richie braced himself. he knew what was coming. sound of the steel toed boots walking towards him really gave it away. he knew the sound like he knew his mother voice, maybe even better. he'd heard this noise almost every single day for the past four years.
henry bowers was angry, and when henry bowers is angry, richie tozier gets a black eye.
richie flinched as his locker slammed shut. he slowly turned around to see henry, too close for comfort. richie could smell the body spray, instantly knowing that it was axe body spray. apollo.
it burned his nose as he breathed in.
a smaller pair of foot steps could be heard running in the distance. the slight pitter-patter noise coming closer to richie locker.
"henry, come on."
richie immediately recognized this voice.
it came from a shy boy who stood short, but was also the cheer captain of derry high school. the voice belonged to expressive copper eyes and dark honey hair, collared polo shirts and low cut original converse. this voice had mommas boy written all over it.
this voice was eddie kaspbrak.
"eddie, stop." henry's voice was low, but loud enough for the boy to hear it. henry looked to richie, his glare burning holes into richies skin. richie struggled to maintain eye contact. his eyes couldn't help but linger behind henry, coincidentally locking eyes with eddie.
"don't look at him," henry said pushing richie against the locker. richies eyes darted back to henry's.
"i'm sorry, i'm sorry." richie stuttered, internally cursing himself. his eyes stung, but he was too scared to blink. too scared to be caught off guard.
"hen, just st-"
"shut up, eddie." henry punched richie in the stomach. richie gasped, the punch knocking the breath from his body.
"henry, stop it! get off of him!" eddie was surprised with how loud he yelled. he screamed at his boyfriend, pulling the back of his shirt to get him off of the other.
"don't look at him again. don't even think about him."
richie nodded quickly. henry threw him to the floor before grabbing eddies hand and pulling him away. eddie looked behind his back, a frown plastered to his face.
richie looked away as soon as they made eye contact.
don't look at him.
don't even think about him.
later that day eddie followed richie to the bathroom.
if there was one thing to know about eddie kaspbrak, it was that, when he had something to say he needed to say it.
so if following someone that he barely knew into a bathroom was how he'd express his thoughts, that's what he would do.
"hey." eddie said as richie was washing his hands. richie looked behind himself before looking eddie in the eyes. he stepped back slightly, the water falling off of his hands and into the bathroom floor.
"i-i i have to go." richie said, immediately attempting to flee the bathroom, only to be stopped by eddies hand on his chest.
"you're not talking to me. i'm talking to you." richie sighed. technically, eddie was right. sure he was stupid, and henry wouldn't care either way, but he was right.
"what do you want?" eddie leaned against the sink, checking the door to be sure that no one walked in.
"i just, i want to apologize. i'm sorry, richie."
"you know my name?"
"of course."
"oh." the two had never spoken, and richie wasn't exactly popular.
"well, i wanted to know if you'd like to come to my house, after school? peace offering."
"what's the catch?"
"no catch. no henry. just me and you."
"okay."
"cool, um, henry drives me home. so maybe, you can come over around 4? we can talk then."
"y-yeah."
eddie gave a smile before rushing out of the bathroom.
"what took so long?"
"there was a line, hen. calm down."
