𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 | 𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕕𝕚𝕖

chapter twenty-nine: then he kissed me

Richie liked to think of Hector as a plate of beans. They seem boring, and then you eat them and they seem okay. But after a while, beans start to leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Hector had lovely tanned skin and only a slight Cuban accent which he developed from his dear late mother. He wasn't a genius, but he certainly did well in school. He wasn't that creative, but he sure was handsome.

He was a nuisance.

Truly.

Eddie didn't think so though.

"We only met him 10 minutes ago, you can't judge him yet." Eddie told Richie and glanced at Hector. "You also sound kinda racist, Rich."

"I am not racist, Eds! You're putting words in my mouth," Richie sighed and uncomfortably shifted on his feet as he watched Hector standing foolishly about 10 metres away. "He just seems fishy. I don't trust him."

"You don't trust anyone." Eddie responded.

"That's not true." Richie spoke softer than he had been and adjusted his glasses. "I trust you. That counts doesn't it?"

Eddie didn't respond, but nodded and waved Hector to come join them again.

"Welcome aboard." Eddie spoke to Hector as he returned a smile.

Richie held back a scowl.

And watching Hector firmly grasp Eddie's hand in a handshake, Richie remembered the first day he met Eddie.

Shaking Eddie's hand at his front door was the best thing Richie had ever done. And now Hector had claimed his prize for being the most charming and handsome man in the world.

Richie and his stupid, big glasses. Richie and his gangly figure. Richie and his unruly hair. Richie and his constant need for attention-

Hector then held his hand out to Richie to shake.

"Uh- no thanks, I have uh-" Richie had to think of something quick. "I have lizard flu."

Eddie gave Richie an extremely questioning look.

"Lizard flu?" Hector spoke.

"Yes." Richie nodded and tried to make up some lies. "It transmits from shaking hands."

"Well then I guess I'd better shake lil Edsie's hand again."

What. The. Fuck. Richie thought to himself.

Eddie smiled and prepared himself for another handshake. Why didn't he hate the nickname Hector gave him?

"On second thought, how about an elbow tap?" Richie cut in.

Hector hesitantly spoke, "uh, I guess so?" He then raised his elbow as Richie raised his, and they tapped them together awkwardly.

"We're all getting along so nicely!" Eddie naively said.

Richie sighed. Eddie was smarter than this, wasn't he? Was Richie just paranoid? Is Hector actually a cool dude? Richie almost didn't want to think so.

"You know what? Just to show how happy I am to be accepted into this trio, I insist that we get some food. My treat!" Hector exclaimed with glee and looked to Eddie for approval. "As long as it's cool with Eddie."

"Of course it's cool with me!" Eddie responded, giving Richie no time to cut in.

"Ain't cool with me." Richie said, restraining himself from tackling Hector and punching his perfect face. Eddie didn't seem to hear Richie's comment and instead walked to the car and sat in the driver's seat.

"Got a problem, freak?" Hector mumbled and looked at Richie.

"Excuse me?" Richie said, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I said," Hector walked right up to Richie some could feel his breath on his face. "Got a problem, freak?"

"You know what, I think I do." Richie didn't know where his confidence came from, but he was glad it was there. "I think you're a jackass."

"What makes you think that?"

Richie paused and thought. Why did he think that? Just because he seems to like Eddie? What made him think that Hector was romantically interested in Eddie? And what gave Richie the right to think that he owns Eddie?

"I feel it in my guts." Richie said. He took a step back from Hector and looked to Eddie who'd just realised that the boys were missing. "Eddie's special. So if I ever see you hurt him," Richie took a deep breath, "I won't hesitate to leave you at a fucking gas station." With that, Richie turned back around to claim the front car seat, leaving Hector to sit in the back.

Hector sighed, rolled his eyes and mumbled to himself, "Nice going, Hec." He kicked a pebble as he slowly walked to the car and got into the backseat.

"How 'bout some tunes?" Eddie suggested to lighten the mood. He looked to Richie and nodded his head to the radio.

"Yeah, sure Eds." Richie spoke and switched the dial on the radio. Richie grimaced at the song in the radio. "Ugh, I hate this song."

'Then He Kissed Me' was playing and Hector spoke from behind them, "I love this song!"

"Same!" Eddie responded.

Fucking hell, great job Trashmouth. Richie thought to himself and face-palmed.

★

By the time that the sun had set, Eddie was still searching for a place to stop for the night.

Richie kept suggesting that they could just hide out somewhere again, but Hector wasn't having it. Perhaps he just wanted to annoy Richie. Maybe he wanted to prove that Eddie adored him in such a short amount of time.

Fire.

Richie was about to implode.

Maybe fate didn't want Richie to be with a boy anyway. The rest of the world surely thought so. Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe this meant he could live a normal life.

But the thought that Eddie didn't truly like him romantically... But how?

Richie's thoughts spiralled as the sky became darker and darker and the moon shone brighter and brighter.

How could Eddie not like him? They kissed. More than once.

Was Eddie faking it the whole time?

"This'll have to do." Eddie concluded, seeing a run-down motel. At this point, he didn't really think they would be caught at a weird motel in Nevada. "It's not much but it's the only place we've seen in an hour." He swiftly parked in the deserted parking lot and sighed sleepily.

"It'll be an adventure." Hector said and smiled, to which Eddie returned the smile.

Richie didn't have the energy to say something mean to Hector.

Hector didn't necessarily seem like a bad person. He just seemed rude and stubborn. And flirty.

But just like with Hector, Richie could see the flaws within himself and even within Eddie.

He just didn't trust him though.

And with that, the three boys walked to the lobby to get a room.