[sunshine] // reddie (temporarily discontinued)

thirteen

Eddie Kaspbrack was twitterpated, to say the least.

For the rest of the day, he was walking on clouds. Completely moonstruck. To be young and in love was an indescribable feeling.

At lunch, he couldn't eat. He was too excited. Ben was ranting about something that had happened on his feild trip the day before, but Eddie wasn't focused on that either. His mind was preoccupied by the image of onyx elflock against peach cream skin.

At home, he darted up the stairs and seated himself at his desk. He pawed through his bag for his new notebook. It was for stars, sure... But nobody said it was limited to the ones in the sky.

He dedicated a section to Richie, scribbling his name across the page. Somewhere downstairs, his mother shifted and he realised that was not the best idea. Instead, he labeled it Starlight.

It was kind of dumb, in his opinion. But it was Richie in every way that mattered.

He smiled at the book and closed it, tucking it under his mattress. The next order of business would be to sort out which of the notes he had to hide. He dumped the contents of his bag out onto his bed and began sorting. He decided to keep the drawings for his walls, seeing as he could play those off as art class projects or things Bill left for him.

His mother never questioned anything when it came to Bill. She was so happy that her Eddiebear was friends with such a responsible young gentleman.

So Eddie used him to get away with everything.

Talking on the phone past lights out? Bill called, Mama. He forgot we are on different time zones again.

Ordered a pizza before she got home and forgot to throw away the box? Sorry Mama, it was Bill's favorite... It just makes me feel closer to him.

Random drawings of him begin showing up in his room? Oh Mama, you know I can't draw. Billy used to do them for me and I found them in a box when I was cleaning.

The lie was already prepared to slip off his tongue.

"Eddiebear!" Sonia called from below.

"Coming Mama." Eddie replied, gathering up the poems and tucking them under his mattress as well.

He darted down the stairs to meet his mother at the foot of her recliner.

"Eddie, I got a call from the pharmacy; our prescriptions are ready."

Eddie nodded, knowing what came next. "I'll be back before dark, mama."

"Don't forget your inhaler." She replied, picking at her nails.

"I won't, mama." He called, already halfway up the stairs.

Once in his room, he dug his journal from under his bed and stuck it in the inside pocket of his jacket. It didn't start to get dark until five or six, so he had about two or three hours to do whatever he wanted. He debated between calling Ben and exploring.

Then, realizing he was wasting time, he quit spinning around his room and picked up the fanny pack that was on his desk. He clipped it around his waist, shrugged on his oversized jacket, and sat on his bed to pull on his navy Keds.

He took off down the stairs- making a quick stop by his mother's chair for a kiss- and was out the door. He picked his bike up out of the front yard and began to pedal for his life. He wanted to make it to the pharmacy in the least amount of time possible so he could spend the rest of his birthday however he wanted.

His bike fell with a loud noise as he ditched it beside the building. Inside, an old man by the name of Keen waited for him.

"Eddie," Keen grumbled with a nod. "Here for your refills?"

"Yes, sir." Eddie replied. Something about the man had always made him unfomfortable.

The man handed Eddie two paper sacks which he shoved into his fanny pack. Without any other extanges between the two, Eddie left.

He had only been back on the road for about five minutes before he stopped. And he only stopped because somebody came running out of the trees and in front of his bike.

"Holy hell!" Eddie yelled as he whipped his front tire away from the body. "Are you okay?"

A muffled cry of pain and frustration came from the body. Eddie neared it with caution. It was familiar- the wirey frame and awkward curls.

This had to be Richie Tozier.

"Rich?" Eddie whispered.

"Mmph."

"Jesus Christ, dude. What happened?"

"Bowers." Richie hissed, still facing the ground. "Just leave me here to die."

Eddie narrowed his eyebrows and jabbed his foot under Richie's ribcage to roll him over. Eddie bit his lip to keep from screaming.

Richie's face was almost unrecognizable. Blood poured from his nose, lip, and the deep gash over his eyebrow. His eyes were black and swollen. And Eddie was ninety percent sure that his nose was broken.

"Richie, what happened?" Eddie asked as he pulled the basic first-aid kit from his pack.

"I told you, Eddie. Bowers happened."

"I know that, but why?"

Richie shrugged.

"Oh come on, Star. You gotta give me something better then that."

"First of all, I don't gotta give you anything. Second, what did you just call me?"

Eddie was only partly aware that he had actually used Richie's knew nickname to his face. After it being brought to attention, he was both fully aware and embarrased.

"Nothing. And yes, you do... Unless you want to go to the hospital and try to explain to them that the 'angel son' of the chief of police attempted to perform plastic surgery on that pretty little face of yours?"

Richie sighed in annoyance.

"That's what I thought." Eddie replied. "Now stand up, let's get you out of the road and somewhere warmer."

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Kaspbrack." Richie mumbled, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He winced in pain as he did.

"Richard Tozier, so help me God if you do not let me help you, I swear I- I-" Eddie made an angry noise when he couldn't think of a good threat. Anything he could come up with, Bowers had already done to the boy.

Richie tilted his head. He sighed in defeat. "Fine, Dr. K. I'll let you fix me up."

He held his hand out for Eddie to help him up. Eddie was not suprised by how light Richie was. He was surprised, however, by how soft his hands were. 

They walked, the Richie leaning on Eddie, and Eddie leaning on his bike.

Happy birthday, Sunshine.

And Eddie Kaspbrack supposed, that it really was a happy birthday after all.