Lover | Richie Tozier

Chapter 22.

Elle
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Beverly secured her pale grip around the back of a plastic chair, pulling it out along the tile floor and eliciting an abrupt shrieking sound. She tucked the flowing fabric of her red shirt into her jeans and looked up at me with expectancy. "What are you doing just standing there? Come and sit down," she dictated.

She stared at me for a few more seconds, those earthy eyes evaluating my expression and begging me to speak. My mouth opened, but nothing came out until I felt like I had no other choice.

"I'm not- we're not... I wasn't going to sit here today," I finally hesitated.

Her eyebrows tucked downwards dangerously. With her eyes squinted narrowly, she twisted her mouth. "What? What do you mean? We always sit here. We have for the past 3 years. Where else is there to go?" She paused briefly, relaxing her face in realization. "Who else is there to go to?"

I inhaled a rigid breath, like I was convincing myself the air was filled with the bravery that I needed. "Come on," I took her hand carefully into my own. "I want to introduce you to my... friend."

When the words settled, her soul began to stir. "Your friend? What friend? I'm your friend, right here, Elle," She gestured towards herself, waving her flattened hand over her torso.

She smelt distinctively of perfume and cigarettes. It was a smoky, floral scent; burning roses from a lover that turned bitter. I inhaled it as I attempted to pull her out of her seat. She faltered, staying still for a moment. I pulled a little harder.

"Beverly come on. Please? Would you just come with me?"

She shook her head stubbornly, strengthening the denial with a tense pace. "I don't want to. What's so wrong with sitting like normal? You know how I feel about new people, Elle. I... I don't trust new people. You know that. I keep my circle small," she defended.

I drew in another breath. "I understand that, but," I held my hand up, ready to make several points. "First, you don't even know the kid, and second, this isn't even a circle. This," I moved my finger to signify the space between us, "is a line."

The emphatic behavior of the stubborn girl was nothing new. Whenever the mention of somebody new would come into play, she shot it down with a single bullet that tore through the entire idea. To her, it was us against the world. Nothing in between, and certainly no boys.

And it had been since elementary school when the only things in our future were each other's friendship, but now the future was the past. Our worlds were growing and as the world grows, you grow with it.

"What are you trying to say?" She stepped back, more than slightly offended.

I pulled my shoulders closer to my body. My tone relaxed, escaping my mouth with carefulness. "I just think you need to be more open to the idea. If you don't want to come, you don't have to. There's no way I'll pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. But I'm going to sit with Eddie, alright? Feel free to join us." I dropped the hold that I had on her and began moving foreword.

She readjusted the tight grip on our hands, reddening my skin with the friction. The suddenness of the action struck my head around again to be met with hers. "You've gotta be messing with me. You are, aren't you? Eddie Kaspbrak?" She spat. "A... you're leaving me for a boy? Since when?"

My hand tried everything in its power to be pulled away but her force only strengthened. "No? I mean, no I'm not messing with you or leaving you. He's a cute kid, Bev, and I think you would think so too if you would just let go of the fear that everybody you meet is going to end up hurting you," I emphasized, my voice going far too loud at the end.