CRYBABY ♤ IT // richie tozier *2020 EDIT*

[3] HELLO AGAIN, OLD FRIEND

"Thank fuck you're here, now we can finally order drinks - I vote shots." Beverly Marsh-Rogan grinned at the girl she was best friends with all those years ago, to be met with one back at her. "I think that's the best damn thing I've heard in a good while, Bev." The group laughed.

"Sorry for keeping you all waiting I didn't think I was late-"

"You're not, taxis just arrived early and such. You don't know how good it is to see you Liz." The man who was unmistakenly Mike Hanlon said, smiling earnestly. He gestured to the empty seat beside him and Bill Denbrough, who grinned back at her. Everyone else seemed happy but it was as if they didn't know what to say. She felt a certain person's presence but was terrified to meet his gaze. She awkwardly took the seat as whatever conversation had been occurring before her arrival continued on. Seemingly, they were talking about how Derry smelled like shit and honestly, Lizzy didn't know whether to agree or disagree.

"It DEFINITELY smells like shit, the second I took my first breath of Derry fresh air I wanted to barf." Eddie Kaspbrak expressed, waving his hands around like a mad man with an exasperated expression. Liz almost couldn't believe how little he'd changed. He went from being a mini Anthony Perkins look-a-like to having all the same features as the late Hollywood actor.

"I wholeheartedly agree with Eds, I almost started choking when I sniffed it. Just feels like I'm breathing in faeces and, well uh, shit." Richie Tozier leaned back one arm over the back of his chair nonchalantly, like he was backing up a business partner in an attempt to sell their invention on Shark Tank.

Hearing his voice awoke something in Lizzy, something that had been asleep for years seemingly. Memories of a crass boy and his coke bottle glasses. She almost let out a chuckle, his voice sounded exactly the same only deeper. She was still too shy to look at him properly.

"Faeces is shit, dickwad." Eddie exacerbated, turning on him. Richie replied with a smirk and shrugged.

"Absolutely not, Derry smells fine." Mike Hanlon laughed while simultaneously trying to get the waitress' attention. "Yeah exactly, it's just Derry, it smells like any other town I guess." The attractive man on Eddie's left said shyly, scratching the back of his neck. Liz's eyes widened realising that he was Ben Hanscom. Wow, she thought, Hanscom had gotten hot.

"Well first of all, Mike how the fuck would you know man you've been stuck in this place your whole life, and secondly, Ben you look like a hunky lumberjack that probably lives in the deep deep woods and only showers in waterfalls so how the hell would you know what smells good?" Richie ranted, causing the whole group to howl in laughter while Eddie just nodded passionately.

Lizzy decided she needed to take a stand in this debate.

"You guys ever realise that maybe the reason you think this place smells bad is that you two have come back and stunk up the place?" She smirked from her seat, staring at both men while the waitress finally came in and the group tried to hold back their laughter.

Mike made the drink and food orders while Richie and Lizzy's eyes met and remained locked together. He seemed speechless initially, almost as if he was looking at a ghost. Neither saying a word. The tension was so thick you could cut through it with a knife. She caught him looking her up and down slightly and softly smiled.

When the waitress left, Eddie immediately snapped out that it was 'literally impossible' that they were the reasons Derry smelled bad, he was even using his signature Eds hand gestures he did when he was frustrated. Lizzy remembered when they were young Richie would say to her that when Eddie did it, he looked like he was trying to karate chop through his hand into whoever he was complaining to. Lizzy would giggle and explain how she thought it looked like Eddie was trying to cut bread.