Alone Again | Reddie (unfinished, but no longer writing)

Chapter 18 (end of part 1)

2 years later

The losers had graduated last year. Bill, Ash, Beverly, Stephanie, and Ben were already at college. Which left Eddie, Richie, Victor, Stan, and Mike left as the only losers left in Derry. The weirdest thing about it was that the losers that were no longer in Derry forgot about them. James and his mom were engaged now and were getting married next year.

Eddie had just been accepted to a college and was leaving today. Victor was also leaving tomorrow to go to his college.

Eddie was just finishing up packing when Victor came into his room. "Hey Eddie. I have to go pack my stuff to leave so I figured i'd come say goodbye, but I get you are kind of pissed at me because i've been an ass-."

Eddie cut him off by pulling him into a hug. "I can't hate you. Your my brother." Eddie smiled, holding back tears.

"The reason i've been an asshole the last 3 years is because my mom is a terrible person and for some reason she had more custody over me than my dad does, but now my dad has full custody because she started getting really abusive and now Henry is possibly getting released for "good behavior" which is absolute bullshit. It's just been really stressful for me."

"It's fine Vic." Eddie smiled.

Victor looked down at his watch and sighed. "Well I gotta go. See you next year at the wedding." Victor smiled pulling him into one last hug.

***

Eddie had just finished loading his stuff into his car and it was time to say goodbye to his friends and mom. Stan was the first to come up to him and pull him into a hug. He was followed by Carrie, then Sonia, then Mike, and finally Richie who had been quiet all day.

Richie ran over to Eddie and pulled him into a hug as they both started sobbing. "I'm going to miss you so much Eds."

Eddie pulled away so that their foreheads were touching. "I'm going to miss you too Rich."

Richie smiled. "You still didn't correct me when I call."

"It's your special nickname for me and yes I hate it, but I love you." Eddie smiled. "No one else can call me Eds besides you."

"I love you too my Eddie Spaghetti." Richie said dramatically as he kissed Eddie.

Eddie laughed and teary laugh. "Okay that one you aren't getting away with Tozier." Richie pretend to pout, but Eddie just flicked his forehead.

Stan sighed. "As cute as this little moment is, we have to leave now Eddie." He explained. Stan was driving him to college because Eddie didn't have a car.

More tears rolled down both of their cheeks. "Promise you will write everyday and come back for the holidays." Richie asked shakily.

"I promise." Eddie promised as he pulled Richie into one last kiss and hugged his friends and moms one last time. He turned to Richie with a sad look as he pulled Richie in for another kiss. "Bye." He sobbed.

"Bye..." Richie stated as he hugged Eddie. "You have to go now Eddie. See you at Christmas."

Eddie nodded and got into the car with Stan who looked sad. Stan couldn't take the pain of watching his two friends about to forget each other like Bill forgot him.

As Stan started the car Eddie looked at Richie one last time.

As they drove away Richie stood there crying into Mikes shoulder who had a comforting arm around him. "What if he forgets us like everyone else did Mike." Richie asked, but Mike just looked at his feet. "He won't right Mike?" Richie then asked sounding hurt.

"Rich.... I'm sorry, but he will.... This is what it is doing to us. We can't do anything about it i'm sorry."

Richie didn't want to believe it, but he had to.

Eddie would forget him....

***

The truth had to happen. Eddie never went back to Derry for any holidays and he never wrote to anyone. He had forgotten his friends. The only people he remembered was Vic and Bev because they were his family along with Victors dad and his moms. Sonia died a couple years after he went to college so he started dating the closest person to his mom to cope with the pain. The one person he wished he hadn't forgotten was Richie Tozier.

Richie stayed in Derry and never went to college. He was going to wait for Eddie. When Sonia died he was hoping Eddie would show up to the funeral, but he never did. When Richie was 28 he lost hope and moved to Texas where he became a comedian and for some reason he never really forgot. He forgot what Eddie looked like, but he still knew he loved him. He guessed this was it doing this to him on purpose to weaken him so that he would be easier to defeat because Richie was the strongest of all the losers.

Bills first days at his new college were the most painful days, but one day he forgot it all and sadly that came with forgetting Stan. He started dating a girl in his class and he made new friends. He was popular now and friends with the popular people. When he was 30 he started writing a book that seemed all too familiar. He didn't know how this idea came to his idea, but it did.

Stan also stayed in Derry waiting for another 4 years before he couldn't take the pain of remembering anymore so he applied for a college and got accepted. He said goodbye to his two remaining friends and got in his car, ready to forget everything that happened to him all the way back to kindergarten which was when he had met Richie, his best friend who he forgot along with all his friends and the boy he loved with his whole heart. He made around 2 friends and got married to a girl who shared the same interests as him.

Beverly, Victor, and Ben had it easy. Ben and Bev left for college the same day and both forgot each other around the same time. They didn't know about the forgetting thing because they left right after Bill did who was the first to leave. Victor had always been lonely and slightly depressed no matter how hard he tried not to. Yes the losers were his friends, but he couldn't take remembering Henry anymore who was the person who was keeping him from being happy so he gladly moved away and forgot. He felt happiness for the first time, but he always wondered where he got the scar across his neck from.

Mike was the only one who stayed in Derry. He remembered everything and everyone. He felt lonely and empty. He had no one left, not even his grandparents. He felt sadness take over him when one day 22 years later he wad reading by his apartment window when he saw an ambulance by the bridge by the fair. Mikes heart sank, it had been 27 years since that dreadful summer and he knew what was happening as he quickly pulled out his phone and dialed the first of his old friends numbers.

It had returned.