an evening i will not forget [richie tozier]

chapter ten

August

It had been about two weeks since Stanley's bar mitzvah outburst. His parents were currently not speaking to him so he tried to spend as much time away from home, mainly with Emily and sometimes Richie if he wasn't in the arcade.

"Can I ask you something?" Stan says as the two of them eat ice cream. She nods and turns to face him. "I'm guessing Richie gave you the necklace but did he tell you why?" Stan asks confusing the girl. She sat and thought of the reason but he didn't give her one.

"Yous are both seriously stupid. How can you not see it?" Stan laughs watching the dumbfounded girl. "I know you like Richie. It's obvious" he says almost causing her to have a heart attack.

"Wha- w-what no" she stutters. Stan shakes his head and laughs.

"Emily stop. We all know, well apart from Richie" He says watching the girl with her hand trying to cover her embarrassed face. "It's alright. Richie is obvious too" he says causing her head to snap up.

"Richie doesn't like me like that" Emily says sadly. Stanley laughs so hard he almost falls off the bench.

"Richie is basically in love with you, that's how obvious it is" Stan says managing to compose himself. She looks at Stan and finally realising that Richie calling her nicknames and holding hands was more than just being friends for him.

"But he's been holding my hand and calling me beautiful since kindergarten?" She says confused. Stan looks at her in awe like she was a lost puppy.

"Em, that's how long he's liked you. He's liked you from the moment he met you in kindergarten" He says watching the girls mouth fall open. "He never told us, but we knew and we knew you liked him too" Stan says smiling. Emily sits in complete shock. The boy who she developed strong feelings for, liked her back and always had.

"I need to go" Stan says standing up. "If I was you I would go tell him" he says before leaving the girl alone before she cycles towards the arcade.

"Emily!" A voice shouts from behind her causing her to stop. Bill Denbrough appears behind her skidding to a halt.

"What Bill? I need to find Richie" she says away to pedal off.

"IT got Bev" he says causing her to look back with a serious face.

"The clown took Beverly?" She questions watching him nod vigorously. She knows what they have to do.

The two quickly pedalled their way towards the arcade where they would find Richie. It was awkward for Bill to talk to Richie or even Emily but he knew he had to.

"I know this isn't the right time but I need to say it before we do this" he says cycling beside her. She looks at him and nods at him allowing him to speak. "I'm sorry I punched you. I wasn't meant to hit you and I shouldn't have tried to punch Richie. I was angry and couldn't control my anger so I'm sorry" Bill says wishing to get his best friend back.