mixtape (reddie)

Chapter 30

"Yeah," she nods. "Eddie asks me stuff about you. They all do."

"Like what?" Richie scoffs. He can't imagine a single thing about himself worth wondering about, it's not as if he's interesting or anything. Everything about Richie is on the surface, it doesn't get much deeper than bad humor and blatant insecurity.

"Well, Eddie asks me what to do when you're upset. He seems really concerned about that, he wants to help. Mike asks what to do when you get that little impulsive light behind your eyes. Apparently you make him nervous when you guys hang out. Bill asks about what kind of things you like to do for fun, you know, just normal stuff," she shrugs casually. "It just makes sense, y'know. I've known you the longest."

"I had no idea," Richie lights another cigarette. Bev gave him a new pack, and he's about to go through the whole thing in one sitting to make up for lost time. "I-I didn't think they cared that much."

"Are you kidding? They love you, idiot. Ben wants to make a D&D character for you," she scoffs. "Stop thinking so lowly of yourself, Richie. We love you."

Richie smiles, then hides his mouth with the back of his hand. He wants to say he's blushing because of the mention of Eddie, but they both know that's not true. It's because... people care.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," he laughs, chuckling to himself. "I really have no idea."

Bev cracks a smile at the sound of his harmonious chuckles. It isn't often that Richie laughs, usually because he's the one dealing the jokes, but something about the sound paired with such absurd words makes her grin with him.

"It's not funny," she says, but a giggle punctuates the end of her sentence anyway.

"I know," Richie laughs, taking his glasses off to press his palms into his eyes. "It's really, totally fucked, isn't it?"

The two burst into hysterical laughter, doubled over and holding their stomachs that ache with joy. Bev drapes over Richie's arm, clutching his shoulder tightly and trying to regain composure. Any time one of them manages to calm down, they'll look at the other one and completely lose it all over again.

It feels like mending. It feels like the last few weeks being erased and rewritten, like the two are just as close as they've always been. They're faced with quite possibly the worst scenario, yet they both find refuge in the absurdity and allow themselves to just be kids and laugh. It's important to remember how vital laughter is when you're both facing shitty parents.

"But seriously, ToTo," she finally calms down, wiping tears from her eyes and tugging on his jacket sleeve. When Richie lifts his eyes to hers, she says "What are you gonna do?"

He says the first thing that comes to his mind. "I'm going to tell Eddie that I want to go steady. Seems like the only thing that makes sense right now."

Beverly doesn't look surprised, but then again, nobody is oblivious to the fond eyes that the two boys share with one another. It's obvious by the way that Richie shares his music with Eddie and Eddie alone, and it's painfully apparent by the way that Eddie stares at Richie whenever the boy is not looking. The only time the losers have ever been shocked was by the truth that spilled out during truth or dare that exposed Richie as Stan's first kiss. They were all certain that the night would end in Eddie confessing to Richie, but the game was cut short after that terrible confession that left them all so confused. But now Richie admits it, and Bev only nods in support.

"Sometimes, that's all you've got," she shrugs. "Don't get me wrong, you're a great friend, but I'd go mental without Ben. There's something... so special about taking friendship to such a deeper level."