Wait For It || Reddie ✔️

- 40 -

The door clicked with the lock before opening, Sonia's tired face appearing. All the courage Beverly held sank away as she cowered back into the comfort of her friends. Ben glanced over at Beverly, expecting her to say something but when he saw her expression, he stepped up. "Uh.. Hi! Eddie and Richie were supposed to meet us at the.. park today and haven't showed up yet. Have you possibly seen either of them?"

Sonia looked him up and down before shaking her head. "No, I haven't." She went to close the door but Ben stuck a foot out, a small, nervous smile coming onto his lips. "Are you sure? Eddie said he'd be here.."

Back around the house, Richie tugged at the backdoor, pausing with fear when the sliding glass door squealed against its wheels. When he realized Sonia wasn't coming, he slipped inside, not risking to close the door again.

The familiar smell of Eddie tugged at his heart as he stepped farther inside the kitchen. He peered around, suppressing the urge to go running around the house, yelling Eddie's name. Instead, he walked out of the kitchen down the main hall where he saw Sonia talking with his friends.

"No, I haven't," Sonia said and stepped back, pushing the door closed. Richie's stomach dropped and his skin pricked with fear but Sonia paused, the door still open. Richie wasted no time in slowly walking past Sonia and up the stairs, the conversation buzzing in the background.

He reached Eddie's bedroom and grabbed at the doorknob. His head snapped down at it when it refused to turn, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Eddie's never had a lock on his door, Sonia refused to let him get one. He tapped a fingernail on the door, pressing himself up close so his voice could get through the wood.

"Eddie? It's me, Richie."

Nothing. Richie looked down the stairs as he tapped a bit harder on the door. "Eddie!" He whisper-yelled, looking to the door hopefully. Something shifted from the other side of the door and excitement buzzed in Richie's stomach.

"Richie?"

He nodded to himself, a hand still on the doorknob. "Yeah, Eds. It's- it's me."

"How'd you get in? My mom's home."

Richie tugged at the doorknob again and looked down the stairs. "There's no time for that. Where's the key to this shit?"

"I.. I don't know. Can't you pick it?"

How did he not think of that? Richie raced across the hall to the bathroom, pulling open drawers and cabinets's for a bobby-pin. He pulled open a smaller drawer, pushing past the hair brushes and hair curlers. He spotted a brown bobby-pin pressed up in the corner of the drawer along with a few more, excitement and anxiety growing in his stomach.

He grabbed a few and went back to Eddie's door, kneeling to get eye-level with the doorknob. "Wait, Ms. K!" Ben yelled right before the door slammed shut. Both Eddie and Richie went deathly still, knowing of the looming danger. Sonia pushed out a breath and walked into the living room, the TV switching back on.

Richie swallowed thickly and went to work on the lock. He flattened one bobby-pin out and stuck the other in. Richie felt for the mechanics on the lock, hoping he'd get it right in the first try. A soft click sounded and he paused, not wanting to believe it. He glanced up and turned the knob.

Eddie was standing there, fresh tears in his eyes. Richie almost yelled with joy as he scrambled to his feet, pulling Eddie in for a hug. He buried his nose into the boys soft curls, breathing in the scent hes known Eddie to have for so long as Eddie pushed his face into the crook of Richie's neck.

"Why the hell did you run away?" Richie asked as he pulled away, his hands gripping Eddie's arms. He glanced down to the ground, tears dangerously close to falling. "I've been getting you into trouble, Rich. It was just better if I-" his voice broke off. Guilt weighed down on Richie's chest and he pulled Eddie back in, rubbing soothing circles into his back.

"Let's get out of this fucking place," Richie said, one of his hands falling to grab Eddie's. He turned to walk out the door, Eddie following but his eyes snapped up when he ran into Richie back.

Sonia stood in the doorway, fuming with anger. "Where do you think you're going?" Richie tugged on Eddie's hand, pulling him behind his back. "Back to my house," Richie said sternly. Sonia raised an eyebrow and looked over at Eddie. "You don't want to leave me, do you, Eddie-Bear?"

Eddie breathed in sharply and stared at the floor, gathering up whatever courage he could muster. "You know what, Ma?" He said, his eyes snapping up to hers, "I do want to leave you. I- I refuse to stay locked up in this fucking house with these bullshit pills!"

Sonia shook her head. "Those pills are helping you, Eddie. You know that!" Eddie sucked in his lips and pushed past Richie. "Those pills," he said, standing his ground, "do nothing."

Sonia shifted her jaw, glaring at her son before reaching out and grabbing his arm. Eddie instinctively shot an arm out to Richie, missing by a few inches as he was pulled back behind his mother. "You," Sonia said, her voice sharp as he jabbed a finger into Richie's chest, "Stay away from my son. He doesn't need someone like you around, Tozier." Eddie struggled with her grip, his panicked fingers fumbling with her hand.

"Let go of him!" Richie yelled, taking a step closer. Sonia ignored him and tightened her grip. "Get out of my house," she yelled and moved aside for Richie. He shook his head, his gaze never leaving Sonia's eyes. "Not without Eddie."

Her eyebrow twitched with annoyance. "He's not leaving me," she said. Eddie looked up at her, a hand still prying at her grasp. "Yes. I. Am." He lifted a foot before slamming it down on his mother's toes, ignoring the second-hand pain he felt.

She hissed out in pain, her grip loosening, giving Eddie a chance to break free. Richie jumped into a run, pushing past Sonia and tumbling down the stairs with Eddie at his heels.

The two slammed the front door open, the group's attention snapping over at them. Beverly raced over to the two, worry clouding her eyes as she grabbed Eddie's shoulder. "What the hell happened?" She asked, her eyes flickering up to Richie's. "Sonia fucking locked Eddie in his own room. She fucking trapped him in!"

Eddie brought a hand to his face as he sniffed, Richie gently rubbing his arm. "I want to go home, Chee," Eddie said, his voice cracking. Richie brought a hand to Eddie's cheek and leaned down to kiss the boys head, not worrying about anything around them. "Then let's go home."

The warm atmosphere didn't stay for long when Mike noticed Sonia running out the door. "Uh, guys," he said hurriedly. The group followed his gaze, panic instantly sparking in each one of them. "Go," Richie said, running to his bike, "Go!" The teenagers scrambled to their bikes, not bothering to get on properly before pushing off. Eddie had no time to get his from the garage and instead hopped onto the back of Silver with Bill.

The group cruised down the street, Sonia's pleads slowly drowning into silence the farther they got. Richie looked over his shoulder at Bill and Eddie, slowing down to bike aside them. "You okay, Eds?" Eddie met his gaze and nodded, a small smile on his lips.

The group peddled towards Bill's house, unknowingly biking away from their last adventure together.