The ringing bell which announced the end of the class echoed in all the school. The students were running towards the exit door to go home as quickly as possible.

Richie was laughing with Stanley, hitting him in the shoulder. Eddie and Bill were walking above them, trying to speak discreetly for no one to hear them.

"A-a-and?" asked Bill

Eddie signed him to coming closer, taking care of seeing if Trashmouth wasn't listening.

"I told him I hated it when he called me 'Eds', again, and then he, he…"

"He wh-what?"

"He said it was okay, and he kissed me on the cheek."

Eddie felt his cheeks burning. Bill smiled to him, looking behind him Richie laughing.

Stanley sighed and pushed pass Richie to reach the other two boys.

"Ugh, he is more sticky and excited than usual."

"I'm wondering what happened to him."

Bill chuckled while watching Eddie becoming more red than before.

Suddenly, Richie jumped behind the boys, putting both of his arms around Eddie and Bill.

"What are you talking about, you three?"

Eddie couldn't speak anymore. The arm of the most upsetting and annoying boy of Derry was on him, and it felt… so… nice?

"Oh, I know. You were talking of your fantasm of having me on both of your three beds, y'all old pervs."

"You're the perv, Richie." said Stanley.

Richie giggled and drew a way through his friends.

"Anyway, let's say I have more experience than all of you. I've-"

Richie was cut off by a figure behind him.

Henry Bowers pushed Richie to the ground.

Eddie's heart was racing. A fire of anger grew instantly into his chest. Richie leaped up to his feet and took a step back.

"Oh yeah, so you're an expert about sex, Tozier?" asked Patrick Hockstetter while caressing slowly Richie's hair.

It was too much. Nobody. NOBODY is ever allowed to touch Richie's hair. Eddie walked to him and took his hand in his.

"Go away, Hockstetter. Leave us alone !"

Richie could see it clearly now. His Eds was red as a tomato, and he could felt his hand shaking in his own. Richie couldn't lie neither, his heart was beating as louder as Eddie.

"What did the faggot said?" Henry took Eddie by the shoulders and pushed him hardly through the stairs, making him roll over the steps to the exterior of the school.

Henry and his gang laughed loudly and left.

Richie ran to the end of the stairs, followed by Bill and Stan.

Eddie was wincing in pain. His elbows and his knees were all skinned. He felt a deep pain to his right ankle. He was holding it and winced.

Richie took a knee down, throwing away his school bag to the ground.

"Are you alright, Eds?"

"Don't -ouch- call me that."

Richie could feel his heart hitting in his chest to the view of the boy who he was thinking every time he fell asleep, the boy he dreamed he could kiss. He noticed Eddie was holding painfully his ankle.

"Let me see."

Eddie's heart stopped beating when Richie put his hands on his ankle to look at it. His cheeks blushed to his delicious touch.

"Si, es a sprain mi senor."

Listening these words, Eddie twisted himself in all the ways possible.

"Oh no! My mom is going to kill me, ouuch! I cannot walk, aah."

"Calm down, Eds, stop moving, you're going to hurt yourself even more, ya moron."

Bill and Stan looked each other. Stanley smiled awkwardly. Bill chuckled.

"I-i'm going home, g-guys. I'm tak-king Silver, anyone want a rid-de?" Bill said, wishing deeply Stan would agree to go with him, putting his hands around his waist.

"I can't walk!" panicked Eddie.

Richie looked at Eddie in his eyes.

"I'm taking you home."

"Billie, I'm taking home eds by myself, you two could go. I'll see you tomorrow." said Richie while wearing his school bag on his stomach side.

"Ok-k-kay. S-stan, would you lik-ke a rid-de?" Bill asked him trying desperatly not to look at him in the eyes.

"Yeah, why not." answered Stan, doing the same.

On those words, they went away on bike.

Richie was holding Eddie in his arms and helped him to stand up.

"How am I supposed to walk? I-I can't any-…"

Without warning, Richie took Eddie's legs up around his hips. Consciousness, Eddie rounded his arms on Richie's neck and holded to him.

"Hold still, Eds."

Eddie couldn't see it, but Richie was as red as he was. He began to walk and Eddie wasn't capable to say a thing. It was so pleasant, the smell of Richie's hair to Eddie's nose. He felt a big wave dancing into his whole body.

"Y-you're taking me home all the way on your back?" asked Eddie, coming to his senses.

"How do you wanna walk, with a sprain? Stop asking dumb questions, Eds and hold still."

Eddie could see that Richie had some difficulties to walk with his weight on his back, but, in a certain way, he didn't wanted to go off him.

The road was long, but Richie finally arrived in front of Eddie's house. He helped him to go down and Eddie stood up against his front house wall.

A awkward silence was floating in the air for a little while.

"Thanks." finally said Eddie.

His heart was beating so hard and Richie noticed it, he just hoped that Eddie didn't noticed his own heart doing the same.

"Anytime, Eds."

Their look met and Richie glared at Eddie's mouth.

Eddie noticed him and became even more red than he already was.

Richie took a step ahead slowly, his hand placed on his cheek, his eyes still focused to his lips.

"Take good care of you, Eddie."

Eddie smiled at him and Richie left him here.

Coming back at home, Eddie saw his mother cry to his sprain, and had a thousand of medical attention in all his body. He was covered in wound dressings, all around his elbows and knees.

With his ankle into a cast, Eddie was smiling, lying down on his bed. He was thinking of Richie, about the smell of his hair and the caress of his hand on his cheek. Eddie's hated himself for not having the courage to kissed him, but he knew now, he was sure about it.

"Eddie Kaspbrack is in love with Richie Tozier."