Not Sure If You're A Boy or A Girl~ Reddie

Compromised Parenting

"Alcohol, a knife, cigarettes, marijuana,"the Principal smacked a small baggie of green herb on his desk in front of Richie's face, "and sexual assault of another student?"
Pete, Richie, and Eddie all sat in the Principals office. Things had moved quickly after a teacher was called to the bathroom. A swarm of teachers responded, actually. One to escort each teen to the office. Eddie fought. Pete practically skipped the whole way. And Richie? Richie made his way slowly like a man on death row. He knew this wasn't going to go well for him. The man before him rested his hands on the large oak desk that separated them in a predatory stance.
"Mr Tozier, do you have anything to say for yourself?"
"Sir, please! He saved me!"
Eddie squealed. Principal King narrowed his eyes at him. He adjusted his glasses looking to Eddie.
"From what exactly , Ms Kaspbrak ?"
Eddie cringed at the Ms.
"My shirt," He tried to explain it so it would make sense to the middle aged man in front of him, "I had a corset on, underneath my shirt. I was trying to look thinner," his eyes darted between the seething Principal and the mess of dark locks that hung over Richie's face. What did he get his friend into, "I wanted to improve my feminine figure," He gritted out the words, "It must've been too tight-
"Sir, that's not what happened! She was passed out and he was all over her!"
"Peter, please refrain from shouting," Mr King boomed, "Let Emily finish."
"I couldn't breathe! I passed out on the steps. You can ask Beverly Marsh or or Bill Denbrough! Richie was the only one to take action. He saved me!"
Richie kept his head down. Everything in him wanted to beat the shit out of Pete again.
"Well, I'm going to be honest with you children, in my twenty years as an educator this is the strangest situation I've ever had to deal with."
"Sir, if you'd please just listen-
"That's enough Emily!"
Eddie didn't know what came over him. Usually, he'd be freaking out. He knew once this got back to his Mother that'd be the end of everything. She'd have him committed. He and Henry Bowers would be roommates.. but the idea of everyone thinking Richie was a creep was worse.
"I have no other choice but to suspend Mr. Tozier for a week. I've contacted all your parents. Until they arrive we'll wait here."
Richie didn't even flinch. He figured he'd get a sentence similar to that. It could've been worse. He could've been expelled, but still his stomach turned. Not for himself. He knew if either of his parents were to get here it'd be his Mother and she'd be so out of it there wouldn't be much of a fight. But he was scared for Eddie. He was scared of what Mrs. Kaspbrak would have to say. He'd seen the bruises on Eddie before. That woman didn't care about Eds. Didn't care about his health.
•••
"Whore!"
The sting in Eddie's face grew numb as his mother continued to strike him. They'd barely made it inside the door when Mrs. Kaspbrak starting screaming and throwing her fists at her daughter. Eddie didn't fight back, only allowing small whimpers to leave his lips every few hits.
"What on earth were you doing? Shirtless in the bathroom with that Tozier cretin?"
Eddie kept his mouth clamped.
"Emily Faith! Answer me!"
Sonia grabbed him by the small amount of hair on his head.
"Did he touch you, Emily? Did he soil your innocence."
"No, Mummy! It wasn't like that!"
"Then why the hell were you half naked, alone, with that piece of garbage?" Eddie winced through the pain as he was whipped to the floor. He didn't respond, afraid she might kill him if he did. He just had to remain silent until she wore herself out, which by the sight of her heaving chest and gritted teeth would be soon. This wasn't Eddie's first beating. He knew if he fought back he'd end up unconscious on the kitchen floor again. Last time he woke up the next morning to see his mother stepping over his body in order to cook herself some eggs.
"Get out of my sight, Emily," she began to lumber over to the sofa, switching on the television, "You'll not be leaving this house for some time." Sonia snarled through her teeth.
••••
It was a quarter to eight when Margaret Tozier burst into Mr King's office. She looked shockingly sober and pissed as hell. Before then Mr. King and Rich had been sitting in silence, mutually uncomfortable.
"Mr. King! May I inquire as to why you're holding my son hostage?"
She had a robust tone. Her hand curled around her sons shoulder trying to conservatively console him.
"Your son was found in a bathroom stall with a shirtless student when another student claimed to witness an assault. He was also found with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and a knife on his person."
Maggie held her gaze, staring Mr. King down.
"Richard, where you ever allowed to tell your side of the story?" She asked never looking towards him.
Rich shook his head too embarrassed to speak.
"Mr. King, did you see this assault take place."
"No, but a witness-
"And where is the girl? Did she claim to be assaulted?"
"Her mother already came for her. And no, she said he saved her. She'd passed out. He took off her corset to let her breathe."
Maggie cocked her brow,letting a unconvinced chuckle hit the open air, "So, if the girl claims to not have been attacked why are you still accusing my son?"
Mr King's face began to turn red. His eyes flicked to Richie who hadn't moved a muscle except to blink.
"Mrs. Tozier, I just wa-
"Stop right there, Mr King. I think you've wasted enough of our time. I understand Richard will be suspended for the contraband he had, but I will not sit here and have you persecute my boy."
Maggie took her son's hand. She smiled at him briefly before turning to a flabbergasted Principal. He'd never so much as seen the boys Mother, let alone have her come in here and fight for his well being.
"When can Richard return to school?"
"One week."
•••
Richie climbed into the passenger side of his Mother's Chrysler Córdoba and waited for her to start screaming. She didn't. She started the engine, let out a sigh she didn't even know she was holding in and turned to her son.
"I know you smoke. I know you steal my cigarettes. I realize you were going to a school dance, so drugs and alcohol were in play. I'm not an idiot, Richard, I remember being a teenager. But what in God's name were you doing with a knife and a passed out girl?"
"It wasn't a girl, Ma! It was Eddie and he really did pass out! He was doing this thing called binding, where he wraps his chest to look flatter. He must've done it too tight.."
"So you cut off this binder," the words in her mouth felt foreign, "and then what?"
"Pete came in and had his friend hold me back while they told someone I attacked her."
Maggie's knuckles pressed harder on the wheel. She turned out of the parking lot shortly considering ramming into Mr. King's Plymouth. It was easy to find it as it was the only car left in the lot.
"Is Eddie ok?"
Rich nodded, hands running through his hair, "I think so. His Mom was pretty upset and if she finds out about the binder she'll fucking freak."
Maggie nodded, ignoring her sons choice in words.
"Mrs. Kaspbrak has always been a strange woman. Feeding Em-Eddie those pills," Maggie shook her head. She knew she wasn't Mother of the Year but Sonia was another thing all together. She'd heard the stories around town. The local pharmacist, Mr. Keene, really never was one to keep anything to himself. Placebo pills and water filled inhalers, "One time when you were kids Eddie forgot his fanny pack at home. You kids were out playing around the neighborhood. She called the house phone twelve times and then she came to the door. Rang the bell fifteen times before I answered. Started screaming about his inhaler and medicine.You kids came back a little scraped up from climbing trees and she freaked out about Eddies 'compromised immune system' or something. She had the audacity to call me a bad Mother! And at the time, I wasn't!"
Richie swallowed hard, feeling a ball of pity swell in his chest.
"Mom, you're not a bad mom now."
"Well, I'm not the best. I know I've been out of the picture for some time now. But that's not your fault. You deserve better and so does Eddie. If Sonia wants to keep him locked away, you have my permission to see him. Any way you can,ok? Don't let that boy slip through the cracks."
Richie had never felt so much appreciation for someone in his entire life. He looked up from his lap to see they'd stopped. It wasn't the Tozier house though. It was Eddie's house. He looked to his Mother, mouth hung open trying to piece together a sentence that just didn't want to come. Mrs. Tozier smiled with weary eyes.
"I'll see you tomorrow, honey"
•••
Eddie had finally gotten his lip to stop bleeding and laid down in bed when a familiar face plastered itself to his window. He leapt from his bed, meeting the boy by the window.
"Rich, you're going to get both of us killed!"
Richie wormed into the room taking his friends face into his hands. It looked bad. He ran his finger over Eddie's swollen eye making his way down to his scabbed over lip. Eddie looked away, but Rich wouldn't let go. He gently held on and pulled the boy to his chest. Together they slowly sunk to the floor. The smaller boy stifled a sob taking in Rich's scent, instantly settling the knots in his gut.
"Eds?"
The boy looked up.
"It's gonna be ok."
"She's never gonna let me leave the house again, Rich."
Richie pressed his lips to Eddie's forehead, smoothing back his knotted hair.
"I won't let that happen, yeah," Eddie buried his face in the crook of Richie's neck. The older boy tried to ignore the hot breath caressing his skin, "If it gets too bad you call me. We'll get the fuck out of this shitty town."