up and saw Ben hanging out of the window on the next bus over, and then soon after, Eddie's mousy face appeared in the glass. Richie joined that bus, making his way down the narrow aisle to claim the seat that Eddie had saved for him. Richie can act aloof all he wants, but he secretly feels his heart warm at the idea of sitting with people he can call his friends.

"What'cha writing?" Ben Hanscom's voice comes over the seat in front of Richie.

Richie looks upwards, seeing the round face peering over. Beverly turns around the corner of the seat, her curious eyes falling from Richie to Eddie. Bev has been loving this, she was smiling at Richie the entire time he walked down the aisle to reach Eddie.

"Nothing," Richie shakes his head, his hand covering over the name scribbled on top of the paper. "Nobody."

"Love letters?" Bev giggles, drawing out her words with a mocking sneer. Her eyes point to Eddie accusingly, and Richie watches the way that the boy shies away and retracts into himself.

"Only to you, Beverly Marsh," Richie sighs, returning to the paper.

"Hey," Ben pouts, reaching over the seat to ruffle Richie's hair. "Stay back, Tozier. She's still under the impression that she's in my league."

"She's way out of your luh-league," Bill laughs, earning a hearty jab from Stan.

Richie smiles, watching the way that Eddie leans over and starts thumb wrestling with Bill, while Beverly leans up and kisses Ben's cheek. Stan puts his book down in order to play the referee for the boys' games, and as this all occurs, Richie feels nauseatingly happy. He has friends, people who save seats for him, and he has a home. Not a house, but a misfit group of kids who just want the best for one another.