the last floor

Richie makes Eddie a friendship bracelet while he’s away at summer camp, and Eddie’s so excited and proud to show it off because “Richie made it special just for me because I’m his best friend” but Sonia make him cut it off, says it will cut off his circulation and damage his nerves, and Eddie is devastated. He cries a little when he tells Richie what happened, apologizes for ruining his gift, and sure, Richie’s disappointed the bracelet was ruined but Eddie being so upset is way, way worse and he has to fix it immediately. He hugs him and tells him it’s alright, but Eddie is still sad, so Richie gets Maggie to drive him to the craft store and he makes Eddie a bracelet with a keychain ring attached so he can hook it onto anything he wants and not get in trouble with Sonia. Eddie is so happy when Richie gives it to him, and he spends the next eight years before they graduate moving the bracelet from backpacks to fannypacks to belt loops to key sets so he always has it with him. Even after that, when he forgets everything else, he keeps the bracelet and knows it was from someone he loved, someone who made him feel loved, too.