the losers group chat

pt 2 (irl)

⚠️THIS IS NOT A GC PART, THIS IS JUST FOR FILLERS OF WHAT HAPPENED WHEN BEV WENT TO RICHIE!!⚠️

Richie set down his phone and sighed. He knew Bev didn't mean it. She didn't know what was going on. She used it as a joke.

But Richie couldn't help but cry over this. Even if it wasn't meant in any bad way, it still hit a sensitive spot in Richie.

He sat on his bed in the dark and cried for a bit. He didn't know whether to be sad or happy, but it still hurt.

The night before, when Richie said it was 'too loud to sleep' on the chat, he meant his parents were arguing. Loud. Even though it was three AM. Time never stops the used-to-be-married couple.

His mother had left that night, left without notice. Richie had still been in his room, trying to block out the noise and distract himself. The group chat was his first option, but that flunked after the only people online left.

He sat in tears as he thought about her, when suddenly his window flew open.

He jumped, and watched as a figure climbed through, stumbling and cursing under their breath as they made it in.

Richie grabbed his glasses and set them roughly on his face. He squinted a bit and recognized the weird figure.

"Bev?" Richie said, sniffing.

"Heyy! Richie!" She announced quietly, shutting the window that let the nice, night breeze in.

"What are you doing here?" He whispered.

She walked over to him and sat on his bed.

"I wanted to check up on you, I'm kinda concerned about what happened and you wouldn't answer me over text, so now I'm here," she responded, smiling. Though, her smile dropped when she looked closer. "Are you okay?! Have you been crying?" She said, quiet but loud at the same time.

Richie wiped the tears off of his face and sniffed. "N-No.."

"Rich.." she could only say, and he turned his head away. "I'm really sorry for what I said, could you please tell me why you're reacting like this, though?"

The reminder of what Bev said just made Richie break into a sob. Beverly's eyes widened, and she grabbed Richie, holding him in a hug.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, don't cry, I didn't
mean-" she stopped herself, sighing and closing her eyes as she let Richie cry into her.

'What is going on with you, Tozier?' she asked herself as her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

When Richie's cries went to a slow stammer for breath, he sniffed a little, and sat up, playing with his hands.

"Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Well of course I'm not 'okay' Bev."

"Sorry, stupid question," she apologized, lightly let out breath of laughter.

"When you said 'that's why your mother left you,' I know you meant it as a joke. I know. But, in fact.." he started.

He then sighed, rubbing his face a bit.

"If I tell you, promise me you'll keep it between us?"

"Of course. I've kept the Eddie thing between us for years, what's another secret?"

"Okay," he sighed out, then sniffed. "So, when I told you and Mike it was 'too loud to sleep' last night, I meant my parents.."

Beverly was a bit confused at this.

"They we're arguing. Loud. There was screaming, crashing, and a lot more stuff too, but my mom.."

Beverly was so concerned at this.

"Wait pause, why were they arguing?" Beverly asked.

"They hate me. They were arguing about how neither of them even wanted me. They wanted a divorce, but neither of them wanted to take me."

Beverly felt her heart break listening to this. She wanted to hug Richie and never let go.

"I'm so sorry, why do they even hate you? There's literally nothing wrong with you. What assholes," she said.

Richie nodded, sighing out of his nose.

"Yea," he replied.

"Carry on with the rest of your story," she said, comforting him as he sat there, not making eye contact.

He sighed. "My mom actually did leave. She left and I don't know where she went, but I guess she's finally had it with me or something. But she's gone. So yeah."

She froze. She felt a wave of guilt.

"I'm really, really sorry for bringing that up, I didn't know, I'm so sorry."

"No, no, it's alright now. I know you didn't mean it, and I'm not mad at you, I just was kinda bothered by it and didn't want to talk to anyone."

"Understandable, but I'm sorry that happened, you deserve much better," she brought him into a tight hug.

He sniffed a bit, nose still running from crying so hard.

"Thank you, Bev," he slightly smiled, and she smiled back.

She spent the night with him that night, hugging him the whole way through. Even when he woke from a nightmare, she held him close and calmed him down.

Richie didn't know what he could do without Beverly. He was so glad, and so lucky to have her.