IT [2017] Richie Tozier

t h r e e

bikes littered ben's front lawn as the teens headed into his house.

"what d'ya think he's got in there? dead bodies? dissected animal parts?" Richie joked, causing Delilah to roll her eyes at his stupidity, "what? I've heard he's got a rollercoaster, a pet chimp and like a fuckin' dead guys old bones-" he stopped when they had all entered bens room. his room was average. dirty laundry scattering the floor, magazines, comics, the usual. the unusual thing was the many missing kids poster, maps and historic times in derry's history littering his walls.

"wow" Richie said, sarcastically.

"cool, right?" Ben smiled.

"no, no, nothing cool, nothing cool" Richie said, earning a nudge from Delilah. "oh look! that's cool- oh wait near mind, not its not" he tried to be funny.

"what's that?" Delilah asked.

"that's the charter for Derry township" Ben informed the gang.

"nerd alert" Richie said, whilst pushing up his glasses.

"no it's actually- it's actually pretty interesting, Derry started as a beaver packing town-" Ben said.

"still is amiright boys?" Richie joked, holding his hand up for a high five, to which everyone rejected.

"ninety-one people signed it but then later that winter, they all disappeared without a trace. there were rumours of Indians but no signs of an attack. everybody assumed it was the plague or something, but it's as though everybody just woke up one day and - and left. the only clue was a trail of bloody clothes leading to the well house" Ben rambled. the story gave del chills, causing her to shiver a little. Richie rubbed her arm to help calm her and she smiled at him.

"Jesus... we could get Derry on unsolved mysteries" Richie did his usual joke to try and lighten the mood. whilst the others were unimpressed, Delilah let a small smile form on her face.

"w-where's the well house?" bill asked.

"I'm not sure, somewhere in town I think. why?" Ben replied. but bill just replied with an ominous 'nothing'. after spending awhile looking through bens stuff, the losers decided to go home. although Delilah really didn't want to. her and Richie decided to walk and push their bikes along for the walk home. she hugged the other four boys and bev goodbye.

"see ya bevvy" she smiled.

"later losers" Richie smirked. the start of the walk was quiet and comfortable.

"I'm sorry about your dad" he muttered.

"I'm sorry about yours" she replied. Richie's mom was an alcoholic but not an abusive one, she was just never there. Richie's dad worked at a dentist where he claims to always have 'emergencies' but I think he just makes excuses to get away from home. Richie also has a sister, whom he hardly speaks to even though they live in the same house. they soon made it around the corner from their houses.

"wait-" Delilah stopped him. "I know this is an odd request-"

"but you want to make out? I get it del, I know I'm irresistible"

"shut up, you dork. I was going to say, can we say goodbye here, and but that I mean hug, if my dad see's us..." she trailed off.

"of course" he smiled sympathetically. they placed their bikes gently on the floor and walked over to each other. Richie was quite a bit taller than Delilah. her head was at about his shoulders. she looked up into his eyes and then he pulled her into his arms. she sighed, she wished this could last forever. she couldn't deny her feelings for him any longer. she always had done, for as long as she could remember.