Ready, Set, Go || reddie

Act I | one

With a click from Eddie's Walkman the sweet melody of Kids in America started up. Bouncing off the porch, pacing himself for the morning run.

Looking out a dirty old window.
Down below the cars in the city go rushing by.
I sit here alone and I wonder why

Eddie had been doing track since middle school now, secretly. If his mother knew what he did once a month for the last 5 years, she'd have his head. Yet with the warm summer breeze blowing against his face and the sun warming his fading tan, he couldn't give less of a shit.

Outside a new day is dawning
Outside suburbia's sprawling everywhere
I don't want to go, baby

Listening to every word pumping out of his headphone. He glanced back to see how far the hellhole was now. Not far enough. He wanted to leave, everyday he felt the pull of anywhere that wasn't Derry. Watching houses go by one by one, he finally stopped in front of a house at the end of his street.

We're the kids
We're the kids
We're the kids in America

Quickly looking around as the song started fading out, he dumped the day 4 tube of pills into the trash. He watched them fall out, glaring back at his house in the distance now.

"Fucking gazebos." He whispered under his breath. Getting more and more frustrated with the increase of pills this month. He felt sorry for his mother at this point, even the slightest rise in his heartbeat got him a doctor's appointment. He loved her, but he was just tir-

"It's called a placebo." A voice from behind interrupted his thoughts, almost scaring his pants off. He turned around to see a tall, dark curly haired, broad shouldered boy, well boy wasn't the best description. He looked around Eddie's age, but with his huge glasses and bug eyed expression you'd think he was a boy in a man's body.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW HEART ATTACKS WORK?! I COULD'VE DIED IN FRONT OF A CREEP!" The smaller teen started screaming up at this bug eyed creep who decided to interject into Eddie's rebellious moment.

"Well Shortstack, maybe don't throw your 'gazebos' into my dumpster." He smirked down at this boy with the shortest red shorts he had seen, who was now listing every possible thing that could've happened to his body.

"I am NOT short, I'm average size. You're the freakishly tall one. Now leave me and my gazebos alo- oh wait this is your dumpster. Jeez, I'm sorry. I'll just leave now" Eddie's entire attitude changed once he calmed down, a surprise to the taller boy.

"It's alright. Don't sweat it, yeah?" The boy smiled politely. Eddie watched the boy throw the bags he had in his hands into the gazebo dumpster before looking a little flustered. He couldn't understand why a random boy he just met made butterflies surge through his stomach, but he didn't question it.

"Cool." Eddie said quickly before throwing his headphones back on, running fast away from the butterflies, but they ended up chasing him all the way to his destination.

Watching the country side of Derry fly past him. He had been running fast, faster than he realised. Slowing down by the next corner, he hunched over catching his breath. He reached for his inhaler in his fanny pack, releasing it between his lips.

"Fuck. I'm almost there." He glanced up from his hunched over position, seeing Mike's farm in the distance. He listened to the beats of the song that was blaring in his ears, trying to get his rhythm back.

"Pace yourself, Kaspbrak." He huffed out, the bug eyed boy still running around with the butterflies in his stomach. Eddie tried his best to push him out of his mind, but his mind just kept circling back. He wondered things.

What's his name? Does he go to my school? I hope he doesn't hate me. What is his glasses prescription, they look like they could burn down a building.

Before he knew it, Eddie was face to face with Mike's farm house. If his schedule is the same, he should be hanging laundry. He's had to take up so many of the chores with his grandparents getting older and older.

Eddie jogged silently toward the back of the house, waving at Mike's grandma sitting on the porch.

"Hello to you, my favourite farmer boy. Need some help?" Eddie lightly side hugged his best friend. Mike was trying to reach both sides of a sheet at once, he grabbed one of the sides and pegged it to the line. Mike smiled at him, thankful. Eddie just blushed a little, Mike's smile could make anyone blush. Despite his length and muscled exterior, Mike had a heart of gold and delicate hands made to hold new born farm animals.

"You know you don't have to help me with chores, right?" Mike sighed a little, carrying the last of the wet washing to the end of the line. Eddie grabbed another piece of washing and put some pegs in his pocket.

"No point in arguing, Mikey. I've done this since we were kids. You're just stuck with me, what a nightmare huh?" Eddie pouted at the end dramatically before smiling at his friend who playfully punched his arm.

"Yeah well, I wouldn't have it any other way." He replied, smiling wide at Eddie, who just laughed as he hung up the last piece of washing.

He and Mike had been friends for so long now, ever since Eddie stumbled into Mike's farm running from Bowers. Eddie who at the time didn't have a friend in the world thanks to his mother and Mike who was too busy to even think about going into town for fun. Bonded by the fact that a mullet wearing asshole wouldn't leave them be. Mike was extremely protective over the short freckled boy, just about as much as Eddie wouldn't hesitate to beat up any racist bastard who funnily looked in Mikey's direction. Now Eddie runs up his farm every other day. That's just how it was.

"So, track meet in 3 weeks? Big one, right? UCLA and a bunch of scouters s'pose to be there, yeah?" Mike decided to bring out the most stressful thing in Eddie's life right now. The first track meet of the senior year. Eddie covered his face with his hands letting out a muffed groan before rolling over to face Mikey on the grass.

"Yeah, yeah. I just feel like I'm not gonna get it. I can't get out of this town without a scholarship, you know that. My mom can never find out about this, not until I say "Fuck you Sonia, I'm fucking gone bitch!" I stood up towards the end, acting out the biggest moment of my life.

"Are you kidding me, Eddie? Your time is the fastest on the team, why do you think those jealous assholes bully you. You're gonna get the scholarship." Mike said with the softest smile he possibly could.

"Thanks, farm boy." Eddie punched his arm before they fell into a comfortable silence. Nothing in the world could get these boys down. Not now. Not ever.