Summer of '93 - Stozier

42

"You f-figured out your issue ye-yet?" Bill asked, from behind Stan, who was zoned out while walking, causing him to flinch.

"Jesus, Bill! Don't do that!" He rolled his eyes.

"Well? H-have you?" Bill asked again, walking beside Stan. The group were on their way to hang out at Mikes farm.

"No." Stan mumbled. "Its only been a few weeks since I started questioning this shit, it takes time."

"You're teh-telling me." Bill chuckled. "Took me y-years to fig-figuh-figure it out."

"Years?!" Stan screeched a little louder than he had meant, clearing his throat and turning back to Bill. "Y-years?"

"I-I mean- Thats juh-hust m-me." Bill shrugged. "It isn't always that hard."

"Ugh." Stan groaned, taking a long glance over at Richie, who was looking smug while Eddie rolled his eyes and grimaced at a joke he had made. Bev was laughing and punching his shoulder.

•*•*•*•*•*•*•

"Guys, I gotta go now." Stan announced, getting up from his spot under the tree and brushing off his pants.

"What?!" Bev furrowed her eyebrows. "Its only.. um- Three PM!"

Stan shrugged, glancing over at Bev, who was helping Eddie pin Richie down to win their play wrestling match. "I have chores to do."

"Boring!" Eddie scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Richie, seeing his opportunity while both Bev and Eddie were distracted, used all of his upper body strength (Which wasn't a lot but oh well) to push both of them off of him. He panted a little as he stood up, brushing off the grass from his clothes. "Hah! Losers!"

"Thats a c-compliment!"

"Stick a sock in it, Denbrough!"

The group went back to their conversations, Ben teaching Jenny and Bill how to make a flower crown, and Mike and Bev arguing over the best horror movie.

"Hey! Stanthony!" Richie waved, running up to the curly headed boy who was shrugging on his backpack while beginning to walk up the dirt path towards Mikes house.

"Hm?" Stan hummed, glancing over at him, continuing to walk.

"Can I- woah- Can I walk back with you?" He asked, almost tripping over his untied shoe lace.

"Sure, i guess." Stan mumbled, kicking a stone.

The walk to Richies house from Mikes was a long distance, even longer to Stans, so by the time they were half way to Richies house, they'd already been walking for half an hour. Stan didn't talk much. Richie did. Richie hated silence, he always needed to fill it.

"Hey! Its your birthday tomorrow!" Richie pointed out, clapping his hands together. "The big one-eight." He chuckled.

"Mhm."

"Ya scared to finally become a man?" Richie joked.

"Did that years ago." Stan forced a laugh, recalling his Bar Mitzvah, which had turned out horribly. At least Richie showed up.

"True, true. We're going out, right?"

"W-what?" Stan asked, eyes wide.

"Tomorrow." Richie shrugged. "The Losers. Your birthday?"

"O-oh.. Right." Stan laughed nervously. "Yeah. I think. I mean- my dad wont care, but i'd have to bribe my ma to let me hang out with you guys for the full day." He rambled. "Just yesterday I had to convince her not to take me to see my aunts in Georgia."