Richie was in love with you, plain and simple. It's not like he'll ever admit it, though. He has a reputation to uphold, okay? If anyone found out about the major feelings he was harboring for you, he'd probably be called a softie or some other equally ego-hurting name.
Except, everyone already knew. Everyone besides you, of course. It was a classic situation; boy likes girl, boy thinks nobody else knows, when in reality literally everyone besides the girl knows. It has been painful for the entire Loser's Club to endure the red-cheeked boy's stolen glances in your direction, and the way he adamantly denied even being friends with you.
What Richie didn't notice however, was how you blushed every time he looked in your direction, or how you stared at him with the same amount of adoration in your eyes that he looked at you with. It was pure agony for everyone else to watch, pretty much.
One day in early June, the entire Loser's club was hanging out at the park after school, just screwing around, some of them trying to complete some of their last homework assignments. You and Bev had separated from the rowdy boys, in a last-ditch attempt to finish your last english assignment of the year. Bev kept joking around, causing you to laugh until tears were in your eyes.
Richie sat with Eddie and Stan a little while away, watching you. Bill, Ben, and Mike had gone to the store to get some candy, leaving the other three alone.
Bev said something particularly funny, and you laughed your hard, uncontrollable laugh, tossing your head back. Your smile was wide, cheeks rosy, a look of amusement twinkling in your eye. You looked absolutely gorgeous.
Slamming his hand down on the table abruptly, Richie yelled, "That's fucking it, I'm killing her!" His cheeks were red, as he tried to suppress the swelling feeling in his chest. Stan and Eddie shared a knowing look, chuckling quietly.
"Or," Stan started, gaining Richie's attention, "you can just man up, and ask her out." Eddie snickered quietly, making Richie roll his eyes.
"K-killing is easier," he stuttered out, stealing a glance at you. You were now writing in your notebook, pen cap captured between your teeth, a look of concentration gracing your eyebrows. How do you look so good doing literally everything? It was infuriating to Richie.
"Dude, just ask her out! You know how many diseases could kill you today, and then you'd never have a chance with her? More than you think! So, just go do it," Eddie added, looking as if he was ready to list off just how many diseases there actually was.
"Okay, okay! I will. Does that get the two of you off my back?" Richie asked, throwing his hands up in surrender. The boys nodded eagerly, and Stan pushed Richie forward with his foot, making him stumble. Richie raised him the middle finger, and Stan only made shooing motions, telling him to go on. Rolling his eyes, Richie made his way over to you.
Bev looked up and noticed him coming. Smirking, she made an excuse to go tell something urgent to Stan, and quickly hurried past Richie, giving him a thumbs up. When you looked up, you blushed, noticing your crush coming towards you.
"Heyyyy, (y/n)," Richie greeted, awkwardly sitting next to you on the bench.
"Hi, Richie," you laughed, smiling so your dimple showed. Richie's next sentence got caught in his throat, and he nearly squealed at your adorableness. How are you like this without even trying?
"W-well, you see, I was wondering, oh, fuck it! Do you wanna go on a date sometime?" he asked, looking anywhere but your eyes. Your facial expression went from confused to grinning, and in your excitement you reached out and hugged the boy in front of you tightly.
"Of course I would, Richie! Pick me up Saturday at four," you said, placing a kiss on his cheek before getting up to find Beverly, leaving Richie shocked and red as a stop sign in your wake.
