Autophobia ♡ r.t

Chapter Twenty-One

"Richie I swear to god if we get anymore ice cream I'm gonna blow up like a balloon!" Caroline giggled as she flopped back on the boys unmade bed.

"I know but I just still feel a lil bad and want you to know I'm sor-" Richie explained, pulling himself onto the bed next to her, sitting near her head.

"Don't you dare say the 'S' word! That is banned! It's been like a month!" Caroline insisted, swiftly slapping his leg with the back of her hand.

"We're seriously classing it as the 'S' word?! I just wanted you know I'm sor-"

"Ah-ah!"

The boy glared down at her, pushing his glasses up his face before attempting again.

"Caroline I swear to-"

"Using my full name!" Caroline sat up, letting out a dramatised gasp and twisting her face into a pout "How could you Richard!!"

"Ok ok! Unfair! My full name is way grosser than yours!" Richie protested, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Don't care! If you're gonna' dish it out you gotta' learn to take it."

Caroline smiled in a smug manner before getting up and walking towards Richies closet, which looked as if it had been hit by some sort of bomb.

"Jeez Richie! Clean your room!" Caroline exclaimed, kicking one of the many piles of his clothes that lay on the floor.

"Carrie that is my property-" Richie began to joke, before a shriek of glee left Caroline's lips as she snatched up clothes that were still on a hanger.

"Richie Tozier!!! What is this?!?" She insisted, aggressively pushing the very formal suit forward, laughter wracking her body.

"What-what do you mean?! It's just-it's-just a normal like suit! For things that need suits! Like-like weddings!" Richie said in a slightly panicked tone, desperately trying to grab the hanger from the girl.

Caroline spun away, clutching the suit to her chest. She ran quickly to the other side of the room, pursued by Richie as she continued to laugh.

"No way! This is far too formal for a 13 year old at a wedding! I'm not stupid Richie cmon!!"

Caroline kicked her leg out to try and keep him at a distance while also holding the suit for dear life.

"Will you- carrie I swear to god!"

"Explain yourself Richard!"

"Full name! Again?!"

"Yes! Explain and I will put the suit down!"

"And you won't tell anyone?"

"Of course not! Our secret!"

Caroline stuck out her pinky to Richie, pulling the suit she had held in the opposite hand back and away from him to prevent any trickery crossing the boys mind.

Richie sighed before linking his pinky with her, shaking their hands around slightly as he stared at the floor, a light pink dusting his face.

"I-my mom makes me do ballroom dancing" he muttered, so quiet it was barley audible. Caroline's entire face lit up in a mischievous joy.

"Sorry couldn't hear you." She teased, cupping her hand around her ear.

"My mom makes me do ballroom dancing" he whispered again.

"Sorry didn't quite catch tha-"

"I take ballroom dance classes! My mom makes me! She thought they'd like-mellow me out of something! Happy?!?" Richie huffed, looking with an annoyed expression as Caroline dropped the suit and squealed in a mix of delight and hilarity.

"Immensely so richie!!"

Caroline stumbled over to his bed, struggling to breath through her fits of laughter.

"Carrie it's not that fun-"

"Teach me!"

"What?!"

"You heard me! Just-just teach me some moves!"

Caroline bounced towards him, holding out her hands in the form of an invitation. Richie stepped towards her, trying his best to suppress the red that was creeping up his cheeks as he took her hands.

He put them both in the correct position for a regular waltz. He made sure to place his hand high up on her waist, although there was the slight temptation to let it slip down to her hips.

"So-uh-we just start like-like this." Richie explained, leading Caroline around surprisingly smoothly, counting the beats aloud as they hadn't thought to put on any music.

Not that Richie just casually had a mixtape of classical ballroom dance music laying around in his room to use.

Caroline followed him the best she could, stumbling a couple times over both her own feet and Richies belongings.

The two continued for a while, Caroline finally managing to catch up slightly, beginning to trip up less and less.

"So~" Richie interrupted the silence that had fallen since he stopped counting "this is kinda awkward without music right?"

"Kinda yeah." Caroline laughed, smiling up at him "I can hear your breathing like really loudly, which is a bit strange"

"Yeah" Richie sighed, staring down at her. She looked perfect. I mean, she always did but, it must of been something about the way the light was hitting her.

He had been having a fairly shit time recently with himself, but she seemed to be the only thing that would cheer him up.

With her stupid smile and her stupid laugh. And the way she didn't understand his dirty jokes. And how she went out of her way to never swear.

She was precious. Well and truly.

It was at this moment in time, just as Richie began to lean down towards her, that Caroline lost her footing, sending them both tumbling downwards.

They both landed on the floor with a thud, Caroline having flopped down on top of Richie. They both groaned in pain,Caroline rolling swiftly off of richie, her back smacking off the floor as she landed next to him.

"Sorry" she moaned from beside him, massaging the left side of her torso.

"No-it's cool" Richie replies sounding out of breath, obviously winded from having the girl fall on top of him.

"Pinky swear to never let us dance like that again?" Caroline chuckled, holding out her pinky to him, glancing to the side at Richie, who was smiling like an idiot with his glasses halfway off his face.

"Agreed" Richie said, linking their pinkies together once again "but only because you're a shitty dancer."

"Yeah?! Well you're a bad teacher!"

"Oh you wish!" Richie scoffed as he stood up, gesturing for her to do the same and follow him as he started towards to door.

"What is that even supposed to mean?!" Caroline whined as she jumped up and followed after him.

"Whatever you want it to mean, doll face"

"Yeah you're weird"

"I know"

The two rushed down the stairs and out the front door, heading to the spot where they had both abandoned their bikes.

"Where to?" Caroline asked, looking toward Richie as she swung her leg over her bike.

"How about~" Richie paused, smirking over at the girl "we go get ice cream?"

"Boo!" Caroline exclaimed, faking pouting at him.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

"Whatever! Where are we going?"

"Want me to kick your ass at street fighter?"

"Oh you're so on tozier!"

And with that challenge set in place, to two zipped away on their bikes towards the arcade, enjoying the summer in all its normality and glory.

For now.