Project Android (Are You Reddie?)

Put The Bees To Sleep

Richie

Richie considered the first day at his new school as an absolute win. He had already made a friend, at least he hoped he did. Met a new teacher he couldn't wait to get to know more (and hopefully have long convoluted conversations with about rock music). It had started to rain about ten minutes after Richie began is walk home. Richie was used to it because Maine usually got a ton of rain in the winter too. The snapback he'd put on after it started to rain helped keep his glasses dry, but his hoodie was soaked. His ratty converse made a squelch sound so loud it penetrated through Richie's headphones he wore under his snapback.

He tried his best to ignore it. Richie reached his house about five minutes later neither of his parents cars were in the driveway yet. He sighed, Of course they weren't home yet. Wentworth Tozier was almost never home when Richie was still awake. And when he was he was either drunk off his ass or extremely grumpy. Neither was a time to talk to him.

Richie remembered a time when he actually felt like he knew his father. Yes there were a few times that Wentworth would make Richie a cup of coffee and would ask his son to read the "funnies" in one of his iconic voices. But after breakfast was done Richie would be back to missing the father he knew when he was a kid. The Wentworth that would come home and ask in a faux curious voice "Where is my little monster?" and proceed to search the whole house up and down for a giggling eight year old Richie. Richie missed the father that would pull his leg when he was eleven and tell him "Maggie...woman! Our boy is a stick! Buy this young man some cheese burgers!" Richie and his mom would laugh and Wentworth would smile and send Richie running upstairs to his room with a handful of caramels. He remembered the echo of his mother playfully chastising Wentworth for giving Richie sweets for the fourth time that week. He missed sitting on the couch with Wentworth at age thirteen and playing Sorry! totally wrong simply because they could.

Maggie Tozier on the other hand spent a bit more time at home. She came back home always tired and stressed out, but everyday when she did Richie would hope down the stairs from his room and welcome her with a hug and it never failed to bring a smile to her face. She would give him a kiss on the forehead a pinch on the cheek and then she would disappear into the kitchen to make him dinner and then she'd be in her office till she went to bed. "Bed" usually meant her passing out on her desk.

Richie opened the door to his house which looked like any other house on the block. Big, two stories big, and painted a soft cream. The house had a nice lighting so that all corners were exposed and it glowed in a warm welcoming yellow light. Richie dropped his backpack on a hook and dragged a towel to rest underneath it. Normally Richie wouldn't bother to do something that took up his time but he knew Maggie would kill him if he didn't. He toed off his soaking converse and tossed them on the towel. His socks followed shortly after. Richie's first destination was the kitchen or more specifically the fridge. He snatched the dip and a soda from the fridge and the chips off the top of it.

Richie crossed the kitchen passing the laundry room then stopping in his tracks debating whether or not to be responsible and drop his soaked clothes in the washer. Richie blew a resigned sigh out his nose and set his food on the top of the dryer. Richie wrestled out of his hoodie, shirt, and black jeans and animatedly tossing them into the washer. He made quick work of the walk up to his room anxiety pitted in his stomach from his state of undress. The emotion was misplaced but it persisted even though he knew no one was in the house. Richie closed his door dropping his food and soda unceremoniously on his bed before tossing through his selection of sweatpants and baggy shirts. He chose a pair that totally contrasted and pulled them on without a care. It was entirely too quiet in his room Richie's ADHD whispered even thought the loud drum of rain could be heard. Richie turned on his TV letting Boy Meets World play in the background. Richie picked up a beaten treasure troll from where it stood on his bed. It had been a stupid thrift shop buy and it was the perfect thing to occupy Richie's too fast mind. He mindlessly began playing with it and stuffing chips into his mouth. Richie figured he would wait here until Maggie got home.