One of a Kind - Stanley Uris

22: Goodbye Quarry

DERRY - August 3rd, 1990

I got on a light cover-up over my underwear and got on my bike. Beverly and Stan came up to meet with me on their bikes, wearing robes.

"Whoa, where'd you get those?" I asked, amazed. "I need to get me one."

"It's a secret," Beverly said, and then threw her head back and laughed. I laughed with her, and Stanley pedaled a little faster in front of us. When we got there, we were met up by Mike, who had on nothing but jeans, and Eddie, who was still fully clothed.

"Are you not swimming?" I asked them.

"I'm not," Eddie said. "Mike's just waiting for everyone else." I shrugged my shoulders and got off my bike. I put the kickstand up and made sure my towel was securely on my bike handles. Bev took off her robe and I took off my cover-up, and that was when I noticed that Eddie and Stan were gawking at us. Mike was staring at the ground. I glared at the other two boys, and they quickly looked away, color rising in their cheeks. 

Bill arrived soon after that, then Ben, and finally, Richie. We gathered at the edge of the cliff, waiting for someone to make their move. And that was when I catapulted over, feeling my heart drop into my stomach as I plummeted like a stone. Richie and Stan went over after me, then Bev and Bill, Mike, and then Ben. I decided to swim around a little bit, and I looked over at where the rest of the Losers Club was. Stan was gone. Where was he? I felt something under me grab my leg, and I screamed bloody murder before whatever it was let go and emerged, laughing. It was Stanley. I punched him in the shoulder, and he shouted, "Ow!"

I laughed and said, "That's what you get for scaring the absolute goodness out of me."

"You didn't have to hit me!" he protested. He rubbed where I'd hit him. I felt bad immediately because that was going to leave a pretty big bruise. But I was shocked at how strong I was, and I decided to rub it in his face.

"Well, you didn't have to scare me," I replied, giggling a bit. "And you must be pretty weak if you can't take that."

Stanley smirked and then went underwater again. What's he doing? I thought. That's when I felt myself being lifted up from underneath. I screamed again and cried, "Stanley, Stanley, Stanley, what are you doing with me?"

He paid no heed to me and threw me as best he could into the water. When I resurfaced, he called, "Not so weak now, am I?"

"I'll show you," I muttered, and then lunged at him. He slid away, and I continued lurching after him like the creature from the Black Lagoon. At last, he moved too slowly, and I had him in my grasp. I attack-hugged him, and he tried freeing himself from me, but it was pointless. After struggling for a couple more seconds, he withdrew and hugged me back.

"Aww, young love," Richie commented, swimming over to us. Stan gave him a reproachful stare, and I gave him a shocked look. It was just Richie fooling around. What's got him suddenly worked up?

"Why aren't you with the other losers?" Stan asked curtly.

"Hey, it's okay if he wants to stay with us," I said quietly. I'd never seen Stanley so bitter (well, that's an understatement; there had been times when someone in the Losers Club made fun of me or him or both of us and he'd get pretty pissed).

"Yeah, I'm not gonna bite," Richie said, confused.

"Give us a second, Richie," Stanley snapped. He lowered his lips to my ear and murmured, "You know he likes you, right?"

"What?" I whisper-exclaimed. "No, I didn't. Is that why you're so crabby around him?"

"Yeah."