September ❀ age 1 1
"how many ounces in a pound?" stanley asked from eddie, who had a Math test next period.
"16. step up your game, stan" eddie chuckled.
"okay...how many ounces is one cup?" stan asked, looking up from eddie's math books. bill was following this scenario while biting his sandwich. Beverly and Richie instead were having a pun war, beverly strong in the lead.
"8 US fluid ounces" eddie said casually.
"you're smart enough to pass this test, don't stress about it" stan shoved the book back to eddie, who groaned.
"But I'd like to like make sure I know"
"y-you know, eh-eh-eh-"
"ohmygod Bill, you know I hate when you stutter my name. it's eddie. eddie eddie eddie, it's not that hard" eddie groaned, frustrated, his intentions not to hurt bill, who looked down. "sorry..."
"hey, don't be. it's not your fault" stan smiled sweetly at bill, who let a small smirk on his lips. "right, eddie?" stan turned to the smaller boy, saying it rather harshly.
"yeah..yeah, sorry bill. i'm just really on edge. my momma's been pushing me to my limits lately"
"what? what has she done?" richie immediately turned to eddie, who let out a breathy laugh.
"she's been forcing me to the emergency room even more and more. she's afraid of the puberty, that i'll hit...at some point..."
"you're eleven, eddie, and you're still short as a toothpick. i think ms K has nothing to worry about" richie smirked. (a/n eLeVeN yeah ooooh now shush about it. this is a reddie fic, i don't want eleven shit to be involved :)
eddie stuck his tongue out, before looking down at his food and grabbing the untouched sandwich.
"hey so why's your mom like that?" beverly asked. "like why does she force you to those things?"
eddie looked at her, sighing. "I don't know...she's just concerned"
"about what?" beverly kept grilling eddie, who shifted. "i don't know"
"but there must be a reason-"
"I don't know, beverly!" eddie exclaimed.
the red haired girl went silent and looked down.
eddie took out his inhaler and took a careful puff from it. richie placed his hand behind eddie's back, rubbing small circles on it, calming eddie down.
"sorry, eddie" bev finally said after a moment of utter silence.
eddie shook his head as to say 'it's fine'. he got up and sniffled a bit. "i think I'm gonna head to class. the teacher said we should come a bit earlier since we have the test"
"good luck with the test" stan gave eddie a small smile, where eddie just nodded. the rest of the kids watched how eddie walked to empty his tray and then exit the cafeteria.
"god, I didn't know he'd get so hurt" bev sighed and put her head in her hands. bill put an arm around her and shook his head. "ih-it's not your fuh-fault"
richie looked down at the empty seat next to him, noticing eddie's inhaler resting on the wooden bench.
"hey, i'm gonna be right back" richie said and grabbed the inhaler.
"where are you going?" stan asked, but richie was already running towards the exit, gripping the inhaler in his hands. he jogged towards eddie's class, seeing the boy pacing in front of the class.
"eds!"
the small boy turned to richie and let out a shaky breath. "rich..."
"you left your inhaler" richie stopped in front of eddie, who took it. "oh...I must've missed my pocket..."
richie looked how eddie took another puff from it before shoving it in his red shorts pocket.
"hey, what happened back there?" he asked from the vulnerable boy, who looked at their feet.
"you know how I'll get...you know...when someone mentions my momma..."
"hey, eds, look at me" richie lifted eddie's face. "nobody's meaning to hurt you. we know you love your mom, of course you do. that's what children are supposed to do, it's just that sometimes she..."
"lies..." eddie finished, resting his head on richie's hands. richie gave him a sad smile in agreement. "yeah..."
"No, I get why you all hate her so much-"
"we don't hate her" richie shook his head.
"well however you feel against her, it isn't positive...but I just don't like talking about her. she's what she is. but I rather take this, than her not caring a shit about me or ignoring me and never getting me health checked"
richie grinned.
"what?" eddie asked.
"you said shit" richie chuckled, making eddie let out a breathy laugh. "no, but in all seriousness, I get you. I can tell the others to stop asking about your mom, okay? do you want me to do that for you? cause you know I'd do it. I'd do anything for you"
eddie blushed a deep scarlet color. "you don't have to...I can tell them myself, but I'd appreciate if you were there with me"
"of course" richie nodded. "but do you know that? that i'd do anything for-"
"yeah, I know. I'd do anything for you too" eddie smiled and wrapped his arms around richie's waist and hugged him. the taller one tied his arms around eddie's shoulders and put a head on eddie's.
"you're gonna do just fine..." richie whispered.
"with what?"
"the test. you're like a little Einstein" richie smiled. eddie giggled softly, but was cut off by a familiar voice.
"four eyes and the girly boy"
both of the boys looked up, still holding each other. they were faced with henry and belch, standing few meters away from them in the dark hallway.
"don't you remember what they did to fags in Derry, girly boy? don't you fucking remember or do I have to remind you?" henry spat to eddie, who slid behind richie, who was now clutching his fists.
"leave him alone, bowers" richie said.
"why should I take orders from you, queer?" henry tilted his head and nodded his head towards richie, which made Belch walk to the taller boy and grab him by his arms and bend them back.
"get off me motherfucker!" richie spat.
"richie" eddie squealed but was soon grabbed by henry, holding eddie's arms behind his back with his other hand, and other hand, cupping eddie's jaw.
"since you two are already so close, why don't we just speed up the process? yeah, you'd probably fucking like that" henry laughed lowly and began walking towards richie, who was still held by belch, eddie as his shield.
"come on now, kiss, faggots" belch tugged richie's arms tighter as he pushed him towards eddie. henry and belch had pushed the boys so close, that their chests were touching, lips inches apart.
"aw what's the matter? why can't you two kiss?" henry fake pouted and pushed eddie even closer, their noses now touching.
"kiss, faggots, fucking kiss. show us what faggots do" henry continued. eddie had tears in his eyes as he looked into richie's big brown eyes.
"i'm scared, rich" eddie whispered quietly to the taller boy, who looked so serious, it could be mistaken as richie's twin, who never smiled, since richie always had a grin on his lips.
"it's okay, eds" richie reassured, before looking pass the boy to henry's devilish eyes.
"this sure does seem like we entered your wet dreams, bowers" richie smirked a bit. "you'd like to see two boys kissing, wouldn't you?"
henry went red and let go of eddie, to shove richie a bit in the stomach. "you shut the fuck up, tozier"
"or what? you're gonna make me kiss more boys to get you off?"
richie could swear he saw steam coming out of henry's ears. "you'll regret that"
"sure I will" richie nodded and felt belch letting him go with a tug.
"see you around, faggots" henry murmured and left the hallway with belch, who gave richie and eddie a glare.
eddie sighed and took out his inhaler again. "that was not fun, not fun at all, why would they do that, rich-"
richie shook his head. "don't think about it"
eddie took a puff from his inhaler as richie continued speaking. "but uhm...maybe they were right..."
"about what?" eddie shuddered.
"maybe we shouldn't be like that...you know, get all touchy and shit, cause people might think we're...."
eddie looked down as richie didn't finish his sentence. "gay..."
"yeah" richie nodded. eddie let out a long sigh. "yeah"
"well...uh, good luck with the test" richie said awkwardly and lifted his fist hesitantly up.
eddie looked confused at richie. "what the hell are you doing?"
"a fistbump...." richie coughed.
"o-oh....yeah, a fistbump" eddie bumped his fist with richie, who then let his hand drop down. "see ya, eds" richie turned around and was about to walk away.
"richie, wait" eddie exclaimed.
the taller one turned around.
"but we can still hug and hold hands, right?"
"yeah...of course, but...not in public. that's not suitable, since people and their stupid assumptions. Derry's the worst place to be being like that, eds"
eddie nodded sadly and as he didn't say anything anymore, richie waved him and walked away.