✓ | TEENS AND THINGS → richie tozier ²

three

"I DON'T know Eds, it was just. . .the way he looked at me. I can't explain it."

It had been a week since the Losers had started high school and for the first time Richie was confiding his feelings about a certain guy in his girlfriend's math class to his best friend.

"Richie, I've told you a million times don't call me that!" Eddie said exasperatedly as they walked to the lunchroom together to meet the rest of the Losers, including Ash.

He sighed, looking at Richie. "Are you sure it wasn't just because you're. . .jealous?"

Richie jerked his head around to stare at him. "Jealous!? Of him? Are you serious?"

Eddie gave him a look, and after a few seconds Richie relented. "Okay, so maybe I was jealous. But I know that wasn't it. I mean, I was, y'know, jealous; but the look he gave me. It made me really, really nervous, Eddie."

Eddie's forehead crinkled. "What do you mean, nervous?"

Richie pressed his lips together, thinking, and then said, "Like. . .uneasy. He looked at me like he could see right through me. And I don't want Ash going anywhere near him. You know how she is, always seeing the best in everybody."

Eddie nodded, saying abruptly, "What did you say his name was again?"

"Spencer Allen." Richie said, and then muttered under his breath, "Prick."

Eddie stopped dead in the hallway, his eyes widening as he looked at Richie. "Did you just say Spencer Allen?"

"Yeah. . .so?" Richie said slowly, and Eddie didn't answer, Richie practically seeing the gears in his brain whirring.

"Eddie, come on, will you stop with the freak shit and talk to me?" Richie exclaimed, hitting his shoulder, and Eddie's vision cleared as he met Richie eyes, shaking his head.

"What? Why are you shaking your head? Is this a good shake or a "oh shit bad shit asshole-y things bouta happen" head shake?" Richie asked frantically.

Eddie opened his mouth to speak, and looked at his best friend, wondering how to word this so Richie didn't freak the fuck out.

"Keep walking." He said instead, and Richie blinked, looking at him incredulously as Eddie continued forward.

"What? Are you- you- are you fucking serious? You can't do dramatic- you can't just dramatize-"

"Dramatize isn't a word." Eddie said quickly, and then felt Richie grab his arm, spinning him around to face him.

"Eddie. What the hell is wrong with Spencer Allen?" He said firmly, and Eddie sighed before saying, "Richie, do you. . ."

He hesitated, and then ventured, "Do you remember on the first day how Bill said there might be people worse than Henry Bowers here?"

Richie nodded, and Eddie licked his lips nervously before continuing, "Rich, Spencer Allen? He's worse. Way, way worse."

Richie's face paled as he stared at him, eventually saying in a low voice, "Eddie. What the fuck do you mean he's worse?"

Eddie looked away from him and started to speak, thinking maybe if he didn't look at Richie it would make it easier to tell. "Richie, he does horrible shit. And I mean like, denting a kid's skull because he accidentally threw his baseball into a window. And beating up people until they pass out. And rape and drugs and. . .lots of other stuff. He's putting on an act for Ash, I know it. He's in my science and he never shuts up, always stabs me with his pencil until I give him answers, and literally tried to suffocate a guy by stuffing his baseball cap into their face until they couldn't breathe."