"Here. Take my umbrella."

Chapter 1

          "Eddie, dear. The pharmacy called, go get your prescription." "Okay. For what?" "The tumor you have dear, and your inhaler." Edward Kaspbrak was a small boy at 8, smaller than the average 8 year old boys, a little shorter and built somewhat scrawny. "and Eddie!" Sonia got up, bending over to talk to her son. She was overweight, her face on the fuller side and her hair came in short, motherly waves. She always wore just about the same cycle of outfits: which consisted of plain pants with a floral top, or plain tops and pants, or a dress with a simple pattern. "Be careful! When you cross the street, you are to look right, left, right, left and cross straight ahead at corners only. Watch for cars, and do not go near any strangers. Strangers have germs, Eddie." "Okay mommy-" "And Eddie-" she cut him right off, something that Mrs. Kaspbrak frequently did. Almost as though she did not care. "Buy what you have to, and do not do anything else, you hear me? Be careful! Now give momma a kiss." She leaned down some more, the boy pecking her cheek before heading out the door. As soon as he stepped out, closing the door, he sighed. It was pouring. Normally, Sonia would immediately pull him back in had she known the horrible weather she was sending her son into, but the house had too much commotion. The television was at a loud volume, with Mrs. Kaspbrak being in the kitchen and all, there was no other way she would be able to hear what terrible news would be going on that week in Derry, Maine.

          "Right, left, right, left. Or was it left, right, left, right?" Eddie thought, walking down the sidewalks of Derry, almost in a panic, desperately trying to think of how we was supposed to cross the street. He bit his lip, thinking hard and blinking furiously. Do strangers really carry that many germs? Eddie was getting soaked. What would his mother say? "Oh, shoot!" He looked down at his shorts, wet and uncomfortable to be in. His shirt was wet too. Eddie's eyes widening, he had to think of a solution to dry off. Maybe he thought a bit too hard, because what he didn't see was an oncoming car, zooming by and splashing a puddle of water onto the small boy. He froze, stammering before freaking out and gasping. "Germs! OhmygodmomisgonnakillmeI'mgonnabeinsomuchtrouble." Suddenly, there was a tap on his shoulder, and Kaspbrak spun around. "I'msosorry, Imustbeinyourwayandmyramblingisn'thelpingbutI'mjustfreakingoutbecausemymomsaidI'mnotsupposedtogetmyclothesruinedandI-" 

          "Here. Take my umbrella." The boy who cut him off was Richie Tozier. Richie, a kid who cracked jokes almost 24/7, even if it sometimes wasn't appropriate. He too, was soaking wet, the palm trees on his unbuttoned, button up collar shirt looking rather sad. His glasses which protected his chocolate brown eyes, had water droplets running down them. Eddie studied them, betting on the one to the left to beat the right in a race. His eyes were next drawn to his hair, which was in loose, curly strands. Those same water droplets decorating his wet hair like sprinkles on top of a vanilla cake. "Ya gonna take it or should I pose so you can stare longer?" Eddie's face heated up. "N-no, nothing like that-" "It's fine. Just take the umbrella." Richie smiled, his teeth seemed slightly crooked, Eddie noticed. He took the umbrella. "You look like a drowned rat. I'm Richie." Eddie, flustered with the blush that never left his face, grumbled a little before responding. "My name is Eddie." Thoughts of Sonia's words came flooding through his head. "Do not go near any strangers. Strangers have germs, Eddie." Maybe this one wasn't so bad. Eddie finally brought himself to start walking again. And Richie followed. They talked about all different kinds of things until they were almost at the drug store. "Where are we going, by the way, Eds?" Richie adjusted his glasses, which were of course still wet. Eddie's face shriveled up at the nickname. "Don't call me Eds. I hate it." he shook his head disapprovingly. "The drug store." A second after he answered, they were there. Not even caring, Richie followed him in and they continued to chat. Eddie went to the counter, getting his inhaler. "Eddie Kaspbrak for your inhaler and pills for the tumor on your-" For once, Eddie was the one to cut someone else off to save himself the embarrassment. "Yes, I know what it's for." Eddie didn't even have a tumor. Or any sicknesses. That was just Sonia's doing, convincing him that he needed every medication for every little problem that was supposedly wrong with him. When in all honesty- Eddie Kaspbrak was a perfectly healthy boy, just a little short. That was all.

          Richie raised his eyebrows, entertained by how quickly the boy he had just met known as Eddie had cut off the pharmacist. It piqued his curiosity. They talked and talked on the way out and Richie just continued to follow. He was the one doing most of the talking, which Eddie had something to say about. "Do you ever stop talking?" Richie smirked. "Yeah, when I'm smooching your mother!" Eddie grimaced. "Ew, that's not even-" "Funny? Yes it is!" His grin grew. Richie was pretty weird and different and he did chat quite a lot, but Eddie ended up getting used to it. That was how Richie was and he didn't mind. At least he had a friend. He wasn't supposed to have those either. Sonia had always told him that "Friends are nice until they ask you for things and use you. Don't let anyone use you, Eddie." Richie didn't seem like he'd ever use him, or anyone for that matter. Richie was...unique. Different. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, he was pretty funny. 

          Soon, they reached Eddie's house. Knowing what would await him inside if she saw he had been talking to a stranger, Eddie kept his distance from the house until they finished their conversation. Eddie closed the umbrella. "Thanks." He gestured to hand it back to Richie, but he simply shook his head and put his hand out "Keep it." He cracked another smile. "That way you won't look like a drowned rat next time I see you." Turning, Eddie saw his mother approaching the window, something she always did when she was impatient. "I gotta go. Thanks again." "See ya tomorrow, Eddie!" Richie walked away, Eddie approaching the step. Of course, the door flew open. "Eddie, who was that boy? Did he give you that umbrella? Do you have the medicine? And your inhaler? Eddie, that was a stranger! And why are you soaked?" Eddie, who hadn't even been paying attention, was in thought, thinking about how their conversation went. The way they talked, they got to know just about everything from each other and it felt as though they'd been talking for years. Walking away and his mother following, he put down the things from the pharmacy and he got to answering the non-stop pestering questions. Eddie Kaspbrak slept good that night. He finally had a friend, and that was all he could think about. He thought about Richie. Richie. 

And that was how it all began. That was the night they met.