The Phone Calls ☏ || reddie

Bye Dad

2530 Maple Street, Hawkins, Indiana
Monday November 23rd 1986
7:24 am

Richie ran down the stairs one morning. He was now ten, older and more mature, or at least that's what he thought.

He ran over to the kitchen, bumping into his identical twin, Mike, who was walking with a bowl of cereal over to the table.

"Really, Richie?!" He yelled, as milk went over the edge, hitting his shirt.

"Oops, sorry, Mike." He smiled, grabbing a banana.

"Mike! Your not done eating?!" Karen, their mother, exclaimed entering the kitchen. "I told you to eat before 7:20. We need to go. Where's Nancy?"

"Barb's mom drove her." Mike said, taking a big spoonful of frosted flakes into his mouth.

"Of course." Karen sighed. "Hurry up."

"Richie and I will just ride our bikes, you can go." Mike said.

"You two better get to school." Karen pointed her finger at the two.

"Yes, mom." They said in usion. Karen walked over placing a kiss on each of their foreheads.

"I love you, both."

"Love you." Richie said, placing the banana peel in the garbage.

"I love you to." Mike spoke, after swallowing another mouth full.

-

"Okay, let's go meet Lucas by the halfway mark." Mike said, hopping onto his bike.

"Huh, seems it'll rain later." Richie thought out loud.

"What? Why do you think that?"

"Look, the sky seems grayer."

"It's seven in the morning, what do you expect?" Richie shrugged, agreeing with his brother. Not wanting to make himself seem wrong.

At this age, Richie was growing anxiety ever since the word got out about his dad. People weren't afraid to push the boy around, calling him names. Of course Mike wouldn't do that, but Richie didn't want to say something and make Mike get angry.

They rode their bikes to the point that Lucas meets them, halfway from both their houses. He sat on his bike seat, waiting for Mike and Richie to ride up. Once they met him at the point, they began their way to school, stopping to get Dustin and Will.

-

2530 Maple Street, Hawkins, Indiana
Monday November 23rd 1986
3:56 pm

When the two got home, they could see their mother at the table, reading a bundle of papers.

"Hey, mom," Richie greeted. "What are you reading?" She looked up at him.

"Nothing Rich, you shouldn't have to worry."

"Worry?" Mike questioned. Karen sighed, asking herself if it would be a good time to even bring up this fact to her children who had no reason to have to stress or cry over this. They'd find out at some point.

"Call Nancy down." She motioned. Mike jogged over to the steps, yelling for his older sister.

"What?!" She yelled back, annoyed at the call.

"Come down!" Mike ordered, gaining a sigh from the basic teen. She came down the stairs, arms crossed as she approached her mother and brothers.

"What?" She repeated.

"Take a seat." Karen simply said, Nancy did as told, taking a seat beside Richie.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, more sympathetically. Karen just shook her head, not baring to make eye contact with the kids who sat in front of her.

"Your father," She began, finally looking up to be met with worried eyes. "He's not coming back... he has chosen a life of alcohol and drugs over a family. I'm... s-sorry." Her voice began to quiver, as fear and worry flooded her body, thinking of her children, how they'd have to survive knowing the father figure they have has decided he didn't want them. Her vision began to blur, her emotions over filling and spilling out of her body. The children stayed silent, though, speechless, disappointed, but yet, they knew it was for the best.

How could they live, knowing that their mother got hit for trying to reason with him? How much longer could they hide before they'd be found? Even though their father was gone, the man who's supposed to be there and love you unconditionally, wasn't there; they had their mother, the woman who would do anything for the three, and would never abandon them like he had.

Karen dismissed the kids, letting them take the information to their brains.

Richie walked up to his room, sitting in his desk and taking a glance at the yellow sticky note that hung on his wall, reaching for the telephone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Eds."

"Ugh, I told you, I hate that nickname." Richie chuckled. "What's wrong?"

"Hm? What ya mean, Eddie? Not a problem in my life."

"That's not true, now what's wrong?" Richie sighed.

"My dad's not coming back..."

"I'm sorry, Richie."

"Don't be, Eds. It's better this way, anyway. Now I won't have to call you from inside my closet."

"Yeah, that's a good sign. But, you'll miss him."

"No I won't. He was a terrible man, still is."

"He may be a terrible man, but he's your dad, and you'll always love him, Richie. You'll remember him and think of him as a man who hurt you and your family, but you'll probably also remember those times where he was a good dad, and that's when you'll really miss him." Eddie said, calmly.

"Wow. You're probably right, but for now, I hate him. How can he do this to us?!" He yelled, spinning around in his chair. "How could he just walk out and leave us behind?"

"Who knows?"

"I hate him so fucking much! If only you could've seen my mom, she was in tears! My sister and brother seemed hurt to!"

"Of course they would be."

"Did he just not love us enough to stay and treat us well?" Richie's voice was now at a whisper, as small tears rolled down his cheeks. "What did we do wrong?"

"Richie, don't cry... it's okay. You guys did nothing wrong, he was dumb to leave you guys."

"Where'd you think he went?"

Eddie shrugged, thinking of an explanation. "I don't know, Rich."

"Me either..." Richie took in a shaky breath. "Anyways, how was your day?"