Anaphylaxis [IT 2017]

16

Wren lays numbly in her bed.

Tonight feels like the biggest mistake she's ever made, and she knows it's true because her cheek throbs every time she thinks about it. It wouldn't bruise, but it'd be a painful reminder that the world is an ugly place full of ugly people.

It's 11:30pm, and she got home 30 minutes ago.

She wants to sleep, but her mind is wide awake. Her brain has a million things to think about, but all it can think about is him.

A knock at her window makes her jolt right up, and she debates on who it could be. In the back of her mind she knows it, but at the surface she denies the possibility. He's always been too much of a mama's boy to break the rules. He wouldn't break a rule for her.

Yet, when she opens her window, there he is. Fanny pack and all.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She whispers, allowing him to stumble through the window.

Once he's up right, he looks at her sincerely, "I came here...to see you."

"Why?"

"Bee, I'm so sorry. Please, hear me out. What we did was pathetically awful, but I swear we never meant to hurt you. We were just being selfish assholes—"

"Did you ever care? Were you really ever my friend?" She mumbles.

Eddie nods his head, "yes, I swear we all were. I promise, Bee. You...you were– maybe...I thought of you as...as—"

"As what? Spit it out."

Eddie takes a deep breath, "maybe...maybe I thought of you as...as more than just a friend."

Wren tilts her head at him, "Listen, Eddie. I don't know how to put this nicely, so I won't. You really fucked me over, and as you can see, tonight isn't exactly my best night. I almost got raped for the second time, my friends were never really my friends, and—"

"You don't look like shit! And...and, we were really your friends— please, Bee!"

Wren goes to argue with him, but stops when she sees tears flowing down his cheeks. His hands are shaking, and he looks sincerely upset.

"Eddie? You can't be seriously crying over me. I mean, you fucked me over, not the other way around! A-And...I'm not even worth crying over, Eds. I like you, too. I really do. But, can't you see that I'm a literal piece of shit! I have nothing to offer you. A-and deep down, you already know that, and that's why you did what you did to me."

Eddie shakes his head, "No, no! It was a mistake. What do you mean you have nothing to offer?! Y-You're beautiful, and so much more logically illogical than anyone I've ever met."'

Now both of them are crying, and it's just a mess.

"Eddie, I just can't. I can't even comprehend what you did to me. It hurt so much. I trusted you. I opened up to you, and then you turned around and stabbed me in the throat," Wren cries.

"Please forgive us. Please forgive me," Eddie begs.

"Give me one good reason to," she retaliates.

Eddie pauses. He exhales a deep breath before speaking, "because if you don't forgive me, I think I might catch a disease or something. My chest really hurts when you cry, or when you ignore me.."

"Give me some time, okay? I'm not exactly that happy about everything. Just a few days?" She softly asks.

"How....h-how many days?" He responds.

"Three days," she decides.

"B-But then we won't get to hang out at the parade on the 4th..." Eddie stammers.

"Deal with it," she replies. "Three days, or never again."

"Okay, three days," he agrees with disappointment.

Wren sighs and walks with him towards her window sill. He looks between her and the window, trying to stall a bit. His eyes soak up the sight of her. She raises her eyebrow when he doesn't move for a full minute.

Feeling slightly generous, she makes a decisions.

Her head leans forward, and his eyes widen. He doesn't move away, and allows her lips to collide with his. He's never kissed anyone before, but he can tell that she has— she's really good at it.

His eyes flutter shut at the soft feeling of her lips, and his body is still with excitement.

Wren smiles because she can tell he's never had a kiss. He doesn't know where to put his hands, and his lips are twitching (out of excitement, she assumes).

When she pulls away, his face is flushed deeply, and his eyes are still shut.

"I'm sending you away with a reassuring kiss," she chuckles. "Give me time, Kaspbrak. You know I like you. Tell the others I forgive them, and I'll see them soon."

Eddie grins cheekily and nods.

With that, he stumbles out of her window and quickly walks back to the tree at the end of the street. The other losers are waiting there with nervous expressions.

When they see Eddie, they frantically walk to him for answers.

"H-How'd it go?" Bill questions.

"Did you suck face?" Richie smirks.

Stan punches his shoulder, "Did she like the poem? Does she forgive me— I-I mean us?"

Eddie smacks his forehead, "shit! I forgot about the poem." He sighs and shakes his head, "anyway, she said she needs time. Also, that she'll see us soon— and she kissed me!"

"She kissed you?!" -Richie

"You didn't give her the poem?!" -Ben

"She forgives me!" -Stan (when a goofy smile)

"GUYS," Bev shouts, "calm down. Eddie, good job. I'm proud of you, I was scared you might have a—"

Before she can finish her sentence, Eddie is doubled over having an asthma attack. He takes multiple huffs from his inhaler— probably too consumed with excitement to breathe correctly.

"She kissed me!" He keeps repeating after every huff.

Mike laughs and pats the boys back, "congrats. I guess this means you'll be going steady soon."

"G-Going steady?" Eddie smiles, "wow, I guess you're right!"

They all begin to walk towards Stan's house. Eddie has a goofy grin on his face the whole way here, it doesn't even break when Richie starts joking about his mom again.

"Hey, Ben, do you think you could write me another poem?"

Ben raises his eyebrow, "Yeah, sure."