Chapter Text
Like always, Lewis picked out the music for his National performance. Eddie actually kind of liked them, they had a calming sort of rhythm, while also being something he could dance to. And it had lyrics, which he liked. Knowing the meaning behind the song helped him dance to it. He had to have an understanding of the story he was telling throughout the song and dance.
He listened to the three tracks for hours once he got it, leaning back and closing his eyes, letting the sweet melody wash over him. It was a really good song choice. A love song by the sounds of it, the lyrics a soothing call of faraway voices, deep and smooth. He liked it.
Lewis let him have a week off of skating, claiming that if he overworked himself, he wouldn’t have enough energy for Nations. The competition was almost half a year away, due to some sort of error with the scheduling, but that was fine. It meant he had plenty of time to practice. And so did his competitors.
His first skate with Lewis wasn’t off to a great start. Their choreographer, Mrs. Taylor, had canceled last minute, meaning that Eddie didn’t really have anything to practice. Of course he could go over the basics, but well he found he really didn’t want to.
He had already had a rough day. He nearly failed his physics quiz, and Bowers had been on his ass all day, taunting him about some stupid thing that Eddie didn’t actually know about. Something about being a fairy, but that was normal with Bowers. Either way, Eddie was tired, bummed out, and just wanted to sleep.
His music was playing overhead, cycling through as Lewis was busy on the phone, probably talking to Mrs. Taylor about one thing or another. The only thing he knew was that he was glad he wasn’t on the other end of that phone call.
He practiced a few jumps, just a simple flip or two. Nothing out of the ordinary. He found himself humming along to the music, his head bopping to the rhythm. He turned into a spin.
The song was about finding love, the unsteady feeling of trying out and experimenting with those you loved. It was about new beginnings, the hope of falling and finding love in the most uncertain places you could.
He relaxed out of his spin, taking off to the side, his eyes closed as he let the music wash over him. The moves came naturally as he fell into some backwards slides, taking a sharp turn with his hand outstretched, as if becoming someone closer. He spun away quickly, transitioning to forwards for a moment before switching back about, the constant spin and turns of new love, the uncertainty that came with never knowing what was going to happen next.
He danced along to the rhythm of the music, his limbs flowing through the air as his feet bounced through each turn, the slightly childlike quality to the dance, the eagerness to follow someone to the depths of hell and back, the innocence that came with learning to trust someone more than you trust yourself.
The music swelled as it came to the period of transition into the middle component, and he took off into a jump, his foot digging into the ice as he took off, spinning into the air as the air whipped around him. One hand was tucked against his heart, clutching the fabric of his sweater, the other was reaching towards the roof. Reaching as if attempting to grab someone’s hand, as if trying to grab a hold to someone and drag them along with you.
The music changed into a much more somber tone, and Eddie landing, immediately turning into a spin, grabbing his hand from the air and tucking it close to his body. He broke out of the spin, leaning back as far as he could, hands clasped as if burned, the steady grasp between two lovers denied. He angled his foot to glide to the other side, leaning back as his hand skimmed the ice spraying snow up as he straightened out.
The second part of the music was the dramatic portion, a cooing ballad of soft music, the pain etched into the notes floating through the air. Eddie felt his heart sing along with them.
He led himself in a much more somber dance, one with a lot more dance than the first part. The beginning was a dance of jumps and spins, the trust of launching yourself into the air and trusting something to catch you on your way down. It was the energy put into a relationship, the effort and display dramatic and energetic.
But now it was a tale of heartbreak. A story where all the energy was spent, and you were left desiring the fire and passion that you previously had. It was filled with slower twists and turns, dramatic motions that lacked the speed of the last one, but held the fluidity and elegance the other lacked.
It was an understanding of the heartbreak that had happened, the soulful music swelling as he spun around, and he picked hard into the ice and took off into a jump, landing gracefully and gliding for a few seconds before he fell down to his knees dramatically, his head thrown back with his neck barred before he pushed back up onto his feet, ending with a spin, his leg extended in the air as his head and arm hung limply down to the side. He stood back up, pulling his arms in close to increase the speed for a few seconds before breaking back into stride as the music changed.
He didn’t know how to continue.
“That was really good Eddie,” Lewis said from the side, and Eddie turned, startled. He wasn’t aware that Lewis had been watching him still. “Good enough that I think we can make that into a routine. But you need the third part, why’d you stop?”
Eddie stood there for a moment, standing in the middle of the ice, his eyes wandering over to the Zamboni’s corner, lying dormant, since he still had thirty minutes left of practice. Something deep inside him twisted.
“I don’t know what happens next.”
________________________________________________
The day dragged on, and truthfully, Eddie just wanted to go home. School had seemed to be on a decline lately, the material getting harder as the year processed to end. He could barely stay awake during classes, due to the fact that he spent most nights outside or in his car, and whatever he actually was aware enough to listen to, it didn’t seem to fully enter and process in his mind.
He needed a distraction, something to give him a reason to focus on his studies again, something to kickstart the fire inside his chest once again.
The fire had gone out a long time ago, smoldering in the heat when approaching Sectionals, and just barely puttering with Nationals in the distance. He missed having the spark of life inside him. He wondered how long ago it went missing.
He walked to his locker, messing up the combination three times before finally being able to fumble it open. He shoved his backpackat the bottom of his locker, standing up and shrugging on his jacket. It was a simple jean one, the dark denim striking against his pastel pink shirt. He grabbed his backpack, twisting to throw it on his shoulder when suddenly someone was grabbing it, tugging it out of his hands.
Eddie sighed as he turned.
“Bowers,” He greeted pleasantly, trying not to let the thrum of fear show in his voice. Henry Bowers had gotten worse over the months, harsher, more violent. Eddie was sure it had to do something with his failing grades and the purpling bruises Eddie could see on his face.
“Fairy,” Bowers greeted. “I hear you made it to Nations, is that just a faggot-fair for people like you?”
Eddie resisted the urge to deck him in the face.
“You sound interested,” Eddie snapped. “Didn’t peg you as the type.”
Bowers lunged at him, and Eddie winced as his back hit the lockers behind him. He saw the students around him move out of the way, all of them ducking their heads to avoid his eyes.
“Watch yourself you little fairy,” Henry hissed. “One of these days I might decide to toss your sparkly ass in a gutter.”
“You should get some new names,” Eddie said, his voice shaking slightly. “Fairy is getting a bit old.”
He saw Henry raise his fist, prepared himself to the impact, but a teachers voice quickly called their names.
“Your dead fairy, you hear me?” Henry threatened before stalking off, leaving Eddie alone.
Eddie shook himself off, ignoring the teacher as he snuck away, his head down low. He didn’t want to meet anyone’s eyes right now.
His life had been balancing on a wire lately, a guillotine blade hung over his neck simply waiting to collapse, and multiple people held the string, all of them staring at him and simply waiting for him to make a single wrong move before they let go, allowing the blade to swing down and server through his flesh.
He walked outside.
“Eddie!” A familiar voice called out, and Eddie’s head snapped up in shock, eyes connection with Tysons’.
“Ty!” Eddie called out, breaking into a run and launching himself at his friend despite there being multiple people watching. Tyson barely even flinched as Eddie flung himself into his arms, holding onto him as tight as he could. “I am so glad to see you.”
“Me too,” Tyson said, wrapping his arms around Eddie and squeezing tightly. “Did I surprise you?”
“You sure as hell did,” Eddie said, his voice muffled from where he had shoved it into Tyson’s shoulder. “Don’t you have school?”
“Leak in the waterline, schools out for two weeks. Decided I had nothing better to do than come visit you.”
Eddie finally pulled back, understanding that maybe he had held on a little too long, but he was stressed, almost just got assaulted, and if he wanted the comfort of his friend, he would get it.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Eddie said honestly, and Tyson grinned down at him.
“Of course you are,” Tyson joked, throwing an arm over Eddie’s shoulders and leading him towards his old beaten up jeep. “I’m amazing.”
“Shut up,” Eddie reached over to lightly smack his shoulders, but the grin on his face wouldn’t leave. Over Tyson’s shoulders, he caught sight of a mop of shaggy brown hair turning away from him. Just like that, the mood dropped. Truly magical how Richie had the ability to simply show up and make Eddie remember everything he was trying to forget.
Tyson caught his mood, following his eyes sight to the back of Richie’s head.
“Is that him?” Tyson asked gently.
“Yeah,” Eddie said through a dry mouth. “That’s him.”
“Good taste in men,” Tyson commented, and Eddie laughed despite himself. “He kind of looks like me.”
“Not at all,” Eddie said dryly. “Keep dreaming.”
“Oh no, I think you only like me because I look like your long-lost love,” Tyson sighed. “My broken heart weeps.”
“Have I ever told you you’re dramatic?”
“Once or twice.”
“You better be driving me to practice.” Eddie changed the subject, and two of them almost at the jeep now.
“No, I was going to make you walk as I drive beside you.”
“Smartass,” Eddie rolled his eyes, walking over to the side of the jeep and climbing in.
“You think Lewis will be glad to see me?” Tyson asked, staring the car. “I made such a great impression last time.”
Tyson had been so excited by Eddie’s scores that he dropped his drink on Lewis’s feet in his haste to give Eddie a hug. Eddie wouldn’t call that a great impression.
“I’m sure he’ll be overjoyed,” He said instead, because he knew that Lewis absolutely wouldn’t. “Just don’t distract me while I’m skating.”
“But I need revenge for you placing a single spot higher than me and ruining my chances at Nationals,” Tyson whined.
“Should have performed better then,” Eddie teased, and Tyson let out a mock sound of horror.
Eddie grinned the entire way to the rink, feeling lighter than he had in ages.
__________________________________________
“I’m sorry, you’re ditching me?” Bev said as they walked through the halls, a cigarette hanging limply in her mouth.
“Only for a few days,” Eddie said with a shrug. “Go eat with your other friends. You’ll survive.”
“I don’t want to sit with them,” Bev whined. “I want to sit with you.”
“Sorry Bev,” Eddie shrugged. “I already made plans. It’ll only be for a little while.”
“Whoever they are, they better be pretty damn hot,” Bev grumbled. “I’ll walk you out, I will talk smack if needed.”
“Bev,” He sighed, shaking his head but not protesting as they reached the doors.
“Okay,” Bev said, eyebrows raising when she caught sight of Tyson. “I approve. Big time. Is he gay? If he isn’t introduce me.”
“You're dating Ben,” Eddie rolled his eyes. “And yes, he is gay.”
“You think Ben wouldn’t be down to tap that too?” Bev asked. “You caught yourself a looker.”
“Shut up, we aren’t even dating.” Eddie sighed.
“Maybe you should,” Bev said, her voice a lot softer. “You deserve to be happy Eddie.”
“I am happy,” He snapped. “And not because I am or am not dating Tyson.”
“Your kind of going on a date with him right now.”
“I’m going out for lunch!”
“With a super-hot dude who clearly likes you.”
“That’s not how it is,” Eddie shook his head, walking down the stairs. “I’ll see you at practice Bev.”
“Have fun!” Bev called out, and Eddie shook his head at the teasing note in her voice. Sometimes she really couldn’t take a hint.
_____________________________
There was another flower in his bag.
It nearly paralyzed him, and he sat there for almost ten minutes, staring at the red rose he held tightly in his hand. He could feel the thorns poking into his skin, but he barely felt it.
The flowers stopped after him and Richie fought, he always just assumed that it was Richie who put them there as a joke. But here they were, back again.
He remembered how happy the flowers made him feel when they first started off. He had no idea who put them there, but getting them almost weekly had been a treat he looked forwards to. Deep inside him, he was a romantic at heart. Stuff like that made him melt.
Now, he wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Who was giving them to him? At first he assumed Richie, since they stopped after their fight, but Richie still clearly hated him, and yet here the flowers were once again.
“Those are pretty,” Tyson said, sitting beside him. Their two weeks were almost up. Pretty soon Tyson would have to pack up and drive back to his hometown. Eddie really didn’t want him to go. They went out for lunch daily, and spent most of their afterschool hours together training, or simply just talking. When Tyson was around, Eddie never felt alone.
And he knew that Tyson didn’t want to go either. He was just as alone as Eddie was in his own town. Ever since he was outed as gay, he had become an outsider, someone no one wanted to hang out with. All his friends dropped him, and he was constantly shunned from the town.
If Eddie had his way, he would convince Tyson to just move here with him. They could get an apartment and live as roommates, where no one could touch them, no one could hurt them, no one could bring them any harm. But this was reality, a reality where they both had obstacles they couldn’t break past to get to that fantastical point.
But it was fine. Once they both graduated, then they could be free. Maybe they could both move to Canada together. But the daydream always lacked someone. Something. Eddie didn’t want to place it.
“Yeah,” He said, shaking his head to dispel the thoughts. “It's nice.”
Despite himself, he reached up and tucked it over his ear like he used to, the familiar flower scratching against his skin and he almost wanted to cry.
He didn’t, and instead he reached down and linked his pinky finger through Tyson’s smiling at him before hey both got up and walked out of the rink. They had a dinner reservation to get to.
_________________________________________
“I don’t want you to go,” Eddie whispered as he held onto Tyson tightly, his best friend holding him just as hard.
“I don’t want to go either,” Tyson said, squeezing Eddie tighter. “But I have to.”
“I know,” Eddie pulled back, not able to meet Tyson’s eyes. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“I know, you tell me that almost every day,” Tyson teased. “I’m starting to think you actually like me Kaspbrak.”
“No, I despise you,” Eddie joked, tears filling his eyes. “I despise you and I really don’t want you to go.”
Tyson said nothing, instead only pulling Eddie closer once again.
They stood there for a long time, simply hugging each other and wishing that they could never let go.
“If that Bowers kid touches you again,” Tyson started, his voice shaky. “I will come down here and beat him up.”
“And if any of your ‘friends’ do anything to you,” Eddie replied, equally as shaky. “I will come and kidnap you.”
“Is it kidnapping if I want to come?”
“I’m not a lawyer.”
“Fair point.”
They lapsed back into silence again, before Eddie took a deep breath and stepped back.
“You have to get going,” He said reluctantly. “Text me when you get back okay?”
“I promise,” Tyson nodded, stepping away. “I’ll see you soon Eddie.”
“You better.”
“You couldn’t keep me away,” Tyson said, and his voice was a touch sad. “I promise you that Eddie.”
“Bye,” Was all that Eddie could whisper.
He tried not to cry as Tyson got into his truck and drove away.
________________________________________________
Later that night, Eddie went out walking.
He didn’t really know where he was going, and he really didn’t care.
The last two weeks with Tyson had been amazing. He had forgotten what it was like to have a friend who dedicated time to be with you, instead of splitting it with others. Bev was amazing, but especially lately it was hard for her to truly spend time with him. She was distracted, which was fine, but sometimes it left him lonelier than he wanted to be.
Tyson changed that.
The two of them had spent their time together well, going out for lunch daily, going to practices together, spending their nights in Tyson’s motel room because Eddie couldn’t stand the sight of his mother.
It was nice to have a friend back, someone who believed him, who joked with him, who trusted him. It was nice to spend time with someone who cared about him. He hadn’t had that ever since the fight with Richie.
Eddie’s feet took him to the Kissing bridge, but instead of stopping he found himself wandering down the path towards the quarry, deep into the barrens.
He remembered when he had an entire friend group that cared about him, who invited him out to movie nights and board games, who went swimming in the quarry with him like he wasn’t an outsider. Like he was their friend.
He was happiest at that time, with the rest of the Losers, with Richie.
But he was happy with just Bev and Tyson too. Sure, Bev seemed occupied most days, and Eddie knew she missed the rest of her friends. And Tyson did live hours away, their only communication through a phone, but that was fine.
He found himself at the quarry, settling down on a cold rock by the water. The losers and him had sat here months ago, all laughing and joking around. Eddie remembered the memory as easily as if it happened yesterday.
He wished that Tyson was still here, that instead of sitting at some stupid Quarry alone he could be in the run-down motel room Tyson had been staying at. Even the mothball smelling room would have been better than this place.
He wondered if Tyson missed him this much too. He would nearly be home now, the drive only a couple of hours. Eddie really wished that he didn’t have to leave.
He dully thought back to his conversation with Bev weeks ago, when she asked him if Tyson and him were dating. Obviously, they weren’t.
But a part of him wondered.
He cared about Tyson a lot, and even though they had only known each other for a week, Eddie couldn’t imagine life without him. And a part of him knew that Tyson liked him, knew what those looks when he thought Eddie wasn’t looking mean. And maybe it was wrong to entertain the thought, but he did.
They had only kissed once, and it was a nice kiss. Eddie didn’t want Tyson to leave, and he had already fantasized the two of them moving in together, no matter how platonic the situation.
And Tyson was cute, he could admit that. With his wild curls and striking eyes, strong arms and body, sharp jawline and kind smile. He was a heartthrob. To add onto that, he was the kindest person Eddie knew, not to mention smart and funny. He was everything that anyone could ever want in a boyfriend.
Eddie closed his eyes, and tried to picture it. Tried to picture the two of them dancing together at prom, the two of them laughing and cuddling at night, the two of them kissing in the hallways. He tried to imagine them getting married, the two of them in bed, the two of them adopting a kid and being parents together.
He couldn’t. But it was beyond easy to picture it was Richie.
He could imagine going to prom with Richie, the two of them laughing as Richie did some stupid dance that embarrassed the shit out of Eddie. He could imagine the two of them cuddling under the stars, Richie pointing out random ones and naming it as Eddie giggled into his shoulder. He could imagine Richie and him walking to classes together, pressing kisses to each other's lips before they went their separate ways. He could imagine them growing older together, getting married, living together, having a life together.
It was funny how even after all these months, Eddie still loved Richie.
He opened his eyes, his head falling to his hands as tears started to fill his eyes.
He wanted to hate Richie; he really did. The boy kissed him, then made some stupid joke about the entire thing. Then he proceeded to literally pay someone so he could avoid Eddie, and had been ignoring him for months since. Eddie should hate the boy with his entire being, and a part of him did. A part of him wanted to yell and scream at Richie until the boy understood how much hurt was spiraling inside Eddie’s chest.
But he couldn’t.
As much as he wanted to, he could never hate Richie. The boy had wiggled his way into Eddie’s heart and nothing Eddie could do was going to dislodge him. Truth was that he missed Richie like he missed a severed limb.
He missed the idiot’s horrible jokes and overused profanities, he missed their daily walks to the arena, he missed Richie waiting for him once practice was over. He missed Richie sneaking into his house late at night and listening to old music with him. He missed laughing and joking around with him.
Eddie missed Richie more than words could say, and it hurt more than anything to realize that Richie probably didn’t miss him back.
He sat up, unable to think of it anymore and decided he should go home. He needed to sleep. He wrapped his coat around him, wondering when it got so dark. The sun had only just been setting when he wandered down here. He hoped he could make it back in the dark.
Behind him, a stick snapped.
He stopped, his heart hammering as he turned around, staring into the darkness behind him.
“Who’s there!” He called out, his voice wavering. “Come on out!”
No one emerged from the shadows. Eddie was probably just imagining things. He turned around and started walking again, cursing himself for getting lost in the first place. He had one rule, that he would never come out here alone after dark, yet here he was, alone after dark. Sometimes he could be a real idiot.
He hurried his steps, stumbling over the path in the dark. He had trouble seeing where the roots were and where was safe to step. He just hoped he didn’t fall and crack his skull open.
Behind him, he heard the soft crunch of leaves under someone’s foot. Eddie sped up faster, the back of his neck prickling as if someone was watching him. He didn’t dare turn around. He knew that a lot of homeless people lived in the quarry, knew that there were some people who he wouldn’t want to encounter alone in the middle of the night.
He just had to make it to the edge of the tree line, after that he knew the route home and could make a break for it. He was sure he was halfway there when someone grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled.
Eddie let out a cry of surprise as he went flying to the ground, his arm yanking the other way due to the strong grip still on it.
He heard a snap.
The pain came next.
He let out a sob as he felt his arm break, the flooding pain overwhelming him as he felt the bones grind together.
“I warned you fairy,” Henry Bowers hissed from above him, a sick look in his eyes. From beside him, Victor and Belch cackled. “I warned you.”
“Let me go,” Eddie gasped out through the pain in his arm. “You broke my arm Henry.”
“Did I?” Henry asked, his grip tightening and causing Eddie to cry out with pain. That only made his friends laugh louder.
The hot burning pain had spread from his arm, pulsating every few seconds with a pain so intense that Eddie thought that he might pass out. Tears were streaking down his face, and his eyes darted, trying to find any way out of Bower’s grip.
There was a tree at his back, the bark digging into his back as his eyes flickered around the forest floor. If he could just get out of Bower’s grasp, he could try making a run for it. His best bet was losing him on the street. Eddie may not be the fastest, but endurance was a lot better than Henry and his gang. If he could just keep running, the older boys would eventually get tired and give up.
“Please let go of me,” He said, his breathing starting to quicken with his panic. If he couldn’t get Henry’s hand off him, he was dead meat. He could feel himself getting worked up into an asthma attack, as irrational as it was. He was panicking, and that was enough for his old habits to surface quickly.
“Why would I do that?” Henry asked, leaning closer. Eddie could smell the stink of his breath. “You’re my favorite play toy after all. No one cries quite like you do.” He reached forwards, his fingers swiping across Eddie’s wet cheeks. Despite his best efforts, it only made Eddie cry more.
“Yeah!” Victor cried. “Look at the little cock sucker cry!”
“Your insane,” Eddie gasped out, pulling on his arm, the pain lighting up his skin. That was a bad idea. Henry’s grip tightened.
“Probably,” Henry shrugged.
Eddie decided to do something even stupider than anything else he had done that night, and he lashed out with his leg, nailing Henry right in the crotch.
The grip on his arm fell away immediately, and as soon as he could, he was scrambling to his feet, clutching his broken arm to his chest as he ran through the dark. He wasn’t even sure what direction he was going in, just picked one and took off
“Get him!” Henry screamed from behind him, and just like that, the hunt was on.
Eddie didn’t think he had ever been this scared.
Henry Bowers was a schoolyard bully, he called Eddie names, sometimes pushed him around, but that was it. He never thought h would be running through the forest in the dark, clutching a broken arm and wondering what would happen in Bowers and his gang caught up.
He didn’t want to think about the possibility of the other boys catching up.
He stumbled over a root, nearly losing balance and he threw his arm out to catch himself, unfortunately, that meant his other arm dropped down to his side, and his vision darkened at the intense bought of pain that shot over him. It felt like a thousand knives being driven into his skin at once. He wanted to be sick.
He heard the footsteps behind him, and he forced himself to continue.
It was hard. He could feel the tug of unconsciousness pulling at the edge of his mind, could feel the exhaustion pulling his limbs down. But he forced himself to push through, to keep running, to keep moving. It was just like a competition, if you get tired, you can’t stop. Only this time if he stopped he could possibly die.
Before he knew what was happening, he was back at the Quarry.
In front of him, was a lake and a cliff nearly a hundred feet high. To his back, was Henry Bowers and his gang.
He was trapped.
He turned to face the three of them, backing up until his feet were at the edge of the water. If he ran to one side, Victor would get him. If he went to the other, Belch was there to nab him. His only option was to go back, but there was a cliff to the side that discouraged any thoughts of that.
Eddie sobbed, his broken arm clutched tightly to his chest and he wondered if he would die here. If someone would find his body lying in the Quarry water tomorrow and he would become Derry’s newest victim.
“Please,” He said, his voice shaking. “Please Henry whatever I did, I’m sorry.”
“The little queer’s shaking in his boots,” Victor cooed. “Look at him.”
“Just let me go,” Eddie continued, taking another step back as the three boys advanced. His arm was broken, badly too, and he was cold, tired, scared, and he just wanted to go set his arm and maybe sleep for a couple of hundred years. “I won’t say a thing.”
“Damn right you won't,” Henry hissed, there was a snap and Eddie’s eyes were drawn to the glint of steel in Henry’s hand. His knife. “Grab him!”
Eddie fought the best he could, but the fact was that he was almost a hundred pounds less than both of them, a foot and a half shorter, and he had a broken arm.
But he fought with all the fiery desperation burning in him, the adrenalin tearing at his skin as he kicked and screamed and lashed out with his good arm. Victor and Belch can’t get a hold of him, and for a second Eddie was free to run, slipping past the three boys and towards the forest.
He felt a surge of hope go through him, and if he could only make it to the treeline, he would be able to make a break for it. The boys would get bored of him, and he could go to the hospital and set his arm, or simply pass out and hope for the best.
He was meters away from the treeline when someone grabbed his shoulder, and the next thing he knew, Henry Bower’s switchblade was being driven into his gut.
Eddie’s torso exploded into pain, and Eddie screamed as he fell, landing on the ground hard. He barely was able to feel it over the blinding pain in his stomach.
“Holy shit,” He heard someone say over his own sobbing. Someone was screaming. He thinks it might be him. “You killed him.”
“We got to get out of here man,” Someone else was saying, their voice panicked. “Take the fucking knife and run dude!”
Before Eddie knew it, he was alone, floating in a haze on pain as he lay on the rocky shore.
He knew he had to do something, but all his limbs felt numb, pins and needles echoing throughout his bones. Numbly, his uninjured hand pressed against his stomach, the warm wetness soaking his hand.
“Oh,” He whispered to himself, staring at the sticky red blood on his hand. “Ow.”
His hand then fumbled for his phone, mercifully unbroken in his pocket.
His first thought was to call 9-1-1. But he remembered something, a faint memory of them hanging up on him the moment he called to report Henry Bowers for assault. Henry Bower's dad was a powerful man, powerful enough to get his son out of everything. If Eddie called in, he was sure it would be the elder Bower answering the call, and he was sure that he would not make it out safely.
So instead he tapped on Dr. Andersons contact, shakily reaching his phone up to his ear. It hurt to move, to breathe, to do anything. So instead he let his hand fall back down to his side, pressing speakerphone and hoping it would be enough. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to stay awake with the blinding pain singing through his blood. But Eddie knew he had to, no matter how much he just wanted to close his eyes as fall asleep.
” This is Doctor Anderson speaking, I am unavailable to take your call right now, please leave a message at the tone.”
Eddie sobbed, hopelessness clawing at his chest. He couldn’t move, the pain too overwhelming every time he shifted, so he couldn’t get out of there alone. He didn’t know who else to call. He heard the dial tone ring loudly in his ear.
“Anderson,” He managed to spit out, his voice hoarse from screaming and sobbing. “I got into some shit. I think I’ve been stabbed,” His free hand rested on the wound again, and he put pressure on it, a distant part of his mind reminding him of the steps. “Okay yeah, I’ve been stabbed. My arm is broken too I think. Henry Bowers caught up to me,” He let out a hollow laugh. “You’re probably working. If you don’t’ see me get wheeled in within the hour, then I’m lying dead at the Quarry.”
He let out another sob, unable to continue the message through his cries, and the dial tone was heard again, a voice telling him his message was sent.
He was going to die here. He had no one else to call. His mom took sleeping pills at night, and she wouldn’t wake if a tornado plowed through their house. Bev’s aunt took her phone every night. Tyson was too far away to make it in time. There was no one to help him.
His fingers were typing into the phone either way, like they had a mind of their own. He stared up at the night sky as he heard the phone start to dial, the stars blurring in front of him. It wasn’t a bad sight to die staring at.
“Hello?” The voice startled Eddie, cutting through the night and he honestly forgot that he was calling someone. He recognized the voice easily.
“Richie,” He sobbed out loud, unable to stop himself.
Of course he would call Richie. No matter what, it always came back to Richie. Even in his lowest hour, bleeding out in possibly the most unsanitary place he could, he always managed to find a way to circle right back to Richie.
“Is this some kind of fucked-up booty call?” Richie groaned. “I am not in the mood to have phone sex with you Eddie.”
“Help me,” He managed to push out. His tongue felt like it was inflated in his mouth. “Pease, Rich, I’m at the Quarry.”
“Why the hell are you at the Quarry?” Richie asked, his voice sounding a bit panicked. “Are you okay? What’s going on? Is this some kind of messed-up joke?”
“Richie please,” Eddie begged, the words getting harder to form by the second. “I’m hurt. Bowers.”
“Fuck,” Richie cursed, and there were a few seconds of noise that Eddie simply couldn’t make out. “You idiot, why did you get into trouble with Henry?”
“I didn’t mean to run into him!” Eddie protested. “Or his knife.”
He found that absurdly funny, chuckling even though it came out more like a wheeze.
“You got stabbed?” Richie screeched, the noise causing Eddie's head to pound. “What the fuck Eddie?”
“Tis but a flesh-“ He broke off into a series of coughs, his lungs constricting painfully. “Tis but a flesh wound.”
“Shit,” Richie cursed, and Eddie was content to just lie there, Richie’s voice floating through the microphone. He remembered when the two of them watched that movie together, the Holy Grale. Richie and him had acted out every scene they found funny until the two of them had collapsed on the floor, their sides hurting with how much they laughed.
“Eddie?” Richie's panicked voice echoes through his memory, and Eddie wondered how many times Richie had said his name before that one. “Don’t you dare die on me.”
“I’m okay,” Eddie reassured. “Just needed to hear your voice.”
His fingers were starting to go numb. He was just so tired.
“Stay awake,” Richie ordered. “Okay Eds? I’m almost there. I need to hang up, I can get you some help. Just stay awake for me oaky? I’m at the Barrens, just give me ten minutes.”
“Kay,” Eddie mumbled, the click of the phone making him oddly sad. He felt lonely. He wanted to call Richie back again, to just hear his voice for a few more minutes.
He wondered if he would recover in time to go to Nationals, if he recovered at all.
But that wasn’t a fun thought to have, so instead, he pushed that as far as he could, his eyes fluttering shut as his mind wandered, picking across thoughts and dancing away from anything coherent. The pain never lessened, but he started getting used to it, the throb dulling down into numbness.
He wasn’t sure how long he was lying there, but it must have been a while. When he pried open his eyes again, it was because he could hear someone screaming his name.
“Shut up,” He muttered, turning his head to the side weakly. He felt dizzy, even though he wasn’t actually moving.
“I thought I told you to stay awake?” Richie scolded, and Eddie’s eyes opened again, and he stared up at the other boy, who looked distressed.
“I’m awake,” Eddie mumbled, trying to shift to sit up, before remembering that he had a massive wound in the middle of his stomach. “Ow.”
“Don’t move you idiot,” Richie cried, hands fluttering around him as if unsure where to touch. “I called Ben’s mom. She’s a nurse. She’s bringing an ambulance to get you. You don’t have to wait much longer.” Richie finally settled his hands-on top of the wound, pressing down firmly. Eddie let out a hiss of pain at the pressure.
“What’s that for?”
“You're supposed to keep pressure on the wound, you know, to stop the bleeding?” Richie said, pushing slightly harder. “Shouldn’t you know that you little nerd?”
“Wow,” Eddie coughed slightly. “Sorry for not remembering some stupid fact while I’m literally lying on the floor bleeding out.”
“You wouldn’t be bleeding out if you remembered that.”
“I am literally dying and you’re berating me for not remembering one stupid little fact.”
“Don’t say that,” Richie snapped. “You’re not dying okay?”
Eddie opened his mouth to respond, but the emotion came so quickly that he could only manage a soft little sob.
“You’re crying,” Richie said, blinking in surprise. “Why are you crying?”
“You came,” Eddie whispered. He didn’t think Richie would. He never expected to talk to Richie again, let alone be lying here with Richie overtop of him. Not the most romantic reunion that Eddie imagines, because hew as currently bleeding out with a broken arm, but Richie was here. That was all that mattered.
“Oh,” Richie said, ever the elegant one.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” Eddie blurted out. Because his mind to mouth filter was shot, and he was in a lot of pain, and if he wanted to say something stupid, then he might as well. “I thought you hated me.”
“Eds,” Richie whispered, his voice breaking as Richie started crying too, tears pouring down his face. He raised one hand from the wound, his palm pressing gently against Eddie’s cheek. It would be nice is he didn’t have Eddie’s blood covering his hands. “I could never hate you.”
“You’ve been ignoring me for weeks,” Eddie forced out, avoiding Richie’s eyes in favor of staring at the stars. They blurred together as tears started gathering on his waterline. He just wanted this all to stop. He thinks he could hear sirens in the distance, and he hoped to god that they got here fast. “You left me alone Richie. You rejected me, joked about my feeling, then literally paid someone twenty bucks so that you could avoid me. You haven’t talked to me in months.”
“I never meant to hurt you,” Richie whispered, his thumb gently swiping against his cheek. He leaned into it despite himself. “I’m so sorry Eddie. I just couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t handle having you so close without being able to properly touch you. And you looked so horrified after I kissed you. I thought you would hate me, so I thought it was easier to just distance myself. Let us both carry on with our lives. You deserve so much better than me.”
“Maybe I do,” Eddie snapped, his eyes falling back onto Richie. “But I don’t want anything better. I wanted you Richie. It was always you, and I won’t ever be able to get that because stupid fucking Henry Bowers decided to turn my insides outside.”
He hissed as his ranting caused his wound to shift, and he cried out as white-hot pain spiked through him. He slammed his head back against the ground, his entire body tensing as the pain surged to an all-new high. The wound on his stomach ached with mind-numbing pain with every breath he took.
“Richie,” He sobbed out, his good hand reaching up and grasping his hand, squeezing tighter than he ever did. “Richie it hurts.”
“I know baby,” Richie cooed, his own voice thick with tears. “Just a few more minutes okay? I can hear them already, they’re almost here.”
“Help!” Richie screamed, turning towards the forest. Eddie could hear the footsteps rushing towards them. “Hurry up for gods sake! Help us!”
“Richie,” Eddie cried out again, and Richie turned back towards him, his hands pressing down on the wound again. Eddie didn’t know what happened, but the pain was becoming unbearable, the edges of his vision darkening slightly. “I don’t want to go.”
“You’re not going to,” Richie whispered fiercely. “You’re going to pull through this, and we can work all our shit out and be happy okay? You promise me that. You’re going to stay awake, and the medics are going to show up and we will have the time to work this out. I promise you that Eddie.”
“I love you,” Eddie whispered, unable to hold it in anymore. “Fuck Richie, I love you okay? I don’t care if you don’t love me back, but you need to know that.”
Richie didn’t say anything, only leaned down and pressed their lips together once more. It was a really bad kiss, because Eddie was in a lot of pain and the angle was off and their lips were slick with both their tears. But it was fine, because Richie was here, the medics were coming closer, and Eddie knew that everything would be already.
“I love you too you dipshit,” Richie whispered, and Eddie only managed to let out a weak chuckle before he passed out.