all the losers were in alley way, minus eddie who had gone to get him and richie ice cream, and richie who was harassing a horn player in a band.
no one had spoken a word about what had happened at the quarry. it's like everyone was too scared to ask parker. parker was too scared to answer.
she quietly watched richie attempt to play the horn as the player tried to grab it back. she couldn't even crack a smile. she was ignoring what bill was saying. just something else about another missing kid.
"what the fuck, dude?" richie says as the horn player finally snatches the horn back. parker usually would have giggled at that, she didn't even crack a smile.
richie rejoins the group as eddie approaches with two vanilla ice cream cones. he hands one to richie. richie offers parker some but she shakes her head. not even ice cream could help.
parker could hear the voices around her, but they were muffled. it's like she had cotton in her ears. all that she could see was it's sinister smile, the way he had terror in his eyes. yet, she couldn't look away.
"parker!" she blinked as she was brought back to reality. she brought her eyes over to richie who yelled her name. her shoulders were in his hands and he look worried.
"what?" she asks, her voice hoarse. she clears her throat.
"what happened to you?" eddie asks, he takes a lick of his ice cream cone. everyone looks at the blonde haired girl in concern.
parker felt her cheeks heat up, giving them their signature rosy look. she darted her eyes from face to face. she thought she might pass out.
"parker, what did henry bowers do to you?" stan asks. that name made parker shiver. she wanted to throw up.
"y-y-you ca-an tell u-us a-a-a-anything." bill says, he offers the girl a small smile. she wished that would have made her feel better.
"he-he-" she couldn't even get the words out of her mouth. she began to cry, she didn't know girls at her age could even feel like this.
"he touched me." she whispers, a lump forming in her throat. she struggled to get her next words out. "he got his friends to hold me down. he put his hands on my sides, he moved his hands up my body. until he g-groped my chest."
parker's voice was quiet but her friends heard her loud and clear. parker cried harder. richie pulled parker into a hug. she wrapped her arms around him so tightly and she sobbed onto his shirt.
eventually it was a group hug. a huge mess of teens. parker really felt loved and knew she would always love her friends. the people who she loved the most.
"i'm gonna fuck bower's sorry ass up." richie whispers into parker's ear. it was in that moment that parker knew richie cared about her, really cared about her. she knew in that moment that she was in love with richie tozier.
she had noticed lately how he stayed to see if she was okay, he wanted to make her laugh, he gave her longing looks, and he had pulled her into the hug.
just because she was only 13 years old doesn't mean she doesn't know how she feels. she finally knows what love truly feels like. she hopes richie feels the same.
the losers now sat in somewhat of a circle. they were by a stage where a clown was performing. the sight was unsettling.
"my grandfather thinks this town is cursed." mike says, the mood of the group shifts back to sadness.
richie sits on his bike seat, parker sits on his knee. his arms are around her waist. the only human contact she wants to feel right now.
"seems like it." parker muses. she would usually giggle but she just looks at her shoes with a solemn look.
"we all saw something." mike says.
"but we didn't," stan says, he draws the attention of the other seven, "because it isn't real. it's like a bad dream."
"i-i know the difference between a bad dream and real life." mike says, beverly grips her hair with her hands.
"we all saw something different because it isn't real." stan says again. parker knows deep down that stan believes it real, he's just too scared to admit.
"it is real, stanley." parker speaks up. richie's grip around her waist tightens.
"no, it's not real. not the girl i saw-"
"was she hot?" richie can't help but ask. parker doesn't know whether to roll her eyes or softly chuckle. so she just elbows richie.
"no, richie, she's not hot!" stan snaps. richie doesn't say anything back.
"w-we're all s-s-scared of something." bill says.
"you got that right." richie says after he looks back at the performing clown.
"why, what are you afraid of, rich?" eddie asks.
"clowns," richie weakly mutters. parker leans back into him. he smiles, so does she.
they all turn their heads to the clown behind them. he hands a child a balloon. parker shudders.
"d-don't f-f-forget guys, m-my house t-t-t-t-tomorrow." bill says as he stands up. he says goodbye and walks way.
one by one the losers trickle away. only richie and parker are left. parker moves to the bench, richie sits next to her.
"richie," parker lets outs a breath, "thanks for being there for me."
"i'll always be here for you, park." it was weird to see richie be so serious, he's usually so loud and funny. parker couldn't help but swoon.
"same to you, rich. i hope everything at home is going okay." parker offers a small smile. she knew that richie's parents were awful to him and neglected him. she wishes they saw him as the person she saw him as.
"yeah." richie doesn't like discussing his home life. even to parker. "thanks parker."
parker stares into richie's deep brown eyes. he stares back making her heart melt. she could get lost in his eyes, she wouldn't mind. she felt her cheeks heat up and she knew she was blushing.
"aw, baby, did i make you blush?" richie coos and parker breaks the eye contact by rolling her eyes. richie can only be serious for so long. he's always ruining the moment.
she reaches and shoves his shoulder. "you always ruin the moment."
"so we were having a moment?" richie smirks. parker rolls her eyes once more. she crosses her arms.
"yeah, we were." she emphasizes the last word. "i have to go home now, i'll see you tomorrow, richie."
"see ya later alligator." parker giggles at the saying.
a burst of confidence explodes inside of parker so in the moment she leans over and kisses richie's cheek before leaving.
as she walking away she doesn't see richie's smile. she would have swooned at the sight.
she also didn't see his rosy cheeks.
-
hey i'm not dead! i hope u liked this cute-ish update
ok bye <3
