||Sinner|| (a Reddie fanfic)

Chapter 18

Eddie sprinted across the street, as fast as his tiny legs would carry him. He puffed on his inhaler as he urged his legs to carry him faster. His breath came in short bursts, chest burning more and more with every step. Blood was running from an open gash in his forehead smearing streaks of scarlet down his cheeks and nose. He could see tiny black dots dancing around his line of vision, and he blinked hard to get rid of them.

All of the sudden, he ran head o into someone's chest. Eddie bounced backward and his eyes widened. He tried to hide his head, but it was too late. Richie had seen the cut on his forehead.

"Ed-what the fuck?"

Richie looked down at Eddie, taking in the blood running down his face. He paled considerably, and tried to form words.

Eddie didn't look back, just spun on his heel and sprinted to the right down an alley that had an opening at the end. He climbed the gate at the end of the alley quickly and jumped down the other side. He landed hard, an uncomfortable spike of pain shooting up his ankles.

Eddie urged his legs to carry him further, but he knew he was running out of strength. He puffed his aspirator in his mouth once more, before sliding into another alleyway and hiding behind a cluster of dumpsters.

The stinging in his forehead turned into a throbbing as he calmed down and his panic started to ebb away. Eddie brought his hand up to his head and gently felt around for the cut. Hissing in pain when he felt it, Eddie realized it was only about an inch in length and wasn't too deep.

Eddie unzipped his fanny pack and found his small first aid kit. He grabbed a disinfectant wipe and tore off the packaging. With precise hands, he wiped around the cut, to get rid of some of the blood. He repeated this process until he was fairly sure his face was clean. Then, he grabbed a new wipe and dabbed the cut gingerly, wincing at the sting of alcohol. He wiped gently until he felt satisfied and then grabbed a small bandage out of the first aid kit, which he placed over the cut.

Eddie sighed and leaned back on the brick wall behind him. He felt his eyelids start to droop, and a fog came over his exhausted mind.

About a half hour later, Eddie woke with a start. He panicked, realizing he must have fallen asleep. Quickly checking his watch and realizing only a half hour had passed, he let out a sigh of relief and stood up. His muscles were cramped and stiff from falling asleep, and his head was pounding, but he started walking out of the alley and towards his home anyways.

His mother had left by now, and besides, it was her fault this had happened. She was trying to force Eddie to take the dumb placebos, which he refused because they made him feel sick and dizzy. She had tried to grab him and hold him down, and when he wouldn't stop moving, she yanked him back too hard, and he hit his head on the counter.

She had let go at this point with a horrified expression, and then proceeded to blame Eddie for her own actions. Eddie had taken this opportunity and ran out the door, done with her lying. He had run away, hoping to find somewhere quiet to fix the cut.

Meanwhile, Richie had started looking for Eddie after he ran into him. Literally.

"Eddie?" Richie called down the alley Eddie  had disappeared down.

He was met with silence.

"Ed's please come talk to me."

No answer.

Richie huffed in frustration and decided to wait a couple minutes to see if Eddie would come back, and when he didn't, Richie started to walk down the alleyway to look for him. After 15 minutes of searching, Richie could tell Eddie didn't want to be found, so Richie decided to wait some more by the entrance. He would have to come back this way to get to his house anyways, so Richie slipped in between some benches and bushes so he would be partially covered. He sat on the ground and waited.

After another half hour, when Richie was just about to get up and leave, Eddie came out of the alleyway with a bandaid stuck to his forehead. He completely missed Richie, who was crouched low behind a bench.

Richie sighed in relief upon seeing that Eddie was completely safe. Still, he wondered what could have happened to his head. He worried about Eddie all the time, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Minutes after Eddie left toward his house, Richie stood up and started toward his own. He became lost in his thoughts and didn't realize he wasn't standing in front of his own door.

Richie stepped back and realized he had unconsciously followed Eddie's path and wound up at his doorstep.

Richie put his hands up to his face and sighed angrily. He rolled his eyes at himself and knocked gently on the door after making sure Mrs. Kaspbraks car wasn't in the driveway.

Eddies surprised face popped up in the window next to the door, and Richie heard the locks clicking before the door opened.

Richie was yanked inside before he could get a word out, and Eddie looked up at his face angrily.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Eddie hissed. "My mom could have been home and she could have seen you!"

Richie snapped back into reality and realized what he had just done.

"I'm- oh shit I'm so sorry I didn't realize. I should have just waited until tomorrow."

"Why did you even come here in the first place?" The anger seeped out of Eddie's voice and his eyes softened.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Richie shuffled his feet uncomfortably on the wood floor.

"I'm fine. Thanks for coming to check on me though."

"But-"

"I said I'm fine I just got a cut and my mom started freaking out about it."

Only half a lie.

Richie didn't look convinced, but he sighed and decided to drop it.

Richie opened his mouth to say something else, but Eddie gave his a tight lipped smile and started pushing him towards the door. After opening the door and getting Richie on the doorstep, Eddie gave him a quick hug, and closed the door, leaving a very flustered Richie on the doorstep.

Eddie walked up to his room and shut the door, falling to his bed. He fell asleep in minutes, and when he woke up, his mom was home and calling him down for dinner.

Eddie walked into his bathroom and locked the door. He yelled that he was taking a shower and not to wait for him.

Anger bubbled just below the surface as he climbed into the shower.

He let it simmer, forming a plan quickly in his head. His mother wouldn't control him anymore. He could make his own decisions.

Hope you're enjoying the story so far:) feel free to leave suggestions or point out any mistakes. Don't forget to vote on the chapters if you like them!
-em:)

Word count: 1226