Through Good & Bad (Reddie)

Chapter IV- Meet Me at Bryant Park

Richie and Eddie spend most of their following weeks together. They're either studying, or pedaling around the streets of New York. They got way closer, and talk a lot. Richie's got way better. He talks about his problems and all.
"So mum and dad are on their way to Arizona to arrange some things from my adoption papers" Rich speaks up, his leg moving desperately, as always. His ADHD not quite letting him stop
"Oh, are you okay?"
Richie had told him multiple times how insecure he is about his adoption and how he fears his parents getting him back into the Orphanage

"Yeah. They won't let anything bad happen to me. Right?"
"Right. You're gonna be okay. They're really happy with you."
"I know" Richie smiles softly, making Eddie blush.
Eddie looks away, and pedals a little faster.

"So... I was thinking, maybe we can have a sleepover"
"A sleepover?"
"Yeah..."
"Rich, my dad would never allow that"
"Oh..."
"Sorry, but he doesn't know you, and he thinks we're dating, or something..."
"What?" Richie frowns, blushing "Why would he think that?"
"I don't know, I don't think I care either. He's an asshole, he thinks I'm gay. He's thought so for the last four or five years..."
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Gay"
"No!" Eddie replies, annoyed
"It's okay if you are, you know?"
"Of course I do. But I'm not. I'm not gay."
"Okay..."

"About the sleepover... We will have one, someday. But it's not the right time."
"Right, yeah. Never mind. Forget it. It was a stupid idea. Really stupid"
"Rich, calm down. It was a good idea. It's just not the time"
"Yeah. Sorry. I just... really hate being alone at night"
"I'll make you a playlist for you to listen. Okay?"
"Yeah" Rich smiles at him

As soon as they get to their secret spot in Central Park, Eddie grabs his friend's phone without even asking, and unlocks it with his fingerprint
"How come you never talk to your friends?" Richie asks, laying on the grass
"I talk to them... mostly on nights. You know, different timezones" he says, downloading songs into Richie's Spotify, and starting a playlist.
"Do you wanna tell me about them?"
"Well..." he nods "Sure"
Richie turns around, laying on his chest, and stares at him, expectant.

"Bill's the leader, he's my best friend. He's in Tokyo right now. He's super gentle, and caring, but he has a stutter. You'd like him tho. Then, there's Stanley Uris. He's... special"
"How come?"
"He's really shy, but sarcastic at the same time. He's fun. Oh, and jewish."
"Jewish?"
"Yeah, are you a nazi or something?"
"What? No! I just... never met a jew"
"We went to his Bar Mitzvah and everything"
"What happens at the Bar Mitzvah?"
"So there's this church full of jews, right? And Stan has to take this... super jewy test"
"That makes no sense" Richie laughs "You sure you went?"
"Well, I didn't go to the Church. My dad didn't allow me to. But I went to the party. Jews are really fun"
"Cool. Where is he now?"
"London, with Beverly"
"Who's Beverly?"
"Another one of my friends"
"Oh, you have a girlfriend?"
"What? Are you nuts? She's not my girlfriend. Why would you...?"
"Dude!" Richie interrupts "I was just saying... she's your friend, and she's also a girl, so she's your girl-friend"
"Oh" Eddie blushes "Right"

"So is she Stan's girlfriend?"
"Yeah"
"I mean boyfriend and girlfriend, a couple. Are they a couple?"
"Oh, no. Sorry. This girlfriend thing is confusing"
"Yeah, let's just stop."
"Good choice. Then there's Ben, he's the one who's gonna be an architect. He's in Bali, and then Mike Hanlon. He's in Texas"
"Oh, that one's pretty close"
"You think?"
"It's in the US, at least..."
"We can go visit him, if you pass the test"
"You think he'd be okay with me being there?"
"Sure. You're probably gonna join our group anyways, so he better get used to the idea of having you around"

'Joining our group. I never thought about joining a group. Not after the last one'

"What about you? Don't you have any friends? From before, I mean"
"Not anymore"
"You still mad about the 'betrayal'?"
"Yeah, I don't know... after that happened, everything else stopped mattering"
"Was it that bad? You never told me what he did"
"He turned me in, Eds. I went to the Orphanage because of him. It's all his fault"
"So thanks to that guy, you're here right now"
"Exactly"