march ❀ age 14 -15
"for my lady" richie smiled and bowed as betty walked through the harvest doors. the brunette giggled and curtsied as she walked in from the door, waiting then for richie to come after her.
"when did you become such a gentleman?" betty asked as she and betty walked to their usual booth by the window which was facing the park.
"i think the real question is, when did you start paying attention to my sophisticated manners, future ms Tozier" richie said in a british way, but not quite. betty blushed. "did you just pre-propose?"
"I shall leave that on your opinion" richie smirked and reached for betty's hand over the table.
but betty noticed something. it wasn't like it was before. ever since...november, richie's been acting weird. like right now, he was holding hands as to...still make sure betty was there and that she wasn't just a shallow. like richie didn't really want to hold betty's hand but had to make sure like no demons took her. also, richie didn't kiss betty that often either. they were like these small pecks, but not like it was before.
see, the thing is, both of them knew they weren't gonna last for very long, but they enjoyed their time together and when they did break up, neither of them were going to enjoy it, since they likes hanging out with each other. they likes each other as human beings, but they weren't sure was it enough to love someone forever.
but who knows. maybe betty will be richie's chosen one and vice versa. who knows?
"what are you getting?" betty asked, squeezing richie's hand and looking at him.
"a milkshake and fries, because that sounds delicious. you?"
"nuggets and a coke?" betty lifted a brow.
"see, I was going for that, but then I didn't" richie smiled a little. "you just get me, ripsom"
"you're my boyfriend, of course I get you, silly" betty sent an air kiss to the boy in front of him, who played to catch it.
and somehow, it reminded him of eddie. they always did that. always. richie always sent air kisses to his best friend and the other would play to catch it and send one back. it was their thing. just like going to the arcade, even though eddie hated video games. also sharing fries at harvest. playing with cars, richie with a blue one and eddie with a red one. them having sleepovers in the same bed, holding hands.
"rich?"
richie snapped out of his thoughts looking back at betty who had a hesitant look on her face. "you spaced out...again"
"woah, sorry. I slept...badly. I don't know...must've been a bad dream or something" richie shook his head and pulled his hand back.
"you could stay over at my place" betty suggested but richie shook his head.
"I gotta drop by eddie's"
he had no idea why he said that. he didn't need to see- wait no, yes he did. he needed to see eddie. he wanted to make sure he was alright and nothing would've happened to him.
"alright, yeah...sure" betty shrugged.
"how about tomorrow?" richie asked.
"tomorrow's school night, rich. you know I can't" betty frowned and richie didn't have time to reply when the waiter was standing above them.
"you two just can't keep away, can you" the waiter smirked and took out his notepad. "i mean, harvest is the best diner in town"
"best i've ever seen, sir" richie smiled.
"can I take your order?"
the two said their order, the waiter leaving, thanking them and promising the soon enough.
"you just haven't been with me so much anymore..." betty shrugged.
"betty, i've been with you every second" richie let out a breathy laugh. "maybe you don't see that, but I skip school work to hang out with you. I bailed on stan to go birdwatching in fuking february to take you to dinner..."
"rich, i didn't know you had to bail on your friends for me" betty reached for richie's hand, but the boy pulled his hands even further.
"I'm sorry richie, i didn't mean it like that..."
"how did you mean it then?" richie asked, getting annoyed.
"like...i don't know...we could be more affectionate on public. you never hold my hand anymore. or kiss me on the lips"
richie rolled his eyes and grabbed betty's hands and leaned over the table to give a wet kiss onto betty's lips. "is my lady happy now?"
betty blushed. "now I might be"
richie smiled in satisfactory. "you can go bird watching with stan to make it up for him. I can be with my own friends or just...clean my room or something"
"I don't know when will he....go..." richie trailed off has his eyes caught onto somethingo n the other side of the window, at the park.
it was eddie. with...someone. they were walking down the path, eddie giggling at something what the other boy had said. the other boy had blond hair, short, shorter than richie's. he had blue eyes, if richie could see from that far, they were blue. he was taller than eddie, but then again, everyone was taller than eddie. richie clutched his fists, feeling a rush of anger go through him.
"bets, who is that?" richie asked through gritted teeth, not turning his eyes off the blond haired boy who sat on a bench with eddie.
"that blond guy? i think that's justin"
"justin?" richie let out a breath. "why haven't I seen him around?"
"i don't know...he's a year older so doesn't really hang out with kids our age" betty said and looked at justin. apparently.
"is he with eddie?" betty realized after squinting her eyes in the sun.
"yeah" richie growled. "i don't know why they're together"
"why do you care?" betty asked.
"a fucking fuckboy is hanging out with my best friend. I have to care. what if he's gonna hurt him?" richie asked. "then what?"
"you could go talk to them" betty shrugged.
"really?"
"no, you idiot! don't go. let them be" betty rolled her eyes and that's when the food was brought in. the girl looked up and didn't see richie sitting before her anymore. the boy was stomping towards the door.
"richie!"
"i'm sorry, i gotta check this"
richie pushed the doors open, walking to the two boys across the street, trying to calm his anger. he was now standing behind the bench they were sitting at. he didn't want to eavesdrop, so he fake coughed, both of them turning around.
"richie?"
"what are you doing here, justin?" richie asked from the blond boy, totally ignoring eddie's question.
"Just chillin with little man over here" he pointed at eddie who was confused. "and y-"
"okay, i'm gonna stop you right there. don't call him little man. what, just because he's short you assume his weak and can't protect himself?" richie laughed unamused.
"rich...?" eddie lifted a brow.
"what's your intentions with him anyways?" richie spoke after eddie, giving a nasty glare at justin, who looked amused.
"okay, richie, that's enough" eddie raised his voice a bit and stood up. "hold on justin"
eddie pulled the other boy to the side, giving him a confused look. "what are you doing, idiot?"
"saving you, what does it look like?"
"looks like you're ruining my only chances with a guy who might also be gay" eddie whispered.
richie's eyes widened. "what?"
"he's been giving me signals, richie...I don't wanna fuck it up"
richie looked behind eddie to see justin, sitting on the bench, arms stretched on the backrest.
"you like that douchebag?" richie let out a dry laugh.
"he's actually pretty cool-"
"you know there's plenty of other dudes in the world that would...want you, right?" richie questioned, making eddie's eyes widen.
"don't be absurd" eddie rolled his eyes.
"and you settled on this, fucker?" richie pointed at justin.
"he's not that bad" eddie hushed richie and pushed him back a bit. "just let it go, rich. this isn't even a date. it's just hanging out...me trying to figure out if he's gay..or playing for the both teams"
"playing for the both teams? that's possible?" richie lifted a brow.
eddie nodded and looked over his shoulder at justin who was casually checking his fingers and resting his other ankle on his knee.
"what are you doing here anyways?" he then asked from richie who blushed a little. "i'm uh on a date"
"you go on dates, why can't I?" eddie questioned.
"you said it wasn't a date" richie furrowed his brows.
"I'll talk to you later, richie. I gotta go now. say hi to betty from me" eddie said before jogging to the blond boy who smiled as eddie came back.
"richie what the hell?" betty's voice said from behind him. the taller one turned around and held in his eye roll.
"eddie said hi to you"
-
a/n sorry this chapter was probably really boring. also please welcome a new character to the book, justin. he will have a big impact on his story, at least these next few years, so stay tuned for that(?)