IMPULSE {Richie Tozier}

6

"You better apologize you dip shit!" Eddie shouts as they all begin to leave the quarry.

Richie looks at him in disbelief.

"Me?! What did I do!?"

Bev rolls her eyes, and Stan lets out a long sigh.

"You guys are acting like I murdered someone! C'mon, this Ivy Okonma we're talking about! The town train wreck!" Richie defensively argues, hopping onto his bike.

Bill frowns at his statement.

"She's nice...just apologize, o-okay?" Bill insists, beginning to bike off with everyone else following him.

Richie sighs, knowing full and well that he was in the wrong.

"Yeah, okay." He complies. "Wait, right now?"

Bill nods, stopping in front of the house. Richie grows pale, along with Stan and Eddie.

"What about everything we saw—" Ben starts.

"You can sneak in through her window," Bev suggests, pointing at the vines leading up to a window.

"How do we know that's even her room?" Richie argues, looking up at the window with uncertainty.

"I've seen her staring at the window a few times," Bev admits with a guilty frown.

Richie shakes his head.

"Nope. No way! No way!"

Yet, seconds later, he's climbing up the vines.

"Remind me why you guys can't come up with me?" The boy calls over his shoulder, too afraid to look down.

"Because! We're not the ones who fucked up!" Stan calls with a devious grin.

Richie rolls his eyes.

Once he's at the window, he desperately knocks, fearing the fall that might take place if she didn't open up soon.

Ivy looks up from her book and looks towards the window. A mixture of emotions flow through her as she meets Richie's eyes.

'Open up' he mouths.

Quickly, she stands and rushes to open the window.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" She whispers, stepping aside as the boy falls into her room.

He groans a little, fixing his glasses and allows his eyes to scan her room. "I came to apologize..."

She looks at him skeptically.

He catches her look and raises his hands defensively.

"Honest! I really did come to say sorry."

The girl walks around him and peaks out her window, seeing the rest of the losers patiently waiting.

"They made you come didn't they?" She hums.

Richie blushes, not expecting to be caught in his lie.

"Yeah, Eddie feels pretty bad."

Ivy rolls her eyes and plops back into her bed. Richie follows, sitting beside her.

"Do you ever think before you speak?" She questions.

"do i ever what before i what now?"

The girl giggles a little and shakes her head. Richie smiles at the positive response.

"I expect nothing and somehow I'm still let down," She mutters, going back to her book.

Richie rolls his eyes, and pulls the book out of her grasp. Ivy's eyes widen.

"Hey! Give that back, Tozier!"

Richie grins, closing the book and throwing it aside.

"Would you just listen to my stupid apology for a second?"

Ivy huffs.

"Fine. Hurry up, I'm pretty pissed."

"Listen, I'm really sorry. I don't know how to deal with serious emotions without turning them into a fucking joke," He begins, "...and, it's just– I really want to have a chance with Janice Baylor. And I can't if everyone thinks you like me."

Ivy nods, understanding. With a deep sigh, she sits up properly and looks at him.

"Well, I don't like you."

Richie stares at the girl blankly.

"Y-You don't?...but I thought—"

"I did. And now I don't. So have fun trying to win Janice Baylor's heart," Ivy says offering a smile and ignoring her breaking heart.

Richie feels wrong about this. Yet, he nods his head slowly.

"You sure you're okay?"

"I don't have enough middle fingers to show you how I feel." Ivy jokes.

A grin breaks onto Richie's face, and his heart aches all at once.

"You should go."

Richie frowns.

"Why? Did I say something—"

"No, but your loser friends are waiting for you.," Ivy laughs lightly, standing and peering out the window.

Richie chuckles. "You're a loser too now. You should come to Ben's tomorrow."

She raises a brow, "I thought you said—"

"I was being stupid. If you're not there, I will personally sneak into your room and kidnap you."

Ivy laughs and pushes him towards the window.

"Okay, fine. See ya, Tozier."

Richie waves, climbing out the window and heading back down. Ivy shuts her window and breathes deeply.

Her eyes drift to Novocane, who gives her a 'you-so-like-him' expression.

"What? I just said I don't like him," Ivy defends.

She likes him. She SO likes him.