Promise || A Reddie Fanfiction

Not the Same- Chapter 4

Mike groggily opened his eyes, and reached over to shut off his beeping alarm. He rolled over- 5 AM on the dot. He had always been a morning person, though not by choice- his Uncle's farm wasn't going to run itself. He did, however, enjoy watching the sun slowly rise each morning, painting the sky shades of pink, and feeling the brisk morning air on his face. It seemed like a fair trade to him.

Luckily this particular morning he had managed to carve out an hour of his day to check on Richie. He had fallen asleep thinking about their conversation in the kitchen, and as he awoke his mind continued where it left off without skipping a beat. He knew that whether it was true or not- whether he was right about Eddie- it was his fault Richie ran out. He felt guilty for springing such a question on him... Perhaps even more guilty for knowing that whatever Richie was dealing with, he didn't feel like he could come to him for help.

He reached for the phone sitting on his nightstand and rang Stan to let him know he'd be over soon.

***

By 5:30 they were parked in front of Richie's house. It had been no less than ten minutes since either of them spoke, and all that could be heard were birds now awake and singing. Mike stared out his drivers side window at the sky, admiring the way every streak of color faded and changed with each passing minute. Stanley sat there still buckled, playing with his hands anxiously and lost in thought. Finally, he broke the silence.

"So... Richie didn't say anything to you last night, right? He didn't tell you anything?"

"No, like I said last night, he didn't say much of anything," Mike replied, not looking away from the window. "Why? Is there something I should know?"

Stanley hated lying to him, but he'd be damned if anyone was going to out Richie before he was ready. "No, not that I know of. Better prepare yourself for the wrath of Richie, though. It's not even six in the morning... He's going to be a pain in the ass."

***

After an eternity of knocking, Richie finally swung the door open- quite angrily.

He furrowed his brow. "What the fuck are you guys doing here?"

He opened the door a little wider and stepped back, inviting them inside.

"Good morning. You look... great?," Stan said unconvincingly. Richie's eyes were still puffy from crying the night before. He hadn't changed clothes, and they could smell that he had been drinking. As predicted, he definitely had a rough night.

Richie rolled his eyes. "Funny, Stan- That's exactly what your mom said last night!"

They followed him to the couch, where they all sat quietly for a moment.

"Look, Rich," Mike began. "I just wanted to apologize for last night. I obviously crossed a line, and if I had known then what would come of it I never would have asked you what I did. I hope you know that."

"We just wanted to check on you is all. You left in such a hurry... I was worried," Stan added.

"This feels like I'm in a fuckin' intervention!" Richie laughed. "Come on guys, seriously. You don't need to dick around with me like this. I'm fine."

Mike smirked. Maybe he really is okay. Maybe we overreacted... but that still leaves the question- why did he get so upset last night?

"Rich... was it my fault?"

Richie's smile slowly left his face, defeated. Fuck it... what do I have to lose? I already missed my chance with Eds. Nothing else really matters anymore.

"No, it wasn't your fault, Mike. You... you were right, though. It was about Eddie."

***

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. Summer ended, and by that fall everything had changed. After that night Richie tried his best to carry on as if everything was normal, but every outing was only a painful reminder of what could have been. Allison had slowly become an honorary member of their group, and Richie decided he couldn't take it anymore. Seeing Eddie had become more painful than not seeing him. Their nightly gatherings were no more- once a week... once a month... before Richie knew it, it had been over two months since he'd seen the Losers, save for Stan and Mike. Only they knew what was really the cause of Richie's sudden disappearance. Any attempt to reach out was simply met with a plethora of excuses- "Sorry Bev, work has been so busy lately..." "Yeah, definitely the flu again!"

     One Sunday night in early November, the Losers were once again laughing and talking in Bill's living room. Instead of the usual heavy rain, the grass was blanketed in snow. The fireplace crackled, and David Bowie's Heroes played softly in the background. Everyone was gathered around the radio, drink in hand. Eddie sat alone on the couch, quietly staring at an empty chair across the room. Richie's chair.

"Anyone know if Rich is showing up tonight?," he asked the room. Conspicuously, Allison was not with him.

Ben looked to Eddie. "Eds, you ask that every time. I think you should just start assuming he's not, unless you hear otherwise. It's been a while, you know?"

Eddie sighed, forlorn. It's not the same without you here, Rich.