hard times// eddie + richie // IT

stan's relapse

as i speed walked out of richie's house, i wondered what i was gonna do about richie's messages.
like the hell i was talking to bill or bev.
so, i guess i would have to start with eddie. he was probably in his mad spot, which is where he would go if he wanted to be alone.
only richie and i knew of this spot, so none of the other losers could invade his space. i biked along the rows of trees, until i finally reached the small, unnoticeable path, which was just big enough for eddie.
i ducked under low hanging tree beaches, until i reached the two large boulder, which were surrounded by tall trees. i carefully climbed the boulders, to find eddie sitting in the space between them, angrily whispering to himself.
"i was just trying to help," he says, quietly to himself.
"eddie?" i ask, from above. eddie jumps and then looks up at me.
"holy shit stan! don't do that!" he gasped, and then pulled out his inhaler. i laughed, being careful not to let my feet slip and completely crush eddie. he sighed.
"how'd you know i was here?" he asked.
"richie told me everything," i answered. eddie rolled his eyes.
"fuck him," he stated, and then crossed his arms. i was surprised. eddie loved richie, and i never thought he'd be mad at him.
"well, he's really sad, and stuff. like he told me to tell you he's really sorry, and that he wants to talk to you. he said more, but i think you get the point. that blubbering buffoon misses you," i told eddie. he looked up at me.
"he said all that?" he asked. i nodded in return. eddie's brow furrowed.
"it doesn't excuse what he said, but i'll make an effort to tolerate him," eddie noted.
"thanks for the message, stan. i owe you one." eddie said, and started to climb out from in between the boulders. suddenly, i had a stroke of genius.
"hey, uh, eddie?" i asked.
"yeah?"
"do you think you can owe me two?" eddie gave me a confused look.
"richie asked me to pass on some messages to bill and beverly, and for obvious reasons i can't do that," i told him. eddie nodded.
"what are the messages?" he asked.
"richie says to tell beverly to order his usual from big poppa's diner. he also said to tell bill he needs to talk to him ASAP." eddie nodded, again.
"well, i've got to go play messenger for you, so i better be going." eddie joked.
"thanks." i replied.
"no problem!" eddie yelled, as he jumped off the boulder and waltzed into the forest. i didn't follow him. as the sun set over the horizon, i thought about escape from reality. it was only about a ten minute walk from here.
i only wanted to know what happened that night. nothing more.
i walked cautiously towards the club. i could feel anxiety rising in my stomach by the second. turn back, my head shouted. but, my legs kept moving. soon, i was standing in the clearing. i could already hear the music pounding from inside the building. i quietly pushed open the door and walked towards the bar. there was the woman with purple hair.
"hey stan!" she greeted, smiling wide.
"oh, uh-hey! uh," i didn't know her name. the woman's smile faltered.
"jamie," she told me.
"yeah! jamie!" i exclaimed, trying to cover up the situation. she stopped smiling.
"do you remember ANYTHING from saturday?" she groaned. i looked down at my shoes.
"no," i admitted. she smirked.
"then i guess you're not gonna remember-" suddenly, a girl came up in front of me and kissed me on the lips, hard. i pushed her off of me.
"who the hell are you?!" i yelled, at the top of my lungs. the girl frowned, and i could see she was about to cry. i have to admit, she was really pretty. her round, porcelain face reminded me of a doll's, and she had beautiful blonde curls that bounced around her shoulders. the girl looked up at me with round, blue eyes, that were the same color as the ocean my father had taken me to once in california.
"y-you don't remember?" she whimpered. i shook my head quickly.
"sorry delaney, stan didn't remember me either." jamie told the girl. i looked down at the floor, again.
"all i have is this," i took the photograph out of my pocket and slid it across the table. delaney snatched the photograph and stared into it.
"we were having so much fun in this picture," she sighed.
"i wish i could remember," i told her, trying to console her somehow. delaney glared at me.
"oh, i remember everything," she huffed, and sat down the barstool next to me.
"so it was saturday, and i was doing my usual thing, dancing on the dance floor, drinking maybe one, two drinks at most. then, you strutted in and talked to jamie for a while. she handed you a whiskey bottle and exited the bar station. so, i wanted to see what was up and i followed. god, stan. you didn't talk for the first few minutes, but the alcohol got in your system, and you told us everything. you even told me why you were here. some bitch named beverly, and your best friend? then you told me you loved me and we kissed. we kissed, a lot. then, you said you had to leave and you stumbled out of the bar at 3am, drunk as a skunk. as you were leaving, i slipped the picture into your pocket, as a reminder of me," she sighed.
"guess it didn't remind you at all," delaney finished.
my body shook. she called beverly a bitch, and i told her i loved her! i stood up, abruptly.
"i don't love you," i told delaney in a low voice. she whimpered.
"b-but you told me-" i cut her off.
"don't call my friend a bitch. and no, i was drunk, and you know that. i don't love you," i said, slowly raising my voice.
"no, stan! you don't just get to leave like this! i loved you back and i was good to you!" delaney yelled, catching a few people's attention.
"i don't even know you. nor do i want to," i told her, still keeping my voice low.
"oh please, i'm so much better than that whore beverly anyway. i bet she's a skank," she taunted. oh HELL no.
"SHUT UP! YOU NEVER EVEN MET HER!" i screamed at the top of my lungs. i gave her a death stare.
"tell jamie i said thanks." i stood up, and started to leave the bar.
"STAN! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE! I AM HOT AND YOU'RE LUCKY TO EVEN HAVE M-" i shut the door. glad that's over. i jogged back through the forest, stopping every once and a while to make sure delaney wasn't following me.
i mounted my bike, and started to long journey to my parent's house. it was nearly 10:00 when i got home, so i opened the door very quietly. i was half an hour late for curfew. my father sat on the sofa, head in his hands. my mother stood in the kitchen, worry written on her face. my father looked up.
"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!" my father raged, standing up and walking towards me.
"i-i lost track of time last night, so i slept over at richie's house," i lied.
"you didn't think to call us?" my mother asked, tears forming in her eyes.
"I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE POLICE, STAN," my father yelled, throwing his hands in the air. my shoulders shrunk up defensively.
"i was gonna, but it was late, so i just figured i'd come back tomorrow," i lied, again.
"STANLEY YOU FUCKING IDIOT. YOU COME HOME EVERY NIGHT AT NINE WITH NO EXCEPTIONS. WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL US? BECAUSE YOU WERE OFF WITH YOUR FUCKING FRIENDS FUCKING AROUND, WHEN YOU SHOULD BE AT HOME. PRACTICING YOUR READINGS FOR YOUR BAR MITZVAH, TOO MUCH WORK. STAYING OUT ALL NIGHT? THAT'S FINE." my father was livid.
"honey! that's enough!" my mother scolded my father. he was shaking with rage.
"you're grounded for two weeks. now, go to your room. i don't want to see your fucking face any longer." my father placed his hands over his eyes, and rubbed them. i nodded quickly and sprinted up the stairs. i slammed the door behind me, and shrunk down into the smallest ball i could make myself into.
fuck.
i'm almost an adult, spiritually, so why am i still a child on the outside? i thought to myself.
i can't even be yelled at without crying. i felt the hot tears drip down my face, but i did absolutely nothing to stop them.
fuck my dad. i hated being a rabbi's son. i'm not as serious about my religion as he is. that's why we don't get along well.
i changed into an old t-shirt and crawled into bed. i curled up into a ball, and cried myself to sleep.
"STAN! there's someone here to see you!" my mother called from the kitchen. i rolled out of bed, and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. i slowly descended down the stairs.
"hey stan!" i heard a voice call, oozing with sugar and venom.
"HOW DID YOU FIND MY HOUSE?!"