timing : stozier

21

march 14/15

"richie! richie! richie! richie!" they chanted at a safe distance from the cake and candles sitting on richie's kitchen counter. richie blew out all the candles except for one, which he briefly blew out afterwards. it was richie's birthday and all the losers were at richie's. they all cheered at richie and he jumped in joy.

"happy birthday rich." stan said, his hand just barely touching richie's for a moment. they all wished him happy birthdays, but none of them meant the same as stan's.

and all of a sudden richie was being hugged from behind, by beverly. he hugged back, at least as much as you can when being hugged from behind.

"sweet birthday baby!" she said over his shoulder, letting go for him to turn around. richie kissed her cheek, a friendly gesture the club was used to.

"i'm cutting this shit up! richie c'mere for your piece." mike exclaimed, richie turning around again to go follow mike to the cake. the teens made a line, mike cutting up pieces of cake for everyone. they all sat down at one big table, forks digging into their cake.

the only one who wasn't eating their own slice was eddie ("it's too sweet!"), he was taking the occasional forkful from bill. if it hadn't been because of such shitty circumstances, richie would say eddie and bill basically acted like they were dating now, minus the public affection. although, he supposed the same thing could be said about him and stan, and look at them.

"okay rich, it's present time." ben said as stanley (slowest eater) finished up his piece of cake. all the losers left the table briefly to go get their presents.

"fuck, guys, i said you didn't have to!" richie sighed, feeling bad about the losers spending their money and stuff on him. he always had shame about that, whenever somebody would spend their money on him. he felt like he didn't deserve what he got, he didn't deserve such good friends.

"shut up, of course we all got you something. i--we love you richie. and hey, we agreed to mostly stick to sappy shit so that you wouldn't feel bad about the money." stan replied, sitting down back at the table. richie smiled softly.

"you know me so well." richie said, hearing stan mutter something under his breath, too soft for richie to hear what. soon enough, all the losers had sat down at the table again, little gift boxes and things in their hands.

"i'll go first," eddie said, pushing a small box towards richie. richie carefully unwrapped the box and opened it, immediately laughing at what was inside.

"eddie! where did you find this?" richie was snorting with laughter, getting groans from the losers when he pulled out a keychain with a plastic ball sack on it.

"i have my ways. there's your sappy gift from me. thought you'd like it." eddie laughed, richie looking at it with questionable concern. richie shook his head to get out of his trance and put the keychain down, mike laughing maybe a little too hard.

"me n-nuh-nuh-next, it's not n-n-nuh-not nearly as funny though," bill took a small gift bag and passed it to richie. richie smiled at the fact that bill had gotten him anything at all. they were doing much better nowadays but richie still worried. taking tissue paper out of the bag, richie found a book that bill had talked to him about a long time ago. it was bill's favourite book and richie had asked if he could read it. having been back when bill and stan first started dating, richie didn't even think bill would remember it.

"bill, you doll! i am reading this asap so we can talk about it, yeah?" richie held the book to his chest tight and bill beamed. placing the book down softly, richie put the tissue paper back into the bag and to his side.