lost the losers - richie tozier angst.

i'm scared. it feels like you don't care.

"richie!" mike called, causing richie to look up from the bike racks. mike biked over to the boy and hopped off, immediately hugging him.

richie took in the embrace and hugged back. "thanks for showing up."

"yeah," mike said with a smile and pulled away. "let's go do something to get your mind off of.. this."

richie took a deep breath and he and mike set off to go do something outside of school.

ben walked back to his class, flabbergasted at what he had heard. for one, richie crying, and two, how badly he was hurt by this. he liked richie. a lot. richie was one of the only losers he felt really comfortable with being around, besides beverly. he didn't want to throw away a friendship like that. 

eventually, lunch time came around and everyone sat awkwardly and quiet at the table. beverly cleared her throat.

"um.. eddie," she began, and eddie looked up at her.

"hm?" he hummed.

"why were you.. uh— walking with richie this morning?" she asked. eddie sucked in a breath.

"he explained everything to me.. and started crying in first period.. i felt really bad and decided to let him tell me everything," eddie sighed, picking at the table. "and i asked him to talk after class."

"so.. he wasn't in the wrong?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"i guess not. but i'm not totally sure what to believe at this point," eddie said, scratching his head and leaning his elbow on the table.

"well, w-what'd he say?" bill asked. stanley just crossed his arms and leaned back.

"that the connor guy only meant the 'i love you' as friends. and that richie reassured him that he already had a boyfriend," eddie admitted.

beverly nodded slowly and finally, clicked her tongue. "soo.. nothing was his faul—"

"okay, i have something to tell and i need your guys' attention," ben interrupted. "i'm so sorry for interrupting, but i do need to tell you guys."

"okay, what is it?" beverly asked.

"i was in the bathroom around the end of second period and then someone came in, and they were over here bawling their eyes out.. and they started talking to someone, i guess on the phone. but it was richie, and he was sobbing and he was upset and i heard about everything you guys did and just saying, that's kinda shitty of you all.." ben explained.

"shit.." beverly whispered.

"y-yeah.. i didn't know it'd h-hurt him that badly," said bill.

"aren't you guys his friends? losers stick together, remember?" ben pointed out.

"not when one hurts the other," stanley mumbled.

"yeah? well.. he was crying. something he never does. and he said, and i quote, 'soon this whole thing will turn into a group of five, maybe six if you join, and an old friend with a suicide case.' so," ben said. everyone's faces dropped.

"woah woah, suicide?" eddie asked.

"yeah. he said that we were his family. and now we're just gone."

everyone stared down in disbelief. 'the family he never had,' eddie thought.

"w-well.. what do we do..?" beverly asked the group.

"uh.. text him..?" eddie suggested.

"you do it," beverly advised with a smile. he smiled back and nodded.