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Imagine: Eddie refuses to let you continue plotting with the Losers to go to Neibolt street, afraid you'll be hurt.
***
You all stare at the map on the board. Every sewer in the town, marked on the map with red lines, joins at one place- the Well House on Neibolt street, where your boyfriend Eddie had been attacked.
"I can't imagine anything wanting to live there," Bill breathes.
"But that thing does," you continue, keeping your eyes forward. "That's where we find It."
All of a sudden, Eddie jumps up.
"Can we stop talking about this?" he says, his voice shaking. "I can barely breathe- this is Summer, we're kids- I can barely breathe, I think I'm having a fucking asthma attack-" he begins talking quickly, stuttering. You walk towards him, holding out your hand.
"Eddie, I know you're scared but calm down-"
"Don't fucking tell me to calm down!" he yells, making you jump at the unexpected raise in his voice. He shakes his head. "I am not doing this."
He turns and quickly tears down the map. You reach to take it, but he snatches it from your grasp.
"What the hell? Put it back!" Bill shouts. You try again for the map. Eddie looks at you.
"Eddie, put it back and sit down," you say sternly. "You know- you know what we have to do." You turn and look at Bill. Wherever It was hiding, you had to find it.
Eddie shook his head.
"Eddie. Give me the map."
The two of you stood, unmoving, glaring at each other. His shadow looming over his head, Eddie still stood firm.
"No. I won't let you go near that thing. I won't see you get hurt," he replied, looking you right in the eyes, trying to hide the shake in his voice.
"I don't care what you want. Why is it fair that we get to stay home, safe, while there are kids out there who weren't so lucky? They didn't have a clue what was happening, and we do!" you shouted, angry. "Georgie didn't," you added, not caring how hurtful his name was to mention. For the last time, you reached for the map, ignoring the glisten in his eyes.
That's when the projector flickered, and changed slides.
