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One of the unexpected effects of the summer of 1989 was that Eddie Kaspbrak was strangely immune to horror movies now. Especially the kind he and Richie were watching at the local cinema that afternoon, he even felt a sense of superiority over the characters thinking that he and any of his friends would handle the situation better than the campers being killed one by one in screen by a masked psychopath.
He had seen much worse in person, and he had won.
Unfortunately he was not immune to other things, although sometimes he desperately would like to be. For example, it would be very convenient if his heart had not started beating as if it wanted to jump out of his chest when Richie asked him and only him to go to the cinema earlier that day or that he got goosebumps when his hands accidentally touched Richie's when they went to get popcorn at the same time.
Especially the second, because it was something Richie clearly noticed from his next reaction of completely forgetting the popcorn and running his finger over Eddie's arm.
"Someone's scared," Richie whispered, smiling.
Eddie could see his angry expression against the lenses of Richie's glasses.
“Shut up Richie”
"Do you want me to hold your hand?"
Yes, but not because I'm afraid Eddie thought.
“Shut up Richie and let me watch the movie”
“Only if you let me hold your hand”
What would you get out of it? Eddie thought, but said:
"Okay, but I don't want to hear any more peeps from you until the movie is over"
With his right hand Richie took Eddie's hand, and with his left he made a gesture of a zipper closing over his mouth.
And if someone later asked Eddie who turned out to be the killer in the movie, he wouldn't know who, because all he could pay attention from that moment on was the feel of Richie's hand holding his, how soft and safe and right it felt. . Also how he stop holding him as soon as the cinema light came on.
"Good movie," Richie said stretching.
“It could have been scarier”
“Next time I will try to choose one that is”
And I won't be afraid and I'll hold your hand as soon as the lights go out Eddie thought.
"I'd like that," Eddie said.