The Phone Calls ☏ || reddie

He Scratched

TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ (I added this because people were getting upset, even tho it's kinda in the title of the chapter what happens, sorry if it upset you. I sincerely apologize )

2530 Maple Street, Hawkins, Indiana
Thursday July 4th 1990
11:44 pm

"Eddie, you're coming home. You're never to see those friends of yours again." Eddie's eyes filled with tears that were begging to come out, he didn't want to cause a scene so he kept quiet. "I want you home by Saturday, and I swear Edward, if you aren't home, I'll come to you. I know where you are, I'm always with you whether you like it or not. Do you hear me?"

Eddie stayed quiet, feared that if he'd reply, he'd break down. "I said, do you hear me?"

"Y-yes m-mommy." His voice broke, a tear rolling down his cheeks.

"That's a good boy, and don't you worry honey, soon you'll be back home with me. You'll be safe." She hung up the phone. Eddie held it to his ear as more tears rolled down his cheeks. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to see her.

He wanted to stay with Richie and always be happy. Eddie hung up the phone, leaving the kitchen.

"Eddie?" Ben asked. Eddie began to run up the stairs, hiding in Richie's room.

"Who was on the phone?" Ben asked.

"I don't know, some girl that said she wanted to talk to her Eddie bear." Richie shrugged, eating some cereal. "Is he okay?"

"I'll check." Ben stood up, walking up the stairs. He could hear Eddie's sobs in a room down the hall. He knocked gently. "Eddie? Can I come in?"

"No." He chocked.

Ben sighed. "Eddie, it's okay." Ben opened the door, seeing Eddie sitting on Richie's bed, hugging his pillow. "What happened?"

"I don't want to leave, Ben. I want to stay here, stay with Richie. I can't go back." He cried. Ben sat down beside him, rubbing circles on his back.

"Why can't you go back?" Ben knew why, but he knew it would make Eddie feel better to get it off his chest.

"S-she'll take me away from you guys. She doesn't want me with you. I'm a d-disappointment."

"Eddie, no. You're not a disappointment. We don't have to leave yet, we can leave next week if you want."

"No. No, she knows where I am. S-she'll come after me." He cries, hugging the pillow tighter. Ben wrapped his arms around Eddie, letting him cry as he gently rocked them back and forth. "I-I like it here. I'm happy here. I'm scared there, Ben."

"I know, Eddie." Ben sighed. "There's nothing we can do to stop it. But, we aren't leaving tomorrow."

"I have to."

"Eddie, we aren't going. She can try and come after you. Jane's dad is a cop, we'll call him."

"Ben, she can't go to jail."

"Eddie. She's hurting you."

"I know, but... but where would I go?" Eddie asked, holding the embrace.

"You can stay with one of us. Eddie, think how much better it'd be to get her out of your life. You won't be so scared, you could travel here and stay for the whole summer if you wanted to. You wouldn't hurt yourself anymore."

"It's not that easy, Ben. I can't just forget about her. I love her..." he said uneasily.

"That's not true, Eddie. She's tearing you apart, you can't love someone like that. Love is like.. like you and Richie. That's love, Eddie."

Eddie rested his head on Ben's shoulder. "You're right..." he sighed. "But... I can't let her go to jail. I know it'd be better if she wasn't the thing I'd have to deal with, but there's no way I could even think about a future without her. What if.. what if they try to put me in a foster home? One out of Derry?"

"We'll fight for you."

"Okay... I'm in."

-

Ben left Eddie alone for a while, letting him cool down. He went and pulled Jane aside, telling her about Eddie's mom and how they need her to get busted.

While all that happened, Eddie silently cried alone. He sat with his back against the wall, knees to his chest, and his face in Richie's pillow.

Eddie wished his mother could be like Karen. He wishes that after his father left he took him with him. He wishes that his mother was normal. He wishes he could die.

Eddie cried harder in the pillow as memories filled his head about his mother. Times when he forced himself to puke because the medication was to much. Or when he had to skip meals because he disobeyed. Times when all he wanted was his friends, but she locked him in the house. She was mentally ill.

Eddie lifted his head, hiccuping from his amount of tears. He looked at his arm. He was too afraid to cut himself. So instead, he began to scratch himself, turning his skin red. He scratched harder and harder, crying more and more. His skin began to break open, making cuts form and blood ooze. He fingers would wipe over the blood, smearing it, making it not touch Richie's pillow.

Eddie stoped. His arm hurt. It hurt so bad. But he deserved it. His life was a waste, he was a waste. He was slowly destroying the Losers lives, along with Richie's, the person he cared for so dearly. He didn't deserve those people. He didn't deserve to live. Eddie moved onto his other arm.

Scratching and tearing the skin away. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, but he didn't care. Maybe he'd cut a vain and he'd die before the person could hear or see him. The door opened, revealing Richie with a smile that soon faded as he saw his broken boyfriend making himself bleed.

"Eddie, what the fuck are you doing?!" He yelled, closing the door and running to the small boy. He grabbed his arms, holding them up. "Eddie, stop!"

"No! I don't want to feel okay, the pain is what I deserve. How could you be so blind to realize how pointless I am?!"

"You're not pointless, Eddie. Don't say that! You shouldn't do this!"

"You can't stop me! She's gonna come here and she's going to make me go insane to the point where I will just k-"

"Don't finish that." Richie said sternly. "Don't you fucking say that, Eddie. No one is coming here, no one is going to make you kill yourself!"

"You should just leave me! Crush my heart and break it into a million pieces and go be with people that would make you happy. I'm just stupid." He cried harder.

"Eddie, stop!" Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie's waist, sitting down and pulling Eddie into his lap. Eddie began to cry into his shoulder as Richie rubbed his hair back.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Eddie mumbled. "She's going to come here on Sunday. She's going to hurt me. I'm scared."

"Shh, you don't deserve this, no matter what you tell yourself. I won't let her hurt you. And I will never ever, ever leave you, Eddie. I love you so much. You make me happy."

"I'm sorry." Eddie cried.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Richie kissed the top of Eddie's head. "Why don't you go have a nice warm shower? It'll make you feel better."

"Can you come with me?" He gently asked.

Richie smiled. "Yeah."

Eddie climbed off Richie's lap, following Richie to the bathroom. Richie grabbed two towels, figuring he'd just shower with Eddie.

"Let me see your arms." Eddie Let Richie grab his forearm and hold it up. "Fuck, Eds, you really got yourself good."

"I'm sorry..." Richie looked at Eddie, softly smiling. He walked over to the shower turning it on. Richie walked over to Eddie and helped him undress. He switched the thingy making it turn into the shower. He undressed himself and then the two climbed into the water.

Eddie let the water hit him, hissing when the hot liquid touched his tiny cuts. Richie took some shampoo, pouring some into his hand, then rubbed it against Eddie's head, messaging his scalp. "You're really pretty." Richie mumbled, kissing Eddie's cheek.