→𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 ༄ 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘦

one

Friday, September 23rd

Hey!
Sent 7:00pm

I'm just now leaving class, was wondering if we could hang out tonight?
Sent 7:00pm

It's cool if you want some time alone though, lol.
Sent 8:10pm

Richie
Hey Eddie, Sorry I didn't answer earlier, I was busy.
Sent 1:07am

Oh it's fine. I'm back at our dorm now anyways.
Sent 1:08am

Richie
K. Gn.
Sent 2:01am

Saturday, September 24th

Good morning Rich!! :)
Sent 10:05am

I know you're probably super busy, and that's why we haven't hung out recently, but do you want to maybe go get food or something later today?
Sent 10:05am

Or do you need space? I'm sorry if I've been clingy recently.
Sent 10:30am

Richie
I'm really really busy rn. You have other friends, just see if Stan or Beverly wants to go do something. Sorry.
Sent 12:17pm

You've had too much of me. I get it.
Sent 12:18pm

Are you coming back to our dorm tonight?
Sent 12:18pm

Richie
I dunno. Don't wait up, i'm with Sandy.
Sent 12:30pm

Who even is that?
Read 12:35pm

Eddie frowned, throwing his phone onto his bed. He bit his cheek and tried to fight the hot tears threatening to spill from his eyes as he walked to his desk in his small dorm room. He sat down at his desk and opened his computer, mindlessly scrolling through YouTube and Twitter looking for a distraction. Richie had been ignoring him and pushing him away since a couple of weeks ago, and he didn't have the slightest idea why. He had tried subtly prodding Richie for answers, and inviting him out more often to see if he'd change, but to Eddie's dismay Richie seemed to be tapped out of the conversations, zoned in on something else that had nothing to do with whatever everyone else was preoccupied with.

Eddie couldn't understand Richie for the life of him. Beverly had suggested having a straightforward conversation with Richie, but Eddie didn't want the boy to think he was obsessing over him. He decided instead of telling Richie how he felt, he would continue to push him to interact with their friend group until he broke out of his shell again.

And, alas, Eddie had finally pushed Richie too far. The phrase 'You have other friends' kept repeating in his head. ' Yeah Richie, of course I have other friends! But I want to hang out with you! You're my favorite!' Eddie was surprised at that last thought. Richie isn't his favorite! Yeah, he doesn't hate being called Ed's like he says he does, and he really enjoys when Richie hugs him and he can smell his cheap cologne and the cigarettes he smoked outside just a minute ago with-

'Nevermind, he's my favorite.' Eddie told himself, finally admitting what he had been putting off since he had met Richie, in a town that was determined to keep them apart. He didn't understand why he was so drawn to Richie, or why, out of all of his childhood friends, he chose to get attached to Richie.

Richie! of all people. The same Richie who childishly made fun of him every waking moment of his entire childhood. The same Richie who couldn't go a day without reminding Eddie how much he wanted to do 'things' with his mother.

Ah, his mother. She'd hated Richie since he first showed up at their doorstep. A small 8 year old boy, wanting to know if his new neighbor could play. Eddie remembered how much he begged and begged his mother to allow him to go outside.