Chapter Text
Eddie twists the gifted silver ring on his first finger with his left hand. Exhaling, he impatiently taps his foot, the heel of his loafer making a clacking sound against the polished hardwood.
“Oh, would you stop that?” His mother, Sonia, barks at him from across the grossly excessive excuse for a table. He stops moving his foot, closing his mouth, even though he wasn’t talking to begin with. With his mother, it seemed to be either suffer in silence or yell to speak.
His father, Frank, had called the residence and informed the lead housemaid that a family meeting was to take place over dinner. Meaning, Eddie had to be civil with both his parents during the meal, which he was now suffering through, even with only one parent and no food at the table currently.
Choosing most nights to have dinner in his room, he was used to Sarah knocking on his bedroom door at 6, but when the woman informed him of the gathering today, instead of bringing a fine china plate with the night’s fare like usual, he had just thrown himself back against his bed, groaning. But Sarah just pulled the irked boy up by his hand and lead him to the closet.
The dark gray slacks--Sarah’s choice, not his--cling to his legs tightly, the wool rather itchy. Despite the fact Eddie probably would gawk at the price tag of the trousers if he knew it, the fact they were uncomfortable made them well not worth it.
Sarah only having convinced him to change his pants and shoes from the worn joggers and slippers he was in before, he sits at the table still wearing his olive green sweater, the cuffs pulled way over the end of his fingertips. A bad habit he had, the sleeves of most of his tops being stretched out, despite having first been tailored to fit his body perfectly.
Before Frank had started the company by their last name, which was only 10 years ago, Eddie vaguely remembers being “normal.” Then, their house had two bedrooms. Chipped tile, fraying carpet, patches of grass in their drying front and back yards. Frank worked at the pharmacy and Sonia was a bookkeeper for a small law firm. He was happier back then, even though young children always have a sense of joy.
But now, at 17, he doesn’t recognize himself in the mirror. Or his small family in the horribly stiff, staged photographs taken to put on the Kaspbrak Pharmaceuticals Incorporated website to show that their CEO is a devout husband, and loving father. Couldn’t be further from the truth, as his father had been distant from home ever since coming up with the alternative cancer treatment to chemo that wasn’t nearly as tolling on the body. But, money can buy everything, right? Or at least it can attempt to buy your son’s love.
His father used to spend his weekends taking Eddie to the park or movies, but now he plays golf with his other Fortune 500 CEO friends on exclusive golf courses in the middle of nowhere. The freckled boy know his dad prefers the situation now, but he misses the before money love his father used to showcase.
Sonia and Eddie had never really gotten along, and Frank was still as much of a mediator now as he was when his son was a small child. Eddie’s overbearing mother had always liked things to be a certain way. And now, with a lot of money she was still the same way, just with expensive taste.
The massive wooden door opens from the parlor, and in walks the meeting maker. The table, which could seat ten or twelve looks lonely with only three places set, but the graying man approaches his seat at the head of the table--the only one unoccupied.
“Good evening, sir,” Sarah greets, taking his long tan coat off his hunching shoulders before he sits. She passes it to someone else and they scatter off into the hallway towards the coat closet.
“Sarah,” he nods, acknowledging her with minimal effort. “Bring in the first course, please.” She doesn’t wait another moment before pushing the door open to the kitchen. Coming back out, one covered silver tray in her hand while Ria follows, holding two more of the same. Placing the tray in front of Frank first, followed by one in front of Sonia, and Eddie last, she lifts them in the same order to reveal a salad and a bowl of green soup for the adults, and chicken noodle for Eddie. It wasn’t Campbell’s from the can anymore, as it was homemade, but it’d have to do.
The start of dinner was silent, just the sound of cutlery hitting ceramic, until Sonia is the one to speak. Eddie didn’t want to be the one to bring up the reason for the meeting first, so for the first time in maybe ever, he’s grateful for his mother’s presence. “Why’d you call this dinner, Frank?”
Eddie’s eyes follow as his dad puts the spoon on the side of the bowl and picks up the cloth napkin to dab around his mouth. He pauses before announcing, “The company is merging.”
“What?” “With what?” Eddie and his mother voice in unison.
Frank takes a sip of his water, some droplets sticking to his moustache. “Tozier Industries.”
“Wentworth?” His mom tips her head, her glasses moving down slightly. “I thought you two couldn’t agree on a business model?”
Frank nods. “That’s correct. We couldn’t, until today. The contract was drafted, and we’re having a public signing tomorrow.”
Eddie’s fingernails dig into his thighs under the table as he bites back a noise of frustration. “So you two have known this is happening? And didn’t think to tell me?”
His mom makes eye contact with his dad. “I mean the talks have only been going on for what, two weeks? Not long at all.”
Eddie puts one of his forearms flat on the table. “That’s fourteen days you could’ve told me, or even before that when you were considering it. You always say you want me to take over Inc, Dad, but I can’t do that if I never know what’s fucking happening!”
Taking over the company was something he had outright no interest in doing, but his father had said multiple times that that was what he hoped for. Appealing to his father’s senses seemed to be the best way to go, he learned, if he actually wanted to be acknowledged as something more than a thing to throw an AmEx black card at to quiet.
“Edward, language!” his mother snaps, but he’s too furious to care. “Maybe if you came to dinner, you’d know what was discussed over it.”
“You know maybe--maybe--if you actually let me talk about what I’m doing in school and out of it and didn’t talk over me, I’d feel valued enough to warrant bringing my ass down for dinner.” He crosses his arms for emphasis.
Frank sighs, looking between his wife and son throwing daggers at each other from across the table. “Well, you better get over it Eddie, I expect you to be at the press conference and signing tomorrow. 11AM. All of Went’s family will be there, too. I think he has a son around your age.”
“Richie? Yeah, I think everyone knows him,” Eddie huffs. “Now that your news is done, I will continue to be kept out of the loop in the comfort of my own bedroom, thank you very much!” He sarcastically emphasizes the last part, sending his chair screeching backwards as he storms out of the dining room.
The only thought in his mind while ascending the grand staircase up to his room is I have to tell Stan, Bill, and Ben about this.
____________________________________________________
Not even bothering to text the inappropriately named group chat beforehand, he just starts the FaceTime call and invites them all in it. He tosses his phone on the overcrowded desk so the camera faces the ceiling, hastily stepping out of the irritating pants and kicking them into the corner, by the hamper.
“What’s up?” He hears Ben answer as he sorts through his dresser for a pair of pants that are comfortable enough to sleep in.
“All my pants are shit!” Eddie calls back, groaning.
Stan sighs. He only knows it’s him without looking because of how much he does it. “That’s not why you called us here.”
“Would’ve taken a genius to figure that one out, Uris. Might as well call you Frank fucking Kaspbrak!” Eddie pulls on a pair of athletic shorts, finally picking his phone back up.
“Okay, w-what’d your dad do t-this time?” Bill asks, and Eddie can see the boy’s eyes are laced with concern.
Walking across the large room to his bed, he props his phone up against his pillows and lies on his stomach, facing the boys. “Inc is merging,” the name of his dad’s company was too long to say every time, so it was shortened to Inc by Eddie and his friends a few years back. “With Tozier Industries.”
Ben opens his mouth, but shuts it, not sure what to say. Stan clarifies, “Like king-of-everything Tozier?”
Eddie nods. “Press conference and contract signing is tomorrow. And I have to be there and suffer through it, so can one or all of you please attend?”
“Will all of the Tozier’s be there, too?” Ben asks, scratching his head.
Humming as a response, Eddie elucidates, “Have to, is what dad told me. So time to practice my fake smile!”
“Richie’s not that bad,” Stan points out.
“You’re only saying that because you’re dating his best friend!”
Mike Hanlon, son of the Tozier’s personal pilot. Stan and Mike had met at an after party for an award show, Mike having been Richie’s plus one, and Richie acquiring an invite due to his dad’s name, despite not being in entertainment at all.
Stan looks at him pointedly. “Would Mike be friends with someone who sucked?”
Shaking his head, his hair flopping around, he answers. “He’s still an arrogant ass, though. He’s got that generational wealth.”
“Must be nice to have money,” Ben sighs. Ben Hanscom was the only friend Eddie still had from outside of his private school. The two had met in kindergarten and managed to never lose touch after Eddie’s life completely turned around.
Stan, Bill, and Eddie all respond with various versions of “It’s not.”
Much like Eddie, the two other boys lived life in various levels of luxury. Bill Denbrough’s father was a high profile defense attorney, representing big celebrities should they ever be charged with something. Stanley Uris’s mom was an actress, and his father, a director. All three boys managed to befriend each other inside the high pressure, famous kid filled, educational institution.
“So, please, come with me,” Eddie begs another time.
“What time? And where?” Stan asks. “I have a history test fourth period tomorrow.”
The boy on the receiving end pouts. “11. You’ll be in fourth.”
“I’ll b-be there!” Bill responds. “Inc or Tozier?”
“I think it’s at Tozier,” Eddie shrugs. “Just come to mine by 10 and we’ll go over. Ben, you in?”
Ben lets out a loud breath, thoughts almost visibly rolling through his head. “I don’t know, Ed…”
Eddie folds his hand in front of him, holding them up to the camera like he’s physically begging. “Please Benny, for me?”
Bill raises an eyebrow and Ben nods, confirming. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be at yours at 10.”
“I love you both!” Eddie exclaims.
“Hey!” Stan flips him off.
“Love you, too, Stan the Man. Good luck on your test! And see you two tomorrow,” he smiles. “Thanks guys, I really couldn’t go through his alone.” He gives a little wave before ending the call, scooching up further on his bed. Might as well read a little more into the company he was going to be half related to, as of the next day.