𝑹𝑨𝑫𝑰𝑶 -- reddie fic

four - remembering, reminiscing

   richie pushed off the ground and rode across the street. he didn't actually know where he was going, he realised ten minutes into riding back. where the hell did eddie live? great, now he had a record he didn't listen to and no idea where the person who wanted it lived. and it was friday, school wasn't for three whole days. "whatever," richie said, talking to himself. "i'll just– go back to the school and get my stuff." he thought aloud.

   richie sighed, getting off the bike and hiding it near a bush while after he got there. he pushed on the door, only to find that it was locked. he rolled his eyes and walked around to the side of the school, where the door to the janitors room was. richie turned the handle and stepped into the dark room, the setting sun not making it much brighter. he stumbled, almost tripping over a few buckets in the crowded room. richie's hand reached next to the door, feeling around for the switch. he switch flicked upward, and the dim lights lit up the small closet.

   richie stepped over everything on the floor to turn the knob and get out of there. he carefully opened it, and jumped over a few spray bottles to get into the hallway. he let the door swiftly shut behind him as he brushed himself off. richie looked both directions to see if anyone was there, and then proceeded to walk towards his locker. as he walked, richie's head sunk down and he looked at the ground.

   he got to his locker, holding the lock close to himself so he could see the tiny numbers on it. he turned the combination in, and popped the lock off. richie quietly pulled the door open, and reached his hand inside. richie swiped his headphones, still plugged in, out of the locker. the walkman itself nearly fell to the floor, but the cord from the headphones stopped it from dropping. it swung back and forth, clanging when it hit the bottom locker.

   "fuck." richie whispered, grabbing it up hurriedly. he pulled the backpack out of the locker too, just so he had some place to put his things. richie kneeled to the ground. he pulled the leftover change from the vinyl and threw it into the backpack, where it fell to the bottom. he put the walkman in and then zipped it up, but let the cord snake out for him to put the headphones on. richie put on the backpack, then the headphones around his neck and went to walk back to the closet. he got there and placed his hand on the knob. it was locked.

  "fuck!" rich exclaimed, whisper-yelling. "you're shitting me." he snuck a quick back and fourth look around the hallways and didn't see anyone. i'm really stuck in the fucking school, eh. richie slammed his head on the janitor's closet door and sighed a very exasperated sigh. he left himself in silence for a minute, thinking whether or not to go to the office and taddle on himself. but then, richie heard light footsteps. his forehead lifted off the door and he turned his head in the direction of the noise. who– he thought.

   the person slowly came into focus, and richie made out their figure. "well i'll be damned." he said aloud, but still in a whisper-ish tone. he saw eddie squint from afar.

   "oh, hi." eddie said with a slight giggle and a surprised look on his face. richie walked towards the other boy. "we've gotta stop making a habit of this," he began, clearing his throat awkwardly. "i came back through here," he pointed to the closet. "to get my shit. and then when i came back to leave, it was– fucking locked." he sighed and looked at his feet, feeling stupid for asking for help. richie looked upward again, remembering the record. "um, and you forgot the record.. elton john." he mumbled the last bit. eddie stood there, listening and composing himself before he spoke.

   "i realised that." he said sweetly, laughing at himself. "i was going to go back tomorrow." richie shook his head suddenly. "what?" eddie asked, looking confused.

   "i.. got it for you." rich said. eddie's face lit up with surprise, and then his cheeks turned red. "you– didn't have to do that." eddie said, looking down bashfully. "no it's okay, i had the money and it's just outside. by my bike." richie blurted out. he looked at the hallway again paranoid, realizing their voices had become somewhat louder.

   "but lets get out of here." eddie said, a small smirk on his face. richie nodded, ready to follow eddie. eddie started to walk toward the left side of the school, and richie's memory just remembered there was a door there, and it was usually left unlocked. "shit, i forgot about that stupid entrance." richie muttered, and eddie gave a small laugh.

   they both got outside, and then richie was the one to lead them to his bike. they turned the corner, and richie unhooked the delicate vinyl from the back of the bicycle. "jesus, thank you." eddie said as rich handed it to him. richie just nodded coolly. "yeah, that's it." richie said bluntly. eddie nodded now, and started to walk away backwards. richie held up his hand to wave goodbye.

   "thank you again, so much." eddie smiled softly. richie nodded yet again. richie drew in a deep breath, and then got up onto his bike. he stayed there in the grass for a minute, watching eddie hurridly walk to his bike, and then pedal away. finally richie stuck his hand into his backpack, and press the walkman to on. he zipped it, and flipped his headphones onto his ears. richie pushed off, and rode down the street.

   five minutes in, and onto the second song, richie started bawling. the cool june breeze froze his tears, and his hair whipped in the wind. he quickly wiped his cheek with one of his hands. he didn't know why he was crying, but he just was. and he didn't make any effort to stop.

time skip

   richie got home, dropped the bike in front of the porch and ran to the door. he unlocked it, and opened it just a sliver; he didn't want to be home if someone was there. richie listened for a few moments, and after he heard nothing but dead air, he threw open the door and went straight to the bathroom. he slammed the door, even though no one else was there but himself. he dropped his backpack on the floor, exhaling hard.

   "fuck–" he said to himself, catching a glance of his reflection in the mirror. his cheeks were tear-stained, eyes inflamed red and puffy. richie sank down to the ground, back against the door. he tore his bag open, pulling the walkman out. richie felt around the bottom of the backpack, looking for two small boxes. his fingers found both, and he lifted a cigarette pack and a mini box of matches from the depths of the backpack. he looked at the camel on the box.

   "hey, ol' bud." he said, his voice cracking from crying. richie grabbed a cigarette and a match from the box and lit it. the flame danced around as he brought the flame up to the end of the cigarette. it caught and richie blew out the fire, the orange light abruptly going out. richie took a drag off of it, sighing as he blew out. he looked down at himself, a complete mess on the floor of the bathroom. richie's sleeve had snaked up, revealing a small stick and poke he had given himself last year.

   it had faded quite a bit since he originally did it, but the shape was still very clear. rough letters and lines, making up the word IRONY on his wrist. he sighed, but smiled at the sight of it.

   richie kept smoking the cigarette, and ended up crying harder again. what's wrong with me? fucking– he slammed his free hand down on his thigh, sobbing harder. 

   i can't.. richie thought about his random encounters with eddie, three throughout the day. he took a final puff from the cigarette before putting it out by smashing the head on the bathroom tile. richie tossed it into the trashcan, and sat there, reminiscing. 

1401 word count

a/n: ok sO i didnt hit 2k like i wanted to but i was super unmotivated yet again. im going to try and put something out next week a little bit more dark? also i was kinda thinking abt a boreo story but lmaooo i cant commit. anywho thanks 4 reading i hope yall liked this chapterrr