The Aftermath (Reddie)

55

Richie's POV

"Eddie!" I exclaimed again.

He shushed me, "I don't have a lot of time before my mom interrupts," he whispered.

"Oh, sorry."

Then he laughed. The goddamn kid laughed, "Nah I'm just kidding, my mom's taking a bath right now to try to drown herself to escape from her disappointment of a child."

I said nothing. This kid...

"Richie? You still there?"

I sighed, big time, "you are lucky that you're cute Eds."

I smiled, I hoped he was smiling too. But at the same time I didn't because I didn't want to miss seeing it.

"You know, there's not much high school left," Eddie's voice was much softer. Louder than a whisper, but somehow still soft.

"I know Eds, I know Eds."

He didn't even try to fight the nickname.

I wished so badly that I could see him, that I could hold his hand even.

"Will you..." the break in his voice shattered my heart, "will you promise to come and rescue me from my mother as soon as high school is over?" He sniffed.

Shit Eds, I had just stopped crying. Great, my eyes were starting to water.

"Of course Eddie," I realized then that I was holding the phone very close to my face. Like I was pretending it was actually Eddie, like I was with him, "You'll be all I will think about."

Eddie snorted, "real romantic Rich," then he sighed again, "but...same...same thing to you."

"Aw," I cooed, "is someone embarrassed to admit their feelings?"

"Fuck you," sassy Eddie was coming out, "you make it so hard to like you."

I was grinning.

He liked me.

Eddie actually liked me.

"I'll miss you Richie."

"I know," I blamed my confidence on Eddie saying he liked me.

You'd think we would continue to talk, to crack jokes and savor the little time we had. You'd think we would want to make each other laugh, to hear each other happy before the crippling sadness came storming in.

But we didn't.

Instead we just sat there in silence. I was leaning up against the wall in my kitchen, lamely twirling the cord in my fingers.

I could only hear his soft breath through the speaker.

Was it pathetic that my heart was fluttering at each exhale? I didn't even care if it was, I felt peace again. Like his breathing was one of those ticking things they used for music. Whatever the fuck they were called.

"We can still call you know," Eddie broke the silence, and my trance.

"Yeah, its a good thing we weren't born in the stone age," I cracked.

I faintly could hear Eddie chuckle, I know he didn't like to laugh at my jokes. There was shame or something for him. But I was fucking funny so its not like he can control his laughter.

"Shit," Eddie cursed.

"What's up?"

Eddie groaned, "I think my mom just drained her bath."

"Fuck."

"I should...I should go."

"No wait," I was reluctant for him to hang up, to leave my life for god knows how long.

I felt so scared, so fucking scared to lose someone who had meant so much for me. I literally knew this kid before my balls dropped.

I could hear Eddie's breathing, confirming that he was still there and listening.

"You know, I wish we had had more time to hang out," I muttered, "because then it would be more appropriate for me to say I love you." I sighed.

I heard Eddie suck in his breath.

"So for now I will just say, I really really like you Eddie, and I hope that...one day...I can say I love you in person," I was even crying now. It was pathetic how much this kid affected me.

"Fuck you Richie," his voice was breaking, "you have to be so cheesy? You have to be like a genuine person right now?"

I almost laughed at how distressed he was.

"You know Eds-"

"Eddie!"

The name was muffled through the phone, but I knew it had been screamed by his lard of a mother.

"Fuck!" Eddie cursed.

"Eddie!" the call again.

"Richie I have to go, I'm so sorry, I really-"

The line went dead.

Eddie was gone.

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Sorry I didn't post last night, shit is getting busy.

I really want to see Frozen II. Like really badly.

Also, I will have more time to write in the upcoming days. Mondays and Tuesdays are really hard for me to find time to write...