goldie locks ; richie tozier

vi . deadlights

it has been a few weeks since the fight between the losers club, i haven't spoken to any of them since that day. i have seen stanley and mike around and we just give a sad smile. i've seen richie a couple times at the arcade but he never looks away from his game to notice me, so i just continue on my lonely way. while i was sitting in my room reading my third book this summer, the glass menagerie by tennessee williams, i heard the phone ringing downstairs. i quickly reached to grab my book mark and push it into the crevice of my book to hold my place than bounce off my bed and sprint down the stairs answering the phone

"hello?" i question as i pick it up and i hear a gasp on the other end

"abbie?! its me bill" he states worried and i play with the cord anxiously

"hey bill. is everything alright?" i ask leaning against the wall

"no its not. b-b-beverly is gone. it t-t-t-took her." he said and i felt my heart freeze. it has beverly.

"what are we going to do?" i question and he informs me that he is calling all of us losers to meet and go to the house on neibolt street.

"okay. i'll be there bill. be safe" i tell him before hanging up the phone and grabbing my bag full of junk and random things i may need.

i quickly write a note and stuck it on the fridge to let my parents know i was spending the night at a friends house, not knowing when or if i'll be coming home. i ran to bills house and i was the first one to be there, bill still out informing whoever he couldn't reach through the phone. as i catch my breath i take off my backpack and place it on the front lawn beside where i am about to sit. after sitting for what felt like forever i heard the familiar sound of multiple bikes pedalling, i look up to the corner of the street and see bill, followed by the rest of the group -besides beverly of course- behind him on their bikes, and i notice richie. my heart stopping a bit at this being the first time i've seen him since our last day at the well house. they all pull up to his house and i stand up brushing off any grass that had stuck to my jeans

"hey guys" i say with a smile, swinging my bag onto my back once again. we all share short greetings and i stand still my eyes wandering to richie.

"hey rich" i say sadly with a smile

"hi abbie" he responds, not with one of his casual remarks.

"we need to g-g-go now. abbie hop o-on richies b-b-b-bike. if you d-don't mind" bill wondered and i glance towards richie and he scoots forward a bit

"would be an honour" richie responds and i feel a genuine smile forming on my face. i hop over towards richie and get onto the back of his bike, holding onto him once again as we make our way back to neibolt street and the wellhouse. as we pass down the familiar dusty, and junkyard looking road, we get to the wellhouse and we step off the bikes onto the lawn, followed by a confident bill.

"g-guys spikes" bill states as he sets his bag down and grabs spikes that we can use against it if we needed too. i walk past eddie as he throws away his fannypack of medication and i smile as he does it, making my way to stand around bill. i hear the sound of glass breaking and i quickly look up to see richie holding the neck of a broken bottle before he throws it to the side.

"well that didn't work" richie states and i let out a laugh as we collect our things once again and begin our way back into the creepy old house. bill leads us in once again, holding a flashlight to help guide us.

"stan?" eddie asked causing us all to turn around to see stanley standing in the doorway of the house not entering it.

"we all have to go. b-b-b-beverly was right. if we s-split up like last time, that clown will kill us one by one. but if we stick together, all of us, we'll win. i promise" bill states and i find myself reaching down to richies hand and squeezing it, not out of fear but out of comfort. he looks down to our locked hands and he looks up to me sliding his glasses back up his nose.