Wait For It || Reddie ✔️

- 8 -

Eddie had been stealing glances out of the window alongside watching the movie. Past the sheer white inner curtains, framed by long, heavy drapes, the clouds have thickened and converged along the horizon, easily swallowing up any blue. The sun had been dimmed. Wind blew hard and mighty into the house, screaming its high wail into the seams of the windows. 

 By the mid-way point of the movie, Eddie said, "Rich, I think it's gonna rain."

It took a second for Richie to peel his eyes away from the screen. He looked out the window and nodded his head to the side. "Yeah. Probably."

"Shouldn't I," Eddie had begun, his voice teetering on the edge of hesitation, "like, call my mom or something?"

Richie's attention snapped over. "For what?" he asked. "She gonna pick you up, or...?"

Eddie shrugged. "Or I could ask to sleepover?"

A smile broke against Richie's face. "I love that idea, Eds! First Eddie and Richie sleepover of the summer---Let's go!"

Huffing out a laugh, Eddie shook his head. He peeled away from Richie's side---they were close, yet not close enough to touch---and threw the quilt onto Richie. 

The Tozier household only had one landline. It sat in the foyer on a console table, surrounded by what Maggie had deemed as decorative. Eddie held the cold plastic up to his ear, listening to the low dial tone, before ringing his house. Richie divided his attention between the movie and Eddie's voice from the living room.

"Hi, ma. It's me ... Yeah, I know. That's why I'm calling--- ... Oh, no, I was actually thinking of sleeping over, maybe ... ... ... I'll take them tomorrow ... ... Ma," Eddie said in a harsh voice, then quickly doubled down. He dropped into a whisper, his words mixing in with the scripted conversation of the television, making it more than impossible for Richie to overhear. He strained and leaned and focused, but to no avail. Then: "Okay, bye ma. Yeah, love you, too."

Richie quickly sat into his original position, staring dumbly at the screen, pretending to be surprised when Eddie walked back into the living room. "So?" he asked, his voice hopeful. That spark only grew brighter when Eddie offered him a smile. 

"She said yes."

"Yippee!" Eddie laughed and sat back down on the couch, laughing harder when Richie threw his arms around the boy, pulling him into an awkward, bony hug. "This is gonna be the best night of your life, Eds. You won't regret it."

"Richie," Eddie whined, pushing him away. "Get off of me." Then: "And, I don't want any of your extravagant shit. Save that for the rest of the group." Eddie settled into the comforts of the couch, putting his attention back onto the movie. "You don't need to do all of that with me, you know."

"Oh," Richie replied, the word peeping out of him like a spill. "But, I want to!"

Eddie gave him a noncommittal shrug. "Only if you want to, Rich." He looked at Richie, their eyes connecting. With a look of full honesty, Eddie said, "I like you just the way you are. Well," he corrected, looking up at the ceiling, a teasing smile on his face, "sometimes."

Heat bloomed in Richie's chest, rushing up into his face and making the skin feel violently warm. "Yeah," Richie choked out. "Whatever." He huffed in a sarcastic way, leaning deeper into the cushions of the couch. "That's a good line. I'll use it on your mom later tonight."

Even though he did not catch it, he knew Eddie was rolling his eyes. 

/

The TV's screen was black once more; the plates were left in the sink; rain pelted the windows, as hard and sharp as bullets. Richie and Eddie laid in his room, both on the now made bed (Eddie refused to sit on it again when he found a sock, stained a light and dark gray with use. Richie had huffed and said a slew of curse words as he ripped his sheets off, the matching pair going flying when he flapped out the top sheet).

An old PBR radio played a local channel, softly pumping out the top 100s hits of the 80s. It sat on the upmost surface of a bookshelf, cluttered with figurines and lego sculptures and little green army men. Richie laid on his stomach, legs bent to kick his feet in the air, while Eddie sat against the wall, criss-cross. They were silent---which is a rarity---only because their attention was rapt to the glossy pages of comic books. 

Richie looked up at Eddie. He watched with a sense of curiosity and a small swell in his chest as Eddie's eyes moved around the page, flickering like how shadows dart across a waters surface. A smile forced its way onto Richie's face, and he dipped his chin to submit his gaze back to the comic book.

Just then, Eddie glanced over. The corners of his mouth picked up, just slightly, as he watched Richie read, the boys legs kicking back and forth.