A/N; I'm sorry for slow updates, this chapter was so hard to write and fit Lydia into, it may not be the best.
Lydia stood at her front door, her suitcase by her side as she looked around at the tidy house.
She didn't know if this was going to be the last time she ever would see this house. Something told her she'd be gone a while.
Maybe forever, she wasn't sure. She just had a feeling she had to take it all in.
So she did...
For a little while at least until a loud and long car horn made her flinch and turn around, seeing Connor leaning over the front seat to reach the horn as he laughed.
Lydia let out a soft laugh and got into her car, turning to the two kids who were still laughing "and who's idea was that?" Lydia asked with a smile
Mia and Connor both pointed at the other, causing Lydia to laugh and turn around.
and she started her drive...
~~~~~~~
Lydia finally arrived at the location Mike had sent her but she stayed sitting in the car, looking ahead of her. She had been driving almost all day and it was now dark outside, and Connor and Mia had already been left off with the babysitter. Lydia hated the silence, she hadn't been without the kids in a long time and with her not knowing how long she would be stuck in Derry didn't help..
A loud knock on Lydia's window caused her to jump and let out a gasp as she turned to look. Outside her car stood Richie, his laughter being heard from inside the car. Lydia rolled her eyes and picked up her handbag, opening up her car door and getting out "Very funny, Rich" she spoke sarcastically as she locked her car and turned to him.
"why thank you Lyds, I thought it was pretty funny too" Richie replied, earning a look from Lydia "I haven't seen you in a while.. how are you?" Rich asked, changing conversation. Lydia sighed and looked down at her hands
"well, lets see, I just left Connor and Mia off with the babysitter, they were confused and Connor was worried, I couldn't answer them when they asked when I would be back because I had no idea and couldn't lie to them, I haven't seen Stan since.. well since everything happened, I don't know what I'm doing here or why I had to come back, I have about a thousand questions running through my head right now and know the answer to about two."
Richie went slightly wide eyed at how fast she had spoke "what are the two answers you know? Its more than I know" Rich questioned. Lydia shrugged and began to walk away "that I need food and alcohol right now" she answered.
Richie laughed and followed after her but they both stopped when they saw a woman with short ginger hair and a guy, who Lydia couldn't recognise hugging outside the restaurant.
Lydia was immediately able to recognise the red haired girl as Bev due to her light stalking on social media. Before she got the chance to speak up, Richie did "wow... you two look amazing. What the fuck happened to me?"
Lydia closed her eyes and shook her head a little bit as the two pulled away from their hug and looked at Lydia and Richie with a smile
Everyone let out a laugh and Richie stepped forward, giving the guy, who was Ben, a hug and saying his hellos as Lydia gave Bev a hug.
Lydia stepped back and looked at the two "wow.. this is so...weird" she spoke with a small laugh. The three in front of her began to have a small discussion but Lydia, once again was too caught up in her own thoughts to pay attention.
She didn't want to walk into this restaurant and for Stan to be there, yet she didn't want to be the one there first. Honestly she didn't want to be there at all, she wanted to be at home with her kids. She had a bad feeling about being here in this town and didn't understand it, something she hated.
See, Lydia knew everyone would be asking about each others life since they all distanced, and at some point the question of Stan and Lydia would come up.. and the question as to what happened.. one Lydia honestly couldn't answer.
Nobody knew Stan and Lydia weren't together anymore. They were currently in the middle of having a divorce, something none of their family knew, not even Richie knew about the divorce, he just assumed it was a break that would last at least a year.
"Maybe I shouldn't be here, the kids need me, they're worried and confused.." Lydia thought to herself but of course, as she took one step backwards, towards her car, Beverly spoke up "Okay, we should probably go in now.. Mike is probably waiting"
Lydia took a deep breath and forced a small smile before they all walked into the restaurant.
As the four were lead to a small section in the back Richie smiled as he hit the gong, causing Eddie, Mike and Bill, who had arrived first, to turn around. "this meeting of the losers club has officially begun!" Rich called out "look at these guys!" Eddie spoke with a laugh
Richie pointed at Ben and mouthed his name, before signalling how he had lost all his weight but stopped and gave a smile once Ben turned around.
Once everyone sat at the round table and had a few drinks, things started to feel less awkward.
Everyone took a shot and Richie, who sat beside Lydia, looked over at Eddie "so wait, Eddie you got married?" He asked
"Yeah, why's it so fucking funny dickwad?" Eddie answered
"What? To like a women?" Richie replied, trying to hold in a laugh
"Fuck you bro" Eddie replied, pointing at him
Richie let out a laugh "fuck youuu!" He spoke loudly
Lydia laughed and took a glance across the table, where an empty chair sat... it seemed Stan didn't show..
"Alright, what about you trash mouth? You married?" Bill questioned
"There's no way Richies married!" Bev called out, everyone agreeing with her
"No.. I got married" Richie told them all
"Richie, I don't believe it" Bev continued, shaking her head
Lydia gave Richie a confused look, she obviously knew her brother had never got married.. but knowing him this was going to turn into a joke, so she just sat back with a smile and listened
"When?" Eddie asked
"You guys didn't hear..? You didn't know I got married?" Rich continued, sounding hurt
Around the table everyone, but Lydia, said no
"Yeah, no, me and your mom are very, very happy right now" Richie told Eddie, causing Bill to choke slightly on his drink, spilling it all over himself and the others, but Eddie to let out a loud laugh
"Fuck you" Eddie spoke over everyone's laughter
Richie wiped his mouth before speaking again "she's very sweet.. sometimes she'll put her arm around me.." he began, putting his arms around Lydia's shoulders as demonstration "and she'll whisper in my ear she'd go.." he continued, finishing it off with talking in one of his impersonations
Lydia laughed loudly and Richie couldn't even finish his joke from laughing
"We alllll get it, my mom was a great big fat person! Hilarious, Hysterical! " Eddie spoke sarcastically while everyone continued laughing
Lydia poured herself another drink and picked at her food, trying not to think about Stan
"Okay, let's talk about the elephant not in the room.. Ben... what the fuck man?" Richie spoke, pointing at him
"Okay, okay, obviously.. I lost a few pounds" Ben answered, everyone saying something in agreement
"You're like.. you're hot.. no, you're like every Brazilian soccer player wrapped up into one person" Richie spoke
"Okay, okay, alright, please, come on, Lyds has barely spoke this whole time, ask her questions, not me" Ben spoke with a laugh
Lydia's eyes went wide slightly and she looked up at everyone, who was now looking at her
"That's true, you haven't spoke, what about you? We all know you got married anyway, you and Stan always were the best couple" Bill spoke
Richie gave Bill a look and Lydia let out an awkward cough, staring down at her food "uhh.. actually.. Stan and I did get married but... we currently aren't together.." she answered
"Wait, what?" Beverly spoke up
"There's no way, you and Stan were crazy for each other" Bill continued as Eddie, Ben and Mike all said something in agreement
"Yes.. we were. And we had two kids, but.. Stan and I just.. didn't stick through" Lydia continued, finishing it with a shrug and pouring herself another drink, hoping the conversation would end soon
"Wait.. speaking of Stan, is he coming or not? I need someone to save me from these questions" Ben asked
Everyone looked over at the empty seat
"Stanley... Uris!" Bill spoke, forgetting Stan's last name for a moment.
"Stanley Urine!" Richie joked, earning a slight hit on the arm from Lydia
Richie glanced over at her before continuing to speak "no, no, he's a fucking pussy, he's not gonna show."
Lydia looked at him, slightly angry at his choice of words but before she had the chance to talk Eddie spoke up
"Why would Stanley save you anyway? Was I not the one who basically performed surgery on you after... Bowers beat you up? Holy shit that's right!" Eddie spoke to Ben
"Please tell me you ended up becoming a doctor Ed's" Beverly spoke
"No, I ended up becoming a risk analyst" Eddie answered
"Oh, that sounds really interesting, what does that entail?" Richie asked as he sat back on his chair
"Yeah, so like I work for a big insurance firm and uh-" Eddie began but was cut off by Richie, pretending to have fallen asleep
Everyone once again, but Eddie, began to laugh "fuck you dude. Fuck you." Eddie spoke to Richie
"So, was this job invented before fun?" Richie asked, leaning back up on his chair
"Oh that's so not funny" Eddie spoke sarcastically as he took a mouthful of his drink
Ben let out a loud laugh and Eddie turned to him "what the fuck are you laughing at?!"
Beverly quickly interrupted, raising her glass "Okay, I propose a toast.. to the losers"
"Wait, what about Stan?" Lydia asked quickly, before everyone raised their glasses
"Clearly he isn't coming Lyds.." Richie shrugged
"No, I spoke with him last night. He was coming.." Lydia responded, but honestly, she didn't really think he was coming either
"Well, we can just make this toast and if he decides to show up then.. we can do it again.." Beverly spoke up
Lydia sighed and raised up her glass, deciding it was time to stop worrying about him and to spend time with her friends.
"To the losers.."
After a few hours, Lydia had finally relaxed and was sitting talking about random things with Eddie, Richie and Mike.
Bill and Beverly were talking separately, and Ben was listening in.
"It's weird right..?" Ben spoke loudly, causing all conversations to stop to listen to him "I mean, now that we're all here, everything just comes back faster and faster. All of it.." he continued
"I still don't remember a lot honestly.." Lydia spoke up
"Do you know, when mike called me I threw up? Isn't that weird... like I got nervous, I got like sick, and I threw up. I feel fine now, I feel very relieved to be here with you guys." Richie spoke. Everyone looked at him, all having different expressions
"Why is everybody looking at me like this..." Rich asked
"When mike called me I crashed my car" Eddie told them
"Seriously?" Bill asked
"Man I hear you, I mean, my heart was literally pounding right out of my chest" Ben added in
"I thought it was only me.." Beverly spoke up
"me too" Lydia added
"It was like pure f-f-f-" Bill began, but he couldn't finish his sentence, stuttering like mad
"Fear." Mike interrupted "it's fear. What you felt...." he continued
"Why did we all f-f-feel like that Mike?" Bill asked
Mike didn't answer, instead looking down
"You remember something we don't, don't you Mike?"
Mike took a deep breath before speaking "something happens to you when you leave this town. Farther away, the hazier it all gets.. but me, I never left. So yeah, I remember. I remember all of it."
Lydia felt a sick feeling in her stomach, as if the back of her mind was remembering something, but she couldn't.
"Pennywise." Beverly spoke with a small voice.
Everyone had a look of realisation and Lydia's sick feeling grew.
"Oh the fucking clown" Eddie spoke, wheezing slightly after and patting down his jacket for an inhaler
"shit.." Ben whispered
"Mike, you said you wanted our help with something... what was that?" Bill questioned, trying not to sound scared
"There's an echo here in Derry that bounces back, every twenty seven years-" Mike began but Eddie interrupted
"What are you talking about?"
"Hold on, listen. Listen." Mike told him
"No, I don't-"
"We thought we stopped it back then, or we thought it was done but.." Mike drifted off, beginning to flick through a book he seemingly pulled out of nowhere
"Mike.." Richie spoke attempting to stop him
"A week ago. A man. Adrian Mellon. Slaughtered. A girl. Lisa, the other night went missing. There will be more-" Mike tried explaining, but his voice was drowned out by everyone speaking over him, trying to get him to stop
"Calm down!!" Lydia spoke loudly
Everyone stopped and looked over at her
"Just- shut up.. let him explain.." She finished.
Everyone stayed quiet and looked at Mike, waiting for him to talk
"That echo, we might have changed it. Just like it changed us. But we didn't stop it, because it just bounced back... we made an oath. That's why I brought you back, that's why you're here. To finish it. For good." Mike explained
Beverly let out a breath and looked down as Lydia looked at her food, trying to put everything together
"Well, that shit got dark fast, thanks mike" Richie spoke
Eddie ripped open his fortune cookie and let out a scoff "my fortune cookie just says 'Said'"
Everyone else followed after him, opening theirs "they don't know how to do fortune cookies here, mines says 'goodbye'" Richie spoke, holding up his paper.
Bill took Beverly's fortune cookie and opened it, setting the paper in front of him "you mind throwing them over here?" He asked Richie and Eddie as he stood up and took mikes paper.
Everyone payed attention to the papers they had so far, swapping them around to hopefully try make it make sense.
"Hope, goodbye, said, to?" Eddie spoke, reading the words in front of him
Lydia looked at hers in confusion and quickly grabbed a second one, ripping it open as the others started arguing in the background, asking Mike if he had set it up.
Lydia stared at her two pieces of paper and let out shaky breaths and her eyes becoming teary
"Lyds? Lydia!" Richie spoke, causing everyone to stop talking and look at her.
She looked up at them all and slowly stood up from her chair and made her way towards the papers "move.." she spoke almost as a whisper
"Lyds, what does yours say?" Bill asked
"Bill, just move! I need to see something!" She spoke louder.
Bill looked at Richie and then moved to the side, letting her move the papers.
She slowly sat her two papers down and began to move the papers around as everyone around her read it out slowly
"Hope"
"Lydia"
"Said"
"Goodbye"
"To"
"C and M"
"What the fuck does that mean? What the fuck is C and M?" Eddie spoke panicked
Lydia looked up at everyone "my kids- I- Connor and Mia, s-sometimes I'd call them C and M. I left them with a babysitter" she stuttered, pausing to take a deep breath
"Well, the clown is definitely back.. and I've a feeling this is only the start.. " she continued fearfully
A/N;
Yes stan is alive! He's coming up verrrryyy soon! :)