Mike Knows It Better

It wasn't long enough since Mike Hanlon started his friendship with the group of boys (and Beverly) who proudly named themselves as the Losers Club. His dad asked him multiple times what kind of boys (and..."A girl, Mike? A girl hanging out with six boys? What her parents think of it?") were they. Why were they befriending a black kid? Were their parents aware that their kids had a black friend? Were their parents like the crazy Butch Bowers and his psychopath of a son? Would they be comfortable inviting a black kid to birthday parties, movie nights and sleepovers?

He was relieved when his mom intervened, and he was walking on cloud nine when his father met the bunch of "white kids befriending my son". His dad seemed to enjoy all of them and even laughed when Richie had to run around the house, screaming in panic when a hen started to run after him to attack, as a result of Richie trying to hug one of the chickens; and even when Eddie freaked out after acknowledging the fact that Mike and his parents used to drink the milk after milking the cows, without boiling it first. Bill liked his dad the most, due to his father patience to hear him, not interrupting Bill when he stuttered.

Mike was glad to have a group of friends and for the first time he felt this urge to be a regular student, to get out his comfort zone as a homeschooled kid. He knew Henry Bowers and his bully friends would turn his life into a living hell if "the black guy dared to attend our school". But for the Losers he would do that, as they gave him, for the first time, the true feeling of being part of something, treating him like an equal despite his skin color. Yes, he would for sure endure Henry and whoever may come to his way to be with his six new friends.

This question was a point of controversy inside his house, and now tables had turned, and his father was actually the one trying to calm down Mrs. Hanlon to see that, even if it had risks, it seemed to be a good idea. They couldn't keep shielding Mike for too long, the world was cruel and Mike had to be twice as strong as the white kids to survive. Until the question was solved, his parents allowed him to be around the Losers as much as possible.

That's why they were always watching movies together, planning sleepovers, playing at the Barrens, running away from Henry and his gang, teasing each other, even studying together. They spend so much time together that Mike feels like he knows them forever, maybe even from previous lives? He knows every single one of them, their virtues and flaws, their hobbies, favorite foods, domestic struggles and wishes for the future. It amazes him how naturally things flow among them.

He knows that Eddie has a critical relationship with vegetables, which terrifies him, because he wants to eat them to keep healthy, but they can pass on diseases if contaminated ("Toxoplasmosis, Mike! Cholera!"), he also knows that Bev uses socks inside her bra during her Math classes because she thinks her partner is cute, and he also knows that it saddens Ben (but who doesn't knows it already?). He knows that even if Bill loves how the others look at him for guidance, he secretly hates it because of the amount of pressure.

And he knows that something is going on between Stanley and Richie and it bothers him.

It bothers him because he doesn't know exactly what is that, and it also feels like a very particular thing that's only subject of knowledge to Stan and Richie. But they're all friends, why on Earth are those two hiding whatever they're hiding?

He knows something is going on and he blushes at the thoughts creeping into his mind. Because... It couldn't be, right?

But as they're watching Bev and Eddie playing enthusiastically on the Atari, he wonders why does Richie have to lay his head on Stan's lap when there's plenty of room for all of them on Bill's garage. And he wonders why Stan allows Richie to do so, as he's known for his lack of patience over Richie's shit (which confuses Mike even more).