𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 | 𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕕𝕚𝕖

chapter one: california dreamin'

The year was 1969 and inside the Kaspbrak household, the smallest Kaspbrak sat on his window sill, listening to his record player. The somber sound of 'California Dreamin'' played and serenaded him with its melancholy voice.

He went by the name of 'Eddie' although his mother, Sonia insisted on him being called 'Edward'. He hated being called anything besides 'Eddie', so it was lucky that his father, Frank agreed to call him what he wanted.

Sonia Kaspbrak, revealed her presence in the room with a clearing of her throat, "Edward, the Tozier's are coming over for dinner tonight." She declared, high and mighty with her fancy aura surrounding her.

Eddie loved his mother but he couldn't deny that she was overprotective and rude.

"Sounds like a drag." Eddie groaned, standing from his spot.

Sonia folded her arms in front of her large chest and made a noise of disapproval. "Sit up correctly, Edward."

"I told you to call me Eddie," he sat up in his chair, gazing longingly out the window. "My classmates say that Edward's an old man's name."

Sonia adjusted her large and ridiculous glasses and turned, "Frank! come down here!"

Sonia Kaspbrak was the most overprotective mother on the street. Not only did she love her small family but she also was incredibly wealthy. Wealthy enough to buy out a town if she wanted to.

"What is it, honey?" The tall, lanky man made his way into the room, his grey hairs glistening in the lamp light. His arm latched around Sonia as he listened in.

"Talk to him," Sonia said to Frank, nodding and walking downstairs to the kitchen where she was preparing the casserole for dinner.

Eddie made brief eye-contact with his father before turning back to the window, watching a black-haired boy and William Denbrough tossing a ball around in a yard.

"We want you on your best behaviour tonight, Eddie."

Frank was a lot nicer than Sonia. He could tell more than anyone else that his son was struggling with himself and who he was. After all, Frank questioned a lot when he was a teenager too.

"I don't know why we can't just eat dinner by ourselves every night," Eddie confessed. "I may as well just bug out."

'Bug out' was a phrase eddie learnt from his classmates. Whenever he wanted to leave, he'd say he was going to 'bug out'. He thought it made him seem cool.

"I can't keep up with how the kids speak today, Eddie." Frank laughed lightly, pinching the bridge of his nose, "you're a teenager. Soon enough, you'll move out with a beautiful woman and have kids of your own,"

Eddie almost screwed up his face at that.

"You know how your mother is with her job. She just needs to keep herself occupied or else she'll do something crazy." Frank smiled, causing Eddie's lips to turn up slightly.

"Besides, the Tozier's have a son your age," Frank patted his small son's back. "Richard, i think? You could become good friends."

"Yeah, maybe." Eddie said just as his song finished up on the record player.

"Now go put your good clothes on." Frank said, standing up to assist Sonia in preparing dinner.

Eddie stood, taking the needle off of his record and picking it up to place it back in its case. He wondered why he didn't like the sound of having a beautiful wife.

His mother and father thought he was just a late bloomer, but they'd heard stories. The stories were about crazy men who craved each other romantically and sexually. They'd end up killed or in asylums, treated with countless medications.