Nothing More // Reddie

1

Eddie's POV

I sighed, throwing my pencil down and groaning in frustration. I had been attempting to finish my homework for the last hour and a half. It wasn't that the assignments were too difficult. I could usually fly right through them, but I was currently distracted by the presence of a certain someone.

Richie was perched in a chair across the living room, his feet planted on top of the coffee table where I was writing my essay for anatomy.  "You ok there, buddy?" He asked, glancing away from the tv to look me over.

My hair was messy from me constantly running my hands through it in frustration, and I probably looked wrecked due to my lack of sleep.

When my sort-of-friend-more-like-acquaintance stated to our friend group that he was looking for a roommate, I figured it was a perfect opportunity. I had just got kicked out of my parents house, and was looking for somewhere to stay other than my friend Beverly's couch.Richie seemed nice enough. So without hesitation, I quickly moved my stuff into Richie's apartment and took up the bedroom adjacent to his.

Big mistake.

It was so hard to focus with Richie around, I might as well have been living in a dormitory. Everywhere I went he was just... there. It was so awkward. At least with my parents, everyone mostly left me alone. They were barely even there.

"No, I'm fine." I replied. "it's just kinda hard to focus, y'know?" 

"Do you want me to turn off the tv?" He questioned.

I shook my head. "Nah. I guess I'm just a little off today. Whatever. This isn't due for another week, anyway."

I slammed my thick book shut and hoisted myself from the floor onto the couch. Damn. I almost never left my homework unfinished.

Richie kept looking at me curiously. "What?" i asked, squirming under his gaze. I hated being stared at.

Nothing, it's just I rarely ever see you without your nose in a book." he smirked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his pointer finger. 

"I'm not always studying." I say. "I do other stuff, too."

"Oh yeah." He said. "Like what?"

"Talk. I'm talking to you right now."

"Ok, well what kind of stuff do you like?" he asked. "Come on, shouldn't we be getting to know each other? We are roommates, after all."

"I like reading." I said, racking my brain for interests that wouldn't make me sound dumb. 

"Come on, dig a little deeper. Who is Eddie Kapsbrak?" 

"Kaspbrak." I corrected. "Not Kapsbrak."

"Well, that's a start. What's your favorite color."

"I dunno. Red, I guess. Or maybe blue. Light blue."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" He asked, grinning at me.

"Actually..." I trailed off.

It was a touchy subject to me. I had recently been outed by my brother, who read my text messages with my "friend". My parents were outraged. They screamed and yelled at me for days before eventually kicking me out. My boyfriend broke up with me after I told him, saying that he wasn't ready to come out yet and that he needed to distance himself from me.

The only person I was out to beside my immediate family and ex was Beverly. 

Richie's eyes continued to stare me down. I sighed. "It's complicated." That wasn't a complete lie. It was pretty complicated.

"Alright, I get it. You don't want to talk about it. No big deal. I got secrets, too, Eds." He smirked knowingly, making me squirm again.

"Right, well, I think I'm gonna head off to bed. I'll, uh, see you later." I muttered before darting to my room. Jesus Christ, I needed more sleep. I was getting jumpy and acting weird.

Don't worry, I told myself, you'll get used to living with someone else soon enough.

I sighed, getting into my pajamas and getting into bed, staring at the vase of flowers next to my bed as I slowly drifted off to sleep.