summer camp

Twenty-One

 Henry nudged Richie in the side. Richie was out like a light, so he nudged him again, harder.

This woke him up. Richie groaned and opened his eyes, looking up to face Henry. Why were they so close? Richie could've swore they were at least a couple feet away from each other when he fell asleep.

"Hey," Henry said quietly. It looked like he never even laid his head down on his pillow, and that could've been the case, because his pillowcase was completely undisturbed. "I waited 'til everyone was asleep. I need to talk to you."

Richie reaches for his glasses and sits up, looking around at the other Losers before putting them on. The room wasn't pitch dark. Bill always used a night light, not because he was scared of the dark, but because he had trouble falling asleep without it. Or, at least, that's what he told everybody. None of the Losers judged him for it, because they knew better. "I know you don't like them," Richie whispers. "After this, we can hang out alone again, okay?" He started to wonder how terrible he looked, and reached up to pat down his hair. Richie assumed it was spiked up in random spots.

Henry shook his head and put his arms around Richie. It was something new, but it didn't surprise Richie, either. "Not that," he said, combing his fingers through Richie's hair for him. Richie liked how it felt, and he smiled to himself, glad Henry wasn't able to see. "It's... um, well, you know." Henry pauses. "What happened."

His smile fades, and he sits there quietly, wondering what the fuck Henry was talking about. What happened? Did he do something stupid, or was he refferring to something that happened during camp? That was forever ago. Why was he only talking about it now?

And then it hit him. It had to be about the kiss, or some other thing that happened... maybe Patrick Hockstetter rubbing his disgusting hands all over him. Richie cringes just thinking about it. Ew. But seriously, what's he talking about?

Henry sighs and drops his arms. "The kiss, Richie. Goddamn it."

Richie can already tell Henry's mad at him, and he expected to get chewed out, but it didn't happen. Henry just sits there and stares at him, the side of his face illuminated by Bill's night light. "I'm not mad at you. I just don't, uh..." Henry trailed off, and Richie figured he was going to say that he didn't feel the same way, or that he's not "into guys" but the two of them can still be friends.

"Whatever," Richie hissed, pushing Henry away and laying back down. The last thing in the world that he wants to do is talk about it, and listen to Henry's explanation about why he doesn't like him.

Henry looked angry again, but nothing came out of it.

Richie closed his eyes and wished that the whole thing would be over, but he feels Henry sitting there, propped up on his elbow, watching him. Thinking of what to say, thinking about how to put him down easily. "It's fine," Richie said again.

"No, Richie, seriously. I don't know what to say because I don't know how to feel about it, okay?"

Richie opened his eyes again and stared at Henry. Both of them were dead silent, and the only thing that could be heard were Stanley's soft snores from across the room, a few feet behind Richie. Richie could tell it was Stanley without even looking.

"Did it mean anything? When you did it? Or did you just say, uh, fuck it?" Henry spoke again.

"Well, uh," Richie grinned. He could feel himself starting up again. "If we kiss again, I can make it mean something." Fuck. Why did he say that? Why couldn't he have just pretended to be dead when Henry tried waking him up?

Henry snickered quietly, to Richie's surprise, and laid back down next to him. Richie is suddenly surprised that neither of them have woken any of the Losers up. "God. You nerd." Henry smiled at him, and Richie could feel his own grin growing wider.

"Shut up."

The conversation ended there, and Richie closed his eyes. Henry watched Richie for a little longer before turning around and deciding to try to get some sleep himself.

Mike Hanlon's eyes shot open.

He was glad to have been directly below Henry and Richie, or else he wouldn't have heard that conversation. What are his options, though? Keep their secret safe, or tell the Losers?

Mike shut his eyes again and turned to lay on his stomach. He had his mind made the second he started to drift off.

If Richie and Henry continue taking risks like that one, it's not like their secret will last long anyway.