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x. return to theneibolthouse
"SHIT! SHIT!" Verity cursed, furiously mashing the buttons of the arcade game.
The little pixelated men on the screen threw punches and kicks at each other as the girl swore, desperately trying to shove Richie out of the way as his character came close to beating hers.
"Given up yet, huh Summers?" He said, shoving her back, glasses slipping dangerously low on his nose.
Verity scoffed, pushing him so hard he almost fell over. "Eat shit, Tozier."
"So eloquent," Stan smiled crookedly.
With a triumphant cry, Richie sent Verity's game avatar sprawling, grinning widely as the words PLAYER ONE WINS! appeared on screen.
"Up for another game, madam?" Richie asked, winking at her.
Verity reached into her pocket, and sure enough, there were still a few coins lying at the bottom amongst the lint and gum wrappers.
"Yeah, but you can have a solo game first, I need to get another token."
She made her way across the patterned carpet, tacky from countless spilled sodas and buckets of popcorn accumulated over the years.
The coins went into the machine one after another, and with a dull metallic clunk, the token fell, glittering brightly, into Verity's hand.
"I'm gonna kick Richie's skinny little– what?" She said, turning around as Stan nudged her.
He nodded at the door. "Look,"
The door to the arcade swung open, and Bill Denbrough walked inside, his face pale and drawn.
"God, he looks like he's seen a ghost," Verity whispered. She looked at Stan, worry flitting across her face. "What if something happened.. you don't think–?"
They followed him over to where Richie was whaling on the Street Fighter machine, barely looking up as Bill spoke.
"Richie!"
"What d'you want? See that guy I'm hitting? I'm pretending it's you," Richie said rudely, nodding at the screen before them.
"I-It got Beverly," Bill said desperately, and Verity's heart almost stopped.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
Richie frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Bill looked at him in frustration. "It, Richie! It got Beverly."
