He Likes Boys//It (2017)

t w e l v e

Chapter Twelve:

To say that Hom was nervous for the date would have been a huge understatement. He was beyond nervous, his hands and feet twitching beneath the seat at the moderately fancy restaurant they'd went to, or at least, moderately fancy for a couple of 14 year olds.

He looked down at the menu, debating what to order as much as what he should say to Beverly. He wanted her to have a good time with him. He wanted this to be a good time. Bur he didn't know how to make it so that they both had a great time. He didn't know what to say or do. He'd assumed that Beverly would take the reigns with this one, but she was still looking down at her menu in silence.

"So...what are you planning on getting?" Beverly asked, surveying the menu.

Hom nearly sighed out loud, finally the silence between them was broken. He was almost afraid that it was about to get awkward, but as soon as Beverly spoke, all his fears melted away.

"I'm honestly not sure. I think I might go for the penne." Hom said.

"Really? I heard it really good. I've never been here." Beverly replied.

"What are you getting?" He asked her. She looked up and down the menu, trying to think.

"I don't know. I'm think of getting either the sandwiches or the spaghetti."

"Maybe we could share a plate of spaghetti." Hom suggested, thinking of The Lady and The Tramp. It would be his romantic dream to share that perfect kiss here with Beverly. "They look really big." He point out the plate of pasta the family across from them had ordered. "I probably won't be able to finish one all by myself."

Beverly smirked at him. She knew exactly what he was implying. "Yeah," she nodded. "If you want I think we could share a plate of spaghetti. That way if one of us doesn't like it, the other can just eat it, right."

"Okay." Hom agreed.

Beverly rested her head against her arm. "How's your day been going?" She asked him. She wasn't really sure of how to make small talk, nor how to keep the conversation fro dying out. There was still so much she'd been dying to find out about Hom. She knew so little about him, yet she was determined to discover even more beyond.

"Pretty good." Hom replied. "How's yours?" He asked immediately after.

"Oh, good." Beverly replied.

"That's good."

"Yeah." Beverly said, then she leaned in, and spoke in a more hushed voice. "Do you think we're telling the truth.... you know, about it?" She didn't know whether or not he believed them back there. So far he seemed pretty convinced. He hadn't called them crazy or anything like that yet, so she assumed that he believed her. She sure hoped he didn't think of her as crazy.

"well...." Hom struggled with what to say. He still wasn't entirely convinced of the monster, but they all seemed really scared. It seemed like they weren't really pranking him, and if they were then they were doing a very good job with it. And if they were just crazy, then how was it possible that they all imagine the same monster? Nothing seemed to add up, and every answer seemed more likely than the truth. "I just don't really know whether to trust my instinct or to trust what you guys are saying." Hom finally finished, after a long pause.

"What does your instinct say?" Beverly asked. She was genuinely curious as to what he thought. She supposed that it couldn't be that bad, even if he did already think they were all crazy.

Once again Hom struggled to find a reply that wouldn't offend her. "My instinct says that you're probably not crazy, but I still shouldn't trust you."

Beverly nodded, taking in his answer. It wasn't as bad as she thought it might be. She just had to make Hom trust them. "I think you should ignore your instinct. Just this one time. I think you will start to believe us anyway, once you start seeing this monster. Might as well start now." Beverly shrugged. He would start believing them soon, she thought. Once he helped then fight and he saw the monster with his own two eyes he would either see it and believe it or see it and go insane, whichever one came first.

"I think I'm going to try to start believing." Hom agreed. "Even if my brain is kind of telling me not to right now."

"I think that's a good thing. At least, if you plan on fighting the thing killing kids around here." Beverly really hoped no one around them heard. And if they did she hoped to never see them again.

Hom nodded. "I want to fight with you guys. "

She placed her hand over his and looked him straight in the eyes. "You do understand the risks, right?" She asked, wanting to make sure that Hom knew someone could die in the attempt to fight It. This thing had already killed tons of other children around Derry and what was to stop that creature from killing them as well?

Hom nodded. "I understand."

The waiter approache their table. Hom felt fairly embarrassed at the fact that the waiter may have overheard their conversation, but he figure it was fine, since she continued to smile down at them regardless.

"What can I get for you today?" A waitress asked, notebook in hand.

Beverly smiled at Hom. She knew that danger was approaching fast, but she also knew that once the danger was over, the two would probably lead very happy lives.

"We'll have a bowl of spaghetti please." Beverly said confidently, standing up straighter and giving the waitress a bright smile. "And two forks." She added.

Hom had to admit that he was a bit afraid to fight It. If the losers really thought that it was the thing killing children it could mean more than just a fight.

It could mean war.