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30

Sunday. June 28, 1987

 E.

"I can't believe we get to dress up for a dance in the middle of summer. This is so cool we don't even need to wait until Halloween." I found myself voicing my excitement aloud for once, glancing at Richie who was getting dressed on his side of the room. He caught my gaze, giving me a once over.

"You actually want to dress up?" He seemed taunting so I just blushed.

"No, I mean," I sighed, "What's wrong with wearing a costume?" I watched him try to hold in a laugh.

"You're not ten, for starters." He rolled his eyes. I didn't understand. Back home, Bill and I would always make our own costumes, later making a contest out of it with his brother as the judge. Last year, I'd dressed up as a honeycomb and Bill as a Christmas tree. The year before, I spent weeks on the floor, hand-sewing every piece of red fabric I could find and made a chili pepper suit. Bill was going through a phase at the time, dressing as a monster, needless to say, I won that year.

"So, you're saying I can't wear a costume?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. Richie blew air out of his mouth, exaggeratedly.

"Do whatever you want, you'll be the only one."

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"Hey, what are you going to wear tonight?" Elle asked as she, Bev, Richie, Bill, Stan, Ben, Mike, Will and I walked to a table at lunch.

"A fucking costume party?" Richie groaned, knowing I wasn't going to miss a beat when making him eat his words from this morning.

"Yeah, you know, when you dress up." Bev spoke slowly, mocking him. I shoved him, sitting at an empty table.

"I know what a costume party is, Beverly." Richie ran a hand through his hair, watching me, carefully. "It's just I told Eddie not to wear a costume, now I'm going to look like an asshole."

"He'll still like you, don't worry." Ben snickered. I blushed, I hardly even like him as a roommate. Little did they know. "Maybe you two should wear matching costumes." Richie scoffed.

"What would we even go as?" I ask, playing along. Richie kicks me under the table, obviously not fond of the idea. I rolled my eyes.

"You could go as ketchup and mustard!" Elle weighed in. I was too embarrassed to tell them I already went as mustard 4 years ago.

"That's so lame," Will laughed.

Stan thought for a moment. "You guys should dress up as Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson." I noticed Richie straighten up in his seat, next to me.

"That's a great idea," Richie had a sneaky way to his words that I didn't like.

"R-really?" My eyes flew from face to face then back to Richie who nodded. "Why?"

"What, n-not sure how your b-butt is gonna look in those leather tights?" Bill snickered, I suddenly realized why Richie had agreed. I groaned at the thought of it. Looks like it's gonna be an interesting night.

Once lunch was over, I dragged Richie back to our cabin. After many attempts at swatting my hands away, he gave in and joined me. Once we were behind closed doors, it took me approximately four minutes to remind him of why this secret relationship was a bad idea and how ridiculous the costume party will be if I dress up as Sandy.

"You done?" Richie asked with a humorless laugh.

I groaned, reaching into the bag that Bev had offered me an hour earlier. "Yes, but do you have any idea of how to put these on?" I pulled the blonde wig out of the bag and held it out for Richie to see. He clicked his tongue and shook his head, grabbing the wig and putting it on my head expertly like it was a rudimentary math equation.

"Wh- How?" I stutter, catching a glimpse of my new hair in the mirror. He just crossed his arms.

"I know everything." Richie shrugged, applying a great amount of gel and spray to his hair. I reached up to touch the wig on my head, and he quickly grabbed my hand to stop me. "You need to pin it, or it's gonna slide off after one song."

I gaped at him. He kept his grip on my hand and I gulped. Not only at the thought of dancing but at how close we were. I stared into his eyes and was reminded of the night at the campfire right before we kissed. He gave me a weird look and I realized he was waiting for me to say something. 

  "Song? I don't dance, Richie,"  I whispered, hoping my voice didn't shake. Fuck these confusing feelings. 

"Well you're going to have to. Everyone thinks we're dating and they're gonna expect us to dance." Richie rolled his eyes. Dropping my hand and walking over to his bed. He'd borrowed a leather jacket from some kid in Steve's group that owed him for sneaking peaks at his dirty magazines. 

"You mean together?" I asked warily. He rolled his eyes again, tossing the jacket in my direction.

"Yes, together. That's kind of the point." I felt nervous at the thought. "Don't worry. After a few songs you'll come up with an excuse and ask to stop. Then I'll ask Elle to dance." I nodded at his words. Right. Course I wouldn't actually be his date. 

"Right," I sighed. "Can you help me pin this now?" 

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sorry i haven't updated in a few days. I actually had a Halloween dance to go to last night lmao

Q. which character in this story do you relate to most? (not the way King writes them. The way I write them.)

A. I relate to Eddie the most in the way that he is just trying to figure shit out. Also he's scared of crap and me too siGH... BUT also Bev bc she'd do anything to help her friends?? 

-kat 10/21/17 @ 3:26 pm