HEART ACHE <3 REDDIE

chap 1: bye bye summer

Richie

I was not prepared for senior year. It had hit like a train and going into it as an adult was insane to me. However, Bill and Mike were older than me, and Bev and Eddie were also "legal" adults too so it gave me complete comfort knowing I wasn't the only one panicking over being 18.

Being an adult came with perks though. Like I could finally stop stealing my mom's cigarettes. That was about it, actually. The rest of the stuff that came with being an adult was horrible. I had to learn how to do taxes. Taxes!

I had to job hunt, house hunt, and college hunt but that wasn't just me, all of us had to. The first week of school was basically spent with me looking for some type of job. I wanted out of my house soon as possible. It was lonely there a majority of the time, plus I wanted a place to jack it without worrying about my mom busting in.

"What about an apartment, Rich?" Mike slid the newspaper across the library table. I looked at the articles for the apartments over and over.

"Yeah, I'm trying to get money to get the hell out of Derry. Not stay here." I grinned, popping my gum obnoxiously.

"The last thing any of us want is to stay here." Bev cut in. It was funny hearing that from the girl who chose to come back to Derry from her aunts.

"Easy for you to say, shortcake, you've got a job." I winked.

"And one you l-like." Bill huffed. Bill had a job at the local grocery, which he hated. Mike had gotten a job at the library, stocking books, and Bev was a fashion assistant for a local boutique.

"It's just a part time thing. Nothing permanent." She shrugged.

"So is my job. The second I graduate I'm moving to Flordia." Mike twirled a pen between two fingers as I leaned back in my chair.

"W-whats in Flordia, Mike?" Bill furrowed his eyebrows.

"Old people." I grinned.

"What about you, Bev? What are you gonna do after graduation?" Mike ignored my joke.

"Dunno. Move to the city. New York. Small towns move too slow for me."

"Me t-too," Bill nodded, "I'm g-going to UDA."

The entire summer Bill had talked about UDA. It was a film and writing school. I had read some of Bill's stuff and his endings sucked, but of course I never told him that directly. I just lied and said I enjoyed the stories.

As everyone turned their attention to me and Mike opened his mouth to say something he was cut off, and I was grateful. I knew he was gonna ask "what are you doing after graduation, Richie?" to which I would've said "your mom." but the truth was that I had no fucking clue.

"Sorry we're late." Ben sat next to Bev.

"Stan had to stop and look at these stupid tit birds." Eddie sat in the chair next to mine, our legs touching. It made my stomach flip.

Eddie had grown. Not in height much, or even in weight, but his voice had gotten a bit deeper and his hair was even a little wavy. I had to sit back and painfully watch little Eds turn into a young man.

"They aren't tit birds!" Stan snapped, slamming his books onto the table.

"Stan, please don't slam your books so loud. I don't want to be fired. Speaking of which, I got to get back to work." Mike hopped up from his chair and returned to the cart of books he had to file. Stan took his seat.

"What's this?" Eddie snatched the newspaper from the table up.

"R-richie and I were l-looking at apartments." Bill answered.

"Outside of Derry?" Eddie raised his eyebrow and looked at me. He was so adorable. I would never in my life say that outloud, but he was.

"You wanna stay in Derry?" Bev laughed coldly.

"No. I'm going to Yale." Eddie puffed up his chest, setting the newspaper back down.

"Don't you have to be smart for that?" I snickered, pushing my glasses up my nose. Eddie's face turned bright red as he punched my arm.

"I'm gonna be a doctor." He continued, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I have something you can check out, doc." I grabbed my dick, shooting him a playful wink, which earned me another punch to the arm.

"Gross, Richie." Stan rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, bird boy. You're probably gonna work in a nursing home." I spat.

"And you're gonna be in prison." Stan smiled sarcastically.

"Yeah? Am I?" I asked, grabbing one of Stan's books quickly, opening it and spitting my gum out into it, slamming it shut.

"Real mature, Richie." Eddie rolled his eyes. Turning his attention back to the newspaper on the table.

"Are you joking?! I paid for these myself!" Stan screeched, snatching his book back.

"Just like your perm?"

"My hair is real!"

"L-leave him a-alone, Richie."

"Kiss my ass."

"Can you guys shut the fuck up?" a voice cut in. We all turned to see Greta Keene and her group if bimbos staring at us a table over. She was a bitch but she was hot.

"Greta! What a surprise to see you here! I didn't know you could read!" Bev chirped.

"Stuff it, flat chest. How about you invest in some boobs?" She popped her gum. Bev's face turned red as her hair as he narrowed her eyes.

"At least hers are real!" Ben spat, immediately realising what he had said and started blushing. I was proud of him for making such a quick comeback.

"You think these aren't real?" She laughed, puffing up her chest.

"You are so gonna end up in a porno." I snapped, half-laughing.

"And you're so gonna end up in an aids facility, watch it flamer."

I felt my stomach lurch. I knew the rumors. All of us knew the rumors but my friends had the decency not to talk about it. For years people talked about Henry calling me a faggot. I never replied to any of the claims. I just acted like they weren't there. Maybe if they werent there they would go away.

"Hey! Shut your mouth, bimbo!" Eddie snapped, clearly seeing me turn red.

"We were leaving anyway. We don't want to catch anything." Greta stood, marching toward the door.

"God, I wanna pop that bitch and watch her fly around the room." Bev watched her walk out. I wasn't paying attention. I was embarrassed. I hated having to address the rumors around my friends. It made me uneasy.

"You okay, Richie?" Stan asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm gonna head home, I'm not feeling too good." I stood, grabbing my backpack.

"Let me walk with you," Ben offered.

"No. I'm fine. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I smiled weakly. Technically I hadn't lied. I did feel sick. Sick to my stomach. I could've thrown up right there but I didn't. I saved that for when I got outside. The library bushes were not happy with me.