(Not) Brave enough [RICHIE TOZIER]

/9/

"Thanks guys, but you shouldn't have done that. They'll be after you guys, too, now." As we walked down the hill in line, Mike spoke up.

"Oh, no, no, no. Bowers? He's always after us." A dried chuckle escaped me. Yeah, Bowers bully my friends and Mike, but when seeing me he has only one thing on mind: sex. 

"I-I guess that's one t-t-thing we all h-have in common." Bill stuttered with a small grin on his face. I don't know if it's sad or funny fact. 

"Yeah, homeschool. Welcome to the losers'club." Richie spoke from behind me as Stan walk in front of me. 

"Oh my fucking god, guys, our club is growing bigger. Isn't that wonderful?" My voice lacked with sarcasm and little of joy. It's good feeling to know you're not the only one and is there more of someone like you. 

...Time skip...

Me and my friends along with Mike stood by a wall where is a new missing poster hanged. While Eddie went to grab himself and Richie ice cream, I dared the other boy to go to one of the playing men, 'borrow' his trumpet and play on it. It wouldn't be Richie if he didn't grin and eagerly go to do the challenge I gave him. 

Instead of paying attention to my other friends talking about the photo, I watched Richie play horribly though ridiculously on the trumpet, the owner trying to take it. I laughed when the owned had enough and torred it from Richie's arms, walking away with frowning face. Richie lifted his arms up before walking back to us.

"Enjoyed the show, sunshine?" Richie leaned on the wall behind me with his arm, his other one on his hip. A shit eating grin grew on his face. I smirked, crossing my arms on my chest while leaning on the wall behind me. Let's ignore my cheeks turning a lignt shade of red.

"Of course I did. Couldn't do it better, pretty boy." At my response Richie chuckled to himself. Then Eddie's voice appeared from behind Richie, holding two ice creams. 

"What're you guys talking about?" Eddie asked. Richie straightened up before they could notice us and took his ice cream from my cousin.

"What they always talk about." I rolled my eyes at Richie's answer.

"I think it will end. For a little while, at lest." Ben spoke up, me giving him pained look. 

"Eh, I wouldn't be so sure about that, Beny-boo. But why do you think that?" I asked a little hesitant to know.

"So I was going over all my derry researsch and I charted out all the big events. The ironworks explosion in 1908, the Bradley gang in '35 and the black spot in '62. And now kids being...I realized this stuff seems to happen every 27 years." 

"27 years." Bill, who puzzled it all together and did a little math in his head like me said with Ben at the same time. They all shared faces with different expression but me. I kept looking elsewhere, hoping to not land my eyes on that fucking clown watching us again.
And I had my luck.

We changed our location and sat on a bench close to the statue and stage with clown, dancing kids and other. I sat on my skateboard right next to Richie.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. it comes out from from wherever to eat kids for, like, a year? And then what? It just goes into hibernation?" Eddie started the conversation where we left it.

"Maybe it's like....What do you call it? Cicadas. You know, the bugs that come out once every 17 years." I had to shake my head at Stan's suggestion. 

I'm too confused how it works. If It eat until It's full and then goes to sleep for 27 years or if someone has to knock him out into 27 years long sleep or whatever.