We Are Good

Chapter Four

"Bev please slow down." Eddie begged. They hadn't said anything to each other, only walking the path. Eddie can't feel his legs and it's hard to stand, let alone walk and Beverley and Bill were walking side by side in front of Eddie and Richie, practically running.

Beverley let out a sigh and spun around facing the two of them, Bill standing beside her with his arms crossed.

"I feel like I'm in trouble with mom and dad." Richie whispered out the side of his mouth to Eddie. Eddie smiled but quickly stopped once he saw how Beverley's eyes were practically on fire.

"Will one of you explain what the fuck is going on? Why you're soaking wet? Why Eddie's limping? Why he's in your jacket? Why you never showed up in the first place?" she was mad, but in a motherly concerned way. In every way Bev took care of the Losers more than their own parents and Eddie loved her for it.

"Bev," Richie said straightening his posture. "We just got lost ok? That's all. We accidentally lost the path, ended up on the wrong side of the quarry and had to jump to cross and now we're here. Alright?" he said shaking a little. He was cold Eddie realized. He moved a little closer to him without thinking. Like penguins. Eddie thought happily. Richie looked down at him, at how he was pressing his shoulder against his, and tried his hardest to suppress a smile, but Eddie saw.

Beverley eyed them for a few seconds some anger visibly disappearing, but not all. She held up a finger and waved it in the air as she spoke. "You both are fucking stupid! Don't scare us like that again or I'll call the cops next time! Do you know what we thought happened to you??" She yelled. The last question hung in the air tight and uncomfortable. Bill stepped forward.

"J-Just be ca-areful next-t time, ok? Don't m-make us-s-s think tha-at way." He said, eyebrows creased and stressed.

"We're sorry ok? We didn't mean to get lost. Please can we go now I can't feel my legs and I'm cold and hungry and tired and-" before Eddie could finish Bev shushed him.

"We get it. Let's go." She rapped an arm around Eddies shoulder and they marched on.
—
"So, Rich be a dick the whole time?" Bev asked halfway back to human life.

Eddie smiled, feeling his cheeks heat up. "No," he glanced back at Richie and Bill and to his surprise Richie was already looking at him, a small smile on his face. Bill nudged his arm catching his attention again to talk about whatever it was he found so important. Richie's face was pink as Eddie turned back around and Eddie was fighting a laugh. "Not the whole time." He said finally.

"Well good." She looked at him and he could tell she had something else to say.

"Bev..." he began.

"He gave you his jacket?" She asked with a teasing smile and Eddie was going to die.

"I was cold! It- I why? What does that mean?" He stuttered out in a panic.

Bev laughed and said "Noting at all just... Richie isn't know for his chivalry."

"Yea well, if there's one thing I know about Richie it's that he's stupid and he's always surprising people. No one really knows him." He said looking down at his dirty wet shoes.

"That's surprising coming from you Eddie." Bev said raising an eyebrow at him. He gave her a confused look and she continued. "You know him better than all of us Eddie, that I know for sure. Another thing I know for sure is that Richie Tozier never shares anything, for example, I don't know know... his favorite leather jacket?" She asked in a mocking tone as she pulled on Eddie's, well Richie's sleeve.

Eddie shook his head. She was giving him hope and that's something he can't afford. "Bev why are you saying this?" He asked, his annoyance clear. They stopped walking, forcing Bill and Richie to stop too joining them in a circle.