problematic ➳ reddie

99

july ❀ age 18-19

"you open first" eddie nodded towards richie's envelope, which was laying in front of richie.

"no, you open first" richie shook his head and looked over at the smaller boy in front of him.

"no, you-"

"let's open at the same time" richie cut eddie off, placing his index finger on eddie's lips. "on three"

both of the boys grabbed their college application envelopes with their shaky hands whilst they were sitting in the middle of richie's room, which had become eddie's room too, since eddie didn't live at his house again.

they had fetched eddie's stuff after the wedding, so that they didn't have to see eddie's parents, telling maggie everything and earning a loud angry grunt from her. she also ranted about how much she despised sonia, apologizing eddie then for having such an unfair mother.

"okay, ready?" eddie asked, already ripping the envelope open.

"yup" richie nodded and felt eddie reach for his hand. they laced their fingers together, hoping the best. they had to get in.

then a silence fell over them. they took out the paper from the envelope and read the first few lines. it only took a few seconds to know had they got in the college or not.

eddie had applied to the new york college to be a nurse. he did think of being a kindergarten teacher and it's still in the back of his mind, but to be a nurse and help people, still being in contact with kids, is what makes him happy.

richie instead, applied to the new york athletics college. god he hoped to get in. football meant the world to him and he needed to keep playing it. richie sucked at many things, but not on football. he was good at it and he didn't want to waste his talents. everyone who saw richie play, could agree.

eddie's lips curled into a smirk. he squeezed richie's hand hard. "rich...you're looking at a soon-to-become nurse"

richie smiled at eddie and leaned in to kiss the boy. "I'm so proud of you, doctor K"

"not a doctor" eddie pointed his finger. "a nurse."

"even hotter" richie winked.

"what about you?" eddie asked and looked at the paper in richie's hands, which had crumpled up a bit, due to the fact that richie had squeezed it rather hard.

"I uh..." richie glanced at the paper. "well, I mean, I don't know. who really does know did I get in or not?"

eddie furrowed his brows and richie's nervous rambling. "richie?"

"i'm just saying nobody can know for s-sure things, like uh...why's the earth round? yeah, yeah, why's that?"

"you're making no sense" eddie shook his head. "the earth is round because that's the way it formed into. nobody probably knows the answer for sure. c'mon just tell me did you get in?"

"oh you're so smart, aren't you" richie pinched eddie's cheek. "so smart. how did I end up getting such a catch"

"ugh" eddie rolled his eyes and grabbed the paper from his hands.