what goes around comes around

Part 3

Henry regularly met his guys in the Barrens out of Derry for drinking and hanging around. That's what they were doing when they did not cruise or walk aroud to find victims. Today he was the last one to appear. Victor, Belsh and Patrick have been there aleady. With the hands in the pockets he stepped towards them before sitting down.

„Man, you are finally here, Henry!" „Yeah, I had to care about the laundry again." „Well, you are such a housemaid..." Patrick and Victor were laughing. „Shut up!", Henry replied grumpily and took himself a can of bear. „We got something for you." Patrick gave him a pornomagazine, opening up the same one next to Belsh; they were scrolling around in an excited way. Also victor turned his head towards the magazine. Henry watched the magazine in his hand without interest, lighting up one cigarette, before he threw his one to victor. „Here you go! You do not have to beat yourselfs about it!" „Whoa, this one is really hot...", Belsh claimed. „I would do it with her..." „I'd do it with all oft them!", Patrick yelled. „That's right, you perv!" Henry only listened with half ear; his thoughts still were cruising about the car repair thing yesterday. „Good boy, there's something. You do look at me so sad right from your deep eyes." He was just so close telling her that he really had a crush on her. Henry bit his lip, trying to push the picture away from his thoughts. He had not even realised, that Victor was talking to him. Frustrated he punched the tree trunk he was sitting on. Meanwhile also patrick and Belsh stared at him. „What's wrong with you, man?" Also Patrick pointed to him. „Something is going on!" His behaviour was embarassing to Henry. „What is going on, huh?! Tell me, what!" „Lovesickness", Victor gave it a try. „Shup up your fucking mouth!" He sat down again growling and picked up the magazine. If he just gave them one tip, they knew what was going on. But he would love to have asked them a few questions, for example if it was normal, that a boy of his age falls in love with a woman who is 12 years older. Though, Lena looked younger than she was.
„Is it Beverly Marsh?", Patrick tried. „Don' t worry, she does it with everybody." „Nonsense, it's not her..." He watched the women in the magazine still disinteresed and assumed that Lena had a body much more beautiful than all of them. He didn't know a lot of it so far.

One week had passed. Patrick was sitting next to Henry on the back of the bench. „Well, fine so far. You're in love, we know." Victor and Besh were giggling, when Henry looked at them they instantly stopped. „Why do you tell me this nonsense?! Do I have no right to be in a bad mood, huh?!" „For 3 weeks?" Henry jumped up and removed a bit. „There has to be a girl you like...", Belsh said. „Why do you not just tell us who it is?", Victor agreed to Belsh. „I do not want to talk about it, that's all, got it?!" „Who is she?", Patrick started again. Finally Henry surrendered. He came back to the bench. „It's Lena." „Lena who?" Henry stared at him angrily. „Lena!", he repeated. Patrick still didn't get it, nor did the others. Henry rolled his eyes in agression. „Street punching Lena!" Finally they understood as he could see in their stunned looks. „This woman? You are crazy!", Belsh said. „She's way to old for you, Henry, she's about 30", Vintor agreed. „I would not even want to get close to her", Patrick added. „You're so helpfull, thanks a lot!" Henry replied in anger. „Do you think I do not know myself?! But that does not change anything! It does not solve my problem..." Victor came next to him. „Goodness, Henry, since when do you have a crush on her?" „The first day." The three boys stared at him. „You mean like...from all the start? When they did not find a parking space?" Henry nodded. The next moment Victor punched him in the side; Lena came out of school; he stared over to her and back to his boys. „So what?!" „Get over, talk to her." „Sure. As if I had not tried a thousand times. She doesn't like me, that's all. There's no need to try." Lena walked passing them in three meters distance with Henry's look following her. She wore a blue Hoodie without arms and jeans. And she was talking to another man and did not even recognize him. „Yeah. She's hot", Patrick agreed. „I think this guy knows it, too." „Shut up!", Henry said. „Go, go, follow her, you got to talk to her, before she's gone!" Patrick gave him a nudge, he stumpled and crashed directly into Lena and her accompainment. Victor and Belsh both made a pity face and chewed on their lips. Lena turned around in anger. „You again! Can you not watch out where you are walking?" „I was not my fault!", Henry defensed. „I got punched." „Who would dare it to punch you? And why do you waste time with me instead of punching back?" „I don't know, someone did, I don't care. How are you?", he then asked in a serios voice. „I'm still alive." „I mean in general." „Fine, thank you." Lena turned around and walked away. Henry came back, shaking his head. „You are so great, thank you!" frustrated he got back on his bench again. „I will never make it." „Alright, that was not good, we're gonna try another way."

„What was that?", Verena wanted to know. She met me right outside the school building. The teacher that had talked to me a little bit, walked to his car. I could feel Henry still looking over. „What do you mean?", I asked back. „Henry Bowers!", she added very clearly. I sighed. „He tried to talk to you, why not giving him a try?" „I did, I did." „A serious one. Lena, that was unfair. Go back to him." „I don't want this guy, I told you so!" „No, no, no, you said you would step towards him, figuratively." She gave me a little punch. „Fine then!" Angrily I went back. As I did, I felt sorry for Henry, who sat on his bench like a pile of misery, while Victor was talking to him. I stepped in front of him. Patrick saw me first and cleared his throat. Henry looked up and wasn't sure if he sees correctly.

„Hello again. Would you please tell your three shadows to leave the scene?" Patrick, Victor and Belsh left the bench with clear looks. They were smiling a little bit and got away. I finally sat down. Henry didn't seem to understand. „Sorry for what just happened some minutes ago." „Tzz, I see, you need your friend to come back and talk to me!", he puked out. „You can save that for another guy!" „Do you think this is easy for me?!" „Maybe. One moment you act as if you are so nice and understanding and the next moment you completly ignore me or run me up!" „Sorry that I didn't want to get in your car that evening!" I turned to him. „But it would be a little easier to me if you could just apologize for what you do to other children!" Henry jumped up and showed me a bird. „Better don't meet me again!", he growled. „Don't worry, I won't!" I saw him rushing away and so did I. When I stood next to Verena I was even more frustrated. „What is it?!", I asked in anger. „You're in love, that's what is."

It didn't make any sense, he thought by hisself. She was 12 years older and a famous writer. He never had a change to win her. In anger he kicked the stake next to him. Besides she knew who he was and which kind of reputation he had in Derry. She never would spend time with someone like him. His father would beat him, if he found out. The next moment he saw Ben Hanscom on the other side of the street; normly he would have attacked him, but he didn't feel like doing so. He was curious to see, what the loser wanted to do in front of this house. He belonged to this silly stuttring Bill and the other losers, which were the preferred victims for Henry's gang. He put a letter in front of the door, rang the bell and left. Henry twisted his mouth; that's what fit this loser. He would never made himself such an idiot because of a woman. The door was opened and Beverly stepped out. That was one oft he losers club, too. She picked up the letter, looked around and got inside again. „Well, is this embarassing show all over now?" Ben stood still and stared at Henry Bowers, who leaned at the lateral mast with crossed arms. He was just about to run. „Don't worry, I'm alone. I don't feel like hitting little children today." He stepped towards Ben. „Man, that was so embarassing! Why not telling her directly, what's going on?!" Ben wasn't sure if he got him right. „What do you mean?" „I mean this Marsh! If you have to get a crush on a girl like her, tell her at leat, you loser!" Henry turned around and left.

It was weekend, a warm summer afternoon. Henry sat on the veranda, pushing the piece of paper between his fingers. He just didn't know what to do. Saying he didn't care was easier than really not to care. Somehow he despised himself for his cowardice. He just should get over to her and ask her. She would say no anyway. Meanwhile it got so far, he almost couldn't think of anything else; in school he had problems concentrating. Only the work in the car repair shop distracted him like the cruising tours with his guys. Some days ago he saw her in the library again. He secretly had watched her. When the door opened, Henry flinched. It was his father.