𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 | 𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕕𝕚𝕖

chapter four: white rabbit

The waitress returned to the boys' both with a strawberry milkshake with two straws.

Eddie's face burned hot as the milkshake and the fries were set down between the two of them and Richie clicked his tongue, looking at the girl's name tag which said 'Beverly' on it. "Thanks, Bev."

"No problem." She smirked and strutted away as if she knew something the two of them didn't. 'White Rabbit' began to play from the jukebox, igniting a fiery joy in Eddie's brain.

Eddie hummed along to the bass riff, Richie watching on with a satisfied, smug look on his face.

"Maybe you should just drink the milkshake and I'll eat some fries." Eddie thought out loud.

"It's just a milkshake." Richie joked, but didn't earn a laugh from Eddie.

"Momma says I'll get a disease if I share drinks with someone."

"Are you accusing me of having a disease?" Richie pretended to look offended and Eddie looked apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I'm only kidding, Eds." Richie reassured the small boy, "you can have the milkshake, I didn't really want it anyway," he pushed the milkshake towards Eddie and ate some fries.

Eddie took one of the straws in his mouth and drank some of the milkshake, smiling contentedly.

He paused, wondering if Richie was parched.

He offered the other straw to Richie. "Drink?"

Richie smiled and his eyebrow twitched, "you sure?"

"Positive." Eddie said.

The boys began to share the milkshake and at that point, Eddie didn't really mind if he got a disease from it. Not really. He would accept it with open arms like a drought embracing a rainstorm.

Once they'd finished, Richie pointed something out, "you- kind of have a little something-" he pointed to the corner of Eddie's lip, but ended up leaning in anyway.

He wiped the remainder of the milkshake from Eddie's lip and licked it without even realising it.

Eddie's face got even redder somehow.

A man could be heard clearing his throat.

The two boys turned and looked at the man in front of them with the name 'Alvin Marsh' on his name tag. "You two done bein' homosexuals? Pay and leave."

Eddie frowned. That wasn't the first time he'd been called a homosexual. Many people at his school called him girly and prissy, implying much worse things.

Richie looked angry, but nodded. "We're not homosexuals, but we'll gladly leave, budd-o." Richie pulled a few dollars out of his pocket, slammed it on the table, and grabbed Eddie's hand, pulling him out of the diner.

"We should get back on the road." Richie said.

★

They'd been driving for at least a few hours, just going where the road took them.

"What's a secret you've never told anyone?" Richie asked Eddie, wanting to fill the silence.

"Well, I don't know if this is any good but one time I was dancing around in my mother's heels," he giggled, "and I fell down the stairs and nearly broke my arm."

Richie laughed, "mother's heels, huh?"

"What's a secret you've never told anyone?" Eddie asked the tall boy next to him.