p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"13 years oldbr /It was 1987, and we had just gotten out of school. Already the heat of the sun souring my mood. I must have been twelve, maybe thirteen? It was the least of my worries how old I was- Richie was late today. He and I had made a commitment to meet just outside of school every day of the working week. Often times, he'd be a few minutes late, not a whopping twenty minutes. This had me worried. I had a large, silver watch from my father; he thought it was essential to keep track of the time. With Richie, the hour hand never moved before he got there. Imagine how frantic I was, my heart beating quick, quick, quick! It was dizzying how many times I looked back and forth. Finally, I had had enough. It was back into the school for me./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"We also made a promise not to go back into the school, in fear of the Bowers gang. I figured it was dire enough a situation to go back and check. It would be easy enough to avoid those meaner big kids unless they were with Richie(which you hoped he wouldn't be stuck with them, he was smart enough to avoid them, I thought), or they had moved from their usual stalking ground. To my great horror, it was not the latter. When I turned the corner, I was face to face with a leering Henry Bowers. We were so close, I could see every inch of dirt and grime on his face- it nearly made me gag(I didn't, that would have sent me to an early grave)./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Is this fag yours? Lose him on your way here?" Henry taunts, giving me an open grin with lots of teeth. It was then I noticed Richie, cowering between the bully's other friends. I chose not to say anything, as to not aggravate Bowers- it was clearly the wrong choice./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He grabbed me by the tuft of my hair, yanking me down. "Ow!" I seethe, "Let go a' me!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"There wasn't much for him to grab onto, my hair was short. Too short for what was coming to me. Really, it's Richie's fault. He had stuck gum in my hair, he chewed it really loud all of class time, then slapped it on as we were leaving. He thought it was hilarious, as did I before my mother saw. She made me wear a hat to school because she was so embarrassed./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""What you gonna do, ya' little dyke? Tryin'a rescue this fucking animal? He's filthy."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"This is where the Richie in me came out, he says a lot of things he shouldn't. "You got that wrong, your absolutely stinking! Maybe you should take a bath."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Remember, he's still got a fist clenched around my hair, practically holding me by the neck. He pulls it- real hard- and I nearly screamed. "Yer' gonna 'pologize, or have to face that mangy mutt." He turns my head to face this tall, skinny boy, his black hair in tangles. He's smiling, something big and mischievous. "Eee-tha deal with me, or whateva he's got. What's it gonna be?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Then he removes his hand from my neck and yanks my wrist up, my watch wrist! "Ooh, this yours?" I whimpered, a noise I didn't want to come out. What I wanted was to disappear into the background. I still needed to get my ass and Richie's, out of this mess, though. "Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick..." he mimicked a clock sound, tapped my watch, and waited for an answer./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"I didn't know what to say, he was going to do something terrible to my watch, and my father was gonna kill me for that! But the way Patrick looked at me, made my skin crawl. Every time I looked at my second option, Richie would shake his head, very adamantly, no. No, no, no. Suppose what my father had in store for me, would be less than that creepy asshole. "F-fine! You can have it! Just leave Rich alone!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Bowers' grin practically widens, and focuses his attention on the watch, fumbles with it, and then slides it off easy. "I'm gonna break it!" He announced. My face, to anyone else, would look pure white, like a ghost. He couldn't really...could he?/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I can twist it," he fakes twisting it, "or I could stomp it against my foot!" He throws the watch down, playing around like he's about to step on it, but he doesn't. A teacher, rushing out from one of her later classes(detention, probably, or a club), and had stopped mid-step to stare at us. She looked appalled at the scene before her./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""What's going on here? Bowers, Hockstter, Huggins, and Criss, I think I made it very clear to you boys that you would be serving your detention in my class today, it was disappointing not to see you there." Oh, so it was detention. "You boys, especially you, Bowers, should be attending summer school. Now, run along, leave these poor kids alone."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"I looked back at Bowers, his face flushed bright red. "Come on, these kids ain't worth our time." With that, he was gone./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""If these boys ever give you trouble again, I'm just down the hall."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""He-he had me by the scruff of my neck!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Well, I'll see to it that they get to detention next time, sound alright?" She pays no mind to the assault- but Richie and I nodded in agreement nonetheless. Of course, she wouldn't, she was just as scared of the Bowers as all the little kids running around were. She continued on, making her way out of school- as we should have done nearly half an hour ago. We both let out a sigh of relief when we were finally alone./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Gee, Rich, how'd you get into this trouble?" I smile, kneeling down to pick up my watch, there was only a scratch or two, father wouldn't be too mad- as long as he didn't stare at it too close. I figured as long as it works, it should be fine. I place it back on my wrist. "It's nearly time to meet Eddie an' everyone else!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Oh, we'll catch up just fine. I finally got my bike fixed, after last time, and it's faster than ever!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Woah! Really? I forgot my bike at home today, my mother claimed I'd get a stroke riding out in this weather. She made me leave it."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Well, I have room on my bike for another person..." he fidgets with his thumbs, looking outright abashed(a look no one ever- really- saw on him). /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I don't know, Rich. Might be dangerous." I pipe up- while he leans over, and checks the time./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Only if you want to get there on time," I look down again. Christ, we were going to be late- again!/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Sure, but you're going in back!" I tease, running down the halls./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Oh no, you aren't! That's my bike!" He chased after me./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Last one there sits in back!" I hollered./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"We also made a promise not to go back into the school, in fear of the Bowers gang. I figured it was dire enough a situation to go back and check. It would be easy enough to avoid those meaner big kids unless they were with Richie(which you hoped he wouldn't be stuck with them, he was smart enough to avoid them, I thought), or they had moved from their usual stalking ground. To my great horror, it was not the latter. When I turned the corner, I was face to face with a leering Henry Bowers. We were so close, I could see every inch of dirt and grime on his face- it nearly made me gag(I didn't, that would have sent me to an early grave)./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Is this fag yours? Lose him on your way here?" Henry taunts, giving me an open grin with lots of teeth. It was then I noticed Richie, cowering between the bully's other friends. I chose not to say anything, as to not aggravate Bowers- it was clearly the wrong choice./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"He grabbed me by the tuft of my hair, yanking me down. "Ow!" I seethe, "Let go a' me!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"There wasn't much for him to grab onto, my hair was short. Too short for what was coming to me. Really, it's Richie's fault. He had stuck gum in my hair, he chewed it really loud all of class time, then slapped it on as we were leaving. He thought it was hilarious, as did I before my mother saw. She made me wear a hat to school because she was so embarrassed./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""What you gonna do, ya' little dyke? Tryin'a rescue this fucking animal? He's filthy."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"This is where the Richie in me came out, he says a lot of things he shouldn't. "You got that wrong, your absolutely stinking! Maybe you should take a bath."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Remember, he's still got a fist clenched around my hair, practically holding me by the neck. He pulls it- real hard- and I nearly screamed. "Yer' gonna 'pologize, or have to face that mangy mutt." He turns my head to face this tall, skinny boy, his black hair in tangles. He's smiling, something big and mischievous. "Eee-tha deal with me, or whateva he's got. What's it gonna be?"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Then he removes his hand from my neck and yanks my wrist up, my watch wrist! "Ooh, this yours?" I whimpered, a noise I didn't want to come out. What I wanted was to disappear into the background. I still needed to get my ass and Richie's, out of this mess, though. "Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick..." he mimicked a clock sound, tapped my watch, and waited for an answer./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"I didn't know what to say, he was going to do something terrible to my watch, and my father was gonna kill me for that! But the way Patrick looked at me, made my skin crawl. Every time I looked at my second option, Richie would shake his head, very adamantly, no. No, no, no. Suppose what my father had in store for me, would be less than that creepy asshole. "F-fine! You can have it! Just leave Rich alone!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"Bowers' grin practically widens, and focuses his attention on the watch, fumbles with it, and then slides it off easy. "I'm gonna break it!" He announced. My face, to anyone else, would look pure white, like a ghost. He couldn't really...could he?/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I can twist it," he fakes twisting it, "or I could stomp it against my foot!" He throws the watch down, playing around like he's about to step on it, but he doesn't. A teacher, rushing out from one of her later classes(detention, probably, or a club), and had stopped mid-step to stare at us. She looked appalled at the scene before her./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""What's going on here? Bowers, Hockstter, Huggins, and Criss, I think I made it very clear to you boys that you would be serving your detention in my class today, it was disappointing not to see you there." Oh, so it was detention. "You boys, especially you, Bowers, should be attending summer school. Now, run along, leave these poor kids alone."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"I looked back at Bowers, his face flushed bright red. "Come on, these kids ain't worth our time." With that, he was gone./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""If these boys ever give you trouble again, I'm just down the hall."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""He-he had me by the scruff of my neck!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Well, I'll see to it that they get to detention next time, sound alright?" She pays no mind to the assault- but Richie and I nodded in agreement nonetheless. Of course, she wouldn't, she was just as scared of the Bowers as all the little kids running around were. She continued on, making her way out of school- as we should have done nearly half an hour ago. We both let out a sigh of relief when we were finally alone./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Gee, Rich, how'd you get into this trouble?" I smile, kneeling down to pick up my watch, there was only a scratch or two, father wouldn't be too mad- as long as he didn't stare at it too close. I figured as long as it works, it should be fine. I place it back on my wrist. "It's nearly time to meet Eddie an' everyone else!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Oh, we'll catch up just fine. I finally got my bike fixed, after last time, and it's faster than ever!"/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Woah! Really? I forgot my bike at home today, my mother claimed I'd get a stroke riding out in this weather. She made me leave it."/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Well, I have room on my bike for another person..." he fidgets with his thumbs, looking outright abashed(a look no one ever- really- saw on him). /p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""I don't know, Rich. Might be dangerous." I pipe up- while he leans over, and checks the time./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Only if you want to get there on time," I look down again. Christ, we were going to be late- again!/p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Sure, but you're going in back!" I tease, running down the halls./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Oh no, you aren't! That's my bike!" He chased after me./p
p style="font-family: -webkit-standard;""Last one there sits in back!" I hollered./p