The house has a sleepy lull to it. No presence is in the kitchen laughing and making breakfast or in Beverly's golden-cast bedroom singing along to Lana Del Rey, just quiet and peaceful.
Right up until a phone starts ringing, loud and obnoxious that breaks into the teens sleep. A redheaded girl lifts her head, eyes fluttering open and closed as she takes a moment to get used to her surroundings.
Richie Tozier is one of few people who can sleep through anything, so it's no surprise to Beverly when she gets up and he's still passed out cold, a blanket laying low on his body. The beer might've also had some play into his temporary coma.
As she's walking towards the phone, tripping over sleeping bodies and tossed pillows, another body stirs in the morning light. Bill, with his bedhead hair sticking up in places, cringes at the light and lets out a groan. "Shh, go back to bed," Beverly whispers over to him.
She's about to shut off the phone and crawl back under her blankets when the contact name and the owner of said phone catches her interest. Before one more person can be awoken, Beverly answers the call.
"Richie?"
"No, this is Beverly."
"Oh.. um, hi Bev, where's- where's Rich? I need to talk to him," Maggie says over the phone. Beverly glances over at the boy in question where he lays with his face in a pillow. "He's sleeping-"
"Please, Beverly, it's important."
She holds back her urge to sigh into the phone, instead closing her eyes and telling the boys mother she'll be right back. On her walk towards the slumbering Richie, she picks a pillow up off the floor, holds it above her head, then smacks it down onto his face.
He wakes up with a start, an arm flying up to protect his face until he realizes Beverly has nothing more to harm him with. As if she'd ever purposely seriously harm him in the first place. "What the fuck, Bev?" He asks, his voice thick and groggy from sleep. He lays his head back down, ready to fall back asleep at any given moment.
"Your mother is on the phone," she says and Richie asks, "So?"
"She says it's important."
He lays there for a second longer, lingering in the comfort of his makeshift bed on the floor before hauling himself up into a sitting position. "I'm going.. back to bed.." she says after pointing to where his phone is on the charger.
As Richie pushes back the blankets and gets up, he realizes that Stanley's eyes are open and staring at the wall. "G'mornin'" Richie mutters on his way over to his phone.
"Morning," Stan responds and rolls over onto his stomach to watch Richie answer the call.
"Yeah?" He asks and leans against the wall.
"Rich, Richie, tell me the truth when I ask you this, alright?" Maggie asks.
From a mile away Richie can recognize this tone of voice and tell you exactly what it means. He's heard it many times when he was a kid and his parents wouldn't believe a word he said. It's the pleading tone, one very different than the threatening tone Wentworth has.
But ever parent has one, right?
"Mom?" He asks, "What's going on?"
"Richie, honey, did you tell your father about the gold chain?"
Richie instinctively looks up at Stan, the only other one awake. "What? No... Why, what's wrong?" He asks, trying to figure out the mystery to Maggie's early morning call.
"Are you sure?" She presses and Richie feels almost betrayed she wouldn't believe him. Not fully, because he's used to his parents not wanting to take his word.
"Yes, mom. I'm sure. Now tell me what's happening?"
She goes silent for a moment, tricking Richie into thinking she hung up but the call screen was there when he pulled the phone away. "Mom?" He tries again.
"I'm sorry for waking you up. Go back to bed," Maggie's voice finally comes through. She's trying to be soothing, but with the context and the mystery there's nothing soothing about this.
"Mom, please what's-"
And the three beep beep beep's. He pulls the phone away and stares at it, more confused than worried.
"What was that all about?" Stan's voice pulls Richie's eyes away.
"Um..." he smooths down his hair and sets his phone back onto the table before shrugging. "I.. don't know."
Stanley hums as Richie walks back to the couches. "I can't fall back asleep," he says and sits up, the blanket sliding off his back. "And Bill might need some medicine after last night."
Richie stifles a laugh and looks over to the boy who's head is tossed to the side and arm over his slow rising stomach. "He's gonna be knocked out for at least a few more hours unless someone wakes him up," Richie says as he bends down to grab his blanket.
Stan looks over at Bill, then up at Richie. "Maybe we should.. make breakfast? For everyone?" He offers and Richie drags his eyes over his sleeping friends.
"Sure. Why not? You know to cook pancakes Stanny?" He asks, who gives him an eye roll before walking past him towards the stairs.
Surprisingly, the upstairs of Beverly's house was devoid of any people. Richie didn't know what he was expecting, but a relatively clean upstairs wasn't it, and by the way Stanley is looking around with a surprised expression seems like he's thinking the same.
Richie directs Stanley to the fridge to get the butter and milk while he himself grabs plates and cups. They stumble around each other, muttering sorries and laughing it off when one accidentally nudges the other.
Just as Stan is hovering his hand over the griddle, the creaks and groans of the basement stairs catches the two boys attention. Eddie quietly shuffles out of the basement, looking tired and drowsy. "Morning, Eddio," Richie says and Eddie casts a quick glance his way before muttering a sleepy, "morning."
"We're making pancakes," Stanley says and grabs a plate to put in front of Eddie.
"Nice." He puts his head in the fold of his arms and closes his eyes, the only sign of him still being awake is his foot slowly rocking back and forth.
"Didn't get enough sleep or some shit?" Richie asks, admiring this view of Eddie. The morning sun settles through the windows, lighting up Eddie's face with a soft glow. His freckles are more prominent in the sunlight, splashing over his nose and cheeks like the paint they flung around in the bathrooms.
"No," Eddie says. He breaths in deeply and sits up, giving Richie a better chance to admire the utter beauty his boy holds. The sun paints a thin gold line along his nose and chin, one Richie wishes he could touch.
Then, the crawling sensations of another persons eyes on him creeps up. He looks to Stanley and their eyes meet instantly. Richie watches as the boy darts his gaze to the counter, then with the fear of getting caught admiring again Richie looks away from Eddie.
"I don't even have my meds," Eddie says as he itches at his arm.
Stanley looks up from the counter with narrowed eyes. "You don't need those meds, Eddie," he says, his voice steady and serious. They two boy's eyes meet, challenging the other for a moment.
Eddie is the first to give in, letting go of a tired sigh and sliding off the stool. "I'm going to the bathroom," he says.
Stanley shakes his head, going back to preparing breakfast as Richie watches as Eddie walks back downstairs, his fingertips ghosting over the walls as he steps down the first few stairs.
Once he's sure Eddie is a safe distance away, he turns to Stanley and asks, "What's with his meds?"
Stanley glances up for a second, then shrugs. "It's a long story. I think Eddie should be the one to tell you. If he wants."
Richie watches as Stan stirs the batter mix, mesmerized by his gracefulness. "How come?" He asks, still watching, "He almost overdose or something?" Richie's mesmerized stare is cut short when Stanley's hand stops. He looks up curiously only to meet harsh, glaring eyes.
"What?" He asks defensively.
Stanley looks like he's about to say something more, but then Bill comes stumbling up the stairs, clutching his head and Stan's whole demeanor softens. "Hey," he says as Bill takes Eddie's seat at the counter stools.
"Hello," Bill answers groggily.
"Richie, go grab some ibuprofen," Stanley directs as he himself grabs a cup.
The two move around each other, getting the hang of feeling one pass by and waiting before making any sudden moves. As Bill is tipping back the pills, Eddie comes back up the stairs with Mike in toe. "Beverly and Ben are still sleeping," Eddie says and takes a seat next to Bill.
Stanley gets a few pancakes in when he picks up on Eddie's staring. Not at him, but at the griddle and Stan's careful hands. "Do you want to cook Eddie?" He asks and holds out the spatula. Eddie meets his eyes, looking surprised and caught off guard, until it processes in his head and he takes the spatula.
"Thank you."
He stands next to Stanley, watching as he pours out the batter into almost perfect circles, and waiting for his signal to check the underside of the pancake and flipping. Sometimes, Eddie would accidentally mess up and let the pancake slide off the spatula and back onto the griddle. "Fuck," he'd whisper under his breath.
As minutes pass, he seems to get the hang of balancing and flipping and soon enough each pancake that gets added to the growing pile is fluffy and perfect.
Ben joins everyone in the kitchen and when asked about Beverly, explains that she's getting dressed before coming up. "It smells really good in here," he comments and peers over Bill's shoulder to the golden stack. "Also, Beverly did say she had a surprise for all of us."
With not much batter left, Stanley let Eddie take full control and joined Bill at the counter stools and because there are only two, Ben and Mike are kicked to the kitchen table.
"Should we be nervous?" Mike asks and Stanley spins himself around on the stool to listen in on the conversation.
"I don't know," Ben says slowly and looks between the two. "But I bet it'll be fun. Beverly's fun."
At the sound of her name, the embodiment of glowing beauty shows herself dressed in her favorite Christmas sweater and jeans. "Oh? I'm fun you say?" She asks with a joking smile as she walks over to the counter.
Ben, red faced and embarrassed, takes his collar to cover his blushed cheeks. Mike has a balled hand over his mouth as he chuckles at Ben and when whispered to shut up, laughs even harder.
Richie looks up at his best friend, then down at her sweater. A small smile comes onto his face as he continues working on the eggs Bill requested. He recognizes that sweater, as he should because he was the one who picked it out for her a few years back. He's surprised she still keeps it, even with how cheesy the Christmas hat-wearing-reindeer are.
"Well this looks good," she says as she taps her fingernails on the counter.
Richie points the spatula he holds over his shoulder, saying, "Don't thank me, thank Eds over there."
"And me," Stanley adds, sounding a little hurt.
Bill pats his arm gently, a silent reminder that he was not forgotten as Beverly takes a pancake off the mountain Eddie has accumulated.
"Depending on when you boys have to go home, I was thinking of what to do today," she says as she tears away the edges of the pancake. "Do you know about the quarry?"
"You muh-m-mean ttt..the hidden l-lake?" Bill asks.
"It's not that hidden," Eddie says to Bill, who gives a small shrug.
"Yeah, that's that I mean. You know it?" Beverly asks and Mike interjects with, "My grandad has a lot of stories of that place from back in the day."
Beverly lets out an interested "Ooh," as she walks over to the table. "That sounds neat. Rich and I go down there for free ice skating. Wanna check it out?"
Richie lets everyone else sit in thoughtful silence as he already knows his answer. He'd always take up the option to go to the quarry, no matter the weather.
As he's scraping Bill's eggs onto a plate, he feels a soft touch prod his shoulder. Turning around, Eddie is looking up at him with pleading eyes and motioning to the still turned on griddle. "Could you help, please?" He asks, and without missing a beat Richie sets down the pan and assists Eddie.
"Ssss-suh-sounds like ff-fun, Buh-Beverly," Bill says, a hint of a smile on his face when Beverly looks happily at him from over her shoulder.
"Yeah," Ben butts in, "I'd like to try it out."
Richie finishes getting the griddle turned off and put off to the side, then gets Bill his eggs. "Thanks, Richie," Bill says and starts to eat his food with his head in his palm.
"Are the pills working, Bill?" Eddie asks and Bill slides his hand down to the counter.
"Just.. It's wuh-ww..working. G-give it sss..some time," he says and offers Eddie an unsteady smile, who looks at him with worry.
"I can go home and get you something," Eddie presses.
"No, Eddie," Bill breaths out. "I-I'm o-o-okay."
Stanley puts down his fork, lightly stabbing his food as he asks Eddie, "How are you going to explain to your mom when you walk in after being gone all night?"
Eddie's face falls with realization, then the fear creeps up. "I uh.. I haven't thought about that, Stan," he says slowly.
"Well.. How did you sneak out?" Mike asks.
"Backdoor. After I argued back with my mom, she went to her room to mope and I saw my chance and took it."
"Smart," Richie says and Eddie watches as he passes him to sit at the table.
"Yeah," Eddie says softly, then looks down at his plate. "She knows I'm gone, no doubt about that... Maybe I can make up some excuse?"
"Like.. you went out on a walk?" Mike offers, and Eddie's eyes roam over the kitchen as he thinks it over.
"That could work," he says after a moment. "She won't be too happy because the cold air messes with my asthma, but I'd be getting sunlight."
"How about this," Beverly says from her usual seat at the table. Whenever Richie would come over for dinner or sleepovers, she'd always be in that seat. Her unofficial official seat. "We hang out now and worry later, alright? I was thinking of going to the quarry after breakfast."
"Okay," Ben says excitedly. A smile comes onto his face as he looks at all his friends. "This could be fun, guys!" Beverly's smile grows to match his as she says, "I know!"
~~~
After breakfast, when all the dishes are stacked in the sink and sticky hands are washed, the teens pile themselves into Stanley and Richie's cars.
On their way over to the quarry, Richie explains to the people in his car (Mike, Ben, and Eddie) what he and Beverly do there. "It's best in the summer," he says as he drives off to a side-street. "When the water is warm and all the adults are at work so they can't bother you."
They arrive shortly behind the others and park the cars off to the side of the street. As they all get out of the cars, Beverly and Richie watch with proud expressions as their friends take in the beauty of the quarry.
The clouds have finally opened up, the sun glimmering down on the ice. Mike is the first to depart from the group, walking close to the frozen waters edge and looking up at the towering rocks. "This is so cool," he says.
"We know," Richie says, grinning.
Bill joins Mike at the edge and crouches down to inspect further. "Is it.. safe?" Ben asks as he follows.
"Of course it is, silly," Beverly says. "Richie and I come down here all the time." He hums in response, then looks at Beverly and watches as she joins him on the sand, hands in back pockets looking out at the ice.
"Alright," Bill says and takes a side step to look at his friends. "W-w-who's going fff..first?" Eddie shakes his head, stepping as far from the ice as possible. Ben looks apprehensive, still not sure if it's completely safe.
"I'll go," Beverly says, then smiles. "Sissies."
She breaks from Ben's side and jumps onto the ice. It's solidified right up to the embankment, so instead of the ice breaking apart and floating off as to what everyone thought, it stayed still.
Richie caught onto Mike's curious expression. "Wanna go with me, Mike?" He asks and holds out his hand. A warm smile comes onto his face, and he grabs Richie's hand and the two shuffle down to the edge.
Bill watches as Mike takes a slow step onto the ice, stabilizing himself and using Richie as a support beam to get his other foot on. "There you go. Now fly, little bird," Richie says, laughing as he gently pushes Mike's hands away.
Eddie pulls himself towards the ice and away from the safety of solid land. He carefully steps down the pebbles and rocks to his friends, an arm stretched out for balance. "Hey, Ri-"
"Wait, how do you get on?" Stanley asks.
Richie walks around Bill to assist, taking Stanley's hands and guiding his feet onto a snowy part of the ice. "Easy peasy," he says.
Stanley is staring at his feet as they inch farther and farther apart. "Richie," he says, his voice pleading.
"What?" He laughs. "You're fine."
"What if I fall?"
"Oh, stop being a baby. I thought you were the tough one of the group," Richie shoots back and shakes the hands Stanley is so desperately clinging onto.
Eddie tears his eyes away from the pair, crossing his arms and going to stand with Bill. "What's with them? Stanley knows how to stand straight," Eddie comments, staring hard as Richie laughs at Stanley wobbling on the ice.
"Wuh-what?" Bill asks, his soft voice sounding distant and distracted.
"I said-..." Eddie's annoyance flares up again, but he cuts himself off when he follows Bill's longing stare.
Beverly and Mike are on the ice, bright smiles on their faces as they laugh and wobble around with each other. Eddie lets his hands go limp at his sides at the sight of his best friend pinning. His problems can wait for later.
"What's wrong, Bill?" He asks.
Bill's eyes dart away from the pair as he stutters out a soft, "N-nuh-nothing." Eddie lets out a chuckle, one that shows he can see right past Bill's lie.
"So is Stan right about you liking Bev?"
"Duh-Don't say it sss..so l-luh-loudly!"
Eddie giggles, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth as he watches Bill's eyes drift back to the fiery girl. She looks so out of place with her red hair contrasting so heavily with the dull and bland rocks, but no one has seen more of a picture perfect frame of Derry. Seven teenagers discovering one of the hearts of the little unfortunate town. Maybe even the hearts of each other.
"Come on," Eddie says softly. "Let's go skate." He reaches for Bill's hand, who instantly grabs on and follows Eddie closer to the ice. The shorter boy looks up past Bill and to where Richie and Stanley are.
Eventually, all of them get onto the ice and are slowly pushing off and gliding around each other. Bill's shoes won't let him glide for long, the rubber of his boots grinding against the ice and halting him to a stop.
Richie took sight of Bill standing there, feet stuck and looking down helplessly. He departs from Stanley's side, who's now depending on help from Mike, and takes Bill's hands in his own.
"Come on, Billy Boy," he says with a laugh.
Bill looks up at him, then down at his feet. "O-Okay," he says and purses his lips as he concentrates on shuffling his feet as Richie pulls him away.
Mike watches, amused, as Bill lets out a small surprised noise when he almost slips and falls. But with Richie holding on, his feet stutter to a hard stop and when he gains control, Richie is off to pulling again.
The other five teens stay close, but not too close to put too much weight on the ice. They keep each other in their field of vision, laughing and joking around, feeling as nothing can stop them. They're oblivious, completely distracted.
Besides Bill and Richie, Mike is farthest away from the other four still near land. He's smiling to himself, listening to Beverly laugh so loudly and freely as Stanley picks himself off the ice and Eddie fret at his possible wounds. He seems to be excelling at ice skating, knowing how to keep himself balanced enough to spin around in a full circle. "Go Mikey!" He hears Bill yell, his voice bouncing all around the rock walls.
Mike laughs, keeping his eyes trained on his shoes for a moment longer before looking up at where Bill and Richie last were. Only problem is, when he looks up his eyes hit vast ice and rock. The other four are to his left, the happy atmosphere warm and fuzzy, but the sight in front of him is everything but that. The hole in the ice is everything but that.
It takes a second - bit too long of a second for the situation to register. His breath hitches and his legs jolt with fear as he skids down the ice. It's slippery and he almost falls, but he quickly regains balance and flies across the ice. Eddie's giggles simmer down as he watches Mike drop to his knees and slide to the hole, shouting incoherent words over his shoulder.
The atmosphere, one they all felt safe in, changes for the worse. The quarry feels like a snow globe and they were little figurines trapped in time. Confusion and fear clouds their thoughts and the next thing they know both Beverly and Mike are dragging the sopping Richie out of the water as Bill gasps for air beside them, his hair clinging to his scarily pale face.
Eddie's yelling something, his voice shrill with fear but the panic of everyone trying to comprehend the situation won't let them listen to a word. Bill's eyes flutter open, droplets of water racing down the sides of his face and pooling in the corners of his eyes.
"Bill," Stanley says. His hands reach up to cup his best friends face, desperate to get another reaction out of him. "Bill!"
Beverly is doing the same with Richie, pulling his head into her lap and combing her fingers through his hair just like she did all those other times. Her face is crumbling up, but she breaths in sharply and tries again to get Richie to open his eyes.
"My farm," Mike gasps and uses the frantic Ben to help himself to his feet. "It's only a few minutes away down that dirt road. We can go to it and warm them up in the chicken coop."
"A chicken coop? Are you fucking serious? How's that supposed to help them?" Stanley asks and looks over his shoulder, hands still grasping Bill's face.
"It's warm in there," Mike tries to justify, keeping his voice calm and steady. His hands are shaking badly, but he sounds so calm and his eyes hold so much confidence that Stanley only nods his head and gives into the fact that that is their only option.
"But- but Richie drove us here and I don't know if you can't see this, but he's not fucking waking up! And none of us can drive more than one other person, that's the fucking law," Eddie says, panicked and rambling as he slaps his hand to the other.
"Well, Eddie, this is an emergency, alright? No cops are... are gonna.." Beverly tries saying, but her voice cracks with emotion and she pulls a hand to her nose. Ben scoots closer and gently rubs her shoulder, whispering softly to her.
"Come on. I don't know how much time they have," Mike says as he pulls on the collar of Stanley's shirt.
"Time?" Eddie repeats, his eyes wide with panic. "Are you saying they're going to fucking die?"
"No!" Stanley yells, getting to his feet as he drags Bill up. "They are not going to die."
Mike shakes his head and also his outstretched hand. "That's- That's not what I mean. I'm sorry," he says. "Just- come on. We have to get them warm." Mike reaches out to help Stanley get Bill into a sitting position. Beverly heaves Richie up, pounding on his back trying to get him to choke up whatever water he may have swallowed.
Eddie leaps in to help and grabs Richie's arms, only to recoil at the touch. "He's so.. cold," he says softly, then goes in to grab Richie again.
It's a struggle, full of panic and frustrated shouts, but they get both Richie and Bill into the back of Stanley's car. Eddie searched Richie's pockets for his keys and tossed them to Mike, who is the only other one with driving experience.
Bill's eyes flutter open as Mike and Ben climbs into Richie's car, doors slamming and engine veering up. Beverly sat up front while Eddie sat between the two soaking wet boys, not caring how damp his clothes got. "Go!" Beverly yells at Stanley, who flies his arms up and yells back saying, "I'm going!"
"Eddie.." Bill croaks out, his head rolling to the side. Eddie tears his eyes away from Richie and to his best friend, hope sparking in his eyes as he jolts out of his unbuckled seat.
"Hey, hey. Bill! I'm here, stay awake, alright? Don't close your eyes," Eddie begs, taking Bill's frozen, red and raw hands into his.
During the duration of the car ride, Eddie kept talking to Bill, desperately trying to make the boy keep his eyes open while constantly checking up on Richie. He's still passed out cold, which filled Eddie with so much dread and fear he thought he wouldn't be able to breath.
They drive down a dirt road, reaching almost dangerous speeds before reaching a barn with a white farm house in the distance and abruptly pulling off into the grass.
"I'll get the blankets," Mike says as they're all racing out of the cars, grabbing Richie and Bill and hauling them out. "The chicken coop is down there. You can't miss it." Beverly's eyes follow to where Mike points, then he's off running towards his house.
As Eddie is guiding Richie's limp legs out of between the seats, his finger gets caught and he hisses out in pain. He shakes his hand, forcing the pain away and ignores it. Richie is unconscious and who the fuck knows when he's going to wake up. If he ever wakes up.
Mike runs out the back door of his house, arms stacked with blankets just as Stanley is opening the chicken coop doors. Mike was right, it is toasty inside the little hut. Beverly and Ben drag Richie to the back, straws of hay clinging to their clothes and dust billowing in the air.
"We need to take off their clothes," Eddie says suddenly, nodding his head, determined. His friends look up at him, confused and silently asking why?
He catches onto their expressions and raises his hands as if the answer was obvious. "Their clothes are soaked. It keeps the cold water trapped to their bodies and no matter the amount of blankets we put on them there's going to be that barrier of cold," he explains, then turns to Mike to instruct him. "Mike, take the clothes and put them in the dryer or something. It's the best option."
They all jump into action, tearing off Bill and Richie's shoes and tossing them out the door. They make a small mound of socks, sweaters, and shirts for Mike and Ben to haul across the field and to the house.
They leave, and the rest of the teens start throwing blankets onto Bill and Richie. Eddie tucks the blankets under Richie's legs and carefully lifts his head and uses another as a pillow.
Beverly's face is twisted up as she fights back the tears, but when she turns around and still sees her best friend slumped against a wall, limp and unconscious, she looses it. The last blanket falls from her hands and she drops to her knees at Richie's side, heaving for a breath as sobs fall from her mouth.
"Is he even- even breathing?" She asks and puts a shaky hand to his nose, holding her own breath only to fail and let out another strained sob. Eddie stands there, struck with paralyzing fear, a hand picking at his lips as he watches Beverly struggle.
His hand twitches at his side and he looks so so so scared. Tears gloss over his eyes and he blinks once, enough for a streak to run down his cheek and dribble off his chin.
He falls to his knees on Richie's other side. Beverly refuses to look at him, her eyes trained on Richie's slow rising chest. "He's breathing," Eddie says, but it comes out barely above a whisper. "He's breathing. Richie's breathing. He's a-alive."
His words evaporate in the air as if they mean nothing. And they probably don't, because Bill is awake and conscious while Richie is limp and looking... dead. He feels dead. Cold to the touch.
Eddie's chin wobbles, and he's pursuing his lips as more tears well up in his eyes. Bill is awake and Richie is not. Why isn't he waking up? Did they do something wrong? Why isn't he waking up?
"Fuck!" Eddie shouts, gaining the attention of the other three. "Fuck you, Richie!" Eddie hits his chest, the blow cushioned by the many blankets piled on, but that doesn't seem to stop him. "Why won't you fucking wake up, huh? Why? You and- and Bill are.. are so fucking stupid for g-going down th-the ice. Just- Just-" He hits Richie again, a blow that's weak and pitiful and one that makes him realize he's sobbing.
He feels a pair of warm hands grab his upper arms, then slide over his back to bring him into a hug. Beverly is a girl who understands emotions, she knows how to deal with them and how to comfort people who need comforting. She shows it all in a tight hug.
"He won't wake up," Eddie whispers and clings tightly onto Beverly. She buries her nose into his shoulder and nods. "He will," she says. "H-He has to."