Watching a Silent Dawn

Golden Sketchpad Dreams

Stan watched as Richie ran off to be with Eddie after getting dressed and gathering his things in the blink of an eye and sighed. "So, who do you guys think will be the first one to confess? My money's on Eddie." Stan pitched the question to the remaining Losers. Mike went first. "To be completely honest? I think Richie. I mean, sure, he doesn't talk, but look at him! It's like he's filled to the brim with love for Eddie!" Ben agreed and Beverly made a noise of disagreement. "Wait, seriously Ben? No way that's happening. It's totally Eddie. He's falling in love with the guy just trying to figure him out and unlock his deepest secrets! It's like watching Stan do his burd puzzles, you can practically see it radiating off of him. It's definitely gonna be Eddie." Stan frowned at Bev's comment about his beloved puzzles. "Um, excuse you Beverly. Those puzzles are my heart and soul, thank you very much." She just laughed while Bill broke his silence. "I juh-genuinely think th-that they don't know th-they're like, totally in l-love with each uh-other." Stan smiled at Bill's theory. "That's actually a pretty good one Bill. Maybe one of them knows they like the other, but being in love? They're so clueless." Bev laughed. "Sounds like another couple I know." She said with a sly smile and turned to Ben and Mike for backup. Ben was lost, but Mike knew exactly what Bev had implied. "Oh yeah, I agree Bevvy. That sounds very much like a couple I know. One likes to draw and the other likes birds. They both like each other but definitely don't know the other is in love." Bev's face morphed into one of pure awe and shock at Mike not even holding back. Ben had a hand over his face, also in surprise. The remaining duo had just turned red and stepped away from each other slightly. "Oh come on Mike, it's so not like that. Have some common sense man." Stan said to Mike while looking at the quarry water they were still in. "Y-yeah Mike, yuh-you're star-starting to suh-sound like Buh-Bev." Mike just shrugged and laughed while swimming away. "I'm just calling it how I see it!" Ben looked apologetic before swimming off with Beverly attached to his shoulder. Bill turned to Stan. "I'm suh-sorry, that was ri-ridiculous. Bev and Mike are wuh-wild." Stan lightened up a bit and laughed at Bill. "She sure is Bill. She gets all that fire from her hair. Where else would it come from??" Both Stan and Bill laughed together. Stan turned to Bill after recovering from their Bev-fueled laughter. "Wanna join me on the rocks and dry off?" Stan gestured towards the shoreline and waited for Bill to answer. Bill just smiled lightly and nodded.

They both made their way to the shoreline without so much as a word to the other Losers, who were busy being caught up in a game of Marco Polo. Stan laid out a beach towel he'd brought along and laid out another one for Bill, who always loved Stan's thoughtful consideration for him and him only. Bill smiled while watching Stan lay out his spare towel for Bill before laying down on his own. Bill said a quick thanks and laid on the towel next to Stanley. They laid together in silence, and Bill was half asleep when Stan finally broke the peace. "I wonder what it's like to be in love like they are. So...so at peace and happy with each other." Bill sat up and looked at Stan. "Wh-who Stanny?" Stan got up and mirrored Bill's position. "Those two of course. Just look at them." Stan stuck his arm out and pointed to Beverly and Ben, who were afloat together and whispering in each other's ears while Mike swam around unknowingly with his arms out like planks of wood, apparently still playing Marco Polo. Bev giggled and threw her head back at something Ben said, only to be pulled back by him because Mike had heard and dove after the pair like a lion in the midst of his hunt. Bill watched as Ben led Beverly around Mike in circles while Ben was trying very hard to stifle a laugh at their own antics. Bill sighed and redirected his attention back to Stan. Stan had this look on his face, almost something like jealousy, but underneath that, Bill could see a flicker of something else. Sadness maybe? Bill has always been able to read people like an open book. But when it came to Stan? It was almost like Stan knew when Bill was going to try to read his emotions and then hid them away from him. "Why them? Wuh-wouldn't you want a l-love of your o-own kuh-kind? They suh-seem kinda clichè." Stan smiled and shook his head at the thought. "Hell yeah they are. Why didn't I see that before? In that case, then I most definitely do want my own kind of love." Bill watched as Stan laughed, his face almost as if it were glowing. Bill always noticed things like that, after all, he was told he was an artist. Bill supposed he could be when he grew up, or maybe in another life. All Bill did was sketch things from time to time, including a few of his fellow Losers. Bill noticed how the midday sun made the surface of the quarry water glitter like it had just rained diamonds. He had also noticed the noise tree leaves made when windy almost sounded like tv static- but much less aggressive. Another thing he had noticed was how Stan-

"Hello? Earth to Bill, you there?" Bill jumped out of his daydream as Stan was waving his soft hands in front of Bill's face- who was unknowingly staring at Stan the entirety of his daydream. "Oh! Uh, suh-sorry Stan. Got caught up in uh-another duh-daydream." Bill was red all the way up to the tips of his ears. Stan softened. "Got caught up in the beauty of the world huh? I don't blame you. It's dazzling here." Bill's blush went down a bit. "Y-yeah, it sh-sure is. Sorry fuh-for staring at you th-the whole time. I d-didn't mean to." Stan laid back down on his towel and lifted his arms to rest above his head. "Don't be. It's okay, really. I don't mind." Stan flashed him a soft smile before closing his eyes and eventually dozing off into a light sleep. Once Bill made sure Stan was really asleep, he laid back down on his own towel and closed his eyes, letting a warm sleep take over him as he dreamt of maybe drawing Stanley in his sketchpad one day.