IMPULSE {Richie Tozier}

4

Ivy is sat in the living room, watching quietly as her parents argue. Slowly their argument was beginning to heat up, causing her heart to pick up speed.

She wanted to leave. She would too, but if her dad saw her walk out that door, she would be as good as dead.

"I TOLD YOU TO FUCKING DO PAY THEM, WHY DIDN'T YOU PAY THEM?!" Her father shouts angrily, getting in her mothers face.

Her mom flinches back, desperately trying to escape the grip on her wrist.

"I told you! I-I had to buy groceries! W-we—"

Slap.

Her mother holds her cheek, tears spilling from her eyes.

"Don't fucking feed me excuses, damn it. I'll take this outside. Do you want that to happen?"

Ivy didn't want that to happen. She desperately didn't. Yet her mother, being fed up and stubborn, had to argue back.

"MAYBE I DO."

There's a small second of silence before everything happens. Next thing she knows, her father is pushing her mother outside with his hand around her throat. Ivy's out of her seat and chasing after them, desperately trying to pull her father off her mother.

"NO! STOP! STOP!" The small girl begs, stepping between the two. "DAD, STOP! THEY'LL CALL THE POLICE ON YOU!"

Clyde Okonma was in no mood to go easy, so with little to no effort he threw the girl aside onto the grass and continued beating his wife, Tammy Okonma.

Ivy watches as her mother gets half beaten to death. Watches as blood and tears stream down her face.

She feels useless and scared, and furious at the same time.

Once he's done with her mother, Clyde walks towards the girl with his belt off. Ivy, knowing all too well what was next, cowers away trying to escape.

It's too late for that though. She can feel the sting of the belt down her back and her legs. It burns more than she feels fire ever could. She cries and begs him to stop, but it's no use. The man was blind with rage. Slashing the girl over and over.

What happens next is almost in slow motion for the poor Ivy. Novocane jumps up and bites Clyde's arm. He lets out a yelp of pain before throwing the dog aside and holding his arm.

Ivy's eyes are wide with fear.

Her father advances towards her dog.

"NO! NO! Not my dog! Don't touch her please, no!"

Relief swarms her when he doesn't raise his hand. He just stands there, gripping his belt tightly before storming back into the house. Ivy lets out a loud sob of relief, despite the stinging on her body.

Can't get much worse than that, right? Wrong.

The losers stare in horror at the girl and her mom. They pass this house everyday, to get to the quarry. Nothing like this has happened when they've passed.

Ivy doesn't even notice their presence. She just continues sobbing, and hugging her dog tightly.

Stan and Eddie both want to say something, he wants to help. Yet, he's glued to his spot in fear.

Bill feels guilty. He feels wrongness in his heart. How could they just stand there and watch her get beat like that? Why was he so afraid to step in? He should've stepped in.

Ben knew she was abused, but he never knew it was this bad.

Richie feels a sense of guilt run through his veins. All those terrible things he said about her, suddenly felt all wrong. His mouth is dry and for once he can't speak. He stands there with a dumb expression, waiting for something to happen. Then, finally it does. And he's still an asshole.

Ivy looks up to them, embarrassment riding her features.

Pity. She really hated that look.

"W-What're you guys doing?..." she asks through unsteady breaths.

"Minding our own business." Richie states, beginning to walk off.

Ivy watches him with a bit of hurt, but decides to brush it off. The other boys look at him like he's the stupidest being to ever roam the earth.

"We c-came to i-invite you to the quarry..." Bill lies.

Offering a sad smile. Eddie glances at him weirdly, but decides to play along. A genuine smile washes onto the girls face as she stands and dusts herself off.

"Really?" She questions.

No one ever invited her anywhere. Ever.

Bill nods along with the other boys.

"Okay...cool. I'll go then! Just give me a sec," She states before helping her mother into the house.

Within five minutes, she's back outside of the house, walking towards them glee. As if everything that had just happened didn't happen at all. As if it wasn't a big deal and didn't effect her whatsoever.

It's scares Ben how easily she gets over it. It scares all of them.

She's simply happy that people invited her somewhere, and one of those people were her long time crush. Ivy is so blind to the reality of Richie, that she completely misses all his eye rolls and crappy comments towards her.

Richie didn't even know why he hated the girl so much. She was the first girl to ever have romantic interest in him, and yet that somehow bothers him.

Or maybe he was just scared. Scared to trust something like fate.