learning // reddie

eleven: 1994's Fireworks

GUYS THE MEME OMG

*TIME SKIP: NEW YEAR'S EVE.*

  eddie's point of view: third person.

  Eddie scrambled out of bed, alone for the first time in a long time. He was excited, for today was New Year's Eve, and Sonia had agreed to participate in the Tozier's Annual New Year's party. Now feeling free of his mother, whose recently released some boundaries that she used to hold, he turned the stereo in his room on, the song "No Scrubs" by TLC flooding his room. Dancing around his room, he pranced to his closet, carefully considering his options. His clothes variety had widened since Christmas; his mother was freely letting him dress, only with some restriction, to keep him safe. He plucked a pastel orange sweater out of his closet and light-washed "mom jeans" out of the wardrobe, smiling slightly. His mom had gotten him the sweater willingly, even offering to pay for it.
  "I'll pay you back, momma, I promise!" Eddie gushed, giving her a big hug. Sonia only smiled, her dimples showing. Eddie hadn't seen her dimples in a while, so they shocked him a bit before he recovered. Now, he danced his way into the bathroom he shared with Sonia, bringing the handle to his comb up to his lips, as if it were a microphone. Experimentally shaking his hips, he sung out to the lyrics, waving his finger in the air. It was only when Sonia caught him was when he stopped, mouth half-open, ready to sing the next lyric. She stared at him for a second before laughing. Eddie's lips broke into a smile. His mom was laughing. "It's not funny!" he exclaimed, putting the comb down and began trying to push his mom out the doorway, but she wouldn't budge. Instead, she laughed harder, bringing her fingers to her eyes to dramatically wipe fake tears away.
  She chuckled as she walked away, the shocking but pleasant noise fading away. He turned back to the mirror, teasing the comb through his hair. He'd started to let it grow out, creating cute curls in the process. Now at his ears, the curls were thick and chocolate-colored. He decided to let it grow when Richie complimented his hair exactly two weeks ago, running a hand through it. "Your hair would look pretty if it were long," Richie uttered, and his eyes widened in embarrassment, "Not that it doesn't now! I was just- saying that-that it'd look curlier and-" he tried to add on, but Eddie cut him off with a smile. "I know, doofus. Thanks," he replied, shaking his head with a little grin.
  Smiling at the thought of Richie, Eddie used the wand brush that his mom used to curl little waves into his hair, his lips never frowning. The song shuffled, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" turning on. Once more reminded of Richie, the boy swooned, sighing in bliss as he recalled every waking moment he spent with the tall boy. Boldly, he took the lipgloss his mom had bought him in secret out of the second to the bottom drawer; it was a clear lipgloss, but gloss nonetheless. Tentatively, he opened the tube, lathering it onto his top and bottom lips. He eyed himself in the mirror and he looked... Good. Eddie would never admit to it, but if you were to look at him, you'd stop to take another glance; he was just that good looking. He was peculiar in a sense that made you want to see more, look more.
  Eddie and Sonia were supposed to be over at Richie's house at five p.m, and it was only 4:05 p.m, so Eddie switched the television on, the show "Hey Arnold!" coming to life. He watched it absentmindedly, for his mind was really on Richie. His hair, his jaw, (Eddie often thought about Richie's jawline, and how good it'd be to kiss), and his lips. Often, Eddie was caught daydreaming of the boy, and even found himself enamored by Richie's quirky personality, oddly enough. Smiling again, his cheeks began to hurt, but he couldn't help it; he was just too excited! Bouncing his leg up and down, his mother startled him as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Eddie-Bear. You look jittery," she commented, rubbing her fingers on his back. He sighed, resting his cheek on his palm. "I don't know, momma. I just feel so restless!" he complained, a slight whine edging his voice. he pouted at his mother.
She smiled slightly as she slipped on her heels, shoes she hadn't worn in years. "Don't worry; I'm a bit nervous, too. This is my first get-together in six years!" she reminded him, sending a bewildered expression his way. Eddie's pout quickly faded, concern holding his face hostage. "Are you sure you'll be okay there? I guarantee you most of the adults plan on getting drunk-" he began, but his mother shushed him. "I'll be fine. Besides, you've been chattering about meeting Richie's friends all week. It'll be good for the both of us," she assured him, running her thumb along the bone of his cheek. He chewed his lip, weighing his options. "Okay, momma. But if you want to leave, we can whenever," he said, and left her alone.
Now, it was 4:57 p.m and Eddie was beyond nervous. Richie had told him that he'd invited his friends, and that Eddie would get to meet them; but, what if they didn't like him? What if they thought he was... Weird? For being gay? What if they shut him out- "Eddie, lets go, dear," Sonia called from the front door, and Eddie shivered against the cold almost-January air that flooded in from the door being open. Clambering out of the door, his breath looked like smoke, trailing upwards towards the sky. In front of him, Richie's decorated house dared him to approach it, bright lights illuminating the windows, music blaring from within. "Here we go," Eddie muttered, and looked both ways across the street before crossing. His heartbeat fluttered in his chest, rapidly beating, like a rabid animal captivated in a cage. Finally, he made it to the red door, stuck like superglue to the floor. He licked his lips, and raised a fist to knock, but the door opened quicker than he could. In front of him stood a girl with red, curly hair wisping around her ears. Freckles lay on her nose and cheeks, all the way down her forearms, and Eddie wanted to play connect-the-dots with them.
Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled. "Hey! You must be Eddie, right?" she spoke, bright teeth showing. He nodded, speechless. "Great. We're all inside, and Richie's up with Stan and Mike in his room," she winked, and shook her head, "God, I'm stupid. My name's Beverly!" she added on eagerly, sticking her hand out to shake. Eddie took it, still captivated by how blue her eyes were, even in the almost-darkness of night. Beverly guided him into the house, and Eddie greeted a few people before sliding up the stairs, heart beating faster than ever. Nearing Richie's room, he could hear the chatter, and could easily identify the tall boy's voice. "What if he's not coming?" Richie whined in a fretful tone, and another voice groaned. "Richie, he's coming! He already confirmed it, you numb-nut," the voice grumbled, sass filled, and Eddie smirked. Numb-nut? That's new.
Eddie softly knocked on Richie's door, and the wood opened faster than the Flash himself, revealing three boys, one of them Richie. "Eds!" he exclaimed, his voice extremely loud. The older boy tackled Eddie, and the asthmatic was clouded with cheap men's cologne and the smell of soap. It wasn't too overwhelming; quite subtle, actually, and Eddie was surprised. Richie was usually one to douse himself in scents of cologne. Eddie sighed blissfully, the soft fabric of Richie's plain black hoodie rubbing against his cheek. "Hi, Rich," he squeaked, wincing at how his voice was abnormally high. Downstairs, countless people screamed lyrics to some rap song that had just been released, so hopefully, it masked the sound of Eddie's voice crack.
Richie turned around, his hold on Eddie tightening. Using one arm to point, he introduced Eddie to his friends. "This is Mike," Richie announced, pointing to a dark-skinned, kind-eyed boy. Mike waved and smiled, his eyes twinkling. Eddie immediately took a liking to him. Richie shifted a bit, and turned to introduce the blonde, curly-headed boy next to Mike. "And this.. He's Stan," Richie mused, sounding rather unexcited. Stan offered a small grin and a light finger-wave, to which Eddie returned cautiously. "Where's Bill?" Stan asked, his voice sounding extremely guarded. Richie shrugged, his eyebrows raised. "Probably downstairs getting drunk. I saw him flirting with another-" he began, about to tease Stan, but the Jewish boy dashed down the stairs faster than you could say "boy."
Richie laughed, and Eddie's ears practically tuned everything else out but that sound. It was music to his ears, a song he wished he could hear forever. Before Eddie could register it, there was ten minutes until midnight. An auburn-haired boy with green eyes burst into the room, who Eddie had come to know was Bill. "Guys, come on! We're doing the count down soon!"

"Ew, don't couples kiss whenever the clock strikes twelve?" Mike asked, feigning a gag. Was it just a coincidence that both Richie and Eddie happened to look at each other when Mike mentioned a kiss?