the kissing bridge [reddie+stenbrough]

11

"What's wrong, Eddie?,"

Eddie's mom asks. Eddie turns to her, "Why did you say Richie's sick?"

She sighs, "Because he is. I mean, the way his parents raised him, I'm not surprised. But I would never do that to you."

"What's wrong with him? You know, since you clearly know him better than I do, even though he's my best friend," Eddie says, annoyed.

"I heard that Bowers boy say it yesterday at the store, that he was trying to flirt with his cousin, who was a boy. But, you wouldn't do that, would you?"

Eddie took a deep breath. He started to get nervous and felt tears rolling down his cheeks. "What if I said I liked boys And that I've kissed a boy before?," his voice was shaking, "Richie's not sick, and I'm not, either."

"Eddie, you're lying. You're not sick, I know you're not," she tried to hug Eddie, but he pulled away, "Don't fucking touch me." He put as much of his medicine that would fit inside his fanny pack and left.

///

"Hey, Eddie, what's up?"

Stan greets Eddie as he climbs into the clubhouse. Stan was in the hammock with Bill, and Mike was sitting on the floor. Eddie sits down on the floor next to Mike and pulls his knees up to his chest. "I think I'm gonna have to stay here for a while," Eddie mumbles.

"W-What happened?," Bill asks, moving down to the floor next to Eddie. "I got into a fight with my mom," Eddie's voice cracks, "I don't want to say what it was about."

"You don't have to tell us, don't worry," Mike says, "And you could stay with one of us if you want to." "Thanks, Mike," Eddie smiles at him. Bill and Mike hug Eddie, and Stan joins in. Stan and Mike feel someone else join the hug.

"I have no clue what we're hugging about, but I just wanted to join," Beverly jokes. Everyone looks at Beverly, except for Eddie. Ben, who was following behind Beverly, also joins in the hug, and asks, "Who wants to go to the quarry today?"

They break up the group hug and Bill asks Eddie, "Eddie, d-do you want to c-c-come?"
Eddie looks up at the losers and says, "I'll meet you guys there. I told Richie I would go back to his house before he wakes up."

///

As Richie is on his way to the clubhouse, he passes the kissing bridge, noticing the carving of the letter 'R' inside of the heart. He stops and looks at it for a while before sitting down in front of it. He sits criss cross with his elbows on his knees, resting his head on his hands.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Richie looks up and sees Eddie looking down at him.