The Phone Calls ☏ || reddie

Wentworth Tozier

Oasis Diner, Hawkins, Indiana
Wednesday May 15th 1990
3:56 pm

Richie and Mike sat in a booth. They were meeting up with their father today for dinner. They had just gotten off school, and Wentworth was supposed to already be there, but yet the boys sat by themselves.

"Rich," Mike whispered. "Are you gonna tell mom?"

"About?"

"About Eddie. You dating him."

"Should I?"

"Yeah."

-

134 Neibolt Street, Derry, Maine
Wednesday May 15th 1990
3:57 pm

Eddie and Bill sat in Eddie's room working on Math homework.

"H-hey, Eddie, what d-did you get f-for eighteen B?"

"Seven."

"T-thanks."

"Bill, I think we should go to Indiana."

"What? Why?"

"Because Richie is down there."

"W-we have school, o-our exams are c-coming up, you're m-mom won't let y-you go."

"I mean, when school is over. I want to see Indiana. Everyone can come with us."

"How w-would you get y-your mom to s-say yes?"

"If I simply say the names, Bill and Stanley, she'll automatically let me go. I could say that Stanley wants to take me to Hawaii and throw me down a volcano, and she'd agree."

"I d-don't think so." Bill smiled, shaking his head.

"She totally would." Eddie smiled.

"E-Eddie, can I t-tell you a s-secret? You're my b-best friend, even i-If I'm not y-yours. I want y-you to know a-about this."

"Yeah, you can tell me anything, Bill."

"Stan a-and I... We're d-dating."

"You and Stan?!" Eddie exclaimed, sitting up. "That's great, Bill! Congratulations. When did you two start dating?"

"Technically... almost t-three months."

"And I'm just finding out about this?"

"We d-didn't want to t-tell you guys, w-we were nervous. B-but after you h-had the guts t-to come out, S-Stan and I d-decided that we s-should to."

"Thanks for telling me, Bill. Have you told anyone else?"

"Stan s-said that he w-was going to t-tell Mike, I d-don't know when t-though."

"Well, I guess, since you told me a secret, I can tell you one to." Bill moved from Eddie's desk, over to the bed. "Richie and I just started dating."

"I'm not s-surprised, he was a-acting like a c-clingy girlfriend at t-that sleepover."

"We weren't even dating at that point." Eddie smiled, blushing a bit at the memory. "He's adorable." He rolled his eyes.

-

Oasis Diner, Hawkins, Indiana
Wednesday May 15th
4:05 pm

The bell made a chime as the door opened revealing Wentworth Tozier. He looked different from how the boys remembered him to be.

His almost greying hair had became a nice dark brown. His stubble was gone. His leather clothing were turned into what a dad would wear.

Looking at him, Richie could barely recognize him. But when he smiled, all the memories of them playing hide and seek, or baseball in the park came flooding back.

Both boys believed that maybe he really did change.

Wentworth smiled, sitting across from the two.

"Hm, let's see." Wentworth put a finger on his chin. "Mike?" Wentworth joked, pointing at Richie.

Richie smiled, so did Mike. Richie had always worn big coke bottle glasses, always will.

It's been forever since their father played jokes on them, even when their parents were together, before the alcohol became a priority, he acted like a funny, friendly, father.

"How you boys doing?" Wentworth asked.

"Good, how are you?" Mike asked.

"I'm very well, thanks." Wentworth looked at his boys, seeing how much they've changed.

When the boys were younger, Karen liked to dress them the same, she thought that was cute. But looking at them now, their styles, from hair to clothing, had changed. So have their personalities.

Even if Makayla is a bitch, she wasn't wrong about Mike looking smarter than Richie. When in reality, their smarts were the same.

Mike and Wentworth were engaging in all sorts of conversations, and Wentworth didn't bother Richie, he would wait till he came to him.

Richie and Wentworth used to be very close before the addiction, which caused Richie to hurt more than Mike and Nancy.

When Richie was young, he would still try to talk and play with his dad who would be chugging a bottle of beer, usually getting yelled at for his stupid jokes and funny business.

And when Wentworth finally left, Richie was happy for it to be over, but he also wasn't. Even if he still got hit or yelled at for just trying to be with his father, he didn't want it to end. He loved him.

He didn't want Wentworth to walk away, he didn't want to stop talking with him. He would rather have been hurt his whole life, then lose his father. But now, he has Eddie. He's a better man.

"So, Richie, hows school?"

"Good."

"Tell me all about it, tell me about your friends, you're girlfriend, stupid teachers."

"I have only three friends, and I'm okay with that. Their names are Max, Eddie, and Jane. Jane is dating Micheal, here."

"Good on you, Mike." Wentworth nodded.

"Max is a tomboy, me and her connected instantly because of that. Yet, she still beats me at every score at every video game." Richie laughed. "Jane is more feminine, I guess, I've gone shopping with her. She's a very sweet and kind girl, her father is the sherif here. So that's cool."

"And Eddie, well, he's my best friend, I can tell him anything. He lives in a different state, but we talk all the time. He's funny, caring, and be- and he's just great."

"I see."

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"That sucks, kid. Don't worry, you're a good looking fella, you'll get em."

"Yeah..." Richie nodded. Mike glanced at him.

Richie wasn't going to tell his dad about him being bisexual. He hasn't even told his mom, and she has been there for Richie more than anyone. Plus, he didn't know his dad well enough to know if he'd be okay with his choice in relationships.

"And for teachers... I don't pay attention enough to know."

Wentworth laughed. "Well, Mike? What about you?"

"Well, I have a party, their my friends. Lucas, Dustin, and Will. They're nerds, but that's what keeps us connected. Like Richie said, I'm dating Jane, and their are no teachers that hate me, so I have no teachers to hate."

"Huh, that was a lot shorter than Richie's explanation." Wentworth giggled.

-

"He seems like he's changed, Rich, maybe you should give him a chance." Eddie said.

"I feel like I should, but I don't want to get hurt again."

"Well, if he's gonna get to see you guys on weekends, you'll have to get used to him."

"I don't even know where he lives. Like, I know he doesn't live in Hawkins, or else I would've saw him. Like what if he lives in Europe or something?"

"Europe?" Eddie laughed. "Then every weekend or so, you'd be flying to Europe."

"I may have bought you a phone, but I'm not that rich."