𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 | 𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕕𝕚𝕖

chapter nineteen: aquarius/let the sunsine in

Richie forgot how much he enjoyed the company of hippies even with such little time he spent with them. Although many of them had absurd personalities, they had so much heart that no one could deny a conversation with them.

He wanted so badly to pay more attention to their antics and thrilling stories, but he kept having a recurring thought.

Eddie could be related to Jane.

Richie knew it was totally batshit-crazy, but he couldn't deny the clear resemblance they held with each other. It was actually plausible.

Altogether, Richie and Eddie had only seen Jane for about 10 minutes. They were very well aware that she was strange and suspicious but they had no clue why, until now that is. How did she even know they were related anyway? How did she meet Greta and the hippies? Why did her dad come along? Nothing made sense, but Richie knew that he couldn't let Eddie be his little gullible self and only see the good in people.

"So, Richie, what've ya been up to!" Mike cheerily sang, caressing Stan's shoulder.

"Same old, same old." Richie couldn't help but grin despite his cloudy thoughts filling up his brain like smoke into the sky.

"You mean pining after your friend?" Stan sassily spoke, earning a slight look of bewilderment from Mike.

Richie was not surprised that Stan said that, "that's fair."

"Man, you would not believe the adventures we've had since you were gone!" Mike smiled his handsome smile and reached into a bag to pull out a black and white photo. He held the photo up to Richie's sight and sighed, "you see that? That shit's unreal!" The photo featured Stan front-and-centre (with Mike obviously taking the photo) with a large bird sat on top of his head.

"Do you see that bird, Rick? It was a life-changing experience-" Stan spoke with amazed laughter.

"Wait- did you just call me Rick?"

★

"This is completely crazy, I barely know you!" Eddie was frustrated, his frail fingers weaving through his hair in utter confusion. "How can you know that we're related if you just saw me once?"

The two teenagers could hear the faint but powerful 'Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In' all the way from the van where Richie sat. Eddie felt guilty from the way that he spoke to Richie, but he had bigger fish to fry.

"Well, it started out as a weird connection I felt to you," Jane began, her father speaking to Greta privately behind her. "And then I decided to find out more. I had little time, but I managed to figure out that you are a fugitive."

"I wouldn't say a fugitive," Eddie brushed it off and laughed, flailing a hand into the air carelessly. "Just a revolutionary." He kept a brave face on, ready to push aside his meek and gullible demeanour. "But how does that help you with finding a connection between us? Your last name isn't Kaspbrak, it's Hopper, isn't it?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, but I don't think that your last name is meant to be Kaspbrak."

Eddie thought for a moment. Could it really be true? No, it couldn't. It was blasphemy.

"What do you mean?" Eddie laid his hands onto his hips, looking ready to pounce.

"We think you might be a Hopper." Jane spoke slowly and calmly.

It seemed that time slowed to a stop, which was insane. Eddie felt his heart rate pick up and his blood pressure rise. No amount of dieting or exercise could stop the heart attack feeling rushing through his body like shame through a sinner.

Jane took the time slowing with ease and took a moment to really let the reality of the situation seep into her mind. The two truly held similarities with each other too.

"A Hopper?" Eddie allowed himself to be his gullible self and accepted that he probably wasn't a Kaspbrak at all. That was completely okay with him though. His parents were that of a strange species. And every day that Eddie spent with them, the more he felt like an explorer documenting his extraordinary findings in the wilderness. "You're just a random girl, I shouldn't trust you. What, are you saying that I'm your brother."

Jane slowly nodded, "yes." Eddie looked down, knowing in his heart that it all made sense. "I don't expect you to believe me, but I just had to find you because I had to warn you."

Eddie's face came back up to meet Jane's, "warn me of what?"

"Two boys came into the diner and I overheard them talking about you and Richie. They were saying awful things." Jane began. "Things like hurting you and killing you. The black-haired one was a maniac, but the blond one seemed a little hesitant."

The world slowed for the second time that day, but only Eddie felt it.

"We have to keep driving." Eddie spoke with panic filling his brain. He already started to speed-walk to the good vibed van where Richie was worrying inside.

When the van door flung open, the hippies jumped out of shock for a ruffled-looking Eddie was aching to get the hell out of there. "Richie, we have to leave now." He was out of breath but didn't reach for his inhaler.

Richie didn't hesitate to crawl out of the van. He knew by then that when Eddie sounded serious, he had to follow every rule he had. That's just how much Richie trusted him.

"What about us? Want us to tag along?" Greta spoke with her arms folded.

"Two freaks are after us. We don't need to involve more people." Eddie was frantic, but Richie didn't want to question it.

"Eddie, baby, what's going on?" Richie tugged on Eddie's hand.

"No time to explain, we need to get the hell out of here." Eddie was nearly screeching out of fear, knowing that bullies could be anywhere from an hour away to a minute.

Richie nodded and waved solemnly to the hippies who the boys had to leave so soon yet again. He jumped into Mike Wheeler's car and flipped the ignition as Eddie climbed in, holding the bags of belongings that Stan had handed him.

Greta called Stan crazy for keeping Eddie and Richie's stuff safe when they went missing, but he just knew that they would meet again.

Jane watched her brother and his 'friend' drive off into the distance and sighed. It was such a shame that she couldn't have just hid the boys away and finally had some friends to talk to.

It was such a shame that Eddie didn't have time to question his family tree.

Sonia was bogus anyway.

★

"Patrick, maybe this isn't such a good idea. We're going through all this trouble for two measly homos. Let's just go back to Stonewall-" Henry Bowers was seated next to Patrick Hockstetter, who drove ferociously through the suburbs of Iowa fuelled with rage and a mission.

"Nope, you know I can't let go of a challenge, Henry." Patrick smiled his horrific smile and went even faster down the streets.

"Why don't we just take a rest stop?" Henry pointed to the gas station nearing them, but then noticed the large crowd made up of hippies, an adult man, and a strange teenage girl.

"That might not be such a bad idea, Hen." Patrick smirked yet again.

Henry was already aware of his loss of status, but he was starting to realise that if he backed out, maybe he would be yet another victim of Patrick Hockstetter.

At least Henry had emotions.

Patrick didn't have any.