golden boy : stozier

thirteen

"did you know greta was throwing a party this weekend?" beverly was combing her fingers through her own hair, tugging out knots gently. she was looking to bill, who was rubbing at his eyeball.

"what? wh-whuh-why would i know that?" he picked at more fries, like always, disinterested. he looked up to mike, his eyebrows furrowed as he subtly shook his head, as if to say, what does she think?

"i dunno. just asking. she invited me, of course." beverly sent a glare in mike's direction, taking a sip of her water.

"congrats," mike mused.

"gonna get absolutely smashed, beverly?" richie spoke up, having been zoned out staring off into the distance. he used his middle finger to push his glasses back up his face.

"oh beep beep, richie." beverly swatted at richie, trying to hit his glasses. he swerved out of the way, her sighing as he cackled.

"she p-pruh-probably will, c-cuh-cuh-come over to my house later, oh bill, i love you soooo much," bill laughed as he mocked her, and she lightly slapped his shoulder. the table laughed, and she flipped her hair back.

"you boys don't know shit." she looked down at the ground beneath her feet, and the smile on bill's face twitched as he looked at her.

"oh, she uses big words!" richie laughed, beverly flipping him off violently.

"whatever. where's stanley?" beverly looked around, mike doing a glance as well. richie seemed very focused in not doing the same, staring down at the table.

"he said he was on his way. talking to ben, if i had to guess." richie shrugged, like he was apathetic about it.

"you guys sure are close." beverly narrowed her eyes. richie coughed, clearing his throat afterwards. something in beverly's tone—a twinge of mean and curious—made richie nervous, and the way she was now clutching bill's arm. nervous, and annoyed.

"what? what's that supposed to mean?" richie furrowed his eyebrows, wrinkling his nose as he responded.

mike coughed, "i mean, she's got a point. you haven't ever mentioned a girl, and suddenly here you are, bringing a new boy... friend into the group. and you two are closer than i've ever seen you with anyone. i can't say i didn't think the same thing at first." mike said, and richie felt his ears ringing. he shook his head.

"what?! no, no, i'm not—no." richie stumbled through the words, but only because he was so eager to get to them.

"are you s-sure?" bill raised an eyebrow. richie wrinkled his nose once more.

"fuck off, yes i'm sure. jesus, you think i wouldn't know if i was a fairy?" richie scoffed, and went back to picking at bill's fries, a punishment to them for asking.

"we didn't mean anything bad by it, richie," mike started, but richie shook his head, cutting him off. richie did not want to think about how red he must be. they didn't know what they were talking about, anyway.

"whatever. we're not close like that." richie grumbled, and he took another couple of fries.

"uh-huh." beverly's voice doubted, but mike must have given her a look, because she didn't say anything more. maybe bill had payed attention to her enough to distract her off course.

"he's just a good kid, alright?" richie said, deciding he didn't want bill's fries after all. they weren't very good, anyway. he wished stanley had been there: he always wanted to strangle beverly a little less with stanley around.

"oh, totally. and he's good at school, bless his heart." mike said, and richie nodded, thinking about how when stanley was focusing hard on homework, he would rub the eraser of his pencil into a table without noticing. waste of an eraser. 

"yeah, that's a nice bonus." richie replied, watching out of the corner of his eye as greta got up from a table. richie couldn't stand beverly, but even more so he could not stand greta. he looked down to the ground.

"bevvie, so, i was talking to betty..." her nasally voice interrupted any thought richie had been having, and she leaned over richie to talk to beverly across the table.

"oh, hi greta!" beverly said, straightening up like she was trying to impress them. richie wanted to laugh.

"aaaand we decided that your... buddies, should come too! so you're all invited. and you're richie, right?" greta turned her head, finally backing out of richie's personal space.

richie nodded begrudgingly, "that is and always has been my name."

"i mean, tuh-tuh-technically it's richard," bill said.

"fuck off, bill," richie flipped him off jokingly.

"i think you mean william," mike elbowed richie.

"fuh-funny joke, michael," bill gave mike a deadpan expression.

"boys. shut. up." beverly interrupted the three of them laughing, smacking her tray on the table. they stopped, looking to her. richie coughed a bit. greta cleared her throat.

"richie, bring your boyfriend, y'know, uris." she said, a wide smile on her face. she batted her eyelashes before walking away.