cliché || reddie ✔️

thirty one

Texts have been sent, plans have been made, and Bill, Eddie, Stanley, and Mike are all piling into Richie's car. "I'm not so sure about this adventure Richie has for us," Stanley says as he buckles up.

"How come?" Eddie asks, looking back at his friends through the rear view mirror.

"I think we will have a great time," Mike interjects.

Stanley moves his eyes from Eddie to Mike. "No," he says, "All I'm saying is last time we went somewhere Richie and Bill almost died. I'm not saying that's Richie's fault, I just don't want something like that to happen again."

Eddie looks at Richie, then drops his gaze. "I hear you," Eddie says.

"Stan The Man, I can promise you that this place is nothing like the quarry. I go there a lot."

"A-Are we going to Chucky Ch-Ch..Cheese?" Bill asks, an elbow nudging Stanley in the side as he leans forward.

"No, but that would be an adventure," Richie laughs.

He backs out of his driveway and drives down the street, also drowning out the light conversation between his friends so he can concentrate. Maggie never trusted his ADHD being mixed with friends in a car, but with a few pointers from Beverly he's got it under control. Sometimes he does get distracted, especially if Beverly is deep in a story or the music is too loud, but at least he's never crashed, right?

He gets through main roads and pulls off to the side and onto a dirt clearing. Mike peers out the window at the steep hills and thin tips of dead trees, then turns to Richie asking, "It's a bit cold to go hiking, don't you think?"

Richie parks and turns off the car, also peering up out the window. "Good thing we aren't going hiking then, huh?" Mike and Eddie watches as Richie unbuckles and gets out the car, soon following his actions themselves.

Richie locks up and turns to his friends, a contempt smile on his face. "Ready?" He asks and receives unsure looks. "Oh, it'll be fine." He shrugs and starts the steep climb up the hill. He hears Eddie struggling behind him, his breathing ragged and heavy.

Once he reaches the top, he is quick to turn around and reach out for Eddie, who instinctively grabs onto Richie's open hand.

"Thank you," he breaths out, a hand flattened against his own chest as it rises and falls rapidly.

Richie smiles down at him and pulls him farther from the slope. "Always here, Eddio."

Stanley comes up from behind them, yet keeps his distance. "Is it your asthma?" He asks Eddie. The petite boy looks up at him and shakes his head.

"It might be, but I think I'll be fine."

Stanley nods his head and lingers in his spot for the others to continue walking along the tracks they've climbed up to before walking himself.

"I didn't know Derry's train tracks were so close," Mike says, leading the group down the path. Bill hops on every other three wooden slabs to catch up, his hands pushed into his pant pockets.

Richie feels Stanley lagging behind, most likely on purpose. A tinge of sadness hits him, his mood faltering. He looks over his shoulder and there he is, walking far behind the group with his eyes trained on the ground.

"Hey," Richie whispers to Eddie, who looks up at him with curious eyes. "I'm gonna go talk to Stan. If that's alright."