affection || reddie 💫

Chapter 38

That day after school, Richie was back in his natural habitat at the arcade. He had planned to bring Eddie, but as it turns out his mom said that he had to be home at a certain time and therefore meant she wouldn't allow him to hang about after school with his friends, which was understandable on Eddies behalf, there wasn't much he could do when it came to the strict rules his mother gave him. Richie just focused on the game of street fighter in front of him, not taking his eyes off of it for a second, his glasses, which he was now wearing because the contact lenses were annoying his eyes, shimmered from the reflection of the screen, and he had almost won too before a voice came from behind him, catching him off guard.

"Can I play?"

Richie knew who's voice that was, and as soon as he heard it he wanted to just punch that person right in the face. But thankfully, he kept his cool and just turned around, barging past Connor towards another coin-op, "wait Richie—"

"No," Richie spat, death staring him, "see my face? This is what your stupid cousin did, this is what you did, just so stay away from me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry but when I saw you and Eddie—"

"Don't you dare bring Eddie into this! You leave him out of this okay? I swear if he gets hurt because of you-"

"Richie I didn't wanna tell Henry I swear!! I didn't—"

"That's such fucking bullshit!!"

At that moment, which seemed to be the worst possible timing for all of this, Henry and his goons walked out from the cinemas; catching Richies nervous gaze as they stopped to see what was going on. Connor turned around, seeing Henry, and took a small step back to distance himself from Richie, trying to make it look like he didn't wanna talk to him.

"What'd I tell you about staying away from my cousin, Tozier? You gonna infect him? Make him a faggot like you? I'll mess you up worse than last time you little shit, I fucking warned you," Henry snapped, taking a sudden step forward, causing Richie to flinch and move backwards, accidentally bumping into someone, "fucking watch it..!" they spat, but Richie was already getting out that place as fast as he could, swinging open the doors and running out into the moderately cold air.

He wasn't sure if Bowers was coming after him, he didn't think he was because they were in Derry Township and it was such a public place, but then again Bowers was crazy and would probably kill him with his bare hands in front of a whole crowd, so he decided to keep running either way. Richie thought he must've ran for a while because he started to get a cramp in his lower abdomen— in reality it really wasn't that much distance, it was just Richie— but it all came to a stop when someone turned around the corner of an alleyway, and Richie, with zero self-control, failed to pay attention, causing him to crash into them.

"Jesus chri— do you mind?!!"

Richies heart was beating out of his chest at this point and he was panting heavily, just managing to get out a response, "I'm sorry I didn't see— oh, it's just you, never mind."

"What are you doing??" Stanley frowned, picking up his book that had fallen out of his hands from the impact.

Richie panted heavily and lazily lifted up an arm, pointing behind him as he ranted on about what had happened, "the arcade— Bowers— and then Connor— and he yelled— I ran and—" he continued panting dramatically, Stanley looking askance at him.

Suddenly, Bill turned around the corner too, speaking, "hey Stan so I th-think we should go back to mine or s-something and fu—" He cut himself off when he saw Richie standing there, and awkwardly stared at them. Stanley just gave Bill a small shrug as to say "yeah I don't know either", before Richie was talking again.