WHEEZY // an IT story

n i n e

JUNE 8th, 1989

"i don't know, richie! i just think it's easier is i sit on the crate," eddie scolded. today, the losers club had gathered in bill's garage to plan. for what, exactly? richie didn't know. something evil, he was sure, a clown, he had been told, but he still didn't understand. richie felt isolated, being the only person not understanding.
"whatever princess eddie, i'll sit on the ground," richie teased. a faint blush crossed eddie's cheeks.
"don't call me that," eddie stated, his heart fluttering.
suddenly, the lights flicked off and the projector flicked on. a map of derry was displayed on the wall, and bill stood up.
"we know that georgie was pulled into a sewer, which means that must be how this clown gets around," he said. ben stood up, too.
"there's been so many mass disappearances, i think i can pinpoint the location of the clown," he said, before sliding another slide into the projector. another map appeared on top of bill's map.
"this is old derry. see the old steel mill? and the old corner store?" ben asked, pointing to each location. bill nodded.
"if our calculations are correct, the main sewer pipe leads out of derry," bill told the rest of the losers, before gesturing to projection.
"straight to three mile island," ben said, pointing at the terrifying mass of land.
"hell no!" richie yelled, getting up abruptly. eddie ran up to the projection, quickly tearing down the map.
"put the map back!" bill shouted. eddie shook his head, clutching the map tight in his hand.
"i can't do this. i can't go there, of all places. three mile island is haunted as hell!" eddie shouted, before storming to open the garage door.
before he could, though, the projector started to flick. of course, the losers watched curiously as a picture of bill's family came into view. the flicking started getting faster and faster, first letting the picture pan to georgie, then to bill's mother. although, you couldn't see bill's mother, because her hair was covering her face. richie immediate felt there was something wrong with the picture, because bill's mother didn't have red hair like she did in the picture.
suddenly, as if it was a movie, the hair started to slowly move away from bill's mother, to reveal the clown. richie heard eddie wheeze over the screams of the other losers and grabbed his hand.
"turn it off!" beverly shouted, before kicking the projector over. the horrifying image of the clown had paused in a blur, and the losers breathed sighs or relief.
the relief didn't last long, though, because the projected flicked, a few more slow times.
on the final time, the clown jumped out at the losers. it was if it had jumped out of the wall. the teens scampered around the room like scared mice, as the clown reached for each of them.
beverly could feel the clown's breath, just feet from her face. it was giant, bigger than it normally was. she shut her eyes and awaited the pain that was about to come to her.
before the clown could get to beverly, bill opened the garage door, and suddenly, it was gone. richie immediately looked for eddie, finding the tiny boy curled in the corner, wheezing.
richie dug eddie's inhaler out of his fanny pack and pressed it to the boy's lips.
"i need you to take a really deep breath," he instructed. eddie nodded and complied. then, richie offered a hand to help eddie up. but, even after eddie had stood up, he didn't let go of richie's hand. richie felt a small blush creep onto his face.
"let's go," bill stated, climbing on his bike.
"where?" stan asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"three mile island," he said, plain as day, as if he wasn't going to an haunted island to fight a demon clown.
"are you kidding me? after that?" richie shouted, gesturing to eddie.
"eddie could have died! did you even think about that?" he continued. stan smirked.
"uh, yeah. but you also could've died richie. any one of us could. you gotta soft spot for eds?" he asked, continuing to smirk. richie squinted at stan.
"no! i just.. i uh.." richie trailed off, putting his hands on his hips, trying to think of a comeback.
"we don't have time for richie and eddie's bromance right now! have you all forgotten there is a literal demon after us?" beverly scolded.
"exactly. which is why we need to leave now," mike stated, finally interjecting something into the conversation.
"guys, maybe we should just go tomorrow? that way we can get supplies and prepare?" ben said, shrugging his shoulders. bill sighed.
"this is my baby brother we're talking about. but, i guess i'm not gonna get my way. we leave tomorrow, at 8:00 in the morning. sharp," bill instructed, immediately taking roll as leader. everyone nodded in agreement, too afraid to argue. slowly, the losers said their goodbyes and trailed home, dreading the next day.

"thanks for standing up for me back there," eddie said, as he was riding home with richie. richie grinned.
"it's okay. i saw you were scared and hurt and i.. i really care about you," richie told the smaller boy. eddie felt pricks of tear well up in his eyes. he was such in a coward, he wanted to tell richie how he truly felt, more than anything. but, he was scared. all he could see is richie laughing at him.
"eddie, you faggot," replayed over and over in the small boy's head. a single tear fell from his eyes, so the boy turned away, not wanting his crush to see. he sniffed, once, and then twice. then, the tears started to flow freely, and eddie couldn't hide his tears from richie any longer. richie pulled his bike off to the side, and eddie followed.
"eds, what's happening?"richie asked, his hands outstretched like he was waiting for an answer. eddie just sobbed. he was about to ruin the best thing in his life.
richie brought eddie to a nearby bench and made him sit down.
"please tell me why you're crying. i want to help," richie said, in the most gentle voice he could muster.
"there's something wrong with me,"'eddie finally managed to choke out. richie scanned eddie up and down, checking for scratches or bruises.
"i don't see anything. are you sick?" but eddie just shook his head.
"where does it hurt?" richie asked, hoping that maybe he could try to help his friend. eddie pointed to his heart.
"what happened?" richie asked, immediately feeling his heart crack a little.
"i-i don't know," eddie stammered, pulling his hair. richie grabbed eddie's hands and put them in his lap.
"don't do that. please," richie asked, his eyes full of kindness.
"this is what's wrong with me!" eddie shouted, standing up abruptly. richie pulled his hands back, and looked at his best friend in total shock. it was richie's fault.
"i can't do this! you're so perfect, and i'm just not! i'm weak! things are hard for me. and you make them hard! i fucking like you! and you don't even like me back so i'm fucking destroying the best thing in my life! fuck!" eddie shouted, before falling to his knees.

part two is coming bitchesss
is eddie gonna get oofed?