WHEEZY // an IT story

f o u r

JUNE 4th, 1989
"i think it's great that we're helping the new kid, but we also need to think about our own safety! i mean, he's bleeding all over and you guys know there's an AIDS epidemic happening right now as we speak! i mean, my mom's friend in new york city got it just by touching a dirty pole in the subway. she got AIDS blood into her system through a hangnail, a hangnail! and they can amputate legs and arms. but how do you amputate waist? you know that there are alleys full of AIDS infected needles, right?" eddie ranted.
"look, richie, wait here. you two, come with me," eddie instructed.
"i'm glad i got to meet you before you died," richie told the red headed boy, as eddie, stan, and bill walked into the convenience store.
the boys had biked their new companion from the barrens to the alley behind the store, so they could patch him up.

"perfect," eddie muttered, as bill and stan piled more supplies into his arms.
"can we afford all that?" bill asked, eyes the pile nervously. stan pulled out a few dollars and some coins.
"it's all we got," he told them.
"are you kidding me?" eddie asked the boys, clearly annoyed.
"wait, you have an account here, don't you?" stan asked eddie.
"if my mom finds out i bought all this stuff for myself, i'll spend the whole rest of the week in the emergency room," eddie explained, and the boys continued to bicker.
suddenly, a girl, beverly marsh, appeared at the front of the isle.
"you okay?" bill asked, eyeing beverly.
"i'm fine. what's wrong with you?" she asked defensively.
"none of your business," stan said, turning back to eddie.
"new kid outside. looks like someone killed him," eddie said quietly, his eyes darting around the room.
"we need some supplies, but we don't have enough money," bill explained. beverly looked up mischievously.

the boys couldn't quite hear what beverly was saying to mr. keene, but they were waiting for a signal from beverly so they could run out of the shop with their supplies. suddenly, she knocked a display off of the counter, and the pharmacist bent down to clean it up. beverly turned around and winked at the boys, telling them it was time to run. they did, eddie smacking into a post card display before shuffling out the door.
"get in there! suck the wound!" richie chanted.
"i need to focus right now," eddie replied.
"you need to focus?" richie asked.
"yeah, can you go get me something?" eddie asked. "what do you need?" bill replied, before richie could.
"go get my bifocals, they're in my second fanny pack," eddie instructed.
"why do you have two fanny packs?" richie joked, letting a small chuckled escape his lips.
"i need to focus right now, it's a long story," eddie repeated.
"i don't want to hear it," richie teased. just as eddie was about to reply, beverly appeared at the end of the alley, a small smirk on her face. bill tried to move his lips to let words out, but he couldn't seem to.
"uhm, thanks," he finally stuttered out.
"even steven!" the beautiful girl joked.
"oh god! he's bleeding!" eddie panicked. beverly's eyes drifted to the boy.
"ben from soc?" she asked, concern filling her voice.
"you have to suck the wound before you apply the bandage!" richie went back to instructing eddie.
"you dont know what you're talking about!" eddie replied.
"are you okay? that looks like it hurts!" beverly crouched so she was next to ben.
"no, i'm good! i just fell," ben answered.
"yeah, right into henry bowers," richie added sarcastically.
"shut it, richie!" bill scolded.
"why? it's the truth," richie smirked.
"you sure they got the right stuff to fix you up?" beverly asked.
"you know we'll take care of him," bill answered, before ben could.
"thanks again, beverly," stan told her.
"sure, maybe i'll see you around," beverly replied, cooly.
"yeah, we were maybe thinking about going to the quarry tomorrow, if you wanna come?" bill asked, looking down at his shoes, waiting for rejection.
"good to know," beverly said, before walking off. bill stared after her for a few lingering seconds, before turning to the boys. stan punched bill in the arm.
"we weren't thinking about going to the quarry!" he shouted.
"well, now we are," bill replied, blushing. richie knew immediately that bill had a crush on beverly, because he never made plans without the losers' consent.
"uh, oh! i think our little billy has crush!" he teased, giving bill a shit-eating grin.
"shut up, richie. you get hard anytime a girl even looks in your direction!" bill shouted back. richie shrugged.
"hey, the girls love me! and what can i say, i love them back." eddie rolled his eyes.
"i think that's the best i can do, ben," he told the wounded boy. ben stood up slowly, wincing as he did.
"thanks guys," he said.
"how are you gonna get home?" bill asked. ben looked around.
"guess i'll just walk," he replied.
"i don't think that's a good idea," eddie told him.
"maybe we can bike him home?" stan asked, looking at the other boys.
"sounds good. you can ride on my bike," bill said, gesturing toward his bike. ben nodded.

once the boys had gotten on their bikes, they set off towards ben's house. bill was in front of everyone, with ben on his bike directing him. eddie and richie were discussing the important matter of how much of a virgin eddie was, and stan laughed his ass off every time eddie would insult richie.
when they had gotten to ben's house, bill helped ben off his bike.
"if you're up for it, you should come to the quarry with us," bill told ben, while he was walking him to his door. ben smiles.
"i'd like that. thanks."

after making sure ben was home, the boys ride through town.
"can we get ice cream now?" richie whined. stan shook his head.
"no, richie, the sun is setting!" richie groaned as they rode past the ice cream shoppe.
"shit! you're right! i've got to get home!" eddie exclaimed, before veering off the street the boys were riding on to go home.
"bye eds!" richie shouted after him.
"i probably have to go too," bill said, before turning to go to his house too.
"my neighborhood is like right there, so, bye," stan said, before biking into his neighborhood.

richie biked to his house as fast as he could, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. not watched by an animal or a person, but something evil he couldn't even imagine. it made his lungs feel caged, and it restricted his breathing.

richie sighed with relief when he finally turned in his driveway, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. he shuddered and walked into his house.

A/N
sorry for these boring chapters, but i have to go through them. i tried to add some extra content, and i hope it's okay for now! sorry again!

thanks,
laurenwrrites