✓ | LOSERS CLUB → richie tozier ¹

six

ASH YAWNED, taking the package of cigarettes outside where she could smoke them in peace.

She was meeting the rest of the Losers later, for more ice cream, and had time to kill before then.

Cigarette smoking had started to become a habit after her best friend died. Her mom was silent. Her dad was gone.

So she was mostly on her own.

Taking a drag, she comprehended this, sitting in the alley behind the store in the silence.

But now she had friends. Actual friends she could laugh with and get into trouble with and. . .maybe even be with.

She bit her lip. Yeah, right.

Brushing her long hair out of her face she continued smoking, so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the footsteps coming nearer and nearer to her until she heard a voice say, "Well, well, well. If it isn't Ashes."

Her head shot up, a stab of fear cutting through her as the cigarette slightly slipped in her fingers.

Henry Bowers was standing in front of her with Patrick Hockstetter, Victor Criss, and Belch Huggins.

"Don't call me that." She snapped, and his eyes narrowed.

"Watch your fucking mouth. You don't have your boyfriend to save your ass."

"Richie Tozier isn't my boyfriend." Ash shot back. "And I can say whatever the hell I want to you, because you don't matter shit to me, Bowers. Fuck off."

With one swift yank he had forced her to her feet, and Ash felt herself drop the cigarette to the ground as he slammed her against the brick wall, making her cry out as her back scraped the bricks.

"We've heard stories about you, Ashes," Bowers taunted as Ash struggled to get free, his grip like iron on her arms. "About you running around with all the Losers, fucking it up with them."

"I don't fuck with any of them!" She growled, and she let out a gasp as his nails dug into her skin.

"Such lies. How do you think that makes us feel?"

"I don't belong to any of you, Bowers." Ash said, and with a surge of recklessness she spat in his face.

Henry froze, and then with one swift motion he had swiped the spit off his face and had thrown her at Patrick and Victor, saying, "Hold her."

Out of his pocket he pulled a switchblade, and there was a click as he popped the blade free.

"Tits wouldn't hold still when I tried to teach him his lesson." Henry said with a sadistic smile at Ash, who had felt all the blood drain from her face. "I'm going to make sure I don't make the same mistake with you."

Ash tried to wrench herself free of the grips of the boys but was stopped when she felt a wave of pain come over her face and she let out a soft groan of pain as she realized Henry had hit her.

She felt his hands grip the edge of her shirt as he lifted it to reveal her flat stomach, and she felt tears prick her eyes as the cold blade pressed to her skin.

"Let's see who's girl you really are, Ashes." Henry said lowly, and then there was a horrible, gut-wrenching pain in Ash's chest as he carved an 'H' into her skin.

She let out a scream, and Henry hissed, "Shut her up, idiots, shut her the hell up!"

Ash felt a hand press over her mouth and a muffled scream escaped her throat again as Henry started on the next letter of his name.