"Yeah, he's alright, just a little shaken up, Bevvy." Richie was currently on the phone with Beverly, letting her and the other Losers know what had happened to Eddie and that he was alright. "Okay, I'll see you guys in a few minutes. Bye." Richie hung up the phone and returned his attention back to Eddie.
"You gotta be hungry." Richie said. "You want eggs?"
Eddie looked up from where he was sitting on the couch to where Richie stood in the kitchen doorway.
"Yeah, sure." Eddie said half distracted as he was still thinking about the situation with his mother. His mother most likely already knew he was gone, and if he went back home he would be in a shitload of trouble. Worse than he could imagine.
"Sunny side, scrambled, or an omelette?" Richie broke into Eddie's thought as he stood in the kitchen doorway with a spatula.
"Oh, uhm...sunny side up," Eddie replied. "Thanks, Rich."
"No problem." Richie said before returning to the kitchen and grabbing two eggs from the fridge.
-
"Bon appetit!" Richie placed two eggs in front of Eddie, smiling, and sat down next to him. Eddie tried to force a smile. While he was starving from two days without food, he had no appetite. All the stress of his overbearing mother had stripped him from it.
"Eddie? You alright?" Richie grabbed Eddie's hand in his and stroked it. Eddie flinched slightly and looked at Richie's dark milky-way eyes.
"No." The asthmatic boy said truthfully. "I'm not alright, I-" Suddenly a knock at Richie's door sounded and Eddie was cut off. Richie stood up and walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Bill, Beverly, Ben, Stan, and Mike all placed outside, worried looks planted on their faces.
"We came as soon as we could." Mike said, following the rest of the group in.
"Eddie, are you alright?!" Beverly cried, reaching out and pulling Eddie into a tight hug.
"Yeah, Bev. I'm fine." Eddie replied, pushing the ginger girl off with his petite hands.
"Ruh-Richie told us w-w-what h-happened." Bill spoke up from where he stood beside the TV. "We're s-so s-s-s-sorry."
Eddie felt tears stinging in his eyes and he pushed them away. "You don't need to be sorry."
Suddenly Stan spoke up, a puzzled look on his face. "Why'd your mom even do that, Eddie?"
Panic rose in Eddie's chest. There was no way he could tell the truth to the other Losers. That he was gay. Eddie's breathing suddenly hitched and he fiddled with his fannypack to grab his inhaler.
"Ed's?" Richie darted over to the boy having a panic attack and grabbed his hand, slowly guiding the aspirator to his lips and pulling the trigger twice.
"T-thanks, Richie." Eddie breathed out, feeling calmer and clearing his throat to speak. To lie. "I-I refused to take my pills...that's all, Stanley." Eddie cast a glance down to his white and green Adidas shoes.
Eddie felt a warm body clash against his warmly and arms pull around him. It was Richie. Then suddenly it was Beverly. And then Bill. And then Ben, Mike, and then Stan, as the whole group surrounded Eddie in a group hug. Eddie hugged back, still fighting the tears that struggled to come out.
"I love you." Richie whispered in Eddie's ear.
"I love you too, Richie." Eddie replied back, digging his nose in Richie's chest.
