sweets// patrick hockstetter

9

Lavender combed out her hair and put the purple dress on that she had been saving for Stanley's bar mitzvah.

She had never been to his church before and she hadn't seen Stanley in two weeks not since his parents stopped coming over because Mrs. Kaspbreak told them about her acting out and that Eddie got hurt because of her.

Stanley had called her a few nights before and told her that he wanted her there at his bar mitzvah to see him turn into a man.

She, of course, agreed to go. She called Richie and they agreed to sit together. His parents loved her as much as Patrick did.

"Hey, Lavvie. Haven't seen you around." Lav nodded.

"Just trying to get over everything," She admits and Richie frowns, and puts his hand over hers.

"Ya know, that doesn't mean you have to stop talking to everyone." He tells her.

"I'm used to doing things alone. Processing my emotions, getting through heartbreak. I just do it better alone." Richie frowns, he didn't lie that she was so used to being that alone.

"Just because you're better at being alone, doesn't mean you are. I'm always here for Lavvie." Lavender smiles at him.

"Richie Tozier, such a big softie for me." Richie smiles.

"Only for you, Lavender Grey. Only for you."

"You didn't crack one single joke this whole time we've been sitting here. Have you changed?

"Not a chance," He mimicks her thick accent and she smiles.

A few minutes into their conversation and the ceremony starts, Neither Richie nor Lavender had any idea what Stanely was saying into the mic but they listened nonetheless.

"Reflecting on what I just read," Stanley says, his eyes go to his two friends and Lavender gave two thumbs up at him, "שִׁנּוּי comes up a lot, which means growing and changing. This makes sense because today is the day I am supposed to become a man. It's funny though, everyone, I think, has some memories they're prouder of than others, right? And maybe that's why change is so scary the things we wish we could leave behind. The whispers, we wish we could silence. The nightmares we most want to wake up from. The memories we wish we could change. Secrets we feel like we have to keep like the hardest to walk away from. The good stuff, the pictures in our minds that fade away the fastest. Those pieces of you feels the easiest to lose. Maybe, I don't want to forget. Maybe, if that's what today is all about. Forget it, right?"

"Thank you, Stanley." His dad tried to grab the microphone.

"Today, I'm supposed to become a man but I don't- I don't feel any different. All right, I know I'm a loser, and no matter what. I always fucking will be." Lavender and Richie both stood up and clapped. Richie's mother grabbed his sleeve but Lavender whooped.

"GO STAN!" Stanley smiles at her as he walks out.

"That was interesting," Lavender told Stanley as they stood outside,

"Wanna go do something for my birthday?"

"Hell, yeah!" Lavender says. Stanley asks her how she's been and she answers honestly, that it's been hard.

There weren't a lot of things so when Lavender mentioned she could get them in for free at the bowling alley they all jumped on the idea.

Going to a too cold bowling place. Richie had a red ball, Stanley had a blue ball, and Lavender had a lavender ball because Richie said, "It's too perfect to pass up."