Chapter Text
Bill felt like he was going to be sick. For real this time. Georgie was gone. He went out in the rain and never returned. The only thing Bill could feel was the guilt swirling inside of him. Stanley likes to say it wasn't his fault. It's not his fault that Georgie went missing but Bill knows better.
If he just decided to get his ass up and hang out with his brother. Georgie never asks for anything yet the one time he asks to play Bill decides to be a dick and fake a sickness. Now Georgie is gone. Bill can't think of anything else besides him. He won't let Georgie down again. He believes Georgie is alive, Georgie is strong, and brave and there is no way he's dead yet. Bill believes Georgie is still alive.
One year later it's a little harder to believe.
"So there's this church full of Jews right? and Stan has to take this super Jewy test." Three boys existed in the classroom. Squishing close together to try and avoid the other Body's in the busy hallway. Bill turned to Eddie, confused. "But How's it work?"
"They slice the tip of his dick off." Eddie made a motion with his hands as if to say 'that's just what I heard.' Richie snickered. "But then Stanley will have nothing left!"
As if summoned, Stanley walked over to the other three pushing himself in between Eddie and Bill. When Stanley was walking at the same pace as them, Bill took that opportunity to ask Stan about his Bar Mitzvah. Richie brought up the dick thing again, which only made Stanley roll his eyes mumbling something about 'uneducated idiots' before answering.
"At the Mitzvah, I read from the Torah, I make a speech and suddenly I become a man." They pushed passed a couple of students. Eddie stumbling over his feet trying not to get trampled by the many students flowing through the hallway. Stanley pulled him closer, knowing what a big deal Eddie's mom would make if the boy so much as tripped the wrong way. "I could think of funner ways to become a man."
" 'more fun' you mean" Richie rolled his eyes, swiftly moving around a girl who was speeding in the other direction of the hallway. "Fucking grammar police over here."
As the boys were nearing the exit they passed Henry Bowers and his rookies. They glared and smiled disgustingly at them. As they walked by, but one member particularly made the losers feel extra un-easy. There stood Patrick Hockstetter, in the humble opinion of many, the worst member of the Bowers gang. Staring down the losers, he grinned. This wasn't the usual 'I'm going to beat you' kind of stare. This stare made Richie's insides turn uncomfortably, and made his head swirl with anxiety. The losers tried to keep their faces neutral as they saw Patrick lick his lips, staring deeply at Richie when they went further into the hallway. Said boy pushed his glasses up his nose by the rims on the sides. It was a nervous tick that he couldn't help and the others noticed immediately. Stan was going to speak up but Richie spoke before him, activating his defense mechanism.
"Think they'll sign my yearbook?" Eddie narrowed his eyes when he heard the slight waver in the taller boy's words.
"'dear Richie, Sorry for taking a hot steaming dump in your backpack last March, have a great summer!'" He laughed as he slung arm around Bill who just smiled in return. If he was being honest the Bowers Gang didn't bother them as much since the whole Georgie..situation, and most of Bill was grateful but part of him wished otherwise. Maybe getting a few punches from Bowers would make it feel like everything was normal again. Like Georgie wasn't missing.
The others noticing his slight uneasiness decided to let the situation brush past them. Not wanting to make the situation worse than it has to be."That's so gross! I have no idea how you have the same backpack after that. No matter how many times you clean it- do you have any idea how much bacteria could still be lingering? Even worse what if there is Stains-" Richie took his arm off Bill's shoulder and gave Eddie a grin that can only be described as evil. "You know it's not the first time I had to clean out stains, I mean after that Night with your mother-"
Eddie just groaned loudly and walked faster as Richie laughed. They walked through the exit doors, Stan gave a girl an offended look as she pushed against him with more force than necessary. Bill noticing just laughed and shook his head ushering Stan outside faster and leading him towards the garbage cans to dump their work. Richie dug through his bag taking out a couple of comic books and giving them to Eddie to hold before dumping all his schoolwork into the trash with Stan and Bill. Eddie decided to keep a couple of things like his report card, knowing his mother would want to see it. He handed the comics back to Richie when he was done. Who then stuffed them in his now empty school bag.
"Best, feeling, ever." Richie slung his backpack back onto his back "Oh yeah? try tickling your pickle for the first time."
"What do you guys want to do tomorrow?" All three boys ignored Richie's comment, quite used to it. Richie just ignored the strange looks sent his way from the other kids passing by. "Start my training,"
"Training? What training?" Richie casually glanced at Eddie, playing with the tightening straps on his backpack "street fighter."
Eddie gaped, genuinely surprised by Richie's answer. He's honestly not sure how Richie isn't tired of that place yet, he's in the arcade more often than he's in his own home- well to be fair Richie is usually anywhere but his own home.
"Is that how you want to spend your summer? Inside of an arcade?" Richie grinned and Eddie wished at that moment that he just left it alone, "Beats spending it inside of your mother- oh!!"
Richie put his arm up for a high five but Stan just shut it down with an eye roll. Richie gave a pout in return quite proud of his timing for the joke. Stanley just looked at Eddie about to make a suggestion before Richie cut him off.
"Come on" Richie said dragging out the 'on'. " wouldn't a little trip to the arcade tickle your fancy? Try something new for a change" Stanley huffed at Richie's poor attempt at a British accent but didn't comment on the interruption. Richie usually needed to say what was on his mind at all times. He usually does it unintentionally. An itch to get the words out as soon as possible in case he gets distracted or forgets what he is going to say. The boy was always moving. It could be his mind or his body but Richie never stopped. His thoughts would constantly be running Which is the main cause of his 'trashmouth' reputation, or his body in the words of Richie himself would be 'buzzing'. Stanley wouldn't call it that himself but he couldn't deny the constant 'buzz' that came from Richie.
"What if we go to the quarry?" Stan spoke up again side eyeing Richie to tell him no, he infact did not want to try something new. Eddie seemed to like that idea, Richie shrugged, but Bill shook his head and gave Stan a look. "Guys, w-we ha-h-have the Ba-b-bar-barrens."
Stanley held back a sigh, giving Bill a small smile "Right."
Eddie spotted Betty Ripsom's mom and suddenly the atmosphere got tense. Bill had this look on his face that the others could only read as sorrow. Richie decided to push aside his own thoughts for the sake of his friends nudging Bill forward and giving him a grin.
"You know the Barrens aren't that bad, who doesn't love splashing around in shitty water." Before Eddie could even start to rant about how gross it is Richie was pulled back into Stan. Colliding with the curly haired boy before aggressively hitting the ground. Richie held back a groan and Stan curled around the arm that had taken the impact.
"Nice Frisbee, flamer" Stan tried to reach for the item in Patrick's hand but winced in pain almost as soon as he moved. "Give it back!"
Patrick just looked at Bowers and laughed as he stepped over Stanley. Richie tried to quickly get up and get back Stanley's kippah but Patrick just kicked him back down, knocking the wind out of the boy before throwing it into a moving school bus.
"Richie, Stan-" Eddie was cut off with a gag as Belch burped right in his face. Making goosebumps spread across his skin in pure disgust. He didn't hold back a shiver wanted to shake off the feeling as soon as possible.
Henry shoved passed Bill laughing out a "losers" before walking a way. Bill took one look at his friends before the frustration and anger bubbled up over the edge.
"You s-sh-s-suck Bowers!" There was a faint 'shut up Bill' but was left unheard due to the negative feelings clouding the tall boy's mind.
Henry turned around a glare present on his face and stepped forward trying to threaten the younger boy.
"You s-s-say something? buh-buh-buh Billy?" He mocked, moving closer to Bill. It looked like he was about to hit him but then Bowers looked over Bill's shoulder and took a hesitant step back but the glare never left his face, and Bill just glared back. "This summer is going to be a hurt train, for you and your faggot friends."
Henry glared at Richie and Stan who were now off the ground. Stan still cradling his arm in pain. Then, Bowers licked his hand and wiped it on Bill's cheek before walking away with Patrick and Belch. As soon as the three where out of sight Eddie slid open his fanny pack and grabbed a couple of wet wipes, handing them to bill. Frantically trying to get Bill to wipe his face to remove the 'Bowers disease.'
Meanwhile Richie checked on Stan, making sure he didn't break or twist anything ("I spend so much time with Eddie's mom We're basically married I could be the new doctor K." "Richie, I'm going to run you over with my bike.") but once Richie was sure that Stan probably just had a bruise he pulled Stanley over to where Bill and Eddie were standing. The wipes thrown into a nearby trash bin.
"I wish they'd go missing." Richie mumbled finally letting go of Stan's arm.
"They're probably the ones doing it."
Bill shook his head and sighed, he honestly wouldn't put it past any of them, But right now he only had one goal in mind.
"Tomorrow we will go to the barrens, we can meet in front of Eddie's house around ten. Richie, when are your parents coming home?" Richie shifted uncomfortably and his glasses fell further down his nose but a grin still appeared on his face. Richie never really talked about his parents but the losers, especially Eddie, could pick up on things and confronted Richie about it. The only thing the boy told them was that they were barley home, but the others knew there was more to it. They knew there was some sort of negligence when it came to taking care of Richie.
Richie at first glance just seems like a loud and obnoxious kid which yeah, he was, but he is also the most capable and dependent out of the four of them. With his parents missing most of the time, (and the times where they were there they never cared for his existence) Richie had to learn to do things on his own from a very young age. Stan was very surprised when he woke up one morning during a sleepover and saw Richie in the kitchen making a full fledged breakfast. For someone oh so skinny Richie really knew how to cook and he knew how to make many variety of things too, if only his parents would actually leave food in the house for him to work with.
Bill also knew Richie did work around his neighborhood for some extra money to get himself new clothes or even something to eat. Bill just wished Richie would actually ask one of them for help. Richie grew up way too fast and has way too many responsibilities so soon, and the others are trying to remind him that he's still a child and doesn't have to do everything alone.
"They won't be home for a while, They get busy in the summer." Richie wiggled his eyebrows and Eddie slapped him on his arm. "Could you be serious for like 5 minutes."
"Oh but Eddie bear what fun would that be."
"don't call me that asshole."
"What about Eds? Edwanda? Eddie spaghetti? Ed-" Eddie wrapped his hand around Richie's mouth. "nonono that's enough out of you."
Stanley rolled his eyes and Bill just smiled fondly at the two, moving Eddie's hand away from Richie he spoke up.
"If you two are fin-finished I wanted to ask I-if you wanted to co-come to my house tuh-tuh-night Rich. Richie perked up in surprise and both Stan and Eddie looked at Bill with matching faces of shock. Bill knew why they were surprised, ever since Georgie went missing Bill hated going home. His house was gloomy and full of grief and he explained to his friends how he didn't want to put them in the middle of his problems (with his own parents) so he never really invited anyone over, but he doesn't want Richie to start the summer alone ( and hungry probably) and he would be lying if he said he was okay with starting his summer alone too.
Richie recovered from his shock quickly and a wide grin spread across his face, clearly very happy. Before Bill could react Richie had his arms around Bill teasingly rubbing his cheek against Bill's shoulder.
"Someone does love me after all." Bill rolled his eyes and pushed Richie's face away from him. "Don't get it twisted trashmouth."
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Bill and Richie arrived at Bill's house quite quickly. Richie making time go faster with all his ranting about street fighter and X-men, but Bill was more than happy to listen. They went into Bill's garage to put their bikes away but Bill seemed surprised when they walked in and saw his father working on something. The man looked at Richie but other than that didn't pay him any mind. Bill went over to see if his dad needed help but his father cut him off.
"I thought we agreed." Bill's mood instantly dropped and approached the tunnels off to the side with an unfamiliar look on his face. Richie pressed his lips in a thin line not sure on what to do. The atmosphere in the room suddenly got dark and for once he didn't know what to say to fix it. Richie watched Bill fumble around with the tunnels and a toy spraying eater in the tunnels and watching it flow. He showed it to his father who just looked unamused.
"The barrens." Oh. "I-I-Its the only place That-that Georgie could have ended up-"
"he's gone Bill." Said boy just shook his head. "But if the storm swept G-Georgie in, we should have go-gone-"
"He's gone! He's Dead." The man looked at Richie, clearly wanting to say more but not Infront of company. "now take this down before your mother sees.... next time you want to take something from my office, ask."
With that he left with the map Bill was using in his hand. Richie looked over at the taller boy who had clear devastation across his face and Richie felt like he had to do something. Yes, they both knew the chances of Georgie being alive was slim, especially after so long, but Richie new his friend needed the closure to move on, to get over his guilt.
"You know, the Barrens doesn't seem like that good of an idea anyway." Bill wiped his hand over his face before glancing up at Richie, confused. "What?"
Richie picked up a marker he saw in the area where Bills dad sat moments earlier before walking up to the white board that projected the 'old map of derry.' Even without the new map that Bill's dad was very convinced on taking he knew he could get his point across with this one.
"The sewers are connected right? Well duh in the small ass town how could they not be. So if you're going to go swimming in Shit water you might as well go through the sewers." he circled each sewer before drawing a line where they all met together. "So if we just followed one of them down we would find the meeting point. Which is probably where brother dearest of yours ended up."
Bill's eyes widened in realization.
"Holy shi-shit Rich I never thought I'd say this but yo-you're actually a genius." Richie narrowed his eyes and scoffed. "What the fuck do you mean by that?!"
"I just mean you ne-never ever showed any of us your school marks and you act l-like and id-i-idot so we just as-assumed you were one and- w-wait did you throw ow-out your mar-marks for this y-year? Let me see."
Bill grinned and launched for Richie's backpack and tries to go through it while Richie struggles in his grip.
"I knew the ladies would be all over me but I never thought you were into me like that- oh my God you're really trying to live up to your title of big Bill, get. off. me. I got a reputation to keep here- HEY."
Bill laughed as he fought against Richie, and if that's how they spent the rest of the night, bickering over nonsense until they passed out on Bills bed, cuddling together to ignore the reality of their home lives, then no one had to know besides them.