Calculator (Reddie)

-4-

Eddie was neutral about going to school the next day.

He wanted to go, but at the same time, he didn't. He woke up late, so he barely had time to eat his breakfast before he was out the door on his way to school.

He didn't have any time to greet his friends at school before he had to be in class. He hated waking up late for a few reasons, but not being able to talk to his friends in the morning was a big part of it.

First period flew by, and suddenly Eddie found himself seated in his math seat. Richie wasn't there when Eddie got there, but walked in five minutes late.

"Mr. Tozier, you're late." Mr. Wallace told him as Richie sat down.

"You think I don't know that?" Richie asked with the same attitude he always used with this poor teacher. Mr. Wallace ignored him and went back to his teaching. Eddie tried his best to pay attention, but Richie caught his curiosity.

"Shit." He heard Richie whisper, so naturally, he looked to see what had happened. Richie had exploded a pen and now had ink all over his hands. Eddie couldn't help but let out a silent laugh. Richie turned to glare at him but couldn't help himself but to smile at the boy seated behind him. Richie shook his head with a small smile still on his face and interrupted the teacher in the middle of his lesson.

"Mr. Wallet? Can I go wash my hands?" Richie held both of his ink covered hands up as proof that he actually needed to wash his hands and wasn't going to skip.

Mr. Wallace sighed and pinched his nose before responding to his tiring student, "Richie, how many times have I told you that pens are not allowed when you're doing practice work? Yes, you can go wash your hands," Eddie heard Richie chuckle in glee as he hopped out of his chair, but Mr. Wallace wasn't finished, "if Eddie goes with you. I don't trust that you will come back on your own." Eddie sat shocked but Richie smiled wider.

"That's fine with me! Come on Eds!" Richie grabbed the reluctant Eddie's hand and started pulling Eddie towards the door of the classroom.

"Oh god Richie, now you've got ink all over my hands you idiot!" Was the last thing the students heard before the door closed behind the two boys.

"Now, back to our lesson." Mr. Wallace said, exasperated and with no expression as he tried to imagine how anyone puts up with that boy.

"Richie, I cannot believe that you got ink on me too. You know this shit doesn't come off with just soap and water!" Eddie said angrily as he tried to scrub his hands clean of the blue. Meanwhile, Richie was sat on the counter next to the sink Eddie was using, not trying to rid himself of the blue in the slightest.

"You'll live, it's just a bit of ink." Richie said, swinging his legs back and forth on the counter.

"It's more than just ink! Have you ever heard of ink poisoning? It's-"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Richie interrupted Eddie before he got into a full blown rant, "I'm sorry that I got ink on you, I didn't mean to, I just meant to grab your hand." Richie looked at his swinging feet the whole way through his apology. Eddie realized he got as much ink off as he could before drying them and turning to face Richie.

"Is the Richie Tozier gonna be here apologizing? To little old me?" Eddie had to smirk. This didn't happen, and Eddie was going to relish in it as long as he could.

"Yes I am. If we're gonna be spending a lot of time together we gotta be able to at least tolerate each other." Richie just kept swinging his feet.

"Well, shit. If I wasn't here I wouldn't believe it." Eddie laughed a bit. When he quieted down, Richie spoke up.

"Shut up." He didn't say it with any hints of joking, it almost sounded like he was hurt. Eddie immediately felt bad.