Things "Best Friends" Do

{8} Frigid Nights

Richie's running, twigs slash at his face like claws and branches reach out like hungry arms His lungs burn and his legs are on fire. The cold stings his bare body, his blue lips heaving. Richie sobs, he can't stop running from the... thing that's chasing him. A twisted version of Eddie, broken bones and twisted limbs that have been shaped to form something that's entirely... not Eddie. His blood-shot eyes bulge out of his sunken and pale shallow face. His bloody, mangled lips curling into a sneer so vile, that alone might make Richie puke. Black drool drips down it's face, pooling at his claw-like nails. The not-Eddie runs on all fours and Richie can hear it crashing behind him, getting closer by the second.
'Rich?'
Richie slows, 'Eddie?!' It sounds like him! His clear angelic voice rings out, covering up the sound of thundering feet on the forest floor.
"E-Ed's?!" Richie stumbles along, picking up speed again as he hears heavy thumps and cracking sticks behind him, "Eddie?!" Richie runs faster trying to find the voice that's reaching out to him but the sound bounces off the trees confusing him. He turns every which way, rocks tripping him and thorns lashing out sticking to his clothes and skin.
"Richie?"
"Eddie I-I can't- I don't know where you are!" Richie's shaking all over from fright and the stinging coldness, the sound of pounding feet still very present and getting closer. His heart is beating out of his chest and he's dripping sweat despite the cold. Richie quickly retreats behind a tree, he tries to slow and quiet his breathing and concentrate as to where the voice is coming from. He's so concentrated he can't hear footsteps anymore.
"I'm behind you Rich..." The voice whispers.
A stick cracks in the silence and Richie wheels around, "Ed's there you a-"
The not-Eddie towers over Richie, it's black tongue lolling and spitting hot tar. It rolls off its cracked and blue lips, hitting the grass. The ground sizzles on impact and Richie cowers.
The figure takes a step closer on its thorn-stuck and blistered bare feet, It hacks up a black loogie and spits it at the trembling boys feet, "Wanna kiss Richie?"

Richie wakes with a start, he falls out of the hammock, landing onto his back which knocks out his breath. Richie wheezes for air and claws at the floor for his glasses.
"Richie?" Eddie's fluff of hair  appears over the side of the hammock, followed by a groggy voice "What hap- OH MY GOD ARE YOU OKAY?" Eddie swings his legs over and sits on the floor, "Just breathe in and out c'mon you got it Rich." Eddie frantically searches for his inhaler, "This will help... here." Richie nods and grabs the inhaler, sucking in the hospital-tasting air that comes out. Eddie holds Richie tight, his short- but manicured - nails slightly digging into his light skin. Richie's breathing slows and he hugs Eddie, "Sorry..."
"No need to be." Eddie replies, "What happened?" Eddie picks up Richie's glasses from under the hammock and hands them to him.
Richie looks away and pushes up his glasses, "Nothing. Just a dream." Richie quickly smiles and jumps up, "But I'm fine now thanks to you Eddie Spaghetti!" Richie hold out both of his hands, "C'mon get up Kaspbrak."
Eddie rolls his eyes and huffs, "Okay fine..." Eddie grabs Richie's outstretched hands and jumps up.
"Let's dance Eds!"
"There's no music though..."
"Are you serious?" Richie deadpans.
Eddie nods.
"Oh my lord... you really are a buzzkill." Richie pulls him directly below the entrance where the moon shines a spotlight down on the two of them. "Just groove. We don't need music for that!"
Richie shakes his hands out and does the salsa with a smile plastered into his face. "C'mon Eds, sing for me!"
"Nu-uh." Eddie crosses his arms and points to the small rusty radio perched in the corner of the clubhouse, "If you really want to 'groove' use that. 'Cuz I'm not singing."
"Alright! Nice Eds!" Richie grabs it and switches to a random channel, "I love this song!" I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigners is leaking through the speakers. "Dance with me Eddie? Please?"
Eddie rolls his eyes, "Fine, but only because I like this song..." He grabs Richie's hands again and Richie pulls him closer. He winks and Eddie blushes.
Then all of a sudden he realizes where they are, and how long they've been there. Eddie freezes, his mouth formed in a small 'o'.
"What?" Richie asks. His hands drop to his sides.
Eddie gestures to the clubhouse, "Hello?! Do you realize where we are right now?! And-" He checks his watch, "It's three in the fucking morning!! Oh my god... Richie holy shit It's three in the morning and we-we SLEPT TOGETHER IN A FUCKING HAMMOCK IN THE-fucking... oh my lord! RICHIE IT'S AUGUST! IT'S FREEZING OH MY- oh my god...my moms gonna kill me oh my lord RICHIE MY MOMS GONNA KI-" Richie covers Eddie's mouth.
"Will you stop yelling!" Richie uncovers Eddie's wet lips, "Just.. calm down, I'm sure your mom didn't even realize you were gone!"
"QUIT MAKING JOKES RICHIE!" Eddie grabs his inhaler and takes a puff, his legs already pacing the floor.
"I'm not making a joke I'm serious. I mean just think, you said you were at Bill's house, and you never told her exactly when you were coming home- so why wouldn't she just think you were still at Bill's? It's as simple as that Eds. Just calm down and for the love of the lord please quit fucking yelling." Now Richie's ranting and his mouth is moving a mile a minute, "It echoes in here and it's fucking loud and we were having a great time until you-well- you had to ruin it! WHATEVER... and I'm tired. I just want to be able to do whatever I want whenever I want but I can't! And I-I just had a terrible dream about-" He stops, "Well... Just quit yelling please! Goddamn... I'm fucking tired... and cold. Now can we go?!"
Eddie's eyes are as big as saucers and he lowly nods. Eddie whispers, "Yeah. Of course ...c'mon."
Richie scowls and climbs out of the clubhouse, Eddie scrambled up and secures the trapdoor as he goes. Richie is already on his bike and he struggles to run and catch up. "Rich wait up!"
Richie glances back and rolls his eyes, "Hurry Eds! It's freezing!"
"I'm coming jeez, it's not my fault we're out here..."
"Well It isn't mine either!"
"Did I say it was?" Eddie mumbles as he clambers onto his bike and begins pedaling.
Richie pedals beside him, his jacketless arms covered with goosebumps and his lips are shivering.
"Hey Rich?"
"Y-Yeah?"
"Why don't you... why don't you stay over?"
Richie looks over at him and pushes his glasses up, "I couldn't do that Eds... I mean your mom might not want me there."
"It'll be like any other time we've hung out, she won't care."
"Yeah except it's not Eddie and you know it." Richie faces forward again.
Eddie huffs, "Okay well... either way, I don't want you getting a cold. You look fucking frigid."
"I'm fine Eds."
"No you're not you idiot- your lips are literally blue."
An image from Richie's dream comes to him in a flash, the not-Eddie's blue lips dripping blood and tar, scabbed hands reaching for Richie's face. He shakes away the image.
"Hello? I was talking to you..." Eddie raises his eyebrows, "What's up with you Rich?"
"Nuthin' Eds," Richie smirks, "Just thinkin' about your mom..."
Eddie rolls his eyes, "You're such an idiot Richie.."
"You like it."
Eddie smiles to himself and shrugs, letting Richie decipher that small movement.
They rode along in silence, the nipping wind whistling in their ears and stinging their eyes. The moon casts a glow over the road ahead of the two boys. Richie hears an owl hooting in the distance, and a coyote howl can be heard drifting through the trees. Richie smiles wide and turns his face toward the moon, he's numb from the wind but his heart is full and warm.
Eddie glances over at Richie as his house comes into view, "Yeah, I guess I do."