: swearing, quite a bit of angst if you're sensitive like me (but I promise it gets better!)

"Holy shit." The words that left your mouth was a result of pure shock. You both sat there for what felt like ages, staring at each other's marks in absolute silence.

"So," Richie coughed, his face was pale like he felt sick, "What now?"

Your eyes shot up to look at him. He almost looked defeated and any sense of joy you felt vanished. That was right, you talked about this with Beverly just a few days ago. You were too young to find your soulmate and you doubt Richie would want to spend his teenage years tied to you.

"Uhh-I mean, I don't know. This really doesn't change anything, right?" You questioned, keeping your eyes steady on him to see how he reacts. Richie simply shrugged, laying his hand to rest back in his lap.

"I guess not," Richie spoke up, his voice steady. "Friends?"

The one word just about broke your heart but you didn't let it faze you. The word shouldn't have hurt you that bad, you were even doubting what you should do. You had to stay strong, especially when Richie is asking you, his soulmate, if you just wanted to stay as friends.

"Yeah, friends," You put on the best smile you could and nodded at your soulmate. You thought you would be happier but only the sense of doubt filled you when looking into his brown eyes. Were they that pretty before? Was he this attractive before? Even though it had only been a few seconds, you could already feel the sense of regret looming over you.

School finally started and luckily enough, you and the losers had many classes together. You had chemistry with Beverly, English with Stanley and Eddie, math with Bill, and history with Richie. Although it had been months since you and Richie agreed to just be friends, you both drifted apart ever since that day. It was like every time you were with each other, you didn't know what to say or do. You couldn't even hold a conversation with him without feeling a weight in your chest.

History was pretty lonely for you and Richie. You didn't really talk to each other and no one wanted to talk to the two of you. So, you still sat next to each other but you didn't do anything. Richie was known for causing a ruckus, especially with his friends in class, but in history he was quiet, choosing either to take a nap or stare blankly at the chalkboard.

It felt like Beverly was the only person you could talk to at this point. She knew about your crush on Richie and she was your best friend. You could rant to her about anything and she would just listen. On the off chance that you ask her for advice, she'd give it to you and explain the reason why. She wanted the best for you and you felt that.

"Sometimes I just wonder why I even agreed to be friends in the first place. It was pretty obvious that I liked him before all of this mess. And now I just feel terrible. I want the best for Richie, I really really do. I don't want to tie him down to one person so early but I also like him a lot."

Beverly would never understand how much you truly liked Richie, but she feels a bit responsible for putting you in this whole situation. If she didn't invite you to the party then you wouldn't have realized it was Richie. Maybe you would have found out at a better time, later in life. Beverly felt like it was part of her responsibility to help you through the problem you and Richie were having. Heck, she was a bit jealous you had a soulmate and mad that you weren't doing anything about it.

Beverly knew from several attempts that you wouldn't do much about it. You were too scared to actually confront Richie, even if it wasn't to tell him about your feelings. So, she did what she thought was the next best thing: she confronted Eddie.

It is already known that Eddie is Richie's closest friend. Even before you came along, they were like two peas in a pod. If you were too afraid to confront Richie and you didn't want Beverly to talk to him, then she would go to his best friend.

"What's going on with Richie?" Beverly asks during the middle of class. She wasn't really that quiet, it was already pretty loud in the classroom. This moment was perfect for her to confront Eddie about your problem; they were paired up for a project that wasn't due until Monday and they were already just about done.

"What do you mean?" Eddie questioned, his forehead wrinkling as he looked up at Beverly.

"Well," Beverly trailed off. She wasn't really sure how to bring up the topic without being absolutely obvious. There really was no way around the situation and if this was able to help you, she'd apologize later. "You do notice that ever since they realized they were soulmates, Y/n and Richie haven't been talking, right?"

Eddie's eyes widened at Beverly's question, realizing what she was beginning to talk about. "Yeah, they've been avoiding each other like the plague."

"Exactly," Beverly sighed, a smile beginning to appear on her face. "So, do you know why?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? They're soulmates but they decided to stay as friends. It's a bit awkward," Eddie stated, tilting his head at the girl in front of him.

Beverly nodded even though that's not really the answer that she was looking for. "Hey, Eddie?" She started to speak in a quieter voice, "Do you think that Richie likes Y/n?"

Eddie's face started to glow red and he felt himself begin to sweat. There was no way that he could tattle on his best friend but part of him wanted to say it. Almost like Beverly, he thought it would be better if Richie confronted you about his feelings. He thought that this whole situation could all be solved if you two actually tried to talk to each other.

"I just really like her and it's really hard to see her every day in class and not talk to her. She's sitting right beside me but I can't do anything. It's like I'm handcuffed to the desk and there's a divider between us. I can't even look at her without my heart running like a marathon. It's so hard to keep myself from turning red around her. Eddie, I really think I'm dying."

Eddie's hands started to tremble as he thought about Richie's constant babbling about you. Whenever he was with Eddie, Richie would never stop talking about you until Eddie explicitly told him that it was getting annoying. Even then, Richie would find a way to comment on something about you.

"I can't reveal that information, it's confidential," Eddie answered, trying his best to keep his voice from trembling. "How about Y/n? Does she like Richie?"

Beverly smirked slightly at the boy. "I can't say that either. Girl code." Both of the stubborn friends stared at each other for a few seconds before Beverly sighed, leaning her head on her hand. "Look, Eddie, I really want Richie and Y/n to be happy but this whole situation is obviously daunting on both of them. I'm not telling you that Y/n likes Richie, but I'm not telling you she doesn't like Richie. If you get what I'm saying and you agree with Richie, then we need to come up with some sort of plan."

Eddie thought about his choices at the moment. He could refuse and listen to Richie's constant whining about you for another century, or he could agree and Richie could get mad at him for trying to set it up. "I'm not saying anything about Richie liking Y/n either, but if I agree to this plan then we have to keep it a secret from Y/n and Richie."

Beverly didn't even try to hold back her massive grin. "You've got a deal."

Winter formal was coming up and you didn't have a date. It shouldn't really matter, school dances weren't the most entertaining thing in the world, but everywhere you looked there were people getting asked for the dance or happy couples holding hands in the hallway. Your whole situation with Richie only made you feel worse. You could have had this moment with Richie, but your insecurity got in the way of it.

Even Beverly was going to the dance. Bill finally worked up the guts to ask Beverly to go to the dance with him and she happily accepted. She gushed to you about how cute he was when he asked her, his stutter significantly worse and his face lit up like Rudolph's nose.

Lunch was getting even worse because Bill and Beverly spent all their time talking to each other while Richie and Eddie were constantly bickering. Ben wasn't in the best of moods either and you felt bad trying to get him to talk to you. Stanley didn't even have your lunch because his advanced math class was dismissed at a later time. And Mike obviously wasn't there because he's homeschooled.

"Hey, Y/n?" Beverly suddenly spoke up, causing you to flinch. You were expecting to have another pretty quiet lunch by yourself.

"Yeah?"

"Have you been asked to winter formal yet?" She asked, a smile growing on her face.

You tried to hide your face slightly, a bit embarrassed with your answer. Beverly was just trying to get a reaction out of Richie, you knew that, but you didn't think this was the best way to go about it. "Uh... no."

"Ow! Eddie, why are you pinching me?" Richie exclaimed, smacking Eddie roughly on the shoulder.

While you were trying your best to hide your face and Richie started up another argument with his best friend, someone approached your side of the table, clearing his throat to get your attention. Your head shot up at the sound and Richie's bickering silenced.

Next to you stood a guy from your chemistry class. You only talked to him a few times but he seemed like a pretty nice guy. "Hey Y/n, I was wondering if I could talk to you after school."

You felt a lump forming in your throat as you stared widely at the guy. "Oh- yeah, yeah. Sure."

The boy smiled and nodded, saying that he'll meet you at your locker after last period. When he left, the table was silent and you were frozen. Your limbs almost felt heavy and when you looked at your lunch tray, you suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore.

"Holy shit," Beverly swore, "What do you think that's about?"

You shook your head as your shoulders rose. "I have absolutely no clue."

Richie couldn't help but purse his lips and hang his head. Something about that guy left a sour taste in his mouth. Suddenly, his urge to argue with Eddie disappeared, his mind trying to figure out what he should do.

When you weren't looking, Beverly narrowed her eyes at Eddie and mouthed at him. "Was that you?"

Eddie quickly shook his head in response, his eyes as wide as saucers. Their plan was scheduled for tomorrow, this was a complete surprise to the both of them.

After last period, you told the rest of the losers to head home without you. All of them obviously knew why and nodded their heads, leaving you alone at your locker as you waited for Nathan. You almost cried in joy when you suddenly remembered his name.

Before long, Nathan was strolling up to you, his face red as he tapped his foot on the ground sporadically. "So, how have you been?"

Your forehead wrinkled a bit as you looked at him, expecting more than a simple 'how are you?'. "I've been okay. Chemistry's been kicking my butt a bit lately. How about you?"

"I've been good too," He responded, pausing for a moment before continuing. "I just wanted to say you're really pretty."

"Oh," You stumbled over your words, shocked by his sudden compliment. "Thanks, I guess."

Nathan nodded his head again, biting his lip and taking a deep breath before finally getting to the point. "I was wondering if you'd go to winter formal with me?"

Oh. Oh. That's why he wanted to meet you. The whole time you were in math class you thought he was going to ask to copy your homework. "Oh... uh-I mean-" You sputtered out, trying to find a way to politely decline his offer.

Before you were able to find the right words, you felt a weight on your shoulder and a sudden warmth envelop you.

"Sorry, but she's already got a date."

Your head shot up at the sound of Richie's voice, eyes wide as you stared up at him. Was he watching you this entire time? You thought you told the losers to go home without you. Did he stay behind?

"Really?" Nathan pressed, his mood doing a complete 180. Suddenly he didn't look nervous or embarrassed. His foot stopped tapping and his face was its normal color. On his face, there was a small frown and his eyes were squinted at Richie.

"Yeah. Now, I have to take Y/n home so can we wrap this up?" Richie smiled teasingly at the boy, his voice not wavering despite the harsh glare that Nathan was giving him.

"Wow, I didn't peg you to be dating this type of guy," Nathan scoffed, turning his attention back to you.

Your jaw dropped open for a moment before your face started heating up. It almost felt like your hands were shaking at his comment. Your mind completely skipped over the fact that he suggested you two were dating.

"What do you mean this type?" You challenged. Richie tried to tug you away but you wouldn't budge, your eyes refusing to waver from Nathan.

"Everybody knows Richie is just a loudmouth. He'll talk your ears off with nonsense. Not to mention, he's just a puny little blind kid without those glasses taped to his face."

It took everything in you to keep yourself from completely tackling the prick in front of you. Your blood was practically boiling at this point. "At least he's not an asshole like you with no personality at all! Unlike you, Richie can actually make me laugh. You think everybody is laughing at your jokes when they're really laughing at how fucking stupid you are!" Richie froze next to you, his body stiff as he listened to the words start pouring out of your mouth. "Also, I happen to like his glasses."

After a bit of name-calling and cursing, Richie successfully started to drag you out of the school and you started to make your way home. The cool air calmed you down as you and Richie rode your bikes.

"I'm sorry about that." You were almost startled by Richie's voice, but after the initial shock, you almost felt bad. His voice was not as strong as normal, he was even a bit quieter.

"It's really okay," You brushed it off, "That guy was an asshole and I wasn't going with him anyway."

"It's not like he was wrong." You slowed down at his comment, an uneasiness starting to spread through your body. "He was right, I'm really just a blind kid with glasses."

You immediately stopped your bike, making Richie have to violently stop, his brake screeching so he wouldn't hit you.

"What the fuck, Richie? That's not true." There were tears beginning to form in your eyes as you felt your heart begin to crack. Never in your life did you want Richie to think those ridiculous things about himself. "You're such a great person, you know that? Now that I know you, I couldn't imagine a life without you. You make me so damn happy every time you crack a joke, even if it is an extremely disgusting one. Anyone would be lucky to date you."

Richie watched you with his mouth open, his eyes refusing to blink. He thought if he moved, he would suddenly miss something. When you were done, Richie's heart was beating so fast he thought he was going to have a heart attack.

"So Eddie was right. I'm such an idiot," Richie groaned, throwing his head back. "I'm sorry I pushed you away. My own insecurities got the best of me and I thought it was best if we didn't have to be soulmates. I didn't want to hold you back. I thought you deserved so much more than me but I guess that only hurt you in the process."

Now, it was your turn to be shocked, your mouth wide open as you tried to process Richie's words. "Wait, so you like me?"

The strong blush that overtook Richie's face was enough to answer your question but he nodded anyway.

"You idiot," You laughed, wiping the tears away from your eyes. "I liked you even before I found out we were soulmates."

"So, does that mean I can kiss you?" Richie stared at your lips as the urge to lean forward grew, teetering at the edge.

You shook your head at his blatant staring and mumbled before pressing your lips firmly against his.

"Anytime, Tozier."