Teenage Blue|| Reddie

Chapter Twenty Two- Hanscom

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 22 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"You must be speaking of Mr.Hanscom" she said with a thin smile.

"Yeah yeah. Where is he?" Richie looked around the room. Newspaper sheets were pinned to walls. The windows were stainless glass, like the ones you'd see in a church. And lights hung from the ceiling giving off a warm glow. It was like it was from a story book.

The old woman pointed her pen towards a door, "in there"

Mike thanked her and Richie headed towards the room. The next room over had a printer and a desktop. It was small, but not crammed. Stacks of newspapers sat on a table along with a coffee machine and paper cups. A boy with brown hair looked up at the two boys.

"Uh.... are you guys lost or....?" He asked in a confused tone. The printer continued spitting out papers and he caught them in a pile.

"Nope" Richie said, walking around the room and skimming over the loose papers on table tops.

"Excuse my friend here, my name is Mike, and this is Richie. We were just wondering if we could ask you questions about the school paper."

"Oh, okay. My names Ben," He shook Mikes hand and looked over at Richie who was messing with an hourglass. "What did you wanna ask me about?"

Richie crossed the room and draped his arm on Bens shoulder, "well paper boy, I was wondering about your poetry column. How do you write such sappy love shit?"

Ben chuckled and crossed his arms, "it's gonna sound cheesy but, it comes from the heart. There's really no secret to it."

"Can you help me write one?"

Ben looked Richie up and down, from his combat boots to his leather Kings jacket. He moved out from under Richies arm, "write one for what reason?"

"I got a boyfriend Benny boy. I want to whoo him with love and shit"

"Okay. I guess I could help." Ben shrugged and set his pile of papers down. He gestured to two seats across from another at a table and they sat down.

"So, do you write your poems about a certain person? My friend and I read them every week and it seems like there kinda specific" mike questioned, setting his backpack down.

"Well... I'm single, but I like somebody. Who's your boyfriend?" Ben fidgeted with his pencil and pulled out a notebook.

"Eddie Kaspbrak, the most adorable boy in the entire school." Richie leaned back in the chair and Ben chuckled at him.

"I have him in my last period class, seems like a nice guy." Ben wrote something down. "Just, tell me how you feel about him. Don't hold back" Ben looked intently at Richie who looked up at the ceiling in thought.

"I would like to use the word 'fuck'. Just because I use it a lot."

Ben wrote that down and Mike face palmed, "very romantic Rich...."

Richie chuckled and Ben tapped his pencil, "I don't know if I can write how you feel. I'd have to see how you act towards him"

"Perfect! Follow me Benny boy" Richie stood from his chair, almost knocking it over. Mike and Ben followed behind him as Richie led them to the cafeteria.

Eddie, Stan, Bill and Bev sat where they were before he'd left. Richie pointed at the table, "there's my spaghetti" he jogged over to the table and sat next to Eddie.

Mike felt a tug on his jacket and looked back at Ben who was gripping his binder at his chest. His cheeks were rosy and his head stayed down.

"I can't go over there Mike" Ben informed, looking down at his shoes.

"Their really nice, I'm sure they'll like to meet you" mike reassured with a smile

"It's not that... I just.... the person I write my poems about is sitting... there" he gestured quietly at the table. Mike grinned and clapped bens back. "Bev? She might tease you but she's got a heart of gold"

"Yeah but... I've never really talked to her but once... what if I embarrass myself?" Bens cheeks turned pinker and he couldn't stand to look at Mike.

"If it makes you feel better, I won't tell her that you write the paper. But she absolutely loves your poems. She even tears them out of the paper and keeps them in her bag" mike chuckled lightly as Ben looked up at him with wide eyes

"She does?!" He questioned, a smile forming on his lips. Mike nodded in response.

"You can sit next to me, I'll make sure your okay" mike kindly offered. Ben nodded and followed mike to the table.

"Guys, this is Ben. Ben, this is Eddie, Stan, Bill, and Beverly" mike pointed to each friend and they all smiled and waved. "He's just here to hang out if that's cool"

"Of course it is. The more the merrier!" Eddie beamed at him and Ben smiled back. Beverly just stared at Ben and pondered as the others greeted him.

Richie and Eddie were as touchy as always, hands intertwined and heads on shoulders. They were very cute. Ben wrote something down and tried not to look at Beverly for too long.

"Quarry t-today after school?" Bill asked the group and everyone nodded.

"Y-you can come too B-Ben. It'll be
f-fun" bill asked with a warm smile. Ben thought about it for a moment before agreeing.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The afternoon was hot and dry. But the quarry water sent cool breezes towards the seven friends. Each sat in a circle, talking about everything and nothing at all.

Each had grown to like Ben, finding things in common with him and making plans to meet up. Ben and Bill both liked writing, Ben and Stan both agreed that birds are the most superior animal, Ben and Eddie talked about trends a lot, and Richie just teased Ben relentlessly. Beverly had yet to talk to Ben.

The sun began to set and they decided to call it a day. Stan and Mike had gone to Mikes farm, Richie and Eddie went to Richies house, Bill went home claiming he had chores, and Beverly and Ben were the last to leave.

Ben sat on a rock, fidgeting with his fingers. Bev looked out into the lake, her red hair blowing in the breeze.

"Don't I have you in my English class?" Bev asked without taking her eyes off the body of water.

"Huh— oh, yeah. I think so" Ben said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm Bev, by the way" she finally turned to look at Ben with a grin. He returned the smile, his cheeks becoming pink.

"Ben Hanscom" He replied shortly.

Beverly stood up and dusted off her dress. "Well, see you later Hanscom" she grabbed her back pack and headed down the trail to town.

"Bye!" Ben called back, his heart beating fast.

♡
Teenage Ben as Mikey Murphy
gives me life
-chris