𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 | ͏reddie

16

💞💗💝i'm back ahhhhhhhh💓💕💘hi babies 👼🏼💕💖💗 ily💘💗💞💓 here's a frisky chapter💖💗💝 just 4 u 👼🏼💞💖

"Okay, it's working. Go ahead, Eddie. It's gone to voicemail."

"Hello? I-It's Eddie... I just um, I just wanted to say that I love you and I can't wait to see you. I've never used a phone before... If you don't get this message it's all Beverly's fault."

"–Hey!"

"Just kidding. Um, I love you, bubba. I'll see you soon."

Richie slowly lowers the phone from his ear with an empty look upon his face, guilt burning in his gut like a pool of molten lava. He wants to call Eddie back, tell him how much he loves him, how much he wants to kiss his perfect face and cuddle him for hours, but he knows that he can't do that. Eddie can't use a phone like him.

The four bleak walls of the alternative accommodation Richie was kindly granted stand like an empty enclosure, silent, unwelcoming. It happens to be on the other side of town, but with access to his truck Richie can still get out sometimes to enjoy the outside world. However he hasn't been to school for almost a week now, and school break has finally commenced. He has all the time in the world to spend with his friends, his mother, but most importantly his beautiful boyfriend.

It's still a bleak Tuesday, and Richie has been checking the clock on the wall to see whether it's over yet since the morning. He wants to get out and see Eddie, but his mother needs him now, more than ever. Police officers are now regular visitors in his everyday life, and unknown family members are unexpectedly showing up to help left, right and centre.

As for now, Went Tozier is locked up in custody, and to all of those who know of his abhorred crimes, it's clear that he won't spend another living day outside of bars. But for some reason, Richie isn't satisfied. That pool of heat in his stomach is telling him that his father needs to pay, in a much worse way than what he's been granted. He dares question it though for the sake of his mother.

Later that same Tuesday, Richie is called back to the police station to speak to some rather professional looking investigators. Despite towering over most of the officers, dressed in all black and twisting a chain between his fingers from nerves, Richie is still lead inside a room with a hand on the small of his back like a lost child.

"Please, come inside." A friendly looking woman stands up from behind her wooden desk, dressed in a smart blouse and pencil skirt. She looks in her twenties, glasses resting on top of her brown hair and eyes framed with pretty dark lashes. Richie realises that he was probably staring for too long and slowly enters the room, the door closing behind them so they are alone. "I'm Officer Hollyoak, but you can just call me Phoebe. Please, take a seat." She gestures towards one of the chairs and Richie fumbles to quickly sit down.

"What's happening now?" He asks, watching her sit back down behind her desk and pull out some rather official looking papers. His mind swirls with endless possibilities; what could happen next?

"Housing." Phoebe pulls the glasses from her head to rest on the bridge of her nose, and Richie's eyes widen slightly. "You're mother is not fit to take care of you, Richie."

Richie quickly snaps from his gaze, face falling to a frown. "What? No, she's perfectly fine."

"I know this is hard for you, Richie, but your mother needs serious mental care after what has happened to her. We both know how many times she has attempted to commit suicide in the past week, and we are trying everything we can to help her."

Richie feels his heart sink at the reminder of his mother's actions. She can't help it, of course she can't, what she's been through is far worse than anything Richie has had to handle before. However he can't help but feel an aching bit mad, mad that his mother would want to take her own life and leave her son behind to deal with the mess. He lets out a frustrated sigh, pulling a hand through his untamed curls. "What now then? I'm an orphan? I'm almost eighteen! You can't send me to some crackhead house with crazy little kids!"