𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙, richie tozier

xiii. ( fear )

.⃗ . ༉‧₊˚✧ MURDERED!

STELLA'S BODY BOLTED upright, causing the group around her to jump back. she was breathing heavily from what happened. "oh my— i died, a clown just ate me and i'm going to hell for calling the principal a bitch, i won't see my mom and—" stella began rambling, thinking that she was dead and about to enter the gates of hell.

"no you aren't." richie tried to interrupt her, but she kept going.

"i'm a sinner!" she shouts, causing the group to look at her like she was crazy, which she probably was. stella looked around, noticing her surroundings and that the entire losers club was standing around her bed, watching her panic.

"oh... well i guess i wasn't wrong about the hell part," she muttered as she realized where she was and that she wasn't dead yet. her head was pounding and she wanted nothing more but to just rest again. "why are you guys here?"

"you passed out, what else were we supposed to do?" eddie says, confused as to why she would even ask that. "oh, right. refresh my mind on that again?"

richie rolled his eyes. "well, if you must know. while you weren't paying attention, that clown popped out and tried to eat you. you're just lucky that we opened the garage door and saved you."

"i would've been fine dead, i'm sure satan and I would have gotten along nicely." stella says sarcastically. "well, are you guys just gonna stand there or go home?"

"i-i need to ask you something..." bill cautiously says in case she snaps at him. he also didn't want her to say no, he needed her.

"okay?" she nodded, telling him to go on with his question. "l-lets go to n-neibolt," bill says, looking at the group. "that's where g-g-georgie is."

"after that?" stan asked. "it's summer, we're supposed to be outside and—"

"i-if you s-say it's summer o-one more f-f-fucking time." bill threatens, glancing towards the nervous boy.

"you have to be kidding me. i thought i was about to meet the devil, for crying out loud! that thing almost ate me and you expect us to face it again?" stella exclaimed, a flash of horror on her face. "exactly, she could've died." richie joined in on the disagreement.

"i-i get that, stella. but if you c-come you can get r-revenge." bill attempted to persuade stella into coming because he knew that she could easily get the others to come too.

"i would go if i wasn't scared." stella admitted truthfully, avoiding eye contact with any of them. they knew that this wasn't how she would usually act. the clown pretty much broke her. she has never been that scared to the point where she wouldn't even want to help her friend that was in need.

"f-fine. i'm going, but y-y-you don't have t-to come." bill stated as he walked out of stella's room, catching the group off guard.

"wait, bill!" beverly called out before hurriedly rushing after him, along with everyone else except for richie and stella.

richie looked at stella for permission, not wanting to anger her by just leaving her by herself after she was almost eaten by a demonic shape-shifting clown not that long ago. stella sighed and got up, looking down and noticing the big bruise on her leg from the clowns strong grip he had on her while he tried to eat her.

"are you—" richie was trying to ask her if she was okay, but he didn't get to finish since she ran off without him even though her leg was aching, leaving him with no choice other than to just follow. she tried to ride her bike but yelped out in pain as her leg wasn't able to have much force pushed onto it.

"ride on the back of mine. i have—" richie tried to finish his sentence but was again cut off by stella hurriedly getting on the back of his bike.

he pedaled off with the injured girl right behind him, not expecting for the things that were going to happen actually occur.

THE GROUP DROPPED their bikes in a hurry to get to bill before he went inside. thankfully, they succeeded.

"bill, don't go in!" stella yelled as bill turned around to face them all. "do you see what happened to me? i can barely even walk, you can't possibly try and fight that thing alone!"

she pointed towards her leg, and the group stared at it in horror. the marks were evidently not human and the bruise was huge.

even though bill did take notice of it, he didn't say anything about it. i-i'm serious, you don't even have to come in with me." stella was out of ideas. she had no idea how she was going to convince him not to go inside. "but what if another georgie goes missing? or another betty and maybe one of us?" bill went on.

they all fell silent, looking around at one another. bill continued, "are you just going to ignore it like the rest of this town? because i can't. i go home every day and see that georgie isn't there. his toys, his clothes, and even his stupid stuffed animals are there but he isn't. so walking into this house is way easier than walking into my own."

"wow." richie mumbled, causing confused looks from the group. "what?" beverly asks. "he didn't stutter once." he answered, genuinely surprised.

"well, i agree with him. there's still hope, you know." beverly spoke, walking up to bill and stopping beside him. nobody said anything so they began to walk in along with everyone else who gave up and just went in for their friends' sake until stan suddenly stops them.

"wait!" stan says, causing them all to come to a stop. "shouldn't someone stay out here just in case anything happens?"

stella considered it for a moment and decided that it was a good idea. she was about to volunteer herself when bill spoke first. "f-fine. who wants to s-s-stay out h-here?"

everyone else except for beverly raised their hands, causing stella to groan. she was probably going to end up going in anyway, and she began deeply regretting ever getting out of bed when richie asked her to.

🍒, maybankz—
n/a

WRITTEN. unknown
EDITED. june 5, 2020