cash in. (au story)

chapter 10; losers.

saturday was incredibly boring, just a normal day. yes, including richie and kevin fighting almost the entire time and richie annoyed the boy to oblivion.

eventually, it was sunday, and richie finally had the day off. he teased kevin about it, who had to stay at work and run it still since the pharmacy couldn't just close.

"hey, rich!" mike cheered, jogging after him as they met at the central park. richie smiled and dabbed the boy up.

"hey, mikey," richie greeted, "how are ya this wonderful morning?"

"good, how are you?"

"preeetty good." mike nodded. "i hope it's not too uncomfortable for you, but i met these new friends and said i would hang out with them today as well, so would you perhaps be up for meeting new people? keep in mind, i barely know any of 'em."

"oh, okay! sounds good to me, always up for meeting someone new."

"that's great!" richie exclaimed. "they're meeting here soon, not sure when, but apparently soon."

"got it."

eventually, bill, eddie, and stanley rode up together, mid-conversation.

"i feel like that's a l-l-little ridiculous," said bill, looking over at stan as he biked.

"ridiculous? what's ridiculous is that you have no clue what to do with your future," stanley shot back. eddie snickered.

"damn, bill," he said.

"oh, eds! you look different than the last time i saw you?" richie yelped. eddie stopped his bike and set it down in the grass before walking over to richie with stanley and bill.

"oh? how so?" he asked. richie shrugged.

"you look cuter!" he exclaimed. mike eyed the boy, and eddie sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"wow, eddie, y-you pull?" bill asked in a joking manner, causing eddie to elbow him.

"guys, this is mike. i'm richie, if you didn't hear me at the pharmacy," richie introduced. stanley and bill nodded.

"i'm stanley, he's bill. and i'm guessing you know eddie already," stanley said.

"who's eddie? i only know eds."

eddie scoffed. "it's eddie. we've been over this."

"not more than i'm over your mother! ohh!" richie regaled, raising his hand for stanley to high five. stanley took hold of his wrist and put the boy's arm down.

"any plans on what to do today?" stanley asked the group, who shook their heads.

"we can ask ben and bev when they get here," eddie suggested.

"ss-sp-p-speaking of which," bill commented as ben and beverly rode up.

"hey, guys. heyy, richie!" she chanted, stopping her bike and joining the group with ben by her side.

"hey, i know you!" richie joked, punching her in the shoulder lightly. she snickered.

"who's this?" asked ben, referring over to mike.

"this is mike!" richie introduced.

"nice to meet you guys," said mike kindly. beverly smiled sweetly.

"you as well. i'm beverly, he's ben," she said, and ben offered a smile to mike, who exchanged one.

"alright," stanley clapped. "plans?"

"ehh.. quarry?" beverly asked.

"what's 'quarry'?" richie asked.

"it's like a giant pool with a diving board that we like to hang out in and swim around in," eddie explained. richie shivered.