✓ | LOSERS CLUB → richie tozier ¹

five

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd mind." A different voice said that was most definitely not Richie's.

Ash turned and was met with Eddie, who's nose crinkled up as he grinned.

"Stan dared me." He shrugged, and Ash felt her face get fire engine red as she shot a look at Stan who made kissy faces at the both of them.

Richie was obliviously splashing water at Ben and yelling, "OH MY GOD I THINK MY DICK ACTUALLY GETS BIGGER IN THE WATER WHICH IS SAYING A LOT!", thank God; because the last thing Ash wanted to happen right now was another fight between Eddie and Richie.

A little while later they had all gotten a bit bored of the swimming and all headed to the rocks where Bev and Ash laid out their towels and started sunbathing, having a whispered conversation between themselves so the boys, who were watching both of them, couldn't hear.

"Bill has a thing for you." Ash said quietly, and Bev kept her eyes closed, although her cheeks went pink.

"What about you and Eddie?" She murmured, and this time it was Ash's turn to blush.

"He's just a friend." She said unconvincingly, and Bev said, "Mm hm. I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him. Richie gets-"

She stopped abruptly, and Ash's eyebrows drew together. "Richie gets what?"

Bev shook her head. "Never mind. Anyway, can you feel them staring at us."

"Oh, yeah." Ash gave a slight snort, and Bev whispered, "On the count of three, we're gonna turn so we're facing them."

Ash pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. "Sounds perfect."

"One. . .two. . .three."

They both slowly turned on their sides, and Ash saw the boys all cough and pretend to be doing something other than watching them, and Richie opened Ben's backpack, pulling out something that made Ben sputter as he stuffed it back in his bag, and then Richie pulled out a binder and opened it.

"What's with the history project?" Eddie asked, leaning over and looking over Richie's shoulder.

"Oh, um," Ben stammered, seeming embarrassed. "When I first moved here, I didn't really have any friends. So I started hanging out at the library."

"You went to the library?" Richie asked, looking around at his friends before looking back at Ben. "On purpose?"

Ash raised up off her towel, stretching and coming over to the boys. She saw Eddie move over and make room for her on the rock he was sitting on, and she sat beside him, her shoulder brushing his.

Beverly got up too and sat next to Bill. "I want to see!" She said, peering at the book with interest.

"Why's it all murders and missing kids?" Richie questioned, flicking through the pages.

"Derry's. . .not like any town I've ever been in before. They did a study once and it turns out people die or disappear six times the national average." Ben said, his forehead creasing as he looked around at them all.

"And that's just grownups." He continued. "Kids are worse. Way, way worse."

There was a silence, and Richie said, "Worse at getting the girls, am I right Ash?"

He winked, and her and Eddie both glared at him. There was the slightest force to his joking words, because to Richie, it was true.

He tried so hard for her attention. So fucking hard. And all Eddie did was crash into a display case and then they were holding hands. What the fuck did he have to do? It was killing him; not that he would ever say anything.

"I've got more stuff, if you want to see." Ben said, and they all looked at him, and then at each other.

"Why not?" Ash shrugged, and a few minutes later they were all on their bikes pedaling to Ben's house.

Richie and Stan were jabbering away as they all entered Ben's bedroom, and then stopped abruptly as they eyed the newspaper clippings all over Ben's wall in a sort of awed fascination.

"Cool, huh?" Ben asked, spreading his arms at the walls.

"No, no. Nothing cool. Nothing cool." Richie said, walking over to stand next to Ash, biting his lip and choosing his next words carefully, trying his hardest to make her smile or. . .something.

"Look, Ash! That's cool! Oh- wait, no. No, it's not." He raised his eyebrows, shooting a look at her.

Nothing.

She studied the drawings, immersed, and then her eye caught, of all fucking people, Eddie.

She wandered over to stand next to him, nudging his shoulder gently with hers, and his eyes lit up as he noticed her.

Richie clenched his hands into fists as he stared at the two of them, smiling and looking at each other. It was taking all his self-control not to completely pound Eddie to a fucking pulp.

He took a deep breath, breathing through his nose and tore himself away from the pair, forcing himself to look back at the clippings on the walls.

"What's that?" Stan asked curiously, pointing to one of the clippings.

"That? That's the charter for Derry township." Ben answered, and Richie snorted. "Nerd alert."

He looked to see if Ash had caught this, but her attention was elsewhere as Eddie whispered something into her ear, making her laugh.

Richie's blood was boiling. Eddie didn't even try, and he somehow made her laugh.

"No, actually it's really interesting." Ben disagreed, looking at the walls. "Derry started as a beaver trapping town-"

Richie couldn't resist. "Still is am I right boys!?"

He held his hand up for a high five from Ben, who gave him a look, and Stanley rolled his eyes.

"91 people signed it, but later they all completely disappeared." Ben finished.

"The entire camp!?" Eddie asked, and Ben nodded.

"There were rumours of Indians, but no sign of attack. Everybody just thought it was a. . .plague or something. But it's like, one day everybody just woke up and. . .left. The only clue was a trail of bloody clues leading to the well house."

There was an eerie silence, and Richie said in a hushed voice, "Jesus. We could get Derry on Unsolved Mysteries!"

"W-where is the well house?" Bill asked hesitantly, and Ben shrugged.

"I don't know. Somewhere in town, I guess. Why?"

"No reason." Bill said, turning his eyes back to the papers, but there was a flicker in his eyes, as though he was thinking hard.

"Well, at least we don't live in a creepy town. That would completely suck." Richie said sarcastically, and this time, he heard a light laugh, and his heart swelled as his eyes met Ash's, feeling a strange sense of triumph.

Finally.

omg omg omg this is so freaking long! it's to make up for the shorter recent chapters, and because people apparently like this book? also, I GOT 1K!!! so it's in celebration of that too! thank you to all of my followers, i love you! vote and comment!!