Rom-coms and cigarettes - Reddie

-3-

Just almost a week later the cold came along announcing fall has officially arrived. Eddie decided to wear his cuffed jeans and forest green crew neck. He slipped on his tennis shoes and made his way to the bus stop. When it started to get cold Eddie's mother refused to let him bike to school. Eddie was okay with it though because Stan and Richie had agreed to ride the bus with him when it got cold. Richie would have just picked him up like he usually did, but he got into a pretty bad fender bender a couple days ago so it was currently in his driveway and waiting to be put in the shop. Richie was at the bus stop when Eddie got there.

"Hey Eddie spaghetti." Richie said. "Shut it trashmouth." Eddie replied. "Damn Eds gettin' a little feisty this morning." Richie joked. Eddie rolled his eyes and boarded the bus when it came to the stop. Him and Richie were usually the first ones on there so they got the backseat. As the ride went on more kids got on and filled up the bus. About half of the school rode the bus and there were only six in all of Derry. Relief is what the two teens felt when they got off of the crowded bus. "If there is one thing I hate about riding the bus it is how many kids get on it." Eddie said as he reached for his inhaler. When they were younger Eddie wore a fanny pack that he ended up ditching freshman year. He no longer carts around or takes the placebo pills his mom used to shove down his throat. Which she very much did not like. She constantly blamed his friends, mainly Richie, for his constant disobedience towards her. In order to shut her up and to give himself some comfort. After getting off his pills his germaphobia got worse. Not isolatingly bad, but just enough to have a form of control.

While Eddie took a hit from his inhaler, Richie pulled out a cigarette and Eddie, being Eddie, had pointed it out. "Richie you do realize we are at school right?" Eddie said. "Why Eds no I did not. I thought we were at a brothel." Richie responded. "Aha trashmouth. Why do you even smoke those things? They're insanely bad for your lungs. Plus they are like packed with cancer." Eddie said. "Well my good sir, I do it because I need some sort of brain functionality." Richie joked. "What? For the brain you don't got?" Eddie joked back. "You wound me spaghetti." Richie said with a hand on his chest. "Smoke your damn cigarette." Eddie chuckled. Richie smoked his cigarette and put his arm around Eddie's shoulders as they walked into the building and met up with their friends.

"Hey guys!" Beverly greeted first. "Hello Marsh." Richie replied with a big kiss upon her cheek. "Ew gross Richie." Beverly laughed as she wiped her cheek. "Awe you know you love it." Richie joked. "Stan the man!" Richie obnoxiously greeted with a hug. "Richie get the fuck off me." Stan said with humor laced in his tone. Richie gasped. "You're..you're rejecting my affection?" Richie said. "No. I'm trying not to get the herpes virus." Stan joked. "Aye Eddie's mom gave it to me!" Richie joked back. "Oh my god Richie shut up." Stan said. "Y-you know that's imp-possible for him Stan." Bill said as he walked towards them. "Is everyone just in the mood to trash the trashmouth today?" Richie said. "N-no just in the mood to g-get you to stop b-being such a p-pervert." Bill joked. "Hey I'm not a pervert! Just a ladies man." Richie said with a smirk. Everyone rolled their eyes and joked around with one another until the bell rang and they went their separate ways to their classes.

Eddie and Richie sat in their English class listening to Mr. Travis give them instructions for the day. "You will be reading about Apollo in your textbooks. After you are done reading that part of this section about our twelve olympian gods, you will write down five things about Apollo that you found either interesting or important and turn it in as a classwork grade for today. Go ahead and get started." He finished. Sounds of books turning and bags opening filled the room as student began to start on the assignment. "Hey Eds, you got a pencil I can borrow?" Richie asked softly. Eddie nodded and handed Richie a pencil from his pencil bag. "Why don't you ever have a pencil Rich?" Eddie asked. Richie shrugged, "I keep losing 'em." Eddie chuckled, "Maybe you need to buy a pencil holder." "Eds I fucking hate pencil packs. Besides they suit you better." Richie stated. "What's that supposed to mean?" Eddie asked in an amused tone. "You know. You're all...neat and shit." Richie replied. Eddie rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should give it a try. It wouldn't kill you to be organized for once." Richie chuckled and began reading his assignment.

At the end of class the boys turned in their assignments and made their way to their second period where Richie sat right next to Beverly. "Hello Beverly." Richie said in an English accent. "Well hello Richard." Bev said back. "Ew don't call me Richard." Richie grimaced. Beverly laughed as the class began to start. Their assignment was to make a painting that describes you and your life. Richie chose all sorts of different colors and drew all sorts of little details on the canvas.

Beverly on the other hand went with greyish tints on the edges and big dark clouds in the top center. She then put a rainbow right under the dark clouds. Right under the rainbow as a beam of light. In the light were all sorts of different colors and hues. A girl stood in the light. "Wow Bev that's impressive." Richie said. "Thanks Rich." Bev smiled as she put the word losers in the rainbow. Each letter was a different color. "You know what this painting is about right?" Bev asked. Richie shook his head. "Around the rainbow are darkness and gloom. That's my home life. How I feel when I'm alone in my house. The rainbow is you guys. You're my safe place." Bev explained. Richie smiled and hugged Bev.