A Player's First Choice // Stenbrough

094 / Turn the Car Around

I walk to the back of the library, my phone shows a notification.

Bill✨ wants to know your location

Decline

I turn the flashlight on as I find the door. The notification pops up again until I see a text message.

Bill✨

B: Where are you at?
B: I can see that you're reading these messages. Don't ignore me.
B: Are you at home?
B: Eddie said you aren't there.
B: Who are you with?
B: Stan. You're worrying me
B: Bunny?
B: Stop fucking ignoring me. Where are you?

S: My phone is about dead.

B: Tell me where you are.
B: Stop declining my calls.
B: Just send me your location.

By the time I look up, I realize I'm already inside. Glass shattered and my forearm bloody.

I guess love makes you numb to pain?

—

I sit where my favorite genre is, grabbing a book I started to read a day or two ago.

I smile at how many birds I've seen in real life, the book shows me. I smile at my favorite bird.

Finally. My flashlight on my phone turns off. "What the fuck?" I groan, slowly walking through the darkness.

"Where're the fucking lights? I've been in here a million times." My speech slurs.

Once finding the lights I see someone. Bill, his hair soaking wet. I turn the lights off quickly.

"Good try. I know you're here." Another set of lights turn on, I stare at the floor. "What did you do to your arm? Stan what the fuck answer me."

I grab onto my arm, my hand shakes as I stare at the blood.

"I-I don't know." I shrug as the pain starts to get to me. It's not love. It's the alcohol. Maybe it's both.

"Why didn't you fucking answer any of my text??" "I-I didn't want to." "That's not a good fucking excuse Stan."

"Fine then. Why did you leave me?" He wraps a towel around my arm. "What do you mean?" "You left me alone at the restaurant." I sniffle letting out a shaky breath.

He wipes my face off with the other side of the towel. "I told you I had to meet up with that guy." "You didn't have to lie to m-me...you didn't tell m-me where you were going."

"You should've known." He mutters. "Stop! Fucking saying that!" I start to cry a little bit. "Don't cry bunny." He whispers wiping my face off with his sleeve.

"Stop calling me that!" "What's gotten into you? I thought you liked it?" "No! I don't. Let go of me! Let go of me!"

"Hey hey hey...calm down. Let's go home." "No! Let go of me. I don't wanna go with you! Go away." I cry as grips my wrists.

Richie gives me a look of sadness as he stands at the doors. I run over to him, sobbing into his t-shirt as he pulls me out of the library.

"Stan, what the fuck? Come back." "Leave him, alone man." I cry a bit harder, Richie's grip around me tightens as he puts me in the back seat.

"It's okay...you'll be okay." He whispers reaching his arm to the back where I lay, I sob into my hands. "It's not Richie. I love him." I sob a bit harder as he sits in silence.

—Richie's POV

Looking in the rearview mirror I continue to listen to Stan's light sobs, I see Bill standing there in the rain. His hair begins to stick to his head. My phone rings.

Bill

R: Bill not n-

B: What the fuck?!

R: Don't yell.

B: I'm gonna fucking yell if I want! Turn the fucking car around!

R: No...
I hang the phone up, calling Eddie afterward.

Eddie🤍

E: Babe? It's late. Where'd you go?
His sleepy voice giving me butterflies.

R: I uh...I have Stan with me. Could you get some towels...and bandages?

E: Yeah? Is he okay?

R: He's okay...could you start a shower too?

E: Sure...I'll see you in a bit.

R: Okay...I love you-
I stop breathing for a second. I didn't mean to say it.

E: I love you too.
He giggles softly.