Eddie's My Boo

5. Little Trip

Richie was only a few houses away from Eddie's. He checked his clock.
16:32
He gave a silent nod and sniffed. The rain had long gone, and the once dull and gloomy clouds had turned into a light grey mist. The aroma of freshly cut grass wafted into his nose, and he took the time to let it sink in.
"RICHIE!" a voice cried from beneath the bushes.
Richie looked around fearfully. Who was it? The leaves blew at his feet, spiralling into a small tornado on the ground. It climbed high, and descended.
A rustle came from his right. He peered inside and spotted a cardboard box, paper and colouring pencils. "Come on in!" Eddie grinned. "Sorry my mum said no Netflix because it is bad for your eyes. She let me have hot chocolate though...low fat of course".
"Neat!" Richie replied. He clambered in, keeping a firm hold of the delicate plant. "Is this your hideout?"
"Yep! I chill in here after school", he picked up a bag of sweets and shook them proudly.
"I was joking. But it's a nice place", he looked up at the tired-looking branches, entwined with hundreds of leaves. "Ouch!" He shrieked as a thorn jabbed him in the rear.
"It's ok, it's ok," said Eddie, holding his shoulder. Richie smiled, a crimson shimmer spreading across his face. "Are you blushing?" Eddie asked with playful snigger. He continued laying his pencils out in a neat row across the floor.
"So, how are you?" Richie asked.
"Fantastic!" He said, "today I got a new inhaler, new medicine and I bought some new crayons down in the Derry corner shop. What did you do?"
Richie took a deep breath. "Not much. Why weren't you in school?"
"Mum said that I needed to go and get medicine. Then she said that I should stay in and rest. So I did".
"Don't you ever wanna just...go and leave her? That's what I do with my mum".
"Oh yeah! All the time!" said Eddie, "she is so worried about me and my asthma". He looked into Richie's eyes. He could see his complexion in the shiny reflection. "Richie?"
"Mhm?" He looked hopeful.
"Everytime I see...you, I am happy" he said with a cute smile. His hands tensed.
"Really?" Said Richie, "that's nice. I feel the same way. You always make my laugh, and I miss you when you're gone and-"
Eddie raised a hand to Richie's lips. "You don't have to explain. I understand" he leaned back and took out a biscuit. He twirled it between his fingers, taking a bite at every rotation.

The crisp, winter breeze blew into the hideout. They sat in silence, an awkward one. Eddie continued drawing a cartoon of a panda with a wedge of bamboo in its mouth, saliva seeping out of the edges. "You're good at drawing, Eds"
"Thank you! Although my mum says that I might get arthritis if I draw too much. She is a fusspot" said Eddie, rolling his eyes. He dropped a pencil in the foliage.
Richie bent down to retrieve it when he felt a warm hand on his. He looked at Eddie. Eddie's eyes were glistening, his smile was contagious. His teeth were perfect, and you sank into his beauty. Their eyes locked on each other as they gulped simultaneously. Richie blushed, sniffing quickly. They squeezed each others hands.

"Baby Eddie! Come get your inhaaaler!" Said a distant voice.
"Wanna come? My mum likes you," said Eddie, holding onto Richie's arm.
"Of course" came the reply.

Eddie puffed his inhaler. Richie stood, his legs tense. He giggled nervously. "That inhaler is weird".
"I know!" Said Eddie. He put the inhaler on the counter and clutched his pencils. "Wanna see my room?"
                                                        ************************
Richie clambered up the stairs, gripping onto the rails for dear life. Geez, he thought, these stairs are so steep. Eddie walked up calmly, and with ease. He stopped at the top of the stairs.
"Rich! Come on slow coach," he rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Okay okay" he said, brushing his sweat-covered hair from his spotty forehead. "I thought you had a dog or something"

"Mum said it triggered my asthma" came the reply. Eddie put his this leg out, flexing the muscles, and itched a dry patch on his hairy leg.

"Nothing short of a desert, eh?" Richie said, licking his lips and laughing softly. Leaves flowed by, with a mystical glaze from the reflection of the sun onto the soggy, plant droppings. 

"What?" said Eddie, already skipping into his room. He pressed down the door handle, and leaned into it with a strange sense of relief. 

"Nothin" said Richie, his trouser legs dragging against the carpet. 

"Welcome!" said Eddie. "it's a bit messy..." he carelessly disposed of some 2-day old knickers. 

"Neat"

"Sit on my bed! Mum got me a new mattress that had anti allergy stuff on it" he sat down, the duvet moulding a deep crest where he perched. 
Richie stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame and scrolling through social media. He looked up and put his phone back into his pocket, a guilty look on his face. 

"Nice room" he said, limply brushing his hand on a pile of paper on Eddie's desk.

"Yeah my uncle did it for me!"

"Oh so your mum didn't do anything for once. I don't believe it!" he said, and laughed.

Eddie looked down, the grasp on his pencils uncoiling. "Yeah".

Richie sensed the sadness that washed over Ed like a tidal wave, ravenously flowing back. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing" Eddie dismissed the subject and called for his mum."Cookies please!" he sighed slowly, letting the breath trail out.

Sonia Kaspbrak stomped up the stairs, her fat sweaty hands screeching as her skin stuck to the stairrail. "Here!"
She walked down the stairs and the boys could hear the "SLAP" as her thigh bashed into the wall. She swore and carried on walking. Eddie couldn't contain his laughter. They both covered their mouths and started giggling. "Ahahaha! I ca- can- can't believe it!" said Eddie, speaking inbetween wheezes.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" she said monotonously.
"Nothing mum. Thanks ever so much for the cookies" said Eddie, as he grabbed a handful.
"Gluten-free! The best for my boy" she said, grabbing and wiggling his teeth.
Eddie closed the door. "It's cookie time" he rasped and turn the lights off.
"Stop bro! I'm only scared of one thing: the dark" Richie rolled his eyes.
Richie fumbled for his phone and grabbed it, switching on the torch. Eddie was stood, beaming next to him.
"What the f-"
"Richie. I have something important to tell you and I've been meaning to tell your for ages. It's ok if you say no or you disagree or you hate me or you're embarrassed or-"
"Yeah just get to the point" said Richie, forcing a jocular smile. His breathing sped up. He drew in along breath and gulped, blinking simultaneously.