eddie never could live life to the fullest. he was continuously pestered by his obese mother, sonia. it was only sonia and eddie, the kaspbraks.
eddie hates his life. all he wanted was to be like the other kids that he only could watch through his window, riding on bikes and scooters or playing tag on a hot summers day. his mother would never allow him to go out on his own.
he always knew he was different. he could never look at a girl and see himself with them as many other young boys do. but t was no struggle to see himself with a boy, with all the time he was locked up inside his house was his time to think and figure himself out; beginning to realize—he, eddie kaspbrak, likes boys.
and he had built enough courage to tell his mother. eddie realized this may go two difrrent ways. one of the two, she accepts him completely. or she disowns the only son and the only child she has ever had. eddie hopes for the best.
after hours of pacing back and forth in his small room filled only with a twin sized bed, neatly made of course, a nightstand, drawers, a mirror, a small tv, a record player, and a closet full of his ironed polos—he decided to tell his mother that day.
"ma!" eddie shouted down the old wooden stairs.
"yes, eddie-bear? are you ok?" she shouted back up.
"y-yeah, c-c-can you come up here? i have to tell you something" he said with a shaky voice as his adrenaline began pumping and his fight or flight instincts were kicking in, he couldn't do either. he couldn't fight or run from the truth, from what he was.
his mother hauled herself up the creaky stairs, sonia loved her son, a little too much. she was extremely overprotective over her precious son. she never let him out on his own, forced medication down his throat, and allowed him to have zero friends but never realized it.
"yes?" she said as she sat down on his bend, slightly bending it from her weight.
"ma, i-uh.. i have to tell you something,"he spoke softly. his throat grew a lump in it as he avoided all eye contact, he was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
"what is it eddie-bear? you know you can tell me anything," sonia responded matching his soothing tone as she patted the spot next to her for her son to sit.
eddie walked over and sat next to his mother and continued to avoid all eye contact. tears began to from in his big doe brown eyes.
"i'm different ma." he said choking on his words.
"it's okay to be different eddie-bear. we're all different in all types of ways," sonia reassured her son.
"but i'm a weird different ma. i-i-i like boys m-ma." eddie has tears falling down his rosy cheeks as he clenched his eyes shut.
a silence fell over his bedroom. sonia stared at eddie with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open. after what felt like hours passed by sonia finally sliced the silence with what eddie did not expect.
"get up." she said, her words came out cold and harsh.
eddies was still crying not knowing what his mother thought and the silence was not a good sign for him either.
"w-why?" eddie said as he stood up wiping his eyes.
in a swift movement sonia did something she never thought she would do to her son, she smacked him.
eddie collapses to the ground holding onto his left cheeck with a red hand print sprawled across it. he spoke quitely, "i-i-i'm s-sorry m-m-m-ma," he choked on every word, he was now sobbing.
"get your things ready, we're going to the hospital." she said completely ignoring her son in pain on the cold wooden floors begging for her acceptance.
"w-why?" he responded as he pulled himself off the floor with the help of his nightstand and not his mother. he began to fill with slight anger, but he would never dare to disrespect his mother—not after the strength she just demonstrated.
"because you're sick eddie-bear." she said as she gently put her hand on his face causing him to flinch slightly, terribly afraid of another strike to his plush face.
as much as he wanted to rebel and disobey he couldn't, "o-o-okay." he said continuing to hiccup as he began to grab his shoes.
"i'll be in the car." sonia responded ending the conversation and walking back down the stairs.
eddie slipped on his shoes and went to his closet, as he continued to wipe his tears, and picked out a salmon colored polo and shorts that left very little to the imagination.
he entered the passenger side to his mothers old beat-up car. the ride to the hospital was awkwardly quite, especially since the radio wasn't turned on. silence was all they had for the 15 minute drive to the hospital located in the center of derry, maine.
they entered the hospital quitely but quickly, sonia held a tight grip on eddie's wrist guiding him to the waiting area as she checks him in, this was nothing new to eddie because the hospital has always been his second home.
sonia was informed about the over packed rooms and was outraged but settled for eddie to share a room with someone. it took around 16 minutes for them to prepare the room for eddie and call his name.
a nurse led them to eddie's room. she laid him down on the bed and attached an IV to him, even though it was completely unnecessary. eddie was not sick and he knew it. liking someone doesn't make you sick, it makes you human.
eddies obese mother sat in the chairs next to his bed, scoffing at the other curtains on the opposite end of the room knowing that another patient was in the room.
the nurse asked if eddie was alright and he responded with a slight 'yes' and she nodded. eddie looked into her eyes and saw the sympathy in them, she did not want to do this to the young, normal, boy.
"you can go home now ma." eddie said as he stared at the tv playing nothing but the news.
"ok eddie-bear. i hope you feel better, i'll be back tomorrow." she spoke as she leaned down to kiss eddies forehead. he slightly pulled back not wanted the germ infested lips of a unreasonable women to be planted onto his silky skin. but she still managed to reach him. eddie almost gagged at the contact, sonia left the room almost slamming the door.
the curtains next to him were pushed open quickly causing eddie to jump. he was met with a curly headed pale kid with big coke bottle glasses. he had seen him playing outside his house with his group of friends.
"hey there 'eddie bear'," the young boy giggled as he looked over at eddie and redjusting himself so he could sit up.
"hi." eddie said quickly. he had always been a shy and socially awkward person since he rarely left his home.
"whatcha watching?" the boy said as he got out of his bed and sat on the edge of eddies bed, being comfortable with the young boy quickly.
"uh, the news... what's your name?" eddie asked as he stared at the many curls the young boy had somewhat matching his own.
"richie, richie tozier. some call me trashmouth tozier. i'm guessing your eddie?" he said turning around giving eddie a toothy grin and magnified eyes due to his thick glasses.
"y-yeah." eddie spoke softly. he was mesmerized by this boy. if sonia had found out the other patient in his room was a boy she would've never allowed it.
"well nice to meet ya" richie said as he extended out his hand for eddie to shake.
eddie gladly reached out and shook the young boys hand, if there is one thing sonia was taught him was to always have manners.
"hey, do you have any idea what room we're in? my friends want to visit" richie said his brown eyes staring into eddies.
"u-uh yes, it's room 143." eddie responded shyly.
