do you know what i'm seeing?

three

"i still cannot believe that you offered me up to drive him home." eddie grumbled, watching as mike threw his backpack into the backseat.

"i can't believe that you actually took him home." stan said from the other side of the backseat, his attention also moving to mike, who eddie was blatantly glaring at.

"you're still on this? that was like, two days ago." mike said nonchalantly, fastening his seatbelt and reaching forwards to mess with the radio. "plus, you know you wouldn't have left him there and let him drive home drunk anyways, so do not make me the bad guy."

"you are the bad guy. you didn't let him think of any other choices, you just jumped straight into 'oh eddie will drive you! don't worry about it!'" eddie backed out of the driveway, an angry scrunch spreading across his freckled face.

"you guys were flirting all night, eddie." stan spoke, hoping to lift some of the tension from mikes place.

"flirting? are you insane?" eddie braked hard, turning quickly in his seat to give stan a look that shot daggers.

"you totally blushed with the nicknames. spaghetti man? how does he even come up with that shit?" mike interrupted, adding onto stan's comment.

"you both can find your way home after the exam this morning, because i will not be taking you home." eddie shook his head, pulling into the schools parking lot. mike lived so close, eddie often wondered why they drove at all.

"need the room to take richie home, huh?" stan smirked as he pulled his backpack out from in front of him and stepped outside of the car.

"i hate you." eddie looked at stan over the cars roof, but stan saw no sincerity in his eyes.

"alright, alright. no fighting. big test today guys." mike slung his arm around eddie's shoulders and pulled him towards the auditorium where there was already a line forming with their fellow seniors.

eddie wasn't nervous, really. he knew he was more than prepared. the exams were split between days, each day being a different subject. monday was history, which meant that eddie was taking an exam for his AP US History class, and even though it was regarded as a difficult class- eddie never had too much trouble in it.

"good luck today, eddie. no distractions, remember. make me proud." eddie's mothers words from that morning persisted in his mind.

no distractions. no distractions.

"spaghetti-man~" eddie heard from behind him, almost as if it were on cue.

"jesu christ. no. not today." eddie shut his eyes tightly, refusing to turn with mike and stan to meet the voice.

"richie! how are you feeling, buddy?" mike said, pulling richie into a bear hug as stan greeted beverly, bill, and ben- who were trailing not too far behind richie.

"i'm doing great, how're you, cutie?" richie spun eddie by his shoulders and pinched his cheek as he stumbled with the sudden movement.

"horrible now that you're here." eddie spat, smacking richie's outstretched arm away from him. "i don't need your help, i'm perfectly balanced, thank you."

"thank you again for that ride the other night, ed's. i would've been a goner without you getting me home from ms. marsh's safely." richie readjusted his glasses and ignored the death glare that eddie was giving him.

"i should've abandoned you on the side of the road." eddie rolled his eyes, walking forward and presenting his school provided ID to the lady at the door.