The Losers and I

Ben's House

We biked to Ben's house and threw the bikes down in the front lawn. Following his lead we sprinted into the house. Richie was talking but what I noticed was everything, everywhere. On the walls, on the tables, the bed. Stan dug his fingernails into the side of my arm. I reassuringly put my hand on his back.

"Just breath, it's not that bad." I whispered. He looked at me like I had offended him in every single way possible. 

"Okay, it's kinda a mess, but just don't say anything, okay?" He rolled his eyes and his nails slowly undug from my skin. We started to look at the pictures. Richie and Eddie stopped talking as soon as they saw everything around.

"Hey, Rich, do you find this more interesting because I'm not the one talking about it?" I asked him and he snorted.

"H**l yeah, I mean I've been listening to your presentations forever, but history is a na-da from me to you." 

"You fell asleep!" He thought of something to say.

"I personally loved it." Bill was quick to say.

"Ser, the way it was pieced together was like a sanitized world." 

"Thanks, Eddie." I guess that's one way of comparing something. Stan looked at me.

"You know, that presentation, I thought it was one of your best."

"I mean, you did listen to it several different times."

"Like I said one of your best."

"See, I'm sure you did well, on, whatever you were doing."

"Yeah, I would hope so if I aced it."

"Then, what did you need me for?"

"I didn't. You forced me to present it." He pointed his finger, nodded his head, and turned the other way.

"Wow!" Richie exclaimed at the room.

"Cool, huh?" Ben asked.

"No, no, nothing cool. There's nothing cool." Richie told him.

"Well, this is cool. Right here." Eddie told him. 

"What's that?" Stan asked as he stood next to the other boys.

"Uh, that, that's the charter form for Derry township."

"Nerd, alert."

"No, actually, it's really interesting." I stopped listening because maybe you picked up, but I sat in a library for four days in a row to re search for a project that barely even happened. Because  the teacher didn't feel like it. Only the kids that actually put the work into it had to present. Everybody else got a free ticket and didn't have to do it. *cough* *cough* Richie. Sorry did I say that out loud.

I turned away from Bill to see Beverly closing the door and Ben giving her a hopeful please don't say anything look. Bev nodded and slowly opened it back up, it wasn't much but it was enough.

Ben had a New Kid On the Block poster taped up behind his door.

"Wh-whe-where was the wellhouse?" Bill asked.

"I don't know. Somewhere in town, I guess. Why?" Ben asked.

"Nothing." Bill whispered. I didn't need to be an idiot to know what he was referring to. But it were being honest it flashed my mind just the way it did his.