Lollipop // Richie Tozier x OC ( IT 2017 )

Louise Uris (19)

"He told me someone else likes me, " Lolly sighed 

Lolly and Beverly floated back and forth in the summer air on the Derry Park swingset. The sun was overhead and the freckles on both girl's cheeks showed what a sunny summer it'd been.

"I could've told you that myself," Beverly said
"Then tell me who it is! God, why won't anyone tell me anything?" 
"Because it's not my place! It'd suck to work up the courage to tell your crush that you like them and then learn that one of your friends already told them," 
"Well, I know it's not Bill or you'd hate me, " Lolly started, "and I know it's not Richie, so that's two of six options," She knew it wasn't Ben either, but she'd kept her mouth shut about that for the same reason Beverly kept her mouth shut about Stan.
"And it's not me, so that's three, " Beverly joked
"Maybe I should just suffer for the rest of my life and marry Henry Bowers. What if he got like a normal haircut and stopped ripping the sleeves off his shirts? Maybe he could be kind of cute," 
"Are you insane? Who cares if he gets a haircut, he's still Henry Bowers! The guy who tried to turn you and all of your friends into pulp?" 
"Nobody would ever bother me again, Henry would just beat them up,"
"Lolly-,"
"He has like three male friends you could date one of them too,"
"Lolly-,"
"He has blue eyes,"
"Lolly! Would you stop trying to make Henry Bowers work? It's not going to work,"

Lolly dug black converse sneakers into the pebbles beneath the swingset, "I'm just really bummed about the Richie thing. I didn't really think he liked me back anyways but it still sucked to hear," 
"Just because Richie doesn't want to date you doesn't mean you need to end your life by resorting to marrying... Not even dating, but marrying Henry Bowers,"
"I wonder if like underneath his hard exterior there's like a sweet guy underneath,"  Lolly sighed
"I think Richie could be sweet if he tried-"
"I meant Henry,"

Beverly stopped her swing abruptly, "Okay that's it, we're going to get ice cream. You need relief, and I might throw-up if you say anything else about Bowers,'

Lolly shrugged her shoulders. She really didn't want to go anywhere. On a morning like this Lolly would usually steal a swipe of her mother's lipstick before heading out the door. On a morning like this Lolly would usually try on a couple of outfits to see what looked best, just in case she saw Richie. Today, she rolled out of bed and tugged a brush through her hair before throwing on yesterday's Levi's shorts and a black tank top tucked sloppily into the waistband. At first, the rejection didn't hurt too much, but when she woke up this morning it felt like a small truck had parked on her chest. The sunshine wasn't helping, and all the couples holding hands at the park really weren't helping.

Walking side-by-side to the ice cream shop, Beverly couldn't help but wonder how she would feel if Bill told her that he wouldn't date her because someone else liked her. She wondered if it'd almost be worse than being rejected outright. One of those, "so close, yet so far away," feelings.

"Oh no, " Beverly said
"What?" Lolly answered
"The boys are down there,"
"All of them? Or just Ri-" Lolly started to ask before she saw the group in front of the shop's window. Richie and Ben were sucking on ice cream cones, while Stan and Bill stood slightly to the side talking among themselves.

"We can turn around," Beverly offered
"I have to face him at some point, don't I? Let's just go," 

Soon the two groups made up a small pool of teenagers in front of the store.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Beverly started
The mini group of Richie, Ben, and Beverly started to speak but Lolly wandered over to Bill and Stan. It didn't look they even noticed the girls walk over, they were too deep in conversation with each other.

Lolly took a deep breath and put on a happy face, she didn't want them to know she was brutally rejected.

"I huh-haven't seen her," Bill said
"Who haven't you seen? Lolly asked with a smile, stepping beside Bill

Stan sucked in a breath. Not only had they been talking about her, but the form-fitting tank top she was wearing made his cheeks turn pink. He'd seen the girl in her underwear but anything other than a baggy t-shirt made the butterflies inside his stomach flutter. 

"You. Bill wants to hang out," Stan said, attempting a smooth recovery while hoping that he could get Bill and Lolly alone. He'd been waiting for Bill to get an idea of what she thought about going on a date with him.
"With me? Or are the two statements unrelated?" Lolly joked
"Wuh-with you," Bill added
"Love that you guys talk about me when I'm not around, what else have you been saying?" She wiggled her eyebrows
"Mostly about how you're hopelessly in love with me," Richie piped in
"You wish Richie, I'd rather go on a date with Bowers," Lolly retorted

Beverly's ears perked up at the sound of Bower's name, "Are you talking about Henry again?" 

"Again?" All four boys said together, Ben half-choking on his vanilla ice cream.

"We're dating now" Lolly joked, "we're getting married in the spring,"
"Louise Bowers doesn't have a nice ring to it," Stan smiled
"Ouch, but you're right. Louise Uris sounds a lot cuter," She said with a wink

"Uh-" Stan started, his face redder than Beverly's hair. It was not like Stan to have nothing to say, but he was speechless. Was this flirting?  He wondered. He worked out several responses in his head ranging from, "A little forward, don't you think?" to "Let's get married, right now, I'm ready,".  He spent a little too long weighing his options, and all the other Losers' sat in awkward silence. 

"Uh... Gee Stan, I was just kidding," Lolly said, embarrassed,  "Sorry..."

God, I can't catch a break. I guess I can scratch Stan off the potential "likes me" list.  Lolly huffed in her head.

"Okay... Beverly and I came down to get some ice cream, so we'll catch you guys later," Lolly said shuffling toward the shop's door. It opened with a sing-song jingle, and the girls disappeared inside. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you," Richie said exasperated, "I'm trying so hard to help you. She's never going to flirt with you ever again. I turn down a date with one of the cutest girls we know and this is what you do. Why don't you just paint a big sign that says, "I want to die a virgin," and wear it around your neck!",
"She was flirting with me?" Stan smiled
"Nuh-not everyone is a trash mouth, Richie," Bill defended
"What would you say to that, Richie?" Stan asked, still starstruck
"I don't know something like, "Lousie Gellar-Tozier sounds even better. It's the 80's baby, let's hyphenate!" 
"But, I don't want to hyphenate," Stan said
"You're not actually getting married!" Richie turned to Ben, "This is exhausting, right? I'm exhausted," 
"Maybe you need like Lolly Bootcamp," Ben said,
"What the fuh-fuck is Lolly Bootcamp?" Bill asked