cliché || reddie ✔️

twenty

this is a bit of a shorter chapter but i think you guys would like it :)

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Adults swarm the upstairs, some standing around and talking while others move with the beat of the music. It's defiantly not a casual party, that much is clear. Eddie ghosts over Richie's arm, never wandering farther than a few inches.

"Over there," Richie says and extends a finger to point at the display of beer and wine bottles. Eddie breaths out a "wow" and starts gravitating towards it. "Someone's a bit eager, huh?" Richie says, chuckling as he follows Eddie to the table.

Just before they get to it, Richie grabs onto Eddie's wrist to stop him. He dips down to Eddie's ear to be heard, saying, "wait, follow my lead, okay?" As he looks at Eddie for a reaction, he could've swore he saw the boys eyes flutter. But with everything going on around them he doesn't have time to dwell on it.

"Okay," Eddie says.

Richie stands straight and detaches from Eddie's side, walking slowly past the table. He reaches out a hand and tips an unopened can of beer off the table, catching it and instantly tucking it under his sweatshirt. He doesn't look around at nosy adults, only circling the table to a plate of cookies and taking one.

Eddie swallows down the anticipation and shakes off the nerves, casting one last look Richie's way before walking the same way he did. Head up and hands limp by his sides.

His heart pounds inside his chest, maybe even a bit harder when his fingers close around a cheap can of beer. He breaks out into an excited smile and begins to walk away. Then, something grips his shoulder and his beating heart halts to a stop.

A man flips him around, red-faced and angry. "What do you think you're doing?" He asks. Eddie can smell the beer in his breath, rancid and bitter. He tries to sink away, but the mans grip only tightens and all Eddie can think is help me richie help me richie help me

The man takes the beer from his hands and sets it back onto the counter. "Are your parents here? Where are they? Oh, I'll have a talking with them." Eddie tries to spit out some excuse, but his words get caught in his throat.

"You gonna answer me, pansy?"

Eddie feels another touch on his back, dragging up to gently grip onto the back of his neck. "What's going on here?" Richie's voice comes from behind him.

The man backs his hands off Eddie, standing straight to look at Richie. "This your friend?" He asks.

"Yeah, why were you touching him?"

The man looks taken aback, then grabs the beer can Eddie had taken. "Your friend here tried to sneak some beer. Now I'm no police officer but I can defiantly get them to come down here and arrest this little-"

"Little what?" Richie challenges. "We came up here to get some Pepsi and last time I checked, it's not a crime to accidentally grab the wrong can."

Eddie watches with amazement as Richie gets the man to back off completely, giving the two teens a sour look before walking away. "How did you.."

"Practice, Eds," he responds. "Now let's go."

Richie's hand never leaves the back of Eddie's neck as they weave through tipsy adults. "Oh, my God," Eddie says when they near the basement steps. "Oh, my God."