𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓮𝓭 {𝓻𝓮𝓭𝓭𝓲𝓮}

𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓲𝓿𝓮

Richie's pov:

«Oh my God— what happened?!?» Bev asked coming in. She quickly jumped to me and saw my bandaged arm. «Richie—»

«Nothing happened..» I said a little too quick. I stood up and backed away so she wouldn't see my cuts through.

«Oh my God Richie do you think I can't see that you are bleeding!» she snapped at me. «What happened?»

«What do you think?? Henry Bowers! What else?»

She looked at me with a look which clearly said 'your dad'.

«Richie we have to tell the police or at least my dad... Henry is gonna murder you...»

«YES HE IS! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T FUCKING CARE! Y'ALL ARE GONNA HATE ME ANYWAY IF YOU SEE THAT SHIT ON MY ARM!» I didn't notice I'd teared up until I saw the look on their faces. I broke down in tears.

«Richie!» Eddie quickly rushed over to me and put his arms around me. He gave me a careful hug because he knew my ribs still hurt. «Richie are you.. are you..»

He never finished his sentence. Bev joined the hug. «Rich.. We could never hate you...» that's when the conversation ended. Non of us said another word. Bev and I went home completely silent and when we got there it stayed that way. I sat down on her bed and started playing with my thumbs. I looked down at my bloody hands and let a tear fall.

Bev sat down next to me. «Richie...»

I sniffled. «What..»

«Richie how comes that I've never seen you cry in my whole life and now I've barely seen you not...»

I shrugged.

«Richie do you have problems.. Like mental problems?»

I wiped away a few tears and looked up to her.

«Do you?»

I took her hand and gave it a little I'm sorry squeeze. «Anxiety..» I mumbled and smiled at her sadly.

«Diagnosed?» she asked carefully not looking up. I could feel she was crying. You could also hear it in her voice.

I nodded a little. She looked up to me revealing her tears.

«Bevvie—»

«And you didn't tell me? Richie do you even know how messed up that is? The thing with ur dad, ur sudden problems,.. Richie I'm worried... I am so worried..»

«Sudden problems?? I've had anxiety attacks since I was 9 but no one ever assumed I could not be well! Bev, the day Stan found me in the bathroom I was there smoking my lungs out! And why do I smoke in the first place? Stress! Anxiety! I heard Bowers saying that I wouldn't survive the school year! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL??»

Bev went quiet. She wiped away a few of her tears.

«I'm.. I'm sorry Bev I—» I started.

«Richie why didn't you talk to us?.. It obviously wasn't as bad a few years ago.. Richie what if it gets worse? From what I've seen it's practically killing you from the inside!»

That was the moment where I went quiet. I carefully let go of her hand to wipe my tears cuz I still couldn't move my right arm.

«Richie? Why didn't you?»

«I don't know.. Okay? Maybe it was just because I knew you would ask why I had anxiety and for obvious reasons I didn't want to tell y'all..»