Richie's been struggling with his sexuality for years, unsure of what everyone would think of him when they found out his secret. After defeating Pennywise with the other losers, he's clueless as to where his life is leading him.
Little does Richie...
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"Hello, Greta." Eleven grinned softly, looking up at the frizzy-haired blonde with childlike wonder. She was curious as to why she kept her hair to one side, but figured it was a convenience sort of scenario.
"I was uh- just-" Greta was extremely nervous. This was her first crush on a girl (very close to her second crush, Cyndi Lauper) and she wanted her point to come across smoothly. 'I want you to live with me so we can adopt five small orphans and cook dinner together and get married and shit.' "Do you like movies?"
El nodded, smiling with her nose scrunching up. "I do like movies." El loved movies. She was recently studying romantic movies, trying to understand what to do in a relationship. Sex really confused her, but she decided that she could figure out that stuff some other time. After her relationship with Mike Wheeler, she wanted to be sure that something was love and not just friendship.
"Maybe we can see one together."
"You are very attractive." El said matter-of-factly, unaware of her 'confidence'.
Inside the school, Beverly stood at her locker calmly, holding her books and trying to get into the right mindset for the day. Her decision to return to Derry was a risky one in her the mind. She would have to remember the trauma of Pennywise as well as the confusing feelings she faced between Ben and Bill.
"H-hi Bev." It was Ben. Her lucky day.
"Ben!" She pulled him close and he slowly wrapped his hands around her small frame in support. "Where have you been?" She already knew the answer.
"The library." He rolled his eyes cheekily as if it was obvious.
She smiled for a moment, taking in Ben's appearance. He'd grown a bit taller and lost a tiny bit of weight, but he had the cute and innocent face that Beverly loved so much. She didn't realise it, but looking at Ben made her heart beat faster than when she looked at Bill. "Are you still hanging with the other losers?" Bev asked, knowing of Ben's introverted mindset.
"I think I'm better off staying away from them." Ben cleared his throat softly, trying desperately to maintain eye contact with Beverly, but felt his heart beating out of his chest. "There's too many bullies and stuff. If I hang with them, I'll only make things worse-"
"When have bullies ever stopped us from being friends?"
"It happened once, it can happen again." Ben shifted on his feet.
"Sit with us at lunch."
"What?"
"Sit with us at lunch. The table feels empty without you. Getting Mike into the school is the next thing on our agenda." Bev smiled happily and put her hand on Ben's shoulder.
"Okay." He said in a quiet voice, finally resisting the urge to isolate himself.
Richie and Eddie arrived at school together, striding in on their bikes.
After the comments his mother had made about his body, Eddie was nervous about what she would do next. She could bar his window. She could chain him to his bed. She could poison him. She could lock him in a basement until he starved to death. There was no telling what she would do next, but Eddie knew for sure that Sonia wouldn't limit herself to just verbal abuse. Eddie thought about his body image more and more from everything his mother told him. But the strange thing was that Sonia constantly changed her mind.
Sonia Kaspbrak sometimes saw her son as fat and disgusting, but other times, she thought he looked like a stick. Her solution? Starve him half the time, fatten him up the other. That way, Eddie would always remain the same weight and rely on his mother for help.
Richie's only thoughts were of the boy riding his bike in front of him. Did he know how beautiful he was? Did he know that his freckles speckled his face like tired stars? Oh, how Richie wished Eddie knew of his outrageous beauty. Eddie wasn't a little boy anymore.
They made it to the bike racks just like usual.
It had only been four days since they'd seen each other for the first time in years, but it seemed as though they picked up where they left off.
"I'm so fucking tired of going to school, Chee." Eddie whined, locking his bike up steadily.
"Yeah, I'm just about ready to say 'fuck it' and drop out."
Eddie looked into Richie's large eyes, "You serious?"
"No. Unless you'd do it with me?"
"I don't know how Will would feel about that." Eddie giggled, causing Richie's face to light up.
"Hey, faggots!"
That was a voice that neither of the boys had ever heard before.
A group of boys their age surrounding Richie and Eddie, forming a tight semi circle.
Eddie shook slightly whilst Richie stood his ground even though he felt as though he would faint. "I'm scared, Richie." Eddie whispered to Richie, gaining a few chuckles from the group.
