b l a c k e y e d s u s a n s • reddie

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* DOUZE *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

TW: panic attack

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Richie felt in the lowest of his lows, his heart shattered into little splintered pieces and unable to tell anyone in fears that he would get the 'I told you so.' speech.

He had noticeably reverted in on himself and was incredibly quiet, not in the mood to make jokes most of the time. And whenever he saw Eddie back to hanging out with his popular friends, it made him sick to his stomach.

'What'd I do?' he'd ask himself over and over again with hopes that the answer would just fall into his hands.

While Richie sat in existential dread, Bill and Kate, as he had got to calling her, were sitting close and chatting it up, one of their hands linked under the table and Bill not having to fake the fond look on his face.

Him and Kate had started dating, but he got so well along with her even just as friends that it just felt like a good friendship to him, she wasn't overly affectionate so it was easy to forget they weren't just friends.

Stan and Beverly paralleled a gaze of rage at the two who were lost in their own world. Beverly thinking 'Why was he never like that with me?' and Stan thinking 'Oh so he can be open with her but not with me?'.

Ben and Mike both attempted to get their attention, and were relieved when they finally turned back to them and tried to lighten up more.

Richie felt a knot twist in his stomach as he watched Eddie walk in with Greta Bowie hounding him on one side and some other popular girl on his other, all three of them laughing like Eddie hadn't yelled at her earlier that same week.

He quickly ducked his head and felt his breathing become erratic and he felt completely overwhelmed. He covered his ears and let out shaky breaths as hot tears started to cascade down his cheeks, his eyes scrunched tightly shut and his body rocking slightly back and forth in his seat. He didn't know why he felt like this and honestly felt like he was dying, his heart felt like it was beating irregularly and he couldn't focus on one thing for very long before he was taken over by a tidal wave of panic and primal fear.

Beverly had noticed and quickly got up, running around the table and placing a gentle, grounding hand on Richie.

"Richie? Hey, is it okay if I touch you?" she wanted to get him out of the cafeteria with how much of a scene he was having, but also didn't want to make him freak out more than he already was.

Richie barely processed what she was saying but swallowed thickly and then nodded a bit, letting out a grunt that vaguely sounded like a yes. So Beverly gently wrapped her arms around him and pulled him up, walking him away towards the courtyard outside.

Eddie watched Beverly and Richie from the popular table and stalled, his heart hurt at seeing Richie like that. He loved him with his entire being. Eddie couldn't stop himself as he scrambled up and chased after them without a thought to Greta yelling after him.

Beverly gently eased Richie down into a bench seat outside in the courtyard, giving him a good amount of space as she sat down. She was about to open her mouth to ask what was wrong when Eddie came bursting out of the school, panting and looking at both of them.

Richie looked up at Eddie and then made a noise like an injured animal before covering his face and pulling his knees to his chest.