having not seen stanley in about two or three months, it was then mildly concerning to come into the cafeteria and find stanley sleeping.
richie was skipping biology and had not even thought about stanley's existence before walking into the cafeteria. nevertheless, he sat down two tables away, and pulled his laptop out to look busy.
stanley lifted his head, and richie's chest filled with dread at the sight of him. he looked worse than the last time richie had seen him.
stanley scribbled on a piece of paper, clearly half asleep. when he noticed richie, his eyes immediately averted away from richie. he stared aimlessly right down at the paper, sighing.
a couple tables over, greta and her friends were talking amongst themselves. the chair squeaked against the ground as she pushed it out behind her. she walked along the linoleum floor, towards stanley.
he looked up at her, a little confused. she said nothing as she approached him, pulling a chair out next to him and sitting down.
she flattened her skirt as she spoke, "i'm having a party on the thirteenth. i posted on my story but i don't think you use instagram." she giggled.
stanley had no idea what to say. not that he would have said anything, if he knew how to. he didn't think greta really ever thought of him as a person, so this was a little strange.
she ignored his silence, "you should come! let me give you my address. starts at nine," greta said, combing her hands through her hair. stanley nodded shyly, watching as she scribbled her address on his english notes.
stanley could feel richie's stare from across the room.
apparently so could greta, as she looked up from the paper directly towards richie. "you're invited too. duh."
a weird comment, in stanley's opinion, but he didn't really know richie now. maybe him and greta were on good terms.
huh. he really didn't know richie now. that hurt.
"thanks." richie did not look enthused, so stanley guessed they probably weren't.
"anyway, have a good day, stanley!" greta got out of the chair and walked back to her friends, the low level of continuous noise returning.
stanley stared forward, zoned out looking at the wall. he hardly even noticed as richie got up and came over to stanley.
"i know you don't want to talk to me," richie's voice made stanley jump, "but there's no teachers here, they won't tell your mom, i just want to, like... how are you?" richie sat down next to stanley. stanley gulped.
richie was so fucking pretty. stanley wanted to kill himself.
stanley shrugged. he was visibly not doing well, so he wasn't going to lie, but if he could have, he immediately would have.
"okay. do you think you'll actually go to greta's party?" richie asked, scratching his head. richie was trying to scan stanley's face for any answer to any of the questions he'd been thinking about for months.
stanley shook his head as he sniffled. his parents wouldn't let him anyway. whatever. he wouldn't be missing much. he briefly wondered if bill was still protective of eddie. he thought about mike and eddie. fuck.
"oh. okay. would've been kinda nice to see you. um, i don't know if i'm allowed to say this, but i miss you." richie said. stanley pursed his lips sadly, cracking his knuckles. stanley nodded gently.
i miss you too. i'm sorry.
if stanley was a braver sort, he would have placed his head upon richie's shoulder. but not here, not now, not with greta over there and possibly anyone watching.
richie ran a hand through his hair. "you're welcome over any time, if you're still able to sneak out. we don't have to do anything, i'd be fine with just... looking at you, or something."
oh, stanley really was going to kill himself. how could richie still be so kind? how could richie offer everything stanley wanted to hear and know that stanley would have to decline all of it? he couldn't say yes. he'd be caught. stanley let out a shaky breath.
"okay. i'll go back to my table. i..." richie bit his tongue and got up. he walked back to his seat.
