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Soulmates

When Eddie was thirteen, he was gifted with a flower. The flower wasn't just a simple everyday flower, though.

It would determine his soulmate.

The flower wouldn't bloom until he met his soulmate, and Eddie couldn't wait. He knew his mother was dreading the day that his flower bloomed, since she did everything possible to keep it from happening.

Eddie was homeschooled and only had one friend, since he was able to prove they weren't soulmates. He knew if she could, his mother would keep him from receiving the bud that would choose his soulmate, but that was against the law.

So, Sonia kept Eddie from leaving and tried to keep him from finding the person that would make the flower burst from its shell.

Every day, Eddie would sit in his room, staring at the bud. He wanted to meet the person who made the flower opened; he had to know who his soulmate was.

There were always fears: what if they were just soulmates but didn't actually love each other? What they were a girl? What if they didn't think Eddie was good enough?

Yet, Eddie's desire fought on when he couldn't. He needed to meet his soulmate, and he swore to himself that one day he would.

•••

(4 years later)

Richie sat in his room, inhaling the smoke from a cigarette. His room was a mess. There were clothes all over the floor and trash that made his room look even grosser than normal.

The only thing in the room that wasn't covered in trash or filth was the small table in the corner of his room. It held a small flower that had yet to bloom.

God, Richie wanted it to bloom. He hated everything about the green shell surrounding the flower. He wanted the flower to burst out, filling him with love and joy, just so he could know that someone in the world gave a shit about him.

He knew soulmates weren't all they were cracked up to be. His parents were soulmates and they couldn't stand each other.

Yet, Richie tried to have hope. He knew that someone out there loved him and that he would find them someday. He just wanted it to be sooner rather than later.

"Richie!" came a shrill voice from downstairs.

Richie put out his cigarette and walked down the stairs to where his mom was standing in the doorway.

"What?" he asked, not feeling up to deal with her drunken state.

"I'm goin' out," she slurred, a beer bottle clutched in one hand, her wallet in the other.

Richie nodded, knowing any back talk would end badly for him. He didn't have the time or patience to deal with that.

Maggie left with a drunken smile and a wave, swaying down the steps.

As soon as she was gone, the phone rang loudly.

"Hello?" Richie asked into the phone, knowing how exhausted he sounded.

"MY FLOWER BLOOMED, RICHIE!!!" screamed an excited voice that Richie immediately realized as his best girl friend, Beverly Marsh.

"That's great, Bev! Where'd you meet him?" Richie asked, feeling happy despite his disappointment with his own flower not having bloomed yet.

"I'll explain the whole story. Can you come over? It's gonna be me, my soulmate, and a couple of his friends!" Bev said excitably.

Richie agreed and put on a sweatshirt, walking to Bev's house. It was cool out, as it was almost October and the first freeze had occurred the week prior. It was never too sunny in Derry.