11

A few more hours have passed, turning the morning into a nice warm summer afternoon, the two have been relaxing on the couch the whole time unsure of what to do. But Richie didn't mind he enjoyed just having Eddie there, just the two of them enjoying the silence was enough for him...

"I think I'm going to go home" Eddie speaks up making Richie look over at him seeing his sat with his legs crossed focused on a picking the skin around his nail a clear sign that he was nervous about something, "What why?"

"I can't avoid it forever Rich" he says with a weak chuckle trying to lighten the subject, but Richie didn't take the hint, he didn't under why Eddie would want to go there so soon it had only been a day... Did Richie do something to make Eddie not want to be here? "You don't have to Eddie, but it's only been a day you don't have to rush back to it"

"I know I know, but I've thought about it, and I want too plus I have to shower and change into clean clothes"

"Well... Okay, but call me if anything happens, okay?"

"Will do" Eddie smiles over at him before getting up to his feet still fidgeting with his fingers while he makes his way to the door, Richie stands up as well following behind him watching as Eddie slides on his shows open the door letting the sunshine into the hallway. "See you later Ed's"

"Bye Richie" Eddie says giving him another small smile before leaving letting Richie shut the door behind him, once the teen was alone again, he looks around he wished he could have stopped Eddie from going back there... Maybe he could have said something to convince him to stay or was it because of him that he wanted to leave. Did he make him uncomfortable? Fuck Richie didn't know when to shut his mouth...

Eddie stares up at his house still sat on his bike, he had been sitting there for minutes but he felt glued to the seat... Eddie's anxiety had peaked again just by looking at his house, there was no way this is normal he thought to himself while finally stepping off the bike letting to rest against the wall. With shaky steps he makes his way up the porch steps slowly pushing the door open enough to hear the sound of the tv playing female voices talking to one another he could already tell it was one his mom's shows that she loved to watch, she was here... "Of course she is here Eddie it's her house?!"

He just stands there, his feet plastered to the wood porch under him, why was he so scared? This was the home he grew up in... With a deep breath he pushes the fear down taking a step into the house his shoes hitting the floor mat underneath him, "You got this Eddie, just get up to your room you'll be fine" His own voice repeats in his head as he removes his sneakers, without looking around he rushes up the stairs nearly stripping on half of them but he didn't care he continues to dart down the hall until he was in his room with the door locked. He hadn't even noticed he was holding his breath until he was gasping for the air he had been missing, he stayed there with his back against the door waiting to hear any noises from downstairs or even his mom's voice, but nothing came... "That was easy..."\

Standing his room felt calming he enjoyed seeing the familiar room he would run to when everything went shitty, his mom was strict about the music or movies he watched so there wasn't as many posters on his wall compared to Richie but Eddie's room was a lot cleaner no clothes on his floor or random things laying everywhere, Eddie enjoyed having a clean room because it was easy to find stuff and not end up panicking for not finding something. He sits down on the edge of his bed looking down at his socks even though he liked being in his room he felt like something was missing... It was so quiet, too quiet... No Richie bugging him with annoying jokes or loud music playing while the two laid there, then it hits him... He missed Richie, it wasn't that surprising since they were best friends but this time it felt different, it's like he missed him more than he normally did... But why?

Back at Richie's house he was sitting on his couch still beating himself up about Eddie when the phone rang once again with a loud groan, he pushes himself and picks it up, "Yeah?"

"No hello this time?" Bev chuckles on the other end of the phone, "What now Bev?"

"We were talking about going to the quarry today, just wanted to see if you and Eddie wanna come?"

"Ed's isn't here"

"What where is he then?"

"Back home"

"What!?"

"I tried to convince him to stay but he still left, I can't force him" Richie sighs twirling the home founds cord around his finger listening to the silence on the other end before Bev speak again, "Then let's go get him"

"Huh?"

"Me and the others will come get you then we can go kidnap Eddie, there is no way he wants to be there alone right now"

"Fine I'm bored anyway" Richie shrugs, Bev says something else, but he had lost focus hanging up once he hears the words bye coming from her. He felt so stupid right now, Richie kept trying to think of things he could have said that would have made him uncomfortable, but his jokes were just like every other day... Shit it had to be the mixtape! "Fuck why did I ever make that thing!?"

Richie let out a loud groan running both hands down his face, "Shit I'm so stupid..."

Eddie had found out that Richie had put time into a mixtape, did Eddie know? Did this gift Richie swore he was going to throw out actually just give himself away, with yet another loud groan he drops back down on the couch his arms crossed now just waiting for his friends. A few minutes had passed before a bell dinging could be heard outside "H-Housekeeping" Bill shouts his stutter giving him away but Richie couldn't help but laugh when he peaks out the window seeing all his friends surrounding the door, after sliding on his vans he pulls the door open the slightly breeze flowing through yet another one of his Hawaiian shirts. "Mike... What the fuck is that hat" Richie stops in his track his bottom lip already trembling trying to hold in a laugh, Mike sat there on his bike but on top of his head sat a bucket hat the string tucked under his chin but the design on the hat was bright yellow rubber ducks... "I don't want to burn it makes my skin all flakey"

"So, you pick that hat?"

"Oh, shush Richie, I think it look's great on him!" Bev grins mike giving an agreeing nod Richie could no longer hold in his laugh when he looks over seeing Bill wearing the same hat, "Billiam you too!"

"I sa-saw it s-sat there and I j-j-just had too" Bill shrugs Mike looking over at him with a grin, "We look great dude, model material"

"O-oh defiantly"

"Richie get your ass in gear we have a boy to rescue!" Bev orders waving her hand motioning the teen top stop just standing there, Richie rolls his eyes rushing over to his bike and jumping on the group biking down the street Bev humming a song to herself while Bill and Mike talked in front of the group Richie staying towards the back. "Everything okay Tozier?" Stanley asks slowly down his bike enough to come up next to him the two peddling next to each other, "Aw Stanley are you being nice?"

"Well normally you never shut up and now you're barely talking so even an idiot could tell something is up with you"

"Nothing's up Stan, thanks for asking though" Lies

It was like that was the only thing he was telling the group anymore... All the words coming out his mouth bending the truth or just plain lying, sure Bev took him being gay really well but who says the others are going to do the same thing? Stan was religious... What if they couldn't be friends just because Richie liked guys, it felt stupid to worry about shit like that but that was all Richie could do. The group stops their bikes on the road in front of the Kaspbrak house hold none of them moving or saying a word, "I really hope the plan was to just go knocking on the door" Rich says looking over at Bev the girl just rolling her eyes "Duh of course not, here wait here and let me know if his mom is coming okay?"

"will do ma'am" Richie bows his head staying with the group the five of them watching as Bev sneaks onto the lawn ducking away from the open windows until she gets to the side of the house finding a way to climb up onto the roof her feet hitting the roofing makes a loud noise the whole group freezes and when Richie see's the blue lights from the tv through the window turn off he motions Bev to keep going before turning to the group, "Wait behind those bushes" He rushes them then darting over to the front door just as Eddie's mom pulls it open staring at him with a confused look.

"Richard..." Ew his full name...

"Hi Miss Kaspbrak, sorry about that I didn't expect my bike to be that loud!"

"Why are you here?"

"Well, I was just wondering how Eddie was of course, he just randomly wanted to have a sleepover last night, so I was wondering if something was wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong Tozier, but Eddie went to your house last night...?"

"Yep!"

"Did he say anything?"

"Nothing at all Miss, that's why I came here" From the corner of his glasses he sees Bev helping Eddie down onto the ground the two sharing a glance Bev giving him a quick thumbs up before hurrying behind the bushes with Eddie to join the others, he could feel them all staring at him now all he had to do was end this weird conversation.

"Well since you said nothing is wrong, I'll be on my way!" Richie gives her a large grin starting to step off the porch the women still giving him an odd gaze, just as Richie was about to fully turn around and rush to his bike, she stops him "Wait"

"Yes?"

"How is your mother doing... Saw her in town she doesn't look very good that poor marriage of hers" Richie freezes staring at this woman his cheery demeanor suddenly changes, first she acts like a bitch to her son now she acts like she has any right to talk about his parents... People she doesn't even know!?

"Thanks for the concern, Miss Kaspbrak, but my parents' marriage is just fine" Richie says trying to sound as nice as possible before turning on his heel rushing over to his bike not looking back until he was at least two houses down, "Holy shit Richie that was amazing!" Bev laughs running up to him throwing her arms around him "We are going to be the best spy duo ever!"

"Hell, yeah we are, all I had to do was pull out the charm Eddie's mom loves so much"

"Fuck off dude" Eddie snickers shaking his head, but he seemed okay he was smiling at least...