✓Hanahaki Diease [ Reddie ]

VIII. Home

TW: Religious trama, reference to SA

At last he was there, for a moment he was home.

-flashback

"Richie," The voice began. In silence he hesitated. "I heard about your little incident."

Richie's breathing began to shake.

"We cannot have that... Behavior here at this church or any church for that matter." He closed the bible on the stand. "We the community don't feel safe around your kind, standing with God I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Richie felt tears welt into his eyes, it was only one kiss.

end of flashback-

He stumbled, almost losing his balance. Richie dragged himself to the hammock,

"Surely my parents will regret their decision." He thought, getting comfortable. Suddenly he heard loud noises coming from the woods, directly above him.

"I don't think they went this way... What is the girl's name?... I want my money." The audible voices mimicked from what only he could hear. It sounded like two grown men chasing after somebody.

Fully invested, he sat up listening closely.

"She must've known we were after her, from what I've heard shes easy." One man spoke.

"We'll find her, hopefully before she makes a police report." The other one chimed in.

"We better get our goddamn money, once we find her she's free game."

Richie put his hands to his mouth in disgust. He eventually heard the men make their way back to the main part of town, he could only slump into desperation.

"What the fuck." He whispered, shaking a bit from the cold. He was debating on whether or not he should investigate. These men sound like trouble, lots for that matter.

Suddenly he heard quieter foot steps stop right above the trapdoor. But when he realized it was Beverly, he knew something was wrong.

"Bev!-" He was interrupted by a series of shushes.

"What are you doing here?" Beverly asked.

"Me what am I doing here? What are you doing here?" Richie replied.

"It's a long story." She plopped down next to him, lighting a cigarette.

"Gosh you ever take a break?" He asked, lightheartedly.

"Does life ever take a break?"

"Good point." He mumbled.

She put the cigarette to her lips, he noticed she was wearing pajamas like she had just crawled out of bed.

"Did you hear those men? I think they were hunting down some girl." Richie frantically asked.

In some hope he prayed it wasn't Bev.

"Those men work for my father. Ever since I moved out, he's been trying to 'get back at me'." She began. "Whatever that means."

Richie bit the insides of his mouth, in attempt to not think about what would've happened if they found her.

"What about you?"

"Parents kicked me out."

"Already? You guys just got home." She pulled the cigarette away from her lips.

"My dad was drunk, he'll probably change his mind."

The silence was comfortable, moonlight flowed through the small hole in the trapdoor.

The rest of the night was a haze.

Richie rubbed his eyes, putting his glasses back on. Bev sat up, ruffling a hand through her hair. They jumped when they heard some noises coming from outside,

"No dude, I can't tell him." A familiar voice called. Richie felt his stomach turn.

"You've got to eventually." The other voice replied.

Bev and Richie were now looking at each other, before looking up again. The silence was, odd.

"Fine."

In the near distance they heard more bikes pull up. More familiar voices chime in.

"Are you okay?" These conversations began to be inaudible, as Richie starts coughing into his hands. Trying to be as quiet as possible, people start lifting the latch.

"Over here!" Bev whispers, taking the petals from Richie to dispose of them faster.

"Why are you guys here?" Eddie asked, looking around.

"Uh it's a long story." Richie blurted out. Stanley looked over at Eddie then back at Richie.

"We have all day." Stan sat down in his chair.

"Long story short, my father keeps sending weird men after me and Richie got kicked out." Bev shrugged.

"Again?" Eddie looked at Richie. Richie nodded.

"You realize if you need a place to stay, you can stay at my house." Eddie added.

"This might actually be too much for me." Mike placed his hands on his head.

"It'll be alright." Bill reassuranced, a smile peaking on his face. As Bill comforted Mike, Richie continued.

"My dad was just drunk, he probably didn't mean it." They all looked at him,

"Well why did he kick you out?"

The silence sat uncomfortably.

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word count: 765