Just About The Money || Reddie

T H R E E

TRIGGER WARNING: Abuse, assault, slurs    (buckle your fucking seat belts y'all)

Present time

    Things were working out pretty smoothly plan wise. Bev and Richie spent hours doing research on Eddie's disappearance, who he was friends with, what he liked to do, and where he could have gone.
   The two best friends had lost track of time in their daze of findings, and were unaware of Beverly's front door creaking open, signaling her dad was home.

    "Personally I don't think he was taken, I don't know why but I get those vibes" Richie stated, doing a lame impersonation of a fortuneteller. The redhead shook her head with an eye roll.
    She tucked a lock of ginger hair behind her ear. "Rich, this has nothing to do with your 'vibes'. I've seen this kid at school before and he really doesn't seem like the type of kid to run away or whatever, he's a total mamas boy!"
"Hey! This kid is missing for god's sake don't call him na-" Richie clamped his mouth shut when he heard the loud booming voice of Beverly's father.

   Bev's face goes pale at the realization of what was happening. But despite the fear, she reacted quickly by shoving Richie into her closet, slamming the door shut just as her dad's footsteps approached the door.
"Beverly? Who are you talking to?" He opens the door to see his daughter sitting on the floor surrounded by papers.
   "No one daddy. Just doing homework." The redheaded beauty lied, nervously shuffling her papers into a small pile beside her.
"Don't lie to me baby, who were you talking to?"
"Daddy please, I told you no one!" She flinches as the man holds up his hand threatening to slap her.
"I gave you two chances Bevvie. And you disobeyed me, you know what that means." The silent room is filled with a loud slapping sound, then a gasping cry from Bev.
"Dad! Stop, please! Not again..." Richie hears his best friend's muffled cry's from outside the closet. A few moments past, listening Mr. Marsh beat his daughter and she pleads for him to stop. Richie can't take it anymore. He jumps out of the wooden closet in an attempt to tackle Al Marsh, but only slightly knocking the wind out of him. 

"Gah!" The man yells. "What the fuck is this?! Beverly, is this your boyfriend or some shit? WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS FAG OING IN MY HOUSE?" He gets off of his daughter on the bed and stomps over to Richie, just to fling his fist around, connecting it with the tall boy's jaw. 

"Ah fuck!" Richie yells, pulling back to touch his jawline. "No, no sir! this is all a misunderstanding, I'm not her boy-" Another one of Al's fists meets with Richie's stomach, making a rough, slapping sound, knocking him on his ass. 

"Dad, please! Please stop-!" Beverly sobs, tugging her father's shoulder back trying to get him to stop hurting her best friend. He just jolts his arm back flinging the redhead back a few feet.          Am I about to die right now?  Richie asks himself. Then a laugh escapes him. What a stupid thought! I can't just die and leave Bev all alone with this monster. I can't die anyway, it's not like he's one punch man or anything...  

"Uhm HELLO? I'm fucking talking to you! Are you fucking retarded or something?" Al grabs Richie by the collar of his shirt, tugging him upwards off of the ground.  Richie can feel Al's hot breath agents his cheek, he cringes away. Richie may be tall, but he's not strong, so Bev's dad could snap him in half like a toothpick if he wanted too. 

"Daddy, please don't hurt him..." Bev pleads. Al looks from his daughter to Richie, then with a sneer, he drops Richie on the hard ground. And with a booming voice, he says; 

"Don't you ever speak to my daughter again. If I see you come near here again, or even so much as a glance in her direction I'll kill you okay? NOW GET OUT!" 

But Richie shakes his head. "No. I'm not letting you hurt my best friend. You're a shitty person and even more of a shitty father. So either you leave, or Beverly comes with me." 

"Richie please, just leave... I'll be fine, and you're just going to get hurt." Bev says from behind her dad. She's still on the floor, cradling her left elbow. 

"But I have to-" 

"Rich! Just go!" 

And with that, Richie mouths one last I'm sorry to the ginger beauty on the floor gives her dad the double middle finger and turns to run out of the apartment. As he walks down the cement road back to his own house, he takes one last look back up at his best friend's window. A tear rolls down his cheek. The blinds are now shut, and he can only imagine the things that are happening to her up there.  In very that moment, Richie Toizer swore to himself that he was going to find Edward Kaspbrak and get Beverly out of this town and away from her father...no matter what it took. 

A/N: Hey! Long time no see? Sorry I haven't updated in months... I lost inspiration and i didn't want this book to turn out like my last one, so I took some time off.  I hope you enjoyed this chapter? Actually no I don't, it would be kinda sick if you did xD