Lollipop // Richie Tozier x OC ( IT 2017 )

Gross? Gross. (Chapter 14)

The next five days in Derry, Maine the whole town seemed to be focused on the dance, or maybe it just seemed that way in the brains of the hormone strung teenagers. The days had been uneventful compared to the last weeks of missing children, prank calls and Henry Bowers.

The Losers' Club had seen Henry only once between when the girls drew toothpicks and the dance. He had seemed angry, yet discouraged since the rock war between his gang and The Losers' Club. Their next run-in had consisted of only Henry and Patrick making obscene gestures and cat-calling at Beverly and Lolly while they walked past with ice cream cones. 

"I've got something else you can suck baby girl," Patrick cackled 

Other than that, the five days were simply trying to figure out how to handle the Sadie Hawkins dance. Lolly was the most excited out of everyone. She didn't get to go with Richie, but she was going with one of her best friends. Her and Beverly had decided to get ready and walk to the community center where the dance was being held together. The night of the dance had come quickly, and Beverly sat with Lolly on the floor of her bedroom that evening.

"Wow," Lolly's mouth dropped open exaggeratedly, "you look amazing, Bev"

Beverly had borrowed one of Lolly's dresses, and she looked more girly than usual. Her dress was a lavender color with a squared neck and spaghetti straps. The dress ended mid-thigh and Beverly had accessorized with her house-key on a chain around her neck, and a pair of white jelly sandals. 

"You don't think it's too much?"
"I think Stanley's jaw is going to hit the floor when he sees you, I know mine did,"

Beverly pulled her friend into a hug, "Thanks for letting me borrow your dress, my dad would never let me buy anything like this,". Lolly wrapped her arms around Beverly tightly, they hadn't known each other long but it felt like years. They'd learned each other's favorite colors, and books, and everything else they could talk about. The only thing they kept from each other were their crushes, scared that their friend shared the same object of affection. 

Beverly pulled away, "And look at you!"

Lolly blushed a deep red. Her dress was a simple white slip dress with the slightest of v-necks. In the winter she'd worn the dress over-top stockings and a turtleneck, but in the humid summers of Maine, the fabric was the perfect amount of light and airy. Her dress ended on her legs in the same place as Beverly's; her skin looked tanned from the sun in comparison to the white dress. Her mother had bought her a necklace for the occasion, a gold chain with a circle pendant. The pendant had a capital 'L' stamped in the middle. Her hair was long and completely loose, unlike the ponytail or headbands she'd usually wear. 

"If I was a guy, I'd be so jealous of Bill." Beverly said

But I'm a girl and I'm so jealous you get to go with Bill.

"Let's just hope Henry isn't," She joked. She was hoping maybe that she'd luck out, and Henry just wouldn't show up to the dance. 

While the dance was PTA organized, it was usually relatively parent-free. It took place in the courtyard outside the community center, and the parents stayed inside and gossiped the entire few hours. It was essentially a free-for-all if Henry decided he wanted to cause trouble.

The two girls were waiting for Bill and Stanley to knock on Lolly's door. The four were going to walk to the dance together and meet the rest of The Losers' Club there. Lolly's parents had gone to dinner to let the two girls get ready in peace, so all they had left to do was wait.
Almost on cue, the door girls heard a light knock on the front door.

Lolly looked at Beverly with widening eyes and flushed cheeks, "They're here!"
Full of giggles the pair danced down the stairs and to the front door, Lolly pulled it open.

Stanley and Bill stood outside in button-up shirts, pleated shorts, and leather belts. Bill's shirt was a light blue, and Stanley's was a stark white; pressed and polished just like him.
When the door did open, and the two boys saw the door girls, Stanley's jaw did drop but not at the sight of Beverly.

"You're wearing white," Stanley breathed
Bill shot him a look that said, "what the hell, Stan?"
"Yeah?" Lolly replied, and raised her eyebrow at Stanley "Are you the only one who's allowed to wear white?"
"No, no, no" Stanley stammered over himself, "you look really good, is what I meant." 
"Yuh-you look guh-great," Bill attempted to remove the foot from Stanley's mouth, "Yuh-you buh-both do," 
"Yeah Beverly, you look amazing," Stanley smiled, "I can't believe you're my date,"

The two girls stepped out from inside the house and into the warm summer air. 

Beverly's cheeks were redder than her hair, while she was used to getting attention paid to her since she was one of two girls in a predominantly boy group of friends, this was a different kind of attention. She felt beautiful and girly.

Lolly had hooked her arm through Beverly's, as they started on their way toward the dance. 

"You guys look okay too," Lolly teased
Stanley cut through the fun, "I hate to be that guy, but have we decided what to do if Henry gets.." He searched for the word,  "Like Henry,"
"I'm just going to, I don't know, dance with him maybe? Then tell him I'm not interested, maybe just let him down easy. He's just a guy, maybe I can just talk to him,"

Lolly shrugged, she'd thought-out the Henry situation over and over again. It was hard to think over because she really had no idea how Henry was going to react. She was hoping maybe somewhere in his crazy head he had some sense of humanity. Something she could appeal to.

"You want to dance with Henry?" Stanley scoffed
"No, of course not, but I'd rather try and reason with him then let Bill get his teeth knocked in,"

Beverly shifted on her feet, not knowing if Lolly's crush was on Bill or not was driving her crazy.

"I-I duh-don't want yuh-you to duh-dance with him. If something happens, I'll handle it."
"No. I'm a big girl, Bill. I need to fight this myself," 
"You know we're not going to let you do that, right?" Beverly pulled Lolly closer with her hooked arm

The community center was flooded with kids The Losers' Club had gone to school with, and white lights were strewn across the wooden beams of the gazebo outside.

"Wow," Lolly's eyes glazed over the scene.
"Al-al-most as pruh-pretty as you," Bill elbowed Lolly in the ribs and she rolled her eyes.

Before long the entire group had found each other. Almost every boy was dressed exactly alike with button-up shirts and pleated shorts. Except for Richie, he wore a Hawaiian shirt, it was buttoned and tucked into shorts instead of open with a t-shirt underneath. 

The two girls had gone off to get drinks from the refreshment table, and the group of boys sat around a square table.

"I'll say what we're all thinking, I'd love to take one of them-" 
"Beep-beep Richie," Stanley cut him off
"Respectfully, I never realized how pretty they both were," Mike said
"It's a lot different than jeans and big t-shirts," Stanley admitted

At the refreshment table, Lolly and Beverly shared looks as they watched the couples from school mingling. Shy and sweet like their interactions with their boys, they watched the couples awkwardly flirt over the sound of Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson.

"Do you think you're going to.." Beverly trailed off for a moment, "make a move on Bill tonight?"
"A move?" Lolly cringed, "The only thing I want to make with Bill is-is-is a secret handshake," 
"You don't.. like Bill?"
"NO! I mean I love Bill, but like a brother, or a pet fish," she recoiled, "but I don't want to.. like kiss him. Gross."
"Gross?"
"Gross," Lolly said again,


(A/N : I just wanted to thank everyone for the 1K reads! This is so exciting for me and I'm so grateful for everyone who reads! Thank you so much! I hope you're enjoying the story!)