it meets what // ON HOLD

Chapter 3

Mike Wheeler

7:30 PM

The boys were just about to leave, the tournament was cut off because I told them I was "sick". In reality I was just exhausted from turning from Mike, to Richie, and back to me again.

"Okay so we'll finish after you get home from your aunts tomorrow?" Lucas asks as he packs up his snacks and drinks. My aunt Derri, that's "where I go" everyday.

"Yeah. I'll text you guys when I'm on the way back?" I say with a nod.

"Yeah sure."

"Sounds cool." Dustin adds from the staircase, "C'mon Lucas. I need help with the math homework. I swear I'll actually help this time."

Lucas rolls his eyes and looks at me and Will, "Bye boys. Feel better Michael."

They both leave and I hear the door close. In the basement was just Will and I. The silence filled the basement and he looked at me. I notice his glare out of the corner of my eye.

"What?" I ask him.

"Richie Tozier." He says and but doesn't look at me.

Shit.

Eddie Kaspbrak

9:02 AM

Bill suggested that I host the meeting because there was a lot of things that needed to be said and he didn't feel like he could say it all with his stutter, although it is improving. I check down at my wristwatch, 9:02am. Everyone walks in together all at once. First Stanley Uris, he's the most chickenshit of our group, I giggle to myself. Next comes Ben, he's the new kid. He's really smart and quirky. Next is Mike, he's the oldest and the "outcast" even though he fits in just fine. And finally, there's Beverly. She's dating Bill and is the only girl in our group. Me and her are super close. She's the only one I came out to as bisexual. At least yet, I wanted to tell Richie but I don't know who he is anymore. No one said a word. They all sat in a row staring at us.

"Okay so hi," I say fiddling the hem of my shirt and not looking up at them. I know they're my best friends but I have such a huge fear of public speaking, "Meetings are only held on rare occasions. But this is kind of urgent." I finally look up at them and continue, "As you can see, Richie isn't here. Me and Bill have come across some information and we believe that Richie's living a double life."

Ben and Mike start giggling uncontrollably and Beverly sits and stares at me and Bill like we have two heads. Stan looks at his feet and says nothing.

"Got s-something on your mind Stan?" Bill asks him and everything else goes quiet. Stanley jerks his head up quickly and a pink colour spreads over his cheeks and nose.

"W-what? No. I-" He stops and looks directly at Bill, "yes. I have a lot to say. Everyone sit down and listen."

Everyone sat back down in their original spots and listened, clearly intrigued.

"Everything I'm about to say is serious. I'm not bullshitting any of this, I swear on my life." Stan nods and pans the room. "I followed him home one day."
"Richie?" Beverly asks cocking her head.

"Mike. His name's Mike Wheeler. No not his 'double life name'. His double life name is Richie Tozier. He lives in the next town over, Hawkins. He goes to school there and has his family there. That's why he says he's 'homeschooled', because he goes to school in a completely different city."

"We need to go." I say standing up from my seat. I check my wristwatch and run into Bills house from the garage. Behind me I hear the rest of the losers stand up and follow.

"Eddie!" Mike shouts, "What are you doing?"

I sat down at Bills kitchen table and pulled out the Derry Newspaper.

"Here," I pointed to a section of the paper, "The train schedule. It's 9:57. We have 33 minutes to gather up two dollars to board the train and go to Hawkins. We need to talk to him and settle this. I don't want him to fake with us anymore." I sat turning to face the losers who were all standing looking over my shoulder.

"Okay. G-good idea. I'll go grab s-some cash. Meet in m-my front law-lawn at 10:15." Bill declares. Everyone murmurs some okay's and will do's. Time to start part two of our investigating.