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“You’re gonna be okay, Rich.”
That’s what Richie has been hearing for the last month and yeah they’re all right. He is going to be okay. He is two hours away from being a high school graduate, but just a little over an hour from giving his big Valedictorian speech. He feels like he’s going to shit his pants.
All of his friends and Eddie have facetimed him giving him words of encouragement but he still couldn’t feel more sick to his stomach. He wishes he could get ready with his boyfriend, have Eddie calm him down, because he does it best. His parents would’ve allowed them to get ready together- it’s just stupid fucking Sonia.
Richie fixes his tie in the mirror, looking at himself, closing his eyes and trying to think of how his speech will go down. Either everyone’s going to love it, or everyone will hate it, and that’s what scares him. The only good thing about it is that he will never have to show his face at Derry High if all goes wrong.
Richie says goodbye to his parents and enters the high school, attempting to find his friends before they could line up in alphabetical order in their respective classrooms. He knows it’s unlikely because he’s already late as it is, but he races down the hall anyway, and to Eddie’s homeroom first.
“Richie Tozier, get to your room! We march down in two minutes!”
Two minutes- that’s all he needs. He’ll see the rest of his friends later- right now he just needs Eddie.
Richie pokes his head around the corridor, “Psst, Eds!”
“Richie, what the hell?” Eddie stares at him wide eyed. Richie beckons him to come into the hall. “I can- No, I can’t!” He scream-whispers to Richie. Eddie rolls his eyes when he realizes that Richie won’t stop, and he quickly sneaks into the hallway.
“What is it, Ri- chmmbf.” Eddie’s cut off by Richie kissing him hard and fast.
“Okay. Okay. I think that can get me through the rest of the night.” Richie nods to himself, touching Eddie’s cheek.
“Richie..” Eddie says sympathetically, grabbing his hand and kissing the palm of it. “You’re going to do great, I promise you. Now, I say this out of love, but: I’m gonna fucking kick your ass if you don’t get back to your homeroom. We walk in literally like thirty seconds.”
“Shit,” Richie whips his phone out. 6:58. He grabs Eddie’s arms to pull him into another quick kiss and darts back down the hallway. Eddie shakes his head fondly and goes back to take his place in line. He just knows that whatever Richie is planning for his speech, is going to be great.
“Wow,” Mrs. Chapman, their principal, breathes into the microphone. She stands at the podium and grips the sides tightly. “I want to thank our special guests, Mr. Lucas Brown, our superintendent, and Mr. Ron Hyland, our town mayor for giving those two beautiful speeches.” She pauses to look at the students sitting in the chairs, “but most importantly I want to thank everyone who is here to support the class of 2019. I have watched a lot of these young men and women grow from a little kindergarten, to the adults they are today. I have watched their friendships expand and flourish and newcomers weave their way into the life of Derry High. There is one more speech that needs to be given before the handing of diplomas, and that is from our very own, Valedictorian, Richie Tozier.” Mrs. Chapman claps and seats herself as Richie steps to the podium. The claps from the audience and class echoes through the school stadium.
“Thank you, Mrs. Chapman.. Wow.. I think out of the twelve years I’ve attended school here, that might be the first time my last name was pronounced correctly,” he grins when he hears laughs from everyone.
“You know, it’s tough starting fresh..” Richie begins. “I remember the first day of kindergarten. I was holding onto my mom’s pant leg as she scolded me, ‘Richard! You’re going to make me late for work.’ There was no telling me that it was gonna be okay, or to have a nice day, or that I’ll make friends quickly. She meant well though, I promise.” He peers up to the bleachers and sees Maggie and Went shaking their heads fondly.
“But, I was okay. I did have a great day, actually, and I met my first two friends, to which our group has expanded to seven of us, now… See, the thing about friendship, is that you kind of always know who’s there for you and who’s not. I knew when people didn’t always have my best interests. But, my friends, our loyalty to each other, it runs deep. I’ve seen so many people here at Derry High go through massive friendship heartbreaks because people turned their backs on them, and let their worth be defined.
My advice to you, seniors, is to never let anyone have that authority over you. My advice is that you find those people that you will create memories with and cherish forever…” Richie swallows.
“Over the course of the last few months, maybe since senior year began, I’ve been having problems trying to figure out what I wanted to do, what I wanted to be.. It’s scary. I know a lot of you probably have known since your first day of kindergarten what you were going to do with your life.. but I know a lot of you are like me, who has been constantly changing their mind. I’m lucky to have found my major in college, at UCLA, when I begin in the fall,” he stops when people cheer and holler at that, “thank you.. but I know a lot of you are still figuring things and yourself out and that is okay..
The future is scary, I know. We’re afraid to leave things behind… Maybe it isn’t as scary as we think, though. This is our chance for a new beginning, a new start.. A chance to seek out new opportunities, and maybe some unexpected ones will find us as their home. I like to think the unexpected things that happen to us can sometimes be the best, because there were no expectations.” Richie licks his bottom lip, “When something great happens, don’t run from it.”
Richie lets out a sigh, calming himself. His last paragraph is the most important. “Before I step off of this podium, before I finish my speech, and before we all officially graduate… I just want to let you know that I never planned to talk about love. But here I go.
I saw this quote on tumblr. It said, ‘Meeting you was fate, but falling in love with you was out of my control,’ and I really, really don’t want to agree with that just because the user was just-girly-things, but I unfortunately do.” He laughs to himself, “I struggled a lot with myself when I was younger. I’ve been in love with the same person since I was in 8th grade, before I even knew what love felt like.. But now that I know what it does feel like, I feel like I’m on top of everything. He makes me be a better person.
Everyone wants to love and be loved. It might take some time to find that person.. But hell, when you do find the person you know you’ll be with forever, it really changes you..
I leave you with this quote: ‘ Always trust on those peoples whose feelings do not change when the time changes.’”
Congratulations to the class of 2019, you did it,” Richie says, nearly finishing, but then, “To be fair though, I honestly don’t know how some of you made it this far. Kudos to you.”
Despite a lot of people being shocked at the last line, people are standing and clapping, whistling and hollering.
Richie winks at Eddie as he goes back to his seat.
Mrs. Chapman takes the stand once again and the students laugh when she’s giggling, still trying to control herself from Richie’s last line in his speech. “Thank you.. Richie… Now, without further ado, let me begin the calling of names. As always, we will go in alphabetical order.”
Richie stays quiet through everyone receiving their diploma, except for his friends, whom he goes absolutely wild for. He thinks his favorite has to be seeing Eddie, although he feels kind of biased. He watches Eddie head back to his seat, a huge smile on his face, and then just stops dead in his tracks. He’s a little confused, and then Eddie’s eyes meet Richie’s. Suddenly, he’s on a mission, beelining right for Richie. He pulls Richie up from his seat to plant a kiss right on his mouth.
“What was that for?” Richie whispers, cheeks hot and red.
“Expect the unexpected,” Eddie says, grinning, and kisses him again. “I love you.”
Richie’s in a daze after that. He still cheers for his friends, still hypes them up, but he was the loudest for Eddie.
And after what felt like it took forever: “Please, move your tassels to the left side of your cap..” Mrs. Chapman instructs. “Congratulations to the class of 2019!”
“Two-Kay-Nineteen, baby! Woo!” Richie points his cup to the sky and shouts, a grin making its way to his face. He and his friends are out on his deck in the backyard, celebrating their graduation.
“This is it, guys,” Richie laughs, “Our last summer together before college. Are we ready for that?”
“Never,” Bev shakes her head. “But you can at least stop acting like we won’t all be in the same state.”
“It’s like we were all meant to grow together,” Mike smiles. Richie thinks he looks like he’s going to cry.
“Forever,” Bill says.
Eddie pushes up from his spot next to Stan and walks over to nestle himself against Richie. “Losers stick together, right?”
There’s a sniffle, and then all eyes are on Stan. “I really didn’t plan on crying tonight but this is fine.”
“Aw, Staniel.” Richie pretends to clutch his heart, the smile on his face getting bigger when he feels Eddie wrap an arm around his waist. He looks down at his boyfriend, “Y’Okay, sugar?” Eddie nods against Richie’s side.
“Mhm,” Eddie looks up through his eyelashes. “Just. I just really love you, is all.”
Richie tilts Eddie’s chin up with his free hand and leans down to kiss him sweetly, rubbing his nose against Eddie’s. “I love you too, baby.”
“Get a room!” Ben calls out. Richie looks over, his hand still grasping Eddie’s chin, and then motions over to Ben, “I see your hand on your girl’s thigh, Haystack! You better eat those words!”
Eddie swats at Richie’s chest gently, and Richie’s attention is immediately back on him.
Mike mutters, “So fucking whipped.”
“You would be too if you had the world’s cutest boyfriend.” Richie retorts, leaning down to nibble at Eddie’s cheek.
“The fuck are you doing, weirdo?”
“Wanted to bite your cheek. So I did because I can. Your skin is soft. So soft, baby.” Richie almost purrs.
“Is he a lightweight?” Ben asks, the same time Stan says, “I think Richie’s already tipsy.”
“He can’t handle his alcohol.” Bev says. “It’s even worse when we smoke and drink. It amplifies it like one-hundred percent. The one time me and Rich split a joint and he had two bottles of beer and a mixed drink of Cola and whiskey and he threw up all over my toilet.”
“Ew,” Mike makes a face. “I never would’ve guessed that Richie, out of all people, is a lightweight.”
“Yeah, okay, you guys make fun of me now, but when we’re all legally allowed to go to a bar, who’s gonna be the one to spend less money getting drunk? Me, bitches.” Richie presses kisses into the crook of Eddie’s neck, giggles escaping his lips.
“Wanna go to my room?” Richie whispers in Eddie’s ear, and thank fuck. . Eddie nods; he’s been waiting all fucking night for this. Richie addresses everyone louder, “Hey, you guys. Me and Eddie are gonna go makeout, okay?”
A collection of “ew”s and “gross”es ring out.
“I know you guys don’t plan on leaving so make yourself comfortable, snacks are in the pantry. There’s more alcohol in the fridge. And other shit. Help yourself, you know the drill.”
Eddie pulls Richie inside as he’s saying his last sentence.
When they get to Richie’s room, there’s barely enough time before Eddie’s pushing Richie down on his bed and climbing on top of him. He licks the lobe of Richie’s ear, kissing down his neck. “I want you. So much, baby.”
“You’ve got me, sweetheart.”
And the next words out of Eddie’s mouth nearly sends Richie into cardiac arrest:
“No, Rich. I want you to fuck me.”