𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓮𝓭 {𝓻𝓮𝓭𝓭𝓲𝓮}

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝔀𝓸

Richie's pov:

I quickly put out my cigarette. I was still in the bathroom stall but now listening to Bowers.

«Have y'all seen Bucky Beaver today? He's uglier than I remembered him!» Henry said and Patrick, Victor and Belch started laughing. I never told anyone but I was terribly terrified of the Bowers gang. I felt tears flowing out of my eyes. I put my hand over my mouth trying not to make a sound.

«This year I won't hesitate. This boy isn't gonna survive the school year. I'm gonna make sure.»

I was so shocked that I dropped my pack of cigarettes obviously making a sound. Almost immediately the door swung open and I was facing Victor Chris. «Has he been crying in here? What a freak.»

Henry came to me too now. «What did you hear?» he said and I started shaking.

«n-nothing..»

He took my arm and threw me out of the cabin I was in and kicked me into the ribs. I cried in pain and fear.

«WHAT DID YOU HEAR?» he repeated and kicked me again. I didn't answer. I couldn't answer.

I felt Belch and Victor pulling me up on my arms and holding them back.

The first punch went across my face making my glasses fly away. I felt my face heating up. The second. I could taste blood in my mouth. At this moment I checked out. I remember blurry Henry Bowers continuing to beat me. Once I couldn't make a sound anymore and my legs stopped working they walked off. I crawled over the floor holding onto my stomach with one hand looking for my glasses. When I found them I leaned against the wall and started crying. As it felt I probably had a broken rib on the left side and a fat bruise forming on my right cheek. My lip was busted open and I bit my tongue while he was beating me causing my mouth to be full of blood. I was trying to stop a nosebleed I also got from him. I don't know how long I was in there alone but after a while the door opened and I saw Stan coming in.

«Rich are you– Oh my God.» he ran to me and dropped besides me. My nose was still bleeding and I felt some kind of dizziness.

Stan got some paper tissues and took my hand away from my nose trying to clean it. I didn't say anything. At this point he must've noticed something was wrong.

«Hey... Are you okay?» he said looking at my red / blue-ish cheek. I just nodded. I was too frustrated to say anything in that moment.

«Bullshit! You aren't okay! What's wrong?»

Tears were forming in my eyes. I don't think any of the losers has seen me cry. Like ever.

«Rich...» he said and he actually looked worried. «Rich what's wrong..»

I put my palm onto my forehead and let out a sob.

«What did Bowers do to you?» he asked and carefully pulled me into a side hug where I continued crying for like a minute or two.

When I calmed down a little Stan let go of me. I sniffled and wiped away some tears.

«J-just anxiety.. That's all..» I said and checked if my nose was still bleeding.

«Wait– you have anxiety?» he said worried.

I shrugged. «sometimes..» I mumbled.

«And you didn't tell me? Not even Bev?»

I shook my head.

«God Richie you can't just let your feelings eat you from the inside, you need to talk to us! What if it gets worse and you won't tell me? Promise me you'll talk to me, okay?»

I nodded a little and smiled sadly.

«So well I can see that you sorta are embarrassed so if you do really promise to talk to me I won't tell the others, okay?»

I nodded. «thanks..»

«Since when.. Have you had your anxiety..?»

I blushed a little «since I was like.. thirteen..»

«What?! You've been hiding your problems from us over 2 years?? Richie did you think we'd judge you??»

«I don't know..»

«Come on..» Stan said carefully pulling me onto my feet. «We all skipped to look for you»

I smirked a little and let stan wrap his arm around me helping me walk because my ribs hurt as shit and I felt like I couldn't move. When we walked out of the school the others were talking nervously.

«Don't worry guys I got him» Stan smirked when we came out and I just smiled a little.

«Oh my God what happened?» Bev said immediately running up to me to look at the bruise in my face.

The others were coming to me too now.

«Bowers?» Eddie asked. And I nodded a little.

«I will cut his FUCKING MULLET IN HIS SLEEP» Bev said and I smirked.

«You think that'll work him stop tryin' to kill me?» I said. You could really hear that I got one onto the nose.

«Don't look at me like that I'm the victim here!» I said when I saw Bill's look.

«Let's just bring him to my place.» Bev said. Stan and Bill took me under my arms and helped me walking.

«Well.. I guess tomorrow you have to drive me.» I smirked at Bev. She just rolled her eyes and grinned.

On our way home Ben went into the direction of his house. Bill decided to help me walk to Bev's and then he'd go back. Eddie took his street as well after making sure I was okay with it.

«I have to go now.. Hope you'll be fine.» Stan said and smiled a little.

«Yeah s-same» Bill gave me a little smile too and walked off together with Stan.

Now Bev helped me walking but as soon as we came closer to her house her dad came out of it and up to me. He practically saw that I was hurt so me gave me a careful hug.

«Hey buddy.. What happened?» he said looking at my bruise.

«Bowers..» Bev said.

«I'm gonna kill this son of a bitch.»

«It's okay Al, really.. It sorta was my fault...»

«What did you do?»

«I overheard a conversation at the bathroom...»

«What were you even doing there, we were looking for you!»

We were inside now and Al put some ointment on my cheek while I was holding some ice onto my lip.

«I panicked, okay?» I said and blushed a little.

«Why, what happened?» Al asked.

I took a deep breath. Stan was right. I couldn't just let my feelings get myself killed. I felt a tear running down my face.

«Oh my God.. Hey Rich what's wrong..?»

I looked at Al and then I showed him my bruised arm. «My... My dad gave this to me.. It wasn't the first time though...»

I saw how shocked Beverly was. Al just looked furious. «I will personally beat the shit out of him if he ever touches you again.»

I let out a sad giggle.

«Richie... since when..?» Bev asked.

«Since I was like.. 12..»

«Why didn't you tell us?» Al asked rubbing my back comforting me. «You know you can tell us anything.»

«I know I just... I was ashamed.. I'm sorry...»

«Don't apologize... You can stay here anytime, okay? I don't care what your last name is you are my goddamn son.»

I chuckled sadly. «thank you..»

«No problem...» he said and pulled me into a hug.

«Not without me!» Bev said joining the hug.