A New Beginning

Chapter 8

       [A/N: This chapter goes over IT: Chapter Two through the majority of it. If you don't want characterized reviews of the movie then you can skip to the chapter break if you want to!]

Stan noticed the change in their demeanors now. It was dark and contemplative. He was worried for what they were gunna tell him, but nothing answered his question about Eddie yet, so there was more to come.
      "Eddie was scared to face the fucker so I gave him a little pep talk," Richie nudged the smaller man sitting beside him.
     "Yeah and so did Bev, too," Eddie said with a disgruntled look at Richie, "Bev gave me the pike from the fencing...to kill monsters."
     Bill cleared the silence, "We were met with a giant cave covered in stalagmite-like fixtures. We went to the middle and sacrificed our objects for the ritual before chanting. Mike closed the box, but a giant red balloon came out instead."
        "It deafened us for a bit but once our hearing came back, so did It," Ben states, looking at his hands as he twiddles his thumbs, "He taunted us and that Mike didn't tell the full truth about the ritual. Mike felt so bad he almost sacrificed himself, but Bill saved him. Then we had to run from giant spider Pennywise."
        "We all got split up to face our fears. I know Richie and I got the three doors of fate," Eddie noted and looked around at the others to tell their illusions.
        "Ben and I got the clubhouse and the school bathroom," Bev adds and looks to Mike and Bill.
        "I never got one," Mike admits, "I just hid from IT."
        "Mine was my basement where I saw IT for the first time with G-G-Georgie..." Bill told the group.
        Mike places a hand on Bill's shoulder to comfort him, "IT found me and tried to attack me once again, but Richie threw a rock at IT."
         "I called him a Sloppy Bitch," Richie smiles proudly while leaning back in his chair.
        "Yeah, Before you got caught in Deadlights, asshole!" Eddie sternly told the comedian with pointed hand before realizing what he had to finish, "I needed to get Richie out of the Deadlights and I looked at the pike and knew I couldn't sit in fear anymore, so I launched it at IT's throat."
         "Damn," Stan gasped, but the rest of them were silent.
        "Yeah, ha, I went to Richie to make sure he was okay as IT fell onto a spike. I was telling him I killed it and that..that we did it and...and before I knew it...I was...sk-skewered through the middle, by I-IT's fucking sickle-" Eddie forces out like it was his last breath.
       Richie is instantly at his side as is Bill who got up and consoles the man. Stan was somewhat shocked. If he knew, he wouldn't have made Eddie tell that part of the story. Richie has Eddie's hand to help him with his inhaler as Bill gently hugged him.
       "IT swung him around like it was funny, but we were all shocked," Bev murmurs to make sure that Eddie didn't listen as the two console him, "Once he was thrown off and away from IT, we went after him, ready to end it."
        "We had to make him small so we made him small in the way others made us small. Taunting." Mike told Stan and Stan frowns.
       "If I would've know we could kill him by sassing him to death, I wouldn't have killed myself." Stan admits and it causes Richie and Bev to laugh a little.
       Even Eddie choked out a little laugh. "Aye, There's my Eddie spaghetti," Richie proclaims and Eddie nudges him again, gaining a bit more laughter out of the group.
       "Sorry about that," Eddie gestures over his shoulder at past him, "Just still something I'm going through."
      "No worries, Eddie. I would've also reacted the same way," Stan taps a few of his scars on his cheek, reminding his friend that he knows how being attacked by IT leaves scars.
       "So we basically bullied him to death and squeezed his heart to kill him. Richie was taking care of Eddie, but he joined in. We went back to Eddie, but he wasn't responding." Bev started up again which made the group sullen again.
        "I fought with them to help me bring Eddie our as the place crumbled away around us. They eventually helped me bring him out. We were almost to late for the house falling on us and bringing Eddie to the hospital. I threw a fit for those assholes to fix Eds up and stat. He didn't wake up for two days!" Richie remarks and Eddie chuckles at him.
      "So that's mainly the end of, well, IT." Bill adds and Stan huffs our some air.
       "Wow, I'm kinda wishing I had joined you guys," Stan admits, "mainly for bullying IT to death."
      They all chuckle in response, finally the mood lifting. "You would've hated it, Stan," Eddie comments.
       "I would've," Stan sighs happily, "but I'm proud of you guys. You killed IT. No more creepy clowns in our lives."
       "Amen to that, Brother," Bev adds.
       "To the Losers" Stan says, lifting up his glass and the others joined in, saying the statement in unison as they clinked their glasses together.

               ———

       After a few more drinks and a bit of laughter, Stan went out to get some fresh air. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He needed the smoke after rethinking the whole conversation with the group. He lit the cigarette and brought it to his lips, taking in a puff to let out into the cool air.
       "Whoa," a feminine voice called from behind, "Stanley Uris smokes?"
      Stan turned and looked toward the voice to see Beverly. He chuckled lightly, "Sometimes. It's just a treat."
       Bev giggled back, "You should be worried about your health. You were just in the hospital."
       "Well, I was a miracle, so I'm probably fine."
       "That's true," Bev lit her own cigarette and took a drag, "It's so nice to be all together, again."
       "It really is," Stan commented as they smoked in silence.
       The door opened once again and they both turned to see Richie laughing and calling back into the restaurant. Richie looked at the two with a smile, "Hey, is it smoke break time?"
        "Yep," Beverly replied, holding out her pack of cigarettes to him, "Wanna join?"
        "Fuck, yes," Richie stated in relief before grabbing for a cig.
         Beverly lit his cigarette for him and Richie took in a deep drag before letting the smoke up in the air, "God, I needed this."
          Beverly giggled lightly and Stan rose a brow at the taller fellow, "And why is that?"
         "Even though it's been like a month since...Derry, It's still fucking with my head," Richie scratched at his head, making his already messy hair more of a rats nest.
         "Have you talked about it?" Bev asked him and he shook his head while taking a drag.
        "Why the fuck would I talk about it to anyone? Like, 'Hey, let me talk about fighting a giant alien clown in the sewers of my home town I didn't know about until I went back'?"
        "That's not what Bev is saying, Rich." Stan adds and Richie looks at the curly haired man.
        "Then what do you mean?" Richie looks back to Bev.
        "Have you talked to one of us about it? Like Eddie or Bill?" Bev suggested and Richie shook his head again.
       "No, no. We literally just talked about it and you saw how everyone was. It fucked us up."
       "Like we weren't fucked up already," Stan commented and Richie snorted.
       "You're right. What's a little more trauma?" Richie joked and Stan chuckled a bit.
       Richie let out a puff of smoke before putting his cigarette out in the ashtray. "I'm going back in. See you in a few," Richie salutes and walks back inside.
       Beverly continued gazing at the door before looking into the parking lot. "I get what he's talking about," She commented into the silence and Stan looked to the ginger.
       "Yeah?" He also understood, but he wanted to hear what she had to say.
        "Yeah. The dissociation as you randomly remember it from one word, or just a nightmare. Luckily, I have Ben who I can talk to about it without seeming like a lunatic." She remarked and took a drag from her cigarette.
        "That's nice. I've talked to Patty recently about it, but I know I sound like crazy person in her ears. I still have nightmares about Judith." Stan fidgeted with his cigarette in between his fingers.
         "Judith?" Beverly looked over at the man with a confused frown.
         "The painting," He told her, "'Judith and Her Flute'."
        "Oh, right. I forgot about her," She put out her cigarette and hugged herself in the cold.
        Stan huffed a chuckle as he put out his cigarette, "lucky you."
       She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, "Come on, let's get back in there. The others are probably getting a headache from Richie and Eddie's bickering."
      Stan chuckled lightly, "Those two. At least they always made the club interesting."
      "Honestly," Bev agreed and let her hand fall from his shoulder to enter the dining hall once more.