the losers aren't really losers.

5 - 😓🤞

"Richie! Come back!" Eddie called, he and Beverly scurrying to their feet. They were both extremely worried for their friend's behavior.

Richie ran out of the room and to the front door, sniffing and crying. "Richie?" Stanley spoke up from the couch, and the boy ignored him. The few on the couches exchanged looks before getting up and following him. 

"Rich, are y-you okay?" Bill asked, catching up to him and lightly grabbing his wrist. Richie turned to the boy and looked him dead in the eyes while sobs poured out of him every five seconds. "Hey, come here," Bill said softly, and tried to bring Richie into a hug.

"No," Richie stubbornly mumbled and walked away from Bill to go make sure the front door and all of the windows were locked and the curtains were closed. 

"What's he doing?" Ben asked as he watched Richie staring out the window through a sliver of the curtains. Eddie and Beverly joined the group of four, looking in the direction that they were. Eddie ran over to Richie and sat next to him on the couch.

"Richie, what did your mom say? What's going on-" Eddie questioned, and Richie turned to him at a frantic speed.

"Eddie, he's coming. He's coming to kill me. I need help, we need to leave, we need to hide, we nee-" Richie breathed heavily, waving his arms around. Eddie grabbed both of Richie's wrists and got closer to him, their eyeballs almost touching. Richie was about to lean in when Eddie spoke up.

"Calm. Down. We're going to get you the hell out of here, and we're gonna make sure it happens where you don't get hurt," Eddie companied. 

The five - Bill, Stanley, Beverly, Ben, and Mike - all gawked at the two on the couch, all silently cheering them on to kiss. When Eddie moved in, they all felt their hearts skip a beat. Including Richie. But, the shorter boy only hugged him, and Richie felt the disappointment in his body, as well as everyone else. 

"Please help," Richie mumbled, voice cracking.

"We will. We've fought a big, ugly clown before. We can fight this one, too," Eddie said softly.

Richie chuckled and hugged tighter, making sure he could see outside still. He watched for his father, or even the man's car. 

"We need to inform the Losers," Richie whispered and pulled away from the hug to look Eddie straight in the eyes.

"How much do you want to bet they're all stalking us right now?" Eddie smiled, talking low enough just so Richie could hear.

The two both turned their heads, noticing the five standing from a bit of a far distance. Beverly put a thumb up to Richie with a smile, Bill smiled and waved, Stanley began to whistle and looked up at the roof, Mike pretended to be distracted with something else, and Ben just started laughing at everyone else.

Eddie looked back at Richie, who did the same. They both got lost in each other's eyes. Leaning in closer and closer, the two's eyes began to shut.

Three loud bangs were heard and everyone's faces dropped, their heads shooting to the door. Richie's eyes widened and tears poured out, his breathing picking up. Beverly shot a glance at him.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Richie rambled, shaking like crazy. Eddie grabbed him, put his hands around the boy's shoulders, and led him somewhere safer in the house.

"Don't let that man in! If he asks, no, Richie's not here, and you don't know anyone by that name," Eddie informed.

"Guys, what the hell is going on?!" Beverly exclaimed. Eddie ignored her and ran away to the back of the house with Richie.

"C-C'mon.." Bill said. He walked to the door, the others staying close but not so close that they could be seen. Bill opened the door, shivering at the man with a terrifying look on his face.

"Where the fuck is he?" Wentworth asked sternly.

"Uhh.. I think you have the wrong house, sir. I don't know w-w-what you're talking about," Bill played easily.

"Don't be stupid with me or I'll beat your fucking brains out," Wentworth snarled.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave b-before I call the cops."

"Hand over Richard and I'll be on out of here, cunthole."

"Who the heck is Richard-?" Wentworth scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine then," he grumbled. The man shoved past Bill, knocking him to the ground.

"H- Hey! Get the hell out of my house! Wh-w-w-what is your problem?!" Bill screamed.

"I know my 'son's' hiding in here somewhere," Wentworth growled.

Bill eyed the four on the couch, and Beverly grabbed her phone, dialing in the cop's number. She watched Wentworth leave and heard the phone pick up.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Please send help, a man walked in our house without our consent and he's our friend's dad and he's really abusive and he's trying to kill our friend," Beverly explained, and the other three exchanged terrified looks. Bill got up and joined them on the couch.

"Okay, help is on the way. What's the address?" the woman on the line asked. Beverly helped her with their location and the lady assured her that help is coming. "Please stay on the line, can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, hurry please. He's gonna kill him," Beverly cried, her voice cracking.

"We are doing all that we can, they should arrive soon, sweetie," the woman informed. Beverly sighed and nodded, trying to calm down.

Eddie held Richie tightly, the two crammed into a cupboard. The place they were hidden was dark, the light in the room casting against the small closet like furniture. When looking inside, you wouldn't be able to tell someone was in there even if you looked closely and sat there for a good minute. 

Richie was shaking terribly, Eddie's arms wrapped around him and his head. He had a knife with him for protection, ready to stab at whoever opened the small cabinet's door. 

All of a sudden, the door to the room they were in burst open, Richie squeezed his hand over his mouth and Eddie pointed the knife at the door.

"Richieee~" sang Wentworth, "I know you're in here." Richie curled into Eddie even more, who was so scared and yet sympathetic at the same time.

"Hey!" Richie and Eddie heard a voice call, and they both looked up. "Get the fuck out of my house, police a-are on their way."

"You're an annoying fucking kid, aren't you?" Wentworth spat.

"You're an annoying fucking pervert. What the hell are you even doing in here?! Whoever that.. Richard, is it? Yeah, whoever that Richard kid is, I'm sorry for him to have you as a father." Eddie rubbed Richie's shoulder, who looked down.

"He's doing a good job," Richie whispered, barely audible. Eddie nodded.

Wentworth huffed. "He's here. I know he is."

"Why the hell would ss-some random ass kid be in my house? Wait- is there a random ass kid in my house?!" Bill exclaimed, acting clueless.

"Fine. I'm searching your entire house until I find this little shit, nothing you say or do can stop me," the man growled, leaving the room and exploring elsewhere.

Bill glanced over at the small cabinet, walking over to it and knocking on the door. "Are you guys in there? It's j-j-just Bill."

"Yeah," Eddie said. Bill opened the door, jumping back a bit when he saw Eddie holding a knife close to him. 

"Woah, woah. It's me," Bill said, putting his hands up. He glanced at Richie and his face turned gloomy, upset he has to see his friend like this. "Come on, let's go before he c-c-comes."

"Too late, hm?" Wentworth spoke from the doorway, leaning against it.

"Shit," Eddie said.