Opposite But Identical

Chapter 9: Coming Out

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Karen beeped the car horn and yelled "C'mon, boys! Move it or lose it!"

Richie adjusted his glasses and tugged at the hem of his Star Wars shirt quietly. He hadn't really talked all day, Mike observed. It was strange because he never shut up. But it was even more abnormal because today was the twin's favorite day of the year. The boys and their mom were going out on their annual "Twin Day", as their Mom liked to call it. They'd play mini golf, then go out to the twin's favorite diner. Usually long, rambling sentences would spew out of Richie's mouth on these days.

"Hey, you alright, Richie?" Mike asked.

Suddenly, Richie said, "I think I'm going to come out to Mom today."

Mike's jaw dropped. The only people that knew about Richie's sexuality were him and The Losers Club.

"Wow... that's great, Richie. I remember when you came out to me."

ONE YEAR AGO

"Bye, Eds!" Richie yelled as he watched his best friend walk out the door.

"Don't call me that! I'll see you tomorrow."

Richie watched Eddie as he walked down their driveway. Richie kind of looked miserable, like he wanted to cry. Mike looked up from his comic book.

"Uh... are you okay?"

Richie tore his eyes off of the boy in the driveway and looked at his twin instead. "Mike... I have to tell you something." He wasn't acting like his usual self as he looked at the floor, playing with his glasses.

"What is it?" Mike asked as he stood up.

"I..." Richie's eyes started to fill up with tears, which he wiped away quickly.

In a dead whisper, Richie said, "I think I like boys."

Mike's eyes went wide. Sure, he wasn't exactly surprised, per se, there were a lot of things that gave Richie away... the way he would tense up when an ignorant relative made a gay joke... how he looked at Eddie...

But still, he wasn't expecting Richie to tell him.

All he said was, "I'm proud of you," as he pulled his twin into a hug. Because he was. He really was proud. He felt Richie heave a huge sigh of relief as he hugged him back.

Mike asked, "Does anyone else know?"

Richie shook his head and nudged his brother playfully. "Just you, twinsie." He lifted up his glasses and wiped away a tear, the most relieved he'd been in a while.

"How long have you known for?"

"A while now. Especially lately. When I'm with..." He motioned his head towards the door that Eddie had just walked out of, "You know."

Mike knit his eyebrows together. "Is Eddie...?" Richie knew what Mike was thinking and shrugged.

"I dunno. I think that's why it's been so hard to be around him lately. I want him to like me, like really like me, so bad it hurts my heart. But I know I'm just kidding myself." He took off his glasses and fiddled with them in his hands.

"Hey," Mike said, putting his hand on Richie's shoulder, "You never know."

PRESENT

It was a year later now. Richie and Eddie were dating, and things were becoming easier. Sure, he had a long way to go... but still. He was happy.

Karen had won at mini-golf, she was weirdly amazing at it. She won every year. Afterwards, they went to the diner. Richie could feel the anxiety building up in the pit of his stomach.

After they got their food, Richie sat quietly. It was almost time. "Why aren't you eating, honey?" Mrs. Wheeler asked her Richie. Richie glanced at Mike. That was his cue to leave.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Mike announced awkwardly as he stood up and walked away, giving Richie a subtle thumbs-up.

Richie swallowed even though his mouth was completely dry. "Everything okay?" Mrs. Wheeler asked.

This was it. "Yeah, its just... I'm gay," Richie said abruptly.

Before he knew what was happening, Mrs. Wheeler was pulling him into a tight hug in the middle of the diner. "I am so, so, so proud of you, Richie. Thank you for telling me." He bit back tears of happiness and hugged his mother back, the tight knot in his stomach slowly untying itself.

Mike came out of the bathroom and saw them hugging, and he smiled to himself. I guess it went well, he thought.