coy ➳ Reddie

Nine

Later that day, Eddie and Richie walked to third hour. They didn't dare hold hands, or do anything that may make it appear they were in a relationship. When they were in public they didn't care about that as much, because almost all of the people that gave them a weird look would quickly forget about them and possibly never even see them again, but school was different. The people there would remember them, and the people there were all cruel, gossiping teens, and 90% of them were probably homophobic. 

Richie and Eddie both knew that they didn't want hateful messages about them scrawled onto their lockers for them to see in the morning when they came to school, and they sure didn't want anyone to take pictures with their Polaroid cameras and spread them around the school. So when they went into the classroom, all they did was sit next to each other, desks pushed together, and pinkies touching. 

Stan and Mike walked into the classroom and sat in front of Eddie and Richie. Mike turned to face Richie.

"You were a real jerk for not sticking up for Eddie when they first started going after him, Richie. But I forgive you, now. But pull something like that again and I won't." he said. 

"Okay, I understand. I was was really stupid for doing that." Richie said.

"So, are you guys, like... A thing? Or what?" Stan asked.

"Well, I'm not too sure. I think so, but we haven't really ever-" Richie started, but was interrupted when the teacher walked to the front of the class, and started talking. But Stan and Mike turned back around toward Richie again, expectant for him to continue.

"You know, I honestly don't know. " Richie said.

And it was the truth. He really didn't know, and neither did Eddie. They both liked each other, and they had kissed and cuddled a few times, but neither had gone up to the other and said those five words: Will you be my boyfriend? It wasn't because they were scared to do it, but more because they just hadn't got around to it.

Now that Richie thought about it, he wanted to ask Eddie that question pretty badly.

  ♚  

After school that day, Richie and Eddie were sitting in a bench at the back of the school, talking to each other for no other reason than the fact that they loved each other's voice and company. Richie had his arm wrapped around Eddie's tiny shoulders, and his head resting on Eddie's dark brown hair. The frigid fall air nipped at their skin and the ground was ablaze with leaves of red, orange, yellow, and brown hues.

Eddie had called home and told his mother that he was at Stan's house, studying. Sonia had grown a trust for Stan, and she believed Eddie.

"Richie?" Eddie said.

"Hmm?"

"You didn't ever really answer Stan's question earlier. Well, you did, but you just said 'I don't know'."

Richie didn't know if it was too soon to ask, though internally those five words were in his throat, begging to come out. But he didn't ask. He just said:

"Uh-huh."

"I still don't know what this makes us."

"...I don't, either."

There was a moment of thoughtful silence, and Eddie spoke again.

"Are we... boyfriends, now?

Richie smiled. "Do you wanna be?"

Eddie nodded, a grin of pure euphoria spreading onto his freckled face, and answered him by raising his head and connecting his lips to Richie.

It felt just like their first kiss, and everything felt right.

Even though it wasn't.

  ♚  

The rest of the week went by, and soon it was Friday. Eddie was seated on his bed, alone, reading Carrie. He was completely immersed, the rest of the world drowned out with the images of Carrie White, her insane mother, and her bullies. 

His pastel blue telephone suddenly rang, cutting into the silence and startling Eddie, who flinched, muttered a curse word, and picked up the phone from where he sat.

"Hello?" 

"Hi, it's Stan."

"What's up?"

"So, I started talking to Ben, Beverly, and Bill again. And we all wanted to start hanging out again, and I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come over to Beverly's house for a sleepover with all of us."

For once, Eddie didn't feel nervous about talking to any of them. He was exited. In reality, he truly did miss them.

"Wait, isn't her dad crazy?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, but she doesn't live with him anymore. When she turned seventeen, she decided to get a job at a little cafe, and she lives in an apartment on her own."

"Wow! Um, okay. So, I'll have to ask my mom first. I'll just tell her I'm having a sleepover with you. I'll call you back in a little bit."

  ♚  

And the next thing Eddie knew, he was at Beverly's door with Stan, Mike, and Richie, bags full of blankets and outfits weighing them down a bit. Richie had offered Eddie help with carrying his bag many times, but to no avail. Stan rung the doorbell, and soon after, the door swung open, revealing a happy-looking Beverly, whose grin was the same as it was three years ago. Eddie could also see Ben and Bill. Ben was a bit skinnier, and Bill's stutter had improved a bit. He noted how grown all of them seemed to be. But at the same time, they hadn't changed much. They were all still a bunch of dorks, or Losers, as they used to call themselves. Eddie was glad that they could possibly be Losers together again.

"Hi, guys! Come on in, Ben and Bill are already here." Beverly said, and then hugged the four of them individually.

They all said their hellos as they walked in, and then went to greet Ben and Bill.

A little while later, they were all on the couch (Ben, of course, next to Beverly and face a constant crimson), talking about their lives and what was new, and then Beverly turned to Eddie and Richie. Beverly had a cigarette between her middle and index finger.

"So, it must be pretty hard on you guys, huh?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Eddie asked.

"Stan told us. You guys are boyfriends, right? What I meant was that it must be pretty hard being together in this shitty town."

"Oh, uh, yeah." Eddie mumbled.

"So, how are your guys's families doing?" Beverly asked, putting the Marlboro cigarette to her lips.

Most replied with good, except for Richie, who said nothing, and just looked at his feet the same way he had when he hadn't helped Eddie when he was being bullied. Eddie saw the expression on Richie's face, and squeezed his hand gently.

"Pretty shitty, actually. You guys remember how nice they used to be?" Richie said.

Beverly furrowed her eyebrows in sad curiosity. "Uh-huh."

"Well, now they don't care that much about anything but themselves and their alcohol." 

Eddie hadn't even known this, and they were all surprised he was telling them this so comfortably, even Richie.

"Well, all of our lives are messed up in their own way." Ben said. "We have each other now. We go to each other with our problems. For example, my mom still wants me to lose weight, but she says I'm starving myself."

"My mom is still worried sick about every little thing that could hurt me." Eddie said.

"My dad still calls me and tells me he worries about me." Beverly said.

"M-my parents are s-still sad about G-G-Georgie, and ignore me." Bill said.

"I still get made fun of for being Jewish." Stan said.

"I still get made fun of for my skin-color." Mike said.

And, after revealing their flaws with such comfortableness, they felt connected again, just like they were as kids.