THE SEVENTH WHEEL.. mike hanlon x pennywise ✔️

vi. a new couple

"Yes! Of course, Mike!" Penny exclaimed, taking Mike's other hand. Then, he did something sweet; he kissed Mike's cheek.

Mike felt his face flush, and he smiled, pulling Penny into another hug. Again, he felt at peace, there between Penny's arms.

☾

The next morning, Mike stayed away from the Losers. He rode passed Stan's house and saw Bill there; but he ignored them. He needed to see Penny. So he rode. He rode and he rode and he rode. The sound of his bike chain jingled in his ear. And then, before he knew it, he was at the bushes where he first met Penny.

But Penny was not there. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen. Mike looked around.. but there wasn't a single sign that Penny had been there.

Then, a hand tapped Mike on the shoulder from behind. "Hiya, Mikey!"

Mike turned around and was met with Penny's face. "Hi, Penny! What do you want to do today?"

Penny thought about this for a minute, then his face brightened. "Wanna come over to where I live?"

"Sure," said Mike. "Where's that?"

"Oh, just in the sewer."

Mike thought that was cool! How many people that you meet live in a SEWER? he thought. "Let's go!"

☾

The sewer was dark. Very dark. There was a constant drip, drip noise that echoed off of the ceiling, but Mike never seemed to find any sources of water other than the graywater on the floor. At one point, the water was stained red.

"Penny, why is the water red over here?" Mike asked, pointing to the floor.

"Oh, I think someone fell on the drain up there, and the blood dripped down."

Mike didn't see how that much blood could've happened from one little accident, and that was his first warning sign. But he did not question Penny. "So, what do you do down here?" he asked, curious.

"Oh, you know," said Penny. "Things."

A pit started to grow in Mike's stomach. Edging up, eating up his confidence. He really didn't feel too safe with Penny anymore, or at least, not in this sewer. "Y-you know, maybe I should get going?"

Penny looked at Mike, emotionless. He said nothing. In fact, he just stared into Mike's eyes. "Okay."

"Sorry I couldn't have stayed longer," Mike apologized, backing away. He walked all the way out of Penny's view, still walking backwards.

Was it just Mike's imagination, or was Penny slowing coming closer? Mike turned tail and ran out of the sewers, panting with relief. Okay, maybe people who live in sewers are kind of bad news, he thought regretfully. So he went to Ben's house. Out of all the Losers, Mike had to admit he was closest to Ben.

He could tell Ben anything. So he knocked on his friend's door. Ben came to the door right away without hesitation. "Hey, Mike," he said. "Come on in."

Mike entered Ben's house. "I have something to confess," he said. "Can we go somewhere more private?"

"Sure," said Ben. "Let's go to my room."

So the two Losers went to Ben's room. There were New Kids on the Block posters plastered all over the walls. Mike sat down on the chair in the corner, and Ben sat on his bed.

"Ben," Mike said, "I think Penny is a little scary."

Ben smiled. "Well, he is a clown that you met in a bush. I don't know why you would ever be afraid of that."

"Well, I have another confession to make," Mike admitted. "Me and Penny.. well.. we're dating."

Ben looked shocked. "Really?" he said. "Well, I guess you aren't the only one that doesn't have a lover anymore."

"Yeah. I guess I'm not the seventh wheel anymore," Mike spat, putting emphasis on seventh wheel.

Mike's friend was taken aback. "Mike, I didn't know you felt that way!" He looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I know it must be annoying, since all the rest of us are dating each other."

"Just a little," Mike admitted. "That's why I was so glad that I found Penny. He made me feel wanted, but now I just feel afraid..."