Chapter Text
The week had passed, most going exactly how he had thought it would. It had gone with the same schedule, Ap Lit, Physics, AP US History, Lunch, P.E., Honors Algebra 2, and ending it with Theatre Tech. His days were easy, aside from Richie being in almost every one of his classes. He was in his AP Lit, a class that Eddie had opted to take apart from any of his friends, Beverly accompanied him in Physics, Ben in AP US History, of course Richie had managed to join him every lunch, P.E. with Mike and Richie, Honors Algebra 2 with Bill, Amelia, and of course, Richie. And Theatre Tech, with Beverly, Mike, Ben, Amelia, and for the final time in his schedule, Richie. Though, since Richie is annoying and never can get a hint, he’s walked with Eddie to and from their houses every single day.
It’s only been a week, and Eddie Kaspbrak is tired of that shit.
After a particular annoying first period, he finally got Physics. Eddie sat next to Beverly, as usually, greeting her by slamming his head against the black metal desk.
Beverly stared at him for a solid second, “Are you okay?” She asked finally, a bit unsure of the answer.
“I need Richie to fuck off to the next continent, he’s the most annoying person I’ve ever met.” Eddie grumbled. He lifted his head from his desk. “I need you to set me up on a date.” he sighed, a sad expression on his face.
Beverly pouted, it was fake, and she poked Eddie’s cheek. “Ah, my Eddie’s growing up! Moving on from Big Bill to bigger things. Mike and I are on it. There’s a few gay kids on the football team we can set you up with.” She suggested.
Eddie huffed. “Group call after school, tell Mike next period.” He told her. Beverly shrugged.
“Fine, I’ll go to my next period. And Richie isn’t that bad. In tech, we-”
Eddie groaned, his head hitting the table again. “Not you, you’re supposed to know best out of all of us! You’re supposed to be sane Beverly.” Eddie complained.
Beverly simply scoffed, “I am still the sane Beverly you know and love. I’m just saying, Richie, he’s kind of sweet if you get passed the obnoxious jokes. You could like him, I see the way you blush around him.”
“I never blush!” Eddie shot up, gawking. “Bev, he has never once made me blush!”
Beverly clicked her tongue once, rolling her eyes and turning to her paper to do he work. “If you want that to be your reality, so be it.”
“Whatever.” Eddie mumbled angrily. He turned back to his own paper, seeing it was a worksheet. With auditions being tomorrow, it was going to be a long day.
As soon as Sixth period had ended that day, Eddie and Richie were on a walk home. For once, for once through the whole week, Richie was being quiet. Eddie knew he should just be happy that the annoying burden named Richie Tozier was fucking quiet, but it was weird. It was weird for Richie to be too quiet for too long. He learned he hated the silence more than his talking.
“Did someone cut your tongue off? Because if so, I’d like to personally thank them for all the silence I’ve had on this walk home.” Eddie’s voice came out slightly annoyed, but not enough to show actual annoyance. It was more playful if anything. Richie looked back at Eddie, flashing a smile.
“Ah, so my theory was right!” he cheered, pumping a fist in the air. Eddie gave him a look of confusion. RIchie continued to beam, “I thought if i remained quiet you would notice and get worried, you do care about me.” He continued to beam. A horrifying thought crossed Eddie’s mind, a thought that made his blood run cold and his face twist from confusion to completely blank, so he wouldn’t show how shocked he was.
Eddie’s mind compared Richie smiling to the sun lighting up the Earth. He couldn’t think that, Richie wasn’t anyone Eddie would think that about, and sure he was attractive to Eddie, but he hoped that he would never have to actually admit that to anyone.
Eddie put a scowl on before his mind could have anymore thoughts. “I thought maybe someone finally cut out your tongue. Excuse me for being a bit concerned.” He huffed. Richie just continued smiling, raising a hand and gently pinching Eddie’s cheek.
“Gosh Eds, you really are a cute one!” Richie smiled.
Eddie just huffed, pushing RIchie’s hand away. “Fuck you, don’t fucking call me that.” His glare hardened.
Richie just continued to smile, completely unwavered by Eddie’s glare. “Don’t call you Eds or Cute?”
Eddie huffed again, shaking his head. “Both, dumbass.” He scowled, walking again. He was hoping that he walked fast enough to put some distance between them, but Richie took long strides and caught up with him soon enough.
“Don’t deny it too much Eds, I know you love it.” he smirked. Eddie huffed again, seeing Richie’s house across the street.
“Look, it’s your house! Go there and fucking stay there.” Eddie scowled.
Richie shrugged, smile still on his face. “You’re absolutely adorable Eds, I’ll see you tomorrow, in four out of six classes!” He waved, then skipping across the street. Eddie watched after him, sighing a bit as he did so. A part of him wanted to say ‘Don’t go’, but a more sensible part told him to let him go. Thankfully, Eddie chose silence over a trashmouth.
As Eddie walked down the street, he overlooked the sky above him. It was a brilliant blue, the kind that Eddie sees Amelia wearing every day. The white clouds dotting the sky causes a feeling of peace to surround Eddie as he walks up to his own door, unlocking it and entering the house.
Eddie’s house is empty, empty of his mother and just empty in general. The house hasn’t always been vacant, Eddie thinks, but he can’t really remember. It’s all fuzzy, but his house once looked like a home. He vaguely remembers pillow forts with his dad, he remembers pictures of his parents wedding maybe, around the house. He remembers the walls being covered in artwork. He doesn’t know if he dreamt it or not, maybe he did. All he knew was that one day after school, he had come back and the house was just empty of every decoration. The furniture was all there, though every painting was gone, and so was every photo including his father. Plastic flowers were put in a vase and kept on the dining room table. Eddie knew they were plastic, because when he touched them, they felt smooth and artificial under his touch. Not much has changed, he wondered if it wasn’t a dream, and that maybe one day his mother got up and erased every memory of his father. Eddie once though he saw the blankets used in his pillow fort with his father in their garage, but he never got a clear look. His mother not being home was strange, she hadn’t worked in years, they’ve been living off unemployment checks and his father’s life savings for years by now. Maybe before, his mother could have gotten a job, but now, Sonia Kaspbrak could barely stand without being in pain. And Eddie was deemed as his mother, ‘too sick to work’, which Eddie knew was complete bullshit.
Nonetheless, Eddie was able to breathe easy without the suffocating hand of Sonia Kaspbrak around his throat, and he went up wit his room without calling out for her, since he didn’t see her car in the driveway when he had gotten home.
Maybe it was Eddie’s room that was so vastly different from the rest of the house, it was actually decorated. He made sure of it as soon as he had seen Bill’s room. Bill’s rom hadn’t included only a bed, desk, and a dresser, his had posters everywhere. Even his baby brother Georgie had posters, so Eddie needed them too. At seven, he only let himself draw his own posters and tape them up, but as he got older, he bought real decorations for his room. He kept stickers to put on his walls when he was ten, he had saved every sticker from every valentine’s day party he had to stick heart shaped stickers over his bed and had saved the rest he had bought for his classmates, the ones he didn’t give away. When he was twelve, he had gotten a teen magazine and ripped out the posters in the middle of the magazine, taping up pictures of celebrities he didn’t even care about at the time. Pictures of One Direction, a band he secretly loved, a few of pop singers like Katy Perry, he collected magazines and taped them everywhere. Four years later he finds his room extremely embarrassing, but at least it was decorated.
The stickers he put on the wall over his bed were fading and old, and he had to use more tape on the posters he hung up when he was a kid, but it still worked.
After setting down his backpack, he took his laptop from his desk, logging into it and opening skype on it.
Iconic Trio
Eddie Kaspbrak [3:49 PM]
When can you guys video call? Urgent matters to discuss asap
Bev <3 [3:49 PM]
urgent? hm. interesting…
Bev <3 [3:50 PM]
soon. just waiting for my aunt to yeet out of the house and go to work
Mikey! [3:50 PM]
I have some chores to finish up, just give me a solid fifteen and I’ll be good. Is this the dates Bevvy was telling me about today?
Eddie Kaspbrak [3:50 PM]
Yeah. I’m finally ready for it, and I trust you two the most. I have other things I need to tell you too
Mikey! [3:50 PM]
Ok start the call without me and I’ll join when I can
Bev <3 [3:50 PM]
i’ll call soon eddie <3
Eddie waited patiently for Beverly’s call, chewing his nails as he anxiously waited for it. It was a habit he knew he should be breaking, but he didn’t quite have the heart to break just yet. A minute later, the skype ringtone came on and the picture of Eddie, Beverly, and Mike popped up on the screen. He answered with video call option, seeing Beverly come into view.
If Eddie was straight, he was almost positive he would be in love with Beverly Marsh. Her hair, now shoulder length since she had let it grow out after cutting it a week into the summer before freshman year, was waved and bright red. Her freckles splattered across her skin like the most complex galaxy he had ever seen, although they were hard to make out in the grainy screen. Eddie could see her room was dimly lit, despite his room being lit by the sun. He assumed Beverly had her curtains closed to block out the majority of the sun.
“Eddie my main! Finally taking me up on my offer?” She asked, shooting a small wink. Eddie rolled his eyes, though meaning well by it.
“You’ve only kept up this offer since what, last week? Calm down, Marsh.” Eddie huffed, although a smile on his face anyways. A smile grew on her face as well, giggling a bit.
“Well, I wouldn’t have to offer if you had any game at all.” Beverly told him, a teasing smile on her face. “Really Eddie, remember when you fell off a skateboard trying to impress Bill? Or when you came to school in the most ridiculous shorts-”
“Bevvy!” Eddie groaned, cutting her off. His many adventures to impress Bill went farther back than the start of his friendship with Beverly. He tried hard to make Bill notice him as more than a best friend, however it didn’t work out as well as he hoped.
Eddie and Beverly spent the next ten minutes chatting, before Mike finally joined the call. “Okay, okay, what’s going on?” Mike asked.
“We’re going to get Eddie a mans!” Beverly grinned, raising her eyebrows. “Got any suggestions for our good friend here?” She asked.
“What about Richie?” Mike asked.
“Off limits, never suggest that again.” Eddie huffed, an annoyed look on his face. He noticed his face growing hot, but assumed his face was red with anger.
“Calm down, I’m teasing you. It’s not my fault I see something going on there.” Mike shrugged, setting his phone down to prop it onto something. Beverly’s face lit up, a large smile on her face.
“I knew I wasn’t the only one! Mikey, you see it too? THeir bickering?They have something going on, I just know it.” Beverly ranted.
“There’s nothing going on! Change topics, please, for God’s sake, no one wants that relationship to happen.” Eddie rolled his eyes. The thought of dating Richie wasn’t as bad as he thought it was, it couldn’t be. Eddie actually probably wouldn’t mind going on dates with him, but of course, Eddie would never tell anyone that. He would never tell Beverly or Mike about his dumb crush on Richie.
“Okay, okay!” Beverly grinned. “So Mikey, anyone you wanna toss into the ring?”
Mike thought for a moment, but before nodding, “What about Simon Gray? He could be a good match.”
“That jock in our PE class? That Simon Gray?” Eddie asked.
“What other Simon Gray do you know?” Mike retorted, raising an eyebrow.
“Perfect, I’ll set it up now, I have him on facebook. We’re in English together, and I’ve never seen him with anyone or heard anything.” Beverly told the other two, a smile on her face as she spoke. It was subtle, but these days, Beverly seemed so happy there was always a hint of a smile on her face, and Eddie loved that about her.
“Is he even gay?” Eddie asked, worry and panic setting in.
“Yeah, he came out on twitter awhile back. Why else would I suggest him?” Mike asked.
“Okay, fine, you’re right.” Eddie sighed.
“Aren’t we always?” Beverly shrugged. She pulled out a stick of gum, shoving it into her mouth and chewing as she texted. “It’s a go for Friday, Eight o’clock. You’re meeting him at the Aladdin.”
“What are we seeing?”
“Decide for yourself when you get there.” MIke suggested. “This is the start of your dating life, it’s a big step in the right direction.”
Eddie nodded, chewing on his lip. Already, Eddie was nervous. Though, Mike was right. It would be the start of his dating life.