He Likes Boys//It (2017)

t h i r t y t w o

Chapter Thirty Two:

"Beverly-"

She turned away from him. "Don't talk to me. I can't stand it. I can't stand this. I-" she hesitated.

"I still love you." Beverly finished. "And I know for a fact that you don't love me. You love him. You love boys. And you will never love me." She continued.

"I didn't mean for this to happen." Hom tried to explain, pleading with her to understand, praying that his words would reach her.

But they didn't. And Beverly didn't forgive him. Hom had never wanted to be anything more than himself. She knew she shouldn't be mad at him for something he couldn't control, but still she couldn't help as her emotions raged inside her chest.

"I loved you." She said quietly, mainly to herself.

"And I thought I loved you." Hom replied, not knowing what else to tell him.

"I know I just-" she burst out in tears again. "I just thought it was for real."

"I thought so too, Beverly." Hom tried to explain himself. "I didn't know."

"How could you not know you were a faggot?" She cried, then gasped in horror as she realized the word that had slipped from her mouth.

Hom glares at her. He had never thought of her as the type of person who would just randomly throw around slurs. He'd never thought of her as the type of person who would do that to him. Who would hurt him like that. Who would use who he loved against him.

"Oh my god Hom. I'm so sorry-" she tried to frantically explain herself, but Hom shut her up.

"-No. You have no right to be sorry now. You let those words slip from your mouth. It's not okay, Beverly." He gave her a stone cold look. He never intended to forgive her. He would never forgive her after what she had done to him.

"I didn't mean it Hom!" She called out, but it was already too late, Hom was already walking away.

Hom stormed away, feeling so much anger and hatred for Beverly that he stomped with every step he took. He needed to let his anger out. He felt the storm slowly building up inside his chest until he couldn't help it anymore. Hom struck one hard punch into the tree nearest to him, then yelped at the pain in his hand.

Beverly curled up and cried in the forest. Everything terrible seemed to be happening around her. Every last bit of her nightmare world was raging in her mind as everything seemed to be bad thoughts, bad words, bad actions. Beverly feared she would never find peace in this state. All she wanted was to have Hom back. All she wanted was all she could never have.

Hom sat back down beside Stan by the rocks. The whole group could sense that there was something off about Hom's mood, but no one pried.

After a few moments of silence, Stan leaned over and whispered in Hom's ear. "Are you okay?" Stan asked softly, a look of concern spreading across his features.

"I'll tell you what happened later." Hom whispered back. He didn't want this to be an issue with the whole group, but he trusted Stan enough to give him at least a few details about his life. And hopefully it would build a sense of trust between them. Hopefully Stan would trust him too.

When Beverly walked back to the group, she felt as though she was in a state of constant worry. She felt as though she would never face things and nothing would ever get better. How could it, at a time like this? How could it get better when everything was crashing down around her?

Then she saw It. Hiding behind a tree, in the corner of her eye, she saw the monster. With it's peering eyes and blood soaked teeth. It had made another murder in these past few days. It seemed to be getting hungrier as time went on. Beverly took out her slingshot, placing the silver bullet on, and pulling back the elastic.

She had to get the perfect shot. But It was staring right at her.

"I'm injured, Beverly." It said quietly, in a less fearsome voice than before. This time, it sounded weak.

She didn't reply, and tried to fix her aim at the monster.

"Don't shoot me please." It begged, this time it made it's way towards her, and she was starting to see the monster more clearly. It was covered in blood, with large gashes spread across it's legs.

"I can offer you the world Beverly!" It begged in fear. Screaming at Beverly, pleading for her to accept.

Beverly showed no mercy. She knew what this thing was capable of. She knew it had killed Bill's little brother. She knew it had killed tons of children around Derry. Perhaps thousands over the years, she suspected. She knew it would keep on killing if she gave It what It wanted.

"I can give you anything you dream of! I can make your wildest dreams a reality! Please dear god don't shoot me!" It begged even more, now standing in front of Beverly, kneeling on it's slashed knees and bleeding out onto the forest ground.

"Please don't shoot please don't shoot please don't shoot please don't shoot please don't shoot please don't shoot please don't shoot-" the monster begged for mercy form Beverly, thinking that It could spare it's life form the horror it never thought might happen. At least not, while it still only ate children.

Beverly shot the monster, and it fell back with a loud splat, into the wet mud.

It was dead.