Lisp • Richie Tozier (1)

2

Richie and I walked since I didn't have a bike. He didn't seem to believe that I didn't, so he searched my garage. "My mom says I'll fall." I tell him. "Oh... well that's okay... let's just go. We have to get Eddie by the way." I nod. "That means you get to spend more time with me." He winked at me and I scoffed. "Yeah, sure."

"Take everything but the
delicious deals, guys. My mom loves them." Eddie said as we packed stuff into a bag. "Hey, first you said the barrens and now you're saying the sewer. I mean, if we get caught?" He trailed off. "We won't, Eds. The sewers are public works. We are the public, aren't we?"

"Eddie, are these your birth control pills?" Richie asked, examining a box. "Yeah, and I'm saving it for your sister." I high fived Eddie. "Nice, he deserved that."

"Hello, welcome to The Children's Hour Derry."

"Eddie, dear, where you all off to in such a rush?" His mother asked as she painted her nails in her chair.

"Our word of the day is "clown". They know what it means!"

"Uhm, just m-m-my backyard,
Mrs. K. I got a new..." Bill thought. "A new croquet set.
Jeez spit it out blubber Bill." I glared at Richie but didn't say anything. "Okay. Oh and sweetie, don't go rolling around in the grass, especially if it's just been cut. You know how bad your allergies can get." She smiled slightly. "Yes mom. Come on."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked.

"Water surrounds us. Even it is upon us. They do not believe me? Try it at home. Whenever you are outside..."

Eddie sighed and kissed his mother. All of us snickered quietly. "Do you want
one from me too, Mrs. K?" I must admit, I laughed at this.

"No."
"Sorry mom."

"Where's the poison ivy?" Eddie asked. "Nowhere!" Richie groaned. "Okay, well I'm starting to get itchy, and I'm pretty sure this is not good for my—" Richie cuts him off. "Do you use the same bathroom as your mother?" He asks. "Sometimes, yeah." Eddie says. "Then you probably have crabs." Eddie shakes his head as Richie ventures deeper into the sewer. "That's so not funny." Me, Eddie, and Stan watch them walk around in the water. "Aren't you guys coming in?" Richie asks, looking at me. "Uh-uh, that's grey water." Eddie says. "What the hell's grey water?" Richie yells. "It's basically," he stops to think. "Piss and shit. So, I'm just telling you, you guys are splashing around in millions of gallons of Derry pee." I grimace while Richie picks up a stick. "Are you serious? Wha- what are you doing?" Eddie yells at Richie. "Doesn't smell like Caca to me señor." Richie says in a stupid voice. "I can smell you from all the way over here." Richie turns around. "It's probably just your breath wafting back into your face." Eddie sighs loudly. "Have you ever heard of a staph infection?" Eddie asks him. "Oh, I'll show you a staph infection." Richie counters. "This is so unsanitary. This is literally like swimming inside of a toilet bowl. You're the reason why we're in this position right now because you're—"

"Guys!" Bill held up a shoe. "Shit, don't tell me that's-"

"Georgie was wearing galoshes." Bill says softly.
"Who's sneaker is it?" Eddie asks.
"It's Betty Ripson's." Richie says quietly. "Shit! Shit, oh god, oh fuck. I don't like this." I stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. "How do you think Betty feels... Going around these tunnels with only one fucking shoe." Richie says with a laugh. "What if she's still here?" Eddie asks in a hushed voice.  "Eddie, come on!" Richie yells at him. He then looks at me. "You too."

"My mom will have an aneurysm if she finds out we were playing down here. I'm serious." Eddie says, completely and utterly serious.  "Bill?" We all look at Bill. "If I was Betty Ripson, I'd want us to find me. G-Georgie too." Eddie sighs. "What if I don't wanna find them? I mean, no offense Bill, but I don't wanna end up like Ge— I don't wanna go missing either."
"He has a point." Richie says. "You too?" Richie sighs. "It's summer...
We're supposed to be having fun.
This isn't funny. This is scary and disgusting."

A splash from the water made all of their heads turn. A kid with dirt on his arms and blood on his shirt was panicking in the water. I was the first to run into the water and grab him.

"Holy shit, what happened to you?"