Summer of '93 - Stozier

40

"Okay! Listen! Im sorry! But all i'm saying is, Pepsi is wayyy better than Coke!!" Richie shrugged.

They were almost up the hill by now. It was around 6:40 PM, the fireworks didn't start till 9pm so they had a while yet.

"Oh, that is such bullshit!" Stan scoffed. "Pepsi barely a taste! What kind of drugs are you on?"

"How can you even dare to think Coke is better than Pepsi?? It's literally just a bunch of fizz!"

Stan rolled his eyes.

"You're both wrong." Jenny piped up. "Dr Pepper is way better than both Coke and Pepsi by a landslide."

Stan and Richie both looked at each other and then back at Jen.

"Okay, first of all-"

"Hey! Is this it?" Ben asked, deciding to stop the argument now before both Richie and Stan went off.

Stan paused, looking around. "Oh." He nodded. "Yup, this is it!"

"Sweet." Ben smiled, unlacing his hand from Bevs.

They all threw down their backpacks, Mike taking four blankets from his, all in different coloured tartan, handmade by Grandma Hanlon, and spreading them out over the grass.

Bill threw himself down onto a green one, spreading himself out and sighing loudly. "That was so- fu-fucking tiring."

"Right?" Richie chuckled, sitting himself down on the yellow blanket, next to Eddie.

Stan sighed, looking over at the two, who were now having a conversation, Richie speaking loudly and using hand gestures as Eddie rolled his eyes and began laughing at something Richie has said.

He sat next to Bill, since Bev was already practicing suffocating Ben with how clingy she was being (Ben didn't seem to mind) on the red blanket, and Mike and Jenny were watching the clouds on a blue blanket.

"Sir, you are i-invading my spay-hace." Bill said, jokingly glaring at Stan. He turned on his side and propped his head against his hand, leaning on his elbow.

"Mhm." Stan hummed, distractedly staring at the two boys on the yellow blanket.

"Stan-Stanley?" Bill waved, furrowing his eyebrows. "Theres a cardinal on the blan-hanket."

"Uhuh.." Stan nodded slowly, still not paying attention. He turned back to Bill and looked down. "Hey, do you think theres something going on with Richie and Eddie?" He asked in a hushed whisper.

Bill looked past Stan at the two boys, who were still laughing at something. "Hm.. N-nope. D-don-don't thih-think-think so." He replied slowly, picking at his nails.

"Are you sure? I saw them..-" Stan shook his head. "Doesn't matter, you're probably right." He shrugged.

"Yeah and,, Eds isn't.. y-y'know.."

"Right.."

"You o-okay, dude?" Bill asked after a while, Stan was back to looking at the two boys.

"Fine. Why?" Stan replied, still looking over.

"Y-you seem a little.. ouh-out-out of it."

"'M fine." Stan shrugged.

"Oh, Guys!" Bev yelled suddenly, bringing their attention to her. She was rustling around in her bag, noises of glass clinking together could be heard from inside. She pulled out a one litre bottle of vodka and smiled. "Stole this from my aunt."