american teen (reddie)

Ch. 10

  When the sunlight poured into Richie Tozier's bedroom on that Friday morning, he swore his limbs and, entire body for that matter, were covered in a thick type of lead. But the heavy lead, were you can't move.

  He didn't know how much marching band already wore him out. With that and football tryouts today? There was no possible way he could stand on his own two legs by tonight.

  So as he lazily trudged around his house, doing his regular morning routine, he couldn't help but think of how he could get through varsity football tryouts when he could barely stand.

  Richie pushed aside his hazy morning thoughts as he strut around his empty house, grabbing an apple and a bottle of water.

"Oh", he cursed himself out loud, mouthful of apple.

Richie completely forgot about brushing his teeth. So here he was, dashing back up the stairs, grabbing his blue toothbrush and brushing vigorously in order to get out the door.

With careful but quick movements, he placed his brush and toothpaste back in its original spot, where it sat still inside the cabinet. Richie then reached up in order to grab the turquoise mouthwash that glistened in the sun.

The mint mouthwash stung his mouth, burning the parts of the bleeding gum where he brushed too hard against. Just like it entered his mouth, he spit it out just as quickly.

His converse clad feet slapped against the old hardwood steps in order to go out the door. As he looked at the clock, reading 7:00 am, the Tozier boy had a good half hour until the start of classes.

"Okay Richie", he began telling himself. "You got this. You can do this. Let's go"

His front door swung open with his large hand clasped around the brass doorknob. Warm late summer air entered the air conditioned house like a faucet flowing water. A loud bang rung in his ears as the door shut, causing identical sounds to be heard as he jumped the porch steps.

As per usual, Richie sauntered down his road, turning onto Neibolt and found his way in the same path as Bill Denbrough.

"Hey, billiam", Richie said through pants as he jogged up towards the plaid flannel wearing boy.

"H-hey Rich", bill greeted him. "A-are got excited about t-try-tryouts?"

"And have me paralyzed by tomorrow morning? I'm not sure. Band is killing me"

Bills auburn hair bounced as he walked further down the street and his eyes twinkled in the morning sunrise.

"Yeah, I know. It's tiring", he sighed. "I'm f-feeling pretty sore myself"

"At least you're don't have a whole fucking set of drums to carry. You get to carry a trumpet. I'm not used to carrying that big ass thing around, but for you, you've practiced blowing before so you're used to it"

Bill snickered and rolled his eyes at the statement that escaped the trash mouth's lips. Insults and jokes scratched at richies throat, begging for release at every given second of the day.

"Beep, beep, rich"

  The corners of Richie's lips tugged upwards not at the familiar line all the losers club uses on him, but the building that came into view.

  The words Derry High School were displayed on an aging brick building. So as Richie and Bill entered the school, maybe being paralyzed by tomorrow morning would be worth it.

***

  Richie's eyes transferred from his English paper up onto the analog clock that seemed to be ticking slower than ever before.