Title//Reddie

Part 19. Thursday, August 22nd.

Richie tried not to tell anyone, but Bev pried it out of him during a truth or dare game on Tuesday. After that, he assumed she would tell everyone(which was never her intention) so he told Bill that was her plan. Bill told everyone before Beverly could, unbeknownst to the fact that she was never going too. Stan has yet to know, he's been avoiding the losers since last week.
"Hey" Stan surprised the losers by walking into the diner they were all at. They had attempted to invite him, but he never opened the door. They left him a note, he almost didn't go. He decided it had been long enough, he didn't think Bill would have told. But still, he had a deep dark feeling that they all knew.
"Hey!" Beverly exclaimed, jumping up to hug him, which he accepted but didn't hug back.
"What the fuck man? We haven't seen you in forever" Richie complained.
"It was only a week." Ben corrected "but it felt longer"
"Yeah, like forever" Richie said.
Bill didn't say anything, he just smiled at Stan and his message delivered.
"Welcome back buddy" Mike smiled wide "so where were you?"
"And you better have a damm good answer" Said Richie.
"I wasn't anywhere" Stan chuckled. "I've just been swamped with this summer school homework"
"So you've been gone for a week? Doing homework?" Richie said in disbelief.
"Yeah" Stan lied.
"That's so fucking sad," Richie said, "Why would anyone want to do that?"
"I was worried you were avoiding us after what happened" Eddie let slip.
"I was kinda worried about that too" Mike spoke.
"What happened?" Stan asked.
"Well, you know" Ben didn't help.
"I really don't" Stanley said.
"How you and Bill like totally fucked" Richie stated.
"Ew Richie what the fuck? Don't say it like that" Eddie cringed.
"Am I wrong though"
"Just shut up!" Eddie exclaimed.
"Fine. God" Richie gave in.
"What? Me and Bill What?" Stanley's head was spinning, he never expected people to know.
Bill was looking anywhere but Stans face.
"You told them?" Stan asked Bill.
Bill didn't answer, but his silence answered everything.
"What the fuck. What the fuck! That was a secret, Bill" Stan said, not even caring that his voice cracked and his eyes welled with tears. He had more pressing matters than a few tears.
"I know!" Bill exclaimed "I-I-I'm sorry"
"Sorry? Sorry doesn't even began to forgive what I'm feeling right now" Said Stan.
"Well I-I-I don't know w-w-w-What else to say." Bill sighed "I d-didn't mean to t-tell everyone w-w-w-we did it"
"Very delicate word choice Bill" Richie teased.
"It's not that I'm mad about us...you know" Stan told him "Now everyone knows that I'm......."
"You're w-w-w-What?" Bill struggled to say.
"A fucking f**got." Stan spoke "Do you know how much it sucks that I didn't get to tell everyone when I was good and ready? I've barely even told myself. "
"Yes, I r-r-realize and I'm s-s-Sorry" Bill realized how little sorry did.
"Well now everyone knows. You can't take that back with sorry" Stan spat.
"Stan, it's okay" Richie spoke up.
"No! You're the worst of them. You're straight, and you make offensive gay jokes. You use the f slur. Have you ever thought about why you shouldn't do that?" Stan argues.
Richie was gay, he could reclaim the f slur. But Stan didn't know that, only Bev and Eddie did. God, Richie sounded like such a jackass right now.
"Stan I- I'm sorry" Richie apologized.
"Stop saying that!" Stan exclaimed "Maybe just don't do the bad thing, then you don't have to apologize"
"Stan. There are worse things in the world than a few supportive people knowing you aren't straight" Beverly countered.
"But I never got to tell you! That was ripped for me. So now I'll never have the perfect coming out story, I don't even have a coming out story. I wasn't ready, I didn't want anyone to know. But now everyone knows. So fuck you Bill. Fuck you. I'm done with you" Stan stormed out of the diner, not even looking back.
"I feel s-s-so horrible" Bill said.
"Don't worry, we're the only ones who know. It'll be okay" Beverly reassured.
But it wasn't.
Word travels fast in a small town.
The people sitting at the table beside them, they went home and told their parents what happened. Their parents went and told their work friends, their work friends told their families, their families told their friends, their friends told their parents, their parents told the woman at the supermarket and the man at the pharmacy story, the man at the pharmacy store told Ms. Kaspbrak, Ms. Kaspbrak told Mrs. Denbrough, and Mrs.Denbrough told Mrs, and Mr. Uris.