Eddie starts setting up Richie's new phone, as the taller boy buys two ice creams
"I hope I got it right" Richie says with a smile, as he places both ice creams on the table
"Chocolate and Butter Pecan Caramel?"
"Shit. You asked for the Pecan Caramel?" Richard pinches himself "I ordered you Butter Brickle"
Eddie starts laughing, and looks up at him
"I was just kidding. I hate the Butter Pecan" he tries his ice cream, and smiles, enjoying its taste "Hey, um- do you have a... nickname? Calling you Richard seems weird. I heard Adelaide called you Richie?"
"Well, my- uh... the Wheelers..."
"Your parents" Eddie corrects him, then gets his hand closer to Richie's, and just when he's about to hold it, changes his mind.
He doesn't even know him. Grabing his hand would be weird. Unnecessary.
He just settles with giving it a little punch "They're your parents, dude. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise"
Richie gives him a little smile, then looks away, and keeps on eating
"They do, they call me Richie"
"Sounds a bit rusty"
"How'd you like to call me?" He asks
"Daddy" Eddie looks at him, smirking
Richie spits his ice cream out, and they both giggle
The Old Richie would've made that joke without hesitating
"Nah, I'm just kidding. Um- I could call you Rich. Is that okay?"
'Rich. There it is. Once again.'
"Yeah. It's okay"
"Great. There you go" Eddie gives Richie his phone back, and keeps on eating
"Thanks" Rich smiles at him
"So... were you an orphan? Before the Wheelers, I mean"
"Um... I- I don't really wa-"
"I shouldn't have asked that. Geez, I just met you. Sorry"
Richie stays quiet, and looks down. He doesn't like sharing much. Those few times he left people in, they just ended up disappointing him. They just get close to him to hurt his feelings.
'He's too good to be true. Something has to be wrong. He can't be this good, and still be talking to me. Maybe the Wheelers paid him'
"You really wanna help me pass the test?" He asks
"Of course, yeah. I'll do as much as I can to teach you everything you need to know to get in. You seem cool, so I'd like you to be in my class"
"You would?"
"Sure. After meeting so many assholes, it'd be nice to finally have someone nice around"
"What about your friends?"
"What about them?" Eddie asks, a little too confused
"Are they assholes too?"
"Sure, but they're my assholes. Besides, they don't all go to my school"
"They don't?"
"Nah, not everyone's into arts, dude"
"Oh, right"
"One of them's in the Architecture School"
"Is he out on holidays too?"
"Yeah, everyone here leaves for holidays"
"Why don't you?"
"For someone who doesn't like being questioned, you sure ask a lot of things"
"Oh, sorry" Richard looks down, and pinches himself one more time
Eddie looks at him, and frowns. He's seen Richie do it twice already. He thinks about saying something, but decides not to comment about it. He doesn't wanna ruin what might eventually become a nice friendship, and Richard already reacted weirdly when he was asked about his past. This might be good, he can't afford losing it for some cheap gossip. Besides, Eddie gets it. He doesn't like being asked about his parents either.
He finishes his ice cream and stands up
"You ready?"
"Where are we going?" Richie asks
"I don't know yet" Eddie shrugs "Where do you wanna go?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
"Is this your first time here?"
"Yeah" he lies
"Okay, then. Let's visit the Empire State, the Rockefeller Center, and the Central Park Zoo"
"All those things? Today?"
He's been to most of those places, and it takes a while to get there.
"Yeah. You have a curfew or something?"
"I don't know. It's my second day here"
"Oh, yeah. Right"
"Do you have a curfew?
"I do, yeah"
"So...?"
"So, I ignore it. That's what the curfew is made for; to be ignored"
"Oh, so you're a bad guy"
"Yeah, and you'll join me on the dark side" Eddie says, with a smile on his face "C'mon. I don't think Harry and Adelaide would get mad. You're just making a friend"
"Right. Yeah, let's go"
Both boys walk out the shopping centre, and Rich follows Eddie right to his bike
YOU ARE READING
Through Good & Bad (Reddie)
FanfictionAt the age of 15, after spending two years in an Orphanage from Arizona, Richie is adopted and taken to New York where he meets Eddie Kaspbrak, a boy his age who turns his life upside down.
