#bill denbrough beats the devil

[reddie-ao3feed]

FORGET ME NOT

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/HJ56j9K by french3xit Richie Tozier cannot, for the life of him, remember. He knows something happened in the summer of 1989. But every time he reaches back in his mind to remember it, he comes up empty. What's worse, is that he's concluded its the reason Eddie Kaspbrak won't speak to him anymore. Through trial, error, and a lot of new wave music, Richie discovers that the scariest thing imaginable might not be beating the devil, but coming to terms with himself.   (OR: Bite-size Reddie for you all. I was bored. LOL.) Words: 4168, Chapters: 1/7, Language: English Fandoms: IT - Stephen King Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak, Bill Denbrough, Stanley Uris, Ben Hanscom, Beverly Marsh, Mike Hanlon, Richie Tozier's Parents, Original Tozier Character(s), Richie Tozier's Sister, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s) Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier Additional Tags: First Kiss, First Crush, Period Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Internal Conflict, Memory Loss, Canon Compliant, Denial of Feelings, 80's Music read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/HJ56j9K

[chapter-title-tournament]

Round 2, Match 27

Bill Denbrough Beats the Devil (IT, Stephen King)

Shot out of a Volcano at Last! (Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules Verne)

[whythebirdsteve]

Like... I’m not saying that this rainbow appearing right over Eddie’s name is a very pointed sign from Maturin or anything but like....... I’m not not saying that either.

[losersweregoingclownhunting]

Billy Knows the Devil - Shark Puppy

“I think this album really took us back to our childhood. We spent a week in Derry and were so inspired when we started writing. We almost coudn’t stop.” - Beverly Marsh 

Lyrics

Bill’s Demons

Now he’s staring down the barrel  Of a gun he’s pointed at himself  Are you strong enough to beat the devil  There’s no angel here to help  You can pull the trigger Bill  But I hope you never will

Hennessy

I’ve traveled the world  From Kenya to Peru  Stood on mountains, walked through cities All because I’m being chased  By a nightmare that came true  I’m gonna need something stronger than Hennessy If I’m ever gonna forget this place

Werewolves

Not afraid of who I am Not when he’s buried  Six feet underground Could you still love me When you see who I’ve been hiding  Six feet underground (six feet underground) 

Cornfields

He’s standing in the field Watching in silence Tell me the secret To beating the gods Give me a dagger to wield I’m fighting a tyrant Without any weakness

Paperboats

We’re all just paper boats Drifting out to sea Crashing into walls of drainage gates Battered and bruised (battered and bruised) Ripped and torn (ripped and torn) I want to go back (I wanna go back) When the only paper boats Are the ones I made with you

Skateboard Safety

It’s coming to an end We’re running out of time Take my hand and make the jump Unless you want to be condemned To a life a rules and caution ‘Cuz there’s no such thing (no such thing) As skateboard safety (as skateboard safety)

Yo-Yo’s

Meet me at the movies Pretend that there’s no monsters I’ll be waiting on the balcony An old yo-yo in my hand I’ll kiss you in the dim light Or underneath the marquee If you’ll meet me at the movies

Running with a Shotgun

Dont leave me behind I can’t do it on my own Another casualty of this town I’ve got a broken bike And your dad’s old shotgun But staying here is suicide 

[billyhargrovetrash]

You know what disappoints me about the “You know what, mister? She was fast enough to beat the devil” line in IT Chapter 2? We never actually got to see Silver beat the devil. There’s no context for that line. 

[spoondrifts]

bill denbrough raced to beat the devil. if you even care

[ispyspookymansion]

oh god bill denbrough beats the devil

[m-o-o-n-thatspellsblog]

You know, one of the only time I prefer a movie ending to it's book counterpart was in IT.

I just prefer them all remembering each other, but on the other end...

Bill Denbrough beats the devil has so much symbolism in just the title.

THIS

It has always bothered me that they don't get to remember each other. I mean, they got rid of the source of evil, shouldn't it stop having an effect on them and their memories? They should, at the very least, get to remember how much they care for each other. They went through so much together that no one else could ever fully understand. I was SO happy at the end of the movie when it confirmed that they can remember each other.

However, I also agree that Bill Denbrough beats the devil is such a cool and symbolic way to wrap up the story. I do think its better to read than to see on screen though. I just don't think the full symbolic meaning translates well on screen. Ahhhhh I love it though

[everydayhybridity]

“You can’t be careful on a skateboard”

Skateboarding is notoriously difficult to write about. Iain Borden flags this in the introduction to Richard Gilligan’s work on DIY skateparks, underlining how the visual medium works so much more effectively than the scribed word. Similarly Kyle Beachy crafts a magnetic novel on skateboarding in patiently describing the art while also painstakingly pushing away the cringe that so often creeps in to so many attempts to render the board in literature. Skateboarders are all too familiar with the quick spike of pleasure when a board appears in a film, TV show, or music video. This sudden excitement cools rapidly as we observe the way our precious toy is depicted. It is almost always wrong.

I was therefore taken by surprise at the treatment afforded a skateboard by Stephen King is his now iconic novel IT. Originally published in 1986 the year that Animal Chin was released, the book sits before the modern rise in skateboarding. The boom of vert and well in advance of the heady days of street skateboarding. Yet King taps into both the peculiar and the authentic. Over a few short pages that come just over midway through the hefty text, the central character Bill Denbrough encounters a young boy with a fibreglass board. Stood over the very drain where Bill lost his younger brother to the murderous clown from the id some 30 years prior.

During their brief exchange Bill asks if he can have a go on the young boy’s board.

“The kid looked at him gape-mouthed at first, then laughing. “That’d be funny” he said. “I never saw a grownup on a skateboard.” 

This is the first reckoning with time. Back in 1986 adults on skateboards were an amusing rarity. Indeed that prejudice may well linger now. A skateboarding adult may be a source of amusement, but rare they are not. It would be difficult to imagine a 10 year old kid being so bemused by an adult skateboarder in 2022.

The next description is material, sensual, and emotional. Bill handles the board and inspects it before he attempts to ride it.

“He turned one of the skateboard’s scuffed wheels with his finger, liking the speedy ease with which it turned - it sounded like there was about a million ball-bearings in there. It was a good sound. It called up something very old in Bill’s chest. Some desire as warm as want, as lovely as love. he smiled.”

This description resonates. The pleasure in the sound and the way it conjures a feeling of warmth and love, strikes as authentic. Bill appears to be connecting not so much with the joy of skateboarding, but of the skateboard itself. He recognises it as some kind portal to freedom. Or as Lefebvre comments, children’s toys appear to be ‘cosmic’ objects demoted in status some way status.(Critique of Everyday Life Vol1.1991, p 118).

As Bill proceeds to stand on the skateboard he becomes fearful of the practicalities of falling. He imagines a doctor chiding him for attempting to use a skateboard at the age of forty. He imagines that the kid rides the board with no such fear, as an attempt to “beat the devil” like no tomorrow.

He surrenders the skateboard to the kid and gives up on his attempt to ride it. He tells the kid to be careful on the skateboard and gets a more powerful rebuke than the one in the imagined exchange with the doctor.

“Be careful on that,” Bill said.

“You can’t be careful on a skateboard,” the kid replied looking at Bill as if he might be the one with toys in the attic.”

“Right,” Bill said.

He then watches him push away down the hill. This is another evocative passage that I will only repeat in part. It does once again chime with the emotional experience of riding a skateboard and the longing for the freedom of youth.

“But he rode as Bill had suspected he would: with lazy hipshot grace. Bill felt love for the boy, and exhilaration, and a desire to be the boy, along with an almost suffocating fear. The boy rode as if there were no such things as death or getting older. The boy seemed somehow eternal and ineluctable in his khaki Boy Scout shorts and scuffed sneakers, his ankles sockless and quite dirty, his hair flying back behind him.”

The exchange with the skateboarder resolves when Bill stumbles across his old childhood bike ‘Silver’ in a second hand store. Something of the freedom and love expressed toward the skateboard translates to his childhood memories of recklessly speeding through town on this mammoth bike. The two elements of the chapter complement each other sweetly.

In the 2019 film adaptation of the book. IT Chapter 2 the scene is included and is stripped of all emotional content. The young skateboarder no longer has the old fibreglass board but a modern popsicle replete with subtle Overlook Hotel carpet graphics. In the film Bill has already found Silver before he encounters the boy and has his moment of rekindled youth riding the bike. Remarkably the film from 2019 gets it all wrong and the book from 1986 gets it right. To underline this fact, the skateboard kid in the film become a victim of Pennywise, the boy in the book survives.

[chapter-title-tournament]

Round 1, Match 53

Bill Denbrough Beats the Devil (IT, Stephen King)

One of the Missing: A Tale from the Summer of '58 (IT, Stephen King)

[diedbrave]

Things that have come up in the past two IT chapters (Ben Hanscom Takes a Fall and Bill Denbrough Beats the Devil) that are less head canons, and more things that I want to like remind people of that I absolutely play up in my version of Eddie.

Eddie is absolutely a cry baby. I know in the new movies we don't really see him cry much, instead he tends to cover it up with anger. But my Eddie loves to cry. He is literally referred to as the weeper in Ben's chapter before he knows Eddie's name, so. When my Eddie gets frustrated, he's going to cry. He might cuss about it a little and try to cover it up, but he's soft.

Eddie is into mechanical things. I definitely think he would be a great car mechanic if it wasn't for the grease and germs of it all, so I imagine he does that stuff as a hobbyist. He's the one who basically makes Silver fully functioning, and Bill praises how good he is at fixing things up. Let's not forget this is such a part of Eddie's character, especially since we don't really get that in any of the movie renditions.

Eddie goes to the emergency room twice a week. There's a line in the novel that says that Sonia should start paying rent to the orderlies, with how often her and Eddie spend in the hospital. My Eddie tries to go to a hospital as a very last resort nowadays because he spent so much time there as a child that it's an easily triggering place.

More head canon or popular assumption, but I think we are all pretty aware Eddie doesn't actually have asthma. I'd argue (though it isn't downright stated) that what he is having are panic attacks. I think he still has physical symptoms - tight chest, hard to breathe, etc. - but it always happens when he's in moments of genuine panic. You cannot tell me that Eddie Kaspbrak isn't diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or even Panic Disorder.

This is more head canon, and I'd have to talk to my lovely girlfriend to see if she agrees, but Eddie is the only Loser actively allowed to talk about Georgie. I say this because it really seems that Eddie is the only Loser that really knew Georgie on a personal level, and Eddie approaches Ben once Bill leaves the barrens and basically lectures him about never bringing up Georgie around Bill. I think this last part is obvious, but it's the fact that Eddie is the one giving this information (which is kind of protective and really sweet). Eddie is also the only one to note that "Bill stuttered significantly less before Georgie died", so as the only one that truly knows Bill prior to all these incidents....I just have lots of opinions on that and that's why I ship Kaspbrough, okay?

Eddie has low esteem. I think all the Losers obviously do, but it really hit me when Ben says "you guys are really cool" and Eddie gets this look on his face and says something along the lines of, "Yeah, well, Bill is." This of course plays into his hero-worshipping of Bill, but Eddie will never see himself as anything more than the asthmatic hypchondriac loser, and even though I'd argue they reclaim the word loser to be a good thing, Eddie still struggles with seeing himself as anything remotely cool.

[occasionaloneshots]

Club Mom- Losers Club

 Sequel to Gang Mom (technically I’m writing them together so I don’t lose interest in my own writing.)

 summary/blurb

words 557

    Everything felt wrong that year, seeing her on her own like that. The pink jacket that once covered her arms now abandoned, no one had seen it since before the, bowers incident. The old leather replaced by a green sweater that made those who took pity on the girl frown in her presence. Those who didn’t take pity on her however, let the rumors spread like wild fire. Some said she asked Henry to kill the others, a last result out of the friend group. Others thought it had been a trap for her that she barely escaped. There was even some of rumors that she planned to run off with Victor Criss and Henry killed him to stop it. And there was nothing she could do to stop them, because how do you tell the whole town that an evil clown possessed your first grade best friend to kill the other two? That would get her locked away with him for sure.

    It was even more confusing when they saw who she was around now. The losers club tided to her hip and in ways, the group seemed to fit her more. The gentleness that once seemed to out of place beside Henry and Patrick made perfect since between Mike Hanlon and Stanley Uris. She still would carry snacks and band-aids in her bag but they changed, picking up new things and being careful of allergies she never had to worry about before. Now a spare inhaler would fall from her bag from time to time, obviously not hers and people just, knew. And then there was little things that made new rumors fly, just like back when she was with bowers. People seemed to believe she moved on to younger guys. It was in the way she would ruffle Eddie’s hair, the gentleness of her helping Mike by picking him up to carry his deliveries. That blue trans am she bought off Ms. Higgins being his god sent when he needed to run deliveries in the rain. It was in the way that Bill looked to her to relax when his stutter seemed to worsen and the way that she seemed to be the only one that could make Richie quiet. The times you’d find her in the library with Ben or the park with Stan. She was always there with one of them, many wondered if it was guilt, making up for what Henry did. But those rumors that she would be with one of them never truly faded no matter what group the girl found. 

     Everyone in town remembers the day she graduated, six boys all pretending they weren’t going to cry in the crowd next to her parents. And the day she left, no one out side of the losers club ever saw her cry that hard, and they hadn’t seen it since ‘89. Then it was University of Maine and moving to Atlanta. And for the first time, in her middle school classroom, Hailey felt at peace. Becoming friends with the aunt of one of star students who introduced her to accountant husband (who was truly a big help during tax season). And something about the two of them felt so safe and nostalgic, the friendship just seeming to click. But then there was the phone call, and Hailey Black realized she may never truly have the peace she craves. And she could never have a happy ending with childhood friends. 

Hailey “Hales” Black

“I bleached my hair in college and I just remember thinking ‘He’d say you were copying him’ and to this day I’ve been trying to figure who it was. But, Victor, it was Victor.” 

nostalgic (luvsick) - renforshort

“ Always thought that we weren't like the rest/But I guess the world knew we were bluffin'/Lookin' back, we were all that we had/How did that just go and turn into nothin'?/Now every time that I drink Jack/I get those flashbacks/And go down a rabbit hole.”

Richard "Richie" "Trashmouth" Tozier

“You see, that sign never stopped me as a kid, can’t stop me now. Dance with me, ladies!” 

The story- Conan Gray

“ And when I was younger/I knew a boy and a boy/Best friends with each other/But always wished they were more/'Cause they loved one another/But never discovered/'Cause they were too afraid of what they’d say/Moved to different states”

Stanley “Stan” Uris 

“You will be at dinner next week right? Patty will be disappointed if you aren’t. So will I, of course.” 

27 - MGK

“What is a beautiful life without a beautiful death?/What is a beautiful mind, how is our beauty defined?/Is it for you to decide, is it my duty to die?/No matter how I’m remembered, just let me be remembered”

Beverly “Bev” Marsh 

“They really did grown into a handsome group of old men, didn’t they?” 

Love song- YUNGBLUD

“ All I learned growing up/Was that love chewed me up/Spit me out on the pavement” “ Sweetheart, you are/Changing my mind/Nobody taught me how to love myself/So how can I love somebody else?/There ain’t no excuses/I swear that I’m doing my best”

Michael "Mike" Hanlon

“You know, I always knew you’d end up working with kids, you were always so, maternal.”

Long Story Short- Taylor Swift

 “ Actually/I always felt I must look better in the rear view/Missing me/At the golden gates they once held the keys to/When I dropped my sword/I threw it in the bushes and knocked on your door/And we live in peace/But if someone comes at us/This time, I’m ready”

William “Bill” Denbrough

“You know what Mister? She was fast enough to beat the devil.” 

Almost is Never Enough- Ariana Grande

“ If I could change the world overnight/There’d be no such thing as goodbye/You’d be standing right where you were/And we’d get the chance we deserve, oh”

Edward "Eddie" Kaspbrak

“That’s going to take forever to burn”

favorite crime- Olivia Rodrigo

“ It’s bittersweet to think about the damage that we’d do/'Cause I was goin’ down, but I was doin’ it with you/Yeah, everything we broke and all the trouble that we made/But I say that I hate you with a smile on my face/Oh, look what we became”

Benjamin "Ben" Hanscom

"I mean, it's weird right? Now that we're all here everything just comes back faster."

Best Friend - Rex Orange County 

“ I should've stayed at home/'Cause right now I see all these people that love me/But I still feel alone/Can't help but check my phone/I could've made you mine/But no, it wasn't meant to be and see, I wasn't made for you/And you weren't made for me/Though it seemed so easy”

[star-x-shine]

Bill Denbrough was fast enough to beat the devil… but was he really?

shout out to @flightlesslovers for helping me with the melody on this!!

[imeminemp3]

Summer 1989, 2006 album by Shark Puppy

TRACKLIST:

1. I Swear (written by S. Uris & W. Denbrough)

2. Swimming With Friends In A Quarry (written by M. Hanlon)

3. Loser / Lover (written by E. Kaspbrak & W. Denbrough)

4. Silver (Beating the Devil) (written by W. Denbrough)

5. The Barrens Are Ours (group project)

6. Interlude - Rock War (written by M. Hanlon)

7. Teenage (The Aladdin) (written by R. Tozier)

8. I Can’t Breathe (I’m Having A Fucking Athsma Attack) (written by E. Kaspbrak)

9. Nothing Lasts Forever (written by S. Uris & M. Hanlon)

10. I Just Wanna (pinchyourcheeksyou’resocute) (written by R. Tozier)

11. Sunlight on Red (written by B. Marsh)

Bonus Track: Winter Fire (instrumental demo) (unknown)

- Fun fact! Fans assumed for a long time that Beverly had written Sunlight on Red about Shark Puppy’s collective childhood crush ob her, but in a recent panel she revealed that she wrote it about their collective childhood crush on Bill.

- Fun fact! Silver is a love song written by Bill for his bike.

@sharkpuppyofficial

[stranger-writer]

A Bowers’ Bet (Part 3)

Sorry for the long wait on this one! I hope you enjoy!

Summary: When Henry and Patrick make a twisted pact on who can steal Derry High’s most inexperienced student’s virginity first, they think it will be their most exciting game yet. But what happens when one starts to develop feelings, while the other is determined as ever to win, no matter what or who is standing in their way? A Bowers Bet (Part 2)

On Saturday morning, Juliet’s parents left for an overnight for one of her father’s business trips. Her mom typically went along with him, but only if it consisted of a night or two and if Jennifer’s mother was going along as well. Juliet met her close friend Jennifer through their dads since they both worked for the same company. Their families were persistent in upholding their respectable, high status in Derry. Jennifer’s mom, Theresa, was a lawyer, a very dignified woman that Juliet quite admired. However in Jennifer’s case, having two successful parents who were hardly ever home meant coping with her loneliness by excessively and maybe even purposely, using her parent’s credit card when they were gone. 

Juliet knew a shopping trip was in order, Jennifer always planned one whenever both parents were out of town. Even though the two girls have been best friends for years, their personalities couldn’t be any more polar opposite. Jennifer’s track record of guys is impressive while Juliet’s is clean, Jennifer cheerleads while Juliet is in literary club, Jennifer is the life of the party while Juliet has only been to two in her lifetime. But that’s kind of what makes their friendship work. They each have a tendency of balancing each other out and sometimes bringing out different side to them that no one would expect.

Juliet has the devil on her right shoulder and the angel on her left as she sat in the car with Jennifer, deciding if she should tell her about Henry or just keep her mouth shut. Deep down she knew what her reaction would be, but maybe if she explained everything from the poem and how wonderful last night went, she’d understand. Although at the moment, Jennifer was much too preoccupied with going on and on about how Gretta was sabotaging her by making the cheer team wear their hair entirely up instead of having the option to do half up, half down.

“The whole school is going to see my huge fucking dumbo ears because she needs the attention taken off of her horrendous overbite,” Jennifer hisses before changing the radio station. Juliet quietly chuckles at her as the only sound between them is the low hum of Mick Jagger and the harsh wind from the windows being slightly open.

 “You’re quiet,” Jennifer states in her typical blunt manner, eyes on the road, being able to read Juliet without even having to look at her. 

“No I’m not,” Juliet defends, staring out the window, knowing if she as much glances towards her direction she’ll crack.

“Juliet we have known each other since we were eight. At this point, I know you almost better than I know myself. Tell.” 

Juliet slowly turns her head towards her while biting down on her lip, trying to hide her immense blushing and smirk just from the thought of Henry before letting out a soft giggle. Jennifer begins to gasp, knowing the look on Juliet’s face means only one thing. “Stop it right now! Who’s the guy?!” Jennifer rushes, her eyes widening with pure anticipation.

“Well...,” Juliet hums smiling, causing Jennifer to slightly swerve the car a little too far to the right.  

“Juliet,” Jennifer warns in her typical voice that means “stop beating around the bush and say it.” 

“W-well it’s just like, Ugh-I don’t know, i-it’s nothing serious yet, but-”

“For fucks sake Juliet, I hate when you stutter like that kid Bill Denbrough, just spit it out,” Jennifer demands, her patience running thin.

“I went on a date last night with Henry Bowers,” Juliet responds, causing Jennifer to slam on her brakes in the middle of the neighborhood, causing Juliet’s body to be yanked to the point where she almost got rammed into the glove compartment. “Jesus Jennifer,” Juliet scolds, rubbing the back of her neck from the sudden jolt she experienced from the abrupt stop of the car.

“Henry Bowers?” Jennifer pronounces the name slowly, her tone in disbelief mixed with a whole lot of judgement and well, repugnance. “Have you lost your mind? You were too scared to ask the waiter for ketchup last week, but you went on a date with Henry fucking Bowers? Please tell me you only went because he had you held up at gunpoint.”

Juliet knew how unbelievable it sounded coming out of her mouth, but how could she convince her that it was one of the best times out she’s ever had?

“I get it. I know his reputation, but he’s-he’s different, I swear, he-”

“God Juliet, don’t be so naive,” Jennifer interrupts, rolling her eyes. “Henry is known as Derry’s scum for a reason. He’s dirty. He’s gross. And even worse,” Jennifer pauses, her nose scrunching in disgust, “He’s poor.”

Juliet’s fingers begin to rub her temples in distress, immediately regretting her decision of even mentioning Henry to her in the first place. Jennifer finally takes her foot off the brakes and continues driving, but her rant was far from over. “I mean come on Jules, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. That whole gang is fucked up. They only flirt with girls like you for one reason.” Jennifer states, having a hard time deciphering how she should choose her words without being a little too brutally honest.

Juliet snaps her eyes away from the passing houses from the window and swung her head to face her. “And what’s that?” Juliet persists defensively, her eyes piercing at Jennifer.

Jennifer huffs, her stare intent while looking out onto the road contemplating what to say next. “Because you’re an easy target,” Jennifer murmurs, her voice low, but more calm. “You have never been seen at school with a boyfriend or really any guy for that matter and they can smell your inexperience from a mile away. He’s using you. I’m sorry, but guys like Henry don’t fall for girls like you.”

Juliet could feel some tears begging to break loose, but she pushes the feeling aside. “You mean girls who are at the bottom of the school’s hierarchy?”

“You know that’s not what I mean. You’re beautiful and smart and kind and deserve somebody better than Bowers. I’m just telling you his intentions can’t be good. Him and the other ones hit on every girl that has a pulse,” Jennifer responds, sticking an unlit cigarette in her mouth before she continues on and says, “They see someone shy and untouched like you giving them a chance and go fucking ecstatic.”

“That’s not true,” Juliet mutters, shaking her head in defense while staring down at her hands nestled on top of her lap. “Henry told me he would never hurt me and that I was safe with him.” There was a part of Juliet that could feel herself sounding like one of those girls she would roll her eyes at in a cheesy romance movie. Was it honestly too good to be true?

“I know you try to live your life trying not to be noticed, but guess what? You are. People see you. Henry sees you. He sees someone fragile, someone who he thinks he can easily control and manipulate.” Jennifer responds before taking a puff of her cigarette.

“You are always telling me how I should loosen up and try to put myself out there more, and now you’re giving me shit for finally going out with someone?” Juliet chides, her voice slightly raising. Juliet could tell she was getting irritated because she started talking not only loudly, but with her hands.

“Yeah Juliet, but that wasn’t secret code for me telling you to go out with the school’s biggest psychopath and not even tell me about it beforehand. What the fuck were you thinking?” Jennifer scolds, her tone harsh, making Juliet recoil in her seat. An awkward and tension-filled silence immerses in the car, causing the two close friends to suddenly feel distant.

Jennifer finally breaks the stillness and says, “Look. We’re going to the mall. Let’s get you a cute outfit for Gretta’s party tonight and you can come with me and you’ll see that you’re more than capable of meeting someone who isn’t a total delinquent.”

Juliet wanted nothing more than to decline her offer that sounded like a demand than an option, but it’s bad enough she had to keep Henry from her mother, she didn’t need Jennifer added onto the list and on her case about it as well. She thought maybe if she just went for a bit and pretended for Jennifer’s sake, she’d make everyone happy.

“Fine,” Juliet huffs, slouching back in her seat while crossing her arms.

Juliet is used to having to deal with what life throws at her alone. Between having a mother and best friend who shares similar traits of being dismissive and controlling, she felt like she was always more worried about pleasing other people instead of worrying about what actually made her happy. Henry gave Juliet a certain kind of attention that she wasn’t used to receiving from anyone. He made her feel understood, special, pretty enough, smart enough, but most importantly, Henry made Juliet feel like being herself was good enough. Juliet wasn’t going to let anybody get in the way of that. Not this time.

………………………………………………………………………………………

The last party Juliet attempted going to was last December. Similar to now, Jennifer begged and convinced her how much of a good time it’d be until it resulted in Tyler Brian barfing all over Juliet’s lap mid-conversation. She can only hope that history won’t repeat itself.

The black dress Jennifer picked for her was slightly sexy, but not too much to where it strayed far from Juliet’s character. The sweetheart neckline was cute with a very tiny black bow that was attached right in the middle. It was also a quarter sleeve and babydoll style. Jennifer pleaded that she wear heels, however, Juliet absolutely refused because she didn’t want to meet anyone new in the first place and her leather black booties would go just fine with it. To no surprise, Jennifer handled not only her wardrobe, but makeup too. She blushed and hollowed out her cheekbones, glossed her lips, and applied some cat eyeliner to enhance her eye shape, which surprisingly Juliet liked, even if she did still have to wear her glasses over them. 

Juliet’s knee was uncontrollably bouncing up and down the whole ride there. She could already hear the music blaring from outside before they even drove up to the house. Her heart almost jumped in her throat though when she saw the infamous Trans Am parked in the sea of cars that were in Gretta’s driveway, causing her leg to stop shaking. Oh no. As soon as Jennifer parked along the sidewalk, she turned the ignition off and began clapping her hands fast in an excited way. “We’re here! You ready?”

No.

“Yeah!” Juliet exclaims in her best, fake eager voice she could muster.

When they walked inside the large, red brick house, Juliet immediately sees a staircase decorated with people from school either talking, smoking, or making out. Her eyes shift to the left where it was the Keene’s living room, but was currently being occupied as a dance floor flooded with sweat, alcohol, and hormones.

Juliet didn’t want to admit to herself that she couldn’t help but feel somewhat paranoid Henry was here. Would he be happy to see her? Confused? Angry? “Let’s go grab a drink,” Jennifer yells in Juliet’s ear because of the blaring music, interrupting her thoughts. Juliet nods as they walk down the hall to where more couples were lingering on the sides of the wall, kissing.  

When Jennifer walked into the kitchen, she was immediately greeted by Gretta and a few other girls as well as a group of boys who hollered at her as soon as she stepped in. Juliet lingered by her side.

It wasn’t hard for Juliet to not feel Gretta’s typical judgemental stare as she eyed her up and down. Moments like this was the reason why Juliet would never want to be able to read minds. “Interesting seeing you here Juliet,” Gretta sneers in a tone that could only be described as condescending and then says, “Nice dress. For once it doesn’t look like something your grandmother picked out.” This causes a fit of giggles from her posse that are attached at her hip.

“Nice frizzy ponytail that you wear every single day,” Jennifer quickly intervenes before grabbing Juliet’s hand to lead her near the sink where all the glass bottles of drinks were laid out. “Your ability to be quick on the spot never fails to impress me,” Juliet smirks while nudging her shoulder with hers, earning a wink from Jennifer.

“Here,” Jennifer offers, handing Juliet a red solo cup. “It’ll ease the nerves,” she grins with a mischievous glint in her eyes before taking a sip. Juliet gave her a small smile, deciding it would be best to at least try it. Her eyebrows raise immediately at the strong concoction Jennifer mixed together, deciding it would be best to not finish this unless she wants to be found blacked out on the front lawn.

“Shots time!” Peter Macintosh shouted, his cheeks flushed from what was most likely the high amount of alcohol he has already consumed. He was a heavy set guy, who for some reason always looked sweaty and wore his jersey pretty much everyday. He was only useful on the team for his size since he could tackle just about anyone. This was Juliet’s que to relocate elsewhere for a few minutes.

“I’m going to run to the bathroom real quick,” Juliet says while lightly grasping Jennifer’s arm.

“Use the one upstairs. The bathroom that’s down the hall is always where Tommy Johnson and Pam Kirkland are fucking each other’s brains out,”Jennifer informs, physically shuddering at the thought of when she had accidentally interupted one of their sessions last time.

“Good to know,” Juliet chuckles, shaking the vivid thought away before nudging her way through the intoxicated crowd that was beginning to form. Once she reached the staircase and begins walking up them, she couldn’t help the strange feeling like someone had their eyes on her.

…………………………………………………………………………………

“Any fucking time now Criss,” Henry huffs, waiting for Vic to hand him a cigarette while he was pulling one out of his pack. He was in his usual, typical annoyed stance with his arms crossed while leaning against the house, impatient as ever. Him, Patrick, Vic, and Belch were huddled outside on the back patio smoking, each with a beer bottle in their hands. 

Casey Fletcher walked by them and Belch couldn’t help but turn around to get another last glance at her ass before turning back around to face his friends. “Is it just me or is there a lot of hot chicks here tonight?” Belch asks, swigging his beer back.

Vic nodded, seeming to still be mesmerized at Casey’s backside as Henry only shrugged. Belch and Patrick give each other a knowing look, seeing how that reaction wasn’t a normal one for Henry. This would be the part where he agreed and told them what he’d like to do with a girl who had an ass like that. But tonight he was off and they could all tell.

“What’s the matter Bowers, don’t see a bitch here we can share like last week?” Patrick taunts. Henry rolls his eyes, remembering the dumb blonde girl whose name he didn’t even know because well, he didn’t even ask. She wanted to take turns which resulted in Patrick having his first go and once he was finished he tossed her right over to Henry.

“All I see are a bunch of easy sluts who try too hard,” Henry utters under his breath, checking briefly over the girls who are standing on the other side of the pool who were unshamefully giving, as the gang would call it, their best “fuck me” eyes. 

Vic snickers before he mumbles, “Somebody’s whipped,” causing a breathy chuckle from Belch and Patrick.

“The fuck you say?” Henry asked, but it was in fact a warning.

“He said your whipped man,” Patrick responds for Vic before he continues and says, “Pretty little Juliet most have swept ole Henry here off his feet. Awh, how sweet is that?” This causes an amused reaction out of the boys. Patrick knew what he was doing. He wanted to get a rise out of Henry. He wanted to edge him on. Rile him up. Make him do something that could work out in his favor. 

“I ain’t fucking whipped alright. Has anyone forgotten that she’s just a fuckin’ bet? All I got from last night is that she’s just another needy bitch with mommy issues who’ll jump at the chance to spread her legs if it means adding some excitement to her boring life,” Henry responds, the words tasting disgusting coming out of his own mouth. He didn’t mean what he said, but he refuses to have his friends, especially Patrick, thinking she has even in the slightest, meddled her way into his stone cold heart.

Patrick however, knows his bluff. He hid in the woods and eavesdropped last night when Juliet and him were in the treehouse. He knew that she in fact wasn’t exactly easy considering she freaked the minute Bowers touched the waistband of her panties, but secondly, he knew Henry opened up a bit about his dad to her. Patrick couldn’t tell if that was a ploy to get her to feel bad for him or if he was being genuine. However his lack of eagerness to get any action tonight is evident that Henry might in fact be developing the worst F word in his book. Feelings. 

“Sounding a little cocky there Bowers,” Patrick responds, crossing his arms over his chest.

Henry laughs before saying, “Says you. At this point you should honestly just call the fucking bet off. She was all over me last night and I think she's made it clear that she wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole. Face it Hockstetter, I’ll have her underneath me by next week.”

If Patrick wasn’t certain before, he is definitely certain now. He could see what Henry was trying to do. Persuading him to call the bet off so he can walk away hands clean with the girl who he thought was just another mediocre virgin to fuck in Derry. No. As far as Patrick is concerned, Juliet belongs to him. Henry can try to convince Patrick all he wants that he has no chance, but he remembers that look Juliet gave him in the movie theater. He sees how she’s into Henry regardless of his well known, fucked up reputation. Henry and him were one in the same. Patrick knows the kind of girl Juliet is. She’s attracted to people who are broken, people who need to be fixed. That’s the only reason why she instantly fell for Henry first, because she thinks there’s hope for him. Patrick has no problem playing his part until she sees the truth.

“If you think she’ll easily fuck you first then why call the bet off early? Isn’t that the whole point why we made it in the first place?” Patrick retorted, his cheshire grin growing from ear to ear. Henry could hear the teasingness in his tone and realized that Patrick could sense what he was trying to get at, so Henry attempted to play it off the best way he could. “I’m just sayin.’ You got a lot of catching up to do Hockstetter. Thought I’d be nice and give you a little warning to save you from the embarrassment later,” Henry smirks while patting him on the back.

“I appreciate that,” Patrick responds, reciprocating the action by giving Henry’s shoulder a friendly pat, but instead he doesn’t release his shoulder and pulls him in closer, his mouth inches away from his ear. “But the only one who’s going to be embarrassed here is you when I’m balls deep inside your little girlfriend’s tight virgin pussy, wrecking her fucking insides.”

Henry has to physically bite his tongue on the right side of his mouth to prevent from attacking him on the spot. At the end of the day, Juliet is technically a bet that Henry conjured up in the first place. Henry couldn’t show any possession over her, no matter how much he likes her, no matter how crazy it drove him. He releases an amused huff, wishing he could actually drown him in the pool.

“But for now,” Patricks states, his tone a lot more uplifting as he wipes the shoulders of Henry’s jacket, “Let’s play with what we’ve got right here.” He grins, referring to one of the girls that was staring at them earlier with his pointer and middle finger.

Henry knew if he turned down the offer, he’d look like the biggest bitch of all time. What guy says no to pretty girls practically yearning to get any sort of attention from them? But the thing was that these girls weren’t Juliet. They didn’t look like her, act like her, or even laugh like her, but all Henry could do is play along and keep the twisted mentality that whatever Juliet doesn’t know won’t hurt her.

The brunette Patrick beckoned over, whose name was apparently Tracy, seemed to be the most interested in Henry, however, she was quite the talkative one. She wasn’t getting Henry’s not so subtle signs of disinterest in conversation as he responded to everything with a monotone one worded answer and the habitual way he continuously kept flicking his pocket knife in and out. Patrick and Vic actually got so bored they ended up ditching Henry and thought walking over to the other side of the lawn to watch a drunk Peter barbecue Doritos was a much better source of entertainment.

Patrick and Vic started to make their way back to Henry, Tracy, and Belch, passing the patio’s white french doors again until Vic’s clunky, black combat boots come to a stop. 

“Oh shit!” Vic busts out laughing, which causes Patrick to turn around and see what the hell was so funny. Patrick stalks slowly towards him and mimiks his stance. “Look who showed up,” Vic smirks right as Patrick sees Juliet on the other side of the clear glass door. He licks his lips, taking in her appearance. Her all black, short dress is enough for him to already feel a slight hard on in his jeans. Her hair was down and loose like usual, with her petite glasses still adorning her face, but the fact that she was wearing clothes that actually fit her and the more heavily applied makeup made the two boys have no choice but to gawk at her for a minute. 

“Damn. She looks hot,” Vic observed, crouching behind a bush so the two could have a closer look without their ogling being too obvious. “But I wonder what she’s doing here. I’ve never seen her at parties and I know Henry didn’t invite her.”

“I don’t know why the hell she’s here either Vic, but it must be my lucky fucking day,” Patrick mutters, staring at her intently. He could tell that regardless of how good she looked, she was uncomfortable. The way she kept glancing at the ground and the nervous way she was toying with her necklace was a clear sign that she didn’t wake up this morning and say “there’s nothing more I’d love to do today than go to a wild high school party.” Patrick felt sort of jealous, hating how he wasn’t behind the cause of her anxiety at the moment. Soon though.

“I gotta go tell Henry, he’s going to absolutely lose his shit,” Vic chuckles all giddy, getting ready to stand up before Patrick grabs him by the collar, yanking him harshly back down.

“Don’t say a word to him that she’s here or I’ll fucking cut your tongue out and make you wipe my ass with it. I want to see the look on that fucker’s face when he sees her here himself,” Patrick sternly warns, not wanting to tell Vic exactly what he has planned.

“Alright, Jesus I won’t. Let go of me dick bag,” Vic shrugs, nudging Patrick’s grip off him. Vic brushes the knees of his camo pants and starts to walk back towards Henry again. He couldn’t feel Patrick’s presence near him and his senses were proven right when he turns around and sees Patrick stepping into the house, closing the door behind him. Vic quietly snickered to himself, knowing it was only a matter of time before shit was about to hit the fan.  

When Patrick enters the house, he spots Juliet down the hall. He watches and follows behind her closely before she reaches the steps and carefully walks up the stairs while holding the banister. As soon as she gets to the top, that’s Patrick’s que to begin heading up there as well.

……………………………………………………………………………

Juliet started analyzing the Keene’s bathroom decorations, realizing exactly what she was starting to do. Quit stalling, she thought to herself before shaking her head and giving herself one last glance over in the mirror before opening the door.

As she was walking she heard what sounded like a muffled scream coming from one of the rooms on the right hand side. She stopped and slowly tiptoed her way closer to the door until Juliet heard a girl’s moaning and then it all clicked. Oh.

“Sounds like fun,” a voice says, making Juliet frantically spin around to see none other than Patrick Hockstetter.

“Patrick, hey! I didn’t see you there,” Juliet smiles nervously, having no clue how someone with his height can have this special talent to pop up out of nowhere.

“Listening in?” he questions with a smirk, the sound of the headboard banging into the wall now apparent.

“No! Oh, god no,” Juliet laughs, running a hand through her hair. “I was using the bathroom and came out and heard a girl screaming and got nervous for a sec, but uhm- yeah I, uhh, thinks she alright,” she chuckles, making Patrick simper from her innocent response.

“So what brings you here?” Patricks asks.

“I just told y-”

“No, I mean like the party. I’ve never seen you at any before,” Patricks states, leaning on the side of his shoulder and resting his head against the wall.

“Jennifer wanted me to go with her so I thought I’d just come for a little while,” Juliet explained, not wanting to get into detail as to why Jennifer insisted on her being here tonight.

“Henry didn’t invite you?” Patrick asks, his eyebrows knitted together in curiosity. Juliet shakes her head, feeling stupid that the boy she just went on a date with last night was at the same party, but she was trying to almost avoid him for reasons she didnt know why. 

“Huh. Weird,” Patrick quietly mutters under his breath. sliding his shoulder alongside the wall to inch closer to her. His response suddenly made Juliet feel self conscious. How come he didn’t ask her to go to Gretta’s party? Was he embarrassed of her? Maybe he knew she didn’t go to parties and thought it’d be stupid to even ask?

“You’re not having fun are you?” Patrick observes, a sly smile forming on his lips.

“I mean I’ve only been here for about fifteen minutes, 7 of those minutes I’ve spent in the bathroom so…” Jennifer bites down on her lip, suppressing a shy smirk which made it extremely difficult for Patrick to restrain himself from pushing her into one of the empty bedrooms. 

“Does Henry even know you’re here?” Patrick asks, and it’s like Juliet can feel he already knows the answer.

“No I haven’t seen him yet. Like I said, I really haven’t been here very long,” Juliet explains, twirling her necklace between her fingers. Patrick notices the nervous habit and begins to feel exhilarated.

“Well he’s right downstairs. Let’s go surprise him, he’ll be thrilled to see that you’re here, especially since I heard you two uhh...really kicked it off last night,” Patrick winks, grabbing her wrist and leading her down the rest of the hallway. Juliet felt confused in the way Patrick said that, but she couldn’t even think clearly with Patrick practically dragging her so fast that she almost tripped going down the staircase. Once they reached the bottom he motions for her to take the lead as he stands directly behind her. 

“Do you know where he is?”Juliet turns her head to ask him.

“Last I saw he was talking outside to some girl named Tracy,” Patrick responds casually, pretending to search for him in the living room, knowing exactly what he was doing. Juliet couldn’t help but feel the tiny pit in her stomach grow in size. She didn’t know if she was being completely played or acting totally crazy over a boy she has gone out with only one time. 

“C’mon. Maybe he’s still out back,” Patrick says in her ear before walking in front of her as she follows close behind. He opens one of the french doors and she takes in how there’s quite a lot of people out here as well. Between the ones hanging around the perimeter of the pool, or the guys to the far right playing some sort of drunk version of football, Juliet briefly glances around the area. That is, until her eyes suddenly land on Henry’s back. His arm is wrapped around some girl’s waist. She’s whispering something in his ear, causing Henry to smirk as he pulls her in closer, his mouth inches from hers as he says something Juliet can’t hear, but it causes her to start kissing down Henry’s neck.

Patrick notices Juliet has spotted them because of her obvious stare and her face that portrayed nothing but disappointment. “Well that’s not Tracy,” Patrick clears his throat as if what he’s witnessing is awkward, even though he’s the one who perfectly managed to make Juliet catch Henry in the act. 

Suddenly, Belch and Vic walk up to them, the look on their faces completely different. Vic’s was more friendly while Belch’s was full of concern.

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun,” Vic mocks in his best shakespearean voice he can summon while giving a bow.

Juliet swallows her utter dismay and smiles at Vic. “Impressive,” she smirks, causing Vic to grin back at her. Belch interjects when he says, “Hey Juliet, Henry would be so happy to see you here. Let me go get him, I know he’s around here somewhere.” This was his poor attempt to try and cover Henry’s ass, but he knew in that moment it was most likely too late.

“No.” Juliet demands, her voice so stern that it almost surprises herself. The three boys gaze at her in a bit of a shock. “Let’s go say hi to him together,” Juliet offers, putting on a brave face. As much as Juliet just wanted to go home and cry in her room, she realized she was over everyone thinking she was like some china doll that’s could break easily. Her heart may feel broken but it was her mission in that moment to make sure no one saw the cracks.

“O-Okay,” Belch stutters, watching in bewilderment as Juliet takes heading towards Henry. The unknown girl is still draped all over him, but Juliet wasn’t annoyed at the poor girl having a good time. 

Once the three of them approach him, Juliet gently taps him on the shoulder, causing Henry to turn around. His initial face was of pure annoyance until he realizes who’s standing behind him. He quickly yanked his hand away from the blonde’s side and his mouth opened slightly, but no words were coming out.

“Juliet,” Henry observes, taking in her appearance while also in complete shock that’s she even standing in front of him in the first place. A million thoughts and questions were racing through his head, making for once, Henry Bowers actually speechless.

“Hi,” Juliet responds, her voice soft, deliberately acting like she was unfazed. There was a few seconds of awkward silence before the unknown girl helps breaks the ever present tension when she says to Juliet, “I love your dress! I almost bought the same one at the mall, but they didn’t have my size.”

“Thank you! My friend actually picked it out. You see, she wanted me to come to this party to meet someone because I went out with this guy last night who she thinks is a total waste of time. Told me I could do so much better,” Juliet looks so her eyes are now instead staring right into Henry’s. “Turns out she was right.” 

This results in a fit of breathy chuckles coming from Patrick and Vic while Juliet maintains her cool. Henry’s piercing blue eyes were like daggers into hers, but she never once glances down at the ground. Juliet gives him one last glare before turning swiftly around and walks straight back to the house. The most horrible and pathetic part of this whole situation was that there was a part of Juliet that wanted Henry to chase after her. Unfortunately, he never did. Juliet didn’t know why her heart was beating out of her chest or why the back of her neck felt slightly sticky or why she was breathing so hard, but she knew that she could not stay at this party for another second.

Patrick jogs after her, not wanting to lose her in the crazy crowds of people inside. When he steps into the kitchen, he quickly catches her wrist.

“Where ya goin’?” Patrick asks.

“I’m going home,” Juliet states, tucking some hair behind her ear.

“Didn’t you come with Jennifer?”

“Yeah, but I actually live close by so I’m just going to walk,” Juliet responds while her eyes casually search the area for any signs of her best friend. Things were bad enough with Henry, the last thing she needed right now was for Jennifer to see her talking to Patrick Hockstetter of all people. 

“I’ll walk you home,” Patrick demands.

“You don’t need to do that Patrick, I’ll be okay,” Juliet tries to convince him.

“Sorry princess but I’m not taking no for an answer. Your face is too pretty to be on a missing person's poster downtown,” Patrick places his hand at the small of her back, using that as an advantage to guide her through the small crowd of people so they can reach the front door to leave. Juliet didn’t particularly want Patrick’s company, especially now, but he did have a decent point. 

“Okay, just let me find Jen to let her know I’m going,” Juliet explains before Patrick gives her a nod. “I’ll be waiting outside.”

Juliet scouted through the living room first and luckily spots Jennifer on the couch, sitting on Ryan Novack’s lap. “I’m leaving,” Juliet states, making Jennifer get off the jock’s lap, analyzing her intently.

“What do you mean you’re leaving, we just got here.”

“I just don’t really feel that great and I think it’d be best if I went home,” Juliet lied, hoping Jennifer would be easy going. Hoping.

“First about Bowers and now this. Catching your little lying habit from your hillbilly boyfriend?” Jennifer hisses, crossing her tan arms over her chest. Juliet stares at her offensively before Jennifer continues on and says, “Although I guess I shouldn’t talk since I forgot to mention how the Bowers Gang are notorious for getting laid at parties.”

Suddenly, the light bulb goes off in Juliet’s head as she connects all the pieces together. “You brought me here on purpose,” Juliet utters, almost as if she’s saying it aloud to herself.

“Don’t give me that look. I mean how else would you be able to see what a pig he is? You should be thanking me.” 

 “I should be thanking you?” Juliet chuckles in disbelief. “Okay then, thank you for dressing me up and bringing me here to only make me look like a total ass. Congratulations, you proved me wrong. Henry is a total jerk and you’re a complete bitch.” 

Juliet has never spoken to Jennifer like this before in her life, but Juliet’s blood has been boiling since her encounter with Henry and Jennifer wasn’t helping simmer down the heat. Juliet shook her head at Jennifer and darted out of the living room as fast as she could, leaving Jennifer quite dumbstruck. For some strange reason, Juliet didn’t feel bad for saying exactly what was on her mind, even if it hurts her. The only thing that made her heart feel heavy is that the two people she cared about deceived and lied to her in just one single night. And unfortunately, the lanky boy waiting for her outside wasn’t any different.

……………………………………………………………………………

The night air was a little chillier than usual, making Juliet cross her arms over her chest to warm up her hands. Patrick notices the small sign and takes off his leather jacket and drapes it over her shoulders.

“Oh. Thanks,” she smiles at him before slipping her arms through the sleeves. A small smirk plays at her lips when she says, “It’s a perfect fit.” It was comical how huge the jacket was on Juliet. The sleeves were so long that you couldn’t even see her hands.

“It looks good on you. Ya know I’m really digging this whole look you got goin’ on. It’s sexy,” Patrick smirks, tugging slightly at the bottom of her dress.

“It’s definitely different, but I think you pull it off a lot better than me,” Juliet teases, referring to his similar all black ensemble of boots, jeans, and a thin long sleeved shirt. 

“Are you saying I’m sexy Jules?” Patrick smirks while throwing his arm over her shoulder. As shocked as she was, Juliet started to feel a sense of comfortability with him. Nobody besides her family or Jennifer called her Jules, and for some reason hearing Patrick use the nickname gave Juliet a sense of warmth that she didn’t think Patrick was capable of. Juliet thought to herself that Patrick could have easily let her leave the party alone, but he wanted to make sure she was safe whereas Henry let her walk away, not caring whatsoever about where she went or how she felt.

“Patrick?”

“Princess?”

“I want to apologize,” Juliet states, keeping her eyes straight forward as they walked while Patrick looks at her slightly confused. “I just feel like I’ve been rude to you lately and that I was quick to judge you before even actually getting the chance to know you.”

Patrick was beaming with pure ecstasy. He had her right where he wanted her. 

“Don’t sweat it sweetheart,” Patrick responds, petting her head. “If it makes you feel any better, I seriously underestimated you. I didn’t think you had it in ya to tell Bowers off like that.”

“Neither did I,” Juliet chuckles before she says, “But you were right and tried to warn me and I didn’t listen. I’m sorry.” 

Juliet suddenly feels tiny droplets of water speckle across her nose before she realizes that it’s starting to lightly drizzle. In a literal instant, the light drizzle turns into harsh, downpour rain.

“Shit,” Juliet hisses before Patrick grabs her hand and they both begin to run down the sidewalk. They sprint for a few blocks, each step like walking into a giant puddle until Juliet steers Patrick towards the white house that’s hers at the end of the cul-de-sac. They race across Juliet’s soggy lawn and up her creaky wooden porch steps when they finally make it to the front stain glass door.

They both stood there, catching their breaths while taking in each others sopping wet appearances. “This is the second dress in a row Hockstetter. I’m starting to think you’re some kind of bad luck charm to my nice clothes,” Juliet jokes, referring to when he spilled soda on her just last night and now this. Patrick leers at her, his eyes studying her face to her wet hair to the droplets of water on her exposed skin to the way her makeup is slightly smudged. She looked messy and it made Patrick’s appetite for her all the more unbearable. Juliet feels his thumb graze over her knuckles and that’s when she glances down and realizes her hand is still interlocked with his. 

“I’m sorry,” Juliet awkwardly apologizes, slipping her grasp from his and instead placing her hand on the door knob before she rambles on and says, “Please, come in so you can get dried off and wait until this rain passes. It’s the least I can do.”

“If you insist,” Patricks smirks, gesturing his hand out for Juliet to walk first. She obliges and he follows, making sure to lock the door behind him. 

@kola95

[wanderinginsideabook]

It by Stephen King [Review]

Synopsis: Derry: a small city in Maine, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own home town. Only in Derry the haunting is real...

It began for the Losers on a day in June of 1958, the day school let out for the summer. That was the day Henry Bowers carved the first letter of his name on Ben Hanscom’s belly and chased him into the Barrens, the day Henry and his Neanderthal friends beat up on Stuttering Bill Denbrough and Eddie Kaspbrak, the day Stuttering Bill had to save Eddie from his worst asthma attack ever by riding his bike to beat the devil. It ended in August, with seven desperate children in search of a creature of unspeakable evil in the drains beneath Derry. In search of It. And somehow it ended.

Or so they thought. Then.

On a spring night in 1985 Mike Hanlon, once one of those children, makes six calls. Stan Uris, accountant. Richie “Records” Tozier, L.A. disc jockey. Ben Hanscom, renowned architect. Beverly Rogan, dress designer. Eddie Kaspbrak, owner of a successful New York limousine company. And Bill Denbrough, bestselling writer of horror novels, Bill Denbrough who now only stutters in his dreams.

These six men and one woman have forgotten their childhoods, have forgotten the time when they were Losers...but an unremembered promise draws them back, the present begins to rhyme dreadfully with the past, and when the Losers reunite, the wheels of fate lock together and roll them toward the ultimate terror.

In the biggest and most ambitious book of his career, Stephen King gives us not only his most towering epic of horror but a surprising re-illumination of the corridor where we pass from the bright mysteries of childhood to those of maturity.

Star Rating: 3.5/5

My Thoughts: I tried to read this a while ago, but the sheer size of it had me discouraged and I didn’t get very far into it. This time, however, I participated in a buddy read with some amazing ladies on Instagram, and I finally worked my way through this monstrous beast.

I went back and forth on the rating for a while, and I honestly think this is just such a hard book to rate in general. There were things I liked in this, a lot of things I didn’t like, and overall I’m still not sure how I feel even now as I write this.

One of the things that I definitely liked (for the most part) was the friendship between the Losers, especially when they were kids. They were just so close and it was nice to read about them hanging out together and being there for each other. I also enjoyed a good number of the parts centered around It and figuring out what It was and how to defeat It. Some of the lore in this book was really interesting to me.

However, it was a really hard book to get through, for a lot of reasons. One thing I wish I had known before going into this that it was so vulgar and crude, both in language and in attitude. There were times that I felt that Stephen King’s description of things as they were (and by that, I mean not sugarcoating anything and using, sometimes, downright derogatory language) added to what was happening on the page; other times, it made me so uncomfortable, there were many times I almost put the book down, sure I couldn’t stand anymore of it.

Another thing that made this a hard read for me was that I was just so confused for most of the book. I felt as if a lot of stuff happened that didn’t get explained too well. I’m just left questioning a lot of the lore, a lot the decisions/actions taken, and just a lot of everything that happened.

Overall, I’m happy I finished this book, and that I gave both it and Stephen King a try. For the time being, I think I’m done with horror and with Stephen King, but I do think that I would like to try another one of his books at some point. If you have any favorites of his that you think I should give a try, please don’t hesitate to let me know!