mixtape (reddie)

Chapter 42

"How was school?"

Richie keeps pushing his food around on his plate, trying very hard to not scrape his fork against the dish. After a moment of silence, he looks up to see why Bill hasn't responded, only to find all eyes on him.

"Oh," Richie exhales, feeling embarrassed. "Um. It was okay."

"Okay? Just okay?" Zack repeats. He opens his mouth, gearing up to make a shitty dad joke, but Bill cuts him off before that can happen.

"Dad," Bill warns him, then changes the subject. "My creative writing class is offering college credits at the end of the quarter. I think it might look good on my application."

Richie blinks back down at his plate, confusion evident on his face. College...? He never gave it much thought. He didn't think he would get this far, to be honest.

"That's great!" Sharon exclaims, congratulating her son. Then, she turns to Richie, and asks "What about you, Richie? Any colleges you've got your eye on?"

Richie wonders what he would like to do after high school, but his mind keeps coming up blank. What would he like to do? He doesn't know. Richie doesn't have many talents, and he has fewer interests. He can't even remember what he wanted to be when he grows up, much less know what he wants to do after high school.

"I'm not sure," he says quietly. "Maybe I'll get a job in town."

There's a silence, one that comes from conservative parents who did not expect that type of answer. Every kid's life plans include going to college, it's just how things are. Maybe just in Derry, but it's certainly a custom that nobody has deviated from since the Great Depression struck.

"That's cool," Bill breaks the silence. "Dude, get a job at the movie theater so you can sneak me and Bev in."

Richie smiles at this, turning to his new brother and quipping back "Why? So you two can just make out? No thanks."

Bill's ears turn scarlet red, his eyes widening as he turns to look at his parents. Neither of the two react, they just nod and keep on eating as if it's expected. Bill and Bev aren't exactly sneaky about their relationship, she always kisses him goodbye on the front porch right in front of the living room picture window.

"You treat her right, son," Zack comments. And that was that.

Or so Richie thought.

The apocalypse begins with a question, an armageddon of ammunition locked and loaded with the following words. They're ones that Richie didn't really expect to hear, so he isn't prepared for the worst case scenario like he is with most things. This catches him off guard, and shakes the boy's whole world from beneath him.

"What about you, Richie? Any girls catch your attention?"

Richie can't help but think about how only one face has been on his mind, but that's natural, right? Him and Eddie Kaspbrak shared an awkward, clumsy, fast paced, idiotic crush on one another when they were kids. It was all very nervous, secretive, cringe worthy touches in the dark of people's basements. The two thought they were in love, but Richie knows better now. They were 15 and desperate to have someone to call their own. That's all it was, that's all it ever will be.

"Uh," Richie pauses, trying to think of any girl in his class that may have piqued his interest. He can't seem to recall anything other than Bowers and Kaspbrak, the only deviation from that thought process being Stan Uris to take pity on him during his public humiliation. "I don't know. I was studying."

Bill raises his eyebrows as if trying to say he doesn't believe that bullshit at all, but Richie becomes very focused on eating his broccoli instead.