He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (Reddie)

9

3rd Person POV

"I fucking swear if I have to pay Stanley another cent I'm going to rip my fucking eyes out!" Eddie screamed, shaking the die viciously.

"You're only upset cause you're losing," Stan smirked while watching Eddie tap his game piece around the board.

Eddie almost flipped the game board, "Go to fucking jail?!"

The rest of the losers held in their snickers.

"That's it, I'm going home!" Eddie stood from the table.

"Wait, Eddie, seriously?" Stan asked, "it's just a game dude."

Eddie drew in a breath, "I know, my mom's expecting me for lunch anyway though," he shrugged. He then grabbed his bag off of the floor and walked to the door.

"Wait," Bill stopped him, "how are y-y-you going to hide y-your ear-earring?"

Eddie shrugged again, "eh, my mom's been basically glued to the couch since school got out, it's pretty easy to hide stuff from her." He looked around at the losers, "see ya later alligators," he cheered and left.

"God he's such a little nerd," Stan teased, not harshly.

Richie grumbled incoherent words, he had been silent the whole game, which was unusual. Richie never turned down arguing with Eddie.

"What's u-up your a-a-ass?" Bill asked Richie.

Richie looked at him, breaking away from his intense stare at the table.

"Nothing." Even his voice was grouchy.

"Aren't you gonna leave too?" Stan asked.

"I wasn't planning on it, but if you want me to-"

"It's just, you never hang out if Eddie isn't here," Stan interrupted, shrugging.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Richie was trying to hide his embarrassment, "Well I'm still here so."

Richie was about to pick up the die when Bev walked in. She had returned from her smoke break.

"Hey Richie," she sat down at the table, "how did you convince Eddie to pierce his ears?"

Richie shrugged, "he didn't seem to have a problem with it."

"Or with straddling your hips apparently," Bev smirked.

"Wait, what?" Ben questioned.

Richie was red, "he wasn't straddling me."

"You guys were basically kissing," she laughed.

"Watch out Richie," Stan was smirking lightly, "you could get AIDS with behavior like that."

Everyone laughed. Richie felt a pit in his stomach, he wanted to cry.

"Nah, there's no way Richie likes dick, he's got better taste than that."

More laughter.

Richie stood from the table, "I think I'm gonna head home too guys."

But they were all still laughing and joking around, they didn't notice the glasses wearing boy sneak out the door with tears starting to roll down his cheeks.

------(Backwards in time a little bit)------

3rd Person POV

Eddie closed the door to Ben's house.

"Leaving so soon?"

Bev was leaning on a post smoking. Her short red hair had grown enough that she could but the top part into a scrunchie.

"Did you loose at Monopoly?" she teased.

Eddie rolled his eyes, "my mom wants me home for lunch."

Beverly just nodded then shifted her weight back onto both feet.

"What's up with you?" she asked suddenly, "you've been acting weird all day."

Eddie looked at his feet, he didn't know what he was supposed to tell Bev. It was Bev, Bev was cool. She gave good advice.

He decided on the truth, "I kissed Richie last night," he blurted.

Bev raised a brow.

"He was shitfaced and I was definitely tipsy and Stan was making comments that Richie wasn't hot and then argued that he was fucking hot and so I kissed Richie's cheek to prove it and now it's weird because Richie doesn't remember but I do and if he finds out he's gonna hold it over my head forever!" Eddie was spewing words faster than ever.

"Woah," Bev laughed lightly, "you're a dramatic little thing."

Eddie pouted.

Beverly rolled her eyes, "dude it's not a big deal. I kiss people on the cheek all the time, it doesn't mean anything. It's only 'romantic' if you make it romantic."

Eddie wasn't convinced.

"See?" Bev kissed his cheek quickly.

Eddie scrunched his nose and wiped his face, "gross."

Beverly surveyed him, "did you want your kiss with him to be romantic?" she asked suddenly, thinking back to what she had walked into in the bathroom.

Eddie's eyes widened, "God no!" he insisted, "I just didn't want Richie to tease me for it."

"Okay...."

------

Sad.

Homophobia is gross.

I made the losers less accepting in this book cause why not. Don't worry, they are still pals. Some people just have internalized homophobia if you catch my drift.