ST/It AU

Mike-Derry

"Richie c'mon!" Eddie urges.

"It's Mike." I correct.

"You came from Hawkins, so it's Richie." Eddie laughs. I punch his arm.

"I'm from Hawkins, but I'm not rich." I correct.

"Is that what I said?" Eddie asks, hoisting himself up onto a tree branch.

"I guess not." He offers me his hand and o take it reluctantly.

"We can't have two Mikes in the Losers Club." Eddie says, as I struggle to climb up the tree. 

"Tell me about Hawkins. The people, the overall setting, the things that happened there... Y'know?" Eddie glances at me.

"Hawkins... Yeah..." My voice trails off.

"HAWKINS, EDDIE WHERE ARE YOU TWO?" Stan calls.

"It's Mike." I whisper.

"We can't have two Mikes in the Losers Club." Eddie repeats, and he tucks his feet underneath him. He motions for me to do the same.

"But Richie?" I frown, doing as he instructed.

"Yep. Richie. Richie Tozier. Next question please Trashmouth." He grins and I roll my eyes. I don't like the nicknames the "Losers Club" has for me. I wish I was back home in Hawkins with el and will and Lucas, Max and Dustin. Once Stan and the other four are gone, Eddie turns to me again.

"So Richie, life in Hawkins. What was it like?" Eddie repeats. I frown again.

"Hawkins was nice... But we aren't kids anymore." I say softly.

"No shit Sherlock." Eddie rolls his eyes.

"You're what- 14?" He asks.

"13. Just like all of you." I reply.

"Damn you're tall." He says in awe.

"You're avoiding the question..." He starts.

"Did something happen in Hawkins?" I don't want to relive the last memory I have of Hawkins so I jump down from the tree, get on my bike, and pedal home.

"Mike! Where have you been?" My father shouts.

"I was with the Lo- I was with Eddie." I tell him quickly.

"Well you missed dinner so there's bread on the counter." My mother goes to find my siblings.

"I'm not hungry." I run up the stairs

"Will? Are you there?" I whisper weakly into my walkie talkie. I wait for a good 10 minutes and there's no reply. I set it down on my nightstand and change into a pair of pajamas.

"It's will the wise doofus." My walkie talkie squawks.

"Will! Hi!" I scream, pressing the talk button on my walkie talkie.

"My ears. Ah." Will clicks his walkie talkie off and I imagine him rubbing his ears.

"Are the guys with you?" He asks meekly.

"Nah. I left." I tell him.

"Left what?" He asks.

"Them. They started asking about-" Will cuts me off.

"About Hawkins." He finishes.

"Yeah." I sigh deeply. Static comes through on his end.

"Will?"

"Will this isn't funny!"

"WILL ANSWER ME!"

"WILL??"