Tight-Knit Family| Richie Tozier

10-

April 1988-

Richie had always enjoyed school. He got good grades and had his small friendship group. Which, consists of him, Eddie Kaspbrak, Stanley Uris and Bill Denbrough. When Richie had reached the age of ten, he had begun to understand what romantic feelings where due to reading and now, at the age of 12, he fully understood what being in love was.

He had feelings for his best friend and he knew that liking boys was frowned upon in Derry. So, he tried to bury it. He always wanted to be around Eddie. He would call him stupid nicknames and pinch the boys cheek. He hugged him a lot and irritated him just to hear the sound of his laughter or the way his voice sounds when he yells at him. Richie was in love and he was scared and it was clearly obvious.

Middle school sucked. There were rumours of Richie being gay and he was beaten up and teased due to it. He'd been cornered earlier today by Henry Bowers and his gang and had been beaten up. He limps into his house, the side of his chest aching, his eye feeling sore and his glasses were broken in the bridge of them. He carries them and places his bag down.

"How was your day?" Maggie calls out without even looking at her son. Richie limps in to find his mom having tea with his aunt Wanda.

"Yeah, mom, it was great. Real great. Love being beaten within an inch of my life." Richie groans and Maggie and Wanda stare at him in shock.

"What happened?" Maggie asks, standing up and going over to him, going to touch his face. He flinches back in pain." Oh my god, your glasses again?"

"Yeah, guess we have to get the tape out again." Richie sighs, handing his mom his glasses." I'm going upstairs to check my ribs. They hurt."

"Honey, was it that Henry kid again?" Maggie asks. Richie nods and he limps upstairs.

He goes to the bathroom and shrugs off his Hawaiian shirt before lifting off his T-shirt. He looks at his chest and it's badly bruised then he looks in the mirror. His eye is swollen and his lip is busted. He then shrugs off his jeans in pain and his leg has a massive bruise up it. He sighs and sits on the edge of the bath, trying to get his bearings. He sighs again, feeling tears rush to his eyes. He lets out a shaky breath before standing up, redressing and going to his room.

He moves his electric guitar off of his bed and places it on the stand beside his acoustic one. Then he sits down on his bed, struggling to see because of not having his glasses. There's a knock on his door and he looks up. Wanda smiles as she walks in, his glasses in one hand and a first aid kit in the other. She sits down beside him and shoots him a small smile.

"Your mom wants me to clean you up whilst she's talks to your dad on the phone." Wanda explains as she opens the first aid kit.

"She doesn't have to." Richie sighs as Wanda pours some alcohol onto a cotton pad.

"She's worried and she's your mom, she's allowed." Wanda says and she goes to Pat his lip with the cotton pad. Richie moves his head." I know it messes with your autism, but we need to clean this wound, okay?"

"Fine." Richie sighs but he gags slightly when it touches his lip. Then he whines and moves away, shaking his head." Stop, I don't like it!"

"Okay, Rich, okay. I'm sorry." Wanda apologises and she hands him his stuffed elephant. He hugs it to his chest as she uses something else to clean the wound. He flinches in pain." Wanna talk about what happened?"

"Not really." Richie replies. Wanda looks at him.

"Listen, Rich. I'm not that much older than you. 17 years. I've only been out of Highschool for 13 years, okay? I'm probably a lot more understanding than your mom and dad. You can talk to me." Wanda explains softly as she gently cleans Richie's lip.

"Aunt Wanda, I need help with love." Richie says. Wanda raises an eyebrow as she finishes cleaning his lip. Then she gets an ice pack and holds it gently on his eye. He winces as he continues." I like someone and...society wouldn't accept it. I already get beaten up for it because I make it obvious I like this person."

"Why won't people accept it?" Wanda asks and Richie sighs." Rich?"

"I like a boy." He admits and Wanda's eyes go wide." And I-I know it's wrong for me to like him. But he's so cute and so funny and I...I know I shouldn't like a boy in that way. I know it's wrong-

"It isn't wrong, Richie. You can love whoever you want to love." Wanda says and Richie stares at her." It's okay."

"Please don't tell mom and dad." Richie says and Wanda nods, removing the ice pack and sliding his glasses on to his face before kissing his forehead gently. Richie smiles. Then they hear the front door opening and Wentworth and Maggie talking.

Wanda and Richie go downstairs together and Wentworth walks over to his son, pulling him into a tight hug. Richie starts to cry slowly into his dads chest and Wentworth just holds him gently, letting him cry and get his emotions out.

-
Maggie and Wentworth sit on the couch later on. Wanda has gone home and Richie's asleep in bed. Maggie and Wentworth are cuddling, watching a TV show quietly.

"I'm worried about Richie." Maggie says as Wentworth strokes her arm gently before kissing her forehead. She looks up at him, teary eyed." Oscars kid won't leave him alone. Henry is 14, he shouldn't be picking on 12 year olds. Richie won't open up about it, either, and I hate seeing him like it."

"I do too." Wentworth says softly and Maggie starts to cry." Hey, Maggie moo, what's all this about?"

"It's just been going on for so long and it's clearly getting to him. We've been to the school and complained but they haven't done anything about it and it isn't fair. He's a 12 year old boy with autism, he can only take so much." Maggie sobs and Wentworth holds her tighter.

"I know, honey. I hate seeing him like it aswell. The bloody noses, the black eyes, him in tears. It hurts to see him in pain." Wentworth says and he has to hold it together.

He eventually cries when he has a moment to himself. Maggie had gone up to bed an hour later and Wentworth had just burst into tears once alone. He hates seeing Richie in pain. He hates that Richie feels like he can't tell his parents why henry is bullying him. He hates hearing Richie crying. He hates that the school aren't doing anything. He just wants his son to be happy b