We Have Each Other // Reddie

We Have Each Other

Summer was thickening in the town of Derry. A short yet dry heat had settled over the area earlier in the week, the scorching air punctured only by small rustling breezes. The weather was becoming less and less bearable for any sane residents of the area. Certain children however, had been less easily convinced to stay indoors. Eddie Kaspbrak, for example, had just about thrown his mother into a fit when he insisted on going out. He was eventually able to convince her that he simply had to go to the library to get a head start on his summer assignments. She had shoved what, to Eddie, felt to be a gallon sized bottle of water into her son's hands and doubtfully sent him on his way. He wondered how exactly she expected him to mount his bike with such a thing to carry.

Eventually the determined boy managed, and was on his way towards town. However, as he approached the library, he simply allowed the wheels of his bicycle to take him past it. He winced internally at the fact that he'd so outwardly lied to his mom, but kept going. He had better things to do than to sit inside all day. Or go to the library to work on summer assignments that he had simple made up, for that matter. He rode on until he reached the edge of the Barrens. He parked his bike in it's normal spot, noting that there was only one other bike to place it with.

"Richie's bike," his mind provided, for no reason in particular.

Eddie made his way down the path until he reached the bank. Richie sat lazily on a fairly large rock, throwing stones into the stream. At the sound of his friend approaching, the dark haired boy sat up straighter to wave.

"Well if it ain't mah darlin' Eddie! Come awn down he-ya and give a babe some company!" Richie called out, his voice in a bad impression of some eyelash-batting southern girl. Eddie rolled his eyes and sat on the ground next to his friend, setting his water jug nearby. "Ho-ly Moly would ya look at the size of that" Richie laughed, pointing at the bottle. "That's how you got your mom to let you down here?" The question had been frequently cut off by more laughter.

"Wouldn't even let me think about leaving without it. Not in this heat with my poor lungs, she said. Even then I had to tell her I was going somewhere else besides to sit in the Barrens with a bunch of hooligans like you." It was Eddie's turn to laugh and when Richie pushed him in retaliation, it almost sent him into the stream. This caused even more hysterics between the boys.

Eddie was faintly aware of how nice Richie looked when he was going on like that. His eyes shining bright behind their frames, his cheeks a bit pink, his hair moving wildly as his head shook. Eddie liked seeing his friends just looking genuinely happy. All of them, not just Richie.

"But especially Richie," his mind whispered again. But as Richie told another joke, the thought was pushed away as he went into a fit of giggles. Nothing strange going on in his head, just two kids having fun on a hot summer day in a place they had made their home.

It wasn't until Eddie's asthma kicked in that the two settled down enough to speak without cracking up. "Aaaand here we are folks, with the world renowned Eddie Spaghetti, blasting off in three... two... one..." Richie erupted with applause when Eddie triggered his inhaler, and the smaller boy simply glared at him.

"I told you... Not to call... Me that" he huffed out, before taking a second dose. Richie said nothing more, but his eyes still glinted mischievously through his glasses.

"So, are any of the others coming down?" Eddie asked conversationally. He hadn't heard from them that day or seen any signs of them on his ride down.

"Naww," Richie said. "Big Bill wasn't feeling too great with the heat. Ben couldn't get past his worried mom. Beverly had chores, and can you imagine Stan the Man sitting out here breaking a sweat? I'm pretty sure it'd kill him. Haven't heard from Mike. So it seems like it's just you and me, Eddie ol' pal." At that he linked an arm up around Eddie's shoulders, sitting back as he looked out into the trickling water. The spot where his arm sat felt weirdly warm to the frailer boy. He quickly brushed it off as a result of the scorching air.