TAME. ⌲ reddie

eight 〰 moving figure

A/N AT THE BOTTOM PLEASE READ

btw, this chap is dedicated to Kadeisntcool for being such a sweet little bean... ily 😊❤️

this is a fun chapter *failed attempt at winking*

{unedited}

Eddie shuffled around in the enclosed space between him and Richie before sighing and ending up right back where he started when he sat down. It was uncomfortable being so close to Richie, and he wished dearly for personal space. Proximity to other people was how diseases spread, and everyone knew how much of a germaphobe Eddie was.

"Are we there yet?" Eddie whined.

"Not yet."

"Well when are we going to be there?"

"Soon." Eddie waited impatiently
until Richie pulled the brakes of the bike a block down from where Eddie lived, the sharpness of the friction between the tire and the concrete causing Eddie to practically fall into Richie's back. "Okie dokie artichokey, here we are." Richie swung his leg over the bike, ushering himself down. Once he was off, he put his arms around Eddie's waist like he did earlier and helped him get off as well.

"I could get down myself, you know. I'm not a child or a baby."

"I know. I also know how to be a helpful person."

"Helpful and you in the same sentence? Hold on, let me just search for evidence of that in the many years I've known you. I'm searching, I'm searching, I'm done searching, and look at that, there is none!" Richie rolled his eyes.

"Look, I've-" Before Richie had the option to allow another manipulating monologue to come out of his mouth, he heard Sonia's voice.

"Oh my gosh, Eddie! What happened to you?" Sonia shrieked, grabbing the attention of both Richie and Eddie.

"I, uh,-" Eddie didn't know what to say. He couldn't let Sonia know the truth or else she would go to the school and make matters worse. He would be given worse insults as labels and he didn't need or desire any more of that.

"Why are you so afraid of speaking to her Eddie? She's your mom, just tell her the truth." Eddie gave him a look and Richie understood immediately. "Alright fine, I'll say it. Eddie here, Mrs. K, was playing soccer with Haysta- I mean Ben, and he tripped over a twig and fell on his arm, breaking it." Sonia hurried down the stairs of their porch to Eddie. She engulfed him in a hug.

"Oh my baby boy, are you okay, honey?" Richie held in a snicker as he saw Eddie being squished between the woman's arms and breastbone. "You're so brave, you know that? You fought through the pain and I love you so much and I'm so sorry that you had to bear this, but it's okay because mommy's here now and-"

"Mom! Stop it! You're embarrassing me!" Eddie escaped out of his mom's grasp and looked at Richie's red face, it's given shade from holding in all his laughter.

"Who is this, Eddie?" Sonia asked, clearly not familiar with the boy with the freese's shirt.

"This is Richie, he's a, uhm, person I met at school."

"Nice to meet you, Richie."

"Same goes here, Mrs. K."

"Not to be rude, but may I ask why you're here?"

"Oh, uhm, Eddie and I have a project to do together and it involves a lab with leaves, and today we have to collect data. I know such an unfortunate event happened today, but work is work and we don't have the option to skip it. So, if you don't mind, would you let Eddie out with me for a while?" Sonia pondered greatly. She often didn't let any of her children go out, forget letting them out on a time like this. Her goal was to protect them always. She felt like Richie was lying for a moment too, trying to mask up the idea that they were going to run off into a dark alley and smoke pot with dealers or end up in a similar situation. Richie didn't look like the type of kid who would do that, but Sonia took this precaution for every person at least five times before fully trusted them. She knew looks could be misleading. She studied Richie vigorously, like a student right before a major exam. Then, she did something she'd never done before.