Math Tutor 🥀 Reddie

Part 7

Colors faded from the huge screen as the movie's final scene came to a close. Richie turned his head lazily towards the seat beside him. The candy mountain was gone and Eddie was asleep. He'd drifted off near the end of the movie, but Richie had decided not to wake him.

Richie reached over and tapped him on the shoulder as the credits began to roll.  Lights from the screen danced across the smaller boy's face. 

"Hey Eds,"

He stirred, then his eyes opened.  For a second, they widened in a startled expression, as if he didn't remember where he was. 

"The movie's over," Richie informed him quietly.  Eddie's face changed as he recalled what had happened.  He looked proud of himself, and he was. 

You did it!  You snuck out!  Now you'll just have to find a way back in...

"My mom's gonna kill me," he said in an amused tone, rubbing his eyes.

"Damn," Richie laughed, "You do know how you're gonna get back inside, don't you?"

"Yeah, I have a key and my mom's a pretty deep sleeper."

Eddie pushed himself up from his chair and they both began gathering their trash to throw away.  Once they were done, and Eddie had candy wrappers piled nearly to his chin, the two went into the hallway.

They dumped the wrappers in the trash, then quietly made their way to the exit.  It wasn't an awkward silence.  More so, it felt peaceful.

"So," Eddie asked as they walked through the parking lot, "How'd the movie end?"

"Remember that dude from the beginning?" said Richie, "He dies."

"What? Really? He was like, the only good character."

"For real, but that happens in most horror movies. All the best characters die."

Eddie nodded, not wanting to mention that he'd never actually seen a horror movie before this.  Although, he figured that Richie already suspected so.

They rounded the corner onto a cracked sidewalk.  Tufts of grass peeked through the fissures. The green blades had started to fade into a dead-looking shade of brown.  It definitely felt like Autumn.

Fall had always been Richie's least favorite time of year.  In pictures, it looked beautiful.  People wore cozy sweaters and drank hot coffee that swirled with colors.  Fluffy trees were painted vibrant shades of red and orange, like a flame rising from a match.

In reality, Fall felt depressing.  Dreary skies and cold weather, bare trees, it wasn't exactly cheery.

But now, strolling down the sidewalk with Eddie by his side, he thought that maybe Fall wasn't so bad.  He remembered earlier that day, when Eddie had been walking to the ice cream shop with The Losers.  The freckles on his cold-nipped, rosy cheeks looked like constellations against a pink sunset.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head and it went away.

(A/N Ik this chapter is really short but the next one will be longer.  Remember to comment and vote!💛)