𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔀𝓮'𝓻𝓮 𝓭𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰

Chapter 13.

❝ it's not like before ❞

‧̍̊˙˚˙ᵕ꒳ᵕ˙˚˙　13　˙˚˙ᵕ꒳ᵕ˙˚˙‧̍̊

the baseball game                           words• 4,447
is in the 7th inning. 16-8,
as always the blue devils are demolishing their opponents.
the crowd is alive with excitement,
holding signs with their favorite players number and screaming as loud as they could. the cheerleaders kept the team cocky as they cheered and shouted their chants. it was a rather exciting day.

Richie and Eddie walk across the grass field towards the bleachers, the noise is faded. everything was so wrong.

"what are we doing? we should be going to a hospital." Richie eventually says after 20 minutes of complete silence between him and Eddie. he wouldn't talk, or reply he just told Richie where to drive. He doesn't respond again, so Richie stands in front of him to stop him. Eddie just looks down at the grass, "please tell me what's happening. i can help, you don't have to do it alone."

Eddie sniffles and wipes his nose, "i got Howard killed... we're going to tell Mike."

"Woah, woah, woah," Richie stops Eddie again from walking off, "what happened isn't your fault. your dad did that, not you."

Eddie looks up at Richie with watery eyes, "my dad shot him because he left, and he left because of me.." his voice broke off as he tried to wipe away tears, "he's dead because i told him to leave."

Richie pulls Eddie into a hug and he starts to cry harder. he knows Eddie is still super pissed at him but i'm all honesty he needed a hug. more than anything. Eddie hugs him back tightly trying to steady his breathing. he keeps asking himself "what if it was Richie". his father would kill anyone, Howard worked for him for over 15 years, Richie means nothing to him. that scares him more that anything.

"i don't want you to work for my dad anymore." Eddie hiccup-cries

Richie nods slowly and rests his cheek on Eddies head, "i have to be here, i want to."

Eddie sighs and wipes his eyes, "let's go."

they find Beverly on the bleachers with the other cheerleaders. when she sees Eddie her smile slowly fades at the sight of him and Richie. she jogs over to them, "what the fuck happened to you guys!? are you bleeding?!"

Eddie shakes his head, "we're okay, just a car accident. where's Mike?"

Mike claps Richies shoulder as he comes up behind him with a soda and popcorn, "you too are late, and i'm guessing it's Richies fault because Eddies never late." he chuckles but no one else laughs and he realizes something is wrong. his eyes find the blood on eddies arm and his eyes widen, "what happened!?"

Eddie chokes up and can't stop the tears that drip down his face, "Mikey... i'm sorry—" he breaks off and covers his mouth to keep himself from absolutely losing it, "your dad— my dad..." he looked up to see Mike's brows furrowed in concern, he holds on to Beverlys hand tightly as she stands to comfort him.

Eddie has seen many thing, done worse. but he's never had to do this, apologize for his father taking away a boys dad. taking away someone's family.. it was his fault.