A New Chapter

Chapter 37

Previously-

"We're moving?" Eddie let out, staring at Richie as his eyes also began to water before Eddie was dragged into the house and Wentworth drove off separating the two. 

Chapter 37-

It had been 2 days since Richie and Eddie found out the awful news, two days of heartache and frustration, 2 days of wondering how the other was. Yet, Sonia refused to let Eddie go to school leaving Richie and the group worrying about the boy once again. Richie had already told everyone what had happened, he wanted to let Eddie tell them but Bill caught Richie's strange mood and he immediately blurted everything out. 

"Fuck, he still isn't answering the phone." Richie sighed, as the group were sat outside the school at lunch. "Why the fuck is Ed's not answering, he usually answers straight away." 

"His psychotic mother probably took his phone away." Stan groaned, he hated how Eddie's mother treated him it frustrated the boy to the core. "When are they even moving?" 

"I don't know!" Richie shouted. "Sorry." The others smiled sympathetically whilst Bev lit her and Richie's cigarette. 

"Maybe we should try talk to him, you know climb up the tree and tap on his window?" Ben suggested, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Yeah, but if his mother catches us we'll be in big trouble." Richie sighed. 

"Rich, seriously?" Bev chuckled, coughing on the smoke. "I think we've gone past that."

"Yeah, t...tozier what's g...gotten into you?" Bill laughed. "E...Eddie turning y...you into a s...softie." 

"Oh shutup Bill." Richie chuckled, soon after the group agreed to rejoin after school and make their way to Eddie's house. 

It had been about 3 hours, the group were sitting on the road opposite the Kaspbrak household eating the snacks Mike brought for them all, along with drinks Bev grabbed. Both Stan and Bill were sitting in anticipation holding one anothers hands, whilst Bev leaned her head on Ben. Leaving Mike to wrap his arm around Richie, trying to comfort him. The sun was setting, now all they had to do was wait for Sonia's bedroom light to switch off, luckily for them she was rather strict with bedtimes (even for herself) and soon enough the whole house engulfed into darkness. Leaving the group to dart across the road and help Richie climb the tree near Eddie's window. Waiting beneath, they allowed Richie to go alone hoping it will put less pressure on the two to talk things out. 

"Eddie, hey Ed's!" Richie whispered, tapping on his window which was shut along with his curtains. Not a second past, they flew open along with the windows. "Hey." 

"Hey, i would ask what you're doing up here but we've been through that enough times." Eddie smiled, but Richie did not reciprocate this as he noticed a cut on the boys lip. 

"Ed's..." Richie sighed, his whole face lowering. 

"Let's just go yeah?" Eddie smiled, already climbing out of the window. 

"Wait Ed's?" Richie replied, shocked at the boy's courage and unusual attitude. "You're still in your pyjamas and your mum will kill you i---"

"It's fine, she can't do much more to me right?" Eddie chuckled, spotting the rest of the group below and waving to them slightly. "Richie, she wants to leave in a week." 

"A week what the fuck!" Richie gasped, his eyes already filling with tears. "But, you're birthday?" 

"Don't worry, she said i can celebrate my birthday here but the next day we're gone." Eddie sighed, grabbing the boys hand as the two stared at one another. "I just, want to make this last week count." 

"You got it spaghetti." Richie chuckled, wiping the tears from his eyes and plastering on his big goofy smile. 

Meeting the others at the bottom, they all soon rushed to hug the boy. Not wanting to stay at the house just in case, the group began to cycle off to Bill's house to spend the night. Eddie sharing Richie's bike, grabbing his waist and leaning his head into the boys back hoping that this week would be the longest week of his lifetime. 

Throwing their bikes onto Bills front lawn the group crept into Bill's house and headed straight for his room, the boy left a note on the kitchen table to let his mother know about his guests but he knew she wouldn't mind. She loved the group and knew they would cause no harm to Bill or her family. 

"Wow, he fell asleep fast." Bev smiled, watching Eddie doze off on Richie's lap with one of Bills blankets wrapped around him. 

"Long couple of days i'm guessing." Mike sighed, also noticing the small cut on the boys lips and his puffy red eyes which were now closed shut. "I wish we could do something, this wasn't how it was supposed to end." 

"What can we do?" Richie let out, trying to keep as still as possible. "We're just kids!"

"B...But we're not. Eddie s...said he i...is going to c...celebrate his b...birthday here." Bill began. "S...so he will b...be 18 b...before he leaves." 

"So, he can leave home without a carer." Mike smiled, already catching onto the boys idea. 

"He could do that when he was 16 dingbat." Richie sighed, "But, he won't his bitch of a mother won't let him plus i think a part of him still clings onto her. She's all he's got, family wise." 

"Yeah, but Rich. He has you and Wentworth now, he has us." Bev smiled. "He always has the option of staying with you." 

"You think?" Richie smiled, but tried not to let his emotions get the better of him.

"It's worth a shot right?" Ben smiled. 

"Yeah, we're not losing a member this early." Stan chimed in. "We're in this till the end." 

"ARE WE MEN OR ARE WE MICE!" Richie laughed. 

"WE'RE MICE!" The others chuckled, agreeing to ditch school the next day and help Eddie out with his situation.