hello, it is i, your dearest author. this chapter is a bit long so i'm sorry for that oOpS

"If you're not going to tell us what happened," Stan said and moved away from the window. "Then what are we going to do?" Beverly was now leaning against Richie's pillows, a hint of a double chin showing. "How am I supposed to fucking know? You're here for emotional support," Richie said and Stan shook his head.

"My bird-watching," He reminded and Richie groaned loudly. "Mention your fucking bird-watching again and I'll shove a bird down your throat." Stan raised his eyebrows and also his hands, quietly surrendering.

Beverly sat up and said to give her a second to think. As she was thinking, the front door opened and slammed closed from downstairs. Richie's eyebrows twitched as he looked to his bedroom door.

"Oh shit," He said, his eyes widening in realization. "What?" Beverly asked, also looking to the door. "It's my dad.."

"What the hell are you doing Maggie?" Richie's breath got caught in his throat. "Get up! Is your son home? Do you even know or are you too busy drinking yourself into a grave?"

A thick silence fell between the three as they all listened to the muffled yelling. Nothing more came from downstairs and a moment later light footsteps ran up the stairs, a nearby door closing. Richie stared hard at his bedroom door, not once daring to look at his friends.

"What was that?" Stan asked quietly. Richie unclenched his muscles and let his gaze drop to the floor. "My parents." Beverly shifted and looked at Richie. "Are they always like that?" Richie didn't want to answer. Why do they have to be so curious about everything? "Is there a 'choose not to answer' option?" Richie asked jokingly. He cracked a smile but neither of this friends did. "So they are," Stan said. Richie reluctantly nodded.

Richie opened his mouth to say something else but the thundering footsteps walking up the stairs made him snap his mouth shut. His door swung open, and a tired and disheveled Wentworth stood there. "So you are home," he said and his eyes slid over to Beverly and Stan. His dementor shifted as he crossed his arms.

"And you have friends over?" Richie opened his mouth to defend himself but his father raised a hand. "Hallway. Now." He quickly slid off his bed and walked past his dad to the hallway. Stan and Beverly glanced at each other, eyes wide with worry. Wentworth closed the door.

The voices were lowered and muffled but Stan and Beverly could get an idea of what the two were talking about.

"This is the last time I see any faces that aren't yours or your mothers in this house. Understand?" Richie nodded and grabbed the doorknob but his father stopped him. "I asked if you understood." Richie stared him down in his eyes. "Yes," he spat back and forced open the door. He closed it and leaned back, staring hard at the floor.

A moment of silence passed and the TV turned on downstairs. "You okay?" Beverly asked and Richie's eyes jumped up to meet hers. "I uh.. yeah."

Richie pushed off the door, walked a few steps, and fell onto his bed. Stan looked at Beverly who watched Richie with sad eyes. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he lifted his head, setting his chin on a pillow.

"You don't seem very okay," Stan said. Richie sighed and flipped around so he was laying on his back. He waved his hand and shrugged it off with a joke. "It's fine, really," he reassured.

"Oh!" Stan said, walking up to the bed. "Isn't there a gas station right outside your neighborhood? We could go get some Icee's." Richie looked up in thought. "Yeah? But my dad isn't going to let me leave. And he's in the living room so we can't sneak past him."

Beverly's eyes slid over to the window as Stan's shoulders fell. "Yeah," he said defeatedly. "That might be true," Bev said, "But you also have a window." She pointed to it. Richie raised his eyebrows as if to say 'true.'

He glanced to his door before sliding off his bed. "Get your shoes on, bitches. We're sneaking out," he said and walked over to his shoes before collapsing onto the floor. Stan sat down on Richie's bed and pulled his shoes on while Beverly opened the window, never actually taking her shoes off in the first place.

She stuck her head out as Richie jumped up to his feet. "Done!" He said and joined Beverly at the window. Stan struggled with his laces but soon enough got them to tie. "Ready?" Beverly asked and he nodded, standing up.

Stan was forced out onto the roof first. He walked around to the edge and grabbed the sturdiest branch of the tree as Beverly stepped out onto the roof. Richie shoved the window closed and followed his friends to the tree. Stan dropped down to the ground, stumbling and almost falling to his knees. "You okay there, Stan the Man?" Richie asked as he swung from the tree, letting go and landing on his feet.

Stan inspected his red hands and sighed. "I'm fine." Beverly and Stan both picked up their bikes from the edge of Richie's yard as Richie rounded his house to grab where he first left it.

His mind flashed back to just a few hours ago when he dumped his bike after kissing Eddie. He swallowed thickly and yanked it up before steering it to his friends. "You okay there?" Beverly asked as she threw a leg over. "You're looking a little.." she trailed off. "Depressed," Stan finished.

Richie made a face. "Depressed? Me?" He laughed and got onto his bike. "Can a depressed person do this?" He kicked off and zoomed down the street, quickly turning around. Beverly and Stan watched with bored expressions as Richie sped past them. He leaned back and yanked up his front wheel, riding his bike on his back wheel.

He laughed out as his bike fell back down. "I FUCKING DID IT!" He yelled out. He laughed but it was quickly cut short when he lost his balance. Beverly yelled something out and stepped forward, but it was too late. Richie's bike wheel turned sharply to the side and they both went tumbling down to the ground.

"AhH-" Richie sucked in a breath and pulled his knee closer to himself. Beverly rab up to him, kneeling down as Stan rolled his eyes and got onto his bike.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Richie said quickly and brushed his hands together. "I'm fine." Beverly snorted and moved some hair out of her eyes. "I highly doubt that." Richie shrugged and stood, grabbing his bike. Raw, sharp pain spread across his knee. He rolled his bike to the curb and leaned down to roll up his jeans.

Beverly sucked in a breath when she saw Richie's reddened knee. "Where's Dr. Eds when you need him?" Richie paused and looked up at her. Pain flashed in his chest and he slowly nodded. "Uh.. yeah. Where is he?"

He let his pants fall back down and he grabbed his bike. "Onwards!" He called out as the three got onto their bikes and biked to the exit of the neighborhood.

~~~

They kicked down their kickstands and leaned their bikes up against the brick wall of the gas station. "You guys have money, right?" Beverly asked as she pulled open the door, a blast of cool air pushing her curls back.

"Yeah, my father makes me carry around emergency money," Stan said as glanced to where the Icee's were in the back. Richie also nodded and pulled out a $10 bill. "I grabbed some on my way out the window."

They all picked out the Icee's they wanted. Richie blue, Beverly red, and Stan green. "It's not green, it's green apple," Stan corrected Richie. "Yeah, but it's clearly green." Beverly rolled her eyes and pushed the plastic lid onto her cup. "You sounds like Eddie, Stan," she said and shoved the straw into the lid.

Richie looked away and quickly turning around to the straws. Stan shook his head and sipped some of his Icee. "Are we ready to pay?" He asked and Richie nodded, turning back to his friends. "I'm ready."

They all went to the cashier, paid, and walked out into the heat. "Has it gotten hotter?" Stan asked as he sipped on his Icee. "Yeah, it's because I'm here," Richie said with a grin. "Shut up, Rich," Beverly said with a hint of an amused smile. "Yeah, shut up, Richie," Stan said.