Hawkins, Where Is That Exactly?

by Shuutingstar

Summary:

After convincing his friends, Richie Tozier and The Losers go on a trip to Indiana where a small town named Hawkins resides.

With Pennywise no longer a threat their lives will be easier, right?

Or: a crossover with plot that I thought of at 3 in the morning.

(Discontinued Until Further Notice)

Notes:

So, before you read I just wanna say that I don’t actually know where I’m going with this. I really hope you enjoy but don’t expect frequent updates since I suck at writing long ass stories. I’ll try my best and hopefully post the next one on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: The Beginning

The summer breeze was particularly cool that fine day, the people of small town Derry worked a nine to five and all was forgotten. The horrors, the missing posters, every last bit had disappeared. As if, none of it ever happened.

 

Except for seven children, now in high school, who would remember the trauma forever more. They all have tried to forget the gruesome past they have all experienced but it was never easy.

 

The sun had risen high in the sky when Richie Tozier decided on awaking from his sleep. His messy black hair in shambles as he fumbled for his red, square-shaped glasses.

 

His house was silent, no other life present and this was a normal occurrence in the Tozier household. His parents worked for hours in a day, completely forgetting the fact that they have a child, a living, functioning human, at home who needed three meals a day.

 

Richie got off his bed, not bothering to make it, and walked into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth in a slight haze, turning the shower on and quickly showering before wearing his classic Hawaiian shirt and a decent looking pair of jeans.

 

He had a lot to do that day, his friends had all decided on examining postcards for Ben’s grandma, Richie didn’t find the appeal that the others seemed to have of this little trip to the post office but he hated staying home. Especially on summer break, with school closed why would he physically stay home? He needed any excuse he could get to not be home until it was his proclaimed bedtime.

 

Richie grabbed his bike, quickly peddling away from his house and to the direction of the post office. He made it to his destination in less than an hour and — for once — wasn’t the last one to show up.

 

“Glad you could make it, Richie.” Stan muttered, eyeing Richie as the other panted heavily.

 

“You know I wouldn’t—“ he sucked in a breath, he wasn’t the most athletic person but boy did he peddle a bit fast. Maybe he didn’t realise how much he wanted to leave his house, “you know I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

 

Stan only hummed, as if acknowledging his response but not caring enough to respond. When Richie regained a steady breath he looked at who else had arrived; Ben was reading an X-Men comic book which he had borrowed from Richie whereas Bev was leaning on a lamp post, she looked bored out of her mind but Richie knew she could never say no to Ben.

 

Of course, Stan was near the bike rack, glancing around for the others who hadn’t arrived yet. Richie couldn’t see Mike, Bill or Eddie anywhere so he assumed they would be a bit late. It was normal for some of them to be late, hell even Richie has been late occasionally, but he was impatient and wanted to search for postcards already!

 

They didn’t have to wait long for Bill to arrive, everyone greeted him with a big smile because whenever Bill arrived it made everyone’s lives a bit brighter. He was their leader, they’d be lost without him.

 

“S-so Mike and Eh-Eddie aren’t here yeh-yet?” Bill asked, bringing his bike over to the bike rack as Stan nodded his head. Favouritism, Richie thought as he watched the interaction. Stan’s never this nice to anyone, including Richie!

 

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon,” Stan reassured, a small smile tugged on his lips as he and Bill locked eyes. Richie felt like gagging, maybe he would, but thought against it once he saw Eddie biking over to them.

 

“Eds!” Richie exclaimed, waving his hands like a manic as Eddie got closer and closer.

 

“Told you, that’s not my name.” Eddie muttered, getting off his bike and putting it in the bike rack as Richie smirked.

 

“Righty o’, mate,” Richie said, tipping his nonexistent top hat, in an awful British accent.

 

Eddie groaned, rolling his eyes in annoyance and slight adoration. Richie’s whole world brightened whenever Eddie was in the vicinity, it didn’t matter what they were doing he always found comfort in Eddie’s presence.

 

“So, Mike’s the only one left now?” Bev asked, stretching her arms as Ben nodded his head. Mike being late wasn’t his fault, everyone knew that, but they hoped he’d hurry soon because they were all eager to look at postcards. It didn’t matter how mundane the task the Losers Club found comfort in the fact that their lives were semi-normal again.

 

The wait for Mike took longer than anticipated but when he finally arrived everyone was pleased. They all hugged him before finally entering the post office. The air conditioning was on and the faint whirring could be heard as the kids looked around in awe.

 

The shelves as to where the postcards were kept was a tube-like-shelf where tons of postcards were on display for any who decided to take one.

 

“This one has a lot of cats, doesn’t she like cats?” Bev held a pink postcard decorated with many different cat breeds, she showed it to Ben who examined it carefully.

 

“She does, but I wouldn’t say she’s a crazy cat lady.” He gave the postcard back to Bev who nodded, a determined smile on her face, she wanted to be the one to find the best postcard for Ben’s grandma.

 

Richie was getting bored and had already stopped searching for pretty postcards, he started to examine ones that had advertisements on the back. It made him laugh, reading the slogans that companies think are so hip or trendy just to appeal to those who enjoy them.

 

As he picked up another postcard his brows furrowed in thought, he read through the text on it and was intrigued.

 

Visit Hawkins, Indiana, where you and your children can live and grow in unity.

 

Even though it was a cheap advertisement Richie couldn’t help but be intrigued by it, he’d heard about the multiple business trips his father had been on when he was younger but going by himself? To a place he knew nothing about? Now that spoke adventure, a smirk formed on his lips as he snuck the postcard in his jeans pocket. They only had enough for one postcard and all of them agreed that the singular postcard was going to be the one for Ben’s grandma.

 

When they finally found the perfect postcard — it was a periwinkle with a few roses decorated on it — they quickly purchased it. All the Losers looked triumph as they walked out of the post office, smug grins on their faces.

 

“Hell yeah we did it!” Bev yelled, a toothy grin on full display as she mounted her bike. Everyone did the same as they all biked towards Bill’s house.

 

The ride to the Denbrough’s house was silent but comforting. Everyone enjoyed the time they all spent together and Richie was excited to tell them all about his new find. Would they be eager to leave as well? Richie was only fourteen and he already wished he could escape the small town he grew up in.

 

When they arrived at Bill’s house everyone left their bikes in the garden, excited to see what Ben would write in the letter for his grandmother. This was as high as their entertainment would get, Derry was boring and it’s not like they wanted supernatural shit to go down but sometimes Richie wished something more interesting would happen.

 

“My pa-parents aren’t ho-home so we can buh-be as lo-ow-ud as we want.” Bill explained, unlocking his front door and welcoming them all in. Richie grinned, walking inside the house and into the living room. Everyone had chosen a seat in the living room that was specifically for that person.

 

Richie had chosen a loveseat which Eddie had also coincidentally chosen. The two bantered and ranted to each other for hours, but today Richie wanted the groups full attention.

 

Once everyone was sitting comfortably in their respective sofas Richie stood up and cleared his throat. He clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention, it worked because everyone looked at him with a confused but interested gaze.

 

“You got a speech for us, Rich?” Stan asked slyly, giving him a smirk while Richie rolled his eyes.

 

“No, Stan the man, but I do have something to show you lovely people,” he gestured to his jeans pocket dramatically, making everyone raise their brows.

 

“You have a disease don’t you?” Eddie asked, eyeing him cautiously, but Richie ignored his question for the sake of explaining why he needed everyone’s attention.

 

“While we were at the post office I found something that intrigued me,” Richie started, glad no one was cutting him off, “and this is what I found to be so interesting.” He took the postcard out of his pocket and showed it to the others, they all stared at it in confusion.

 

“The fuck?” Bev cursed, standing up and walking over to Richie. “What’s so important about a postcard, Rich?”

 

Richie groaned, somewhat annoyed by the question. “Just read the advertisement!” He handed it to her, she looked at it carefully before grinning.

 

“I see,” she mumbled, passing the postcard to Ben so he could have a look at it. “And what is so intriguing about an advertisement to visit some place in Indiana?”

 

“What I’m trying to say is that we could spend our summer there!” Richie spelled out, watching as everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

“Really? And you think our parents would let us?” Eddie questioned, Richie knew better than anyone that Mrs K would never let Eddie go somewhere foreign.

 

“Don’t tell them,” Richie stated simply. “We’ll just leave, who cares for how long, and be happy for once.”

 

Everyone was silent, processing the idea in their heads. Richie was on board with the idea, he’d wanted to run away for so long but he didn’t want to go alone. He didn’t like being alone.

 

“I luh-like the sou-n-nd of it, Rih-Rich.” Bill said, smiling softly. Richie grinned, he had Bill on board with the idea now he just needed everyone else.

 

“I wanna get away as well, I’m in!” Bev exclaimed with a smirk, giving him a thumbs up.

 

“I’ll go too!” Ben squeaked out, cheeks flushing slightly as Bev giggled. He was so in love it pained Richie to even watch.

 

Stan sighed in defeat, “guess I’m going as well.” Richie’s grin grew wider as everyone agreed.

 

“I hope my pops won’t mind me leaving for a few months…” Mike muttered, smiling softly at Richie, it made the ravenette smile back at him. Now the only one who still hadn’t agreed was Eddie.

 

“So, Eds, you joinin’?” Richie asked, sitting back down on the shared loveseat, he looked at Eddie with a soft smile.

 

“You guys know my mom would never let me.” Eddie voiced, he looked a bit sad but Richie wouldn’t take no for an answer.

 

“Please, Eds? You don’t even have to tell her!” He tried to persuade Eddie, he knew Eddie hated it in his house and wanted to leave as much as any of them but the chains Sonia held onto him were too tight.

 

Eddie shook his head, he pouted but Richie kept persisting.

 

“Eddie,” his voice was firm and Eddie looked at him with slight shock, “stop listening to that bitch, do what you want to do. Who gives a fuck if she says you can’t leave? It’s not her life, you have a say in what you do too.”

 

The room was silent, no one dared to speak as Eddie looked at him with wide eyes. “So, what do you say Eddie Spaghetti?” He asked gently, his heart skipped a beat when Eddie smiled at him.

 

“Yeah. Fuck my mom, I’m going.” He gave Richie the most adorable smile, showing a bit of teeth, and Richie flushed a shade of pink before grinning.

 

“Hell yeah!” He exclaimed, standing up in excitement. “Pack your bags because we’re going to Indiana!”

 

Everyone cheered, all smiling big with excitement and anticipation. Everyone quickly left Bill’s house to go back to their own, waving goodbye and all having agreed that they would all meet back at the quarry.

Chapter 2: Road Trip!

Summary:

When the Losers finally meet at the Quarry they decide on their mode of transportation and after a bit of bickering are finally on the road.

Notes:

Here it is. The second chapter! I feel like this is shorter and a bit sloppier than the first but whatever. Hope you enjoy!

The Losers all arrived at the quarry fairly quickly, none of them wanted to waste a second.

 

“We’ve agreed to leave, but the question is how exactly do we leave?” Bev asked, pacing back and forth as the others pondered. Richie furrowed his brows in thought, he was the one who had suggested the idea on running away — if you could call it that, they weren’t even sure if they wanted to stay in Indiana — but he hadn’t thought farther than that.

 

“My pops has an old van, he doesn’t use it anymore.” Mike proposed, looking at the others for confirmation. They all didn’t have to think twice about it because whatever the van’s condition was it wasn’t going to get any better.

 

“That could work,” Stan muttered, fiddling with his backpack — he seemed nervous but Richie wasn’t certain.

 

The others nodded in agreement, no one else had any better idea so Mike’s old van it was, everyone started to pick up their things when Eddie spoke.

 

“None of us know how to drive.” He stated, as if that was something that hadn’t completely been forgotten by the majority of the Losers.

 

They were all silent, mostly because they felt kind of stupid that they forgot that they were only fourteen and definitely not legally allowed to drive.

 

“Can’t Mike drive?” Ben asked, turning his head to look at Mike. Everyone else looked at him as well, as if silently hoping that it was true. Because if it was then that meant they could really leave.

 

“I mean, kind of? My pops taught me how to drive but I don’t really have a license,” Mike said sheepishly, glancing at the ground as the others had a silent victory party in their heads.

 

“Th-then we’ve got ever-ry-thing?” Bill clarified, making everyone check their bags twice just in case. Richie knew he had packed everything he needed, a spare set of glasses, toothpaste, toothbrush, clean clothes and money that he’d stolen from his parents. They’d never notice his absence anyway, why would they? They were always busy and never actually around to care.

 

The Losers quickly biked to Mike’s farm, it was at the border of Derry and was the easiest way to ‘run away’. Richie smirked to himself as they got closer to the farm, he felt so excited but relieved. Excited that he could embark on a new adventure, and relived that his friends had accepted his offer. He wouldn’t go alone, hell he’d probably not even be able to leave. He can’t drive, yet.

 

Richie tried to be as quiet as he could, they didn’t want to alert Mike’s pops or scare the animals, for seven kids all of them were stealthier than most assumed. They kind of developed it after being chased by a killer clown, now they could use what skills they learned on something they deserved. Like running away. And stealing a van.

 

They crept closer to the rundown garage which kept the old van, when Richie was able to see it he almost thought it wouldn’t work. It looked dirty, the metal was definitely rusting and the doors didn’t even look that stable. Maybe an old van wasn’t the safest option.

 

“ This is the van?” Bev whispered, eyeing the piece of junk as if it was a disease. And if Richie was Eddie he’d so think there was.

 

“Do you know how many diseases can be found in old vans?!” Eddie whisper-yelled, not getting any closer to the van than he had to.

 

Mike huffed, “it’s not the best but if you really want to get out of here then this is our only chance.”

 

“Are you sure? Maybe we could steal a car?” The suggestion itself was a bit shocking, especially so when it came from Eddie. Someone who didn’t exactly like the idea of breaking rules or the law, but maybe he’d do anything to not sit in the old germ infested van?

 

“Are you serious? We want to run away not become fugitives!” Stan crossed his arms, staring at Eddie as if he’d gone mad. Maybe he had. But who was Richie to judge?

 

“Okay, guys calm down.” Ben butted in, trying to stay calm but they were clearly running out of time and the more they fought the more time was wasted. “Just… let’s get in the van, okay? We want to leave, don’t we? We all agreed to this, right?”

 

“I remember agreeing to running away not to sitting in a dusty van.” Eddie muttered, almost inaudible but Richie was able to hear it and it made him snort softly.

 

“So let’s all just shut up and get in the van? We don’t have time for this! Either you stay here or you come with us, whatever you choose you will face your own consequences.” Ben finished with a tired sigh, getting into the van. Bill joined him after a few minutes of silence, Stan following him.

 

It didn’t take Bev much convincing to get inside and Richie didn’t feel like staying in Derry any longer. With five in the van and one sitting in the driver seat they all looked at Eddie expectantly. He sighed, defeated, before getting into the van and closing the sliding door shut.

 

Richie had a huge grin on his face as Eddie sat down, although the smaller ignored him to instead look out the window as Mike started the van.

 

The van was actually built extremely well, luckily, and Mike’s pops didn’t even hear them leave. Or maybe he did and he just didn’t care. Either way they were leaving Derry, maybe not for good but for as long as they saw fit.

 

It’s not like anyone would actually remember them, they were all nobodies who found people exactly like them. Whatever journey they were embarking would be thrilling, or at least a bit exciting.

 

It was quiet for a few hours, everyone opened the windows of the van and felt the warm summer air, everything felt almost surreal. It felt like they were all just gonna wake up in a few seconds and realize that it was all a dream.

 

Richie hoped it wasn’t, he wanted it all to be real. He wanted the excitement he felt to be real, the fact he was actually journeying out of Derry almost felt like a dream. But here he was, sitting in a dusty, slightly rusty, van with the people he cared for most.

 

The road was awfully barren for a few hours, all they could see were trees and wild animals but soon enough they spotted small stores and billboards. They were getting closer to an actual city, or maybe a small town, but then a question arose.

 

How the fuck were they meant to get to Indiana without a map?

 

It was pretty illogical to flee Derry without a proper plan but it was too late to turn back so they’d have to compromise.

 

“Maybe one of the stores are selling maps?” Ben suggested, looking at all the stores they passed. The others pondered over it, they did need to fill for gas soon and a gas station was close by so maybe a small detour to a few stores wouldn’t hurt?

 

Mike parked the van when they entered the gas station, opening the door and filling the van with petrol as the others split up to search for a map or directions.

 

Richie went into a convenience store not too far from the gas station, relishing in the air conditioning as he entered.

 

He decided on using the money he “borrowed” from his parents on food, especially since he was starting to get a tad hungry. The aisles of snacks were all very tempting but he only bought what he thought was fit.

 

Once he had grabbed snacks for everyone he headed to the cashier, an old lady stood there in a uniform that matched the shop’s colours. She smiled at him softly as she scanned the food.

 

“Traveling?” She promoted, looking eager to start a conversation. Richie wasn’t the best at social interaction but he nodded nonetheless.

 

“Yeah, with my friends.” He explained, grabbing the plastic bag from the lady’s hand as she sighed softly.

 

“And how old are you?”

 

“Fourteen, ma’am.”

 

Her eyes seemed to have widened in surprise, but she quickly put a smile on her face. “Stay safe, kiddos. Don’t do anything too dangerous.” That made Richie laugh but he nodded, already leaving the store and heading back to the van.

 

Mike was sitting in the Driver’s seat chatting with Ben — who must have arrived a few minutes before Richie.

 

“Hey guys! Look at my haul!” Richie waved his hand to get their attention, pointing at the plastic bag as the two looked at him in excitement.

 

When Richie made it to the van Ben had quickly taken the bag from him, looking through it as Mike shook his head.

 

“Find a map?” Mike asked, raising a brow.

 

“Nope, I got food instead.” Richie said, sitting in the front seat and laying his legs on back of the seat that Ben sat in.

 

“So, no map? Hopefully the others have more luck,” Mike muttered, turning in his seat to look at Richie more. The two then started a conversation and Ben would put in his thoughts at times, until finally the others had arrived.

 

Eddie held a bag full of medical supplies — typical Eds — and Bev held a few more chips. Stan and Bill both looked happier as they walked towards the van, Richie could see a piece of paper in Stan’s hand and he hoped it was a map.

 

“Guh-guess what w-we got!” Bill said, getting inside the van and smiling as the others looked at him.

 

“A map?” Bev asked, hopeful, and as Stan nodded everyone cheered in triumph.

 

“Finally! That took so damn long,” Richie mumbled, leaning against the window as the others examined the map.

 

“Guys, Indiana isn’t that far from here,” Eddie said excitedly, staring at the map in awe.

 

“So, Indiana? That’s where we’re going?” Mike clarified, looking at everyone as they nodded. He chuckled, “alright. Indiana, here we come!”

 

And they were off once more, in a better mood than how they started and Richie was bubbling with excitement.

Chapter 3: One Step Closer!

Summary:

Richie is loving how they’re all running away. He’s happy his friends aren’t second-guessing themselves. He’s also glad that it isn’t that shitty of an idea as he had thought.

Or: a filler chapter because I have slight writers-block. . .

Notes:

Sorry for not posting much, and for the short chapter! I don’t particularly like this one but it was needed because next chapter they’re gonna be in Indiana!

The ride to Indiana was not a silent one. The Losers made corny jokes and pointed out the weirdest of shit just to make each other laugh. It was working, Richie’s cheeks were hurting from how much he was smiling. But that didn’t matter because they were all so giddy, the feeling of freedom felt like he’d been drinking moments prior.

 

It was all so surreal that all Richie did was laugh, smile and enjoy. That’s all his brain could comprehend anyway.

 

Many Landmarks were spotted as they edged closer to their destination, even with Mike being the only one able to drive they all made sure everyone got a sustainable amount of sleep. No one wished to be sleep deprived after all.

 

“Would you rather . . .” Bev hummed, her eyes squinting in thought. Ben chuckled, giving her a soft smile, before she continued speaking. “Would you rather eat Bowers shoe or go on a date with Eddie’s mom?”

 

Richie bursted out laughing as Eddie grumbled in his seat, although a small smile was forming on his lips. He was becoming less and less like the Eddie from Derry. He was becoming his own person now and Richie was happy for him. Eddie still fussed over germs and shit but he wasn’t as bad as when they started this journey.

 

Ben seemed to ponder on the thought for a bit longer, not really finding an appeal to both the options. “I think I’d eat Bowers’ shoe. I mean, you never said which one so I could possibly eat a clean one.” He reasoned, making Bev roll her eyes playfully as Bill chuckled.

 

“S-smart choice, Ben,” Bill patted Ben on the back, giving the boy a grin which Ben returned with a grin of his own gladly.

 

The van fell silent as they wondered what to talk about now. That’s the problem with traveling, you lose ideas fairly quickly. Richie was getting quite bored sitting in the van all day and all night. He wanted to roam around, explore the new territory but Stan made it clear that it was unsafe.

 

Richie called BS on it, though, because that’s the point. That’s why they left Derry. To travel to new places, to see things they never thought they’d see. He didn’t like how Stan was such a party crasher, but he obliged anyway. Hey, in his defense he wasn’t too keen on coming face to face with a mad Stanley. He’s done it once, and once was a good enough warning.

 

But he was restless nonetheless, mostly rambling anything that came to mind because he was not one who liked the silence. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the child-eating clown or because he was neglected his whole life.

 

“What’re we gonna do when we get to Indiana?” He asked, he sat crisscross on the seat as the sun set. The beautiful hues of oranges were spectacular, he never noticed how beautiful they were until he actually looked.

 

“We have no money, right? Maybe we should look for a nice alley way to live in.” Stan deadpanned, although he didn’t sound as sarcastic as Richie was hoping. Stan had a point. They were practically broke.

 

Ben shook his head, “we don’t have to do that. There are probably shelters around where we can stay.”

 

“We didn’t plan that far, did we?” Eddie muttered, locking his eyes with Richie’s.

 

“We never do,” Richie mumbled, still keeping eye-contact with Eddie before the other looked away. It was odd how his feelings for his best friend were resurfacing. He didn’t want to feel such a way, he knew Eddie didn’t like him back. Why was he still holding onto hope that Eddie did like him?

 

“I-it’s okay, guys. W-we can fig-figure that out wh-en the time co-comes,” Bill said reassuringly. Everyone relaxed, because if Bill wasn’t worried than they shouldn’t be either. But maybe Bill was worried but he was just good at hiding it, no one ever knew what their leader was thinking.

 

As the sun finally disappeared into the horizon Richie found himself dozing off. He didn’t know why he was tired, but maybe the worrying just got to him? He leaned into his seat, head lulling as he dozed. They’d figure out the technicalities in the morning. For now, they could sleep without much stress.

Notes:

Also even though this is late I’d just like to say: Happy Valentines Day!

Chapter 4: Small Town Hawkins

Summary:

The Losers had finally done it. They were finally free from Derry. Hawkins was a new start, supernatural or not.

Notes:

Here it is, Chapter 4! Sorry this fic hasn't updated since feb but my exams were absolutely killing me. However, tomorrow is my last exam before finals in June! Hence, i'll be able to post tons of chapters before then!

Hope you guys (who are still reading this oddly written fic) enjoy!

The morning breeze brushed through his hair, it only took three or so days but they had finally made it. Richie began to see more houses the farther they drove, the barren land no longer as prominent. He was amazed, Indiana looked like something from a movie. He had never left Derry before but now that he had he felt disappointed. Why didn’t he think on leaving sooner? A whole world was waiting for him, and he had never thought on exploring it.

 

“Is that an actual ice cream truck?!” Bev exclaimed, pointing at it through the window as everyone stared in awe. In Derry ice cream trucks weren’t all that common, why would they be in a town full of sorrow?

 

“Hell yeah it is!” Richie grinned, toothy and wide, as he watched kids walk past the van with little to no care. It was so refreshing to see something so normal. Derry was nothing compared to Indiana. The trees were bright green, the atmosphere healthy and as clean as a city should be. Richie felt euphoric.

 

“Should we stop for some food?” Mike asked, glancing at the McDonald’s nearby.

 

“Aren’t we broke?” Ben queried, eyebrow raising.

 

“N-not entirely.” Bill pulled out a few dollars from his jeans pocket, it just dawned on Richie that he also had a few extra bits of cash in his bag. How had he forgotten?

 

“Is it enough to eat something?” Stan asked, turning his head to look at Bill. The other shrugged, not entirely sure if the fast food was more expensive in the city. Richie huffed.

 

“I got some extra cash, too!” he said, Eddie – who sat beside him – face palmed.

 

“So, we had extra cash and no one bothered to tell anyone?” Eddie grumbled, glaring disappointingly at Richie – and Bill.

 

“S-sorry Eds,” Bill gave Eddie a small smile which seemed to make the shorter relax just a bit. Richie just shrugged nonchalantly, completely unbothered by Eddie’s glare or annoyance.

 

“So McDonald’s?” Ben clarified, everyone soon nodded their heads. They’d come a long way they deserved some sort of treat. Mike turned the van and drove into a McDonald’s drive thru. It didn’t take long before everyone ordered – careful not to exceed their budget.

 

Once everyone had their lunch – breakfast? Richie wasn’t sure – they all began to converse. Mostly about what they planned to do now, now that they were in Indiana. Where were they meant to go?

 

“Do we want to settle down here? In the city?” Stan asked, taking a sip from his drink as everyone decided what they were meant to do.

 

“I don’t!” Richie said, not all too eager to stay in the city. He may like it but it was too crowded, too loud, and he’ll admit that it was also unfamiliar.

 

“Maybe we could stay in a town? Not like Derry, of course.” Ben suggested, nibbling on his burger as Bev hummed.

 

“I’d like that, it’s familiar but still new!” She said, a small smile forming as she ate her nuggets.

 

“Okay, so a small town? Which one? There must be tons,” Mike said. His brows furrowed in thought.

 

“Wh-what about th-the place on Rih-Richie’s postcard?” Bill proposed. Richie quickly took out the crumbled postcard that had been forgotten in his pocket. The word Hawkins was written in bold.

 

“Hawkins?” Eddie read aloud, looking at the postcard from behind Richie, “that’s where we want to stay?”

 

“I guess?” Richie muttered, handing the postcard to Stan who examined it before giving it to the next person. Everyone slowly started to agree, it was the best bet. Who knows how long it would take to find one town in fucking Indiana.

 

Mike grinned, nodding his head, “Hawkins… sounds interesting.” The engine soon started, Mike gripping the steering wheel and heading for Hawkins.

 

Although everyone was excited – why wouldn’t they be? – Richie couldn’t help the uneasy feeling, as if something was warning him not to go. But that was bullshit, wasn’t it? All his friends looked unfazed so he brushed the feeling off, maybe it was nerves. It was a new place, somewhere unfamiliar, but that wouldn’t stop Richie! He was still excited to explore and meet more people. Plus, it wasn’t like some weird supernatural shit would occur there. Derry was cursed, that’s why a man-eating clown had resided in the sewers. But Indiana? It was the exact opposite. Nothing would – or could – go wrong.

 

***

 

It didn’t take too long before they were leaving Indianapolis, Hawkins wasn’t as far as the Losers had thought. Richie liked how ad Hawkins felt, trees were all they eye could see, not a single house or convenience store. That was until Richie spotted a sign, he couldn’t read it entirely but he made out the words Welcome and Hawkins. It was safe to assume that they had arrived.

 

Richie’s eyes sparkled once he saw the town, it was neat and clean. Nothing like Derry but Richie had expected as much. People hung out with friends or took care of their plants. Everyone and everything felt so alive, one thing Derry lacked incredibly. He even saw a police department with people actually inside. It was so surreal, did the police force actually care? Or was it to keep an image that they did?

 

Mike soon parked the van, engine ceasing as Bev pushed the van door eagerly. They all wanted to get a taste of a normal town, someplace safe, and Hawkins was starting to become that place.

 

“Holy shit!” Bev mumbled, awestruck at the sight in front of them. The wind was stronger now, blowing much harder. Kids played and ran around, happy laughter echoing through the air as they watched. Even the stores looked loved, not abandoned or broken.  

 

“This is it, guys. A start of a new life,” Richie grinned, already spotting a few interesting looking stores. He would have to remind himself to check them all out. Everyone was silent, not entirely sure how to respond. They didn’t think they’d make it this far.

 

“This… this is really happening, huh?” Stan muttered into the silence, no one replied. The silence enveloped the group like a blanket before Bev began to laugh. Making Ben erupt into laughter as well. Soon enough the whole group were laughing, not entirely sure why. They’d done it. They survived Derry so they could live for this moment.

 

“Fuck yeah!” Bev yelled, her laughter dying down. Everyone soon came to their senses as well, no longer laughing like maniacs.

 

“Now, where will we stay? We don’t have the money for an actual house.” Stan asked, breaking the silence.

 

“I saw a few trailers a while back, maybe we could settle there?” Eddie suggested, making everyone grin. God, Richie’s cheeks were gonna hurt later from all this grinning.

 

“S-smart idea, Eds.” Bill said, a goofy grin on his face. Everyone felt so giddy, the fact that they did it, they left Derry and for good. Richie wasn’t planning on coming back anytime soon. Why would he? He got a taste for freedom and it was addicting. He didn’t feel the need to leave, Hawkins was so peaceful and so not Derry.

 

After the Losers fully composed themselves – which wasn’t all that composed but who gave a fuck? – they headed back into the van. They were eager to explore Hawkins but they needed to settle down first. Richie hoped the trailers were cheap, although he knew they all had to get jobs to sustain a roof on their heads it was all going to be worth it. Every second outside of Derry was worth it.

 

The sun was setting but Richie wasn’t as afraid of the dark as he used to be. He felt protected.

 

But everything has a flaw. Nothing was perfect. And, boy, was Richie about to figure out the horrors that Hawkins hides.  

Notes:

I literally searched up what the McDonald's menu is in America for this before deciding to scrap it.

Also how do Americans not have Chicken Macs?! They are literally the best Macs (Big Mac is still my top fav tho)

Chapter 5: The Start Of Something New

Summary:

The Losers have finally settled in Hawkins.

There was just one problem.

They didn't have jobs, meaning they couldn't pay rent.

Notes:

Another chapter after I just posted one yesterday? Plus, this one's longer?! Whatever happened to my lazy ass? Motivation is what happened. I have actually started to think of what I want to do with my story, but don't expect frequent updates sometimes I just lose motivation.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Richie was surprised to figure out how easy it was to rent a trailer. He hadn’t been expecting it, was it normal for some teenagers – who hadn’t bathed in weeks! – to just rent a trailer?! Was Hawkins so laid back that the citizens would brush off all things that were supposed to be “odd”?

 

He wasn’t sure but that was besides the point. They had gotten a trailer and all the Losers would have to obtain jobs to pay for the rent. When Richie saw their new “home” he almost regretted not having enough money to buy a decent house. The house was wide, a pale blue, and it looked big enough for the seven of them. Maybe Richie was getting his hopes up but that didn’t matter, what did matter was the fact that they had a roof above their heads now.

 

When Richie stepped inside the house he saw the lack of furniture present, there was a stove and sink along with a few beds but that was basically it. He hoped they had running water and a bath or shower because his clothes were starting to become uncomfortable, and they all stank.

 

“Who wants to clean up first?” Stan asks, placing his backpack on a small chair. Everyone quickly voiced that they all wanted to go, Stan gave everyone an unamused look. “We can’t all go at the same time.”

 

“S-should we draw str-straws?” Bill suggests, looking at everyone with a warm smile. The others all soon agree and then everyone began searching for seven straws. It took the Losers an embarrassing amount of time before they gathered seven straws. All different sizes. Soon, everyone picked a straw, and they all revealed the straws at the same time. Surprisingly enough it was Eddie who got the longest straw, how? Richie wasn’t sure but maybe he cheated. That’s one possibility.

 

“Well, I guess I’ll head for the shower then.” Eddie muttered, grabbing a change of clothes before departing to the bathroom.

 

“So, what now?” Richie asked after a few moments of silence, he never did like quiet and he was bored.

 

“We wait. There’s not much we can do right now. The sun’s setting and we still need to settle in,” Ben said. He was sitting on one of those foldable chairs, there were a ton in the storage closet.

 

Ben was right, but that didn’t make Richie any less restless. He was so eager to see what Hawkins had to offer. Did Hawkins have a zoo? A Theatre? Maybe even a park with swings that wouldn’t collapse from your weight? He wanted to know, hell, he needed to know.

 

But he couldn’t just waltz into the night, he was in unfamiliar territory, and it would take time to get used to it. So, Richie had to wait. By morning he could probably go explore and maybe even make some friends. But right now, he needed to be patient.

 

***

 

After everyone had showered, they all tried to decide where to sleep. Richie knew there weren’t that many beds and had volunteered to sleep on the sofa – which felt like bricks, but he’d manage.

 

“Y-you sure, Ri-Rich?” Bill asked, looking at Richie with concern but Richie waved it off with a grin.

 

“Yeah, I’m sure. It can’t be that bad,” he said, leaning a bit on his chair as everyone silently debated the idea.

 

“I could sleep on the sofa.” Mike offered, breaking the silence as everyone stared at him. He gave them a sheepish smile. “When I was younger I used to sleep on haybales, a sofa can’t be as bad as that.”

 

Everyone was silent again. Thinking Mike’s offer over, before Bev spoke up.

 

“Why the hell did you sleep on haybales?!” she asked, a bit alarmed by the fact but Mike shrugged.

 

“Well, when I was younger I hated the thought of sleeping alone. I could never ask Pops ‘cause I was scared of him so I slept with the animals.” Mike explained, and everyone looked at him sympathetically. They all had shitty lives, but the topic of their pasts wasn’t one anyone wanted to dwell on. Even so, they all needed to acknowledge it sooner or later.

 

After an hour or so everyone still couldn’t decide. They didn’t want anyone to sleep poorly, why would they? So, they all just settled on joining the two beds together. Thus, everyone could get a goodnights rest without needing to sleep on the sofa.  

 

It didn’t take long for everyone to fall asleep; it had been a long day and the euphoria they had felt soon vanished and everyone became immensely tired. Richie was excited for the next day; they had a lot planned and he did too. He closed his eyes slowly, letting sleep succumb to him.

 

***

 

Richie woke with the sun – which was new – and he yawned as his eyes adjusted to the light in the room. When he rose, his back on the headrest, he smiled to himself. It was silent but not the lonely kind, the kind where he knew his parents had already left. This one brought comfort to him, and he cherished it.

 

When Richie turned to look at the still-asleep Losers – not all of them were still asleep, he saw that Stan was no longer in bed – he felt like laughing. Bev was near the ledge of the bed, one of her legs hanging off, and her lips parted in a soft snore. Ben was snuggled close to her side, holding the other’s hand even in sleep. Mike lay on his back, legs sprawled out. Bill had occupied the space where Stan had been before, curling into himself, and Eddie looked the least chaotic. His back was facing Richie and his legs were curled slightly. He looked like he was trying to make himself look smaller than he was. Richie had so many short jokes ready but thought against voicing them, he didn’t want to wake any of the Losers up.

 

He soon decided to get off the bed and to the bathroom, he brushed his teeth quickly before heading to the kitchen. There he found Stan drinking a cup of coffee, they locked eyes before he gave a silent nod in greeting. They both looked like crap, but Richie felt energized. He wanted to explore every nook and cranny of Hawkins, he wanted to discover things that even the locals didn’t know about. That’s how excited he was.

 

“How’d you sleep, Rich?” Stan soon asked, sipping his cup of coffee once Richie had sat down.

 

“Like a baby, how ‘bout you, Stan the man?” Richie gave him a grin, even at seven in the morning Stan had enough energy to return it with a small smile.

 

“Better than I have all year,” he said, setting his cup down. “Plan anything fun for today?”

 

Richie nodded excitedly, “you bet! I’m thinking of looking for a local movie theatre. They must have some good movies!”

 

Stan hummed, glancing out the window. People were beginning to wake up, mostly elderly, and Richie couldn’t help but smile. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to how alive Hawkins is. It’s just so... different.

 

After a few hours, all the Losers soon woke up as well, everyone looked excited and pumped. Richie couldn’t help but grin, he was smiling way too much lately.

 

When everyone had breakfast they all changed into some decent-looking clothes before finally – finally – heading out. Bill made sure to lock the door before they left the trailer park and headed for downtown Hawkins where the shops were located.

 

“O-Okay, listen ev-everyone. While I wa-a-nt you all t-to enjoy you sh-should also look fo-for jobs,” Bill explained. Everyone nodded, they all wanted to have fun, but they also liked having a roof over their heads.

 

“Let’s split into groups, this way we can all look for jobs faster.” Stan proposed, looking at everyone with a glint of determination. Richie knew that Stan wanted to get a job, he’d always talked about the path to “maturity” or some bullshit like that.

 

“Me and Ben can go together!” Bev said quickly, Richie gave her an unamused look which she just ignored. Rude.

 

“Bill, Mike, and I will go around to the locals and see if they need any help,” Stan said matter-of-factly. Bill nodded in agreement.

 

“Then that leaves me and Eddie Spaghetti! Is this fate?” Richie said, eyes sparkling in amusement as Eddie rolled his eyes.

 

“More like torture,” Eddie muttered, it amused Richie how the shorter could look so cute while being so mad.

 

“Be back by sundown, Mike’s making dinner!” Bev exclaimed as she took Ben’s hand and ran off. Bill chuckled while Stan huffed in amusement. Mike blushed sheepishly before the three left as well.

 

Richie and Eddie left soon after, looking at all the stores they passed with interest.

 

“That looks like a diner of some sort,” Richie pointed out. As the two passed it Richie couldn’t help but notice how empty it looked. That wasn’t normal, for Derry it would’ve been but Hawkins? Not so much.

 

“Hey, Eds... do these stores look deserted to you?” Richie asked, turning to look at Eddie as the other hummed.

 

“Kind of, maybe business is just bad?” Eddie said although the two weren’t convinced in the slightest.

 

“I don’t think so... wanna ask? We could probably find someone,” Richie suggests. Eddie nods in agreement and they find a general store. There were no customers inside but there seemed to be some staff still present. Before they enter Richie reads the sign at the front.

 

Melvald’s General Store

 

When they entered Richie saw the cashier at the front fiddling with a few flyers. He didn’t think he would ever see someone care for their job. In Derry, if there were no customers and business was slow that automatically meant it was your break. By the time a customer does show up, there would be no one there to give money to. Kind of why stealing is such a common occurrence in Derry.

 

“Uhm, excuse me-” Eddie began to say but was cut off by the cashier’s jolt of surprise.

 

It was silent for a moment before the women finally spoke, “sorry, dears, didn’t mean to startle you!” She said sheepishly. If Richie was being honest he wasn’t all that startled, he was more shocked than anything.

 

“Uhm... It’s okay, ma’am, but could you tell us why all the shops look so empty?” Eddie asked, the women frowned.

 

“A mall opened up a few days ago, it’s been attracting all the customers lately.” She said, arranging the scattered flyers neatly. “Anyway, who are you two? Don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

 

“I’m Eddie and that’s-”

 

“Richie Tozier but my friends call me the Richest man in the neighbourhood.”

 

“No, they don’t.”

 

“Yet.”

 

Eddie let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. The women snorted softly.

 

“I’m Joyce Byers, and if you two ever need help with anything you’re always welcomed to ask me.” She said, giving them a motherly smile. Richie had never gotten one before but that’s how he imagined a mother’s smile to look like.

 

“Mrs. Byers we’re looking for a job. Do you think you can tell us where to look for one?” Eddie queried, looking at Joyce expectantly. Richie couldn’t help but blush slightly, hey, in his defiance Eddie was cute, okay?

 

Joyce thought for a few seconds before replying, “aren’t you two a little too young for a job?”

 

Richie shook his head, “I don’t think so.”

 

“A summer job, we’re looking for a summer job,” Eddie said quickly – they both knew it wasn’t just for summer – and Joyce seemed to nod her head in understanding now.

 

“I see. Well, my son has been going to the mall a lot recently. He’s been saying something about how the mall needs more employment. Maybe you could start there?”

 

Richie’s eyes sparkled in excitement, not only would they be going to the mall they’d also be looking for a job! It was a win-win situation! Except for one tiny problem. “Mrs. We, uh, don’t actually know where the mall is.”

 

She blinked a few times before smiling softly, “I’m sure your parents must know. It’s been all everyone can talk about.”

 

Eddie and Richie glanced at each other, not entirely sure what to do. Before the silence could turn awkward Richie blurted out, “Our parents aren’t here! They’re off on a business trip overseas.”

 

Eddie blinked at him before nodding quickly, hoping Joyce would take pity on some random teens.

 

“Both of your parents?” she asked, the two nodded solemnly. “Alright... I could offer you two a ride. No one seems interested in coming to a general store anyway.”

 

The two looked at Joyce with big smiles, thanking her quickly as she grabbed her stuff and closed the shop. They sat in her car, and she drove them to the mall, Richie was more excited than before. They were going to a mall. That was better than all the plans he had prior.

 

As Joyce drove she indulged in small talk. “Where are you two from?” she asked, her eyes on the road.

 

“Maine, ma’am.” Eddie answered respectfully, earning a small laugh from Joyce.

 

“I knew someone from Maine once,” she said. Her tone sounded sad but Richie – ever the curious – didn’t seem to pick up on it.

 

“Who?” he questioned, he never heard of people leaving Derry, even if it was Hell incarnate no one ever voiced the thought of leaving. But then again maybe the person wasn’t even from Derry. Maine was huge.

 

“He... he was someone I loved, had the funniest jokes,” Joyce smiled solemnly, her grip on the steering wheel tightening slightly.

 

“Was he from Derry—”

 

“Richie, drop it,” Eddie said sternly, glaring at Richie.

 

“Oh, Uhm, sorry if it was personal, Mrs. Byers,” Richie apologized quickly, hoping he hadn’t hurt her feelings.

 

“No, it’s completely okay to be curious, Richie, but it is kind of sensitive.” Joyce looked at him from the rearview mirror. Richie gave her a small smile.

 

Silence soon enveloped the three, nobody knowing what to say. By the time they arrived at the mall, it was noon, they didn’t have that long to check the mall out, but they would regardless.

 

Richie opened the car door and hopped out, eager to start looking around. Eddie and Richie looked at the mall in awe. Bright, big words read:

 

Starcourt Mall

 

It looked so unique and cool; Richie was in utter shock. He hadn’t a clue where to start. There seemed to be a few stores out in front but with so many people going inside, he could guess that that’s where the fun was. He turned towards Joyce with a grin.

 

“Thank you, Mrs. Byers, for helping us get here.” He said, tapping his foot on the cobblestone in excitement.

 

“No problem, you two! Take care of yourselves, alright?”

 

The two nodded, and Joyce laughed softly before sitting in the car again. Richie turned his back on her and grabbed Eddie’s hand – who yelped in surprise – and ran towards the mall entrance.

 

This was going to be so much fun!

Notes:

Richie and Eddie meeting Joyce was not something I wanted to do initially. But I needed them to figure out about Starcourt one way or the other, hence why Joyce was added.

Also don't ask how Joyce did not notice that Richie looked a lot like Mike. She probably had a feeling that he looked familiar but couldn't place it.

See you all next time I post! <3

Chapter 6: Richie and Eddie's Voyage of Flavour

Summary:

Richie and Eddie enjoy their time at Starcourt, whilst also applying for a job at a certain Ice cream parlor.

Notes:

The logistics of this are just full-on creative liberty, I have never actually applied for a summer job, thus, this is not the most accurate and I do not have glasses either so more inaccuracies.

Also, before I forget, I appreciate all the hits and kudos, and comments, left on this story! I wrote this on a whim and am so glad that people are enjoying my garbage.

Also, also! I have no beta reader except for Grammarly so expect mistakes, my dyslexia is a little shit.

The inside of the mall was even better than Richie had hoped, everything was so bright, and the mall was so big. It didn’t take long for Richie to get distracted, dragging Eddie around to look at all the spectacular displays.

 

“Eds! Look at this!” he exclaimed, pointing at a few displayed comics. He had never seen the latest editions before and the fact that they were even being sold brought a smile to his face. Eddie looked just as shocked since his eyes were also glued to the display window.

 

“Do you think after we get our first paycheck we could buy one?” Eddie suggested, looking over at Richie. The taller only nodded, just as eager to buy a comic. He only had old editions since Derry never bothered to stay up to date with the newer comics. He was so damn glad that Hawkins was way better than Derry.

 

As Richie and Eddie explored they were amazed again and again at every new thing. He had seen a few clothes stores, restaurants, and empty shops that seemed ready for sale. He had never seen something as huge as Starcourt. Once they finished exploring the ground floor Richie finally decided to ascend the escalators. Eddie hadn’t trusted the moving stairs as much as Richie did, but then the two held hands and Eddie seemed to calm down.

 

After they made it to the second floor Richie’s eyes spotted a shop with a sailor theme to it. He saw kids coming in and out and was soon curious as to why that shop seemed to be such an attraction.

 

“Eddie Spaghetti, the love of my life, can we please check that shop out?” Richie said, voice a little whiney. He noticed the way Eddie’s cheeks became a soft pink, he liked how it complemented his skin.

 

“What shop?”

 

“That shop!” Richie pointed at the bright sign, it was a baby blue with big bright yellow letters reading:

 

Scoops Ahoy

 

Eddie looked over with interest, eyes sparkling. Even if Eddie was the more responsible one out of the two they were still kids. No one could resist an ice cream parlor. Not even Stanley could.

 

“Sure, let’s check it out,” Eddie said, walking towards the shop and dragging Richie along. Their hands were still bound to one another.

 

When they entered Scoops Ahoy it was packed with kids. Richie couldn’t even hear his thoughts; it was just that loud. He heard babies crying and toddlers whining. He could also see the way middle schoolers talked in hushed voices, although at times a laugh would erupt from them. It was so lively. Richie didn’t want it any other way.

 

There was a line formed near the counter, he saw that at the front of the line stood a brown-skinned girl. She placed a hand on her hip, her soft pink backpack decorated with stickers. Behind the counter stood an older-looking girl, her hair was shoulder length and a dirty blond. She looked tired or done with everyone’s crap and Richie couldn’t help but feel pity for her.

 

Richie and Eddie stayed in line for ten minutes or so before they reached the counter, the two eyeing all the flavours of ice creams displayed.

 

“Ahoy mateys, would you like to set sail on this ocean of flavour with me...” The worker drawled out, looking at the two with disinterest or maybe boredom. 

 

“Uh... ahoy?” Eddie said slowly, not entirely sure what to do now that they were here. In Richie’s opinion, he had completely forgotten that the reason they came to the mall in the first place was to find jobs. It just slipped his mind. But now that he remembered he might as well ask.

 

“Excuse me, are you still hiring?” Richie questioned, tapping his foot as the worker looked at him curiously.

 

“We are... do you want me to get my boss?”

 

Eddie perked up at that, a small smile forming as he nodded. “Yes, that’d be nice.”

 

She placed her ice cream scooper on the counter before going into the staff-only door. They waited a few minutes before she returned, nodding her head.

 

“He’s free at the moment, you two can come in,” she told them, opening the staff-only door to let them inside. Before Richie entered the boss’s office he caught a glimpse of the other worker. It was a male this time and his hair looked like a mess under that sailor cap. Unfortunately, before Richie could make fun of him for it, Eddie dragged him inside the office. Which, in Richie’s eyes, looked nothing like an office.

 

There was no big desk or wheelie chair, and no intricate furniture either. It looked like a storage closet – why? Richie wasn’t sure – and was much smaller than Richie imagined it to be. Where did all the budget go?!

 

The “boss” looked at them, a bored expression on his face. And don’t get Richie started on the guy’s face, he had a double chin, and acne scattered around his face. Richie never liked judging people on their looks, but the “boss” looked a tad intimidating. He just looked so normal that it frightened Richie.

 

“So, I heard from Robin that you two are looking for a job?” he said, eyeing the two as Richie nodded.

 

“Sure are! Do you think we could work here? For the summer?” Richie asked, a hopeful smile on his face as the boss hummed.

 

“I mean, I’ll need to supervise you guys on your first day... but if that goes well then sure, you’ll be hired.”

 

Eddie and Richie smiled at the guy, making the man huff.

 

“We won’t let you down, boss!” Richie said, saluting teasingly as the boss hummed.

 

“But first your glasses need to go,” he said, pointing at Richie. He almost wanted to gasp, and act offended because excuse you?! He kinda needed to see asshole.

 

“Then how will I see?” Richie sassed, hey he wanted this job, but he enjoyed his eyesight way more.

 

The man seemed unaffected by his attitude, “buy contacts? It’ll be easier to move around with them. I don’t want your glasses breaking on the job.”

 

Oh, that made some sense.

 

“Righty ‘o, mate!” Richie said, using his perfected British accent which made Eddie sigh exasperatedly.

 

“So, we have to buy Richie contacts first?” Eddie clarified, the boss gave him a curt nod and Eddie huffed. “Fine. Come on, Rich, let’s go see what we can afford.” He grabbed Richie’s hand and dragged him out of the store, they first needed to locate a glasses shop but when they do Richie could probably use the last of his stolen money to buy contacts.

 

Only if the contacts aren’t expensive, that is.

 

***

 

When they arrived at the spectacles shop they weren’t sure what to get, Richie knew they had to buy contacts but how expensive were they? And the excuse the manager gave was utter bullshit. He’s seen loads of people wear glasses and work at ice cream parlors!

 

(Although all his proof was mostly based on shows he had watched.)

 

When Richie glanced at Eddie he saw a calculated expression on his face, the one where Eddie would furrow his brows all cute and pout unconsciously. But Richie wasn’t staring or anything, he was only keeping an eye on Eddie. Stan said something about sticking together, right?

 

“Should we ask for help?” Eddie soon asked, looking at Richie impassively but he saw a glint of something in those eyes of his. He just had to figure out what that something was.

 

Richie shrugged, “we’ll probably get things done faster, so, why not?”

 

The shorter nodded, walking toward an employee. She was leaning near the wall whilst blowing bubble gum. Richie could only imagine what her personality would be like.

 

“Excuse me, miss, but do you know where we can buy contact lenses?” Eddie asked, giving her his politest smile. She eyed him, as if surveying if he was a threat or not before her gum popped.  

 

“Ya’ got a prescription?” she questioned, chewing on her gum as she looked at Eddie and then Richie. He shakes his head; he got it for his glasses, but do you need a separate prescription for contacts?

 

The employee sighs, “we provide an eye checkup station if you need it, I can show the way.” She then walks into the shop further, and Richie and Eddie follow. It doesn’t take long before he meets an optometrist and gets his prescription, when he was younger he remembered this process taking forever but then again that was Derry.

 

After they pay for the contact lenses – Richie’s glad that he had enough spare cash for both the checkup and lenses – they head back to Scoops Ahoy and confront the manager once again. He looks at the lenses they bought with a mischievous gleam, yet Richie isn’t sure what that’s supposed to mean.

 

“Very good... would you like to start today or tomorrow? It’ll be a trial run, a way to see if you two can scoop ice cream like a pro.”

 

Richie raises a questioning brow; he does not enjoy talking to the manager. The guy is weird, but not in the creepy kind of way, it’s more like a what is going on in his head? Kind of way.

 

“We won’t disappoint you, boss!” Richie gives him a grin and Eddie nods in agreement, a look of determination present on his face. The manager gives them a smirk before nodding his head, a signal that it was time they left. So, they left. By the time Richie checked the time he realized it was way past noon, time sure flies when you’re at the mall, huh?

 

“Eds! We’re late! And Mike’s making dinner!” Richie explains urgently, tugging on Eddie’s hand like an annoying toddler. The other just groans, disappointed that he won’t be able to look at more fanny packs. But Richie knows that he’s saving Eddie from boredom, who’d want to stare at newly sewn fanny packs? No one!

 

(Except for Eddie, but that’s beside the point.)

 

It only took a few more annoying pleas from Richie to convince Eddie to leave, and the taller was grinning proudly all the way back to the entrance. As they exit they’re soon struck by a realization, they have no transport to get home. Shit. Richie looks around, and as the light of day began to turn into a beautiful midnight blue more people entered the mall. It was funny how the time of day didn’t waver anyone from having a good time, he envied how they could walk in the dark so aimlessly without feeling as though eyes are always watching them.

 

Richie shook his head, silencing his stupid envy as Eddie tugs on his arm. “There are buses over there, ya think you have enough for two tickets?” he asked, looking at Richie was a raised brow.

 

“Hey, if I don’t then we could always just sit on the roof,” Richie jokes, making Eddie roll his eyes. Yet they both know that if it truly came down to that then they would do it.

 

Surprisingly, Richie had just enough for two tickets which allows them to have a safe journey until they get dropped off near the trailer park. There all the Losers are waiting for them, and the day soon ends. Richie can only hope for every day to be as exciting as today, yet there’s a voice in his head telling him that nothing lasts forever. But why should he listen to the voice? He already has to listen to Stan’s rambles about all the new exotic birds he’s seen, he doesn’t need more trauma, thank you.

Notes:

Leave comments and kudos if you enjoy what I write!

And if you see any loopholes... no you do not.

Chapter 7: The Flaws Of Perfection

Summary:

And, well, all he had to do was step in.

Or: We're getting LORE

Notes:

Ahem, hello. I have no excuse as to why I haven't posted, except for the fact that my exams are starting soon. It's pretty hectic and they have been taking up most of my time. I'm also really sorry if my story feels so slow, I just can't do pacing.

Well, enjoy!

Richie loved Hawkins; he knew he said it enough times to give someone a migraine, but he just couldn’t help it. Everything he always wished to experience was happening! He had a summer job, and his own house, and was even pretty well known at the ice cream parlor. It seemed almost perfect, and he hoped to keep it that way.

 

“I wanna try... that one,” Erica – she was so damn cool in Richie’s opinion – said, pointing at one of the ice cream flavors. Richie nodded, using a small spoon to scoop the ice cream up, and handed it to Erica. She grabbed it victoriously and Richie just hoped he wouldn’t get fired. He allowed Erica her free sample scam just because he found it funny. It’d be lame if he got fired for that.

 

“So, what d’ya think?” he queried, grinning at her as she hummed in thought. It didn’t matter that Erica was a few years younger than him, she acted a lot like Bev, and it sparked something between them. He noticed that she was less annoying around him.

 

“Not bad, don’t know if that’s the one I want, though.” She mumbled, it was obvious that she just didn’t want to pay money, and in Richie’s head it made sense. She’s probably saving her allowance for something more valuable than plain ice cream. Stan once lectured him on the prospect of saving money, and, at the time, he completely ignored him, but Richie’s learned that some topics Stan rambles about intrigue him.

 

“Is that a no or are you willing for another scoop?” Richie asked, fiddling with his sailor hat as she furrowed her brows. It didn’t take long for her to decide, and of course, it was to try it once more. But Richie wasn’t really complaining, he’s done the whole ‘sample scam’ countless times in Derry. Why not indulge a fellow sample scammer?

 

He handed her another sample, glancing around the parlor as she nibbled on it. He kept noticing how the lights would flicker for short periods, but that could be faulty electricity. Or a rat was having a disco party in the ceiling. Two very plausible possibilities.

 

There weren’t that many people in Scoops Ahoy, it was a Monday, so Richie wasn’t expecting the parlor to be jammed packed anyway. He was actually glad; the past few weeks had been amazing – no doubt – but a tad overwhelming too. He needed time to collect his thoughts; this was the right time to do that.

 

“Y’know... I think I’ll buy a cone with this flavor,” Erica said. She handed the small wooden spoon back to Richie and he nodded. It didn’t take long for him to make the ice cream and Erica happily paid for it with a gleam in her eyes.

 

“You should really stop indulging her,” Eddie chided from where he stood beside him. It surprised Richie and he yelped because he was definitely not there the last time he checked.

 

“Don’t scare me like that!” Richie said, crossing his arms as he heard Eddie laugh.

 

“You do it to me all the time,” and although that was true Richie ignored the comment. Eddie had no right in being a copycat!

 

“Whatever, Eds, now, is it my break already?” He turned to look at the brunette. He looked absolutely stunning, and Richie wasn’t sure why, he was just standing there, and all Richie could think was how perfect he looked. God, Rich, get a grip man!

 

“Yeah it is but I was wondering if you could stay up front for a bit. I have storage duty,” Eddie didn’t look all that pleased, but Richie couldn’t blame him. Having storage duty meant that he’d have to stay in a cold freezer for an unhealthy amount of time and he did not like that idea.  

 

“Sure, Eddie Spaghetti! Don’t take too long though, I wanna go roam around!” Eddie grumbled at the nickname but made no further comment. He nodded his head and soon left.

 

Now all he had to do was wait, and he could wait. He was awesome at waiting. Really. Okay, no, he’s lying he can’t even sit still for a few minutes! But whatever, it didn’t really matter since his next customers decided to join him and he was no longer lonely!

 

After an hour or so the parlor was completely empty. Not even a child wailing could be heard, and Richie cherished the short amount of peace he would receive before customers returned. He was cleaning the countertop when the lights began to flicker vigorously, it surprised him, and he almost dropped his scooper. The rats seemed keen on this disco party of theirs. He could hear a faint ringing in his ears, it was quiet enough for him to think he was imagining it.

 

He wasn’t given much time to think about the lights since they soon returned to normal after a few seconds, and he wondered who hired such a shitty electrician. They needed to be fired.

 

The rest of the day passed by in a flash, the flickering lights soon forgotten as Richie got caught up in his work. But it became apparent soon enough that Eddie hadn’t returned from storage, it had been nagging him all day and he could only hope that Eddie didn’t accidentally lock himself in.

 

It's never happened before but Richie knows that it was always a possibility. Once the sun finally retired into the horizon and it was nearing closing time Richie decided to look for Eddie. Had Eddie been lying? Did he just want an extra long break? If so, then that was unfair!

 

But maybe that was never the reason, Richie knows Eddie. He knows that Eddie would never do something as low as this, it just wasn’t Eddie. He never bailed when it came to his responsibilities or work in general. That’s why it made Richie uneasy, maybe Hawkins really wasn’t perfect. Had Richie been blinded by the prosperity of Hawkins?

 

Richie reached the storage room in no time, grabbing the handle and pushing the door open. He shivered as he felt the cold, it didn’t falter his determination, however. All he could see inside were scattered boxes and spilled ice cream tubs, but he didn’t give up, he ventured further into the freezer. The light was dim and yet there was this unnatural glow illuminating the whole freezer, it helped him see clearer, but all his alarms were blaring inside his head.

 

The worst part was there was no sign of Eddie, no trace, nothing. It just looked as though someone crashed the freezer for fun. And that already set him on edge. When he turned a corner, almost tripping as he stared, wide-eyed, at the thing in front of him.

 

It glowed a bright blue, illuminating his shocked face. Weird vines decorated the sides, moving at times when Richie got a bit too close. What was the weirdest part, though, was the fact that he could see a darker more deformed version of Hawkins. It intrigued him and he wasn’t sure what to think.

 

What even was it? A doorway? He watched as the vines began closing it and all his instincts told him to run, and yet there was a possibility that Eddie was on the other side. That seemed to fuel him more than his fear, the prospect that Eddie could be on the other side. Alone. Frightened.

 

And, well, all he had to do was step in.

Notes:

Why was this so short...

Chapter 8: The Lost Hypochondriac

Summary:

Eddie contemplates, then simps, lore happens and he is very very confused.

Or: I am shit at summaries <3

Notes:

We're getting somewhere! YOOOOOOO!!!

Also, I'm sorry that all my damn chapters are so fucking short. I spent a good hour or so on this so I know it's not the best. Anyway, I have my checkpoint/mock tomorrow so I'll probably post the next chapter on Saturday. No promises.

Eddie sat idly on a chair in the breakroom, it was finally his break and all he had planned was to rest. Which was actually harder than he thought it would be. His mind was racing, and he hadn’t a clue as to why. The Losers had been pretty busy the majority of the weeks and maybe his brain just wanted something different. Scooping ice cream every single day was getting boring, but Eddie didn’t know exactly what else to do.

 

Unlike Richie, whose mind was always doing something or the other, never dwelling on one topic for too long. Eddie’s mind would overanalyze one thing or even multiple things for hours, it never seemed to tire from thinking about the what if’s or the should’ve done this. Which was exactly what was happening.

 

Over these past weeks, Eddie has questioned multiple times where he and Richie lie as friends. He knows that Richie loved making jokes about him being ‘the love of his life’ and even calling him ‘Eddie my love’ at times. But dear god it was ruining his thoughts. He was never one to be able to tell when someone liked him – that was more Bev – so he was getting mixed signals. But then again why in hell would Richie like him? He was just joking. Like always.

 

Eddie sighed, leaning on his chair as he furrowed his brows. It didn’t help that Richie looked drop-dead gorgeous without his stupid glasses. Maybe that was the real reason their boss wanted Richie to rid of them, it did make sense. No, no it did not. At least when Richie wore glasses Eddie was able to think of him as more nerdy and goofy than hot as hell. Why did the universe hate him so? He’d never get the answer to that, and part of him didn’t want one.

 

Eddie got off the chair swiftly, stretching his limbs before heading towards the door of the breakroom. He was stalling, he had been assigned to storage check, and trying to make sense of his thoughts was tiring. His break was also almost over, yet he couldn’t remember how time had gone by so fast.

 

When he left the break room with silent footsteps he spotted Erica Sinclair holding an ice cream, she grinned at Richie, who stood near the counter, before leaving the parlor altogether. Eddie rolled his eyes, standing right next to Richie while the other stared at the ceiling lights. Why? He hadn’t a clue, but he was used to Richie and knew never to question why Richie did things.

 

“You should really stop indulging her,” he chided, glaring at Richie who didn’t even notice since he was too busy yelping in surprise. Eddie couldn’t help the smirk that formed on his lips at Richie’s lack of self-awareness.

 

“Don’t scare me like that!” Richie whined, crossing his arms as Eddie laughed. Of course, Richie would say that. Because Richie had the right to scare Eddie, but he couldn’t do the same to Richie? Now that was unfair.

 

“You do it to me all the time,” Eddie stated, giving Richie a raised brow as the other rolled his eyes. Was he extra annoying today? Maybe, was he enjoying it all the same? Definitely.

 

“Whatever, Eds, now, is it my break already?” Richie asked, turning his head to look at Eddie. The two locked eyes and Eddie felt his cheeks warm; it wasn’t his fault that Richie just looked so damn attractive! His hair was extra messy because of the sailor cap – which Eddie knew he looked amazing in – and his eyes shined with a glint of mischief and fondness but maybe Eddie was just overthinking.

 

Focus Eddie! Focus! He thought to himself as he silenced his thoughts, it was not the time to fawn over his best friend. “Yeah it is but I was wondering if you could stay up front for a bit. I have storage duty,” Eddie said with a slight pout.

 

He hated storage, it was just a freezer that was breaking countless health and safety violations. To top it all off he had to stay in there and count a dozen different ice cream flavors as he froze to death! No one would enjoy such an experience.

 

“Sure, Eddie Spaghetti! Don’t take too long though, I wanna go roam around!” Richie gave him a grin – which his gay brain decided to pine over. it wasn’t fair, why was Richie painstakingly gorgeous? He shook his head, subconsciously, of course, he didn’t want to act like a weirdo and grumbled a few incoherent sentences. If he acted annoyed then maybe his brain would actually believe it.

 

Eddie soon left Richie with a nod, heading towards storage to begin the agonizingly long task. He opened the storage door, shivering as he stepped in. He hated getting cold, scratch that he hated being remotely uncomfortable. But you gotta do what you gotta do, and even if they were only getting paid minimum wage it was better than nothing. As Eddie put on protective gloves he prepared himself for the long day ahead. Well, it’s now or never.

 

He stood in the freezer for hours; his back hurt and he was shivering. Maybe he should step outside for a bit, get warm then come back? However, before he could even turn around to face the door the lights in the freezer began to flicker. And not even slowly, they were flickering continuously. It confused him, what was wrong with the electricity?

 

As the lights kept flickering he tensed, it was faint but recognizable, a melody that he had heard play on repeat every time he saw a balloon, a red balloon. His world seemed to darken, everything slowed as he heard an echoing fit of laughter. What. The. Fuck.

 

And then he began to fall, ears ringing loudly as his eyes started to close. The last thing he saw was bright golden eyes staring at him. Then, his world went black.

 

***

 

Eddie woke up slowly, eyes opening with force. He lay on his back, eyes looking up at what should be the sky. Yet, the sky had never looked so grim. He had memories of times when the sky would darken, covering the sun as rain poured heavily. But there was still some life to it, the sky he observed now was anything but.

 

He slowly came back to consciousness, eyes opening to their fullest as he sat up with effort. His body felt heavy, as though something was weighing him down, yet he couldn’t see any entity near him. Which reminded him, where even was he? How had he gotten here?

 

The world he was in now was strange, it replicated Hawkins in its entirety, yet it lacked the liveliness that made Eddie love Hawkins. What was even stranger was the spores that seemed to congest the air, and he coughed a few times as he breathed them in. He was confused but mostly worried.

 

He began remembering the events prior to this, the fact that he saw those creepy golden eyes made him tense. But it made no sense. They killed IT, that stupid clown was meant to die. What was IT doing back? And in Hawkins of all places? Eddie shook his head if he sat here any longer he’d become dead meat. If IT lived in this distorted Hawkins then the only way to obtain answers was to explore.

 

And... if he could stop IT before it tried killing his friends, he would. Eddie got up from where he sat, dusting his clothes. He was in the forests that surrounded Hawkins, but now everything looked dead and aged. Vines wrapped around tree bark, turning or twisting at times when Eddie was too loud in his steps. He wished he had explored these forests prior or hadn’t let his guard down. Now he was God knows where with a man-eating clown on the loose.

 

Why did this clown love to torment him so much? First, he broke his arm, and now this! Eddie sighed, feeling his senses heighten as he continued venturing through the forest. He didn’t indulge his thoughts, giving him various scenarios of him dying or something similar. Had he been prepared he might have located a safe location by now, but, then again, whenever IT was involved you were never able to prepare beforehand.

 

He scowled at the thought, stepping over the vines and keeping his footsteps as quiet as possible. He was starting to shiver; the atmosphere was colder than it would be on Earth. He needed to find shelter soon or he’d become a popsicle before he even had the chance to face IT off. And it seemed that some deity felt pity on him because as he turned to the left, he faced a fort of some kind. But one thing was noticeable: a square wooden sign hung above the curtained door. The words were messy, almost as if a child had written them in a haste.

 

Castle Byers.

 

What a fucking coincidence.  

Notes:

AHHHHHHHHHH WHY THE HELL IS THIS SO SHORTTTT???

Chapter 9: Bill's Kids Are Missing

Summary:

The rest of the Losers could sense that something was wrong, it was this feeling inside their bones telling them that danger was approaching and yet Bill had been trying to ignore it this whole time. He still hoped that Richie got distracted or Eddie got lost and that they would walk in any minute and tell Bill to stop worrying so much, and that they were fine.

Or: Richie and Eddie are missing. The Losers panic.

Notes:

Hello, internet! I'm not dead, yay?

My excuses are always that I have exams (and that is technically the truth) but my other excuse is that i've kinda lost a lot of interest in this fandom, I don't read much Stranger Things or IT fanfiction anymore but I'm still gonna try and finish this story (even though I have zero clue where I'm going with this) so yeah...

Enjoy?

Bill was worried. Both Richie and Eddie hadn’t come home, and it was way past curfew. Bill has been repeatedly mocked and teased that he was the ‘mom’ friend, but the whole curfew was mostly a precaution. Even with that creepy clown gone, he was always on edge whenever one of the Losers tended to stay outside for too long.

 

And they all agreed that they would all get home before midnight. But now, as he checked his watch, it was half past midnight, and Richie and Eddie weren’t there.

 

The rest of the Losers could sense that something was wrong, it was this feeling inside their bones telling them that danger was approaching and yet Bill had been trying to ignore it this whole time. He still hoped that Richie got distracted or Eddie got lost and that they would walk in any minute and tell Bill to stop worrying so much, and that they were fine.

 

Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen. He stays up, sitting on the rock-hard couch in their living room as hours ticked by. The Losers would occasionally ask if he wanted to sleep, and he’d politely decline. But he was starting to feel drowsy, it was hard trying to keep his eyes open for so long. However, his determination to wait and make sure Eddie and Richie came home safely overpowered his lack of sleep.

 

He blinked a few times as the sun crept into the living room, signaling how long he’d been up for. Yet his fear only grew, and he quickly stood up from the couch.

 

“G-guys! Richie and Eh-Eddie didn’t come h-ome!” Bill exclaimed, opening the bedroom door as the other Losers awoke.

 

Beverly sat up, yawning, “maybe they finally confessed to each other and fucked,” she said drowsily. Stan scoffed at the statement.

 

“They’re way too oblivious for that,” he retorted, trying to hide his yawns as everyone else got off the bed. Bill rolled his eyes, not convinced one bit.

 

“T-they’re missing!” He said, completely aware that everyone probably thought he was exaggerating. But he wasn’t, why would he joke about something as serious as going missing?

 

“Bill, don’t worry, they’re probably just being rebellious teenagers or something, they’ll come home.” Beverly tried her best to assure Bill, but he only dismissed her, it made no sense. Especially since he knew Eddie, the two have been friends since diapers. He knows that Eddie respects his curfew rule, and he knows that Eddie himself is also weary of staying out too late.

 

So, why would Eddie not be home already? It was absurd to think that they were being rebellious.

 

Bill shook his head, “I-I know them, th-they wouldn’t do thi-is.” He crossed his arms, ready to counter whatever theory the others had because he was determined to make them understand the situation.

 

“You know, Bill is right. Why would Richie and Eddie of all people stay outside for so long? They were working yesterday, wouldn’t they come home instantly after their shift was over?” Mike stated logically, and Bill smiled gratefully at him. His mind was already not functioning properly because of lack of sleep, so he was glad Mike spoke up.

 

Ben hummed, surveying the room, “True, and Richie told me that he was planning on going to the arcade today, so his absence is weird.”

 

Stan stood straighter at that, brows furrowing in thought as everyone soon realized that Richie and Eddie might actually be missing.

 

“S-see! We have t-to tell the poh-police,” Bill said, before yawning. He was tired and the Losers seemed to finally notice. They all glanced at one another, seemingly saying everything with their eyes.

 

“Bill, how ‘bout you sleep? We’ll do what we can, okay?” Stan said softly, gesturing towards the bed as Bill shook his head.

 

“B-but-!”

 

“No buts! You’re tired, Bill, so go sleep,” Beverly said, pushing him towards and onto the bed. Bill groaned, not sure if sleeping was a good idea when his friends may have been kidnapped.

 

“We’ll take care of everything, don’t worry!” Ben said, giving him a soft smile and Bill soon caved in.

 

“F-fine but wake m-me up when y-you find some-th-thing.” He mumbled, eyes closing as he heard the other Losers give their confirmations. He didn’t dream, but glowing yellow eyes plagued his mind.

 

***

 

All the Losers left the bedroom to allow Bill some quiet, but as the door shut they all panicked just a little.

 

“Are Richie and Eddie really missing?!” Beverly asked, pacing through the living room as the others shrugged. They were now all on edge, and the sense of dread they were feeling wasn’t helping.

 

“Where do we look first?” Mike questioned, sitting on the couch as they all pondered. Ben wasn’t sure where they’d start. Hawkins was just so big. And there were only five of them – four if he doesn’t count Bill.

 

“How ‘bout Scoops Ahoy? They went to work yesterday, maybe there’s something that can help us over there?” Stan suggested and the others quickly agreed. It was their only lead, which, kind of sucked but it was better than nothing.

 

Everyone was quick to change and eat breakfast, all eager to investigate Scoops Ahoy for any new leads. Ben watched as Stan scribbled a note for Bill, probably telling him where they were going. After that was done they all left the trailer and headed for the bus which would take them to Starcourt.

 

***

 

They arrived fairly quickly, mostly because not many people go to the mall at ten in the morning. So, the mall was pretty empty when they arrived which was great for them. They went up the escalators and went inside Scoops Ahoy.

 

Even with how early it was the ice cream parlor was still pretty packed, which made things a bit harder but all they really needed to do was talk to the workers and ask a few questions.

 

Ben and Stan waited in line, while Beverly and Mike decided to investigate the other shops that Richie or Eddie frequently visited. It didn’t take long before they were finally at the counter, they watched as the worker came out of the staff-only door and asked them what they’d like to order.

 

“We actually have a question,” Stan said. The worker raised a brow, probably confused.

 

“All right, shoot,” he said, leaning an elbow on the counter as he waited for the question.

 

“Do you, by any chance, know Richie Tozier and Eddie Kaspbrak?” Stan asked slowly, watching the worker’s expression change from confused to contemplative.

 

“I think I’ve heard of ‘em, they also work here, why?” The worker said, brow raised in curiosity.

 

“Well, uhm, you see we think that they may have gone missing,” Stan explained, and the worker suddenly became wide-eyed.

 

“Missing? Have you told the police?” he asked, standing a bit straighter as Stan and Ben glanced at each other.

 

“No, but we have no evidence that they’ve gone missing so...” Ben trailed off, avoiding eye contact as the worker hummed.

 

“I can help if you need it, I’m friends with the chief,” he said and that caught Ben and Stan’s attention.

 

“You... you are? Will he help us?” Stan asked, they both knew how shitty police forces can be and they weren’t just going to trust them instantly.

 

The worker nodded his head, smiling, “Yup, his name’s Hopper. He’s great at his job.”

 

Ben grinned slightly; he was glad that Hawkins had a good police force. He’s had so many instances where Henry would pick on him or do something borderline deadly and the police would never listen, but then again the chief was Henry’s dad.

 

“Where is he right now? Can you take us to him?” Stan interrogated; his tone was rather harsh, but Ben wouldn’t blame him for doubting this Hopper guy. And would this chief be helpful in any way? Just because some guy knows the chief personally doesn’t make him a good officer, what if he doesn’t even bother trying to help?

 

The worker nodded his head with a smile, “I can call him and tell him your situation, and if you two need a ride I can take you to the police department.”

 

Ben was skeptical. So what if everyone in Hawkins were nice idiots? Richie and Eddie were missing they couldn’t just trust people so freely like this, yet he was determined to find his friends – wherever they are – and five teenagers can’t do that alone... can they?

 

Stan must’ve noticed his silence as hesitance and spoke with confidence Ben never knew he had, “It’d be best to go to the police, but if the chief isn’t available then... then we thank you for your help.”

 

“He’ll be able to help, don’t worry! Hawkins is small, not much happens here...” The worker seemed to falter at his words but recovered rather quickly, “I’m Steve Harrington, how about you two?”

 

“Stanley,” Stan gestured to Ben, “and this is Ben.”

 

Steve gave the two a warm smile and Ben could tell almost instantly that he was trustworthy. It brought comfort to his nervous brain.

 

“Do you have time to call the chief right now? If you, y’know, aren’t busy?” Ben asked hopefully, mouth upturned into a small smile and Steve hesitated only slightly before nodding his head.

 

“Let me get my things first, I’ll be out in a second,” and then he was gone. Ben turned towards Stan, who had his brows furrowed in thought.

 

“Hey, Stan, we’ll find them, don’t worry,” Ben gave his best reassuring smile and Stan hummed impassively. He was aware of how hard losing a friend can be, even though he knows Richie and Eddie aren’t dead. They’re not! It still feels something similar to that, maybe it’s the possibility that the fact that they may be dead is not zero. But it’s not a hundred, either.

 

“I know, Ben, I know.” But they all knew that life wasn’t ever easy for them, it was harsh and cruel. And this was just another game they had to play to satisfy the superiors above.

 

He wouldn’t lose hope, however, and he’s determined to find them. No matter how far they may be, or how broken.

 

In another place, akin to Hawkins yet unfamiliar, there stands a figure, a familiar foe, with glowing eyes and wide smiles. IT had returned, yet IT had never left in the first place.

Notes:

The ending is so bad, but I don't really know how to close a chapter. Oh well.

Kudos and Comments are very appreciated! Thank you to all those who have found interest in this shitty story, I wasn't planning on people to actually enjoy this garbage but I'm grateful!

Chapter 10: Hawkins Police Department

Summary:

Ben and Stan are introduced to Chief Jim Hopper, who decides to help them find their missing friends.

Notes:

Good day, lovely people of the internet!

this story is gonna take a really long time for chapters to be uploaded because I'm tryna actually put this story together. with an actual plot and stuff. so, I'm really sorry to those who actually find this story interesting. I promise to not abandon this fic, I actually do enjoy writing it!

Also, I haven't been in the Stranger Things and IT fandom in so long so now I'm pretty sure that everyone has just become OOC. I had to read the friggin Wiki because I forgot how to write Stan lmao.

Enjoy!

It was hard to impress Stan, being friends with Richie can do that to you. But Hawkins had always left him in awe, mainly because it was drastically different from Derry. Even the trees felt friendlier and looked more flourished. Derry had been such a shitty town that Stan wondered if he’d be surprised by any small thing in Hawkins. Case in point: Hawkins Police Department.

 

When Steve decided to take him and Ben—Mike and Bev decided to keep searching the mall for clues—to the police department, Stan had been skeptical. He understood that Hawkins was different from Derry; they were opposites in every way, but after Eddie and Richie disappeared, he became more on edge. What if Hawkins hid its horrors by masking itself in a peaceful serenity? How could they be so foolish, thinking that the supernatural—or whatever IT is—would leave them alone? And then, Stan pondered if maybe it wasn’t some evil force back for revenge. What if Eddie and Richie just got kidnapped, something normal, yet a gut feeling told him that that wasn’t the case.

 

The police department looked like any stereotypical one, yet when they arrived at the parking lot Stan realized how different it was from Derry—which, shouldn’t surprise him, but he’s been surprised a lot during his time in Hawkins—first off he actually saw people working inside. It was surreal to think that officers cared about their job, it had never been like that at Derry. But, Stan’s coming to realize that Derry had to be an alternate dimension or something because the rest of the world was so different. Second, he saw a few people go inside the police department, probably needing the aid of an officer. Another crazy thing that Hawkins had.

 

“So this is the place,” Steve said, warmly smiling at the two kids. Stan nodded his head, eyes focused on the building. He didn’t know if Ben had the same thoughts he had or if maybe Stan shouldn’t be surprised by the differences Hawkins and Derry had.

 

“Are you sure they’ll be able to help us?” Stan asked, glancing away from the police department to look at Steve reluctantly. The older male nods, smile never wavering.

 

“Of course, Hopper’s really good at his job. He’ll be able to help you find your friends,” Steve assured before heading toward the doors of the police department. Stan locked eyes with Ben, asking him a silent question as Ben nodded his answer. The two follow Steve inside.

 

The first thing Stan notices when he enters the building is the air conditioning, with how hot the summer is Stan hadn’t thought they even bothered to install one. He’d been proven wrong, it seems. The police department is filled with officers either talking with each other, receiving calls, or calming down civilians. It was something Stan had never seen before, with how the Derry Police Department can’t even save a cat from a tree. Either way, the atmosphere in the building felt calmer and gave you the belief that these people will be able to help you.

 

Steve walked past the desks of most of the officers, heading for a door that was probably the room of the chief. Stan and Ben followed, somewhat in shock at how organized the place seemed to be. It didn’t take long before Steve was beckoning them inside the chief’s room, giving them a reassuring smile before the two entered.

 

Hawkins had been full of surprises, actually, the entire world must be filled with surprises. Derry was a small town, definitely nothing like the towns in Indiana, but it was all the Losers knew. They had always wondered what life was like outside Derry, whether it was just as bad or worse. They had never tried being positive. But, as Stan looks at the chief, he wonders if maybe Derry really was its own reality. The chief had been sipping a mug filled with coffee when they entered, looking up from a newspaper he had been reading and raising a curious brow in Steve’s direction. The older male smiled, waving at the chief—or Hopper, Stan assumed.

 

“Hey, Hopper,” Steve said, closing the door as Ben and Stan look around the room. For starters, it was well kept, the windows were clean, and the floor looked spotless not a single stain in sight. Hopper’s desk was sort of messy, but he was a chief so Stan couldn’t blame him for it. The desk had multiple case files scattered around and on top of the files was the newspaper Hopper had been reading. All in all, the place looked rather nice, except for the fact that the desk looked terribly organized but not everyone could keep everything nice and tidy. Richie was a rather good example of that.

 

“Harrington, why did you bring children to my office?” Hopper asked, taking a big sip of his coffee before placing the mug precariously close to the edge of the desk. Steve chuckled, sitting down on one of the seats that were positioned towards the chief’s desk. Ben took the other.

 

“Well, these kids have a problem so I decided to take them here, so you could help,” Steve said, gesturing to Stan and Ben. Hopper gave them a glance, curiosity written all over his face.

 

“I’m not a therapist, Harrington,” he deadpanned, organizing his desk to look less unkept but Stan could still see the flaws. It annoyed him, how the files weren’t aligned properly, and one of the pencils was upside down, showing the eraser end instead of the tip. But he ignored that and instead went back to staring at Hopper, he had a laid-back sort of posture, but Stan could tell that if it was something serious he’d be different. Nothing like Henry Bowers’ dad, thankfully.

 

Steve shook his head, “it’s not an emotional problem, Hopper.” He turned to the two, gesturing them to speak.

 

“Our friends are missing, we don’t know where they are,” Ben said, the atmosphere becoming rather tense as Hopper straightened. He looked at Steve, something akin to fear in his eyes before the chief sighed and turned to the two kids.

 

“Do you know where you saw them last? What were their names?”

 

“They work at Scoops Ahoy, and their names are Richie Tozier and Eddie Kaspbrak,” Stan said, “we’re pretty sure that they never left the mall, but we have no evidence to back that up.”

 

Hopper nodded, “You should make missing posters, stick ‘em around Hawkins and ask people if they’ve seen ‘em. I’ll gather a team to start looking for the two, but have you informed their parents about this? Maybe they ran away?”

 

Ben and Stan tensed, well obviously they ran away but technically not from Hawkins. He wasn’t even sure if he should tell Hopper that, but he had a feeling that the chief could be trusted so he began to explain how they weren’t from Hawkins. How Richie had persuaded them to run away, how Derry was a shit town with even shittier people. How they live in a trailer park now and have to take jobs to be able to pay rent. He doesn’t—of course—explain about IT and how as more time passes a dreadful suspicion is beginning to take form in his head. Isn’t it a coincidence that Eddie and Richie get ‘kidnapped’ even though Stan had been reading the newspaper as of late? And there hasn’t been a missing kid for the past year. There has to be an explanation for that, but then again he could just be paranoid.

 

After he finishes his explanation the room is silent, Hopper looks shocked, and Steve is staring at them sympathetically. Stan wonders if they think the story is too far-fetched, especially since seven kids survived a very long road trip but after a few more minutes of prolonged silence they don’t ask any more questions. Instead, Hopper gets up from his chair and picks up the scattered files.

 

“We’ll find your missing friends, don’t worry, you kids just make those posters,” he says with a soft grin before leaving the room completely. Steve soon stands up as well, stretching his arms before placing his hands on his hips.

 

“If you guys need help making those posters, or just need help searching I know a few kids who might be able to help,” Steve suggested; the tension in the atmosphere having mostly faded. The idea that more people are willing to help sounds stupid, why would they? They don’t even know Eddie and Richie; won’t it just be awkward? But if Steve had helped them without asking for anything in return then maybe maybe these ‘kids’ will be able to help as well.

 

“Sure,” Stan said, making Ben raise a brow at him but he merely shrugs. Steve grins brightly, walking towards the door with Stan and Ben in tow. So, Stan has learned one thing whilst living in Hawkins: expect to be surprised and you won’t be surprised. So if he expected there to be a supernatural evil residing in Hawkins then maybe—maybe—he won’t be shocked when there actually is. Of course, the likelihood that there would be one is very low, so he doesn’t have to really worry about it. Unless, his suspicions are true, of course.

Notes:

I can't tell if my writing has gotten better or if it's gotten worse...

Anyway, sorry it's so short bsjwkbdajbb.

I'm apologizing so much in my ANs. Oh well.

I appreciate everyone who commented and left kudos! Y'all are amazing!

Have a lovely day/evening/night!

Chapter 11: Richie and The Plant Tentacles (& co.)

Summary:

Richie is in the Upside Down. Everything is not okay.

Notes:

It's two in the morning and I'm posting this, yay...

I really like this chapter (shocking, I know) even though it's shorter than all the chapters I've written in this fic so far.

I'd like to say that my timeline for this fic is very vague at the moment but it's coming together! I've actually foreshadowed something (even though it's barely there) that will happen in the future. hehe.

P.S. Thank you to my Sis for beta-ing this chapter and thinking up the chapter name.

 

Okay, that's all I had to say! Sorry for writing so much in the A/Ns!! Enjoy!

The weird-looking Hawkins emitted an aura of caution. Richie wasn’t sure what was so creepy about the place, save for a lot of vines and a clouded sky, he hadn’t found a good reason for him to feel afraid.

 

He hoped Eddie was around here. Preferably alive. He scanned the terrain of... of wherever he was, he knew he was in Hawkins but that wasn’t the problem. For starters: why did this place have a weird gate-portal-door thing? How was that possible? Also, why did this place have an uncanny resemblance to Hawkins?

 

He had many questions and zero answers. He guessed he should be used to that by now, with how when IT was tormenting him he hadn’t known what was real or what was fake. It was something similar to his situation now. Was IT tormenting him again? Was this a trick? He sighed, minutes had passed, and he wasn’t even sure what to do. The gate-door-portal thing had disappeared the second Richie had set foot on this messed up place. How convenient, he thought.

 

Now he needed to find Eddie and figure out how to escape this place. Richie looked up at the cloudy sky, silent thunder rumbled as they turned red. He swore he could see something akin to a bird in the clouds if he squinted. He doesn’t linger, instead, he begins to explore.

 

The wacky doppelganger of Hawkins consists of all the same roads, houses, and street signs. He even spotted the school. There was only one added feature to all this: vines. So many fucking vines. He doesn’t understand why there are so many, it seems inconvenient and unnecessary. But he’s aware they have a mind of their own.

 

Mainly because he stepped on one and watched it back away from his foot as if accidentally being awoken from a nap. He tries his hardest to not freak out too much. Yes, he was in an unknown and twisted place. Yes, Eddie was probably—if not definitely—stuck here as well. Yes, he had no way back. But he shoves his anxiety and panic away, no matter how bad a situation he chose to see the positive side. Like—

 

He stopped walking, his whole body tensing as his ears picked up a distant growl. It was faint but blatantly obvious with how silent the whole place was. Another thing to add to his review of this place; it was always so quiet. He hated it. Richie heard the growl again, except it felt closer than previously. He turned around—that’s a big no in What Not to Do in Horror Movies 101, he knows, he wrote the book—and almost shrieked. Standing only a few paces from him is a faceless... thing.  

 

His whole body tells him to run, to get the fuck away. But he stays frozen, keeping his eyes on it wearily. The thing doesn’t move, it seems transfixed on Richie—maybe because it definitely wants to skin him alive and eat his organs. Everything’s silent, the thing merely stares, its faceless head tilting slightly. It’s curious, Richie realizes. He doesn’t know what to think of that. At least it isn’t eating him.

 

It stares—can Richie call it that? The thing doesn’t even have a face!—before he finally decides to flee. He doesn’t look back, but he doesn’t hear anything pursuing him, he hopes the thing was in too much shock that Richie ran away to process anything else.

 

He runs until his legs decide to collapse, falling onto the dirt path. He pants, his hands shaking for some reason. His eyes dart around his surroundings, he ran all the way into the forest. At least, a path surrounded by forest. He doesn’t dwell on that, instead, his mind wanders to that creature. It was faceless. It could definitely eat him alive. He wonders if maybe there were more, did they live here?!

 

Richie tries to control his breathing, using that breathing technique that Stan had taught him. Inhale through his nose at four, hold for seven, then exhale through his mouth for eight. Eventually, his breathing calmed, and his hands ceased their shaking. He gets up from the ground, shaky legs supporting him as he looks at the path ahead of him.

 

He wasn’t planning on going the way he came - What if that thing was waiting? - He couldn’t risk it. He spared a glance behind him before forcing himself to walk forward.

 

---

 

Richie isn’t sure how long he walked. Hours, probably. But eventually, he locates a house, it’s much bigger than the trailer park he and the Losers lived in. He frowned, he hoped they were okay. He must’ve worried Bill sick. Guilt filled his gut before he shook his head. It didn’t matter, he had to find Eddie. Wherever he was, if those creatures lived here then finding Eddie was a higher priority than before—not saying it wasn’t already a high priority.

 

When he got closer to the house he noticed a car that looked oddly familiar. He stares at the car for a bit, trying to search his mind to find out where he’s seen it.

 

Oh.

 

Richie’s eyes widen in surprise, staring at the car for a few more seconds before directing his gaze to the house in front of him. The car parked near the house was—is?—Joyce Byers’ car. Which meant that this was her house. He hesitates at the door, should he step inside? That felt like invading someone’s privacy. But, then again, he was exhausted from running, and that spark of adrenaline was beginning to fade. He didn’t want to collapse outside, not when that thing was roaming around.

 

It was settled then; he opened the door and entered the house. It would’ve looked rather lively if not for the fact that vines were scatted everywhere. On every surface. He walked carefully through the house, walking over the vines—could he call them that if they were sentient? Would that make them tentacles? Plant tentacles!—and trying to not make too much noise. He spotted a few photos of a little boy, Joyce, and a teen boy. He assumed they were Joyce’s kids; she did say something about a son or something.

 

He felt a tad jealous but shoved the thought down. Just because his parents didn’t care about him—hell, they probably didn’t care where he was right now!—didn’t mean that others should feel like that too. He huffed, silencing his stupid thoughts, and opening the first door closest to the hallway. Inside, he saw—you guessed it—more plant tentacles. There was a singular bed and posters on the walls. He wasn’t sure what bands or who anyone in the posters were, but he had to guess that this belonged to a teenager. It just gave him that vibe. Maybe an angsty one, too.

 

He decided to ignore them as he reached the bed. The plant tentacles seemed keener on being an inconvenience on the floor, so the bed was tentacle-free. He sighed in relief, collapsing onto the bed without another thought. Tomorrow he’d search for Eddie and try to find a way out.

 

That sounds like a good plan, he thought, eyes slipping close as he relaxed in the bed. I'll find Eddie soon, he said to himself as he drifted off into a restless sleep.

Notes:

*cries in barely 1,000 word chapter*

But hey... there's stuff actually happening in this chapter sooo points for that...?

anywayyy, the next chapter is probably gonna be an Eddie chapter so be prepared. or don't. (wow, look at me, I actually know what I'm doing next chapter.)

Have a good day/evening/night! And remember to take care of yourself, don't follow my example, and pull an all-nighter just because you're obsessed with a book. (The book is Trials of Apollo to those who weren't wondering.) Anyway, bye!