Ｓｐｉｎ ｔｈｅ Ｂｏｔｔｌｅ || Ｒｅｄｄｉｅ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 10 ~ ᴀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏ?!

ᴏᴋᴀʏ! ꜱᴏʀʀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ɴᴏᴛ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ!

 ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʙᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴇᴅ! 

ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ'ʟʟ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇʟʏ ᴅᴀʏ!

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"Okay so Eddie may be in a conversion therapy." Beverly was trying to get it through her head. She didn't think these horrid places existed anymore.

Richie nodded. He felt sick, not just because Eddie was gone, but because Richie felt like he was betraying Eddie's trust.

Eddie might not want to come out.

"So, if Eddie's at this... "therapy" thing... does that mean he's..." Mike began.

Richie pursed his lips and nodded again, he felt awful.

"H-H-How did M-M-Ms Kaspbrack find o-o-ou-"

"It's my fault!" Richie stood up, he felt tears forming at the edge of his eyes. "I-I-I went over to his house to study, but we ended up...making out..." The tears flowing steadily now over Richie face. He felt, for the first time for a long time, vulnerable.

The losers all looked to one another; they had figured after spin the bottle that there had been some tension.

Sexual tension.

Beverly stood up and wrapped her arms around Richie.

"It's not your fault Rich, it's that wretched old hag's fault. Don't go blame yourself okay?" Richie just cried harder; a weight had lifted off his shoulders. A weight hat had been festering for over 10 years, a weight full of dread and fear.

But now he was free.

He had finally left the dingy closet which he had been hiding in.

"Yeah Toizer, no one cares if you like dick." Ben enveloped them both, Richie laughed.

"It's okay Richie." Mike joined the hug.

Stan and Bill came next, and Richie never felt more loved.

"It's the confession circle." Richie sniffled.

Stan and Bill looked at each other and sighed.

"Uh... well... if we're all confessing... um..." Stan looked at Bill pleadingly, pursing his lips. All of the losers were intrigued.

"S-S-S-Stan and I have b-been d-d-d-dating for 3 months n-now." Bill finished; his cheeks tainted red.

There was a collective gasp from the group.

"How the fuck did we not know that?!" Richie squealed, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"We're just better at hiding it, unlike you and Eddie." Stan rolled his eyes. "Speaking of which, let's go save him."

The losers broke apart and Richie felt a little more hopeful.

"Hey S-S-Stan, you owe me $50." Bill smiled sweetly at his boyfriend, they had made a bet that Richie and Eddie were going to get together ages ago.

Stan rolled his eyes and handed the money to Bill.

Beverly, who was scrolling through her phone, yelled triumphantly, making the rest of the losers jump, "I found where Eddie is! The closest church thing is the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. They specialize in bible groups and therapy, which says it's to make your child closer to god. I guess it's code word for praying the gay away."

Richie was already running to his car, the rest of the losers following in pursuit.

"Directions Bev, NOW!"

Everyone crammed into Richie's car, it was a tight squeeze, but they managed.

"How far is it?" Richie turned to Bev, who was in the passenger seat.

"A couple of days, why?"

"We can think of a plan on the way."

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"In here faggot!" the guard threw Eddie into a small pristine room with two blue beds on either side. He fell to the cold concrete floor, Eddie winced, but stood back up immediately.

"No!" he screamed, as he rammed into the locked door.

"Let me out!" he sobbed, clutching onto bars on the window part of the door.

"They won't let you out newbie." A voice interrupted him.

Eddie whipped back around to face a light blond headed girl, he frowned.

"Aren't girls and boys meant to be in different rooms...?"

The girl laughed. A cold metallic laugh that echoed around the room, bouncing off the walls.

"Not in here sweetie... they want to turn us straight, remember?" she replied indifferently. She motioned for him to sit down next to her and through Eddie's haze of tears he did.

"I'm Alice." She held out her hand. Eddie shook it hesitantly and replied, "Eddie."

"So, what are you in for?" Eddie pursed his lips. He didn't know if he wanted to say.

"I know you may feel uncomfortable talking about your man or your gender, but it's the only thing that will keep us sane." Eddie stared at her.

The tone of voice in which she said it was... unnerving...

Alice sighed, disturbing Eddie's thoughts.

"I'll go first then," she rolled her eyes. "Her name was Leela...she was beautiful. Not just in the way she looks... but her soul. My dad he...he..." she paused and took a deep breath in, then continued. "He saw Leela and I kiss. Dad, he... accepted us. I was really happy." Tears were starting to flow steadily down her face. Eddie reached for her hand, Alice took it gratefully and began again, "When Leela left he... slapped me across the face and told me I was disgusting... then... he sent me here."

Alice was sobbing, Eddie close to. He wrapped his arms around her, and she cried into his shoulder.

I owe it to her, Eddie thought, to tell her my own story.

"Well," he sniffled. "It all started with spin the bottle."

Eddie recounted the wonderful journey he had had with Richie, from the quarry, to his bedroom, all of it was so beautiful.

Remembering Richie and his deep chocolate eyes that you would get lost in. his stupid fucking jokes. And the nicknames, oh how he loved the nicknames. From 'Eds' to 'Edward Spaghettward' he loved them all.

"I loved him," He finished, tears were pooling down his red face. "I really him and now I don't know if I'll ever see him again."

Alice and Eddie were sobbing, curled into one another and leaning on each other for support that they had needed so dearly. Whatever happened next, Eddie knew that he had made a lifelong friend, from just one conversation. 

"HEY! Fags!"

The two teens jumped apart at the sound of the harsh words that they fear.

"It's time for his first treatment."

Eddie looked from the cruel venoms smile to Alice's shut eyed pain.

"Good luck." She finally reopened her eyes and, god, the pain and emotional truma behind them.

Eddie mouth turned into a horrified 'O' at the thought of something that would cause that much pain to bring the memory up.

He felt strong rough arms grab him and he screamed.