18

                                    

                                          
"This is Joyce, Richie. She will take care of you."
                          
"Hey Richie. Welcome to Hawkins."- she said with a warm smile that made Richie feel safe.
                          
"Thanks.."- he simply said.
                          
"I'll take it from here."- Joyce said-" I should show you around. My kids are at school right now but here's their rooms. Jonathan, El and Will. You'll love them. We have kind of a crazy story if I'm being honest."
                          
Richie smiled and asked shily:
                          
"Are they close?"
                          
"Well... yes. El is still adjusting. She's not my daughter, I mean biologically but I treat her like she is. She is lovely."
                          
"So.. She's like me? You took her in?"
                          
"I did. It's a different story, though."
                          
Richie started to look around and found Will's drawings. And he also spotted something called D&D. Seemed cool, Richie thought. 
                          
He started unpacking and took a deep breath trying not to cry. This was all so damn hard, God, he wished Eddie was there with him. He hoped Eddie would write to him that night. He needed his words. He needed his boyfriend.
                          
"MOM, WE'RE HOME."- he heard a voice scream.
                          
Richie left his room and they all faced him:
                          
"MIKE?"- they screamed
                          
"But that's impossible I was with him 10 minutes ago-"- Will said.
                          
"Not Mike... Richie."
                          
"Oh, hi. I'm Will. These are Jonathan and El."
                          
"Hi."- El said getting closer to him-" I'm sorry. About your grandma."
                          
Wow, she was fast and went straight to the point, Richie thought.
                          
"I know how you feel.."- she continued- "Why do you look like my boyfriend?"
                          
"Do I?"
                          
"You're literally him with glasses."- Will said while eating chips.
                          
"I couldn't be your boyfriend anyways. I have a boyfriend."
                          
Will's eyes were open. Was it possible? Could he finally talk to someone about his feelings for Mike?
                          
"Oh"- El said.
                          
"Kids."- Joyce said-" Richie must be tired. Let the boy get some sleep."
                          
Richie was indeed tired. He had stayed up last night with Eddie. Eddie didn't send Richie anything and Richie felt like he was already losing him. "Maybe he didn't have time" Richie tried to remain positive.
                          
But the truth was Eddie had written to him. His letter just hadn't arrive yet. And Richie wouldn't read it until the next day.
                          
---
                          
Richie woke up early and left his room, finding Will getting dressed. He was putting on a purple cape and a hat and Richie let out:
                          
"What the hell.."
                          
"Oh Richie. Hi. Uh... I'm Will the Wise, this is my D&D costume. Do you play?"
                          
"I don't know what that shit is"
                          
"Well then you're missing so much fun! You should join us on our campaign today. It's the only day Mike isn't with El anyways"- Will rolled his eyes
                          
"Uh s-sure"
                          
"Very well then. Get dressed and ready to meet your doppelgangger."
                          
Richie and Will left the Byers residence and went to the Wheelers. Karen opened the door and her face was filled with shock.
                          
"Y-You're... MIKE COME HERE!"
                          
Mike left the room yelling:
                          
"WHAT NOW MOM? "
                          
"Holy shit you look just like me"- Richie said-" What the fuck?"
                          
"What is this, mom?"
                          
"Mike, this is Richie. He's living with me."- Will finally said.
                          
"Will, you're living with my clone. EL'S LIVING WITH MY CLONE. Do you realise how insane this is?"
                          
"I'm not your clone dude. I'm just Richie."
                          
Will pushed Mike away and said:
                          
"He just lost the only family he had. Please just be cool with him."
                          
Mike went towards Richie looking at him incredulous and said:
                          
"Okay uhm.. let's start. Lucas and Dustin are downstairs."
                          
"HOLY SHIT"- Dustin said-" Mike did you drug me? I'm literally seeing two of you!"
                          
"Uh.. there's two of us dumbass. I'm Richie, not Mike."
                          
"Let's just play D&D.."- Will rolled his eyes.
                          
"What is this shit anyways?"- Richie said bored leaving Will with a sad look -"Uhm Will hey.. I'm sorry"- this time Richie looked at him sympathetically.
                          
Mike stared at Richie now feeling anger consuming him. Who did Richie think he was? Will's new bestfriend? It was already hard leaving his girlfriend and bestfriend in one week, let alone deal with this guy.
                          
"We've been trough a lot of shit because of this game"- Lucas said.
                          
"Yeah but I'd never find El if it wasn't for it.."- Mike said proud. Richie noticed Will looking down as if he was sad about what he heard, but he decided not to say a thing about it.
                          
"So.. Richie, is it?"- Lucas said and he nodded-"Did you have friends back in Derry?"
                          
"Yes.. I was part of the Losers Club"
                          
"That's not a cool name, why would you call yourselves that?"
                          
"I mean, it's what we are. Like a wise chubby guy once told me "You can either let that affect you and bring you down, or you can deal with it, make fun of it, be proud of it."-Richie recited Ben, who he was now missing.
                          
"Wow that was wiser than Will"- Dustin laughed.- "That's cool actually. I mean we get bullied a lot, by Troy and his gang so.."
                          
"Yeah we do too. Henry Bowers."
                          
"What does he call you? I'm Frogface.."- Mike said.
                          
"Moonlight."- Lucas let out.
                          
"Toothless.."- Dustin said.
                          
"Zombie Boy"- Will said hiding some pain
                          
"Four-eyed faggot. Fuckface-"
                          
"Are you?"- Will asked
                          
"What?"
                          
"A fag..."
                          
"Uh.. yeah, I like boys.. I have a boyfriend. Eddie.."- Richie's mind flew to Eddie again. He was missing that boy so much and he hadn't heard from him in days. 
                          
Will smiled. 
                          
"What is he like?"
                          
"Oh he's very small... he has curly brown hair and his eyes.. I could get lost on them. His cheeks are red and he looks like a baby but he's not fragile. He'll hit me when needed and I must say, it happens a lot. He's delicate but at the same time.. so strong! And the one who actually makes me keep living right now.."
                          
The four boys went silent. Richie was going trough a hard time, they knew that. But they didn't know the whole story. And they wouldn't. Only Eddie needed to.
                          
"So.."- Richie said.-"Should we play? Do I have to dress like a witch or something?"
                          
Lucas smiled.
                          
"You don't. Let's just play."
                          
It had been 5 hours since the five boys had started their campaign. Joyce called Karen asking for her children. And Richie and Will left.
                          
His first day in Hawkins wasn't so bad. He liked this party. But they could never replace the Losers Club.
                          
---------------------
                          
GUESS WHOS BACK!
                          
YEY, IM UPDATING A LOT FROM NOW ON, OR ILL TRY AT LEAST YAYAYA