Hidden Truths||Reddie||

•Seven•

"Why do you deal with me Eds?" Richie asked, wiping his eyes.

Eddie was with Richie in his room again.

"Because your my best friend." Eddie replied. And because I love you. He said in his head.

"Don't I get annoying?.."

"Well yeah, but that's okay, I'm okay with annoying. As long as it's you."

Richie smiled a little.

Richie put his head on Eddie's shoulder, his knees curled up to his chest.

Eddie played with Richie's curls, twirling them around on his finger.

"I'm sorry I'm putting you through this shit with me." Richie said, sighing.

"It's okay, I don't mind. At least we're in this together." Eddie replied, lacing his and Richie's fingers together.

"Yeah." Richie mumbled, closing his eyes.

After a while of sitting in silence, Eddie whispered Richie's name, instead of a reply, he heard quiet small snores coming from Richie. The boy had fallen asleep.

Eddie chuckled and sat up, being careful not to wake Richie up. He placed a pillow under Richie's head and threw a blanket over him.

Eddie kissed Richie's forehead. "Bye Rich." He whispered, then climbed out his window.

Goodbyes are a bit sad, you never know if you'll see the person your saying bye to ever again...

  • • •

Richie Tozier cried out as his father pushed him to the ground and started kicking his side.

"Fucking fag!" He yelled. Richie had been hanging out with Eddie earlier, his father had seen them hug outside of his window, Eddie had kissed his cheek and left. Richie had blushed and headed inside, now here he was, getting beaten by his father.

"I will not accept faggots in this god damn house! If I ever see you hanging out with that piece of shit again, I'll make sure you never see his face again! I promise to you that I'll kill him! Hear me?!" His father yelled, kicking him one last time before he headed upstairs to his room to drink beer .

Richie lay on the ground, his sides aching with pain. He finally found the strength to get up and limp to his room, where he flopped down onto his bed and cried silently into his pillow.

Richie woke up to the sound of his phone ringing, moonlight streamed onto his bed. He groaned and checked who was calling him. It was Eddie. He remembered his father's words and sighed, ignoring Eddie's phone call.  His phone rang a few more times. Richie ignored it. A few minutes later, his phone glowed up with texts from Eddie.

Are you okay?

Richie why won't you answer my calls?

Are you sleeping?

Richie?

Hellloooo?

i'm coming over.

Richie sighed and responded with: I'm fine

I'm still gonna come over.

Richie sighed again and put his phone on his nightstand. Not long after that, Richie heard a tap on the window.

He groaned and got up. Eddie waved from outside, moonlight shining onto his face. Richie opened the window for him, then went back to lay on his bed. He checked the time. Nine thirty.

"Isn't it your bed time?" Richie asked, knowing very well that Sonia would never ever let Eddie out at night, not even at nine, she excepted him to be sleeping by then.

"Ha ha. She doesn't know I'm over here." Eddie responded, sitting on the ground.

Richie raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised Eds, maybe I'm rubbing off on you too much."

"I wanted to see if you were okay." Eddie said, playing with his shoe laces.

"Yeah, well, I'm fine. You can go home now." Richie regretted that immediately, he'd come off a bit harsh on Eddie. All the poor boy wanted to do was see if his best friend was okay.

Eddie was quiet. "What's wrong?" He asked after what felt like ages.

"Nothing. I don't think we should hang out anymore though." Richie sat up and looked over at Eddie, remembering his father's cruel words. He didn't want his father to hurt Eddie, so he knew he had to stop hanging around with him. It was only to protect the innocent boy.

A look of hurt came over Eddie's face. "D-did I do something wrong?" He asked, frowning.

"No, I just don't think me and you should be friends anymore. I'm a bad influence."

Eddie bit his lip. "No your not! I love hanging around with you! You make me happy Richie.." Eddie's eyes watered.

The two boys were now standing, facing each other.

You make me happy too, was what Richie wanted to say, but instead he said: "Your annoying Eddie, you know that? Why can't you just leave me alone!"

"What did I do? I don't understand....I thought we were friends..." Tears fell down Eddie's face.

Richie hated seeing Eddie cry, he hated the look of pain on his face.

"Well we aren't! You don't even help me!"

Stop talking! Stop it you idiot! Richie yelled in his head.

"I-I hate you!" Richie exclaimed, he was surprised as well. No, no I don't! God dammit it Richie!

Eddie gasped, full on crying now. "Y-you do?" He asked.

No! No!  "Yes. Yes I do." Richie responded, he forced himself not to break down as well.

"I don't understand...what did I do wrong?" Eddie asked, tears slipping from his brown eyes.

"Just go! I don't want you here!" Richie yelled, regretting every single word he said.

Eddie stood there for a moment, tears falling from his eyes, he looked at Richie one more time before slipping out his window and walking home, crying.

Richie punched his wall and screamed into his pillow. He'd only done this to protect Eddie, but it only ended up hurting him.

Sometimes, you need to make sacrifices in order to protect the ones you love.

Richie had made the biggest sacrifice of all: He gave up his longest friendship. He gave up the person he loved the most.
• • •
End Of Chapter Seven