After they all stuffed themselves with omelettes (Richie had two to start since Stan jammed one in his mouth to shut him up) and berries fresh from Mike's farm, the group tried to decide what to do. Eddie was a little nervous about going out, since he didn't want his mom to see him, and he definitely didn't want the others to know what his life looked like.
It was only noon, so they had a long day ahead of them. It was simply a matter of not knowing what they wanted to make use of their time doing. As they all shifted ideas around, the phone rang.
"H-hello?" Bill said, not knowing who could be calling. He looked over to Richie. "It's f-for you."
Richie accepted the phone, and after a few minutes hung up. "I have to go," he said, looking at the floor.
Eddie recognized that face. It was once he often held himself. Fear and embarrassment mushed into one shitty emotion.
"Okay, are you gonna come back for movie night?" Mike asked. No one questioned Richie's need to leave, so Eddie guessed that it must be a common thing.
"I'll try." Richie looked at Eddie, who's face held nothing but concern for his friend. "Do you wanna come, Eds? It's nothing bad, just some stuff with my parents. Unless you wanna stay here, it's up to you."
Eddie could see he needed support, so he gave him a reassuring smile and grabbed Richie's hand. "Sure," he said, squeezing Richie's hand lightly.
"A-are you coming b-back for the sleepover t-too, Eddie?" Bill asked.
Eddie shook his head, his usual sad face coming back. "I can't, I'm sorry. Thank you for inviting me, though," he said, taking note of some of the interactions he had seen on television.
Everyone gave him smiles and bid the two goodbye as they left through the front door.
•••
Richie's house was a tall, two story house that was dark in color. Eddie thought it was a beautiful thing to draw, but Richie thought it was a shithole.
"Mom?" Richie called, opening the door to his house.
A lady walked into the entry area. Eddie could easily tell they were related. They both had black, curly hair, the same nose, and large eyes.
"Hey, honey," she said, stepping forward and embracing Richie in a hug. She sounded exhausted, but gave them both a smile anyway. "Who's this?"
"This is Eddie. He just moved into town," Richie said, grabbing Eddie's hand again and pulling him into the kitchen, following his mom.
"So nice to meet you, Eddie. I'm Maggie," Richie's mom said, holding out her hand to Eddie.
Eddie knew his handshake would suck, but he did it anyway, gripping Maggie's hand firmly.
"What's going on, mom?" Richie asked, sitting on one of the chairs in the kitchen. Eddie followed his lead and sat next to him, earning a proud smile from Richie.
"Your dad," Maggie said with a sigh. "He was going to rehab for a while, but he was pissed off this morning and took off. I know he's fine, but I'm worried that he's going to a bar. I just wanted to tell you in person. Do you think Stan or Bill would let them stay with you for a few days? I don't want you around him if he comes home drunk." She paused, glancing between Eddie and Richie. "We both know how he can get when he's been drinking."
