He Likes Boys//It (2017)

n i n e

Chapter Nine:

Beverly shook with constant terror that night as she feared what would happen if her father were to come into her room that night. No one would believe her if she told them. No one ever believed children.

She shook as she tried to sleep, but she was unable to let sleep come to her, she knew they would only be more nightmares.

Bill had been having trouble sleeping too that night. He'd been tossing and turning, as images of his dead brother sprang up into his head.

"Billie!" His brother called to him in the dream.

"Bill save me!" Georgie screamed with terror as the monster began to tear him apart bit by bit, his blood squirting everywhere.

"Bill please." Georgie begged as tears filled his eyes.

In the dream Bill was tied up. Unable to help his dying brother he struggled against the thick rope.

"I'm coming Georgie!" He noted the lack of stutter in his dream.

Georgie let out a loud scream of pain as the monster ripped through his stomach, his insides starting to fall out before It picks them up off the ground and eats them.

It turns to Bill, it's blood soaked teeth cause a shiver to run through him.

"I wouldn't plan on wasting any." It said with a smile as it licked up some of the blood that'd fallen on the ground.

Bill could tell his brother was still breathing, but just barely. He thrashed against the ropes even more, struggling to reach his brother, who was bleeding out even more as It held him high up into the air.

"Let him go you motherfucker!" Bill spat at It. He knew he would never escape the ropes, that he was powerless to stop It, but maybe if he made It angry enough, it might let his brother go and take him instead.

"Ohh." It smiled at Bill with it's long teeth covered in his brother's blood. "Someone's getting angry."

"Damn right. Now let Georgie go you freak!" Bill screamed with all his might, his voice reaching higher and higher with every word as he struggled to make it go louder. Still, his body strained against the ropes, desperate to be free.

His screaming seemed to have worked, because now it was coming closer and closer to him, It's lips pulled back over it's teeth, ready to take a big bite out of him.

"I've eaten your brother, and now I'll eat you too, Billie."

The creature smirked before taking a big bite out of him.

Bill woke from his nightmare in a cold sweat. His alarm clock was blasting Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. He was really starting to hate that song.

He swung his legs out from the sheets and wandered off to the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water dripped down his back as he tried to wash the dreams from his mind.

He wanted to avenge Georgie. He knew he had to, otherwise It would only continue killing children in Derry. They had formed the perfect plane to do this, but now Bill was having doubts, about everything, about how powerful It was, about how they thought they could really kill it with a slingshot and a couple bullets.

It all seemed ridiculous now.

As Bill got out of the shower he remembered it was Saturday. He usually hung out with the losers, but he wasn't really in the mood for it today. He didn't know how to handle being the leader all the time, everyone counting on him for what was right and wrong.

He wouldn't dare tell them he thought their plan might not work.

He heard the doorbell ring and quickly put on his clothes before going to see who was at the door. The person rang the doorbell several more times before Boll finally made it to the door.

"About time." Richie huffed. Behind him were Hom, Eddie and Beverly.

"I-I w-was in the shower." Bill stuttered out. He felt slightly less self conscious about his stutter when he was around his friends than when he was around others. Maybe it was just because he knew they wouldn't judge him.

"Hurry up princess, we've gotta go get Ben, Stan and Mike still." Richie teased him playfully.

Bill sighed. "Mike is probably busy. Doesn't he usually have to help with the farm this time of year." 

"Oh right." Richie had forgotten. He guessed Hanlon was missing out on the fun. "Fine then. We skip Hanlon, but we still have to get Ben and Stan."

Bill  rolled his eyes at Richie and then hurried to put on his coat and shoes.

Hom suddenly felt the urge link hands with Beverly. He loved showing affection for her in public. He loved the display of love and letting people know that they belonged to each other. 

"You hair is still wet." Richie pointed out to Bill. Bill slapped his arm.

"No duh! You guys were rushing me."

"It's only because we love you Bill." Richie said, jokingly.

Hom and Beverly smiled at them, before accidentally walking slightly ahead of the group.

"They're so....." Hom struggled to find the right words to describe the losers.

"Great?" Beverly suggested.

Hom laughed. "You could say that."

Suddenly flashes of Stan's perfect face flashed through his mind. Hom shook the thoughts from his head, trying to insist that it was only because he was jealous of Stan's handsomeness. He was here with Beverly, and with Beverly he would stay.

But he had a more sinking feeling as he looked over at her. He looked into her eyes and saw that they were not as good as Stan's. He looked at her hair and saw that it was not as good as Stan's. She was not as beautiful as Stan. He couldn't help but stare at Stan's lips, wanting to memorize every detail. Then Hom looked away, ashamed.

Regardless, he wasn't gay. Beverly was still beautiful. Prettier than any girl he'd seen before. What he felt for Stan was nothing but jealousy. He tried to convince himself of that much, at least.

But Hom was starting to suspect something else.

Maybe he wasn't just jealous after all?