(Richie)Chapter 3- Frayed Book Edges

On Saturday after Eddie left I went upstairs and cried. And on Sunday I stayed inside all day, not having the energy to go out and show the other Losers my car. Now it's Monday, and I have to see Eddie and Betty. Together.

I sit down next to Stan at our usual table. I look him up and down, agitated by his calmness.

"So, how was bird watching?" I ask.

"Good." He replies, taking a bite off a carrot.

"Does that carrot taste as good as Bill's dick?" I question, chuckling at my own joke.

"Beep beep, Richie!" Stan yells, kicking me underneath the table.

"Ow!" I exclaim, my knee throbbing now. 

Mike and Ben come over and sit down.

"S-s-so I heard Ed-eddie got a girlf-friend this weekend," Bill says, smiling around the table.

"She's not his girlfriend." I correct.

"Is Richie Trashmouth Tozier jealous?" Bev questions, pulling up a chair at the edge of the table.

"Oh, shut it, Bev. I'm just saying all they did was exchange numbers. They aren't dating." I huff.

"Yet, that is," Ben says.

"I mean it's about time one of us started dating." Mike comments.

Eddie walks up to the table, looking anxious. 

"Rich, have you seen Betty?" He asks me, looking around.

"Can't say I have," I tell him, trying to not seem angry.

Eddie nods and sits down, still looking around. 

"Relax, Eddie she'll show up," Bev says.

Eddie doesn't pay attention to her. Instead, a pair of hands cover Eddie's eyes, making him jump.

"Guess who?!" Betty says, excitedly. 

"Is it the prettiest waitress I've ever met?" Eddie jokes.

"Oh, your too sweet Eddie!" She giggles, sitting down next to him. 

I start to fume. She's touching his arm, and making him smile, and calling him Eddie like she actually knows him! Ugh! I can't stand it.

"Hey, Edwardo I think you made a mistake," I say.

"What?" He questions.

"Wasn't your mom a waitress when she was younger?" I ask.

"Yeah but-

"Well, Betty isn't the prettiest waitress. Mrs.K obviously is!" I exclaim.

"Beep beep, Richie."

"That's not what your mom said last night when I put my di-"

"Richie shut the fuck up already. What is your deal today?! It's like you have an aneurysm!" Eddie shouts at me.

"That's right Doctor.K, fix me up!" I say in my British accent.

Eddie flips me off, clearly annoyed and starting to get truly angry.

"You know what, fuck you too! Bev, come smoke with me!" I exclaim, grabbing Bev by the hand and dragging her out of the cafeteria and to the back parking lot. She pulls out a cigarette and hands it to me. She lights it but doesn't bother to give herself one.

"What the hell was that, Richie?!" She exclaims. 

I inhale the smoke, finding that my hands are shaking. I huff it out, watching the smoke curl up into the air and disappear.

"I don't know. I just...snapped,'' I say.

"Well, that was a real jackass move." She tells me.

"I know, I know."

"How're you gonna fix it?"

"I don't know."

"You better figure it out."

"I KNOW!" I shout. I kick the small metal trash can by the door. Junk goes flying everywhere and the trash can clatters to the ground.

Bev stares at me, her eyes laced with disappointment. I gather myself together, taking another inhale of the cigarette.

"I don't know how it happened. One minute we were just out on the town, the two of us. And then she comes swooping in with her perfect blonde hair and smile! And all of a sudden I don't matter anymore... Why can't I just be normal?" I ramble, leaning against the wall and letting myself slide to the ground.

Bev walks over to me and slides down next to me.

"I think normal's overrated, Rich." She tells me.

"But why did I have to be a-a homo, you know?'' I ask, trying to push back the tears that sting my eyes," I didn't ask to be this way!"

"I know you didn't Rich. But you had no control over this. This town is filled with idiots. And if you think for one second the Losers would abandon you if they found out, your one of those idiots. Were here for you Rich, through thick and thin." She tells me, planting a kiss on my head. 

I sniff, letting the tears roll down my cheeks. I hate crying. But Bev doesn't mind. She wipes the tears away, taking off my glasses. We sit there together as I finish my cigarette and try not to sob. She places her head on my shoulder, and her hands on my knee, staring out at the football field.

"Hey Bev," I say.

"Yes, Rich?"

"Do you wanna go to Homecoming together?" I ask.

"I'd love to."

"But, not like as friends," I say.

"Then as what?"

"You know, like girlfriend and boyfriend."

"Richie, if your asking me to be your beard, then no."

"No, it's just that-"

"Rich, I understand you're not ready to tell people. And I'd love to go to the dance with you, but it has to be as friends, okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," I grunt, rubbing my eyes.

"It's okay." She tells me.

***

"Honey, what about this one?" My mom asks, pointing out a brown suit on a mannequin.

"Uh, no thanks Ma," I tell her. 

Mom's been trying to hook me up with a plain boring old suit. But none of them speak to me yet, you know. I don't wanna look like every other dude there. I mean, when you're taking Beverly Marsh you have to step up your game.

"Well, what are you looking for anyway, Rich?" Dad asks, turning to me.

"To be honest...." My eyes glance over his shoulders to see an array of bright colors. 

I automatically start to walk past him and start towards the colorful section. They're pink, blue, green, and even yellow suits. The whole rainbow basically. But the one that catches my eyes is a black jacket that has green-blue flowers sprawled all over. It's busy, all over the place, and almost obnoxious.

"This one," I say, picking it up and showing it to my parents. 

Mom cringes at it, while dad's face bursts into a smile.

"It seems like you, Rich." My dad tells me.

"Are you sure, sweetie?" Mom questions, hoping I'd be unsure.

"Yep. To the fitting rooms!"

***

I stare at myself in the mirror. The suit looks good. I compromised with my mom and decided on plain pants. I vetoed her on the ties though. I told her dances were for dancing, not choking myself out. 

I like how I look though. They said they'd have to get the pants tailored though, so then they could fit all the way down my legs without having to sinch up too much at my waist. I tried on some dress shoes but decided against it, they'd be impossible to dance in. 

"Richie, come out and show us." Mom calls from the other side of the dressing room door.

I sigh and then walk out. Mom squeals at me, clapping her hands. And dad smiles proudly. Then they see my sneakers still on.

"Uh, Rich, what about the dress shoes?" Dad questions.

"I can't dance in those things. And my date and I will be tearing up the floor!" I tell them.

"But, honey, can't you at least wear the shoes?" Mom begs.

"Mom, look at it this way; we spend less money on things I'll only wear once. I'll be comfortable all night. And I'll be a much happier baby boy." I explain, hoping they'll let it slide.

"If he wants to wear sneakers, let the man wear sneakers, Maggie!" Dad proclaims, gesturing at me.

"Oh, well, alright." Mom groans.

"Thanks, Ma!" I exclaim, studying myself in another mirror.

"But we have to get tons of pictures of you and Beverly!" Mom tells me.

I roll my eyes, but it's better than wearing those foot cages.

***

"So, let me get this straight. Your wearing sneakers, and I floral suit to Homecoming?" Bev questions, taking a drag of a cigarette.

"Yes, and we will be riding in my brand new corvette," I tell her.

"That'll be fun." She scoffs playfully. 

Were all in the clubhouse at four in the afternoon on a Tuesday. Bev and I told the others that we plan to go together. They seemed slightly annoyed but overall okay with it. Eddie was unfazed though.

Mike reads a book over in the corner, not paying much attention to us. Bev walks around with her cigarette, talking to everyone and playing with her lighter. Ben and Stan are working on homework together, and Bill sketches out birds. Eddie and I share the hammock, as usual, our legs tangled up and comic books out. 

"So, Romeo, what are you and Juliet doing?" I tease. Eddie glares up at me.

"I don't know, I haven't asked her," He says. I'm shocked and try to hold in my excitement.

"Are you going too?" I question, letting my comic fall on my chest.

"I don't know yet," He says, turning back to his comic book.

I sit up, rocking the hammock. I push him in the chest, getting his attention.

"Why not?!" I exclaim.

"What do you care?" He asks.

"Well, when a pretty girl gives you her number you don't just turn her down!" I tell him.

"I don't know if she's the right one for me." Eddie huffs.

"She doesn't have to be the one. I mean, if it works out, it works out." Bev tells him.

"It's just- I don't know, kinda unexpected. I already had something planned out for homecoming and then she comes along and has to ruin it in a great way." Eddie explains.

"Well, w-w-what did you h-have planned?" Bill asks.

Eddie locks eyes with me, and I can feel this weird tension. He's holding back from saying something. He drops his eyes.

"You know, going with you guys. It would've been fun," He says.

"You mean being a loser and going with friends?" Stan chimes in.

"I think going with friends is better than a date," Ben says.

"I agree," Bev states.

"Then why are you and Richie going together?" Eddie questions.

"Just because Bev's my date doesn't mean we won't spend most of the night with you guys," I tell Eddie. He still has an angry look in his eyes.

"Guys, stop yelling. I'm trying to read." Mike tells us.

We all turn to him, falling silent. He feels our eyes on him and looks up from his book.

"Hey, Mike. Don't you have a girl?" Bev asks, a grin on her face.

"Uh," Mike replies, eyes wide.

"Oh, yeah, isn't her name... Maria. Maria Senfield?" Stan says, also grinning.

"You h-h-have a girlfriend?" Bill asks, chuckling at Mike.

"Yeah, I do. Shut up!" Mike exclaims, becoming embarrassed.

"Why haven't we met her before?" I ask.

"She's homeschooled. Her parents live down the road from me and are very religious. They're farmers so I've known the family for years." Mike explains, turning back to his book.

"Mikey and Maria sitti'n in a tree!" I start.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" The others chime in, filling the clubhouse with our song.

"FIRST COMES LOVE," I look over to Eddie to realize he's not chanting. 

"THEN COMES MARRIAGE," Instead he has tears in his eyes. I stop chanting, locking eyes with him.

"THEN COMES A BABY IN A BABY CARRIAGE!"

He wipes them away quickly, our eyes still on each other. I wish I knew what that boy was thinking about.

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Hello! I'm back. Sorry that this chapter was short and really angsty. But if you couldn't tell Homecoming is going to be a big chapter(probably 2) and a lot of things are leading up to that. And if you honestly expected Richie Tozier to pick a boring old suit, you need you to rethink your life. Anyways I hope you liked this chapter and stay tuned for the next one. Bye! <3

(P.S: Whoever made this fanart down below did an amazing job. I'm in love with it!)