how it started || losers club

ch 8

Tw; Mentions of abuse/Trauma, Mentions of pills

Richie woke up the next morning, and sucked in a breath as he sat up. He looked at Eddie and smiled. He got flashbacks of the night before, however, and his smile immediately dropped. He didn't want to face him after opening up like that.

It was Tuesday, however, and they needed to get to school. Richie's clothes had a bit of blood on them still, and they were his only ones. He couldn't borrow Eddie's, for those wouldn't fit in the slightest bit.

He got up from the bed and snuck into Eddie's bathroom. He brushed out his hair a bit and removed his shirt to wash off the blood stains, or at least make them less visible.

A knock on the bathroom door sounded and Richie jumped.

"Rich? You in there?" Eddie asked through the closed door, and Richie sighed.

"Yeah, sorry, I'll be out soon," he said.

"No you're fine, just making sure you didn't leave already."

Once Eddie left, Richie furrowed his eyebrows. He hoped Eddie wouldn't try to talk to him about last night. He walked out of the bathroom and let his shirt dry.

Eddie looked at him and bit his tongue to keep from blushing, and felt pity for all of the bruises on his body.

"Where's your shirt?" Eddie asked jokingly, and Richie looked at him.

"Oh, sorry if I made you uncomfortable, I just-"

"It's fine, you're all good," Eddie interrupted before he could go on about how weird this was. He smiled at the taller boy, who awkwardly smiled back.

Eddie couldn't help but think about the amount of bruises that littered Richie's skin. He wondered where they came from, who did that.

"If-If you don't mind me asking.." Eddie said, walking towards the boy who sat on his bed. "Where'd you get the bruises from?"

Richie sucked in a breath and adjusted his glasses. "I don't wanna talk about it.."

Eddie paused, he didn't know why Richie wouldn't talk about it, but he wanted to help.

"I just want to help, Rich. That's.. it's not okay to have that many bruises. I can tell there are new and old ones, and a bunch of new ones from the last time I saw-"

"That man," Richie blurted out.

"What?"

Richie sighed. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. "You know that man that chased me to you guys..?"

"Yeah, what about him?" Eddie scooted a little closer.

"That-" he sighed. "That wasn't just some random man."

Eddie felt a shiver run down his spine. Did he know him? Who was that to him?

"Okay.. who-who was it?"

Richie adjusted his glasses once again and breathed in through his nose.

"My.. my.." Richie tried to hold back against tears. He wasn't good at these topics, and Eddie would have to be the first person he told.

"Eddie-bear! Are you awake, baby?" Sonia sang just in time, and Richie let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in.

Eddie groaned and stood, walking out of his room. "I'll be back."

Richie sighed and flopped back on the bed, laying down once the door was shut.

"I've never been more grateful for that woman," Richie chuckled.