A/N: This chapter is about how Bill and Beverly met (or rather, reunited) in this AU. And obviously, since Beverly was with the other Losers in Trick-or-Treat, this takes place before that chapter.
Bill was placing his history textbook back in his locker for lunch when he spotted the Bowers Gang making their way towards him. Oh, no. Deep shit.
The Bowers Gang consisted of Henry Bowers, the head honcho of the gang; Patrick Hockstetter, a crazed pyromaniac; Belch Huggins, the proud champion of the loudest burper in Derry; and Victor Criss, the lowest rung on the ladder of their gang, but still packs a nasty bite.
"W-w-w-what's going on, B-B-B-Billy Boy?" Henry mocked.
"J-j-just leave m-m-me alone, Henry," Bill said lowly as he took out his brown, paper lunch bag.
"What was that?" Henry said as he lifted a hand up to his ear in an exaggerated gesture.
Bill opened his mouth, he tried to form the words, but they just couldn't come out.
"Cat got your tongue?" Patrick said, laughing maniacally.
"Hey, what'd you get me for lunch, Mush Mouth?" Henry yanked Bill's bag out of his hands.
"G-give it back, Henry!" Bill reached out to take the bag, but Henry pushed him down to the floor with one hand.
Suddenly, a girl stepped in and said, right up to the bully's face, "Why don't you get lost, Henry?" She was a girl with beautiful, flowing red hair, glistening blue eyes, and a freckle-dusted face. Bill had seen her many times before. It was Beverly Marsh. They had known each other more closely in elementary school, but they had since grown apart.
Henry scanned up and down over her body. "Wow. Guess the rumors are true. You really would get in bed with anybody if you're willing to stoop down to Denbrough's level."
Beverly folded her arms and glared at the bully. "Just fuck off already."
Bowers started to turn the other way, his cronies following suit, but as he was leaving, he yelled back to Bill, "You know, Denbrough, you look like real pussy being saved by a girl!" The rest of his gang cackled in response to this remark.
As Bill picked himself up from the ground, he said to Beverly, "You know, y-y-you really didn't have to do that."
"You're right; I didn't have to. But what else would I do? Just watch them step all over you and let them win?"
"Well, they ended up w-w-winning anyways; you h-heard w-w-what they just said."
"You don't really believe anything they said, do you?"
"I don't know," Bill said as he shut his locker.
Beverly smiled and said to Bill, "Well, I hope you don't let them get to you."
As Beverly started to walk off, Bill said to her, "Wait, Beverly!" She turned around. "W-we haven't t-talked in a while."
Beverly had a fond look in her eyes. "Yeah. I guess we haven't, huh?" She started to walk back towards Bill. "How've you been, Bill?"
"Well, o-other than having to deal with B-Bowers…not too bad."
"Tell me about it," Beverly snickered. "At least you don't have every single girl in the student body rooting against you," she tried her best to make this come off as a quirky quip, but the sadness in her voice couldn't be restrained.
Bill briefly averted his eyes from his childhood friend to stare at the ground longingly. It hurt to know how rough Beverly has had it ever since middle school. Suddenly, he thought of something that might brighten up her day, even if just a bit, "D-d-do you wanna eat lunch with m-m-me and my friends? If y-y-you're not eating with anybody else, I mean."
"Sure! Got nowhere else to be."
"Cool! J-j-just don't be surprised if you get c-c-called a loser, too, by association." Bill chuckled in a sad manner.
"Believe me, there are far worse things to be called."