Maybe if we were different- Reddie

24

7 months later...

It was a humid night in the city, a Friday night, July 17, drunk people dragging around the streets of New York.

There he sang, an old song, an old song he wrote for an old lover, which he's had hundreds since.

"Eddie my love, I love you so." He sang.

Richie tozier, The biggest underground artist to date.

Along with his band named trashmouth constructed of....

Connor bowers, The drummer.

Bella McGrave, the lead guitarist. 

And Milo Peters, the background singer.

They sang a sold out show, to about 4 thousand fans.

Girls, boys and non-binary humans grind against each other moving to the music.

Hot rain falls just outside the venue.

Richie sweats as he finishes the last song.

The band bows and fans chant.

They walk off stage chugging water, they walk to their respective changing rooms, and take showers before changing clothes and getting in separate cabs.

Richie goes back to his apartment, one he bought just a few weeks ago, it was empty, filled with the stench of cigarettes and weed.

Richie was 18 now.

No longer that love sick 17 year old.

He still thinks about the boy.

Late at night after doing it with another whore fan.

He thinks about how his friends are doing.

He still talks to stan and bill.

He always asks about Eddie.

Always.
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"Richie stop day dreaming!" Connor shakes richie out of his daze, "Fuck off im tired." Richie groans, "Stop thinking about him we have shit to do." Milo spits, "I'm not thinking about him, now shut up, and quit bringing him up." Richie spits back, "I just- I just need to go home for a bit." He admits, "Home?, Richie this is Home now, New York is your home." Milo stands up arguing, Connor sits up ready to pull him back if they start fighting yet again, "Settle down you two, you both will get what you want, because drum roll please-" Bella says, Connor starts beating on his drum, "We are going to Derry for two weeks, one show 13 days of freedom!" Bella smiles widely, richies eyes light up and he launches himself at the girl, giving her a big hug, "You guys can meet Bill- oo and Stan and Bev a-and Ben and Mike and ed-" he stops himself, "Pack your bags sluts we're going to Maine!" Connor shouts happily, they all walk out except Richie, he sighs in relief, he's going home.

"Have you heard?" Stan speaks quietly while he walks up to Bill as the 6 of them walk to the quarry, "About?" Bill says back in the same tone, "About Richies band their coming-" "Trashmouth is coming here?!?" The two hear coming from Eddies mouth, "That-" Stan says to Bill, "Oh god if I have to see that face again I will kill myself!" Eddie sighs loudly, "It's okay Eddie we can just ignore him the whole time." Ben draps his arm over the small boy kissing him on the cheek, "Ugh get off me I told you I dont like you like that!" Eddie tells the boy for the third time today, "Eddie he's changed I'm sure of it." Bev buds in, "Ugh let's just stop talking about him okay? Let's just get to the quarry and chill." Eddie sighs trying to clear his mind, he was gonna see the boy he hated, but still loved.
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The plane lands in Portland and they drive 2 hours to get to Derry.