The song up there ⬆️ is the one that I named this books after. It's one of my favorite songs so y'all should give it a listen :)
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Richie climbed down the side of the mansion, never thinking that Eddie could be in any danger. He figured that his mom just might be strict, and it was nearly eleven. That didn't stop him from being upset when he had to leave.
As he scrambled away from the mansion, back to Derry, he looked at the image he had snatched from Eddie's desk.
The mansion.
It was a beautiful drawing. The dark colors complimented each other wonderfully, and Richie figured Eddie would definitely go to college someday for art. He would be so successful.
Running through the woods usually terrified Richie, but he felt no fear. It seemed as though any thought of Eddie just created a light of pure joy and happiness. Richie didn't think he could be scared even if he wanted to.
As he made it to the main road, he decided he didn't want to go home just yet. Instead, where he usually would keep walking down the street, he took a right toward the small river that ran through Derry. Beside it was a tall apartment building where Richie's best girl friend, Beverly Marsh lived.
Her dad worked nights a lot, so he might not be home. Nevertheless, Richie didn't knock on the door. He instead found a way to her window and peered inside. As expected, Bev was sitting on her bed, scribbling away in her diary.
Richie tapped his pointer finger on the window, and Bev glanced up. She rolled her eyes with a smile as she got up to open her window.
"What do you want, Tozier?" she asked, not helping him climb in until he told her what he was dojng at her house at eleven o'clock on a Thursday.
"I need to tell you something," he said, slightly breathless from struggling to hold onto the window. He nodded toward Bev's bedroom door. "Is he home?"
Bev shook her head and held out her hand to pull her lanky friend inside her bedroom. She walked over and sat on her bed, continuing her writing while Richie brushed himself off.
"So what's going on?" Bev asked once Richie had composed himself and sat at the end of her bed.
She knew that his dad was just as bad as hers, so she was always ready to talk. However, that didn't seem to be the issue that evening, as Bev noticed that Richie had been smiling since he showed up.
Richie handed her the drawing of the mansion. "Look!" he exclaimed, watching as Bev's icy blue eyes looked over the drawing in astonishment.
"I didn't know you liked art, Tozier. You always complained about it last year," she said, amazed by the picture.
Richie started laughing obnoxiously. "Come on, Bev. I didn't draw that. Art class is fucking boring," he said, leaning against the wall next to the bed.
Bev gave him a confused look. "Then who drew it?"
Richie recounted the night he had, from breaking in to the mansion to meeting Eddie, seeing his drawings, then the sudden panic and being forced out.
"His mom also asked him if he had said anything. It was weird Bev. She acted like he wasn't allowed to talk or some shit. Not that I really got to find out because he pushed me out the window," Richie said, taking the drawing back and smiling at it, his eyes soft.
Bev shook her head in disbelief. "Let me get this straight: you broke into the mansion, nearly gave a kid a heart attack, looked at his drawings, then his mom got home and he shoved you out the window? And you're in love with this kid now?"
"Yes, ma'am," Richie said in a southern accent. "I'd be insane not ta like this kid, ain't that the truth?"
Bev flicked him in the forehead to stop him from talking. "Drop the accent, Rich. How are you planning on liking this kid? His mom seems a little wack."
"She's probably just adjusting to town or something. I'll call the mansion tomorrow and talk to Eds. You think the guys would be okay with me inviting him to the sleepover?"
Richie seemed really excited, and Bev didn't want to ruin his excitement. She knew what he put up with on a regular basis, so she didn't want to shut down the bit of joy he seemed to have.
"No, I don't think they'll mind. We should probably talk to them, though," Bev finally said, giving Richie a small smile.
"Lovely!" Richie exclaimed, grabbing Bev's arm and pulling her to her feet. "Let's go then!"
"Richie, it's eleven o'clock on a weeknight! Where are we going?"
"Big Bill's, obviously!"
Bev pulled her arm away and shook her head. "I'm glad you're excited, Rich, but you need to go home. We can meet up at Bill's tomorrow."
Richie gave her a sad look. "I don't want to go home, Bev. I can't go right now."
Bev pulled her friend into a tight hug, knowing what he was referring to. "It's okay, Richie. You said he was sober tonight, correct?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything. If he notices I took off he'd be pissed and his only way to calm down is drinking. Can I just stay here?" he whined, flopping back on Bev's bed.
"You know you can't. I'm sorry, Richie. Maybe try Stan? He's up late usually and has a cell phone."
Richie nodded and grabbed Bev's phone, dialing Stan's number.
"Hello?" came Stan's groggy voice. He sounded like he had just woken up.
"Stan the Man! My dear old friend!" Richie said excitedly, snickering when Stan audibly groaned in annoyance.
"It's eleven thirty, Richie. What do you want?" he asked, his voice sounding like it was muffled into a pillow.
Richie dropped his excited voice, allowing Stan to feel like he was speaking to someone he could tolerate. "Can I stay at your place tonight? I snuck out and-"
"Yes, you can stay here," Stan answered instantly. He was Richie's best friend, and he knew the reason Richie didn't want to go home. "Sneak in through my window, okay?"
"Thanks," Richie mumbled, hanging up. He handed Bev the drawing. "Can you keep this here? As much as I know Stan loves listening to me talk, I doubt he wants to hear anything about the mansion tonight. Especially because he specifically told me not to go."
Bev laughed and shook her head, taking the drawing. "I'll bring it to Bill's tomorrow."
Richie pulled Bev into a tight hug, both as a joke and as a silent message, letting her know how thankful he was without speaking. Thankfully, Bev was the kind of person that didn't need words to understand.
Richie climbed out the window even though he could have ran off through the front door. He always claimed that climbing through windows made him more "ninja-like," so he didn't bother running through doors if he didn't have to.
As he walked down the street to Stan's house, he thought of Eddie, wondering if he was asleep or still drawing. Maybe he was wondering where his mansion drawing vanished to?
Richie shook his head with a smile. He'd talk to Eddie tomorrow, maybe visit him.
He had no clue that Eddie was laying in his bed, crying, pleading for Richie to save him.
