The Grave

"Guh-Good morning, Richie," Bill Denbrough said in a soft voice, sitting on his bike. Bill stood on the sidewalk next to his beloved friend, Eddie Kaspbrack, who some people called 'Asthma Eddie'. Eddie was a thirteen year old with short, brown hair. He was fairly small for his age, but his fierce personality reminded Bill of the girl from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Eddie stood next to Bill in his small bike as he stared at Richie while Richie walked down the steps in a sigh. The red house of the Tozier's behind him. Richie sighed with a smile on his face. " 'Morning Big Bill," He said imitating his Southern Farmer voice. He placed his hand on Eddie's head and ruffled his brown hair. "'Morning Eds," He chuckled.

"Richie, stop calling me Eds," Eddie muttered, swatting his hand away from his head and tried to get his hair straight. Richie chuckled as he went to his bike which laid on the ground of his front lawn.

"No can do," Richie said softly as he got on his bike, pulling up his glasses before he biked towards the boys. Richie seemed like he was hiding something.

The three boys began to bike and leave Richie's house, the air hitting their skin as the weather was slightly cloudy. The sun emerged from the east, warming Bill and the others to continue biking.

"Hey, did you guys hear that Will Byers is missing?" Eddie asked, his eyes looking at the others while his cheeks were pink by the cold wind hitting his face.

"Ye-Yeah," Bill stuttered. "Muh-My parents told m-me about it this mor-morning, saying the-they got a cuh-call from the She-Sheriff,"

"Me too," Richie replied. "Must've scared the shit out of his family to find him missing again. I bet I would leave Derry, if I could,"

"Beep beep, Richie," Eddie muttered with a sigh.

Bill began to think about the last time he had talked to Will, which was the first time. Bill remembered the memory so clearly that it felt like it was yesterday.

002

Bill had never seemed to be friends with Will Byers, but he remembered when Will went to Georgie's funeral, while the whole "George Denbrough is in heaven now" and all that shit that Bill ignored. He was the only one in his family who went to the funeral because his parents were grieving too much to even come. He remembered that his friends, Richie, Eddie, and Stan were there, all in their finest clothing and looking at Bill carefully. Stan Uris was about the same height as Bill with his curly hair and clothing that always made him look good. People called him Urine by his last name, and bullied him for being Jewish.

He saw Will Byers looking across from him along with the other three boys that Bill did not know much of except Mike Wheeler, of course. Mike was Richie's cousin and he knew that all too well. He could see one of the boys, the pudgy one, talking to Mike and Will. Mike's expression filled with disgust before saying something back to the boy. Will's face showed sadness as he looked back at Bill, seeing that Bill's eyes were straight at him. Will quickly looked down once they had made contact while his friends talked. Bill couldn't make it out the conversation because after a few seconds, Mike's mother told the boys to shut up.

Once the funeral was over, Bill remembered he sat down on the bench, staring at his brother's grave while people past him, ignoring him. His friends left him alone so he could have some alone time. He heard footsteps come over to him and sit down, next to him. Bill didn't bother looking at the person next to him.

"Um," The voice said quietly, struggling to find the right words to say. The voice was sweet, young, and pure. "I'm sorry that my friends were talking through the funeral. They're.. they're immature sometimes."

Bill stayed quiet as he looked back to see who it was. It was Will Byers. His eyes didn't look at Bill, staring at the new marked grave than the others. Georgie's grave looked like a pile of dirt, hiding something beneath. On the stone grave, it had the date and the name of George Denbrough with a paper boat beneath the engraving. Bill had told his parents to put the engraving there because that was the last object he had seen Georgie with.

Will's bowl-cut hair blew in the wind while his eyes stared at the grave. "I have never lost a sibling before," He admitted, his voice showing that sadness. "But if my older brother died, I don't know what I could have done without him,"

Will's eyes met with Bill's as they stared at each other. Bill could see the boy's face more clearly. Will was small with brown moles that touched his neck and above his lips. His chapped lips looked like someone had bit them, probably himself anxiously. His clothing was very simple. He wore a red and blue flannel under his puffy brown coat and blue jeans that almost hid his worn, brown shoes.

"I'm sorry," Will blurted out, his eyes looking at Bill's with sincerity.

Bill opened his mouth to say something and stuttered. "I- uh- It's al-al-alright," He felt embarrassed that his stutter always ruin his way with talking to people, but Will didn't seem to mind. A smile arose from his face; a genuine smile that showed happiness and care. A smile that reminded him of Georgie, in some way.

"Will!" A voice called out. The two boys turned around, seeing that it was Will's friends urging Will to come to them. Will let out a sigh. He looked back at Bill, his expression showing sadness.

"I should go," Will said softly and stood up. "Have a good day," He replied before running towards his friends. His small size towering over the three boys as the boys looking back at Bill before leaving. Bill let out a sigh, his eyes looking back at Will while he disappeared into the car. Will seemed almost different that what he had expected. Bill felt himself wanting to talk to Will again but, whenever he had the chance, he didn't.

Maybe it was chance that Bill had felt something with Will. A longing, a new friendship that he had wanted to have with the boy and yet he never did.

But, the sadness that formed when he found out that Will disappeared was large. He felt like he had lost his chance.

003

They stayed in silence, their minds focused on their own things. The memory that Bill experienced was only for a few seconds, coming back into reality while he looked back at Richie, seeing that he was quiet. It was almost disturbing that Richie was quiet.

"So, Richie, how are you?" Eddie asked, feeling like he had just read Bill's mind.

Richie sighed and let out the truth after he let out a deep breath. "I have to go and sleep with the Wheelers' for a while," His eyes seemed annoyed, irritated.

"Wh-Why?" Bill asked in a disgusted tone, his expression was showed confusion while Eddie's showed pure disgust as if the boy had just smelled or seen something that he had never known of.

"Because Zombie Boy had to go missing. My mom says it would be good to talk with Mike and Nancy because I talk shit about them all the time," Richie muttered.

"Why do you tell them that in front of them?" Eddie asked in a frustrated tone. Bill could see that Eddie was finished with Richie being an idiot.

"Because, they know how much I hate them," Richie said in a nonchalant tone.

"Ih-Is-Isn't that go-going to wh-want you to like the-them more?"

"Fuck!" Richie exclaimed in annoyance, seeing that Bill was right. Eddie slapped himself in the face lightly in frustration.

"You're an idiot, Richie," Eddie replied in annoyance.

"And you're cute, Eds," Richie replied with a smile while they biked to the entrance of Derry Middle School.

Derry Middle School was a fairly large building with tan, dull bricks and students with the looks of disappointment and worry on their faces. After the call from the Sheriff, everyone was in instant fear. Will Byers was missing and everyone knew that something was changing.

Bill biked with the others to the bike racks, seeing that there were others who had placed there's before them, but still placed their bikes in the slots.

"These must be from the geeks," Richie mumbled, pulling up his red glasses.

Eddie rolled his eyes and said. "You know, we're geeks too,"

"No we're not," Richie explained. "There is a line between who is a geek and who is a loser. We are from the Losers' Club and get bullied because we are different than everyone else. The Geeks are bullied because they are smarter than everyone else and they are immature."

"Be-Beep beep, R-Rich-Richie," Bill said in annoyance.

Eddie began to laugh at what Bill said and smiled at the two. This saying was something they had used for years to shut Richie up. It was a saying that was just like Richie's phrase, "The Losers' Club gets off a good one!"

Richie rolled his eyes, his curly, dark hair blowing in the wind as he pushed up his glasses to the bridge of his nose.

In the distance, they heard the school bell ring, announcing that there was only a few minutes before school started.

"Shi-Shit," Bill stuttered, remembering that he had a test in his first hour class. "I-I got-gotta g-g-go!"

"See ya Big Bill!" Richie yelled as Bill quickly rushed into school, the morning rising. Bill went into the school, walking into his class as he began his day.