My Girlfriends Brother || Reddie

Chapter Seven

The second day of school had started off relatively normal for Eddie. He had managed to avoid Richie all morning, keeping his head down and sticking close to Stan. The two had their usual banter in homeroom, and for a moment, Eddie thought maybe things would get easier if he just kept his distance. But by lunch, the fragile calm he'd built had started to unravel.

Eddie had gone to his locker to grab his notebook for his next class, humming softly to himself as he twirled the combination lock. The hallway was mostly empty, save for a few stragglers heading to lunch, and Eddie felt a rare sense of peace. That was until he felt a sudden, forceful shove against his shoulder that sent him stumbling into his locker.

"Hey, Kaspbrak," came a familiar, sneering voice.

Eddie's stomach dropped. He turned around slowly, dread pooling in his chest as he faced Henry Bowers and his gang. Henry's trademark smirk stretched across his face like he was a cat toying with a mouse, and his cronies—Belch, Victor, and Patrick—snickered behind him. They used to bully Eddie back in middle school.

"Wh-what do you want, Bowers?" Eddie stammered, clutching his notebook against his chest like a shield.

Henry stepped closer, his eyes glinting with malice. "What do I want? I want to know why a little runt like you thinks he belongs here. I mean, look at you—those stupid overalls, that baby face. You look like you should still be in kindergarten."

The gang burst into laughter, and Eddie instinctively backed up, his palms sweating as his back hit the cold metal of the lockers. He glanced around the hallway, desperately hoping someone would come to help, but it was empty except for the gang.

"Leave me alone, Henry," Eddie said, his voice trembling as he tried to stand his ground.

"Aww, is baby Kaspbrak gonna cry?" Henry mocked, leaning in so close Eddie could smell the cheap cigarette smoke lingering on his jacket. "Maybe we should teach him a lesson about sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."

Before Eddie could react, Henry grabbed his backpack and yanked it off his shoulder. He tossed it carelessly to Belch, who caught it with a grin and immediately started unzipping it. Eddie's heart pounded as they began pulling out his books, pens, and a small, neatly folded note Lexi had written him that morning, scattering them across the hallway like garbage.

"Stop it!" Eddie yelled, lunging forward to grab his bag, but Victor shoved him roughly back against the lockers. His head hit the metal with a dull thud, and he winced, his knees threatening to buckle.

"What're you gonna do, huh? Run crying to your sister?" Henry sneered, towering over him. "Maybe your big, bad boyfriend Stanley Urin will come save you."

Eddie's cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and humiliation. He opened his mouth to retort, but a sharp, commanding voice rang out, cutting through the chaos.

"Hey, Bowers!"

The gang turned in unison, their laughter faltering as they saw Richie standing at the far end of the hallway. His tall frame cast a shadow under the fluorescent lights, and his face was set in a glare that Eddie had never seen before. He stalked toward them with slow, deliberate steps, his hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket.

Henry rolled his eyes, but there was a flicker of unease in his expression. "Oh, look who it is. Lexi's boyfriend," he drawled sarcastically. "What do you want, Tozier?"

Richie stopped a few feet away, his stance relaxed but his eyes sharp. "I want you to back the hell off," he said evenly, his voice low but firm. "Or do I have to remind you what happened last time you messed with one of my friends?"