"mom i don't know what i'm supposed to do." eddie walked into his mother's room, where she was reading some mystery crime novel. his flight left tomorrow morning at nine. he'd be gone for two weeks. and then he'd have to get ready to go to college.
"do about what, honey?" sonia looked up from the book that was in her hand and motioned for eddie to come and sit on the bed. he did, sitting back against the headboard, laying his head on sonias shoulder.
"this whole thing with richie. it's driving me crazy." sonia set her book on the night stand and wrapped an arm around her son.
"what's happening with richie?" eddie was silent. did he not tell her? surely he had. they'd been fighting for over a week. eddie had always told his mom every small detail about everything. never had there been a huge secret kept. that's just not how their relationship had ever gone. sure he hadn't told her about certain things like the times that richie came over in the middle of the night, or when he went to richies in the middle of the night. but he'd never kept any drama from his mom, eddie was too dramatic for that.
"did i not tell you? i thought i did. we've been fighting recently. about literally anything. school, and henry, and me going to see dad-"
"okay. let's start with the first. why have you been arguing about school? you're out? you guys graduated and had a big grad party here? things were fine then, right? do what is the issue?"
"it's not about high school, ma. it's about college. he got accepted to his dream school, but threw it away to go to princeton with me. i tried to get into columbia but i missed the application date." eddie rambled, his words almost missing sonia.
"eddie, that isn't your fault. you must be more important than columbia. and anyways, it's not like he threw much away. princeton and columbia are super similar."
"but he didn't want princeton. he wanted colombia. and i got in the way." sonia grabbed his hand and shook her head, inhaling and then letting the air out.
"eddie, his choices are not yours. he did what he wanted to, support that. now, thing two. henry. whats with that?" eddie sighed, shaking his own head before letting out a frustrated noise.
"richie is so insecure about everything, and it drives me insane because henry was the same way. i know where he's coming from, but he'd believe anything that anyone told him. and henry keeps texting him and telling these awful lies, like that will make me want to get back together with him. i wish that this entire thing would just be over." eddie took a deep breath, his mother rubbing his shoulder softly.
"he's just hurt eddie. henry has never faced rejection before. he wasn't good for you. and you probably weren't very good for him either. thats not a bad thing. people sometime just aren't meant for each other. people grow apart. thats what people do. you guys had been together for your time, and you moved on. thats what normal people do. henry is stuck."
"but what do i do? he's going to ruin the relationship i have with richie, ma- if it isnt already ruined."
"dont talk like that. you just need to talk to them. separately. youre all too old to be acting like this. youre adults. go and talk to henry. tell him that its over and that he needs to realize that. and tell richie that he needs to believe you over a jealous ex boyfriend."
eddie smiled and thanked his mother. she was right. they needed to have a conversation.
eddie decided to walk to henrys house. on the way there, he realized how little they actually talked about ending things. eddie had no choice though, like his mom said, they werent right. they were bad for each other, but eddie could have gone about it nicer. he could have been less aggressive, more talkative. he could have explained more. he should have.
three knocks. and then an open door. and then a very confused henry bowers, and a very nervous eddie kaspbrak.
"we need to talk."
