Insanity // Henry Bowers [ON HOLD]

Four - "I can't kiss you."

The next day, Henry and Lydia didn't speak of what happened the night before. They didn't speak of the way Lydia had woke up terrified, screaming for Henry and their friends. And they certainly didn't talk about the way Henry soothed her back to sleep, almost completely going against everything he had become.

Of course, Belch knew, he'd immediately bolted out of bed at the sound of his friend screaming his name only to catch sight of her crying into Henry's shoulder. He knew then and there that he wasn't needed, whatever it was Henry would take care of her.

The Huggins boy knew it must've been another one of Lydia's dreams, she'd had the same one for almost a week, the one about the cockroaches, and Belch was the only one she'd trusted enough to tell; the other three boys would've just called her crazy.

And so none of the three friends brought up what happened or what they'd seen, it was a secret best kept between the three of them.

It was all she could think about as she ate breakfast at the Uris's house that morning. After kicking the boys out she'd headed straight over to Stan's knowing that she'd feel safer within reach of her younger friends than within her own home.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Stan asked with a raised eyebrow, his Kippah began to tip from the back of his head, "You're worrying me."

"Yeah, you look like you barely slept Lydia!" Eddie stared worriedly at his older friend

"It's nothing, I just... I've been having this crazy dream almost every night and it's keeping me awake."

"What happens i-in the d-dream?" Bill asked with kind eyes

"Cockroaches..." The Girl shuddered, "It started off with this clown, it told me that I could float. Then it just... crumbles apart and before I know it it's a pile of cockroaches and they're all over me, they're eating me alive and there's nothing I can do about it. It's excruciating... It feels so real every time and there's nothing I can do to stop it, all I can do is hope somewheres there to wake me up."

"Is that why you let those assholes stay over at your place last night?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to be alone, well- that and the fact Vic had a ton of shots then puked down himself."

"Fucking idiot." Richie snorted

"So who was it who woke you from your nightmare?"

"Henry, surprisingly."

"You're kidding me?"

"I'm not. Shockingly he actually seemed as if he was worried."

"Maybe he's still trying to get into your pants." Richie said

"Maybe he still l-likes you." Bill rephrased what Richie had said, causing the Greystone girl to laugh.

"I doubt that."

But Lydia was oh so completely wrong, because despite his asshole ways Henry had never stopped feeling for her, even if he wasn't aware of it himself.

***

"Come on Lyds!" Patrick turned in the passenger seat with a wicked look in his eyes. "Just this once? For me?"