Fix Me // Reddie

Chapter Two - I Miss You, I'm Sorry

Eddie's Pov

Eddie breezed through the morning, barely paying his mother any attention as he ate a muffin before school. Sonia kept asking him questions about his pills and potential sicknesses that he may have, but he didn't listen. He was still focused on the phone call he had received the night before, one from a very drunk Richie Tozier.

It's not that Eddie thought about Richie a lot, that would be ridiculous. It's not like he always smiled to himself after seeing what oddly colored shirt Riche chose to wear everyday. It's not like he giggled to himself when the teacher had to wake Richie up in the middle of English class. It's not as if he imagined what it had been like to be around Richie, trying on his glasses and riding on the back of his bike. That would be crazy.

As he walked to school, he thought about how he would start a conversation with Richie. It's not like he could just ignore what Richie had said on the phone, especially since he felt the same way. The thing is, Eddie regretted ever lashing out at Richie after the fight on Neibolt street. His mother had gotten to him, along with the fear that was still racing through his veins. There was no denying that Richie had been hurt by his words, but Eddie knew he could finally make things right.

When he got to the busy school parking lot, he scanned the junky old cars for the familiar rusted maroon car that belonged to Beverley Marsh. He knew that's where Richie would be, laughing with Stanley and smoking a cancer stick with Bev. He fidgeted with his fannypack when he caught sight of the car, pulling out his inhaler and taking a dose of the battery acid flavored medicine.

"You can do this, Eds," he whispered to himself. "Just be cool." Before he could take one step towards the old car, he felt someone pull him backwards, nearly tripping over his feet in the process. He looked up at the person who was kind enough to choose physical violence this early in the morning, and saw Stanley Uris standing before him, coffee cup in hand.

"That shit's going to give you a heart attack, Stanley," Eddie muttered.

"I'll take my chances. Look, Eddie, about what happened last night-"

At the mention of last night, Eddie felt rage bubble inside him, ready to explode. "I can't believe you guys got fucking drunk! I mean, do you know the risks of underage drinking? You shouldn't take these risks lightly, Stanley. Did you know that your brain won't develop completely if you're intoxicated? Do you really want to deal with Richie when he has an under-developed brain?"

"He already does," Stanley interrupted, running a hand through his curls. "Look Eddie, I know you want to make things up to him, but he doesn't remember anything that happened last night and-"

"What do you mean?" Eddie asked, panic rising in his chest. "Did he hit his head? He might have a concussion, especially if he was dizzy. Did you check if he was dizzy-"

"Eddie, let me fucking finish!" Stanley interrupted again, cutting off Eddie's rant. "He was too drunk to remember what happened. Look, I know you probably want to talk to him and everything, and don't get me wrong, I think it's time. He really does miss you. But walking up to him in a crowded parking lot and yelling at him about the health risks of underage drinking after not speaking to each other in over a year isn't the way to do it."

"He misses me?"

"Don't be fucking stupid, Eddie, you guys had been best friends since kindergarten. He's had his heart broken too many times already, between what happened with his mom and then you pushing him away." Stan ran his hand through his neat curls, letting out a deep sigh. "Look, I know me and Rich fight all the time, but he's a great guy. I don't want you to try getting back into his life if you might hurt him again-"