timing : stozier

37

june 15/16

"look at the sunset! that's incredible," beverly marvelled, pointing behind the trees. through the trees, the sun, settling just below the mountains, lit the sky up with oranges and blues.

mike, who had seen that specific sunset from that field by his farm many times, nodded warmly.

"and it's a little red, too. that's always good. you know what they say," richie adopted a weird, piratey accent, "red at night, sailor's delight. red in tha mornin', sailor's take warnin'." richie said, poking stan in the side with a pretend sword.

"alright. it's time to decide. are we letting the earth swallow us whole and accepting the bugs, or do mike and i need to go get blankets to lie on?" ben asked, looking down at the dark grass.

"i am not lying in this grass, oh go—i mean, could i have a blanket, please?" eddie corrected himself, ben nodding.

"anyone else?" bill decided to share with eddie, and beverly, stanley, and richie didn't want one. soon enough, ben came back outside with mike, and they were each holding one blanket. they put the two blankets down (the other one was for ben and mike) and everyone sat down.

"rich, i really feel like i'm seventh wheeling, all the time." beverly confided in richie, commenting on how each boy was sitting especially close to another boy, and she was on the end. she was right, of course, stan and richie were sitting close like they always did. and bill had been working up the courage to ask eddie out by flirting with him a lot.

"get yourself a girlfriend, then, bev! and hey, there's only one couple here." a painfully inaccurate, but yet true statement from richie.

"well, you know what i mean. and that's hard, richie. i do have a bit of a crush on this girl, right, but she's way out of my league, man." beverly replied, richie nudging her.

"tell me about her!" richie urged. beverly laughed a little.

"you know her. selena. she was in your math and our socials, i think." beverly answered, richie shaking his head.

"i've blocked out everything from school. describe her to me." richie said.

"okay. short black hair, a bob, kinda. she wears glasses sometimes, not always, from the philippines, really fucking good at public speaking?" beverly explained, "and it's especially hard to get a girl in summer when you've only ever texted that girl about a socials project. i'm suffering, richie," she went on, richie punching her when he realized who she meant.

"oh! i know her. sweet girl! just ask her out on a date. if she says no, you move on. i would argue it's easier to ask someone out when you don't know them all that well. less risk." richie encouraged beverly, stan beside him not listening to their conversation, watching the sunset.

"maybe you're right. you should do it with me. ask someone out, i mean." she winked at richie, who shook his head. he smiled, but continued to shake his head.

"no, no bev. i'm happy without that, thank you very much. but on god, ask her out right now." richie nudged beverly, who grinned and got out her phone. she nervously opened a new conversation,

beverly: hey

selena: hi!! what's up?

beverly: i'm currently stargazing with my friends shsgsh. u??

selena: THAT SOUNDS SO SICK

selena: ur friend group is so cool.

selena: i am lying in bed i have not moved for hours