✓ | BETTER WITH YOU → richie tozier ³

nine

ASH'S HANDS were folded, her head resting on them, as she sat alone at her dining room table.

Richie was. . .well, he was a wreck.

Right now he was asleep in her room, his eyes red from crying, and Ash had no idea why he hadn't been with at least one of the other Losers to prevent this from happening.

If just one of them had been there, this could have been stopped.

But they hadn't been. And Ash had no idea why.

She heaved a sigh, closing her eyes, and then jumped at the sound of the telephone.

Pushing back her chair she reached for it, holding it against her ear. "Hello?"

"Ash?"

It was Mike, and Ash's eyes narrowed. "Why the fuck are you calling me!?"

"Just hear me out, 'Ley, please!" He pleaded, and she glanced towards the bedroom before relenting.

"Fine. What?"

"It wasn't me that told about Richie." Mike said, and there was a short silence as he barreled on, "He's my cousin, Ash, and one of my best friends. I never would have said anything, and you know it! It wasn't me!"

Ash bit her lip, twisting her fingers around her hair. "How do I know that, Mike? How the hell can I believe you?"

Mike sighed, and then said, "Because you trust me, 'Ley. And because I. . .because I care about you. You know that."

Ash felt a twinge shoot through her, and she hesitated, thinking, and then answered, "Okay. I believe you, Mike."

His laugh was breathless. "Thank God."

Ash gently rubbed her fingers against her forehead, briefly closing her eyes, and Mike asked slowly, "Ash? You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." She answered abruptly, and Mike asked, "Is it the nightmares? Have you been having more of them?"

Again, Ash hesitated; and before she could lose her nerve, she said, "It's more than that. It's. . .something else. But they both involve. . ."

She trailed off, and Mike finished, "Spencer?"

Ash cringed, and replied shakily, "Yeah. Um, I don't want to talk about it right now but tomorrow at school?"

"Yeah." Mike agreed. "Just meet me by the library before first period. We can talk there."

"Okay." Ash answered, and clutched the phone tighter in her hand. "Thank you, Mike."

"Anything for you."

The words sent a chill through her, and her mind flashed to three and a half years ago, Henry Bowers' face swimming in her mind, and Richie Tozier taking a beating so that she would be safe.

"Thank you, Richie."

He had kissed the top of her head.

"Anything for you."

"Ashley?"

Mike's voice broke her out of her thoughts, and she said, "Oh, sorry. My mind just. . .drifted off for a second. So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow. Call me if anything happens."

"Of course."

And then, he had hung up.

With a shaky sigh, Ash placed the phone back on it's hook and put her head in her hands, rubbing it.

This was all slowly spinning out her control- and she couldn't help but worry at the thought that Spencer had shown up right as Richie was being tormented, and what the fuck could it mean?

~

"Fuck off!"

Ash rolled her eyes, trying keeping pace with Richie's bike. "Richie, stop saying that."

"I can't believe you're making me go back to school! If I have a meltdown, the least you could do is let me take a day to collect myself and not send me straight back into the hellhole!"

Ash shook her head, and then wondered aloud, "I wonder why none of the Losers called after school. I mean, they had to have heard about it. I at least expected Eds to call."

Richie felt his hands tighten around his handlebars and didn't meet her eyes. "Yeah. Weird."

Before she could answer, he continued recklessly, "Eddie probably told them some bullshit story about how I "hurt his feelings" or some shit. Honestly, he needs to grow the hell up."

Ash glanced at him, and said, "Woah there, Rich. You okay?"

He blew out a breath of air, and answered, "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just had it up to fucking here with all of them."

She eyed him again and didn't say anything else as they reached the school, noticing he had on yet another sweatshirt and there were purple, bruise-like bags beneath his eyes which were tinged with red.

"Hey, uh Rich?" She asked, touching his shoulder, and he turned. "I have to go to the library to get something for a project. I'll see you soon, okay?"

He gently kissed her cheek. "Try not to miss me too much, okay gorgeous?"

She touched his wrist. "Are you going to be okay?"

He slid his arm from her grasp, tentatively rubbing the inside of his wrist, the roughness of the pattern of scars grazing against his fingertips as he muttered, "Yeah, I'm fine. God. You don't have to keep fucking asking me that."

Ash stared at him. "Richie-"

"Go." He forced a smile, cutting across her. "Go to the library, okay? I'll see you later."

She hesitated, for the slightest second, and then said, "Okay."

With one last worried glance at him, she headed into the building, leaving him standing by the bike racks.

Just as Richie was getting ready to leave himself, someone rammed into his shoulder, sending him stumbling a few steps.

A tall guy with brown hair smirked at him. "Sorry, freak."

Before Richie could retaliate, he had turned and headed away.

Muttering a sharp curse underneath his breath, Richie spun on his heel and headed into the school, saying, "I'm going to become a cat man, with all the time I spend by myself lately!"

Meanwhile, Ash had spotted Mike's dark hair and came up behind him, tapping his shoulder and saying breathlessly, "Sorry I'm late, it took awhile to get Rich out of the house."

Mike turned, his eyes sparkling at her as a crooked grin spread across his face. "It's fine. I haven't been here that long."

Ash smiled back, and before she could start the real topic, Mike said quickly, "You look really pretty, 'Ley."

Heat made its way across her cheeks, and Ash rubbed the back of her neck and answered, "Thanks."

He raised his eyebrows at her, and motioned to the inside of the library. "You wanted to talk?"

Ash took a deep breath, looking down at her feet before back up at him and saying firmly, "Yeah. I did."

hey you guys! new update! sorry if this isn't that interesting, but it is an important chapter lol. vote and comment for me! see you soon!

ps. i just realized we're so close to thirteen it's mind blowing like holy shit