Puzzled (Reddie)

chapter 20: the end (for now...)

(richies pov)
once we were all dried off and ready to go home, i walked over to my school bag. i hesitate before picking it up cause just for a split second, i wish i could just leave it here. leave it behind. i wouldn't have so much shit to deal with if i just got rid of it, but i couldn't, so i reach for it. then i paused. it was open a little bit. the zipper wasn't all the way shut...could someone have been in my bag? did one of the losers find out? is everyone gonna find out? am i gay? is my life over? yes... and no. i'm just being paranoid... right? i brushed it off and went home.

{small time gap}

once i got home i put my school bag down, it's the moment i've been dreading. getting rid of the letter. more than anything i want to tell eddie that i like him but maybe this just isn't the way to do it? i search in my bag for the crumpled letter. i searched every pocket at least 3 times. it's not here. how is it not here??? damnit what the fuck am i supposed to do? what could have happened to it? i retrace my steps.

i stuffed the letter into my bag at school when bev saw it.

we went to the quarry.

bev took long to get into the water.

we splashed around.

the zipper was open a little bit on my school bag.

i went home.

now i'm here...

there's only one thing in common with all of these. FUCK...

beverly.

(Beverly's pov)
i rushed home so i could read the letter. i went into my room and closed the door behind me. i flopped onto my bed and pulled out the letter. i sat up on my bed, letter in hands and looked at it.
"i shouldn't open this... it's so...private and i don't want be nosy." i thought as i stared at it. "but he could be in trouble" i remember my point that i made earlier. i really hope he isn't mad at me for this. i unfold the piece of paper again and start to read it.

"dear eddie," i start. a letter to eddie? why would he need to write a letter? he talks to him all the time...but the next few words kind of shocked me.
"i like you"
maybe he means as a friend?
"i like you...more than i should. more than derry allows. i don't want to be your friend, i want to be more. and i know that that may never happen but atleast i'm telling you how i feel right? i'm sorry for dumping this on you and dragging you into this, but i'm hoping you feel the same way. after what happened the last time we were alone, i can't stop thinking about what could have happened. i'm not normally one to pour out my feeling likes this on a piece of paper, but i just needed you to know and i don't want it to be awkward anymore. fuck it. meet me in the same spot in the woods that we were last time on friday at 5:00 pm."

my thoughts stopped thinking. it all makes so much sense now, i can't believe i didn't know it before. i mean, i know that eddie and rich are really close but i never expected this from richie much less eddie. this is why richie always talks about how hot women are and making all sorts of gross jokes about him not being a virgin and being into older women. he was trying to hide it. i put the letter in an envelope and put a stamp on it. i run out of the house and run it to the post office. hopefully eddie gets it by monday morning. i smile a small smile and can't help but feel kind of proud for being a great friend. then i start to work home

about 15 minutes later there was a loud and fast series of knocks. i open the door to find richie standing there with a very angry yet panicked look on his face.

"um, hi" i say to him awkwardly.
he doesn't greet me, eh just rushes past me and goes into my living room.
"shit. shit. shit. shit. shit. shit. shit. what the hell am i supposed to do?" he says while pacing. "you know everything don't you?" he questions as he points his finger at me.
"yeah..." i start, "but it's okay. really, i'm not judging you. i'm actually proud of you for even writing the letter to him, it's brave." he gives me a sincere look for a second but then goes back to his old frustrated face.
"BUT ITS NOT OKAY! none of this is okay! i shouldn't feel like this!" he goes back to to pacing. "but i do. and i really like him...holy fuck. what if his mom finds out??? she'll shove even more pills down his throat and he'll die! what if all of derry finds out? what if-" i shut him up by putting a hand on his shoulder. i turn him to face me and i put both my hands on his shoulders. i violently shake him while saying: "STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE ELSE WILL THINK OF YOU. ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU ARE YOURSELF AND YOU SHOULDN'T BE HIDING THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT SMALL HOMOPHOBIC AND RACIST TOWN THINKS OF YOU! if you genuinely feel this way about Eddie, then that is a part of you. you are not the problem, everyone else is. you need to be comfortable in your own skin. be proud of who you are." at this, his heart rate slows and he's stops worrying. there is a comfortable silence and he nods his head in a thank you.
"i mailed the letter to him by the way. he should get it by monday which will give him plenty of time to think it over. i'm sure he'll come. he definitely likes you, and i know this is a huge leap of faith but i'm proud of you for taking it because your making your life better by admitting the feelings you have for him." i full him into a tight hug. it takes him a second to realize what happening before he hugs back. "plus..." i start, "you two would make a very cute couple" i say with a smirk which makes him smile.

{small time skip}

(eddies pov)
"eddie bear, would you get the mail please?"
"yes mommy"
i run outside and open the mail box. i carry the mail into the house, it's not much, just a few bills and stuff. but there's a piece of lapsed that catches my eye. i pull it out of the pile and open it up. "dear eddie, i like you..." as i read the letter i blush and my heart rate quickens. this has to be some sort of sick joke right? no, it can't be...he really does like me. a big grin spreads across my face and i rush to my room. i close the door behind me and reread the letter 2 more times to make sure i'm reading it right. i start hyperventilating and end up using my inhaler. i can't wait for friday at 5:00pm.

{friday}

i bike to the quarry, which feels like a longer bike ride than usual. i jump off my bike and throw it to the side. i keep running and straight into the woods, in the distance i spot richie standing there waiting for me. i can tell he sees me cause his face lights up with shock and excitement and joy. without stopping i run up to him, place both my hands on both sides of his face and pull him closer for a kiss. our lips connect and richies wide eyes flutter closed. the kiss doesn't last long only about 3 seconds. we pull away and look at each other in the eyes. richie brushes a piece of hair out of my face, and we both lean forward for another longer kiss. this time it last only 8 seconds. but i didn't want it to end.
"i like you" he finally says, "i want to be with you"
"i know, i like you too and i wanna be with you" i reply, "we'll figure out the specifics later, let's just live in the moment for now."

A/N: hope you enjoyed the story. the endings a lol but cheesy, sorry abt that. that's it for now, if you'd like a sequel, i'm sure i could manage something haha 😂 but in the meantime i'll be working on my other fanfics and original book. stay tuned for updates :)

- the author 💗