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"boo!" eddie shrieked, letting the comic drop to the floor as he flinched from richie's loud voice that echoed in his ears. richie burst into laughter. he couldn't help but notice how ironic it was.
richie cooed in a baby voice, trying his best to annoy eddie, "did i scware you, eds?"
eddie huffed, picking up the comic that fell onto the floor. even though he was a ghost, richie could practically see the blush creeping up on his faded cheeks. "shut the fuck up, richie."
"you're new to this, aren't you?" richie asked, implying the ghost thing.
eddie shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "yeah," he admitted. "i haven't really haunted anyone yet, and it's just my luck that my first victim is an annoying piece of shit."
richie laughed, flopping down on his bed and plugging in his phone. he turned only to see eddie gawking at it curiously. "uh, may i help you. or do you just like what you see?"
eddie snapped out of his daze, casting his gaze away sheepishly. "what is that?"
richie's eyes widened as he pushed up the frame of his glasses. how long was eddie dead for? "an iphone...?" when eddie continued to wear a confused look on his face, he proceeded, "it's for calling and texting, like sending mail but shorter messages and it gets there quicker. you can download music and take pictures."
eddie's eyes widened with wonder and reverence. "pictures?" he repeated in disbelief. richie nodded, lifting up his phone and opening the camera app.
"here, smile!" eddie smiled widely and richie couldn't help but notice how freaking adorable the boy looked, clutching his comic to his chest like a little boy. richie looked at the picture and frowned. nothing. there was nothing. no eddie.
eddie floated over eagerly, peering over richie's shoulder. "whoa, that's so cool."
"sorry you didn't get in it," richie apologized, trying to figure out why he didn't show up. eddie laughed benevolently, sending chills throughout richie's body, pointing to three blue dots on the screen.
"that's me, or my soul or something," eddie corrected, sitting down on the bed beside richie.
the taller boy didn't say anything for a moment, forehead creasing in thought. "eddie?" he hummed in reply. "can my parents see you?"
eddie shrugged before shaking his head, "i don't think so, i've past by their faces a million times and they don't seem to acknowledge me."
they sat in silence for a moment, letting the air soak up their previously spoken words. suddenly, richie took eddie's hand, the familiar rush of coldness mixed with electricity traveled up his arm. he shivered and hoped eddie didn't see it. "c'mon, i wanna try something."
"wait, what? richie!" eddie followed along as richie rushed down the flight of creaky stairs. the bickering of his two parents became apparent as he stopped in the kitchen, waiting for eddie to catch up. "mom! dad!" richie tugged on his dad's sleeve, trying to stop their quarrels. maggie sighed in exasperation through her nose, rubbing her brows.
his dad finally stopped talking, turning towards their son. "yes, richie?"
"who's this beside me?" richie motioned to the vague area that eddie was in. eddie raised an annoyed eyebrow, as if to say 'are you stupid?' richie shrugged.
his mother was the first to speak, "um, who honey?"
wentworth seemed to still be fired up from what had previously gone down in their conversation. "there's no one there, richard. just go back upstairs, i don't have time for your jokes. just leave and make some real friends."
richie tensed, fists clenching at his sides. he hated this house, it made everyone more agitated. his mom would neglect him and sometimes forget to make dinner. his dad got home angry and wanting to go straight to school. they were constantly fighting, a corrupt tornado mixed with a dark and brutal storm, unknowing to the fact their son was caught in the crossfire.
the tall boy snapped out of his daze, ignoring eddie's concerned gaze and staring at the suddenly interesting tiled floor, scuffing his socked feet against the coolness. "yeah, sorry dad."
"rich?" richie pushed back eddie, half eddie's torso disappearing in his shoulder as he made his way upstairs. his parents had fallen silent or started to murmur but richie didn't really care as he closed the door behind him.
"richie?" eddie tried again, passing through the door. richie bit his lip, cheeks flushed with compressed rage and sadness. one day, he wouldn't be able to store anything inside and he'd explode. he pushed up his glasses, turning away from eddie.
"i wish you were alive," richie whispered. "are you real? are you imaginary?"
eddie scoffed, "of course i am, dumbass." there was no real edge in his harsh words.
"why am i the only one who can see you then?" he asked.
"i dunno. maybe you're fucked in the head or something."
richie glared teasingly at eddie, running a hand through his hair. perhaps he was a medium, someone who could see dead people. he'd look it up later.
also, that meant no one had seen or talked to eddie for a really long time. as someone who loved attention, he couldn't imagine living like that. closed off from the rest of the world. scared. alone.
he sat down on the bed, checking his phone. it was only four in the afternoon. he glanced up at eddie, who stared down worryingly. richie squirmed uncomfortably but laid down. "wanna watch a movie?"
eddie looked around the room in confusion. "here? how?"
richie chuckled softly, seeing how in complete awe eddie looked when richie waved his phone. "so cool." eddie drifted over, sitting on the ground and trying to catch a glimpse of the movie on the tiny screen.
richie scooted over on the bed, pulling the blanket over his body and ushering eddie to do the same. eddie's eyes lit up, snuggling into the bed. richie tried to drape the comforter over eddie's small frame, bursting into a fit of heavy laughs when the blanket passed through the ghost boy.
eddie swatted at his shoulder, unable to keep himself from giggling himself. richie's heart soared at the sound. it settled in his stomach and sat there, fluttering ever so often.
richie didn't mind it.
he put on a movie he had accidentally bought a long time ago. it was called twenty-one jump street and it felt good to laugh, especially when someone else was laughing with you.
even though richie couldn't technically feel eddie's arm pressed his own, his legs tangled with his, he could feel the wispy touch and the heat of his own skin at the contact.
richie pressed himself closer and sighed contently. he really needed a friend and he had found one in the strangest place. but he didn't care.
