A T I P T O E
adverb, adjective [uh-tip-toh]

Eagerly expectant, as anticipating a desired event or arrival.

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You stood in front of the mirror, frowning as you stared at your black, knee-length halter dress and your strappy black stilettos. You felt that you would be overdressed; it was a casual dinner after all. You just... felt like looking good. You're meeting your childhood friends after so long.

You tucked your wavy hair behind your ears then smiled as you took a deep breath. You grabbed your purse, opening it up to check if you have everything placed inside, then exited your hotel room.

You stood at the curb, late evening, looking around for a taxi that would take you to your destination. You sulked after waiting for ten minutes with no success. You resorted to walking till you'd find a mode of transportation.

*****

You paid the driver a reasonable fee, something that's cheaper than where you live, then stepped out of the vehicle. Your heels clacked on the ground as you glanced around for any signs of familiar faces.

The 'Jade of The Orient' had a glowing neon sign that illuminated the environment. There was virtually nobody here right now. You had a feeling of hesitancy as if the plan had been cancelled last minute and you weren't informed of it.

You looked at your reflection in your phone's screen, fixed your hair and checked if you had any lipstick in your teeth, then walked towards the Chinese restaurant's main entrance.

As you entered, the subtle sound of atmospheric music and the dim lighting put your nerves at ease. You looked around for your friends but-

"[y/n]?"

Someone called your name and you turned around in surprise. "Mike?" You asked and he smiled as he nodded his head. He walked over to you and embraced you tightly, catching you off-guard.

You chuckled then hugged him back cosily. Over his shoulder you noticed Eddie looking at the ornaments placed on the shelves on the wall.

"Eddie Kaspbrak..." You called out, after moving away from Mike's hug, "I never thought I'd see you again!"

He turned around and smiled widely. You both walked towards each other and hugged. "Aw it's so nice to meet you guys once more!" You said then gave Eddie a noogie, while you grinned mischievously.

He huffed and rolled his eyes, causing you to laugh loudly. You punched his arm playfully, "Well, you must be happy to-"

"[y/l/n]?!"

You looked up and squealed in happiness, "Marsh?!" You ran towards Beverly, and you both jumped towards each other for a hug. You cheered, "Oh my God! I probably missed you the most!"

"Ay you losers, come give uncle Richie a piece of that!" Richie Tozier said with his eyebrows raised and his hands in his pant pockets, and a smirk plastered on his lips.

As Berverly met Eddie and Mike, you went over to Richie and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Wow, if I knew that you'd be here, I'd come sooner!" Richie said and you both widened your eyes in excitement at the same time.

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" You exclaimed in unison then laughed your asses off. The others in the room looked towards both of you and chuckled, shaking their heads in the disappointment that both of you are.

"Mind if I join the party?" Ben questioned and you hugged him. "Damn, Ben, you look great!" You commented while squeezing his biceps slightly.

"Please [y/n], fugliness is IN nowadays, I know that you're jealous of me," He pretended to fix an invisible tie near his collar and you slapped his arm teasingly.

Everyone walked over to the large, round dining table and took their seats. You looked around the restaurant, feeling out of place. There was something missing...

"Guys, where's Bill?" You asked, sadly, "He didn't cancel, right?"

"I would never cancel on you all..." A voice answered your question and everyone's gaze fell to someone behind you.

You turned around slowly; you didn't recognise the voice at all. You saw a man in a dark, denim jacket and a green-and-blue flannel shirt, with dark blue jeans. He had soft, brown hair and piercing blue eyes that you could see clearly from the seven feet of standing apart.

You tilted your head in fascination, "B-Bill..."

He raised his arms out and bowed a little, walking to you slowly. You pursed your lips together, trying to control the smile growing on your face. You increased your pace towards him as he opened his arms for you. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him as close to you as physically possible.

You pulled away from the hug slowly. Your faces were inches apart, your eyes drifted to his lips for a moment and you hoped that he didn't notice.

He leaned closer to you, instinctively for a kiss, and instead, you pecked him on the cheek quickly and pulled away from the hug. He looked slightly heartbroken but instantly shifted his attention to the others in the room after running a hand through his hair.

He started greeting the others and Richie raised an eyebrow at you. "Hey, he got a kiss on the cheek too?" Richie questioned with shock, "And I thought I was special after all these years!"

You smiled softly then your eyes trailed to the floor. The voices of the gang drifted away as you slipped into zoning out. You and Bill had a history when you were young. You both liked each other... a lot, and there seems to still be a sense of it existing.

*****

"Boise," Bill said, grabbing a prawn cracked from one of the bowls at the centre of the table.

"Idaho?" You asked to clarify and he nodded his head, "Ooh, sounds fancy!"

"It really isn't," He rolled his eyes, "I went over for research though."

"For one of your books?" You questioned and he agreed, "By the way, I just watched your new film and oh my word, it was GREAT!"

He chuckled, "You don't have to sugar coat it-"

"No! It was actually great. David and I loved-"

"D-David?" He asked with confusion, "Who's that?"

"Oh um... My husband," You responded, with reluctance. You sensed a little tension between you and Bill suddenly.

"You're married..." He mumbled and you reached for the fried rice bowl, taking out two spoonfuls for your plate.

"You're married too right? How long?" You asked rather cheerfully, in hopes to change the mood of the conversation. You continued eating your meal.

"Oh just a few years," He shrugged his shoulders, "So,um... what have you been up to, besides the art tour?"

"Well, I've just-"

You heard someone snort really loudly and both you and Bill turned towards the source of the sound: Richie.

He sat completely still then slowly pointed to Eddie with a smug smile on his face. You groaned and rolled your eyes while Bill looked at you and chuckled. Eddie pushed Richie lightly in annoyance.

You shook your head. Your friends haven't changed at all. You can't believe you almost forgot about them... you don't even remember forgetting them.

Bill leaned in towards you. "Hey, let me show you something," He whispered in your ear then grabbed your hand as he stood up.

You yelped slightly and followed him into the main hall of the restaurant. There was a beautiful fountain with green-marble dragons as the prized artifacts spewing out water from their mouths. The water glistened from the golden floor of the fountain.

You smiled widely and Bill nudged your lightly, digging into his jeans pockets and taking put a few quarters.

"This is 'The Fountain of A Thousand Wishes'," He said with a complimentary mystical tone.

You giggled, "You cooked that up now?"

"Well I would love to take credit for it but..." He sighed then smiled, "It's written on that plaque there." He pointed to the small, metallic label at the side of the fountain, causing you to grin.

You took a quarter from his palm and squeezed it tightly shut in yours. He flicked his into the fountain after a moment then looked to you.

You shut your eyes slowly then licked your lips as you thought of something to wish for. Thoughts swirled around your head but you finally landed on something... something close to your heart's true desire.

You threw the quarter into the fountain then smiled brightly. You hugged onto Bill's arm then rested your head on his shoulder.

"What did you wish for?" He asked nosily, causing you to chuckle.

"If I tell you, it won't come true, silly!" You replied, playfully pushing him. You stared deeply into his eyes, watching as his smile turned into pure awe.

You felt your heart thump faster inside your chest. A part of you wanted to run away while another just wanted to stare at Bill all night.

You leaned towards him and shut your eyes. A moment later you felt his lips touch yours, lightly at first but once you accepted the invite, he kissed you passionately.

You felt as if you were taken back to your childhood days. You felt a spark inside you; you hadn't felt the emotion in years.

You realised you missed Bill... you didn't think you would meet him again.

You pulled away, resting your forehead against his and taking a breath. "Is it cheesy if I tell you that I wished for that?" He questioned then laughed nervously.

"Super cheesy..." You moved back a little and looked at him shyly, "But I don't mind it."

You both chuckled softly. You slipped your hand down to intertwine with his and-

"HEY!"

You jerked in fright, letting go of Bill's hand. You turned to find Richie standing ahead, annoyed.

"If you guys are done having each other for dessert, can we please enjoy the real dessert that is fortune-cookies?!" He alerted sassily then gestured for you to come back to the table.

"F!@# you Richie!" You yelled and he laughed.

"I love you too [y/n]!" He responded and made exaggerated kissing noises, like an eight year old.

You kissed Bill on the cheek one last time before joining the rest of the Losers Club at the dining table for a little fortune that could change your lives.