BOY GRINDER ☞ BICHIE

☞ FLY ME TO THE MOON

it was one of those sunny days that richie loved best. he was laying in the grass on the corner of witcham and jackson, with his headphones on, ome of his eyes squinted as he stared at the bright sky, his nimble, pale fingers picking the petals off a daffodil he found growing in the crack of tbe sidewalk.

paul anka was blasting into his ears. it was a tape bill had made him, full of love songs for richie to listen to on ome of these sunny optimistic days. he had the brightest smile he'd worn in weeks spread across his face as anka rang out about two young lovers and richie couldn't help but think about bill.

richie has harboured some not-so-platonic feelings for bill denbrough since eighth grade. but richie didnt pay them any mind. he's had these feelings for each one of his friends at some point, but they've never been as intense as they have been with bill, and as much as he hates to admit it, he's so not over them.

he decided that he couldn't be feeling this way about bill when he started messing around with betty ripsom around christmas in '89. they went to the winter formal together and before that time richie and bill had always gone together, and richie made a show out of asking his best friend to silly school dances. he figured betty was just a subtle way for bill to get richie to buzz off. because he didnt need anyone thinking he was some fairy, he liked girls.

that was until he got involved with ed cochran.

richie wasn't shocked when bill started going out with boys and girls and anyone who would give him the time of day, richie always figured he was the type to just date people rather than their genitalia. that was, until richie realised that genitals were all bill was after in the first place.

richie sighed as the song came to a close. he popped open his walkman and flipped the tape, closing the lid and pressing play. when he heard david bowie burst into his headphones, he started thinking about bill again, and he just wanted to cry. so he did. he sat in the sun and he cried but he also smiled and laughed and got angry and hated himself for loving a boy who used people to feel and hated himself for loving all his friends and hated himself for loving too hard and feeling too much.