take me away (reddie)

five

3rd period finally rolls around. eddies heart was thumping out of his chest again, but for a different reason this time. he gets to see richie again.

eddie walked into the class room, sitting down. he looked at the back of the class, expecting to see richie.

the seat was empty. he furrowed his eyebrows, turning back toward the chalkboard. he felt almost disappointed and confused. it made his heart ache and gave him an uncomfortable feeling, also something he had never felt before.

maybe he's just late. eddie's thoughts roamed in his head as minutes passed.

he flinched at the sound of the tardy bell, immediately turning to see if richie was there.

still no sign.

eddie's heart sunk, worrying that he might have said something wrong this morning, or that stanley said something to richie. but, stanley would never do that to eddie.

-

eddie rushes into the lunchroom, frantically looking around. he spots black curly hair, bobbing through the crowd of students, towering over them. a sense of relief washed over him. he ran up to richie, shoving him a bit.

"where were you?" eddie furrowed his eyebrows, looking at richie. that's when eddie's eyes fell to richie's hand, which wasn't alone.

in richie's hand was another. eddies eyes crawled up the unknown arm to find daniella, the head of the cheer team.

it's like someone stabbed eddie straight through the chest with a spear, over and over again. tears brimmed at eddie's eyes as he met daniella's also brown eyes.

richie's face fell paler than normal, his breath getting caught in his throat. richie felt as if his face sunk in, remorse visible on his face.

eddie looked back up at richie, blinking the tears away with a hiding smile. "so...?"

"oh-" richie cleared his voice, "i was, y'know, smoking with bev." he laughed, obviously fake, and eddie caught the falter in richie's laugh.

"right..." eddie said shortly, looking at daniella again who also had a way too happy look on her face, shifting balance in her legs as if they were weak. eddie could only imagine, but he didn't. it would hurt him more. he wanted to believe richie, but he just couldn't. "well, let me know when to meet you guys at the roller rink."

eddie got out a pen from his bag, writing his number on a piece of paper since richie didn't have his. he gave it to richie, keeping his head down at the paper due to more tears forming.

eddie walked away, his breathing heavy and his stomach turning, tying knots, doing flips. he felt a swinging ball of fire in his throat as small tears rolled down his face.

this is what richie meant. to waste my tears on that son of a bitch. eddie shamed himself in his mind as he made his way over to stanley's table.

eddie wasn't sure why he felt this much pain. he had only known richie for two days, but he didn't like like him because they just met, right?

eddie slides into the booth after wiping his face off. stanley was staring at him again while eddie was just looking at the table. he had nothing to say to stanley. nothing had to be said though, because stanley watched the whole thing play out. not to mention, eddie has one of those faces that tell the story by itself. it's a blessing and a curse.