.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

SHE'S TALKING AGAIN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

xvi. trauma

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RICHIE LOOKS BEHINDS HIM, it was a cough. A soft cough which set it off. It was a horrific sight. Something he never wanted to see. Something he never thought he'd see.

They're defeat with IT was always supposed to be together or not at all. An unspoken promise though it was set in stone.

Richie might as well have died right there. His lip beginning to shake, tears beginning to fill his eyes. Bill put a hand on his arm in attempt to comfort him.

"R-Richie.." Bill whispers as she loses balance and falls to the damp ground.

Richie trips over himself, attempting to catch her in his arms. With some miracle, he does. Crashing into her and he slowly lowers them to the ground. Her hands covered over her stomach. A stab wound from IT. It came true. His biggest fear was coming true.

He holds her, staring into her blue eyes. His favourite shade of blue. Oh, blue had always been his favourite colour. Always, always. Turquoise, dark blue, sky blue, and any type blue. That was until, he met Ronnie. That's when he chose his favourite shade of blue. Veronica Mills' eyes.

Her eyes, the eyes that always seemed to calm him down. They were glossy and red and broken.

"B-Baby?" He manages to choke out, his heart wrenching.

She gasps, placing her hand that was covering her bloodstained tank top onto his cheek. Tears falling from her eyes as she stares up to Richie.

"Is IT dead?" She asks barely even a whisper, voice cracking. Richie could feel the others crowd around them.

"G-Guys... G-Give them space," Mike says through tears, rubbing his eyes and watching the scene unfold. Stan has his eyes closed, Eddie clutching onto Ben's shoulder, Bill on the verge of falling to his knees, Beverly holding onto Mike just to be able to stand. Each of them could feel their hearts breaking.

"Y-Yes," Richie whispers, head dropping downwards.

"Good..." Veronica smiles weakly, her eyes closing for a moment before quickly fluttering open once again.

"You're my favourite, Brace Face. Always," The distraught boy whispers, he resisting to close his eyes. He can't stop looking at Veronica.

"And you're my favourite, Bucky Beaver," She adds, moving his hair out of his face.

Richie swallowed, his arms around the girl tightening speaking as he attempts to stand.

"R-Remember that one time, we promised that it was always going to be us? Just us against the world? There is so much for you in this world, Ronnie. You can't stop here, this was just another adventure in our story. I can't lose you now. Please, please, please, don't leave me," Richie cries out, urgency lacing his voice. His glasses on the tip of his nose, he heard Veronica hiss out in pain.

"R-Richie... I-It's no use," Veronica says, her voice pleading him to stop. She wanted to be on the ground, staring at Richie for her final moments. She couldn't bear the idea of giving the Losers false hope of her survival.

"Richie... It's just gonna hurt Nic more," Stan sniffles, eyes open as he watches Veronica's eyes pool with rivers.

"N-No! We have to!" Richie panics, arms tight around Veronica. He couldn't lose her. No, he'd go absolutely crazy without her.

"Richie, you're hurting me..." Veronica speaks, tears running down her cheeks. That stopped Richie, him falling back to the ground slowly. He never wanted to hurt her. Never.

Back in the ground, he stares down at her. Taking in her blue eyes and wispy blonde hair. Her features entirely. He loved her. So much, no one would ever comprehend the love young Richie Tozier has for the young Veronica Mills.

He didn't love her just for her eyes which seemed to shine or the smile which lit up a room, her button nose, or even her lips. Richie loved Veronica for the way she mumbled out his name, the way she laughed, and the way she had always been there for him. No matter what. He loved her the way the moon loved the sun. Willing to die every night just so it could rise. The way flowers loved water. He loved her for her and only ever her.

His tears dripped onto her. His body shaking, he couldn't breathe. Heaving in breaths over and over as he pulled a trembling hand out of Veronica's tight grip and played with her hair.

"Ple-ase d-don't leave me, Ronnie!" He begs, watching as her eyelids flutter every second, getting closer and closer to shutting. He could hear her breathing becoming shallower by the minute. "Don't go, R. Don't go," He whimpers, his body trembling.

He couldn't understand what was happening.

'No! This wasn't real. Was it? Please, God. Please,'

"I love you, Richie. So much, I always have. I always will," She whispers to him, staring up at at his tearful brown eyes.

"No! Don't you say that, don't say that like you're saying goodbye! This isn't goodbye, Ronnie. It isn't!" Richie panics, his trembling hands stained with the blood of the girl he loved.

Veronica whimpers, head leaning into Richie's chest limply. She whispers to him once more.

"Tell the Losers, I love them too, and Bryce. Please, Rich. Please. I love you all so much," Her eyes were wide as she spoke and Richie could feel her breathing slowly becoming nonexistent.

Suddenly, it stopped. Richie felt her go still. He felt her body stop fighting. The way her heart stopped beating. He felt it. He knew it for certain, she was gone.

He screams, a heart shattering and blood curdling scream. He couldn't handle it. His sobs filling the area. The others beginning to break as well.

"No! No! No! No! Ronnie! V-Veronica! Please! Fuck! Wake up, please! Don't leave me, I can't do this without you!" Richie shouts, shaking the limp body of Veronica Mills. His heart ached. He couldn't breathe. Everything was spinning. How did this happen?

From behind him, Beverly was sobbing. She rushed over and leaned over Veronica. Her eyes still wide open. Bill would wrap his arms around Richie and Stan would put his chin on Richie's shoulder. Eddie and Ben followed Bill's idea. Mike sat beside Beverly. Crying over the girl's body, staring down at her doll-like eyes.

With a trembling hand, Richie ran his fingers over her face. Readying himself to shut her wide eyes. His tears falling onto her cheeks as he bid a silent goodbye to his best friend. He inhales sharply, running his fingers across her eyes. Shutting them and seeing his favourite shade of blue for the last time.

Because he knew, no matter how similar a blue would look to Veronica's eyes. It could never compare. The truth was, Richie's favourite colour wasn't blue. No, it was her. She was his favourite colour. In all her moods, switching from a bright yellow of happiness to concerned blue eyes. He just never realize until now, because until this moment, he realized how much he lost without his Veronica Mills.