Wait For It || Reddie ✔️

- 11 -

Time passes and the conversation moves to something else. Something more personal than foot fetishes. "Guy, I have something to tell you," Mike said after the previous conversation started to die out. "What is it?" Bill asked.

A small smile came onto Mike's face. "It's embarrassing but.." Mike took in a deep breath before blurting out, "I have a crush on someone."

Excitement and curiosity was instantly sparked in the group. "What? Really?" Beverly said. "Well, w-who is it?" Bill asked and Richie nodded. "Yeah, who is it?"

Mike chuckled at their reactions. "Her name's Leona and she lives on the farm up the street from my Grandpa's." Beverly smiled and put her hands on her cheeks. "Tell us about her. Is she pretty?" She asked. Mike smiled and looked up to the sky. "The prettiest."

"Aww," Beverly cooed. "Leona and Mike- wait no, Mike and Leona," Ben said. "It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Stan agreed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Where did you meet her?" He asked. Mike shifted before diving into the story. He told the Losers how his grandpa asked him to go to the butcher shop and Leona came out from the backroom to greet him.

"I got what Grandpa asked me to get and I decided to stay a while and talk to her more. That's when I found out she lives up the street from my Grandpa's and she has two little sisters - who are twins - and she lives with her mom and her step-dad," Mike explained. The small smile never leaving his face. "Sounds like you really like her," Beverly said, her hands still pressed up on her cheeks as she gushed. "Yeah, I do."

"Did you get her number?" Stan asked and Mike shook his head. "I wasn't brave enough to ask.." Mike said and Richie flung his hands in the air. "Come on, dude. You gotta get the girl's number." Eddie nodded. "Yeah, Mike. You have to."

Mike bit his lip and looked at his friends. "You think so?" He asked and they all nodded. "If you want a chance with her you should get her number," Stan said. Mike thought about it for a second longer before nodding. "Okay," he said, a nervous smile sliding across his face. "I'll do it when I go home. I can stop by her house." Richie whoop!'d loudly and Stan told him to shut up.

"Why don't you shut up," Richie shot back. Stan narrowed his eyes and said, "I've barely said anything." Beverly turned around to look at him. "You're right, you've barely talked this whole time." Stan stared at her with narrowed eyes. "And?" He asked.

"Is there something wrong, Stan?" Mike asked after he agreed with Beverly. Stan shrugged and leaned against the bench. "Don't take this is wrong way, Mike.. but I always figured you to have a crush on a guy."

Beverly snorted loudly, bringing her hand to her mouth as she stared at Mike, trying her best not to laugh. Richie and Bill didn't refrain a bit and burst out laughing. Mike shrugged and looked over at Stan. "..No.. I have nothing against gay people, but I'm not that," Mike said slowly before eyeing the two who were laughing.

"What, Stan? Would you want Mike to like guys?" Richie asked as he wiggled his eyebrows. Stan made a face at Richie. "Do you ever shut up?" He asked. Ben straightened his back and asked, "Wait, so is it true Stan?"

"No!"

The group began to laugh, Mike included. Stan sighed and looked off into the distance. "I don't know why you're all ganging up on me today," he said. "First Richie with the foot fetish, now Ben with this! What's next?" Beverly tilted her head backwards and looked up at her friend with a grin. "We're sorry, Stan." He just shook his head.

Ben played with the corner of the leather book before speaking. "Well, statically speaking, in a group like this there should be at least two gay people." The group fell silent, especially Richie and Eddie. Their faces fell and the color slowly started to leave Richie's.

"That's- That's absurd," Richie said quickly to break the deafening silence - or at least to him it was deafening. "No one here is gay." Beverly pointed to him. "But you don't know that for sure," she said. Richie's heart pounded in his chest.

"I guess," Richie said slowly. He swallowed to break past the ball in his throat. Why was he getting so nervous and scared about this? They're only talking about gay people..

Richie felt someone staring at him and looked to his right. He met Eddie's eyes for a split second, him quickly looking away when he realized Richie took notice of his stares.

"Sexuality sounds confusing," Richie said. "Why can't everyone be straight? Save people from the mocking and confusion." Ben shrugged and Bill raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit homophobic, Richie," Stan said. Richie narrowed his eyes. "How?"

Stan turned to him and raised his voice. "Do you ever think about what comes out of your mouth? You just said everyone should be straight - which is homophobic." Richie became defensive and put his hands on his knees as he leaned forward. "That was not homophobic!

"Yes it was!"

The anxiety that bounced around in Richie's legs forced him to stand up. "I'm not homophobic. I'm probably the least homophobic person you'd ever meet!" The rest of the group sat in silence and watched as Stan and Richie argued. Ben attempted to butt in once or twice but failed.

"How's that, Richie?" Stan asked. "I'll- I'll," Richie sputtered and glanced around for an excuse. His eyes landed on Eddie. "I'll kiss Eddie! How homophobic does that sound?"

The Losers sat in stunned silence. Eddie opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out, his ears increasingly becoming more red. Beverly quickly stood up before Richie could realize what he had said and take it back. "I like that, yeah," she said, trying to hold back her smile. "Richie, kiss Eddie."

"WOAH, hold the fuck on," Eddie said and stood up. "When do I get a say in this?" Beverly looked at him and crossed her arms. "Like you'd refuse a kiss from Rich," she said. "I-" Eddie stared at her, wide eyed. "I don't know what you mean," he finally finished. Eddie looked down, desperately trying to avoid Richie's stares as Beverly rolled her eyes.

The other three Losers sat back and watched as it all unfolded. "What's happening again? I'm very lost," Ben said, looking back and forth between the two boys and Bev. "Richie's going to kiss Eddie," Bill said with an amused smile. Stan shook his head. "I was joking, but I won't hate to see Richie get what he deserves."

"And what's that?" Richie asked. "Embarrassment." Richie stuck his middle finger out at Stan.

"I'm sorry, Eds," Richie started and crossed his arms, "I know you want this but I'm kissing anyone." Eddie made a face and crossed his own arms. "As if I'd ever want to kiss you, dickwad."

Mike looked between the two. "Richie, I'm pretty sure you're the one who said you'd kiss Eddie," he said. "I was fucking joking! If you guys are so invested in this why don't any of you kiss Eddie?" Richie asked.

"But w-we weren't the- the ones who suggested it," Bill said and Ben agreed with him. Richie turned to Stan. "And you said everyone was ganging up on you."

The bickering from Richie continued on and Beverly sat down on the back of the bench, her feet on the seat. She leaned back and watched Richie. "Good job," she said quietly. Stan glanced at her and narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Was that supposed to be sarcasm?" he asked. She smiled and shook her head. "No. You gave them a way to confess their feelings for each other," she explained.

"What?" Stan asked, fully turning to her. "They don't have feelings for each other." Beverly raised an eyebrow and nodded her head to Richie and Eddie. The former started to go on about how he'd never, in a million years, kiss a boy. "No matter how much he wants it," Richie said. Bill's face fell when he sensed a bad joke coming on. "But these lips are reserved for Mrs. K and Mrs. K only." Eddie glared up at him.

"Oh," Stan said. "They do have feelings for each other!" He whispered over to Bev. An accomplished smile came over her lips as the two looked back over at Richie and Eddie.