b l a c k e y e d s u s a n s • reddie

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* TREIZE *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

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Eddie stood at his locker packing up his backpack as quickly as he could, he felt like all eyes were on him and every person leaning over to gossip was talking about him. The feeling became so overwhelming that he could feel his hands break out in sweat and he lost grip on his book from the slight tremor in his hand. Before he could even try to pick it up, a thin hand adorned in rings and bracelets grabbed it. His eyes scanned upwards but he already knew who stood next to him. 

Richie gingerly offered the book to him as if he wasn't the person he wanted to see least at the moment, Eddie stared at him in silence for a moment before swiping the book out of his hand and shoving it in his bag as he tried to make a run for the main entrance with an awkward sprint as Richie took chase. 

"Eds! Cm'on at least talk to me!" Richie followed him at a comfortable distance while Eddie pointedly ignored him and struggled with zipping up his backpack, staring down at it to prevent anyone from seeing his eyes welling up with tears. He was trying hard to keep the heavy drops from falling out of his eyes, he knew if he passed that point he would be unable to stop himself from crying.

Richie threw his arms up in frustration before getting closer and grabbing the backpack out of his hands, he zipped it up aggressively and then held it to him, Eddie stared down at his feet, not even daring to look up or make a grab at the backpack.

"Eddie, please, i'm really trying here." by this point the halls had cleared out and people were making their way home, the buses and most cars had already left and Richie knew Eddie had his car taken away by his mom so he had no other choice but to walk. 

Eddie stayed silent and had bunched up wads of his shorts in his hands at his side, his posture was stiff and tense to stop himself from shaking or just collapsing into tears and going completely limp. His mind was holding back a whole dam of emotions that was closer to collapse with each gesture and word Richie spoke. 

Eddie sniffled a bit and one tear rolled down his cheek before another and then another until he was full on sobbing and pushing his hands against his cherry red cheeks to try and wipe them and his embarrassment away. 

Richie's shoulders slumped and he moved the backpack to his side before dropping it down next to him and opening his arms wide, he was reaching out an olive branch and hoped that Eddie would grab onto it.

Through teary eyes, Eddie looked up at Richie who held his arms out in a hug position and was looking at him with desperation, he wasn't going to force him. If he wanted he could leave right at this moment and never look back and alienate himself from the losers for good, go back to being Eddie Kaspbrack the Popular Cheerleader. He could go back to the bliss and ignorance of never having scoured the minds of someone who never had that privilege and live his life like his popular friends did, in a moment he could go back to how things used to be. 

Richie could see the gears turning in Eddie's head as he mulled over his decision, the longer he stared at him absently, the more discouraged Richie became. Maybe he shouldn't have listened to Bev and instead just mourned what could have been and got over it. This felt so much worse, he knew if he was rejected here it would tear his heart up even more and break what little spirit he had left.

"I-i'm sorry about what I said earlier." Eddie croaked with a strained voice, breaking the silence. He wiped his nose and stood up a bit straighter trying to regain at least a little bit of his dignity and pushed away the few lasting renegade tears before they made his cheeks sticky.