it chapter two | reader insert [?]

two | memories

Time flowed by as your head became muddled with thoughts, and soon enough you were pulling into a nearby carpark of a restaurant called "Jade of the Orient".

You were blinded by their bright florescent lights as you stepped from the car, suddenly becoming very aware of the fact you were wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. You probably should have changed.

"There's no fucking way!"

A man's voice came from behind you, and you whipped around. Your eyes fell upon a man who had just gotten out of a taxi across from you, with short brown hair and a bright smile that your mind involuntarily matched to a childhood buddy you had barely remembered. He was looking at you in disbelief.

"E-e-eddie?" Your soft voice almost startled him, and suddenly he was practically running and trapping you in a tight hug.

"O-oh, Eddie i-it's great to- h-hi."

He wrapped you in a huge hug that cut off your breath. "(Y/n), oh my god! You look... great."

Everytime you looked into his eyes, you saw fractions of memories you couldn't explain, even though you wanted to. It made you feel awkward, and you averted your eyes to the ground as Eddie let you go.

"So.. you got Mike's call, too?" He asked you as you both made your way towards into the restaurant.

"Y-yes, just a few hours ago."

"You must have been the last one. I got called about- 2 days ago? I've been driving myself crazy ever since." He cringed, and you wondered what exactly he meant.

As you both entered the warm atmosphere of the restaurant, you'd both alerted a nice employee who somehow knew of your names already. You suspected this was Mike's doing. Eddie began mumbling incoherent warnings to the employee about his allergies, which almost made you chuckle at the irony. Oh yes, you remembered him. Nothing had changed.

You'd expected to feel your nerves get worse as you approached the blocked off room where your table was, with bamboo lining the walls as a way to block-out outdoor chatter. But they didn't. In fact, you began feeling excitement bubble in your stomach at the thought of being reunited with friends you didn't exactly remember having.

Yet, when you turned the corner and laid eyes on two men standing by the fish tank, you couldn't stop the smile from spreading across your face.

And the butterflies that settled in your stomach? It was undeniably Bill's fault, by the way his eyes settled on you. As cheesy as it sounds, time realistically stopped for a few seconds.

Eddie quickly ruined the moment. "Holy shit."

"Oh, my god. You guys look- this is great," Mike broke out into a laugh as he launched himself at the two of you, wrapping you both in a hug. Bill hung behind, slowly making his way towards the three of you.

"Eddie, (Y/n), I can't believe it!" Mike sighed happily, and you smiled at him.

"H-hey, M-mike," you stuttered. You weren't sure if the feat was a result of your permanent condition, or the man that seemed to be smiling and looking you up and down. Perhaps a bit of both. But both seemed to be surprised when your unusually soft voice spoke up.

"You're s-stuttering," Bill said, his own voice mirroring yours. You both just stared at each other as Eddie began laughing.

"This is fucking crazy, I- I remember. You stuttered. Bad."

"Hey, shut up. I got over that!" Bill began chuckling along with Mike. The three of you practically jumped when a gong was rang behind you. A familiar voice called out as you turned, resting your eyes on a trio that immediately made you smile. Richie, Bev... and a man you couldn't help but not recognise.