More Than The Upside Down - An IT (2017) & Stranger Things Crossover

Lies and Deception

Bill

Bill had been struggling to swallow down the guilt that had been weighing him down since they had left the AV Club. As soon as Will's voice had crashed through the static on the radios, he was instantly transported back into when he had first stumbled into that place. That was the same voice the boy had and Bill couldn't believe he had forgotten the boy that was in there until now. The boy haunted his very thoughts and he couldn't walk without fear, guilt and shame wearing him down.

They were all back in Dustin's basement now. Eleven was resting peacefully on the couch, with the blood wiped from her face and the colour beginning to return to her skin. Bill couldn't bear lying to the group any longer, he had to be honest and fix this as best as he could.

"Guh-Guh-Guys," Bill called out, he could feel his voice beginning to shake already.

Mike looked over at him from where he was sitting, which was next to Eleven. "What's up?"

He swallowed nervously, "I-I-I ha-haven't been ho-honest with you."

His friend looked at him confusion, "What do you mean?"

Bill noticed that sweat was beginning to collect on his palms and he wiped his hands on his jeans. "W-When I-I f-first stumbled into the p-portal I-I w-was all by mys-s-self, at least, th-that's what it seemed like."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Mike questioned.

"I-I f-fell i-into the portal and th-there was another boy there. I-I think it might have been your f-friend W-Will," Bill admitted, looking down ashamedly.

"What? Why didn't you say anything?" Bill could hear the anger rise in Mike's voice.

"I-It slipped my mind, I-I'm s-s-so s-sorry Mike," Bill answered, not daring to meet Mike's furious gaze.

Dustin interrupted, "How did you know that it was Will?"

Bill looked over at Dustin, "Because th-that boy had the s-s-same voice a-as hih-hih-hih-him."

"How did it slip your mind, Bill?" Mike yelled. "It doesn't seem like something that would slip your mind that easily."

"B-B-Because I-I've been transported to another f-f-fucking dimension, my sister lost a lot of blood, my brother's m-missing, s-something's after us and I've been trying to help you guys f-f-find him!" Bill snapped back, feeling the heat in his body rise and flow into his fists.

"I get that what's happened to you is hard and I'm sorry for that," Mike argued, his tone of voice turning sympathetic for one second before turning back to anger. "But if you knew that you could have possibly seen Will in there, you should have told us."

"I-I-I know I-I f-f-fucked up!" Bill yelled back. "I-I'm s-sorry!"

Mike began to storm out of the basement, "I don't want to see you right now."

Before he walked out, Bill saw tears flicker in Mike's eyes. Bill heard Dustin call after him but he didn't respond, continuing to race out of there, with Eleven following behind him. Bill was tempted to run after him, but he knew that that would cause more disastrous consequences.

"Stay here," Dustin ordered the rest of the group before racing out of the basement with Lucas to catch up with Mike and calm him down.

Bill was flooded with shame and guilt now. He sank further into the chair he was sitting in, avoiding the stares of the others. He could understand why Mike was mad at him, though. If somebody had found Georgie and didn't bother to say anything, he would have been too angry to speak. I fucked up, why couldn't have I remembered it sooner? He thought, allowing himself to sink deeper and deeper into the hole of indignity, self-reproach and sorrow that he was feeling, until he eventually grew numb.