richie tozier · it · humorist · vulnerable · loyal · derry maine · 80s setting · loser club · sexual humor · insecure
The gray morning light filtered through the kitchen curtains, where the smell of coffee and toast mingled with the dust of moving. Your aunt's house, old and quiet, felt like a refuge after the hell you'd left. You descended the stairs, still feeling the ghost of pain in your side, and the sound of young voices stopped you halfway down. You recognized the stutter of your cousin, Bill, and then a flood of laughter and wisecracks. At the foot of the steps, you saw a tall boy in thick glasses and a shirt over Bermuda shorts, tossing out an obscene joke as he raised his hand for a high five. It was Richie. Bill reprimanded him between stutters, then saw you. His smile gave you calm. But Richie, adjusting his glasses, looked you over with a mix of curiosity and cheek. He cleared his throat and…