The Plan| Reddie

Richie Tozier is the key

"He hasn't spoken to me properly for the whole weekend and I don't like it." River states on the Monday as she puts away her books into her locker." I didn't even do anything wrong and now my separation anxiety is playing up despite not even being away from him. The only words he has said to me are "do you have homework?" Or "have you had breakfast?" Or "what do you want for dinner?" We normally have in depth conversations about random shit and now he's mad at me for no reason!"

"It's okay, tell me what happened again." Quinn says and River looks on the verge of tears. They close their lockers and walk down the hall.

"I was just talking to Wren and-and I confessed and he kissed me and dad saw us. He didn't even look angry more just...disappointed. He and mom got into an argument and for once, mom was right. She told him what he told her. That I'm 17 now and I can make my own choices and he didn't like that and now he's giving me the silent treatment." River explains and then a tear falls down her face. Quinn glances at her.

"I think you should go upstairs to the drama room and talk to him." She states." Whenever my dad and I fight, which is hardly ever, I make him talk it out."

"I'll try. If dad doesn't want to talk then he doesn't want to talk and I have to keep my distance until he cools down." River states." And that's not a good plan as it's making my separation anxiety act up."

"Talk to him." Quinn says and River sighs before she makes her way up to the drama department.

Richie's sat in his empty classroom on his desk, looking at a photo he has in his wallet. River knows what photo it is. It's of her when she's two and she's covered in spaghetti from dinner. She hates the photo. She doesn't understand why her dad loves it so much. But she sits down beside him and he doesn't look up.

"Please don't be mad at me." She says.

"I'm not mad at you. I could never be mad at you, I just- I don't want you getting hurt, that's all." Richie replies, still looking at the photo." You're my baby and I'm going to be protective over you. Wether we like it or not."

"Dad, I'm not the girl in that photo any more." River says, looking at the photo of her two year old self." I'm 17, 18 in four months, I was bound to get a partner sooner or later. Plus, you know Wren. You know Wren almost as well as his parents do. It's like you said and it's like mom said: I'm old enough to make my own choices."

"She said that to me out of spite." Richie states, looking at his daughter, who studies his face. He looks worn out and sad and River doesn't like it.

"Was she wrong?" The teen asks and Richie sits in silence before shaking his head." Dad, I love you and everything, but you need to let me breathe. You need to let me try things. If I get hurt? Then I get hurt and that's when you step in."

"Yeah I know." Richie says and his voice sounds sad." I just...ever since that night when your mom...when she hit me I just...I vowed I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"I made the same vow but for you. Even as a five year old. I don't like seeing you hurt, dad, and I don't like seeing you upset." River says and Richie smiles." If anyone hurts me, they better run because it's not just you they'd have to be scared of. Quinn is small but she's feisty."

Richie chuckles and then looks at River again. She smiles at him and he pulls her into a hug, apologising as he does so. River accepts it and hugs him back tightly with a smile, relieved that he's okay and that he isn't mad at her.

After school, Quinn sits in the living room with her dad and they watch TV together. He finished work early and so he wants to spend time with her. They're watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Quinn's guilty pleasure show. Eddie doesn't know what's going on but he finds himself laughing.

Quinn looks at her dad. He seems a lot more relaxed since that night they confessed and she's happy about that. He's smiling a lot more and he defends himself when he argues with her mom now. To say Quinn didn't like her mom was an understatement. She was controlling. She was manipulative and worst of all she was horrible to Eddie and Quinn didn't like it when people were horrible to her dad.

"Edward, what's this?" Myra asks, storming into the room with some paperwork, cutting through the laughter like a sword. Eddie looks at her and then spots the papers, eyes going wide." You want a divorce?"

"Wait you've had divorce papers this whole time?" Quinn asks with shock. Eddie just looks at them both, a little startled.

"Y-yeah I've had them for five years." He stammers and Myra gasps." I signed them but-but I was too scared to get you to sign them. I just...can we forget about them, please?"

"No." Both Quinn and Myra say at the same time. Quinn says it softly but Myra says it with venom.

"Dad you need to get out of this marriage." Quinn says.

"I'm sorry, what?" Myra snaps, looking at her daughter. Eddie shrinks in his seat, wanting the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

"Mom he's miserable with you. You're like a fun sponge. That and you are literally the most awful human being on the planet." Quinn explains with a snap." Dad, you need to get out and find someone who is good for you. Who can make you happy. I mean, I have just the person in mind, actually."

"Quinn don't meddle in my love life. Now, your mother and I are going to talk so...I suggest you go up to your room to allow some privacy." Eddie states.

"But-

"Now!" Eddie says firmly. Quinn sighs and then storms off up to her room. She jumps onto her bed and pulls out her phone. She texts River as she listens to her mom whine at her dad.

Quinn walks downstairs. Her dad had been away on a business trip and her mom was at a family thing and so the 12 year old had been left alone for the day. She'd heard her dad come home and so she wanted to greet him. But when she got downstairs, she found her dad lip locked with a man. She didn't recognise this man and so she just stood at the bottom step, watching as the man ran his hands up her dads back. Eddie shudders out a moan and then starts to unbutton his pants, Quinn taking that as her cue to leave.

"PLEASE STOP YELLING AT ME!" Quinn hears her dad cry downstairs and she wants to rush down and hug him. She just sighs and looks at Rivers message. She had suggested that Eddie speak with Richie as he was in a similar situation.

It's silent and then Quinn hears the front door close. She prays it's her mom that has left and she's right as when she gets downstairs, her dad is sat on the couch crying and wiping his eyes. She sits down beside him and leans her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, why don't you talk to Richie?" Quinn suggests and Eddie kisses her temple gently." He's been in the exact same position before. He could help?"

"Really? Isn't asking my daughters drama teacher for advice on a divorce a little weird?" Eddie asks.

"Nope. Infact River is informing him of it as we speak." Quinn says and Eddie sits up straight, looking at her." No backing out of this one, papa."

"You're a little monster." Eddie chuckles. Quinn grins and pulls him into a hug. He looks over at the divorce papers with a sigh. He needed this to happen and if Richie Tozier was the key to getting it done, then he had to speak to him.