cherry bomb ➵ Richie Tozier

thirteen

♦︎ Richie ♦︎

"YOU WHAT???" Stan yelled, his eyes boggling.

"Shut the fuck up, Stan," I hissed angrily, "it's not my fault it just kind of happened!"

Stan rolled his eyes, "it just kind of happened my ass. Why're you telling me this and not Eddie or something??"

I groaned, "because I can't tell Eddie. Eddie'll tell Brandy within two seconds, Brandy will tell Bev, Bev'll tell Bill, and Bill'll tell you. Everyone would know." I lowered my voice, "I don't want them to know I kissed Jessie, all right?"

Stan breathed deeply trying to calm himself down, "so you're telling me," he began, "you and Jessie made out. And she was okay with it? But she was drunk, so it didn't count?"

I nodded, "yeah. That's exactly what I'm telling you, Stan, keep up."

"So what am I supposed to do about this?" I asked Stan impatiently. I had come to him for advice. Regardless the fact that Eddie would snitch to Brandy, I also chose to tell this to him because he had known Jessie since birth.

"I don't know. Do you like her?" Stan asked with a sigh, slipping his shoes on.

I contemplated the question. Me? Like Jessie? I had never really thought about it. Sure she was really really pretty, and had a nice smile, and I kind of meant all the shit I said when I was mindlessly flirting with her, and I kind of wanted to touch her all the time, but I didn't like her like that. We were just friends. I had always thought I would fall for a sweet, quiet girl that could keep me in line, and Jessie wasn't sweet. She also didn't have the ability to keep me in line.

Together we would be too reckless. It would be dangerous. There's no way the relationship could last.

So I didn't like her like that.

"Nope," I replied to Stan, shaking my head, trying to act nonchalant about the matter.

"Okay then," Stan said casually, "she said she wasn't interested in you, so you should just let it drop. Are we good?"

I nodded, "yep. So just go back to being friends?"

"You were never more than friends, so there isn't any going back."

I rolled my eyes, "Well yes. Will things be awkward, though?"

He grabbed his binoculars, walking towards the door of his house, "I don't know. There's only one way to find out."

And with that Stan left his house, leaving me behind. I trailed after him. "Stan! Wait! You never told me where you were going!"

He sighed, irritated. "I'm going bird watching at the park."

I eyed Jessie's house nervously, contemplating actually going over to talk to her.

"Can I go with you?" I quickly asked Stan. He shifted uncomfortably.

"It's really not very fun. You wouldn't enjoy it," he said casually, as if trying to talk me out of going with him.

"No! Really! I want to go!"

Stan hesitated, "all right. Fine. You can come."

I smiled with delight, happy to get out of awkwardly talking to Jessie. Stan continued walking towards the park, whispering something under his breath about how something wasn't a good idea.

Stan and I walked towards the park, his pace hurried.

"Why in such a rush, Stan? The birds gonna leave you?" I joked.