chapter two
"bite me, Tozier"
RICHIE WAS summer heat and spark in human form. He was dripping with dopamine, desire, and determination. Richie was the soft hunger and craving of cigarette smoke, but also the sweet kiss of fresh air. He was ink blotted love letters. Richie was young and childish but never lost his way. He was always true to himself, a lesson that Ryan would learn later into their relationship. That's why the girl never questioned the way he acted-- she would never put out his flame just as he would never put out hers.
"He is the most ridiculous person I think I've ever met," Ryan muttered to herself as she turned on her heels to face the others.
"I mean I wouldn't say ridiculous," Eddie shrugged.
Ryan raised an eyebrow at him. "What would you call it then?" She asked, looking behind her once again at the closed school doors.
"Obnoxious," Eddie chuckled.
"Loud mouthed," Ben added.
"Flirty," This was Beverly.
"I was going to say extremely horrible and vile," Stan joked as he rubbed his eyebrow. He cracked a soft smile.
"Well sure he's crude," Bill grinned. "B-but we love our t-trash mouth."
Ryan felt a smile of her own slip out. "All noted," She tucked her hands into her front pockets.
"So," Bev bumped her shoulder with Ryan's to grab her attention. "Where did you move from?"
Ryan looked up at the ginger, feeling her eyes bounce from every feature. Beverly had soft, delicate features with hair of ember and the ghost of razor blades. Beverly looked like summer rain and citrine. "Georgia," Ryan replied after a moment, tearing her eyes away from the other. "We lived pretty deep in the state though, so my accent is pretty thick I guess," She watched them all nod along with her answer.
"Why move so far into the school year?" Ben tilted his head a little. "School is nearly over-- so I'm not sure you'll really learn anything new here before summer break."
Ryan felt her heart sink at the question. "Um, it's a long story," She murmured softly, rubbing her fingertips up and down her arms. "Dad just wanted to get out," Ryan lifted her lips into a smile. "Fresh start, you know?"
Ben nodded. "Take it from the last new addition to this group," He chuckled as he looked around toward the others. "I get it."
The bell sounded, and all the teens looked around as frowns found their faces. "Damn," Stan groaned, gripping his backpack strap in his hands. "See you guys later," he called over his shoulder as he departed from them.
"Oh wait--" Ryan tried to grab the group's attention again. "Do any of y'all have Mrs. Johnson by chance?"
Bill raised his hand slightly from the back of the cluster. "I do, d-don't worry."
"Oh thank god," She sighed.
Bill stood still as the rest of the loser's club waved their goodbyes and flooded into the school. Ryan walked over to him and together they shuffled slowly through the crowded hallways. They reached their classroom in a few short moments, then found a table in the back of the room. They sat next to a large, four paned window with petite potted plants and ink smudges on the window sill.
"Thanks for walkin' with me," Ryan whispered over to Bill as she grabbed a pen out of her backpack.
"Oh, it's n-no problem," Bill grinned as he set up his desk. He paused for a moment as another smile gripped his lips-- though this one filled with tease and mischief. "So," He looked over at Ryan. "Richie, huh?"
Ryan let out an audible groan. "Don't even," She shook her head with pity and amusement in her tone.
"What?" Bill questioned her. "No attraction whatsoever? Y-you two seem to b-banter well."
"Banter? Sure," Ryan twirled her pen between her fingertips gently. "But attraction? No way in hell," She sighed, returning Bill's gaze. "I mean Jesus, I just met him, and I wasn't the one flirtin' with a stranger in the hallway."
Bill nodded with an understanding shrug of his shoulders. "You're right," He replied. "That does s-sound just like Richie."
Ryan pulled out a notebook after pulling her amber hair into a bun. "Yeah," She clicked her pen open before looking back over at Bill. "Bill, if I ever fall for that," She paused as Richie walked through the classroom door with an office slip in his hand. She pointed to him. "Push me off a cliff, would ya?"
"Awe shucks," Richie slid into the seat next to Ryan. "Don't tell me I'm that bad now, darling?"
She turns to her left, ignoring the piece of her bangs that fell out of her bun. She scrunched up her nose a little with a playful smile. "You're the worst," Ryan turned back to face the front. "But I thought you already knew that, Tozier?"
Richie scoffed lightly as he leaned backwards in his chair. "You love me."
Mrs. Johnson stood in front of the black board with her hands folded. "Alright class, we are going to go over last week's material, so please pull out your textbooks," She paused when a hand flung up. She huffed out a tired sigh. "Yes, Richie?"
"Sorry to interrupt this very important lesson Mrs. Johnson," He smirked as he slowly lowered his hand. "But we have a new student," He threw his thumb over his shoulder to point at Ryan.
"Oh yes," Mrs. Johnson nodded, gesturing for Ryan to stand. "Thank you, I almost forgot."
Ryan glared at the boy sitting to her left before harshly pressing her palms against the table to push herself up to her feet. She bit back her frown and stuck her chest out. "Hi," She paused, feeling every student in the room flip their eyes toward her. Her nerves crawled up her throat and painted the back of her neck red. "My name is Ryan Jones, I just uh," She licked her lips. "I just moved here from Georgia."
There was a silence followed by acute clapping before Ryan sat back down. Mrs. Johnson quickly found her way back to teaching the weekly review, but Ryan felt eyes on her. She flicked her eyes over to her left to see Richie staring at her. "What?" she whispered.
"You should really be nicer to me," He smirked.
Ryan rolled her eyes. "Oh, bite me Tozier."
Ryan packed up her notes as the lunch bell rang. She was the last out of her classroom and the last to reach the chaotic rush of the hallway. She sighed as she headed toward the lunch room.
"Ayo!" A voice bellowed from the end of the hallway. "Baby-- Ryan!"
She turned around just as Richie tumbled into her. The two were pushed up against the same lockers they found themselves at that morning. "Tozier?" She asked. "Any reason why you are pinning me to the wall?"
He offered a toothy smile. "Because you're pretty?" He asked back, his black curls dangling in front of his eyes. "And because I love seeing you this way," His lower lip curled into a sickeningly sweet smirk. "Under me..."
Ryan pushed him off of her. "Oh barf," She scoffed as she picked up her backpack that she had dropped in the collision. "Seriously gag me. Don't tell me you whisper dirty shit into everyone's ears-- or is it just me?"
Richie caught up with her, creeping his fingertips around her waist. "Just you, baby."
Ryan smiled up at him as she pried at his fingers. "Wow, truly a gentleman," Ryan shoved his hands away from her. "At least take me on a date first."
Ryan watched the way Richie gazed down at his rejected hands, grazing the aching skin of his fingertips. He knew the language of physical touch well-- it was the only language he spoke fluently. Richie spoke words of intimacy and syllables of soft kisses. He was tracing the curve of your spine. Richie was words going unsaid because your lips refuse to stay apart from one another. He was adoration, fluster, and plum bruises of love found on bare skin. Richie knew how to love in one way only-- and it was an overbearing emotion. He loved with his whole body; every inch of his porcelain stained skeleton, every beat of his juvenile heart, and with every aching flow of blood in his veins-- richie would love. He would love until love lost all meaning, which he would pray it would not.
Ryan found herself loving in the same way. She wanted the words of intimacy and syllables of soft kisses. She craved the unsaid words, the fluster, and the plum bruises on bare skin. Ryan would love until love lost all meaning. Ryan wanted shared smoke between two eager lips. She wanted to dance in the light of the moon and stars and to have days of suede, wine, and silk sheets.
The pair just didn't know their own similarities yet.
"Date?" Richie echoed, following the girl. "How about a date at my lunch table?" He asked, holding his arm out for her to take. Ryan looked at his folded arm, then down at the floors.
She linked her arm into his. "Fine, but just this once."
Richie smirked as they shuffled down the hallway to the lunchroom. "Just this once?"
"Yes," She repeated. "Just one time."
"Alright love," Richie shook his head before looking down at her. He stared for a few seconds, watching the crinkle of her nose as she giggle and how the light in her eyes shined-- the brightest light he had ever laid eyes on. "You know you're gonna love me one day, right?"
She threw her head back to laugh. "Sure okay," Ryan muttered. "Well I beg to differ."