Strange as IT Seems

Chapter 25: Colossal Implosion

Bev rides up to the arcade to see Bill and Stan already waiting out front. The leader of the Loser's Club had left messages on all his friends' phones telling them to meet at the Palace Arcade. He'd left different ones for Richie and Eddie, making them think that the other would not be there, hoping that the two best friends could meet and talk out their differences. If they were honest with each other, the fight was relatively minor and over something stupid, stupid enough that it didn't justify them not speaking at all. Whenever the group tried to hang out, it was either with Richie or with Eddie, not together. If the other approach, they'd turn and leave immediately without saying a word.

It worried Bill that the group would never be able to go back to normal with two key members hating each other. Sure he and Richie had fought last summer about facing Pennywise but they came together when IT had grabbed Beverly. It was together as a group that they were able to defeat the demon of Derry, but now, in a different town and different circumstances, their group seemed to fall apart.

"I don't think this is going to work," Stan mutters, always the pessimist of the group.

"W-We have to try," Bill says. "It's b-been over a w-week, they need to start talking again."

"What if they don't want to talk? What if they just don't want to be friends anymore?" Stan asks. "These things happen Bill... it's part of growing up."

"Why do you feel the need to be so negative?" Bev inquires. She takes out some cigarettes and her lighter. While her foster family was trying to discourage her from continuing this habit, the redhead still smoked when she was stressed out, and she did not doubt that this would be stressful.

"Because not everything is going to end happily as you want it to. Not everything is like a story Bill."

"L-Look, I know you hated m-moving, but don't take it out on us-s," Bill glares.

Stan rolls his eyes and looks away. He hadn't admitted to anyone that he hated that they'd all moved, despite getting out of that hellhole of the town and away from...IT. What sucked was that all this had happened and he wouldn't admit it, but he did want them to be friends again, he just hated the conflict.

Ben rides up, with his backpack stuffed to the brim with books.

"Another library trip?" Bev asks.

The scholar of the group nods, trying not to blush. "I figure if things go south, I need something to do afterwards."

"It won't go south," Bill says firmly.

"Whatever... the library here in town is just as good as the one in Derry, there's a whole history section. Did you know about the lab outside of Hawkins was built after World War II... it has government connections to..."

"H-Here comes Richie," Bill says, swallowing a lump in his throat.

The trash-mouth rides up, grinning and relieved that Eddie was nowhere in sight. He was glad that they'd chosen his friendship over the germaphobe.

"Hey guys," Richie says.

"Long time no see," Bev says sarcastically, blowing out smoke.

"Don't give me that, I've been busy this past week."

"Hiding in shame," Stan mutters under his breath.

"Anyways, I'm ready to hit the arcade, did you guys bring money?"

"Did you?" Ben asks.

Richie's face goes red. "I was kind of hoping you guys could spot me this time..."

The group glare at him; it certainly wasn't the first time Richie had attempted to mooch cash off of them. He usually ended up blowing his allowance on junk candy, comic books, or Playboys, until his parents did the now weekly search of his room and confiscated them.