Princess, Knight and Dragon ✔️ Reddie

Be Your Shadow

'Richie, your phone is ringing!' Eddie hollered from the kitchen.

'Who is it?' Richie hollered back.

'It's Bev.'

'Let it go to voicemail.' Richie dismissed. 'I'll call her later. I'm on a roll right now.'

Eddie wandered out into the hall clutching Richie's phone. When he saw Richie fire yet another paper aeroplane successfully into the trash can, he growled and answered it. 'Hey, Bev. No, no, it's Eddie. Christ, are you alright?'

There was a short pause as Eddie furrowed his brown anxiously and eyed Richie, who had frozen in place. Eddie went on, 'No, he's fine. He's right here if you want to talk to him.' Pointedly, he said, 'No, he's not busy.'

Richie scowled and reluctantly took the phone. 'Hey, you.' His gaze flicked sideways to Eddie towering over him, eyebrow raised disapprovingly.

'Honestly, Richie, I swear to God,' Beverly cried, exasperated. 'Another dodged call and I'd be on a plane to New York.'

'Not necessary,' he grumbled.

'Talk to me, Rich.'

'Not now.'

Beverly waited a moment, then she demanded. 'Ask me how the dog is if Eddie is still in earshot of this conversation.'

'How's the dog?' Richie asked.

'Is he really still in earshot or do you just not want to talk to me?' she whined.

'I said, 'how's the dog'?' Richie repeated, louder, then mouthed at Eddie to indicate that it was a bad line. To escape Eddie's prying stares, he feigned searching for reception and took himself into another room. Satisfied that he was alone, he dropped his voice. 'Okay, I'm alone now.'

'But you have been ignoring me,' Bev complained.

Richie groaned, 'I didn't want any more questions.'

'I know,' she said. 'I'm sorry. I was just surprised. And it was so late.'

'I know,' Richie huffed.

'I just want to know how you are,' Bev said quietly.

Humming, Richie said, 'That's a question pretending that it's not a question. But I'm fine. Really. I'm glad I've told you and now we can never ever speak about it again.'

'Richie, you need to find a way to speak about it,' she insisted. 'If not with me then with someone. You've been keeping this to yourself for God-knows-how-many years and you have to talk about it.'

'I don't have to do anything,' Richie said petulantly.

Beverly whimpered. 'It's okay, Rich. You do know that? I love you and nothing has changed because you haven't changed. I just know you a little better.'

'That was downright slick. Did you practice that?' He wasn't sure if he was joking.

'Richie, I'm sorry that I don't know all the right things to say,' Bev rambled, 'but I want to say them because they're what I mean. They're what any of us would mean.'

'You don't know that,' he mumbled.

Bev was firm. 'I do. I do know that. God, Rich. We've spent our whole lives being the kids who are different. Who have been through shit that the other kids haven't. Who love each other because we just do, because it just is that way and it always has been. If this changed how any of the Losers felt about you, that would be the craziest thing I have ever seen, and I have literally seen a demon clown transfigure into a gigantic demonic alien spider and the fucking future.'