Wait For It || Reddie ✔️

- 10 -

Two days later and the losers planned to meet up at the park. "Maybe we could go to the arcade later. It's really close to here." Richie said to the few losers that were there when he arrived. "As if I'd ever go inside that.. that germ fest," Eddie said who sat next to Beverly. "What? The arcade is my favorite place in the world, inside your mom being close second." Mike smiled and Eddie huffed out a breath of air. "Really, Richie? It's too early for this." Beverly laughed and looked at the sky, the sunlight shinning on her face. "It's noon, Eddie," she said. "I.. whatever."

Richie smiled and adjusted his glasses. "Well, I'm heading to the arcade after this if anyone wants to join." The three losers looked at each other and shrugged. "I might go," Ben said. The group looked past Richie, who turned around. "Why hello there Bennifer," Richie said as Ben kicked down the kickstand of his bike. "Hi, Richie," he said and walked over to his friends.

"I got someone to join me to the arcade," Richie said as he shot a glare towards the group. "Oops," Mike said. Ben sat down on the benches and that's when Beverly notices what he's holding. "What's that, Ben?" She asks and Ben looks down at the book.

"Oh this?" He flips the book around in his hands, the black leather soaking up the summer sun. "I, uhh.. over the past few months I've been compiling pictures and.. some poems and putting them in here," he explains. "Is there any chance there's pictures of Eddie's mom in there?"

"Shut up, Richie!" Eddie said. Beverly chuckled before holding out her hand. "Can I see it?" Ben breaths in and looks down at it. "Uhh.. yeah, sure. Of course." He hands the book over to her.

Richie walks over to stand behind her, leaning against the back of the bench as Mike and Eddie scoot closer. Beverly pushes back the magnetic clasp holding the book closed and lets the worn down book fall open.

The first thing that the three see is the photo booth picture of the whole losers club, the date scribbled under it. She flipped the page to a few polaroids of their first sleepover at Richie's house. One of them, a close up picture of Mike sleeping. "When was that taken??" He asked and pointed to it. Ben looked over the book and smiled. "Richie took that." Richie threw his hands in the air. "Okay, yeah. Throw me under the bus like that." The group chuckled and Beverly flipped the page.

"Hey guys. What are looking at?" Stan asked as he kicked the kickstand down. Beverly turned over the book to show it to him. "Bennifer made a book full
of photos of us," Richie explained. "Oh, cool," He said and moved to stand next to Richie.

Beverly showed him the first two pages before going back to the page they were at. "Nice poem," Richie said and pointed to the words scratched onto the bottom of the page. "Did you write it?"

Ben nodded and shifted his hands in his lap. "Yeah.." Beverly looked down at it, her eyes skimming the paper. "It's nice, I like it." She fingered through the other pages, occasionally the other boys would point out a picture.

Beverly gave the book back to Ben just as Bill arrived. "Hello," he said as he dropped his bike near the others. "Hi," almost everyone said. "Billiam, nice of you to finally join us." Bill shrugged and looked around. "I'm the last- last one to get h-here?" He asked and the others nodded.

He plopped down next to Mike on the benches. "What are we go-going to do?" Bill asked. "I don't know about them but after this I'm heading to the arcade. Wanna come?" Richie asked and Bill turned his head. "Wow guys, look- look at that tr-tree over there!"

"Fuck you, Bill," Richie said. "How come no one likes the arcade?"

"That's because you're always there," Stan said. Richie looked over at him and narrowed his eyes. "Harsh, dude."

~~~

The group settled down and somehow got onto the most random topics. "A fucking foot fetish isn't normal, Stanley," Richie said as he got into a more comfortable position. "I never said it was, Richie!"

Beverly finally calmed down from her laughter fit and leaned forward. "Who here thinks Stan has a foot fetish?" Hands flung into the air and Stan got more agitated. "I can't believe you guys!"

Everyone laughed and Stan sighed. "If anything, Richie's the most likely to have a foot fetish." Richie laughed and shook his head. "That's a lie." Beverly studied his face before shrugging. "Honestly, I can see it."

"Excuse me?" Richie asked and motioned to himself. "Don't try and pin this on me! And you," He pointed to Beverly, "Don't agree with anything Stan says."