Control // It (2017) // Stanley Uris

Eleven- "Your hair is beautiful, Beverly."

At the top of the cliff, everyone sat around and listened to music. Beverly and Mia laid out in the sun, trying to get some tanning into their day. The boys all sat on nearby rocks, staring at the two girls in nothing but their bras and underwear. None of the boys had ever seen a girl without clothes on before.

While Ben and Bill stared at Beverly the entire time, Stan and Eddie did the same for Mia. Richie toggled back and forth, not actually knowing which of the girls he found more attractive.

Beverly turned towards the boys and they all immediately turned their heads, acting like they hadn't been staring. All except for Stanley, who, still staring at Mia, hadn't noticed Beverly's head turn. Bev widened her eyes at Stanley and laughed, finally earning his attention. He pried his eyes away from Mia and met them with Beverly's, instantly turning red in the cheeks. Beverly smirked at him and he simply bit his lip in response.

Beverly peered over at Bill, who was acting like he hadn't been staring at her. A frown made its way onto her lips.

Richie found himself looking for something to appear distracted by as well, and looked down to Ben's open bag. He saw a post car and some books inside.

"News flash, Ben. School's out for summa!" Richie exclaimed.

"Oh, no, it's not school stuff."

Richie pulled the postcard out of Ben's bag.

"Who sent you this?"

"No one." Ben ripped the postcard out of Richie's hand. "No one."

Richie proceeded by pulling the book out of Ben's bag and opening it, finding multiple news articles inside. The first article read "Easter Explosion kills 88 children, 102 total."

"What's with the history project?" Eddie asked.

"Oh, well, when I first moved here, I didn't really have anyone to hang out with. So I just started spending time in the library."

"You went to the library?" Richie blinked his eyes quickly. "On purpose?"

"Ooh, I wanna see." Beverly stood up from her sun tanning spot and walked over to the boys. She sat beside Bill and leaned in closely to him.

"What's the black spot?" Stanley asked, trying to stay focused on the conversation. He watched as Bill's crush sat so close to him, and for some reason, wished Mia would come and do the same for him.

"The Black spot was a nightclub that was burned down nine years ago by that racist cult." Eddie replied.

"The what?" Stan was confused.

"Don't you watch Geraldo?"

Bill stared at Beverly. "Y-y-y-y-your hair..." He muttered. The two shared an understanding look, and immediately Bill could tell that Beverly had been in pain. Bill had a lot of experience with it over the past few months, let alone the past day.

"Your hair is beautiful, Beverly." Ben interrupted.

"Oh, right, thanks." Beverly smiled, tucking her now shorter hair behind her ear.

Ben and Bill stared at each other awkwardly, obviously feeling like they were in some sort of competition. The rest of the group found it quite funny, Mia most of all. Mia chuckled a little too loudly, then covered her mouth. She coughed to try and cover it up.

"Here, pass." Richie asked Bill to hand the book back to him.

"Why is it all murders and missing kids?" Richie asked, flipping through the pages.

"Derry's not like any town I've ever been in before." Ben stated. This intrigued Mia, so she finally stood up and walked over to where Stanley was sitting, plopping down next to him. She held her hand out, as if to ask for the book, and Richie handed it over so that she could take a look. Beverly smirked at Stanley again, and he found himself blushing a second time.

"They did a study once..." Ben carried on, "and it turns out, people die or disappear six times the national average."

Everyone fell silent.

"You read that?" Beverly spoke up.

"And that's just grown ups. Kids are worse. Way, way worse." He spoke slowly. "I've got more stuff, if you want to see it?"

Everyone seemed intrigued by Ben's collection of Derry history, all except for Eddie, who aggressively shook his head. Mia laughed at the Kaspbrak boy and lightly hit him over the head, making him flinch. He smiled up at the girl and they both laughed.

Making their way over to their bikes, Mia pulled a cigarette out of her backpack and tossed it to Beverly.

"You need a light?" She asked, pulling out her lighter as well. Beverly walked over to Mia and let her light up the cigarette in her mouth, and the two girls laughed. The boys all stared at the two girls. They'd never smoked a cigarette in their lives.

"That's disgusting." Eddie commented, picking up his bike from the ground. "Do you know what you could be breathing in? Your lungs are going to rot in your chest and-"

"Eddie, shut up." Richie complained.

Mia lit her cigarette and took a long toke, then blew it in Eddie's face. He made a disgusted sound and coughed, trying not to let any of the nicotine enter his system. Beverly and Mia chuckled.

Once they'd smoked their cigarettes down to a nub, the girls put them out and climbed on their bikes, following the rest of the group towards Ben's house.