Look What I Found!

Ch. 5

The following day, Richie could tell it was going to be bad. Jason had woken up in a pissy mood. He forgot to take a shower and change his bandages that morning. He missed taking his meds, so he was in pain for a few hours. Couldn't decide on what to eat and nearly spilled his drink all over himself.

Richie, himself, woke up to the feeling of dread deep in his stomach. He was about to go home and see the Losers. They were going to meet Jason, and they were probably going to jump to the same conclusions that he did. Then they're going to ask questions-and today was not going to be Richie's day.

So Richie's moodiness and Jason's moodiness were something that the world should not have to witness.

They were now 2 hours behind schedule, and the Losers were blowing him up. Each ding seemed to make Jason frown harder and harder, which he's only ever seen Eddie do.

Eventually, the kid reached over and snatched his phone out of his jacket pocket, shutting it completely off and tossing it into the dash.

"Well, geez-"

"Don't even. I have a headache, and I need more coffee."

Richie was silent for a bit before responding, "maybe the coffee is what's giving you the headache."

"Or maybe it's because I didn't get much sleep last night."

"And why's that?"

The kid turned his glare towards him, "that's none of your business."

"Listen-"

"Please stop talking."

Apparently, this kid loved to cut people off.

"Jason-" he gave the kid a pointed look when he gave him a confused one before realization dawned on him. "When we get to my place, a few friends will be there. I'll tell them to leave you alone; you go and pick out a room and rest. I'll order some food and take it to you because today isn't the best of days for us."

The kid's face went from moody to full of concern and confusion, "what do you mean?"

"I..." He cut himself off, "a year ago, exactly to this day, we lost 2 of our friends... They were murdered. We decided to come together on this day and mourn them yet celebrate them and the ones we still have."

"Oh..."

"Yea... I know you're only a kid, but you seem to know the importance of life and death."

"Yea... I-I've seen loss, but I have yet to be the one to lose someone permanently. But I understand how important it is to keep those you love close and to cherish them."

"Yea... But if they bother you, you have my full permission to rip them a new one. I didn't even want them showing up today."

"I think I'll try to keep my anger in check while I'm around them." The kid gave him a small smile, and he gave one back.

They both lapsed into a comfortable silence before a thought struck Richie. "Are you ever going to give me your name? I mean, we're already near my place, and it's not like I'm going to do a background check on you and turn around to take you back. Seems a bit overkill, don'tcha think?"

The kid looked him up and down, studying him a bit. It was pretty unnerving seeing that look on a kid. Those eyes could kill someone; he always seemed so grumpy and much older with those glares.

"Mike..."

"Mike?"

He glared, "I'm not giving you my last name."

"Wasn't going to ask, but um..." Richie laughed a bit, "one of my best friends, who is going to be there, is named Mike. So... I think I'mma call you Mikey."