𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧➹reddie

22

They were all looking at Richie in disbelief. It was all they needed to hear. They had each other in case the monster came back. They'd get trough it. So, Max got up, held Richie's hands and said:

"Couldn't agree more, dork. Thank you.". 

And so did the rest. They held hands and promised if the mindflayer ever came back, they would too, together.

"Richie?"- Mike said.

"Yeah?"

"U.. I.. Can you come over tomorrow?"

"Woah dude..."

"NO! EW! Not like that, gross! Just to talk, please?

"Sure dopplegangger. I'm the pretty one by the way."

Mike rolled his eyes and watched Richie, El and Will leaving. Tomorrow would be a hard day. And after that, Richie would finally go back to Derry, to his friends, to his boyfriend.

Richie, El and Will went home, talking about everything. It seemed like they knew each other for years. Richie was happy, he really was and for the first time in a long time he felt like he could actually be part of a family. 

He arrived home, talked to Joyce for a bit and went straight to his room. He knew Eddie's letter would be there. By reading these letters, Richie felt divided. He was also liking Hawkins, but his life was in Derry. He would miss Max, Dustin and Lucas but he would see them again someday during school breaks. So, it didn't seem so bad.

"Hey Richie. No good news if that's what you're asking. Bill hasn't stopped looking for Georgie, literally everywhere. But I broke my arm yesterday and my mom got really worried (casual shit) and now I'm fucking grounded. You know that girl gretta? Such a bitch. She wrote "Loser" on my broken arm, which I corrected to Lover because it is true. I am your lover, Richie Trashmouth Tozier. I know I said I would handle a week away from you but I really needed you to climb and enter by my window right now and watch a movie until we fell asleep. How is it possible to miss someone this much? What have you done to me Trashmouth? Love, EB"

"How cheesy, Eddie Bear..."- that's what Richie would have said if Eddie was there. But he wasn't. And that hit Richie hard. This big part of his life, the most important one was in Derry, so that's where Richie needed to be.

New day. New trouble. New memories. Richie woke up late, like he always enjoyed to do and found this awkward. By this time, there should be a lot of noise around him. And it wasn't. Nobody was home. Richie realised they had school so he decided to start packing because they would be leaving Hawkins in the next day. He found Eddie's first letter to him and re-read it, keeping all his letters in a locked box, so no one could read them.

Then Richie just sat down, tried Will's costume and said:

"FUCK, I LOOK GOOD. I wonder how Eddie would react.."- he laughed but he wasn't talking to anyone.

He took it off and found a letter in El's room. Must be her dad's... he thought. He felt sorry for El and understood her better than anyone. Losing someone is the hardest feeling in the world. How do you deal with that? How are you supposed to move on?

The door opened to reveal El, Will and Mike.

"Dopplegangger, let's get going."- Mike called

"Alrighty boss, see ya later fellas!"

"See ya Rich"- Will smiled softly, making Mike sort of jealous.

"So... what's so important that I had to go to your house like, alone..? That's kinda creepy we don't even know each other and you look like me, which is really weird and..."

"Jesus Christ, don't you ever shut up?"- Mike said-"You talk A LOT"

"Heya, sorry dude. Just trying to make some conversation in this boring walk"- Mike laughed.

"You're actually funny, Richie."

"Well thanks I get called that a lot"

"What, funny?"

"No, Richie."- Mike laughed again. They had nothing to do with each other, except for the fact that when they looked at each other they saw a different version of themselves. What they could have become. 

"We're here. My mom wants to talk to us. That's... why I asked you here"

"Oh.. But.. I don't even know her.."- Richie raised an eyebrow

"I know."- Karen said, entering the room-" Please take a seat, guys. This is going to be hard to hear... Mike already knows it."

Richie looked at Mike who seemed pretty uncomfortable.

"What is it?"

"Mike's your brother.. twin brother I mean"

"Nothing I haven't suspected but.. what? How the fuck..?"- Karen looked-"sorry..."

"Well you see.. he's adopted. I knew your mom. We were best friends in High School. And yea.. she used to hook up with tons of boys and get into some deep trouble. That was just who she was. One day.. well you know the story, don't you? Her one night stand turned into a forced marriage and an unwanted baby.. well.. two unwanted babies... So she came to me when she was pregnant of you two and asked me for help. That she didn't want these children, this life. She was trapped. I offered to take care of one of you. I'm sorry it wasn't you Richie. I just knew she wouldn't be a great mom and I wanted to give one of you a chance of a better life.."

"Yeah, she wasn't a great mom. Great logic, screw the other right?"

"Richie.. I'm sorry it wasn't you.."

"Don't. It's not your fault that my mom couldn't care less about me. That's all on her. And my father. No one but them is responsable for the miserable life I had."

"Richie."- Mike said -"I always lived with girls, well my dad's always asleep so.. I-I never had a brother.. can we.. be closer? Know each other?"

"I mean sure.  But I'm leaving tomorrow, you know?"

"Yeah well worse than watching your bestfriend and your girlfriend leave, is watching them go with your brother you just found out about.."

"Mikey, this doesn't mean we won't keep in touch"- he winked.

"You promise?"

"Promise? That's girly."- But he had already done it with Eddie. Well, Eddie was different. Always had been.

"Me and El do this all the time, it's cute, just take it."

"Seems pretty gay to me"

"You're the gay one."

"I feel some gay vibes coming from you too my child"- Richie joked and Mike fake laughed.

"I'm with El.."

"Yeahhh..."- Richie looked away, thinking about Will. Must be really hard for him to deal with this-"So you never ever thought about it?"

"What?"

"Liking man, you prick"

"Oh I.. I dont know. Maybe?"- Mike admitted, turning red.-"But I love El"

"Have you said that to her?"

"Not directly, but I kinda yelled it to everyone.."

"Was she there?"

"No.."

"Doesn't count. Are you planning on telling her?"

"M-Maybe...? Its just hard!"

"Mike, is she really the person you want to say that to?"

Mike looked up at Richie. What was he on about? Of course it was. El was the one he loved. El was the person he was more afraid to lose at the moment, wasn't she? Wasn't she.... No..

"W-what..?"

"I'm just saying. It's your love story. You make your own rules, bro. But as someone said to me if you do love someone other than you think you do, don't run away from it just face it. I think you need to do that quick."