Only a couple more chapters left guys! Maybe five or so? Depending on how long I make them! I have a couple written already but can't post them yet cus I gotta write some more stuff for in between! I'm getting my computer back on Thursday so I plan to have a chapter up for Phenomenal Mutiny! No promises though. As for those who read Phieilly and I's story Secrets of the Beyond, hopefully there'll be a chapter next week, and possibly before but like I said, no promises! Anyways, anyone got any theories as to who else dies? (No Holly does not die, I'll give you that.)

Richie had no clue how to describe what he was feeling. His bones ached, his head hurt, his chest was tight and he felt like there were a bunch of butterflies holding knives were attacking his stomach. He made a face at his own thoughts and rolled his eyes, but that made his head hurt worse.

Well, that's entirely possible if there are other dimensions and people that can move shit with their mind. Oh, and demon clowns. Fucking anything's possible at this point.

He was seated on the Denbrough's front porch as he was unable to look through the rest of the house, only going into the living room and kitchen. It was almost like some invisible mental barrier was stopping him. He just couldn't make himself go any further.

He didn't know how long he was sitting on their front porch, he just knew they weren't home, probably at the funeral home or somewhere making decisions for him, which he'd asked them to do, though it was his responsibility. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, he had plenty of things to deal with, surely that wouldn't hurt.

"Richie?" Sharon asked. His head snapped up and he saw her and Zack standing in front of him. He must have looked as bad as he felt because she sat next to him and pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly. He didn't register much after that, he just knew that Zack had given him a short hug and then rushed inside. He'd somehow ended up on the couch next to Sharon, a cup of hot tea, tea of all things, in his hands. It was good though. "Richie, Sweetie." Sharon squeezed his shoulder and he looked at her.

"Yeah?" He asked softly.

"How long were you outside?" She asked. He blinked and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I, uh, I'm not sure. Maybe an hour or two. I...went home." He cringed a little at the word home but continued. "I couldn't...couldn't go anywhere except for the kitchen and living room." He remembered how clean it was then. "Did you clean?" He asked. Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked at Zack, who shrugged a little.

"We haven't been inside in years, son." He told him. Richie made a face.

"It was clean...except for dishes. There was food too. There never used to be any food."

"They went to rehab, Richie." Sharon told him gently. "They got better, were both almost 6 months sober." His breath hitched.

"I didn't know..." He whispered.

"I know, Sweetie. I would see your mom at the grocery store and she'd ask me about you. Talk about you." She rubbed his back. "They didn't think you'd want anything to do with them."

"I didn't." He said simply. "I...I know I'm a terrible person for saying it, but...I didn't want anything to do with them. I wouldn't if they were...if they were alive. Did you know they abused me? And kicked me out?" He asked.

"I didn't know for sure." She looked down guiltily. "We had our assumptions but we didn't know for sure."

"They're not even my parents. I'm adopted." He shook his head a little. "I have a twin brother and two sisters, older and younger."

"Really?" Zack asked, surprised. He nodded. "What are their names?"

"Nancy's the oldest, Mike, and Holly. I was born before Mike, I'm six minutes older." He smiled a little at that. "I call him my little brother, even though we're the same age... Our dad is the reason I was put up for adoption, I don't blame him though." He shrugged.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"They were tight on money." He lied. "I'd have done the same thing, try and give the kid a better life." He shrugged. She looked at Zack, a knowing look between them. It was rare for them to ever see a Richie who didn't joke, and this was one of those times, and it was not going to go well, to say the least.

"What exactly is our plan, here, Bill?" Stan asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter in the kitchen, looking down at the leader of their little group, who was sitting at the table with the other three.

"All w-we can do is wait f-for Richie to g-get back." He said simply.

"That could be days, even weeks, Bill." Ben said. "We need to stop IT before IT gets anyone else."

"What else can we do?" Bev asked.

"I don't know Bev, what should we do? You seem to know fuck all about everything." Stan snapped. She sighed and ignored him. "Gonna ignore me like Richie ignored you? Real mature."

"You know what? Fuck you, Stan. Stop acting like you're fucking perfect because you're not." She snapped back. "You're the one who acts like you know everything, not me."

"You seemed to know Richie pretty damn well. It's a pity, though, because apparently you didn't know he wanted to kill himself."

"None of us knew!" Mike exclaimed. Everyone looked at him. "None of us knew. None of us caught on to what was happening at home. Do you remember how damn skinny he was when we fought IT the first time? He was fucking ninety pounds."

"He hid it pretty damn well." Stan said.

"And you," Mike turned to him. "You were supposed to be his best friend and you didn't realize it. He went to your fucking bar mitzvah. He was the only one who went." Stan started to say something but Mike interrupted him. "Don't say a damn thing about the rest of us not going, it's too late to change the past and we're not getting into that. What I'm saying is none of us is to blame. IT has an effect on all the adults and us. No, Bev should not have said what she said, and yes I'm pissed at her for it, but ganging up on her and fighting with each other isn't gonna solve this damn problem. I say we wait and talk when Eddie is here, and maybe even Mike, because he's Richie's brother."

"I think we should all go to that thing Richie mentioned." Ben said. "Something about a Steve having a get together with Mike and his friends? We could try and come up with a game plan that involves Richie even though he isn't here right now."

"You're right." Bill nodded in agreement.

"I'll go call Dustin and tell him to let the others know." Bev said stiffly, standing up and going over to the phone.

"I have to tell Holly her best friend is dead." Mike said out of nowhere. He, El and Eddie were sitting in the living room, the TV on but they weren't really watching. El looked at him. "How do I tell her? Hop is telling the parents... Or told them." El and Eddie looked at each other. He leaned forward and rubbed his face, groaning into his hands. He paused for a second, rubbed his eyes and stood up. "I'm going over there. If you two wanna come, you can."

Thirty minutes later, a sobbing Holly was in his arms. He held her as if she was a baby, rocking her back and forth as she cried into his chest. Karen was sitting on the couch next to them, attempting to calm her down too, but it wouldn't work. El and Eddie sat across from them, tears falling down El's face as Eddie tried to hold back his own.

"Don't let IT get me too, Mike." She cried. His eyes widened and he tensed. "I don't wanna die." He squeezed her tighter, burying his face in her hair.

"I won't let IT get you, Holly. I promise."

If only he knew he wouldn't be able to keep that promise.