Changes | Bichie

| s i x t e e n ; mending broken bonds |

Bill walked into his house, Eddie by his side with a reassuring smile. Beverly, Stanley, Mike, Ben, and Henry all stood up from his couch, some from the ground, all staring at Bill with concern and relief to see he had returned better than when he left. 

Beverly turned and saw Stanley, searching for the right words to say to Bill. 

She sighed and stepped forward, tucking her red hair behind her ear to avoid hiding behind it. She looked down at her sleeves for what felt like the hundredth time that she's been inside his house waiting. "Beverly?" Bill voice brought her attention to him, breaking her from her thoughts. 

Stanley pushed his fear of rejection and stood by her side, no touch or smile, she just took comfort in his presence. 

Beverly finally looked into his eyes, the last time she was in front of Bill, looking into his eyes, she carried hatred and anger in her heart. 

Tears began to fill her eyes, "I'm so sorry, Bill-" He shook his head, ready to tell her it was okay when they both knew it wasn't. 

She stopped him and shook her head, a small smile on her face. "Please.. Just- Just let me finish." He nodded, waiting for her to go on.

"I was angry with you when I found out you were his friend." She turned to Henry and sighed before turning back to Bill. "Angry that you'd forgive someone who has hurt us all." Henry looked down, Mike placed his arm on his shoulder, asking him to hear her out. 

"Henry was a monster, to us all." Bill nodded, that was true. Henry had hurt them all in some way or another, hell Bill would've never seen the day he'd call him friend. 

"But monster or not.." Beverly walked to Henry and grabbed his hand, pulling him with her as she walked back to Bill. "You saw a side to him we didn't. And I know that- that I should've.." She grabbed Stanley's hand and smiled, "We should've gave him a chance." 

She turned to Henry, "I don't know what you helped him with.. but thank you. I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance." He smiled, turning to Bill, neither one would've ever thought they'd end up here. 

"I'm sorry, to you all." Henry made sure he looked at every loser, even in his heart he spoke to Richie who remained upstairs since Bill ran out. "My actions, My words caused you pain. And for that, for it all, I'm sorry." Beverly and Stanley flashed him smiles of approval, finally able to forgive him for all his cruel doings in the past. 

Eddie, Mike, Ben, and Bill all smiled at him proudly, he had came so far. 

"But.. I'm more sorry to you, Bill." Beverly turned back to Bill, Henry walked back to the others and smiled, hugging them all happily. He was almost a loser, everyone but Richie had finally forgave him and chose to give him chance.

"I shouldn't have outed you, no matter how angry I was, it was wrong. I'm sorry." Bill threw his arms around his friends and chuckled, feeling relief to have all the losers in one place. Everyone was getting along, all he needed was Richie back and he'd be complete. He'd have all his losers back, most importantly he'd have his Richie back. 

"I'm not mad at you guys. You were right to be angry, but no matterWe'll always find our way back to each other." Beverly and Stanley smiled at him before tackling him in another hug, the others joining in on it. 

Bill pulled away and smiled. "Go to him." Stanley smiled. 

|  In Bill's room |

Bill knocked, even if it was his own room. "Come in." Richie answered. 

Bill opened the door and saw Richie hovered over the edge of his bed with tear stained cheeks. 

"Oh, Rich.." Bill walked forward before Richie ran into his arms and began to sob into his shoulder. Bill sighed and brought his arms around him, holding onto his shaking shoulders. 

Richie sobbed words he couldn't understand, "Richie- Richie breathe, okay?" Richie pulled away and nodded, looking into his eyes and breaking down all over again. 

Bill walked him to his bed and sat down beside him, ready to tell him what he needed to say, or at least what his mind was telling him to say to avoid the tombstone of his heart. 

"Richie-"

"No, Bill.." Richie cut him off knowing Bill was getting ready to say goodbye. "Me first, I have to tell you why I lied to you. Why I told you I'd never love you." Bill didn't want to hear more excuses, more lies he'd tell to mend his heart until he was ready to break it all over again. 

"Please. Then you can say whatever you want." He sighed, his mind at war with his heart had became routine every time he was with Richie. He could hear his heart telling him to hear him out, Eddie, and his mind telling him to walk away while his heart is still intact, Henry.

"Okay." Bill said. 

"The reason I lied was to protect you." Bill furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion. 

"Protect me?" He asked.

"My father found out about us, Bill." Bill's eyes widened, it was the fear they were both afraid of. Richie didn't want his father knowing and neither did Bill, it was something they shared. 

"He asked me if it was true we had been 'queer' together-" Richie's lets a tired chuckle escape his lips. "Whatever that means.. Point is; I could've told him no, that we were just friends. I could've said anything to ease his mind, but what I said was-" He turned to Bill and grabbed his hands, holding them in his as he looked up into his mesmerizing green eyes. "'I'm in love with him, dad.'" Bill's eyes began to tear up, he hadn't ever heard Richie say it. 

Richie rubbed his thumbs across Bill's knuckles, another tired chuckle escaping his lips. "He wasn't too happy with me." 

"My mom stood in front of me, so my father wouldn't beat me bloody. Saved me from a beating, I thought maybe she'd except me since this was the one time she's ever saved me from my father." Bill looked into his eyes, although he tried to hide his pain that lied in his heart, he still saw the scars under his eyes. 

"But she didn't. Instead she told him I was sick and needed help to rid these 'sinful' thoughts of you. And any boy." Richie carried a haunted expression, going back to those awful nights he spent wishing he could just see sweet Bill's face. 

"My father told me it was me or you. He was gonna tell your folks, Big Bill-" Richie looked up into his eyes again and began to choke on his words, fearful at the thought of Bill having to go through such horrors. 

He shook his head in disbelief and squeezed Bill's hands, almost as if he'd disappear and end up back in that horrible place. 

"I couldn't do that to you, Bill. I wouldn't!" Richie broke down again, this time Bill did too, feeling such sorrow for his best friend and what he had to go through for him, for them. Bill engulfed him in a hug and held onto Richie for dear life. 

"He made me lie to you! He said if I didn't he'd tell your parents and make sure I'd never see you again!" Richie spoke in sobs, but Bill was able to understand him this time. He couldn't believe his father was behind their broken hearts, or that he right about there being more than what was said. 

"It was awful, Bill. Every part of it, the lying to you, the camp-" Bill shushed him and held him tighter, he could hear Richie's heart breaking and it was breaking his. 

"It's over, no more lying, okay? No more camp." Bill reassured, sounding confident, but truth was he was terrified. What was to happen when his father found out he was with Bill, he couldn't tell his parents, but there was no chance in hell he'd let him return home.

"I-" Bill stopped him from saying the L word until his truth was spoken. 

"Before you say it- I think I should explain to you and the others why I lied. Will you come with me?" Richie cracked a smile and nodded, grabbing his hand and pulling him up from his bed. "I'm always with you." 

Bill chuckled and punched his arm playfully, "You dork." He giggled.