Lollipop // Richie Tozier x OC ( IT 2017 )

Sweeter Than Candy On A Stick (Prologue)

(small tw about sexual assault, nothing major)

Derry, Maine wasn't normal, the kids were particularly rowdy and the bullies way more extreme than any heard of or read about in books. Henry Bowers chased kids with knives, and his close friend Patrick groped girls when they walked by. Children went missing often, a young child called Georgie never came home on a rainy afternoon and recently a girl called Betty went missing. On the last day of school Betty's mother sat outside, sobbing when she saw all of Betty's classmates leaving for the day; others called her a lunatic, and this was classic Derry. It was the kind of place where adults didn't look when Bowers grabbed kids in the year younger by their hair, the kind of place where evil can lurk and nobody seems to pay attention.

"This was such a bad idea,"

"Richie, this was YOUR idea!"

Louise 'Lolly' Geller watched the two boys in the school walk-way, they were a year younger than her but she saw them around school often. Henry picked on them daily, yelled 'LOSER' after them constantly, and it made them stick out like sore thumbs. The pair stood on the sidewalk, staring at something on the ground. The shorter of the two was Richie, a small boy with glasses wider than his face. The glasses were thick making his eyes appear miles wild, and the dark brown circles behind the frames seemed to swallow up everything else on his face. Richie was rowdy, and not like the other boys in Derry. He screamed profanity at teachers, at parents, at his friends and just about anyone else who was in a two mile radius. The kind of boy that you see on television, the ones who make dick jokes and that parents say haven't 'matured' yet.  The other was the opposite, not only in appearance but in nature. Stanley Uris, the curly haired son of the Rabbi was quiet and proper. His shirts were always collared, perfectly pressed and tucked into fitted trousers, or shorts since the summer started. It was harder to notice him than Richie, often hiding behind the outlandish qualities of his friends. When Lolly focused the guys were watching her, she could've been subtle when curious about what they were screaming about; her stares attracted their attention and with their attention came Richie's words.

"Why are you staring?" he raised his eyebrows, "want a date or something?"

Shit, she thought. She definitely shouldn't have stared, but they were the ones yelling. Stanley's mouth opened into a perfect 'o' before smacking his friend on the arm.

"As if an eighth grader would want anything with you," Stanley rolled his eyes

"You were the one yelling, " she started
"And you were the one staring,"
"Forgive me, a girl can't help but be curious when a pygmy is yelling about bad ideas."

Richie's eyes were narrow, and he stuck a finger in the direction of the sidewalk and Lolly looked down; a pocket knife was broken into two pieces, the steel and the handle. She inspected closer, the name "Bowers" was inscribed into the silver blade. It was Henry's knife. Lolly knew Richie was crazy, but didn't know he was insane. Does he have a death wish?

"He's going to kill you, like literally kill you. Your body is going to be in more pieces than his switchblade, why the hell would you ever-"

Richie cut her off quickly, "You could always distract him while we hide," he winked
"Distract him? You mean let him murder me while you guys go home to your mothers?"
"Girls are distracting, and Patrick catcalls you all the time. They have to think you're pretty " Stanley chimed in, and Richie nodded in agreement.
"Why should I help you? You've never spoken to me before, you probably don't even know my name"
"Louise, er-Lolly," Stanley said
"What?"
"Your name is Louise, most people call you Lolly. Everyone knows your name." Richie shrugged his shoulders, "even Greta has trouble pretending she doesn't care who you are."