Better // Reddie

two

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of eating disorders & mental health clinics

Word count: 1590

Eddie's forehead was pressed against the car window, the glass cool against his skin. He was taking his last glance at the town he'd grown up in. God only knew when he'd be back. 

He watched as the drugstore that he'd spent so much time in fade into nothingness, followed by the school, the movie theatre, the library. 

He supposed it would be sadder if he'd had any friends here. 

Instead he was just numb. Not that that was any change. Eddie had always felt numb. 

The four hour car ride was mostly silent. His mother punctuated the air with quiet sniffles, but Eddie remained still as a statue. There was a slight spattering of rain on the windows, and he watched as the raindrops trickled down the glass. As a child, Eddie had enjoyed "racing" them. When had that stopped? 

"I know you're upset Eddie-bear. But just think- they'll take great care of you there. And I'm sure you'll be better in no time. And then you'll come home, and you'll be right as rain. Aren't you excited, Eddie-bear?" Sonia cast a nervous look from her position in the driver's seat. Eddie supposed his mother felt a little guilt about this, about shipping him off to the teenage loony bin. 

"Not really, mommy." His voice sounded empty and weak. 

"Well, I'm sure that will change." His mother smiled, which reminded Eddie of what the grin of a shark would look like. A grin that would swallow him whole. As if his mother hadn't already. 

Eddie had grown up with very little room to breathe. If he so much as sniffled, his mother was waiting with a variety of pills to cure any ailment. Sonia Kaspbrak, in short, was a textbook "helicopter mom". She stifled him. Eddie had very little friends growing up, as his mother never let him out of her sight. She was always there, with a container of pills in one hand and a tv dinner in the other. 

He hated her. 

"I've been looking at the brochures and it looks very nice, Eddie. They have a great mess hall, and the outside space is to die for." She was rambling on and on, trying in vain to connect with her son who she'd already lost. 

A long time ago, Eddie had promised himself that he would never be like her. Ever. He would remove every trace of "Sonia" from him. What about him screamed "Sonia Kaspbrak's son"? Was it the hair? His weight? His clothes? 

"And all of the other children there look very nice. Sunflower Meadows is a very reputable organization, Eddie-bear. You'll enjoy it, I know it." She turned for a moment, hoping to at least make eye contact with Eddie. 

"Sure thing." Eddie managed, anything to just shut her up. He knew from the "Now Entering: Massachusetts" sign that they'd passed a while ago that they were close. These were his last moments of freedom. They continued to soar down the road, towering pine trees on both sides of them. It felt like they were worlds away from all civilization- their beat up station wagon was the only one on the road. 

The car turned off of the main road and rolled onto a makeshift gravel one, the bumpy path jostling the Kaspbraks. It seemed as if this "road" wound on and on, taking them deeper into the mass of trees. Eddie vaguely wondered how close the nearest grocery store was. There was no way any town was a short drive away. Those brightly colored brochures had failed to mention how isolated the facility was. 

Suddenly, the trees dropped away, revealing a large, grassy field. In the center of said field sat a large, Victorian style house. It's white paint was chipped in a few places, but otherwise it was well kept. A large circle drive was in front of two modest looking front doors. Behind the house, dozens of sunflowers bloomed up at the sky. It looked homey. If Eddie squinted, he could see a crew of teens lounging outside, chatting among themselves.