The Years After (IT Chapter Two fanfic)(Sequel to Summer of '89)

3.

"Alright let's talk about the elephant not in the room, Ben. What the fuck man" Richie laughed.

"Okay okay, obviously I've lost a few pounds" Ben said.

"A few!"

"Yeah man like, you're hot!" Charlie said.

Mike smiled and looked at her raising his eyebrows, but she shook her head.

"Yeah you're like every Brazilian soccer player wrapped into one you're gorgeous" Richie said backing Charlie up.

"Leave him alone, you're embarrassing him" Beverly said. They laughed.

"Alright okay please, is Stanley coming or what?" Ben asked, and everyone got quiet.

"Stanley" Charlie said, leaning into her chair, remembering the dude. They all looked at the empty seat and remembered their friend.

"Why would Stanley save you anyway, wasn't I the one who performed surgery on you? After Bowers cut you up" Eddie told Ben, he then turned to Charlie "And then I stitched you up after that fight, holy shit that's right!"

"Ahh I did kick his ass after though" Charlie said while taking a drink.

"Ed's please tell me you became a doctor" Bev said.

"No I ended up becoming a risk analyst"

"Oh that sounds really interesting, what is that entail?" Richie asked.

Eddie started to explain his job but then Richie started to snore loudly. Eddie looked at him with an annoyed face that made everyone giggle. Everyone was trying to hide their laughter.

"Fuck you dude. Fuck. You." Eddie told him when he "woke up". Everyone was trying to hold back wide smiles as they looked at Eddie's annoyed face.

"So, was this job invented before fun?" Richie asked him.

"Oh that's so not funny" Eddie said.

"It is funny" Charlie said, gasping for a breath. 

"What the fuck are you laughing at?!" Eddie told her. She smirked and laughed harder. Her ribs hurt as everyone burst out laughing.

"I propose a toast" Bev said lifting her beer "To the Losers" They all clinked their glasses.

They enjoyed themselves the whole night. Eddie and Richie arm wrestled, Ben and Charlie had a drinking contest to see who drank a full glass of beer first.

As the waitress brought the bowl of fortune cookies, Charlie was talking with Mike.

"So how you been doing" Charlie asked him, grabbing a cookie from the bowl.

"I've been in Derry all these years" he said. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah, I just felt like I couldn't leave just yet. But whatta bout you? How you been?"

"Meh, not bad. Nothing great really" she looked down starting to crack open the cookie. "Listen, I'm sorry I never called you know, after that summer"

"Why didn't you?"

"I dunno, I felt it was my fault for leaving in the first place and I didn't want to hurt you more" she said.

Mike nodded, "Yeah, I'm just glad we're all together again" Charlie nodded and gave him a small smile.

"I mean it's weird right?" Ben said listening in "Now that we're all here, everything comes back faster and faster, all of it"

"Yeah you know when Mike called me, I threw up?" Richie said. "I feel fine now, I feel relieved to be with you guys"