Family Line | Toziers

1

Richie's home life wasn't ever really the best. That's why most of the time, he'd spend his time with his friends, or anywhere but home.

His father was a horrible man. Which is why August 17th was a great day to be alive still. But that day hadn't come yet. It's only days away, though.

Richie's mother was a kind woman. She cared for her child, unlike her husband. Richie hasn't really ever seen his mother cry. Only scream.

Anyways, as I was saying, Richie's father is horrible. Normally, if Richie did something that were to piss him off, he'd yell at him. Maybe even hurt him. That was pretty rare, though.

Maggie Tozier. If Maggie were to say anything wrong, or do something wrong in front of her husband, he would be furious. The first time it happened, Richie and his mother thought that Wentworth just had to leave to take a quick breather.

That's what they thought. Life doesn't work like that for the Tozier family, though. Whenever his father returned, he'd be angrier than he was before he'd left. Though, all of his anger has been built up into his hand.

He hit Maggie. Richie watched it happened. He screamed for his mother and cried, trying to break it up. The only thing they were resulted in is Maggie's bloody nose and a black eye, and Richie with a large, red hand print on his left cheek.

His mother never fought back, though. He thought that was incredibly stupid, yet he felt sympathy for his poor mother.

She hadn't done anything wrong.

Neither did Richie.

So, when the 17th of August eventually did come, his mother did something Richie had hoped would happen for so long.

"I'm leaving, and I'm taking Richie with me." She said. Went was angry, yet intimidated.

He was drunk, anyway. So, that's what Maggie did. She left. They divorced officially and Maggie took Richie, weeks later.

Richie was still in contact with his friends, and he still went to school. Something felt off.

Sure, he was grateful to finally be away from his toxic household into one with a much more caring parent, but Maggie never took the divorce well.

She began to drink. She couldn't help it. Richie began to smoke, as well. That and his jokes were the only way he could cope with it.

Maggie never did anything horrible, though. She promised herself and Richie that she wouldn't be like his father.

Richie doesn't like to admit that his parents are truly even parents anymore. He never talks about them. Which made some conversations with his friends sort of difficult.

———

"We should hang out together Saturday," Mike said.

Everyone agreed and decided on where.

"Th-The quarry?" Bill suggested.

"Nah, let's have a sleepover at someone's house!" Bev said, excitedly.

Richie loved sleepovers. They got him away from home.

"Good idea, who's house?" Stanley asked.

"Not mine. My mom would freak out if she found out that anybody except for me and her were in her house, spreading germs and bacteria everywhere you go." Eddie said, rolling his eyes and mocking his mother.

"What do you mean? She lets me in her bed all the time and doesn't care about the germs?" Richie jokes.

The losers laugh, and Eddie tries to hold back a smile.