It Comes To Hawkins

Knock Knock

Richie woke up slowly. His eyes opening in confusion. He hasn't had a decent nights sleep in... shit. Since It happened. Shaking his head, he looked at the sky and saw it was still dark out. So much for sleeping without nightmares when he's woken up before dawn. Grumbling to himself, he stretched and got his clothes on lazily, after all, he had time to kill. After finishing up his morning routine, he went back into his bedroom and took out his last pack of cigarettes (excluding the chiefs and the one Bev gave him, he decided it would only be when he was especially stressed or when something good happened). Lighting one, he proceeded to make a plan to smoke until dawn. Figuring that was the best way to relieve the stress of going to a new school without his losers. His family. A light haze filled Richie's room and he was engulfed in breathing in the nicotine and breathing out the world around him, slowly fading into oblivion.

Richie was startled by someone pounding on the door. Coming out of his thoughts, he realized his room was brighter. Looking out his window, he saw the sun, high in the sky. SHIT! Richie opened a window before someone opened his door and smelled the smoke. He waved his hands towards the window and even took his bed sheets and waved them around to get the smell out. Fuck it. He stopped. It was too much work. Grabbing his things plus a new backpack Karen had gotten him that he added patches and pins to as well as the chiefs pack of cigarettes. Smiling to himself he opened the door quickly and almost slammed it shut, leaving the window cracked in his room. Walking to the kitchen he grabbed a piece of toast and flew out the door. Only to realize he had no clue where the school was. Fuck. Nice going dickhead. He mentally kicked himself. Now he would have to go back inside. Or... he could walk until he found someone to pick him up or tell him directions. Yeah. He liked that idea. Picking the direction where he thought he saw the school when he was driven in for the first time, he started his trek to the school. Pausing briefly to check that he had his lighter, he did, he continued walking. After about 15 minutes his eyes started to wander. Taking in Hawkins, he thought it was...crappy to be honest. Sure, there wasn't a killer clown

(we all float down here)

but man. It sure isn't pretty. Something red caught Richie's eye. Looking to his right he thought he saw a red balloon. Alarms rang in his head as his breathing picked up the pace. Looking more closely, he saw it wasn't that, but a candy wrapper. He was sure he saw a balloon. Deciding it was just his mind playing tricks on him, he continued further. He didn't see the pebbles moving out in front of him as he walked. Nor did he see the branches of trees snapping when he moved his arm. Too many thoughts were clouding his mind. Suddenly, a loud noise came out from behind him. He almost screamed and jumped. Instead, he turned around slowly, preparing to be faced with Pennywise. Seeing a car waiting for him, he relaxed. Richie walked forward to see some guy with really great hair ask if he wanted a ride to school. He also addressed him as Mike. Rolling his eyes, he reminded himself to not be annoyed.
"Um, I'm actually not Mike. I'm his cousin." Richie explained for what seemed like the thousandth time.
"No way! Well, the offer still stands, Mikes cousin."
"The names Richie. And thanks." Richie opened the door as the other guy said, "No problem. I'm Steve by the way. Steve Harrington."
Richie's ears perked up at that. "Wait Steve as in Steve with the bat full of nails?"
"Yeah!! Wait. How do you know that?"
"The party told me everything." Richie explained as Richie thought it over. "Fuck that's sweet. I also have a bat that I killed a monster with."
"What?!?"
"Oh look! We're here! Thanks Steve!" Indeed they were there, so Richie got out and shouldered his backpack, heading for the double doors.
After that distraction, he thought back to the red balloon he saw in the woods. It couldn't be back, could It? Thinking of this, the doors were pushed open a millisecond before Richie touched them. Fuck. What if It's back?
It's not. It can't be.
...Right?
Finding the main office, he introduced himself and got his schedule. First class, science.

Seeing that the party was all in that class together, Richie breathed a sigh of relief. As he walked in late because of the long meeting with the office, he was called up by Mr. Clarke as he introduced himself. Fuck. He was going to have to say something wasn't he? Walking up to the front of the class from where he had just put his bag down on the only empty seat, he stood lazily. The aura of "bad boy" saturated the air around him with his all black outfit, ripped jeans, black curly long locks and the smell of cigarettes on him. He practically screamed "New Kid".
"Mr Tozier would you please introduce yourself?"
"You just did. My name is Richie

(trashmouth)

Tozier. I came from a really shitty town called Derry. It's in Maine. Don't go there if you don't wanna die

(the murder rates are five times worse than any place in the US, and that's just the adults)

of boredom." Richie finished and walked back to his seat without looking back. The class moved on with slight hesitation, eventually resuming the topic they were on before he barged in.
The rest of the day passed slowly. Richie zoned out for almost all of it, his thoughts purely consumed by a red balloon. When the last bell rang, Richie was so relieved, he just wanted to go home and feel normal, but no. He had to go to a strange house in a strange town in a strange state and everything was just not normal. The air around him got more dense and people were almost pushed away from him if they got too close when he walked toward his freedom. Trudging his way back towards the Wheeler's house, he found himself lighting a cigarette and smoking it on the way home. No signs of balloons...But that could be because Richie made himself look down for most of the way back, never glancing to the woods. Not even for a second. Branches swayed and Richie's hair was pushed and thrown into a chaotic mess. The wind was really strong. He thought. Only, the wind was actually nonexistent. Though, Richie never noticed this, thinking the wind grew calmer as the nicotine flowed through his veins. When he reached the house, the Party was already there, having a movie night. It seemed like they spent more hours at the Wheeler's house than their own. He didn't mind that much, after all, company was company and Richie hated being alone. Richie found his way downstairs and asked, "what are we watching?"
Mike grumbled but answered "Breakfast Club"
"Shit wow guys."
"What?" Max pushed the hair out of her face to look at Richie, daring him to make another comment about Molly Ringwald.
"Nothin' Darlin'" Richie drawled in a fancy western voice. "It's just that I didn't realize you all were a bunch of pussies."
Now that got everyone's attention.
"What do you mean? The Breakfast Club is a classic!" Dustin admonished his fast friend. The two of them had recently become close because of their jokes and personalities, though Richie had more sides of him that were drastically different and sometimes made Dustin wary of him. Didn't mean they couldn't have fun though.
"Shut up Richie!" Will said, playfully. Never truly meaning anything bad. He reminded Richie of a more innocent and soft Eddie. God he missed Eddie.
"Richie I swear to god-" Lucas almost face palmed.
"What you all would actually want to watch is Rocky Horror." Richie smiled. No one knew what it was. How fantastic. 20 minutes later, he managed to scrounge up a movie and convince the Party to watch it. 30 minutes into the movie, a knock at the basement door startles everyone. Mike was the first one to rush to the door, everyone else, a close second. Richie was the only one staring in confusion at what was happening. The door opened and Richie saw...