Chapter Text
Stanley was standing outside of Bill’s place. Twenty-seven years had passed, and Stan found that situation weird and kind of uncomfortable. Bill had called him last night, saying that he wanted to meet him and talk. Stan didn’t say anything at first, he was shocked. But then he relaxed and began to ask some questions, discovering that Bill was married and had a son.
He was an author, he wrote bestsellers and Stan couldn’t be more proud of him. He achieved his main dream, his goal and he had a family. The Jewish man, otherwise, just got divorced from his ex-wife, Patty and he worked in a bank. His life was simple and, almost, sad as it seemed.
The door was opened by a blonde woman, who was Audra, Bill’s wife. Stan forced himself to look happy and surprised to meet her. Audra smiled and presented herself, then she pulled him in a hug, unexpectedly. She could feel him tensed and a little bit embarrassed.
A kid, with auburn hair and green eyes, ran towards them. He examined Stan from head to toe. After that, he smiled. «Hi, I’m Noah!»
«I’m Stan.»
«Dad told me that you like birds, don't you?»
«Yeah, a lot actually. You like ‘em, too?»
«Yes! Watching and studying all the types of birds, it’s my favourite hobby.»
«That’s great.» said Stan, smiling. «We will get along, then.»
Audra ran a hand through her son’s hair. «Shall we go inside, honey?»
«Yes, mum.» Noah answered. «Come in, Stan. Dad is waiting you in the living room.»
And it was the truth: Bill was waiting, seated on the couch. When their eyes met, Bill smiled, clearly happy to see his old friend. He got up and went towards the curly man, who hugged him first. They came apart a few seconds later. «Stan the Man. How’s it going?»
«I’m fine.» he tried to be honest and smile, but his voice sounded monotonous. He hated that. «You?»
«I’m doing okay. C’mon, sit on the couch. Mi casa es tu casa, you know…»
«Thanks.»
«You want something to drink? I have water, beer, orange juice or w–»
«Water would be fine.»
He saw Bill going in the kitchen and he took the opportunity to sit down, relaxing slightly. He is still Bill—a reminder came up in his head, The same guy that you love.
At the thought, his heart beat faster. Stan shook his head, blaming himself. He’s married, you idiot! He doesn’t love you as you’d like to.
The auburn man returned back, holding a glass of water and a can of beer. Stan drank a sip of the water, then he put the glass down on the coffee table. Bill sat next to him, clearing his voice. «Tell me about you, Stan. Are you married?»
«Not anymore.» he answered, «I’ve got divorced a month ago.»
«Oh, I’m s-»
«It’s fine, really. We weren’t meant to be.» Stan explained, with a sad smile. «You have a great life instead.»
«Yeah. I’m so happy about my little family. Noah is a miracle.»
«I met him earlier. He looks like you, Bill. And, surprisingly, he likes watching birds.»
«He’s such a fan.»
They stayed in silence for some minutes. «Uhm, have you heard from the other losers?»
«I know that Richie is quite famous. He works for Saturday Night Live.»
«Yeah, he’s remained the same Trashmouth though.» Stan answered, making appear a little smile on his face. «I heard that Beverly is a fashion designer.»
«She’s married to Ben, now.»
«Ben? Like, Ben Hanscom?» Stan asked surprised. He didn’t expect that, like at all. Back then, Beverly had a huge crush on Bill, and man, Stan was so jealous of it– although he’d never admit that secret to anyone. «And how do you feel about–»
«About Beverly and Ben? I mean, we’re not thirteen anymore, Stan. I’m happy for them, of course!»
Stan felt stupid. They weren’t thirteen anymore, and it’s obvious that Bill wasn’t in love with the red haired girl. He knew that they kissed, once they defeated the clown. And that hurt Stan, because he had– well, has, a crush on Bill. «Sorry, but sometimes I totally forgot that we’re almost forty.»
Bill chuckled. «It’s okay, Stan the Man.»
«I think it’s surreal that we’re here, we’ve finally met…»
«Yeah» Bill said, smiling. «I have a gift for you»
Stan could feel his heartbeat racing up a little bit. «What is it?»
«Don’t get mad, please.» Stan was about to open his mouth to reply, but the author continued: «I know you will, Stan.»
«If you don’t tell me what it is, you’ll never see my reaction»
«Okay, okay. It’s about my new book and you’ll receive the first copy in the next few days».
The jewish man’s eyes got big. He was absolutely surprised. And he felt guilty, somehow. «What? But– But I have to pay you back! How much does the book cost? I’ll pay it.»
«I knew you’d react like that» Bill muttered, «It’s okay, Stan. It’s my gift for you!»
«I’ll pay you back, no matter what. If you want, I can pay you in kind»
Bill didn’t say anything. He just stared at Stan speechless and kinda embarrassed. Stan blushed; he was only joking. «It was a joke»
«Oh, yeah, of course. I’ve never been able to say when you’re being sarcastic or not.»
Stan chuckled a little bit, nervously. He decided to move forward. «So what the book is about?»
«It’s about our childhood. The moments we shared together with the other Losers. I obviously changed our names and some other things.»
«That sounds great, Bill. I read all your books, you know? They are beautifully written.»
«Even the novels?»
«Yeah, even the novels. And I hate novels!» Stan replied with a smile, «My favourites are– and always will be, the horrors.»
«Thanks, Stan. I don’t know, it’s something that I do naturally. I love writing and you know that.»
«I will always remember when you read to me your first short stories. We were fourteen or something.» Stan said with a bitter tone. «We were laid on your bed, after a though day of school. I was pretending to study maths, but meanwhile I was listening to you and your stuttering voice.»
Bill blushed. During his last years of adolescence, he finally got rid of his stutter thanks to a specialist. He became more confident about everything, especially with girls. «I’m thankful it’s gone now. The stutter, I mean.»
«It was distinguished. It made you unique.»
«It was not. Shut up, Stan.» Bill chuckled, embarrassed. Stan swallowed nervously. «And do you remember, then? When you kissed me, after you finished your story.»
Bill looked at him, then looked away. «I, uhm– Yeah, I remember.»
Almost thirty years ago, young Bill wanted to kiss his best friend more than ever. Don’t get me wrong, he liked Bev. But when he saw Stan, every time their eyes met, time stopped.