—Death is close and so is Love—
—4:00pm / Still the twenty-fourth
"He's gonna get his ass beat if he does." Bill chuckles. He has a rather soft bone structure. No "sharp" edges to his jawline or cheeks. He's a softie that tries his best to look tough. People who know well enough like Stanley or Mrs. Denbrough know how kind he can be.
"Bye Bill!" "Bye!" He chuckles. Mike waves at some of the people leaving. "How's Eddie doing?" "He's doing better than I am...he's t-trying...like Stan had done." "At least he cares-" "This feels wrong," "What?" Mike is familiar with Bill's random rambling in the average of conversations.
"I could be h-helping...looking for both of them...b-but I'm here...instead." "Listen, you've done all you can-" "I can do more...fuck." He watches as Eddie rolls over gently. The warmth of the sun is good enough to help the boy fall asleep.
"He's gonna kill you if he gets sunburnt." "I know. I know." He grumbles. Handing Mike his drink and float. "So where did Beverly g-go?" "To the library." "Weird." He chuckles. Eddie looks too delicate to provoke.
"Eddie...h-hey. Wake up. Y-You're gonna get sunburned." "No..." he whines. "I'm sorry. C'mon." Eddie stumbles slightly. He'd lean onto Bill's chest if it weren't for the fact that he's soaking wet.
"Loser!!" Everyone's attention is turned to Eddie and Bill. Patrick and of course his goons pour ice water over the both of them.
"S-Shit!" "What the fuck??"
A towel is wrapped around the smaller one. If everyone else would unexpectedly vanish, he'd cry. Cry into Bill's arms until abruptly plunging asleep.
"It-It was a joke, Mike. We didn't mean it." Patrick stumbles over his words. "H-Hey it's okay...promise. C'mon. Let's go." Bill doesn't bother to grab their stuff on the ground. He knows Mike will get it. He just wants to get Eddie away from everything and everyone.
"What the fuck?" Is murmured over and over again. His bare feet pitter against the asphalt. "I'm sorry..." he stops in place. The curls stick against his head. "Yeah..." "Y-Yeah?"
By some unknown force, their lips attach. Almost like puzzle pieces.
It feels unfair.
Wrong. So very wrong.
Like puzzle pieces to a different puzzle, but that would normally fit together. "I-I like Stan..." "I know you do...just one more..." "I can't..." "Yes, you can..." "Yes, I can..."
He watches. He watches from a remote extent. His best friend and ex-lover kissing. He chokes on a tight-lipped sob. If he were to yell, the knife against his throat would be mashed harder.
Pushed harder until his vision would go out.
"Let go of him, man." "You want the kid to die? Huh?!" "N-No..." "Look at that...he loves him."
Stan's face burns a sharp red. Tears roll down his cheeks quicker and quicker. He doesn't know what's scarier, the knife against his throat or the fact that Bill might fall in love with Eddie instead.
He doesn't love Bill back...does he?
"C'mon. We've gotta go." "Y-Yeah..." "Yeah..." "You're going home today...right?" He asks, intertwining their hands ever so gently. "I don't have to." "Right..."
—11:26 pm
"Night m-mom..." "Is Eddie asleep?" "Fell asleep a couple of hours ago." "That's fine...wake me if you need anything..." "Are you okay?" "I will be..."
She gives him that mom looks where you know they're very, very close to breaking down. She tries to hide the misery and losing hope in her eyes. But it doesn't go away. "Mom." "I...I will." She melts into his thoughtful grasp. "We'll find him...both of them." "What if we don't?" "Don't think that way...w-we're doing what we can." "And that's good?..." "Absolutely..." her warm presence leaves.
—12:07 am? The three don't know.
"He cried himself to sleep?" "Wouldn't you? A knife to your throat?" "I would...I would." Georgie's face softens, he wishes he could sympathize with Stanley. But he can't. He doesn't love anyone as he does. He didn't have to watch what Stanley had to watch. "That's the first time I've seen Bill in weeks...not a good thing to see." He mumbles, "you'll see him again...I know you will." Richie looks at the blurred boy in front of him, no use in squinting.
"F-Fuck...hello?" "He's dead." His heart rate seems to increase out of its low sleepy like state. Eddie rolls away, his small snores barely heard over the thump thump thumping of Bill's heartbeat in his ears.
"W-What? Who is this?"
"He's dead." "Who is?" "Stanley. He's dead." His fingertips and tongue go numb, a sensation of anger and sadness fill his veins. He wants to yell.
He wants to yell at whoever is on the other line.
But he can't...he's crying instead.
"He's dead Bill. Your lover is dead." "N-No he's not..." The line is cut silent.
Unknown caller
"Bill? What's wrong?" "Someone just called....th-they said he's dead...I can't-" "What? Let me see."
The tiredness out of his voice is strained out. Bill's heart thumps louder and louder each second, he doesn't know if Eddie can hear it or not. He's not concentrated on that.
"We've gotta call someone. Breathe. Hey, breathe. He's not...not dead. I promise." He squirms in his touch, rather than being anywhere but here he leaves. Eddie knows better than to follow, he knows better than to pull him back. Everyone knows better than that.
"Is he..." "Yes...someone called. Unknown number." Sharon sighs, "Stanley...he meant Stanley right?" "I believe so." The sour look in her eyes slowly disappears, her hands shake as the phone is put up to her ear.
"Sh-Shit..." the moonbeams down a white feathery like color.
The dew makes the grass have some sort of twinkle. The pond lays still, enjoying the emptiness of its surface.
But down below fish swim and thrive.
Each small cricket chirps a small sound, communicating with the others surrounding them.
Some birds sleep, others peck at the ground for some type of material to bring back to their nest.
For their family.
Family. Huh.
Bill has watched as the long green ribbon grows worn out and faded. That doesn't mean he'll take it off necessarily.
"Fuck..." the tears drop and drop from his red cheeks. Hands tremble a phone rings.
Hello?
Hey...
Who is t-this?
He sniffs gently.
Its...It's Stan.
What? N-No-
It is...how are you?
Where are you? We're looking. I'm looking, I promise.
I know you are...
I miss you.
He chokes out. Hot tears stream down his face faster and faster.
I miss you too...
Tears sting his eyes. Knowing that the one on the other line is suffering hurts him more than anything.
Where...where are you?
I can't say...he'll...he'll hurt me.
Where's G-Georgie?
Beside me...asleep.
Hurry up.
Who was that?
I can't say...
Am I on s-speaker?
No.
Are you still in Derry?
Yeah...
Close to h-home?
I believe so...
Hang up.
No.
Right as the tears stop falling, his almost lover has to hang up.
Listen. We're l-looking. I pr-promise. I-I love you...okay?
I love you too?...
We'll find you...okay-
Please find us-
—
"N-No...hello?? Hello?? No." He chokes on another sob. A shoot of pain enters his heart, his lungs seize up. It's hard to breathe. "William?" "No- let go of me! H-He called!"
"You need to go inside. Come with-" "Let go of me! Stop it! Stop-stop it..." Eddie's sweet eyes come into view. His heart rate hastily slows, he tugs himself to the short one. Crying in his arms seems nice. So he does.
"He-He called...he's okay...Georgie is okay." Eddie would start crying if it weren't for the fact that Bill isn't doing well...he's struggling.
Word count: 1333