Through Good & Bad (Reddie)

Chapter VII- Promises

Richie rides his bike to the spot on Washington Square Park where he used to spend entire afternoons with Will by his side.
He hadn't been there since that one time... the last time they'd seen each other before Richie's departure: the day of the fight.

"Over here!" Will waves at him
"Hey! You came!"
"Of course I did... you know how long I've been waiting to do this?"
"To grab a drink from Starbucks?"
"To meet each other again, but yeah, also Starbucks" Will laughs

After they get their drinks, they sit down on the park, with their bikes on their side.
"I have a lot of good memories from this place" Richie smiles
"And some bad ones..." Will drinks up, and enjoys its taste "This is delicious"
"I know" Richie nods "It's one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted"

Will looks down
"I've been trying to erase the bad memories, you know?" He shrugs "I can't say it's easy, but... I'm trying"
"You changed a lot. You're really calmed now"

'No, I'm not. You just forgot how to read the signs. I'm particularly not okay. I think I miss him. I miss Eddie'

"Yeah, I guess I've learnt a few things back on the orphanage. The Trashmouth I once was, is long gone"
"I kinda miss it tho..."
"Do you?"
"Yeah... you were something else"
Richie takes a sip of his drink, and Will soon asks
"What the hell happened to you, R?
"What do you mean?"
"You know. I'm not saying changing is a bad thing, you actually seem healthier"

'Healthier? HEALTHIER?' He thinks

"But?"
"But... I find it weird. We've known you for more than five years and we couldn't change you a bit, yet you spend two years there, and you're a whole different person"
"Ms Sullivan, she was mean... really mean. She did some terrible things to me"
"I'm so sorry, Rich"
"It's okay"
"How do you deal with it?"
"I don't. I just ignore it, and think about how lucky I am to have been adopted... Eddie's helping a lot too"
"Who's Eddie?"
"Oh, he's my...  friend. He's cool, you'd like him"

Will looks away, a little disappointed of how happy Richie suddenly looked when he mentioned that name.
"Tell me about him"
"He's short..."
"Oh, he's the new me"
"That's stupid. Of course he's not the new you. You two are very different. He has curly hair, and adorable freckles..."

'He's always had a thing for freckles' Will thinks

"He's really funny and has this amazingly annoying yet cute voice"
"I'm really glad you found someone and didn't spend those two years all by yourself"
"I actually did. I've only known Eddie for a month now"
"A month? You talk about him like you've known him forever"
"Yeah... that's something we have, for some reason" Richie shrugs, a little embarrassed to speak. He feels cheesy.

"He actually does remind me of you, sometimes"
"He does?" Will looks at him, just a bit of hope in his eyes. Hope that his best friend, and first crush, hasn't forgotten him after all
"Well, not exactly. Just our relationship, I guess. I don't know. But this time, he's me, and I'm you. Does that make sense?"

'Of course it does'

"Not at all" he fakes a laugh "What'ya mean?"
Will knew exactly what Richie meant. He may have got it even better than R himself, but he can't say it. Not for now, at least.
"I don't know... The way we act. It's... weird"
"Weird? How come?"
"No, not weird. I'd never describe our relationship as weird. We're perfectly normal. I just... I don't know. It reminds me of us"

'You're in love with him, just like I was in love with you' Will thinks 'Just like I am in love with you'

"We do things most friendships don't. You know? Those little things that we may find absolutely normal, but if someone else sees it, they may get the wrong impression. I don't know. It's ridiculous"