The Phone Calls ☏ || reddie

Band Tour Romance

720 Gloucester, Hawkins, Indiana
Sunday August 29th 1994
12:34 am

Richie didn't want to do this. He dreaded being in this room, the room he sat in for hours and months, but he couldn't bring himself to oppose to going. Vanessa Ellis was toxic, she damaged his life since they first met. She was a terrible friend to Richie, she hurt him in so many ways.

A year after the college girls, Richie met Vanessa Ellis, a beautiful brunette with stunning blue eyes that he got lost in too often. But, behind her beautiful interior was torture. She made Richie feel like nothing compared to her on so many occasions, or tell him straight to his face that she was what matter to him now, and he was nothing without her, which made him fall into her trap of love. He didn't love her. He feared her.

Richie isn't how he used to be. He never will he how he used to be. He's quite now. Shy. He comes home from school and hides in his room playing heavy metal that is so loud it disrupts the neighbours. He doesn't talk to Mike, Max, or Jane often. He's scared, he's broken, and alone.

He sits quietly now, on the bed of Vanessa while she writes in a notebook. The reason they became friends in the first place-before she became the monster-was because they both liked music. They started a band, she became something terrible, they dated. She has scheduled a manger interview for tomorrow morning to see if their band-Silver Blood- could possibly go on tour.

She sat in her desk chair saying states out loud that they could go to, not asking Richie if it was okay or reasonable for him. She said it, agreed with herself, and moved on. They were so used to pretending Richie was nothing, non-existent in that room, that it didn't matter if she didn't ask him.

"Leo wants us to play at the bar tomorrow, and we're going." She spoke, her eyes looking up to lock with Richie's.

Richie opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it.

"What? Say something if you have something to say."

"I-I... I don't like going to Leo's..."

Vanessa rolled her eyes, sitting up straight. "What's the problem now?"

"The people there... they-they make me feel uncomfortable."

"Grow a pair then. There's nothing wrong with them."

"Vanessa-"

"End of conversation." She stood up, throwing her notepad onto her messy desk. "Also, I'll need your car Tuesday."

"Why?" He mumbled, picking at a thread on his jeans.

"Just have somewhere to be. Don't question it, it's none of your business."

"But, I'm busy Tuesday and need my car."

"Where are you going?" She snapped her head around to look at him.

"My dads..." Wentworth was supposed to see the kids a lot more when they got back together years ago, but stopped contacting them completely and Richie soon found out it was so to him getting arrested. But, after Wentworth found out about Richie now being with a girl instead of Eddie, he talked to Richie a lot more.

"Well cancel." She rummaged through her closet in search for a new guitar string so she could fix her old, damaged guitar.

"Okay.." He watched quietly on the bed while she searched, he wanted to go home. But, if he were to begin to leave, she would stop him and make him feel bad for not wanting to be with her. "Vanessa... can I tell you something?"

"Yeah." She huffed, falling to flat feet after standing on her tippy toes to reach the top shelf.

"I want to go back to school... I know that we have a band, but I can do both! And, I just... I need another occupation, what if this doesn't work out?"

She turned around, looking at Richie. "It will work out, you don't trust that I know what I'm doing? Also, you won't be able to get into any schools."

"I can register for the second semester."

"You're not smart enough, Richie. I'm just trying to look out for you. You want to come running here after they tell you how idiotic you are for thinking you could get accepted? But, in your opinion, I'm never right anyway, my opinion isn't anything compared to yours, so go ahead, but don't talk to me afterward." Richie stomach twisted, and his throat felt dry-like it did every time she did this-and he became confused on how she got that her opinion was nothing over him asking to go back to school.

"Vanessa... please. I never said that. I just..."

"Richie, you're. Not. Smart. Enough." She clapped her hands to prove a point and sat beside him. She looked into his eyes which where beginning to tear. She rolled her eyes. "Oh my god. Are you actually crying over this? Jesus, Richie, you fucking baby." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him, a fake hug obviously, while he tried not to cry.

-

Richie began his walk home, since Vanessa wouldn't get her parents to drive him home, nor would she walk with him. But, that was fine, he lived two blocks away anyhow, and he needed to cry. So, his walk home was silent, no cars around, no teens or kids, just the sound of the rain and his sobs. The rain was light, not easy to get drenched in. He felt like he was in a romance movie, crying in the rain over his partner.

Ridiculous. She's right. You're too dumb to get into any school.

Her words were wrong, along with his. He passed school with A's in all of his classes, he even did clubs and sports, he had credits and had the opportunity to get into post secondary. But, Vanessa's words marked his skin, cutting deep into him. Richie's always been like that. Always cared what people thought or said about him, but, being with Vanessa made it hurt more.

He can't remember what it was like to be happy.

-
134 Neibolt Street, Derry, Maine
Friday December 12th 1990
1:12 am

Richie and Eddie laid in bed. Richie got his parents to let him spend Christmas break with Eddie, and even though the break hadn't began, he was allowed to go.

Eddie laid on Richie's chest, while Richie's hands tangled themselves in Eddie's locks. Eddie was sick and they had basically been laying there all day, occasionally sleeping or sneaking downstairs when Bill would leave.

Yes, Sonia did go home, but, she was still on watch and gone most the day, and Bill would put it in his schedule to check on Eddie, same with Stanley even when he or Richie would oppose.

"Chee?"

"Yeah, Eds?"

"You think we're okay, right?"

"What ya mean, Eddie? Do you not think we are?"

"No, no, I do... it's just... sometimes I think of what could happen if something were to happen to us, or if you were to stop liking me..."

"That could never happen, Eds. I love you. And I swear, I'll never break your heart."

"Promise?"

"Swear it to you."

"I would give you a kiss," Eddie let out a yawn, closing his eyes. "But, I'm sick."

"I'll risk my chances, hun."

Eddie giggled. "No way."

-

Richie wished, it could be like that again. Wishes he kept his promise to Eddie.