✓ | LOSERS CLUB → richie tozier ¹

fifteen

"THAT WAS horrible!" Ash laughed, brushing her hair out of her face.

Eddie shook his head, swinging their hands back and forth. "You know you loved it."

She rolled her eyes. "You're relentless, Eddie Kaspbrak."

"You know how lame it would have looked if I had rode by myself?" He demanded, and she looked at him for a few seconds before relenting.

"Okay, okay. It would have looked pretty lame."

"Exactly."

They walked on, having already rode most of the rides, and Eddie bumped her shoulder with his. "You wanna get going?"

She nodded. "Hold on, I need to get something. I think I left my bag in that one tent by the Ferris wheel. Wait for me?"

Eddie nodded and gave her a swift kiss on her cheek. "Hurry back."

She grinned and headed back towards the tent, dodging past different people.

She finally reached the tent, which was empty. Looking around, she spotted her bag still hooked over the back of the chair she had been sitting on. She rummaged through it, moving aside all the shit inside.

"Damn, where the hell are my cigarettes?" She muttered, coming up empty handed.

Then she remembered. She had left them at Richie's.

"Goddamn it, Tozier." She said, slumping into the chair.

And then, she felt a weird sensation rise in her chest and a gut wrenching pain shot through it.

Letting out a cry, she hunched over, clutching her stomach and squeezed her eyes shut as the pain built up and built up until it stopped abruptly.

Her chest heaving, Ash sat up, gasping.

Her whole body felt white hot, sweat slicking her hands and she struggled to breathe, wheezing.

Then, she heard someone step into the tent and hurriedly stood, almost falling.

"I'm fine- just getting my bag- um, I'll just- I'll just be-"

Looking up, she stopped shoving things into her bag, and went still.

Richie was standing at the entrance, concern written all over his face.

And then, Ash remembered.

"I'll stop being a bitch when you stop being a trashmouth."

"I hope it fucking kills you."

Her hand found her mouth, which was wide open in shock. What the hell was going on?

"It possessed you." Richie said, his voice cracking. "I was an idiot not to see it. I'm just glad I got here in time."

The projector. She had seen Abby in the clown's face and had just stood there. . .

"I'm so sorry."

She stared at him, and he put his face in his hands. "I can't believe I said that to you. Ash, I. . ."

He trailed off, and then looked back up at her. "I really, really like you."

She pressed her lips together, her eyes filling with tears and he looked down.

And then she ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck as tears streamed down her face. "I'm so, so sorry Rich. I was so fucking stupid."

He wrapped his arms tight around her shoulders. "Stop. You aren't stupid, beautiful, you know you aren't."

She let out a shaky laugh, and he murmured, "Now come on. Let go, stop crying, and we can go back to my house and my mom can fix us an amazing dinner or some bullshit like that."