take me away (reddie)

three

eddie walked to the side of the house, putting his bike against the wall. he walked into the house through the side door since it was closest. he sighed heavily, putting his back against the closing door. once it was closed, eddie looked down at the phone number.

richie's phone #

richie's handwriting looked like scribbles of a second grader. eddie thought it gave the writing personality. he held his both hands to his heart before hearing the voice that made him nauseous.

"eddie-bear, come here." the female's voice rung through eddie's ears. he slowly walked into the living room, the carpeted floor creaking.

eddie looked at the obese woman who sat in the recliner that was in the corner of the living room, by the window. he didn't understand how a human could just sit in a chair for hours and never, truly, take care of her child. she did go to work, but anytime she wasn't at work, she was in that chair.

"hey, mommy." eddie said quietly as he stood in front of his mother.

"how was school-"

"good- it was great! me and stanley sat with each other at lunch." eddie replied quickly, wanting the conversation to end.

the woman just nodded, looking at her lap before up at her son. "who was that who dropped you off? stanley doesn't drive. i've already called his mother."

eddie's face was blazing red. if his mother knew that richie tozier dropped him off, let alone eddie getting into a strangers truck, he wouldn't be able to leave the house for weeks.

the toziers' didn't have the the best reputation in derry. in fact, eddie's heard that if people know you're a tozier, and you're out in public, people will completely ignore you no matter the circumstances.

of course, he heard that from his mother.

"uh-uhm," eddie's eyes darted from the window to his mother. "bev. beverly drove me home."

eddie already knew she didn't have the fondest idea of beverly, but it was better than telling her it was richie.

"eddie-bear," sonia said in a pitying tone, moving closer to him, "are you lying to me?" she said with a frown.

"n-no ma'am-"

"cause if you were, i'd have to punish you, and you wouldn't want that, would you?" his mother grabbed his face, cupping eddie's face in her hands as she rubbed his cheeks quite harshly.

"no, i would not. i'm not lying." eddie shakes his head in her hands, making eye contact with her.

sonia finally let go of his face. eddie ran upstairs once she had looked back to the tv. he sat on the edge of his bed by his nightstand, dialing bev's phone number. the line was already busy.

eddie heard his mother's voice downstairs again. his heart felt like it sunk down, deep into his stomach. further than that because he could even feel his heartbeat in his toes. eddie ran back down the stairs quietly, peeking around the corner.

"alright, just making sure. okay- okay, thank you, sweetheart." sonia spoke into the phone in a rushed voice, phony kindness laced within her tone. she called for eddie to come back downstairs. .

beverly covered for me. eddie thought to himself.

eddie came around the corner. "yes, mommy?"

"i'm sorry for blaming you for lying." sonia looked at him with glossed over eyes, like she was going to cry. "come here."

eddie walked over to her once again. she pulled eddie into her lap, hugging him tightly. 16 year old eddie was sitting his his mother's lap. sonia continues to apologize, shaking her head as she closes her eyes.