AT ANOTHER PLACE IN TIME (YOU WERE INFINITELY MINE) ~ r e d d i e

chapter four • IV

chapter four

having richie so close to him was intoxicating.

the smell of cigarette smoke and cologne lingered on him and it made eddie half mad.

richie tapped his pencil obnoxiously and sat too close to eddie. so close their arms brushed together. richie didn't seem to care but eddie felt claustrophobic.

"ever heard of personal space?" eddie whispered to richie who's head snapped to look at him.

"funny coming from the guy who clung to me last night." richie teased poking eddies cheek. eddie swat him away.

"i have no idea what your talking about. i don't remember a thing." eddie looked at richie.

"you don't?"

eddie thought he saw disappointment flash through richies eyes but ignored it. he shrugged and looked back to the front.

"-the project is a short presentation on a song of your choosing. you may present it anyway but it has to be at least five minutes long. you may pick your partner for this project. it's due by monday morning, get to work.

it seemed that all at once every eye in the room turned to richie as girls surrounded him.

"richie be my partner?"

"we met at that party remember?"

"i'm good with music!"

richie chuckled and eddie couldn't help but be annoyed. just because richie was in a band didn't mean he was a music god. these girls seemed to think so as they twirled their hair and batted their lashes.

"sorry ladies," richie slung an arm around eddies shoulders pulling him closer than eddie was comfortable with, "eds is my partner"

"i am-?" eddie looked up at richie in confusion who just put a finger up to his lips.

all the girls awed and paired up with each other instead. eddie felt some kind of victory in that. he pushed richies hand away from his mouth but didn't bother with the arm on his shoulder. he was sure richie would just put it back over him. or so he told himself.

"why didn't you partner with them?" eddie asked looking up at richie. richie looked down at eddie with a cheesy smile, "because your the only one for me eds!"

eddie rolled his eyes and shrugged richies arm off. "your insufferable."

"and your cute"

"not cute"

"very cute"

"not at all."

"completely"

eddie sighed and threw his hands in the air in defeat. he heard richie laugh and couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips.

"if we're working on this project together you have to be serious," eddie stated looking up at richie

"serious is my middle name" richie wiggled his eyebrows and eddie giggled, shoving him a little.

"i'm serious trashmouth! it's due monday and it's friday-" the bell cut eddie off short and everyone began getting up to leave. "-shit"

eddie stood up and put his bag on, "can you come to my dorm after classes? it's 169 in the east wing"

richie snickered at "69" but nodded. "it's a date eddie dear"

eddie crinkled his nose, "not a date. just be there tozier." he left before richie had the chance to say anything more. when he got out into the hall he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.