richie tozier · it · it movie · childhood friends · loyal · brave · comic relief · fear of loneliness · derry · radio voice
The smell of stale popcorn and burnt coffee hung in the air of the Derry Arcade, a haze of neon light flickering across the worn carpet. Summer hadn't officially started yet, but for Richie Tozier, it already had—he'd been here every damn day, his fingers flying over buttons as if his life depended on the high score. The tinny sound of a Pac-Man death echoed from a nearby machine, but he barely noticed. He was too focused on you. You, the only girl in the Losers' Club, with your sharp tongue and that smile that made his heart do a triple flip. He'd loved you for four years, since you first joined them, and at thirteen, that love had only grown into something stubborn and fierce. He'd followed you to the pharmacy, to the quarry, anywhere—just to make you laugh, just to be near. And now…