The Quarry

Beverly had moved away over a week ago, and with the new school year starting, Mike would go back to being home schooled, so the Losers would be seeing less of him. The memories of their friends were starting to fade, as if Bev and Mike had never joined them for a summer adventure.

School was starting up again on in the morning, meaning the remaining five boys only had one final day to have fun together. That Sunday morning, Bill headed to the quarry to start the day off with a swim, wondering if the others were already there. He stopped by Eddie's house, where the boy was sneaking out of the house.

"Richie's not coming," Eddie said as he rode his bike alongside Bill. "He got grounded for mouthing off to his mom."

"With all the things he's always saying, how did this not happen sooner?" Bill asked. "Well, Stan and Ben will still be there."

"Stan's got Synagogue this morning," Eddie told him. "So he won't be along until later, and Ben's mom is taking him school shopping."

"This was supposed to be our last day to have fun," Bill told him as they rode toward the quarry "How are we supposed to have fun without our friends?"

"We still have each other," Eddie reminded him. "We can still hang out. Maybe after we go swimming, we can go catch a movie and hang out at the arcade."

"Cool," Bill said. As they rode, Eddie noticed that Bill hadn't studdered once. It seems like ever since that night they'd spent losing their virginity to each other, Bill had become more confident. The events that led up to that night were real blurry to all of the boys. Eddie just knew that he'd had a fight with his mother and ran off, eventually ending up at Bill's house later that day.

The two arrived at the quarry, knowing that this would probably be the final day they go come here before the cold weather set in. The two started stripping down to their briefs as Bill smirked.

"Hey, Eddie,"

"What?"

Bill tossed his briefs at Eddie's feet as he took a running start and jumped, landing in the water below. None of the Losers had ever truly skinny dipped before. Richie always joked that he had to keep his underwear on or his dick would drag him down to the bottom of the water. Eddie hesitated for a moment before dropping his briefs and jumping in after.

The two emerged from under the water, staring at each other and just smiling. Bill swam closer to Eddie, wondering what water games they could play with just two people.

"Do you want to spend the night at my house tonight? We can go to school together in the morning," Bill told him.

"Yeah, we can stop by my house later and I'll grab my stuff," Eddie sighed. "If my mom will let me. She's starting to try to control me again."

"It's cool, you've been able to sneak out all summer," Bill said as he noticed Eddie's wet bangs were down in his eyes. The boy was due for a haircut as Bill gently brushed it away. Eddie blushed before Bill splashed him before laughing and swimming away.

The two friends put their briefs back on, just in case someone had wandered by while they were relaxing on the shore. Eddie couldn't help but stare at Bill's body as he lay on the blanket. He didn't know what these feelings were, but seeing his friend laying there in a pair of white briefs were making him feel... something.

"My parents are cleaning out Georgie's room," Bill whispered as he rolled over onto his side. "They're giving his stuff to the Goodwill this week, turning his room into a sewing room for my mom."

"I'm sorry, Bill," Eddie said as he sat near his friend.

"It's like they just... want to forget about him," Bill said as he stared up at Eddie. "Like he no longer matters."

"Maybe you can keep something of his so you'll never forget him," Eddie told him.

"I have his rainslicker, that's- that's enough," Bill said sadly. Georgie's body had been found in August, with his arm torn off. They said that it must have got caught on something as Georgie was swept out to the Barrons, the force of the tide ripping it off in the process, causing Georgie to bleed out before he drowned.

Eddie put a hand on his friend's shoulder to comfort him.

"I just miss him so much,"

"I know," Eddie said. "He was a good kid. I really liked him. He used to love coming here with us, even if he was afraid to jump into the water."

"I used to have to walk him down here by hand so he could wade in," Bill laughed as he got a little teary-eyed. "I taught him to swim here. He was so excited the first time he swam on his own without me. We were supposed to come here this summer, just the two of us so he could show me how good he was getting."

"He was giving me lessons," Eddie admitted. "I wasn't a very good swimmer, either. So Georgie would... meet up with me at the Y once a week so he could show me what you were teaching him."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was embarrassed and Richie would have never let me live it down," Eddie admitted as Bill sat up. "Learning to swim from a seven-year-old? I didn't want anyone to know."

Bill sat up and put an arm around his shoulder.

"I could... show you more stuff that I taught Georgie here," Bill told him. "Like how do swan dive from the cliff."

"I'd like that," Eddie smiled as the two got closer to each other, their lips almost touching before they pulled back. "Maybe we should get dressed before we get too sunburned. Mom will have me at the emergency room if my skin gets too red."

The boys were wheeling their bikes down the street, their shoes and socks in the baskets of their bikes. They decided to walk home barefoot since the weather was a bit cooler with the September weather. They arrived at Eddie's house, who quickly put on his shoes.

"If I'm not out in a few minutes, it was nice knowing you," Eddie said as he went into the house.

Bill sat down in the grass and waited for his friend to emerge, thinking about what had nearly happened at the quarry. Was he really developing feelings for Eddie? No, he couldn't be. Eddie was his friend, he shouldn't be seeing him in a sexual way. But then again, he had started feeling more grown up this summer.

But what if Eddie didn't want to return those feelings? Sure, the night they spent taking turns being inside of each was magical and thrilling, but it was more a heat of the moment thing. But still, he did feel like things were changing this year for him between his beloved little brother's death and his parents spending less and less time acknowledging him.

"Ready?" Eddie asked as he returned with his overnight bag.

"Yeah," Bill smiled as he stood up, just as Eddie accidentally dropped a book he was holding. Both reached down to get it as their eyes met. Neither could resist any more as they touched lips briefly.

Unfortunately, they weren't looking to make sure they weren't being watched. Someone was watching from across the street, seething with hatred for Bill Denbrough.

Henry Bowers was back, and he was completely over the edge.