The End Of Us || losers club ✔️

thirty six

thirty six - summer leaves turn brown

Back to school shopping is not something Richie ever thought he would be doing again. Hope was dim in the last year or so back at the Correctional Center, he'll admit. Wentworth tests all the backpacks he encounters by aggressively zipping the zipper and pulling at the straps.

"Dad, stop. It looks like you're trying to make it break," Richie says, pulling his dad's arm down.

"No," fights Went, "I'm making sure it'll last you all four years. Hell, six if you go off to graduate school. Eight if you get-"

"I don't think I'm smart enough for graduate school," replies Richie as he thumbs a backpack strap between his fingers.

Went blows a raspberry. "Nonsense."

Richie just shakes his head and continues on down the aisle. There isn't much of the supplies left in stock as majority of schools start in a week or two, but Richie and Went both agreed college isn't looking for three packs of glue sticks and enough colored pencils to last a year. A couple notebooks and color coordinating folders should do (the color coordination was upon Eddie's request).

"I'm so happy you got into college. All of your friends, too," Went continues to say as he picks up another backpack. "When does Beverly leave?"

Hearing that question makes Richie's shoulders drop. "Soon," he says flatly. Soon. Ugh. Makes Richie want to gag. All of his friends are leaving. First Stanley, then Ben, and now Beverly. It's like a needle through the heart for Richie because he feels as though he had just gotten them back. Ever since Beverly confessed to the group that she was moving to Omaha to be closer to Ben, he had been kicking himself over not talking to them for a month earlier in the year.

"Why Omaha? What's in Omaha?" Mike had asked her.

"Ben," she replied, grinning. "Guys. I think Ben and I are.. like, dating."

Wow. What a shock that was! Richie thinks, shaking his head. He is happy for his two friends, though- well, maybe more amused at the pair being together, but happy for them nonetheless.

"Is there even a college in Omaha?" Eddie asked, making Beverly scoff at them.

"Guys! Omaha is not a ghost town. There's like.. a lot of people there. The university I'm going to has 12,000 enrollments each year. That's more than the population of Derry!"

Richie laughed. "Your university is a joke. It spells out UNO, like the damn card game."

"You guys suck," Beverly had said, but they all knew she didn't mean it.

Even with the joking and making fun, Richie had to admit to Beverly at the end of it all how proud he was she had been able to secure a scholarship to pay for the majority of her schooling and dorm. That is not something that happens to just anyone.

"Rich, I found the one!" Went says, pulling Richie out of his thoughts.

"You've gotta be pulling my leg, man," Richie groans when he sees The Magic School Bus themed backpack. "I'm not wearing that."

"It was the only one who passed my test," Went argued and help up the backpack to show off its strength. "See, Rich, watch."

"I'm not watching. No, thank you!" Richie says and walks away. He can hear Went tsk at him and throw something in the cart.