your love // stenbrough

3

Stan was very frustrated.

Stuttering Bill had been in his first period class all semester, and it wasn't until this point, three weeks until the end of the school year, that he had sparked Stan's interest.

Every day, for the rest of the week, Stan tried to approach Bill during their Chemistry class, but to no avail. The younger boy would enter the classroom just as the bell rang, and would leave immediately after being dismissed. To his credit, Bill was never absent, but he would spend the entire class with his head resting on his desk.

Stan figured he should just give up on the matter, but everytime he'd allow his eyes to glance over at the other boy, he could see paint spilling out of Bill's shirt sleeves and onto his hands, almost always some sort of blue. Stan couldn't help it. He was completely obsessed.

Unfortunately, with Bill being a year younger than Stan, their lunch periods were different and they had no other classes together, making it impossible for Stan to approach the younger boy. He had even asked around the school for Bill's phone number or any type of social media but nobody knew anything. Bill Denbrough was a ghost.

Friday rolled around, and still, there had been no interactions between the two boys. Stan was determined to change that. After waking up and shutting off his alarm, he immediately pulled out his phone.

Stan the Man:
Don't bother picking me up today, I'm walking.

Richie:
but i still dont have ur apology to angela :(

Stan the Man:
And I'm sure she'll still be a piece of shit without it.

Richie:
*gasp*

Stan the Man:
Please shut up.

Richie:
*gasp* x2

Stan sighed as he put his phone down on the bedside table, leaving Richie on read, as he so often did. He rubbed his tired eyes before getting dressed quickly. He had formed some sort of plan, but to be executed properly, he needed to be hasty.

Deciding to skip breakfast, Stan grabbed his binders and textbooks and ran out the door, walking speedily towards the school, taking as many shortcuts as possible. He even went down a couple of the sketchiest back allies, which he would normally avoid at all costs. What was Stuttering Bill turning him into?

When Stan arrived at the highshool, there were almost no cars in the parking lot. This wasn't surprising in the slightest, as he was 20 minutes early for first period, just as he had planned. He scurried through the halls quickly but carefully, making sure to gather the proper school supplies beforing rushing to the Chemistry Lab. Nothing was stopping him today.

Stan was so early for class that his teacher hadn't even arrived. He ended up waiting outside the locked classroom door for a good 10 minutes before she rounded the corner, coffee mug and car keys in hand.

"Stanley?" she asked, bewildered. "What are you doing here so early?"

"My father had to get to work ahead of schedule, so he dropped me off first." Stan answered, giving her a small, friendly smile.

"Oh," she said, jamming the key in the lock and opening the door. "No friends to hang around with?"

He followed her into the deserted classroom, eagerly skimming his eyes over the empty desks. "Not today ma'am."

She smiled at him, setting her coffee down on her desk and turning to leave once again. "Well alright then. I've got to go grab the class' marked lab reports but I'll be right back."

Stan watched as she exited the room before throwing his possessions down on his desired desk. It wasn't his usual spot, but it was where he knew he needed to be. Stan began organizing his pencils - just as he always did - as he knew the rest of his classmates would be filtering in soon enough.

As the clock ticked closer to the first period bell and different kids made staggered appearances, Stan felt his heart race. Each time he heard a new set of footprints he'd look up at the door, but it was never who he was searching for.

Stan didn't talk to any of the other students except for one girl, who he assumed usually sat in his current seat. When she stomped over to where he was sitting, he simply put up a finger, silencing her. "I'm sitting here today." He said without looking up, shooing her away with a flick of his wrist. She huffed loudly but walked away regardless.

True to his previous pattern, Bill Denbrough stumbled into the classroom approximately 30 seconds before the bell rang. He raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw Stan, but sat down in his usual seat next to him, resting his head on his arms, eyes closed.

Stan was eager to get his chance to talk to the younger boy, but before be could get a word in, the class started and he didn't want to interrupt. Instead, he sat back in his chair and zoned out, thinking over how well his plan had worked thus far. He had gotten up on time, walked to school so that he'd be early, and was able to sit next to Stuttering Bill.

The next thing Stan knew, a worksheet was on his desk pulling him out of his thoughts. A gentle buzz of quiet conversation settled across the class as the other students got to work. He looked down at his paper, neatly writing his name across the top.

The lesson was easy and Stan answered each question quickly and precisely. He glanced over at the boy next to him and couldn't help but smile when he saw Bill scribbling out all the correct answers on his own sheet, even faster than Stan could keep up with. Stan completed the last of his sheet, setting down his pencil and taking a deep breath.

"Hey Bill." Stan said quietly, seizing his opportunity, heart beating furiously. He glanced at the blue paint staining the other boy's hands. Bill looked up, confusion written all over his soft features.

"H-hi." He stuttered back.

Stan opened his mouth, then closed it again. That's when he realized that he had absolutely no idea what he was going to say.