sweets// patrick hockstetter

8

Lavender, Eddie, Richie, and Bill all walk into the house.

"I can't believe I pulled the short straws." Richie shakes his head, "You're lucky, we weren't measuring dicks."

"You'd still have the short straw, Rich."

"Haha," Richie fake laughs.

"That smells horrible," Lavender says.

"Don't breathe through your mouth," Richie says.

"Why?" Eddie asks.

"Because then you're eating it." Eddie then gags and Lavender hits Richie's shoulders.

"You're mean." Lav whispers. Lavender knew about Richie's crush on Eddie, he had told her about it, one day at her house.

"What am I in your home?" Richie asks, and Lavender rolls her eyes.

"That annoying floorboard that always creeks."

"Come on, toots. Why can't I be the roof or something?"

"I didn't assign parts to anyone."

"Yes in the little speech-"

"Richie-"

"Will you two stop it?" Bill says and Richie and Lavender glare at each other as they keep walking into the house.

Richie wanders into another room and Lavender devices to follow him. Richie pulls out a piece of paper hanging in the cobwebs and Richie grabs it.

"This saying I'm missing? That's my shirt, my glasses, with today's date!" Lavender ripped the paper from his hands. Richie's voice is frantic as he spirals.

"Rich," Lavender puts her hands on the side of his face, "You're not missing, you're right here." Their eyes kept contact, "You're okay, breath." Lavender takes in a deep breath and Richie follows, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise."

Richie pulls her into a hug, his arms were tighter than she was used to but she didn't mind when they pulled apart from the embrace, Richie laughs, "Are we about to kiss, right now?"

"In your dreams."

"Yes, my dreams are full of kissing you, Lav. How did you know?"

"I read your dream journal."

"How dare you." They both smile at each other.

"Are you okay?" She asks and he nods.

"I won't let anything happen to you either, Lav." He promises. "Thanks for calming me down.."

"No thanks necessary. What else would I be here for, Rich." That's when they heard Patrick's voice from upstairs.

"Hello? Lavender? Hello? Help me, please?" She turned to Richie.

"Let's go," Richie says, they lock their hands together and they walk up the stairs. Eddie and Bill join them.

The hallway was long and dark. At the end, there was a door open and an ugly yellow light was coming from it.

The atmosphere felt different, eerie, and ominous as all four of them walked past the trashed rooms.

Lavender felt her heart drop when she saw a small teddy bear with needles by it.

That's when they suddenly heard the door slam shut and Eddie yelling on the other side, all three of them tried to get through the rotting wooden door but it was no use.

"Fuck," lavender kicked the door as looks to see Richie going into the side room and the door slammed shut, "How about we all stick together and stop going into random rooms!" Lavender says.