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september
the kids were peacefully sitting around in a field, stephanie was sat between beverly and richie, who had his arm around her shoulders. "i can only remember bits but i thought i was dead. that's what it felt like." beverly explained, finally speaking up about what had happened in the sewers. "i saw us, all of us together in the cistern. but we were older, like our parents' ages." she continued, looking around at everybody. "w-what where we all doing there?" bill asked from her other side, beverly shrugging, "i just remember how we felt. how scared we were, i don't think i can ever forget that." stephanie frowned, looking at the girl next to her. beverly was set to leave derry tomorrow and that broke stephanie. she had just gotten her best friend back and now she has to leave. they spent the previous night sobbing as they attempted to pack some of beverly's things, eventually giving up to just be in each other's arms. they promised to keep in touch, but stephanie was skeptical about that, knowing long distance friendships don't tend to work, she tired to be hopeful, though.
bill grabbed a piece of broken glass from by his foot and stood up, holding it up, "swear. swear if it ever comes back, we'll come back too." richie hesitantly stood up, nodding to bill, stephanie standing up long after him. bill started with stephanie, cutting into her palm as she winced, squeezing her eyes shut. he made his way around, cutting richie's hand, then eddie, who as comforted by richie as the boy began to quietly gag. he made his way to mike, then stan, who sadly wouldn't make it back in twenty-seven years, the whole ordeal taking quite the toll on the boy and leading to his suicide. bill continued on to ben, then beverly, finishing by cutting into his own palm and dropping the piece of glass. they slowly connected hands and together, they stood there, silently promising that they would come back to fight the evil creature that would once again haunt their town of derry. they soon dropped their hands and stan was first to speak into the silence, "i gotta go. i hate you." he said, looking at bill, before letting a smile grow on his face as him and the other losers laughed. after he left, eddie went, richie pulling the boy into a hug before he went on his way. mike was next, having to head back to the farm, "bye, mike." stephanie said to the boy, smiling at him. the girl let out a quiet sigh, turning to her best friend who already had tears in her eyes.
stephanie pulled the girl into a tight hug, "i'm gonna miss you so much, beverly." she said through her tears, squeezing her friend tighter. "i'll miss you so much more, steph." beverly replied, pulling back from the girl with a sad smile. stephanie smiled back before beginning to back away, waving at them, "later, guys." she said, watching at richie who sighed quietly as he watched her walk away. "what are you waiting for, tozier? go get her!" beverly exclaimed to the boy who scrambled to run after the girl, who had already made her way to the kissing bridge. "hot stuff!" he called out, making the girl stop and turn around, smiling at the boy. "hey.. uh, h-how are things with your parents?" he asked, genuinely concerned for the girl's home life. she shrugged, "they've been home a lot more, i think they're trying to work things out with us. i don't know." she said, sitting on the railing of the bridge, richie taking a seat next to her. they sat there in silence for a moment before richie spoke up again, "ya know, i'm really glad we got to hangout this summer, steph. you're.. you're such a great person. bev's lucky to have a best friend like you." he said, causing stephanie to blush, looking down at her feet that were swinging, "thanks, richie, you aren't too bad either." she said, smiling at him. there was more silence before he jumped off the railing, standing in front of the girl, rubbing his sweaty hands on his jean shorts. it was now or never.
"i like you, stephanie. a lot. and part of me thinks i may have always had a thing for you. you leave me mesmerized and you have had me wrapped around your goddamn finger ever since fifth grade when you let me copy your homework." stephanie's eyes widened at the boy's confession, watching him as he paced back in forth in front of her. "i mean, you can be so quiet and shy but you can call people out on their bullshit when you need to and you're like, a closet comedian and you actually laugh at my jokes. and you're smart, so damn smart and beautiful. so fucking beautiful. and after everything that's happened this summer and even after jack, you've remained so strong and that's one of the many things i like about you, how strong you are and how even when things are going to shit, you manage to be there for your friends. just- god dammit, steph, i am so whipped." richie finished his rant, coming to a stop in front of the girl. this time, the silence didn't last for long, as richie began to speak again.
"and ya know, it's totally okay if you don't feel the same way. i mean, it would fucking suck but i'm grateful to even be your friend. i mean, i think you might have feelings for me also but stanley always told me not to assume things like that so i don't know. but i also want you to know that i've got your back through thick and thin. everything with your parents, high school, bev being gone. i'm here for you, always." stephanie moved herself off the railing and continued to listen to the ranting boy, "anyways, it would be great if you liked me back, we would be great together. but if not, like i said, i'm lucky enough to even be your frie-" richie was cut off as stephanie set her hands on his shoulders and pressed her lips against his. the boy quickly began to kiss back, setting both of his hands on her waist. unbeknownst to them, bill and beverly were only some feet away, sharing a kiss of their own. stephanie was the first to pull away, smiling at the boy who only looked at her in awe. "richie tozier. do you think i have feelings for you?" she questioned, laughing as richie grinned kissed all over the her face before stopping and connecting their lips once again. standing on that kissing bridge, stephanie cooper and richie tozier shared their first of many kisses. stephanie had been through a lot in the last year but as she stood there, wrapped in the arms of the town's very own trashmouth as he cracked numerous jokes, she knew that she wouldn't be alone again.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
that's it, folks. i've finally finished this book! i've been considering doing a sequel but i'll have to see how school goes for the rest of the semester. i'm also still working on a steve book. i'm sorry for the times i didn't update for weeks, i just got so busy. thank you so much to everyone who's read this book and i hope you've enjoyed reading it as much i've enjoyed writing it! if you think i should write a sequel for this book, let me know! again, thank you everybody! - h
