𝐏𝐔𝐑𝐏𝐋𝐄 *.☽ .* 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐔

10

Denbrough Residence, Derry, Maine
Monday 18th July 1992
1:34 pm

———————————————————

"And then he slammed the door in my face," Richie concluded. Although deep down he was gloomily melancholy, he masked it with an angry tone. Even when he was pretending to be mad at Eddie, trying so damn hard to be mad at him, he just couldn't be. It wasn't Eddie's fault and he knew that, but that didn't make the pain go away.

Bill and Stanley sat there dumbfounded on the sofa in Bill's basement; Richie sat opposite the inseparable pair in a dark green paisley armchair. The two boys had their feet subtly tangled and their bodies were seated in a closer proximity than normal, Richie noticed.

He wished he hadn't. It reminded him of Eddie, him and Eddie, together. Everything reminded him of Eddie. The stupid group pictures that hung on the basement walls, the top Bill wore (one he had stolen from the petite Kaspbrak months ago and neglected to give back), even the damn cup of hot chocolate that sat in Richie's lap, reminding him of winter sleepovers. Now like then, it was the only source of warmth for Richie.

Suddenly, Richie began to cry, his eyes first leaking like a faucet you forgot to twist all the way off, and then developing into a rushing waterfall. It was the first time he'd cried since it happened just over an hour ago. In a weird way, it felt good, freeing almost.

And so he cried more. And more. And more.

Stan rushed to the boy's side, followed quickly by Bill, and the pair enveloped him in a comforting hug, the way fluffy penguins huddle in the cold. They both whispered words of consolation to the sobbing bundle between them. Richie let out choked cries whilst constellations were traced onto his back by the curly-haired boy's nimble fingers. Now the hot chocolate wasn't his only source of warmth; he felt safe.

———————————————————

Denbrough Residence, Derry, Maine
Tuesday 19th July 1992
12:57 am

———————————————————

The afternoon had passed by so quickly, filled with movie marathons and lounging on Bill's sofa with warm buttery popcorn.

Richie had quickly decided he didn't need Eddie. Even if he so desperately wanted him.

Stan had left a couple of hours after Richie confessed everything, feeling it was his duty to check up on Eddie since he was probably hurting just as bad. Besides, Stanley was one of the only friends Sonia actually trusted, with his religious background and particularly strict parents resulting in a 'conscientious and respectable young gentleman' (Sonia's exact words).

Bill had insisted that Richie slept over as he didn't want his friend to have to spend the long and lonely night alone. So now the boys lay, getting comfortable in Bill's bed, their backs touching slightly as they drifted off into a dreamland of sparkles and meadows, inhalers and peanut curls.

Richie didn't dream of Eddie that night. For the first time since Stan's birthday.

———————————————————

Kaspbrak Residence, Derry, Maine
Monday 18th July
3:47 pm

———————————————————

Eddie almost jumped out of his skin when there was a light knock on his bedroom door. He was lying in his bed all cosy, hiding from the world, when the knock came. The scene with Richie from this morning seemed so long ago, but now this knocking forced his memory to go back to it. He remembered the way his mother was stood there. Her expression was something indescribable, but Eddie knew she was furiously disappointed with him and that hurt him. Not as much as it hurt him to say goodbye to Richie though.

He expected to see Sonia's plump face appear in the doorway, but to his delight he was met with kind hazel eyes and bouncing brown curls.

"Stan!" Eddie sat up abruptly and as Stanley walked closer to Eddie, the smaller boy engulfed the taller one in a tight cuddle.

Stan softly rubbed Eddie's back. He noticed that his doe eyes were puffy and red while his nose was running slightly. It was obvious he had only stopped crying moments before Stan came.

"Hey buddy," Stan whispered, "how're you feeling?" He desperately wanted Eddie to be okay and he was willing to sit there and listen to the same story Richie had told him earlier all over again if it meant that Eddie would feel better.

"I assume Richie told you what happened?" Eddie questioned with a sigh and let go of Stan to look at him.

Stan paused.

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Well, if it's okay, I don't want to talk about it," Eddie finally replied. Stan nodded in response and changed the subject.

The pair soon got lost in pointless conversation and Eddie felt the grey storm clouds in his heart and mind slowly shift to a purple night sky - a hope that tomorrow would be better.

—————————

okay okay okay, since my last update this book was No. 1 in #stenborough and I just want to thank you so much for all the support I love you all so much and I hope you all have an amazing Christmas despite the year we've had! Stay safe bbies MWAH <333