cliché || reddie ✔️

twelve

Next week is finals. School lets out on the 18th of December and the students of Derry are free until early January. Because winter break is so close, so is the deadline of the World History project. Stanley and Beverly finished up over the weekend and the powerpoint is online, giving Richie and Eddie no school-wise excuses to meet up.

"Did you do your part of the project, Richie?" Eddie asks as the two head down the hallway, flipping to avoid smacking shoulders with other students.

"Yes, Eds. Stop worrying that little head of yours, I got it all under control," Richie reassures.

"That's also what you said about skipping," Eddie mutters under his breath. With the chatter and echoing laughing screams of students in the crowded hallway, Richie didn't hear. Eddie watches as a senior moves his shoulder back to give Richie space to pass and his eyes narrow. Why can't people move for him?

The two round the doorway into the World History classroom. Eddie pauses, watching as Mr. Martinez tries to coax a student to come off the desks while Richie heads to his own desk.

"There was a spider! And it was fu.. freaking huge!!" She says, her eyes darting all around the floor.

"And James killed it. Now get off the desks before I pull you down," he jokes, a small smile on his face as he motions for her to climb off.

She does and Eddie heads to his desk, the urge to climb onto his seat disappearing when he heard the spider has successfully been taken care of. Someone approches his assigned seat and he drags his eyes up.

"What do you want, Richie?" He asks, dropping his gaze as he pulls out his notebook.

"Ever gonna drop the harshness there, Eds? I was only asking if.." he pauses. It's long enough to make Eddie look up at him. "What you wanted me to do for the powerpoint," Richie finishes, his eyes focused on something off to the side.

"That's not my name, Richie, so don't call me that." Richie's smile is back and he looks down at the boy in front of him. "Today's a work day, right? You can work on formatting the citations while I finish up these last few slides. And maybe add a few pictures too, Chee, because it's looking a bit dull," Eddie lists off, his words rambling together.

He opens his planner and doesn't catch Richie's cheeky grin. "You got it, Eds," he says, his hands pointing into finger guns as Eddie's eyes roll.

"Get to your seat, you loser," Eddie says.

Mr. Martinez took the first ten minutes of class to settle everyone down, do a headcount, and explain how the week is going to pan out. Because of finals, that week will be used for reviewing. Today will be the last in-class work time. "Any questions and I'll be at my desk," he finishes and walks past the multiple pods of sitting students. Chairs scrape against the tiled floors and chatter rises in the air as students find their partners.

"We meet again," Richie says as he pulls a chair out of the empty desk next to Eddie.

"We had to, Rich. If I had a choice I would be miles away from you," he shoots back as he flips tabs. "You know, your mom and you talk way different to me. Maybe you should take some lessons, Eds."

"From my mom or you?"

Richie smiles and leans closer. "That's up to you. What would you like?" He asks.

Eddie scrunches his nose up and shakes his head, saying, "Shut up, Richie. Just- just work on the project.." Richie only smiles and falls back into the chair, pulling the screen of his shitty laptop up and powering it on.

The class quiets down as the minutes pass by. Whispers of conversations go on around in the classroom, but other than that the occasional cough or chair scrape are the only noises.