my favorite color • reddie

l a b i n t a t l o

Monday morning, the day Richie dreaded but Eddie couldn't wait for.

"What if we don't go today?" Richie played with the lint in his jacket pocket.

"What?" Stan turned to Richie, giving him a look that asked if he was crazy.

"What if we just skip today? It's just one day." Richie shrugged.

"We have a test in math." Stan said.

"Our es-s-says are due today f-for English." Bill stuttered.

"Is everything okay?" Beverly asked.

"Yeah, I just don't feel like going today." Richie stared ahead at the building. He could see Eddie walking in, his giant backpack floating behind him.

They all made it to school and went their separate ways for class. Richie tried taking a different route to his first class. He usually always saw Eddie on his was to physics. He felt bad enough that he was planning on avoiding him, he didn't want to actually do it.

Meanwhile Eddie looked for Richie. He didn't want to seem too clingy but he still wanted to spend time with him. He always saw Richie while he walked to his first class so he thought he'd start a conversation with him and it would end with them meeting up during their break or lunch.

Maybe he didn't come today. Eddie walked past the trash can where he usually saw Richie pass by.

Richie sat in his class, watching Eddie from the open door. He took his Spanish book out of his locker, holding it to his chest.

Richie thought he looked adorable. Everything around him made him seem so much smaller. Seeing him made him feel so much worse, he had planned to avoid Eddie when all he wanted was to hug and kiss him. Something in Richies head wouldn't let him just be okay with his relationship with Eddie.

By lunch Eddie had already convinced himself that Richie hadn't come to school.

As he walked to an empty table he saw Richie walking in the same direction holding a water bottle.

"Richie?" Eddie calles out.

Fuck.

Richie turned to see the small boy holding a lunch bag.

"Hey,"

"I didn't think you came today. I didn't see you in the halls." Eddie blushed.

"I showed up late." Richie said flatly.

"Oh." Eddie held his lunch bag tighter. "Uhm, do you want to have lunch with me?"

Richie thought about it and as much as he wanted to sit down and talk to him, he wouldn't let himself. He felt terrible saying no because he knew Eddie always sat alone and he could tell he was nervous to ask.

"I can't, sorry."

Eddie nodded.

"That's okay. I'll-"

"Hey, I gotta go." Richie said, turning to the table his friends were sitting at.

Eddie nodded and smiled, watching him walk away.

He noticed the sudden shift in Richie's attitude towards him and it confused him.

Did I do something?

He was so used to his past boyfriends blaming him for things that weren't really his fault, he started blaming himself. Richie had been so sweet to him just two days before and now he was completely avoiding him.

Eddie worried he had been too clingy.

He sat down at his usual lonely table, watching Richie wondering if this sudden change had something to do with something he did.