✎ if tomorrow never comes

✎001

the class of 1993 at derry high all shared this feeling of  excitement and anticipation.

despite their differences, everyone can for once have mutual feelings for something so special to all of them.

the students of derry high were surrounded by people they've known practically their whole lives, some more important to each other than others. bill, ben, stanley, bev-

eddie's train of thought was cut off as hundreds of pairs of hands applauded for the principle's speech. a pang of guilt shot him in the chest for daydreaming.

the hypochondriac fixed his posture and tilted his head up, examining everyone else's bored faces. the guilt soon was replaced with adrenaline as the his eyes followed the valedictorian receive her diploma. eddie felt, what's the word? anxious.. nervous.. excited?

without knowing it, he was up next. his actions mushed into one. he didn't remember standing up and- "edward kaspbrak"

the boy's legs were jello as he trudged on stage. his legs felt heavy but he was practically dancing on clouds.

gripping his diploma in one hand, he shook a row of hands to get to his cheering friends on the other side of the stage. eddie somehow locked eyes with richie, who was still waiting in line.

"richard tozier" rang into eddie's ears as the boy ran towards him.

next thing he knew, the two were wrapped up together, staring into each other's galaxies unable to look away.

"how do you feel, richard?" the teasing words rolled off of eddie's tongue.

eddie shook his head and blinked a few times, shaking himself out of his daydreaming,

it wasn't like he didn't think about his childhood friends.

okay maybe he watches richie's show more than he would like to admit to. 'it is pretty funny, but that's not the richie i know,' okay maybe he thinks about richie more than he likes to admit to.

it wasn't until eddie peeked at his phone, that he realized he would be late to his meeting."

it had been raining and he knows how his wife gets, but she was still asleep.

'hopefully she doesn't find out about the showers from earlier' eddie said to himself, but in his head of course.

a small, "fuck.." brushed past his lips as he watched his appearance in a mirror.

the tux fit snug around his slim figure.

the man's car swerved in between different lanes at a pace no sober man would drive. he really had a meeting to get to.

the sound of his ringtone annoyed him but answered the call anyway.

eddie pressed the answer button on his car and started with his usual "edward kaspbrak".

you can practically hear his fake grin through his teeth.

"eddie, i keep telling you not to scare me like this and you never listen to me-"

"alright- myra, please not now" eddie started as a shaky hand swiftly opened his pill bottle and chugged a few in his mouth.

"you shouldn't be out there" eddie's wife, myra interjected "eddie it's not safe to drive when the roads are slick like this"

eddie took in a deep breath "sweetheart, it stopped raining like three hours ago, alright? everything's gonna be fine- hey dickhead !" flow of traffic mean anything to you ?!"

myra listened to eddie's incoherent screaming at the cab next to him, "what if you hydroplane?"

"i'm not gonna hydroplane! it is my job to assess risks so please trust me when i tell you that statistically speaking i am much more likely to get into an accident because i am talking to you on the phone!" he always talked practically at a mile a minute "alright i have to go, i will talk to you soon. goodbye~"

eddie had calmed down but nonetheless rushed his goodbye.

he ended the call, only to get another call back.

"edward kaspbrak speaking"

"you didn't say 'okay bye, i love you' like you usually do" myra's voice omitted from his car speakers.

"listen to me i can't! i'm going to be late to this-" eddie's voice wavered weakly as a new contact from derry, maine attempted to reach out to him, "meeting"

"say 'i love you' eddie" myra spoke sternly to her husband.

"okay, i love you mommy" he stared at the contact, forgetting who he's talking to.

there was silence for a few seconds that felt like years .

"what?"

eddie snapped back into reality, "myra" he corrected himself. "bye" he ended the call once again, simultaneously answering the incoming caller from his hometown, derry.

his eyes widened and spoke up first "hello? who's this?"

"mike" was all the unknown voice responded

"mike who?"

eddie was so caught up with staring at the caller id, he didn't notice himself running a red light.

and he collided with a cab.

"eddie! you okay?!"

"yeah, i'm pretty good!" eddie responded enthusiastically, sitting in his now ruined suv.

*author's note
-okay i hope
this doesn't
suck.