"So, any word on the cast?"
Eddie looked at Richie, who was leaning up against his locker.
"Yeah, it'll be off sometime this week. It's about time; I need to have my dominant hand back again. Do you know how much of a pain it is to do everything left-handed?"
"You know, you could offend all the left-handers in the world with your statement."
"Oh, like they exist."
Richie laughed. "Hey, before the sleepover this weekend, I was wondering if you wanted to come to my place to chill, just for a bit? My parents will be out for their monthly dinner date."
Eddie thought for a quick second before nodding, "Sure, we can pass some time."
Richie fist-pumped inside his mind, thrilled beyond normal that he can have some quality time with his friend.
"Perfect! As long as you don't break anything, you should be good to come over any time after five."
"Sounds like a plan," Eddie said as he closed his locker and headed off to his next class.
'Oh, my goodness, he said yes! Okay, don't panic – all you need to do is take things real slow, and then—'
Don't fret too much, Richie…you nail this last step, you may have yourself something special.
'Exactly; how many people have a…wait, hold on…'
Richie's eyes started to go wide; he never fully prepared for life possibly after Saturday night.
As Eddie sat in the doctor's office, he started to fidget on the leather chair, catching the attention of his mother.
Sonia cleared her throat, "Eddie, please stop."
"…Yes, mother. I'm just…nervous, that's all."
"Oh, there's nothing to be worried about – the doctor will come in with a small saw, and get your cast removed as long as the x-ray shows everything is fine."
"I feel like we've been waiting in here for—"
Before he could finish, the door opened.
"Okay, everything came back looking normal; so, ready to get that cast off?"
As the doctor held the small saw in his hands, Eddie breathed slowly, nodding his head.
In a matter of minutes, the cast was removed, allowing Eddie the movement of his right arm once again.
"Oh, this feels so good," he laughed as he ran his left hand over his now exposed arm.
As they left the office and got into the car, Sonia started to speak.
"Now, you'll have to wash thoroughly over and above what you normally do for quite some time so that it doesn't smell."
"Okay, Mom; does it really smell that bad?"
As Eddie brought up his arm and gave a good whiff, he nearly hurled.
"Yeah…it's really bad."
Sonia laughed, "That's the cause of growing up – your body will be going through changes that you may not be ready for, but it's all in preparation for you to find a girl who will eventually be…"
As Eddie tuned his mother out from her speech, he looked out the window.
'All of that sounds eventful, but who in the world is going to even like me?'
Saturday evening came for Richie like a freight train, as he was genuinely nervous for what was about to go down.
'Nothing to worry about…just, you know, afterward…'
The doorbell rang and Richie nearly yelped.
"Oh man, he's here," Richie said, eyes going wide.
What are you waiting for, trashmouth? Go and answer the door!
He did just that to see Eddie on the other side.
"Hey there," Eddie waved, "cast is off and I feel much better!"
"I know – you showed us at school the next day."
Eddie chuckled, "I just like saying it."
Richie smiled, "Please come in and make yourself comfortable in the living room."
Eddie did just that as Richie retreated into the kitchen, hunched over the sink trying his best not to throw up.
'This feeling…why is it so strong?'
Richie felt his stomach doing backflips, his heart racing a hundred miles an hour.
'This should be simple…now, go out there and try not to fuck up.'
As the teen gain his composure, he turned on the faucet and took a small swig of water and drank it, allowing himself to calm down in the moment.
Once done, he entered the living room and made his way over to the record player.
"I figured we could dance to some music…if that's your thing."
Eddie smirked, "Me, dance? No offense, Richie, but you're talking to the wrong guy."
"Well, let us see where this first song leads us, then."
At that, he dropped the needle onto the record, and the first bang of drums set up Invisible Touch.
Richie moved his shoulders and head to the beat, offering a lending hand to Eddie who remained sitting down on the couch.
Eddie sighed, "Okay, I'll dance this time."
Just as Phil Collins started to sing, Eddie got up from the couch and started to mimic what his friend was doing.
All throughout the first verse was much the same – Richie would be really into the swaying and dancing, while Eddie was trying to find his rhythm.
It wasn't until the chorus where Richie mimicked the grabbing of Eddie's heart did the newly teen found his footing.
"So, what does this song represent?" Eddie asked as the second verse played, snapping his fingers to the beat.
"It represents…falling in love, I believe," Richie responded, "just listen to the song while dancing, and you'll see what I mean."
'Hmm…something mysterious…and falling for her…yeah, Richie does have a point.'
As Eddie pondered on his thought throughout the chorus, Richie was thoroughly enjoying dancing next to his friend.
'When…can I just pop the question? Or should I wait?'
Just as the song entered the third verse, Eddie and Richie were in total sync, each dancing freely to the song, awaiting the chorus to mimic grabbing each other's heart in an invisible touch kind of way.
As the song died down, Eddie plopped back on the couch. "Man, that was a lot of fun! Can we do it again?"
Richie nodded as he lifted the needle and dropped it into the last indentation, allowing In Too Deep to begin playing.
"Uhh…this is a slow song."
"Yeah," Richie said, holding out his hand, "I figured we could take things slow."
Eddie got up and went towards the window in front of the living room, looking around outside.
"Nobody is watching us, correct?"
"Eddie, what are you so scared of?"
"It's that…wouldn't it be weird slow dancing with a boy?"
"I don't see it that way – I see it as dancing with a close friend."
Eddie couldn't beat what Richie said, as he held some truth. Sighing in relief, he ended up closing the window by drawing out the curtains.
"Okay, as long as nobody is looking…and nobody knows."
"Fine with me," Richie said, turning on a nearby lamp to illuminate some light into the room.
As the chorus hit the first time, Eddie walked over and grabbed Richie's right hand while adjusting his own right hand onto his friend's hip; Richie mimicked, doing the same.
"So," Eddie asked after a few seconds of dancing, "what does this song represent?"
"I would listen to it very carefully; you'll find your answer."
As Eddie listened to the rest of the chorus, Richie was doing his best to not show any affliction.
'Okay, just keep on slow dancing, and hope that your friend gets the picture.'
Into the second verse, Eddie started to ponder on the lyrics.
'Hmm…these lyrics, sound a bit sad…maybe the chorus will help.'
And just at that, the chorus played, and when they did, Eddie's eyes lit up.
'You know I love you…you know I want to…no, Richie would never play this kind of song unless he was trying to tell me something.'
As the music kicked in and the last verse made its way out, Eddie found his answer.
And he wasn't pleased.
Not one bit.
Breaking off from his friend, he made his way over and lifted the needle from the record, stopping the song in its track and nearly scratching the record.
"Hey, what the fuck, man! Nobody but me can touch—"
"You're in love…with me?" Eddie yelped.
As Eddie tried to calm himself down, Richie slowly nodded.
"I've known this for quite some time, Eddie, and I didn't know how else to tell you."
Eddie unzipped his fanny pack and took out his inhaler, drawing in a puff from the instrument.
"You…you are joking, right? Please tell me that you are absolutely fucking joking right now!"
"Ever since Valentine's Day…I felt this…" Richie tried to explain, wringing his hands, "connection to you, and I didn't know what else to think of it. Thankfully, I have my conscience annoying the shit out of me for the past few months…otherwise, I would have never known."
"Your parents don't know this?" Eddie asked.
"How could I tell them…don't you know what happens to people like me?"
"And you are trying to make me like…you?"
"Yes…and yes…I don't know how—"
"I just became a teenager, you remember? My mom talked to me about young love and being with a girl…not with a boy!"
It was then that Eddie spat out something he wished he never said.
"You're sick…you need help!"
As soon as those words exited his mouth, Eddie looked at his friend, who was on the verge of tears.
"You…take that back," Richie said, approaching Eddie and glaring down at him.
"Why, because you know it's the truth?" Eddie said as he pushed his friend back a few inches.
"I'm not sick…I know my own self, and my self is different, but there's nothing—"
"You're bullshitting yourself. You are sick in the head waiting for me to turn thirteen before coming out to me. Why wait? Why not tell me this before summer?"
"Because I didn't know how you would react. You know, after having Henry call me a faggot, I thought my low couldn't get any lower…but I guess I was wrong."
Eddie shook his head in anger, "You're really pissing me off."
"What are you going to do?"
At that, Eddie lunged at Richie, tackling him to the ground. He rolled over, allowing his friend to be on top of him.
"Here…play loogie," Eddie said as he opened his mouth wide.
Richie shook his head, "No, I don't think that's a—"
"Why, I thought your kind liked to swap saliva."
At that, Richie slapped Eddie, to which Eddie returned the favor.
Richie got off of his friend, allowing Eddie to escape through the front door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Richie asked before remembering what tonight also held.
The sleepover.
At that, Richie was not far behind, locking his house up and racing onto his bike in pursuit to beat Eddie.
'You aren't controlling this narrative, Eds.'