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Chapter Text

Alexander Bowers was comfortably asleep in his bed, but he woke up when he heard his alarm clock ring. He was very tired and didn't want to get up right now, so he threw the alarm clock on the floor and closed his eyes again.

But in a fright, he quickly opens his eyes when he feels a strong hand pulling his foot. Henry Bowers; the hand belonged to Henry, Alex's older brother.

-"Get up now, the old man will be mad if he sees you sleeping!" Henry said. He knew how angry his father got when his children didn't follow the planned routine.

-"Give me a break, it's summer..." He said with a sleepy and hoarse voice.

Henry, out of patience with his younger brother, pulled his foot harder, making him fall off the bed.

-"Fuck, Henry!" He yelled in anger and pain. That's not a very pleasant way to wake up.

-"Could you just give me a little time?" He questioned while still on the floor. His back was injured in the fall: he had to wait for it to get better before he could get up.

-"No! Then it's up to me and I'm the one who gets screwed." Henry said as he left his brother's room. Henry's friends were outside waiting for him, he didn't want to be late because of his lazy brother.

After his back stopped hurting, Alex stood up carefully and left the room. He saw Henry's back walking down the stairs and pointed his finger at him. "I bet he burns the doughnut!" He thought, still angry at his brother.

Because of his father and brother, Alex ended up becoming a bit homophobic, he wasn't proud.

Returning to his routine, Alex headed to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror.
-"But I'm really a Greek god, how is that possible?" He said as he admired himself, self-esteem was something that this kid had no shortage of.

He opened the bathroom cabinet and took out his toothbrush, applied the Colgate and started brushing his teeth, something he knew Henry must not have done. It takes a lot of courage to put up with Henry Bowers and his foul breath.

After brushing his teeth, he looked at them in the mirror and smiled. He then left the bathroom and went back to his room. Alex intended to put on some nice clothes and go for a walk; he didn't really feel like eating breakfast.

-"Hm, which one should I choose?" He asked. Alex had a lot of clothes, much more than his brother.

"No, this one makes me look fat..." he thought as he held a cotton t-shirt.
"And this one makes me look thin!" He thought again, he wanted to try something more different, since today was the start of summer vacation.

-"I don't think Henry will mind if I borrow some tank top..." Alex said, feeling smart. He knew Henry would mind, but who said he cared about that idiot's opinion.

He took his brother's red tank top and put on some brown shorts he had. The tank top was a little big, but he didn't care; the important thing was that he looked cool in it.

He finished packing some things and left the house. The day was quite beautiful, the sun was shining and the birds seemed more lively.

As he walked toward the sidewalk, he was wondering what he would do. Being Henry Bowers' brother has its advantages; no one messes with you. But it also has its disadvantages; no one talks to you.

Because of Henry's bad reputation, Alexander had no friends. He never missed them, but spending the summer sitting indoors on the couch watching TV while his brain slowly rotted didn't seem like a good idea. He needed friends.

A little while passed, and Alex was walking as if he were in a desert looking for water. He looked like a sloth walking; maybe the fall earlier today had damaged his spine.

-"There's nothing to do..." he grumbled in boredom. He intended to go back home, but something caught his attention.

Barrens, looking to the side and seeing a bunch of bushes, he remembered Barrens. "Maybe I can hunt some bugs." he thought. Alex loved bugs, or loved crushing them with rocks.

Abandoning his thoughts of returning home, he headed towards the thicket and entered it. He decided to go much deeper than he usually did.

After walking for a while, he stopped and sat on a rock. He decided to rest a bit and enjoy the breeze, but he started hearing voices.

When he got closer, he saw who the voices belonged to; the losers from school. Of course Alex knew them, Henry spent most of the day talking about how much they were suckers and sissies.

Looking closer, they seemed to have a great friendship. Even though they were in a rotten place like the sewer, they were still having fun, like great friends.

"Bunch of stupid faggots... I hate my life." He thought frustrated and envious, he wanted to be like that too. But because of his brother that is impossible.

How many times had Alex thought about cutting off his older brother's head, taking it out into the street and announcing to everyone: 'Hey guys, I killed Henry Bowers, you can talk to me now!' Too bad it would be impossible, he didn't want to go to those places where the crazy people hang out.

His thoughts quickly faded away when he heard a loud bang. When he looked closer, he noticed a fat boy covered in blood in the water. "It'll cause a tsunami if he jumps into the water like that." He thought as he giggled a little.

Alex watched the others helping the boy, while wondering; why? They didn't know what happened to the boy, but they helped him anyway.

"I wonder if it were me there... Would they help me too?" He thought, but quickly dismissed that possibility. He was Henry Bowers' brother, it was impossible.

Now Alex seemed fixated on something. Richie; he was staring at Richie Tozier.

Alexander knew about the trash-mouth title the boy had received, and he also knew that he wouldn't stay quiet for even a minute. Alex couldn't stand that kind of person, but there was something about Richie that caught his attention.

The guy simply managed to make people laugh even in the most tense situations, incredible, right? Like, just looking at him, you could see that contagious energy that the guy had, a vibe so positive that it was almost bewitching.

He found himself smiling involuntarily at one of Richie's jokes, but quickly composed himself, remembering that he wasn't supposed to like that boy.

The five of them were leaving now. They intended to help Ben Hanscom, they couldn't leave the boy there all bruised and covered in blood.

Alex thought about following them, it would be exciting to see where this would lead, but he soon changed his mind; laziness ended up winning.

He relaxed again and felt the summer breeze blowing on his face and body. However, this was interrupted again when he heard footsteps.

Patrick Hockstetter; the steps belonged to him. Of course Alex knew Patrick, Belch Huggins sometimes gave Alex a ride. And as always he had to sit between Victor and Patrick.

He put up with Victor; he was a bit of a pushover about some things, but he was quiet. Quiet people are something Alex admires a lot. But Patrick was very different; he would either chatter in your ear, or he would touch you and invade your personal space.

Anyway, Alex didn't even like his own father, let alone one of his brother's friends. He realized that Patrick was going to go into the sewer, and that's when he started to think; it was Bowers' gang who did that to the boy.

Patrick was about to enter when he heard a familiar voice.

-"The fat guy isn't there." Alex said, short and quick.

Patrick turned quickly and faced the boy among the leaves.

-"Ah... Hello, Alexander!" He really wasn't expecting to find his leader's younger brother there. -"Wait, what are you doing here?" He asked. He knew the boy didn't like leaving the house very much.

-"Well, spending the summer cooped up indoors is kind of depressing." He said, while leaning against a tree, just waiting for the skinny guy to get out of there soon.

-"I see...do you know where the little tit went?" He asked. Patrick and the rest of the gang still had unfinished business with Ben Hanscom.

-"Look at the hospital, that's usually where people go when they're covered in blood...or to jail, it depends on whose blood it is, right?" He spoke in a mocking manner.

-"Hm...whatever." Patrick didn't want to waste any more time making small talk, especially with a retard like Alex. He turned around and started to leave.

But he looked over his shoulder and said,
"If Henry finds out you're wearing his tank top, he'll kill you!" He then made a gesture as if he were cutting his own throat and walked away again.

Alex shrugged, and with a smile on his face, he watched the skinny guy walk away. The truth is that he wanted to pee, but he didn't want to do it with that psychopath watching.

He turned to the tree and unbuttoned his shorts. Then he began to urinate on the tree, feeling a sense of relief.

After finishing, he tucked it in and started buttoning his shorts again. "How strange, I feel like I've taken someone's food..." he thought and was wondering why he felt this way.

But he decided to ignore the thought, after all he hadn't kicked any homeless man's lunchbox today.
Alex decided to go home and spend the rest of the day watching TV on the couch while his brain slowly rotted.

Chapter Text

After that disappointing encounter with Ben Hanscon, Henry eventually decided to go back home. He was mad that the fat guy had run away, but he was also mad that he had lost his pocketknife.

If the old man finds out that the knife is missing, he would get a beating. Henry could already imagine the smile on Alexander's face, watching his older brother being beaten. The truth is that Alex wouldn't laugh, but Henry thought he would...what can you do? Their relationship isn't very good.

Henry arrived home and quickly opened the door, hoping his father hadn't come back. He took a quick look around the living room, and sighed in relief when he realized his father was still out. Otherwise, Butch would be sitting on the couch watching TV with his youngest son; Alex. Who was now only in his underwear and a tank top.

-"But what..." Henry said dryly. It wasn't the first time Alex had walked around the house without pants or shorts, but the older man was surprised every time he saw it.

-"What did I tell you about walking around the house in just your underwear?!" Henry paused, taking a closer look.

-"Wait... Is that my tank top?!" He asked angrily.

-"First, I'm hot. Second, yes." Alex said as he sat down on the couch.

-"I already told you not to touch my things!"

-"Oh, it's just a tank top, yikes." Alex said, as he took a cookie to his mouth. He took the opportunity to wipe the crumbs off his clothes.

-"Alexander..." Henry growled.

-"Growl more, you bitch." He said without taking his eyes off the TV. He knew he was only making his brother angrier, but he didn't care. Henry would die at his own father's hands if he tried to hurt him. And Alex knew that.

-"And by the way, what happened between you and the newbie?" Alex asked.

-"It's none of your business, little rascal." Henry said, full of hatred for his brother's audacity.

-"He was covered in blood, it's a good thing you didn't try to kill him! Being a prisoner's brother isn't good for my reputation." He said as he licked his fingers, he really loved those chocolate cookies.

-"What reputation? You don't even have any friends."

-"Who said I don't? I got a cool group." He lied, of course. But he intended to try his luck with those suckers, at least to get closer to Richie, the trash-mouth seemed like a nice guy.

-"Whatever, I'm going to get some rest. Wake me up as soon as the old man gets here." Henry said, yawning.

-"And you better take off my tank top and put on some pants! God forbid I have to keep looking at that skinny ass."

What did Henry say? Alex didn't know, he was focused on the TV show. Apparently, watching an elephant scratching its belly with its penis is more interesting than listening to Henry Bowers talk.
.
.
.
It was already getting dark and Butch hadn't come home yet. But Alex needed to take a shower. The poor guy looked like a wet rat from all the sweat.

Alexander walked upstairs, heading straight to the bathroom. He closed the door and began to take off his clothes, all the while wondering how he was going to get close to the losers' club. He was no worse than Henry, but even so, the losers would still be afraid of him.

Even though he was the same age as them (13), Alex managed to be stronger. He was probably just a few inches taller than Richie, not much.

Alex got into the bathtub, turned on the shower and closed the curtain. The door was closed, but he still wanted privacy, who knows if a pair of eyes would peek out from the toilet.

He began to soap himself up while humming a Michael Jackson song. But his thoughts weren't on Michael; they were on Richie Tozier.

Truth be told, that boy sticks to your head more than gum to your hair. Why couldn't Alex stop thinking about him? He didn't know. Maybe Alex wants Richie to be a friend, a best friend, a brother... a boyfri-.

Before the thought could sink in, the water grew hotter, carrying with it the sound of a flush.

-"Oh, fuck!!" Alex screamed in pain, like a growl.

-"Growl more, you bitch!" Henry was laughing his head off. We can say he had his revenge.

-"I'm going to tell daddy!" He said, full of pain from the hot water.

-"Get out of here, I didn't even touch you."

-"Damn, I think my skin is bubbling." It wasn't, but the youngest loves to make a drama.

-"Stop being dramatic, sissy." Henry said, as he left the bathroom, satisfied with his act.

Realizing that the water was getting lukewarm again, Alex stepped under the shower again. There was no point in getting mad at Henry Bowers, after all, he had saved him from an embarrassing thought.

After a few minutes in the shower, he turned off the shower and began to dry himself with the towel. He jumped a little when he heard his older brother shout from downstairs.

-"Daddy said he's not coming home today!" Henry shouted, loud enough for his brother to hear. Alex could hear the joy in his voice. He didn't judge, he was pretty happy too.

After receiving this news, the boy came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Since his father wasn't coming back today, Alex intended to stay in just his underwear again. However, it took him at least 12 minutes to choose a shirt. He intended to wear his brother's tank top again, but he didn't want to take another hot shower; so he abandoned the idea.

After choosing a plain black shirt, Alex decided he wanted to eat something else. So he went downstairs, but halfway down the stairs he saw some people he didn't want to see; Henry's friends.

Everyone had a bottle of beer in their hands. Alex knew that Henry would want to do something cool because his father was away, but he didn't expect that Henry would have the nerve to invite these dogs.

-"What the hell is this?!" Alex asked, you could feel the anger and indignation in his voice.

-"I invited my friends, what's the problem?" Henry said, with a smile on his face.

-"Nice underwear, did you buy it in the children's section?" Patrick said, in a sarcasm tone. The rest started laughing, after noticing Alex's teddy bear underwear.

-"Nice shirt." Alex said, analyzing Patrick's shirt with a Tom from Tom and Jerry print. -"Did you buy it in the children's section?" He retorted.

The rest started laughing again, they seemed to be enjoying the teasing from both of them.
Alex finished walking down the stairs, still with an irritated look on his face.

Belch, still laughing, stepped forward.
"Oh, come on, Alex. You need to relax a little. Want a beer?"

Before the boy could accept, Victor took the bottle from Belch's hand and began drinking.

-"He's still too young." concludes Vic, the wisest of the gang.

Belch didn't question Victor, so he just sat back and let it go.

-"I just lost my only happiness on this boring day. No alcohol and no dinner." He said in a depressing way. Usually Butch was the one who made dinner, but he wasn't home.

-"Who said there won't be dinner?" Henry asked.

-"what?"

-"I'll do it, okay." After saying that, everyone looked at him with a surprised expression.

-"You know how to cook?!" Alex was really surprised by this.

-"Of course I know! What do you think I am?"

-"Gee...but I'll pass anyway. I don't want to get poisoned or find spit on my plate." Alex said.

-"Oh, please! I've spit in many dishes and never heard anyone complain." Henry said as he took another sip of beer.

-"They probably didn't come back to tell the story." Patrick scoffed, making even Henry laugh.

-"Anyway, I'm going now." Henry said as he headed towards the kitchen. The rest exchanged confused looks, no one expected him to actually make dinner.

But that's how it was, Henry Bowers in the kitchen and Alex in the living room with the others. He wasn't that bothered, but it was the same old thing; Victor was silent, Belch was laughing even at the wind and Patrick had no sense of personal space.

The others were drunk, except for Alex. Victor slapped his hand every time he tried to steal a bottle of beer, which always made Belch laugh.

And Patrick, even staggering, went towards the kitchen. Check on the food? No, Check on Henry.

Upon arriving at the scene, Patrick saw Henry from behind wearing a pink apron. The apron belonged to Henry's mother, Henrietta Bowers. She abandoned her children after nearly dying at the hands of Butch. Her children did not judge her.

Henry Bowers was making pasta when he was a little startled when he heard Patrick's voice. Patrick had a habit of approaching people without making any noise, Henry admired that. And he also knew why Patrick learned this skill...

-"You look like a little woman in that apron." Patrick said, with a mischievous smile on his face.

Henry just shrugged and ignored the guy. He couldn't waste time paying attention to a drunk.

-"Aren't you going to talk to me?" He asked, waiting for Henry to answer him. But all he got was an awkward silence.

Henry intended to continue ignoring him, but Patrick came up behind him and he could feel two hands holding him around the waist. Patrick always did this, but it was only with women; Henry is not a woman.

-"It smells good," he said, bringing his face closer to the crook of Henry's neck. He was referring to the smell of the pasta, of course.

Henry felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew Patrick was joking, but the proximity made him uncomfortable.

-"You know this is weird, right?" Henry said, trying to pull away gently. Patrick laughed, letting go of Henry's waist.

- "Relax, man. I'm just kidding. But seriously, this pasta dish is amazing. You're a talent in the kitchen." Henry smiled, relieved by the change of subject.

- "Thank you. It's my mother's recipe. I always make it when I want to impress."

When Patrick was about to say something, they both heard footsteps approaching; it was Alex.

-"Are you messing around?" Alex asked, as he looked them both up and down. It was a strange sight, it's not every day you see Patrick Hockstetter groping Henry Bowers.

Alexander narrowed his eyes and frowned. The elders stared at each other for a while, before Patrick decided to step away from Henry.

-"I will! If you keep causing trouble here." Henry said, turning his eyes back to the pot.

Patrick rolled his eyes and started walking towards the living room. While taking Alex with him, carrying him by the armpits, like a teddy bear.

After that, everyone else in the room was sitting down waiting for the food. As impressive as it was, Henry was a very good cook.

Alex was afraid to eat, but in the end he licked the plate.

Belch was burping the whole time because of the beer. But he also loved the food.

Patrick kept burning the sausages with the lighter, like marshmallows. He said they tasted better that way. But in the end, he liked them too.

Victor ate everything while watching TV and trying to ignore the hateful looks Alex was giving him. Victor was sitting on the couch Alex liked, and he knew it.

After 9pm, Henry's friends left, and they took the empty bottles with them. If Butch found all those empty beer bottles in his house, Henry would get a beating.

Alex also started to go upstairs to brush his teeth and go to sleep, he couldn't stop yawning. Halfway there he realized that Henry went to sleep without taking a shower, he really is a pig.

After brushing his teeth, Alex went into his room and lay down on the bed. Just thinking about what he will do tomorrow, maybe the quarry would be a good idea.

Chapter Text

Again, Alex was sleeping in his bed, he was comfortable, despite the heat. However, he woke up with a fright, it turns out that Henry Bowers poured a glass of water in his face.

-"Wake up soon, daddy will be here soon. Start doing your chores." Henry said, in a tired voice. Turns out the poor guy had a hangover.

-"Can't you wake me up like a normal person?!" He spoke indignantly, it was the second time he had been woken up in an unwanted way.

-"Since when are we normal? Just hurry up and stop the drama."

-"Boring..." He said and then started to make his bed.

Henry left his brother's room and ran to the bathroom. He started vomiting, it seems that last night really took its toll.

Hearing those noises, Alex couldn't help but tease his brother.
-"Is it a boy or a girl?"

-"Fuck you-" before he could finish his speech, another wave of vomit came.

"Oh, that's why the world isn't moving forward, because of those alcoholic bastards." Alex thought, as if he hadn't tried to steal beer last night, hypocrite.

Alexander finished making the bed and went to look for some shorts or pants to wear. Since he's going to the quarry today, he decided to choose a simple pair of shorts. And some more masculine underwear too. Going to the quarry in teddy bear underwear is out of the question.

After putting on his clothes, Alex went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He also wanted to pee, but he'll do it when he gets there.

-"Don't forget to flush the toilet and brush your teeth, i can smell the alcohol on your breath." Alex spoke, without maintaining eye contact. Henry nodded, still kneeling in front of the toilet.

When he finished, Alex said goodbye to Henry. The crazy guy had the nerve to leave all the tasks to his older brother.

Alex left the house and started humming to pass the time. In this heat, a cold shower would be good, except that he would be alone there... Or would he?

As he approached the place, the blond began to hear voices, familiar voices... He could have peeked from some tree or bush, but he didn't think about it. Then when he realized, he was already behind five boys with white underwear.

Before he could retreat, Eddie saw him and alerted the others. The five of them looked shocked and scared to see the boy there.

-"What the fuck." Richie said.

-"Was it Bowers who sent you?" Ben asked, he thought that maybe Henry sent his brother to finish the other day's work.

-"As if I care what my brother wants." He said and rolled his eyes.
-"I just came to cool off, that's all."

-"Then I think you better get out of here, we got here first!" Stan said, still afraid that Alex would do something.

Alex sighed and turned his back, ignoring the Jew's comment. He lowered his shorts a little, took his tool out and started to urinate, his bladder was already hurting. "I knew I should have peed at home." He thought.

-"I-Is he peeing?" Bill asked, incredulous. Actually, everyone was.

After finishing, he let out a sigh of relief.
"There, I've marked my territory. You guys are the ones who need to get out of here."

Hearing that, Richie let out a laugh. Which was soon extinguished after noticing the serious looks on his friends' faces.

-"Oh come on, he hasn't come after us yet, what's the problem with leaving him here?" Richie asked, willing to let Alex join them.

Bill thought about it for a while. Seeing that there was no way to get Bowers Junior to leave, he decided to accept.

-"o-okay, b-but no jokes!" He said, still apprehensive about whether he should accept this.

-"Relax, DJ Remix! I'm not like Henry."

Richie and Eddie let out a giggle when they heard Bill's new nickname. Bill glared at them, but decided to ignore the provocation.

-"So, are you going to stand there and mess around or are you going to take your clothes off?" Richie asked.

-"Richie, if you're going to ask me to take off my clothes...could you take me out on a date first." He spoke with a mischievous look, as he took off his clothes and approached the boys.

Richie blushed a little at that comment, but he decided to take it as a joke and let out a short laugh.

-"So... Do you guys usually stare at the water instead of jumping?" Alex asked.

-"A-actually, l-let's d-do a s-s-s"

-"Spitting competition." Ben concludes, realizing his friend's difficulty.

-"I'll start!" Stan said.

And so it was, they had the spitting competition. Although there was no winner, as Richie and Eddie had a falling out in the end.

-"So who goes first?" Richie asked. Now they had to decide who would jump first.

Everyone looked at each other, still afraid to jump into the water. However, they looked back when they heard a female voice; it was Beverly Marsh, the school's 'slut'.

-"I will!" Beverly said. As she unbuttoned her dress, thus exposing her underwear. Carefree, she began to run towards the boys.

-"Sissy." She teased. And then she took a brave leap and jumped. Alexander was as outraged as Richie.

-"Holy shit, we were humiliated by a girl!" Richie protested.

-"by a girl!" Alex grumbled. If his father were here, he would probably teach him a lesson to stop being a wimp.

The water was freezing, but Beverly emerged with a smile on her face, shaking her wet hair. The boys gaped at her, still hesitant on the edge.

-"Come on, you cowards!" She shouted, laughing.
-"The water is fine!"

Richie looked at Bill, who shrugged.

-"She's right, you know? We can't let her beat us." Alex says.

Eddie, always the more cautious one, took a step back.
-"I don't know, guys. What if there's something in the water?"

Alexander, with a smile on his face says:
-"There's only one way to find out."

And then he pushes Eddie, but not in a rough way.

-"Fly, little fairy!" Alex shouted, amidst giggles. The others looked at him, surprised by this repulsive attitude.

-"What's your problem?! He could get hurt if he falls the wrong way!" Stan said, still looking at him indignantly.

Alex rolled his eyes and called out to Eddie, asking if the asthmatic was okay. After receiving confirmation from Eddie, he looked at Stanley and shrugged.

-"Now it's your turn!" Richie said, pushing him. However, Alex was smarter, the boy simply grabbed Richie with him.

Richie and Alex landed in the water with a big splash, laughing and screaming. The water was really cold, but the adrenaline from the fall made them not even feel the cold. Beverly swam over to them, still laughing.

-"See? I told you it was great!" She exclaimed, splashing water on both of them.

Bill, watching the scene, finally gathered his courage and jumped in too, followed by Stan, who was still a little reluctant. When everyone was in the water, they began to play and swim, completely forgetting their fear at first.

Eddie, who had been the first to be pushed, finally relaxed and started to enjoy himself. He swam over to Alex and gave him a gentle push.

-"You're an idiot, you know that?" Eddie said, but with a smile on his face.

Alex laughed and replied,
"I know, but I don't remember you complaining." They were both having fun now.

Richie noticed the two together, and couldn't help but feel a little jealous, seeing Alex so close to Eddie. So he decided to get closer to find out what the joke was.

Richie swam over to them, trying to look casual, but he couldn't hide the mischievous grin on his face.

-"What are you two whispering about over there?" Richie says, as he stands next to Eddie.

-"Are you guys conspiring against me?" Richie asked, pretending to be offended.

Eddie laughed and replied,
"Nothing you need to know, Richie."

Alex, always ready for a joke, added,
"Cut it out, shorty. We were clearly talking about his mother." Richie made an exaggerated face.

-"Oh, is that so? Then let's see who laughs last!" And with that, he began to splash water on both of them, starting a water fight that soon involved all of his friends.

Bill, Beverly, Ben, Stan, Eddie, Richie and Alex were now completely immersed in the fun, laughing and joking like there was no tomorrow.

At the end of the game, Alex and Richie decided to relax on the shore, while watching the others having fun and talking. Alex was very happy about this, it was as if he had made friends. But deep down he knew that he still had a long way to go, just for them to consider him part of the group.

-"It was worth it, letting you join us." Richie says. He then looks at Alex with a gentle smile on his face.

Alex rolled his eyes, but couldn't hold back a smile.
-"Don't get used to it, Tozier. I'm only here because I had nothing better to do."

Richie raised an eyebrow, clearly curious.
-"Really? And what could be better than spending the day with the Clube dos Otários?"

-"Anything that doesn't involve my idiot brother. And someone needs to teach you how to be less annoying." Alex shrugged, still with a smile on his face.

Richie chuckled, enjoying Alex's attitude.
"Good luck with that, Bowers. No one can teach me anything."

Alex gave Richie a slight push, who almost fell into the water.
-"We'll see about that, Tozier."

Richie straightened up, and for a moment their eyes met. There was something different in those eyes, something Richie couldn't explain, but it made his heart warm in an unexpected way.

-"Look..." Richie began, trying to sound nonchalant,
-"you're not as bad as I thought."

Alex smiled, a smile that mixed sarcasm and sincerity.
"And you're not that insufferable either, Tozier."

-"Man, you guys missed the best part of the game!" Eddie said, approaching the shore with the others, where Alex and Richie were.

-"W-why are you h-holding hands?" Bill asked, noticing that Richie and Alex were holding hands. Which is funny, because neither of them had realized they had their hands together.

Richie and Alex looked at each other, confused, and then looked down at their hands. Suddenly, Richie started laughing, a loud, nervous laugh.

-"I think we were talking hand in hand without realizing it." Alex said, still laughing.

Richie blushed, embarrassed.
"Yeah, I guess so." he said, looking at the floor.

Beverly, always ready with a joke, burst out laughing.
"You two are a couple, huh?"

Bill just nodded, still laughing, while Ben and Beverly exchanged knowing looks. Stan, as always, remained quiet, watching the scene.

-"Of course not!" Alex shouted. And then he let go of Richie's hand aggressively. Which generated confused looks from the others.
-"I'm not fag, okay?!"

-"Relax, I was just kidding..." Beverly said, perplexed by the situation she caused.

Richie looked at Alex, still feeling the warmth of his hand. He knew Alex was just trying to defend himself, but the words hurt more than he expected.

-"It's okay, Alex," Eddie said, trying to remain calm.
-"No one here is judging you."

Alex took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew he had overreacted, but he couldn't help it.

-"Sorry, guys," he said, looking at the others.
-"I'm just... not used to these jokes." Beverly stepped forward and put her hand on Alex's shoulder.

-"It's okay, Alex. We understand." she said with a gentle smile.
-"Let's change the subject, okay?"

Bill, being the leader of the group, suggested that they go back to the top. Everyone agreed and started climbing together, leaving the tension behind.

As they walked, Richie approached Alex and whispered:

-"Hey, sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I didn't mean to." Alex looked at Richie and smiled, a shy but sincere smile.

-"Alright, Richie. I'm the one who owes you an apology. Let's just forget about it, okay?" Richie nodded, and they both started to climb up along with the others.

Chapter Text

Beverly Marsh was lying down, enjoying the music coming from the radio. She wasn’t paying much attention to the boys beside her, just soaking in the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Eddie, Bill, Richie, Ben, and Stanley were all very focused on the girl. Seeing women dressed only in bras and panties was common—in magazines. Having one like that right in front of them, especially someone as beautiful as Beverly Marsh, was something new.

Except for Alex, who was focused on a certain boy with glasses, Richie Tozier. He had to admit, behind those ridiculous glasses that made his eyes look huge, Richie was actually kinda cute. It was okay to find other boys attractive. Henry was 13 when he said something similar once, Alex had caught him staring at a gay nudie mag, and Henry had threatened him not to tell their dad and swore up and down he wasn’t gay.

Seeing girls like that—or naked—wasn’t new to Alex. Henry Bowers always brought some sluts home when Butch wasn’t around. And that’s what Beverly was to Alex, just another slut. He didn’t care. As long as Beverly Marsh didn’t touch him in any weird way, it’d be fine.

Beverly, noticing the stares, slowly turned her head just enough to catch them all quickly looking away, embarrassed.

Richie, trying to cover up where his eyes had been, locked onto Ben’s backpack instead.

—Breaking news, Ben. We’re on summer break.— Richie said, putting a hand over his mouth in a failed attempt to sound like a reporter.

Alex stopped staring at Richie and looked at Ben’s stuff instead, letting out a small laugh at the comment.

—Oh, that’s not school stuff.— Ben said, watching as Richie grabbed the postcard he had made for Beverly.

—Who sent you this?— Richie asked, laughing.

—No one! Gimme that!— Ben snapped, his fingers trembling as he tried to hide the card from everyone.

—Sure. No one would send a postcard to a... a fatass like you, right?— Alex muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm while his eyes stayed fixed on the lake ahead. The laugh that followed was quiet, but enough to make Ben shrink in place.

Stanley scoffed and rolled his eyes at Alex’s unnecessary comment.

—Don’t mind him, Ben. Alex just has to remind us he’s Henry Bowers’ brother!— he said, his face full of disgust.

—Oh come on, it was just a joke.— Alex tried to explain, surrounded by the disappointed looks of everyone, including Richie. Seeing all those faces didn’t hurt him much, but somehow, Richie’s look did. It felt like a punch to the chest.

Ben tried not to let the shame show, but deep down, Alex’s words still stung. He took a deep breath, trying to shake it off and looked back at his friends.

—Let’s just forget it, okay?— Ben said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He just wanted to move on without being the butt of the jokes or stirring more trouble. —It’s just a card, guys. No big deal.

The others nodded. Richie went back to rummaging through Ben’s backpack, pulling out a huge folder full of papers.

—What’s this story project thing?— he asked as he skimmed through.

—Well... when I moved here, I didn’t have much to do.— Ben said, pausing a bit. Remembering the reason was because he had no friends. —So I’d spend time at the library...

—You went there?— Richie raised a brow. —Willingly?

—I wanna see!— Beverly said, getting up and walking toward the group.

She sat next to Bill and grabbed the folder full of newspaper clippings, beginning to read.

—What’s the Black Spot?— Stan asked.

—The Black Spot was a nightclub burned down by a racist cult.— Eddie replied.

—What?

—You don’t watch TV?— Eddie asked, clearly annoyed by the ignorance.

—It’s bullshit, my dad thanks the heavens every day for that place burning down.— Alex said bitterly. Even though Butch was a cop, he had his prejudices, and Black people were definitely one of them.

The group went quiet for a few seconds, the weight of the subject hanging in the air. Beverly looked at Alex with a mix of surprise and sympathy.

—That’s awful— she said, her voice low, like she was still processing it.

—Welcome to Derry— Richie muttered, his tone sharp but lacking its usual humor. —This town was never a beacon of inclusion, was it?

Bill cleared his throat, trying to shift the mood back to Beverly.

—Y-y-your hair...— he started, but hesitated.

—Your hair looks beautiful, Beverly!— Ben cut in faster, a gentle smile on his face.

Beverly looked at him and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

—Okay... thanks!— she said, a bit embarrassed by the compliment.

—Looking like a boy now, Bev. Planning on stealing the girls too?— Alexander mocked, giggling and ruining the mood again.

Beverly tried to smile to ease the tension, but it was clear she was uncomfortable. She touched her hair again, the unease rising—not just from Alex’s words, but from what her father had said too.

—I’m not a boy, Alex.— she replied calmly. —I just cut it short. It’s not a big deal...

Ben, still irritated, glared at Alex with a serious expression.

—Shut up, Alex. You don’t get to talk to her like that.— he said firmly.

Bill backed him up, his voice serious.

—Y-you don’t h-have to joke about e-everyone. It’s not funny.

Richie, of course, did what he did best—cut the tension with a joke.

—I think Alex is just jealous ‘cause Bev looks cooler than him now.— Richie teased, winking at Alex. —And we all know he’ll never be that good-looking.

Alex’s face turned red with anger, and for a second, he couldn’t find a response. He looked at Beverly, maybe really seeing her for the first time. In a rare impulse, he said something unexpected.

—Okay... fine. You look nice, alright?— Alex muttered, eyes on the ground.

That rare moment of vulnerability made the group pause. Beverly didn’t quite know how to react but gave a small smile, feeling a bit more at ease.

—Thanks, Alex.— she said, trying not to make it more awkward than it already was.

Richie, of course, couldn’t resist a final jab.

—Well, well! Alex has a soft side! Maybe we can teach you how to be a decent human being someday.

—Shut up, Tozier!

Everyone laughed, and the tension eased a bit. But deep inside, they all knew something darker still lurked in that town—something they’d have to face together.

—Gimme that— Richie said, reaching out for the folder again, and Bill handed it to him.

—Why are there so many deaths and missing kids?— he asked while reading.

Ben took a moment before answering.

—Derry’s not like other towns...— he explained, pausing briefly. —They did a study once. The deaths and disappearances here are six times the national average.

—You read that?— Beverly asked.

—And that’s just the adults. With kids, it’s worse. Way worse— Ben added, the air growing heavy. The silence could’ve been awkward, but Ben spoke again.

—I got more stuff... If you guys wanna check it out!— he said, excited by the idea of finally having friends over.

The group exchanged looks, considering it.

—Nope, nope, nope...— Eddie said, shaking his head.

As the bikes sliced through the sunny streets of Derry, heading toward Ben’s house, Alexander and Richie rode side by side at a laid-back pace. They were a little behind the group, but neither of them seemed to care. Richie, as usual, was talking nonstop.

While the others pedaled in silence, Alex and Richie stood out, throwing jokes and sarcastic comments at each other.

—So, Alexander Bowers, brother of Henry. What’s it like living with Derry’s official bully? Do you get lunch discounts or just extra hate-stares?— Richie asked with a sly grin, adjusting his glasses.

Alex shrugged with a smug smile. —Oh, it’s a delight, you know? Who wouldn’t love being constantly associated with a toaster-brained dumbass? And you? Do you live off stand-up to make up for having no friends?

Richie let out a loud laugh, totally unfazed. —Touché, Bowers. But at least I’m not a Bowers. That’s gotta be some karmic punishment, huh?

Alexander raised an eyebrow, pretending to think. —Could be. But unlike him, I actually know how to have fun. And by fun, I mean not punching kids for sport.

—Look at that! A Bowers with a brain! I bet Henry gets confused just talking to you.— Richie laughed again, and Alex joined in with a mocking chuckle.

Up ahead, Beverly glanced back curiously.

—Are you two gonna spend the whole ride competing for who’s got the sharpest tongue, or are you gonna share the jokes?

—It’s not a competition, Bev. I already won!— Richie replied quickly, throwing an exaggerated wink.

Alex rolled his eyes, clearly amused. —Only if it’s a competition for who’s the biggest simp, because you’d be undefeated.

Beverly laughed, while Eddie, riding nearby, muttered irritably:

—Don’t you two ever get tired of talking? It’s impressive you even have time to breathe.

—Relax, Eddie Spaghetti!— Richie teased. —I’m saving the group from awkward silence!

Stanley scoffed, turning to Bill.

—Why did we bring them again?

Bill, riding next to Ben, gave a small smile.

—T-to keep things l-light. N-not that it always w-works...

—You’re... I didn’t know Henry’s brother could be so...— Richie paused for dramatic effect, searching for the right word. —Different.

—Different?— Alex chuckled, not offended. —I’m the black sheep of the family. Or the only normal one, depending on who you ask.

Richie let out another laugh and pushed his glasses up his nose.

—Seriously, man. You should hang out more. You’ve got potential for the Losers Club. Not that it’s anything to brag about...

Alexander gave a short, mocking laugh.

—“Losers Club”? What an inspiring name. Who came up with that? The stuttering kid up front?

Richie glanced at Bill leading the group and smirked.

—That was me. And you know what? It fits. We’re a bunch of screwed-up kids, but at least we have fun.

Alex just shook his head, amused by Richie’s shameless honesty.

—Alright, loser. Let’s see if the fun’s worth the name.

They kept pedaling, trading sarcastic remarks and jabs. Up ahead, Beverly looked back and yelled:

—Hey, you two! Can you pedal faster? We don’t have all day!

—Relax, Red! What’s the rush, saving the world or something?— Alexander called back with a bored tone, hands off the handlebars just to piss off whoever cared about safety.

Beverly rolled her eyes but smiled. Richie cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted:

—She’s just scared Ben’ll run out of breath up there!

Alex burst out laughing, and Beverly, despite trying to look annoyed, couldn’t help but laugh too.

—Idiots...— she muttered, smiling.

—I definitely am! And hey, Alex, if you fall off that bike, I’m not stopping to help. I’ll laugh while riding— Richie grinned, full of sarcasm.

—Fall? Me? Richie, if I ever fell off a bike, it’d be so stylish they’d name it “The Great Alex Wipeout.” It’d be legendary.— Alexander let out a short, cocky laugh.

—Oh, sure. And then I’d have to make a whole stand-up bit about it. “Ladies and gentlemen, imagine Derry’s biggest egomaniac eating pavement. It was poetic!”— Richie shook his head, trying not to laugh.

Meanwhile, Bill glanced back, noticing the two lagging behind.

—C-come on! O-or do you w-want us to g-go w-without y-you?— he shouted, his voice echoing down the street.

—Chill, Big Bill! We were just debating important philosophical stuff, like... which one of us is more awesome!— Richie called back, speeding up a bit.

—Well, I think you’re both at the bottom of any list— Eddie chimed in, already annoyed. —And Alexander, for God’s sake, put your hands on the handlebars!

Alexander just shrugged, ignoring the scolding.

—Relax, Eds. If he falls, at least the bike’ll survive, which is a miracle.— Richie answered.

—It’s Eddie, not Eds!— Eddie grumbled, but the group just laughed.

Bill, riding up front with Ben, looked back and shook his head, smiling at the chaos his friends always managed to create, even on a simple ride.

—Can you guys stay serious for like, five minutes?— Ben asked, curious.

—Wouldn’t be us if we could, Haystack.— Richie gave a wink and turned his attention back to the road.

Further ahead, Stanley glanced back, watching the two of them. He shook his head with a smile.

—Those two together are gonna be trouble— he said to Eddie, who was pedaling next to him with a slightly irritated expression.

—I’m already annoyed just hearing Richie’s voice from back here— Eddie grumbled, wrinkling his nose like something in the air was rotten.

Up front, Bill was leading with Ben at his side, both focused on reaching the house to check out Ben’s findings.

—Just hope they make it there in one piece. The way those two talk, they won’t even notice the next car coming— Ben murmured with a light laugh.

—A-alex will f-fit right in... e-even being Henry’s b-brother— said Bill confidently.

The group continued their ride, the sound of laughter and banter filling the air—background noise to a day that promised more mysteries... and probably a hell of a lot more trouble.

Chapter Text

Everyone entered Ben Hanscom’s room, and it didn’t take long for everyone’s eyes to be fixed on the walls, which were covered in papers, maps, and scribbled notes. It looked like a scene straight out of a crime movie or something. It took Alexander a few seconds to process the information, and then it made sense: the fat kid was a complete nerd.

— Wow, wow, wow! — Richie exclaimed in his usual theatrical tone, adjusting his glasses as if he had just discovered something groundbreaking. — Wow!

—Cool, huh?— Ben asked, clearly proud of what he had done, with that gleam in his eyes as if he thought he had nailed it.

— No, no, not cool. There’s absolutely nothing cool here. — Richie immediately retorted in that sarcastic way of his, still examining the mess on the wall as if he hoped to find something that could be fixed.

Alexander chuckled lightly at the comment. With his hands in his pockets, he walked around the room with that air of false disinterest. But inside, he was paying close attention. His eyes scanned every sheet on the wall, trying to figure out what Ben was hiding.

Then the creak of a door jolted him out of his senses. He turned around and — boom — there it was: a "New Kids on the Block" poster on the back of the door. He stared at it for a few seconds, processing the information, and then muttered under his breath, "I'm sorry."

—You've got to be kidding me...

A smug smile formed on his lips. As if being fat wasn't enough, the guy liked that crap? He was about to burn him right then and there, in front of everyone. But for some reason, maybe Beverly, maybe he just wanted to let the kid have his moment, he kept his mouth shut. Which, for Alex, was pretty rare.

He turned his attention back to Ben's bookshelf, but remained attentive to everything that was said. The conversation was getting interesting, although it wasn't normally his thing. Something about her kept him silent, which wasn't exactly his specialty. It was the first time he had gone to someone's house. Or, well... to a friend's house. For some reason, he felt terribly embarrassed. He looked at Big Bill, who was analyzing something with that intense look he had.

—W-where was this well l-located?— Bill asked, stuttering as always, but genuinely curious.

—I'm not sure, somewhere in the city.— Ben replied, a little confused by the question. —Why?

—N-no reason...— Bill interrupted quickly, looking away.

Alexander was cycling home, slowly and absent-mindedly, until he decided to stop and walk a little. He needed to think. What the fat man had said before wouldn't leave his head. "A trail of clothes leading to a well? What kind of fever dream is that?" he muttered to himself, frowning, trying to understand.

“Is it like... a monster living in the well?” he whispered, feeling a strange tightness in his chest grow as he thought about it. He took a deep breath, trying to push away the crazy thoughts. But just as he was fading away again, a soft meow brought him back.

He turned his head quickly and spotted a kitten. She was small, with beautiful blue eyes—although a little squinty—and the fur of a Siamese. Her eyes lit up immediately. He approached her slowly, careful not to startle her. Fortunately, she didn’t seem scared. As soon as he started petting her, a wide smile spread across her face.

But the moment was instantly shattered. Alex froze as a firm hand landed on his shoulder. He turned around immediately, expecting to see some random guy, but what he saw made every muscle in his body tense. His heart was pounding against his chest, threatening to explode, and he couldn’t move.

Right in front of him was that... thing. Wearing a full face mask, hood down, and a long black coat that only made it worse. No face visible, nothing to identify it, just that scary, menacing figure.

Alex was paralyzed, his eyes wide, staring at him without reacting. A shiver ran down his spine and suddenly memories invaded him. Fear was written all over his face, and the confusion only made it worse. He wanted to run, to do anything, but his body had already given up on obeying.

“You really shouldn’t mess with stray cats, kid, you know?” The figure said, his voice deep and forced, as if he was trying to sound friendly but wasn’t. He began rubbing Alex’s shoulder, not a regular pat, but rubbing and squeezing, rubbing and squeezing… “They can carry little… terrible… diseases that you wouldn’t even imagine…”

Alex stood there, speechless. Frozen. He couldn’t see the guy’s face, but if he had… maybe it would have all been over right then and there. He could have gone to the police, gotten a handle on him, put an end to it. But that wasn’t the case. It was like he was reliving a nightmare. The same thing all over again. The same horror. He was there again.

—You shouldn’t take candy from strangers either, dear…— The figure whispered, his voice cold and dark, as he took a lollipop from his coat pocket. A strange lollipop. Dark. Hair stuck to it. He shoved it into Alex’s mouth. —It could be poison… it makes your head spin… do you understand?

Alex gagged immediately, the bitter, salty taste coating his tongue; he didn’t even want to imagine what it was like. He spat violently and gasped as the stuff stuck to the figure’s mask. This wasn’t right. It began to melt, the goo oozing out in a sticky white mess. Alex shivered. It shouldn’t stick like that…

He stumbled backward, his legs shaking. He couldn’t take his eyes off the figure approaching, slowly and deliberately. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. His mind went blank except for one thought: get the hell out of there. He had two options: run like hell and risk being caught by someone with longer legs, or pull off a clever maneuver, outwit the stranger, and make it to the motorcycle parked right behind him.

In all his shining glory, he went with the second one. He took a deep breath, choking on the stench emanating from the guy, who had started humming something insane. Alex quickly spun around him, his eyes closed for half a second, until he realized he was close to the bike. But before he could move, the figure grabbed him by the waist, its nails digging into his flesh, cutting it. Without time to feel the pain, he simply took off and jumped on the bike, pedaling like a madman.

—Don't tell anyone, don't tell anyone, and I'll be a little nicer next time, I promise! Be a good little boy, it'll be sooooo much more fun...— The figure shouted in the distance, that distorted laugh echoing through the street. Alex looked back and saw... a clown? He didn't understand. He didn't want to. He just pedaled. Fast. Without even thinking about anything else.

He knew that when he got home, his father would freak out about his torn shirt. He would get a scolding, no doubt. As for the wound, he would borrow Henry's ointment... "Henry... Should I tell him?" Alex wondered, his eyes burning. But he quickly wiped away the tears. Real men don't cry, his father always said that

Chapter Text

Alex got home just before nightfall. The sky was dark, and his dad's car was parked right in front. He swallowed hard, feeling that tight knot in his chest. He already knew he was in for a lecture. He got off the bike and, trying not to make things worse, placed it neatly next to the fence. He remembered the last time he left it on the lawn—his dad almost lost his mind.

With slow steps, he headed to the door. Every move made his waist ache, but he pushed through it. Show pain? No freaking way. He opened the door carefully, trying not to make noise, but the idea of going unnoticed went straight to hell the second he stepped inside.

His father, Oscar, was on the couch, reading some work papers. As soon as he heard the noise, he looked up quickly, eyes widening at the sight of his son. He tossed the papers on the table and marched over to Alex, grabbing his torn clothes.

—Got into a fight, didn’t you?— he asked, irritation heavy in his voice. His eyes scanned Alex’s face, trying to figure out what was going on. But all he found was confusion, fear, and that lost look.

Without warning, Oscar raised his hand and slapped Alex across the face. The sharp sound echoed through the room, followed by the boy’s pained gasp.

—Answer me when I ask!— the father growled, his expression stern.

—N-no, dad! I just… I just fell on some wire…— Alex replied, trying to sound convincing. Lie, obviously. He couldn’t tell the truth. He didn’t trust his father with that. Besides, if he talked, he knew he’d be shipped straight to the loony bin.

Oscar stared at Alex’s face, searching for some truth in the excuse, but all he saw was pure fear. He shrugged, straightened up, and went back to the couch, wiping the hand he’d slapped with on his pants like it disgusted him.

—Whatever. Go take a shower. You stink.— he said with a look of disgust, already flopping back on the couch and grabbing the papers again, like nothing had happened.

Alex sighed, exhausted. Honestly, he thought it was gonna be worse. He was almost glad it had just been a slap. He started up the stairs, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his waist. Each step was torture, but he kept his face neutral. Halfway up, he ran into Henry in the hallway. His brother's eyes widened as soon as he saw the deep cut on Alex’s side.

—Damn, the old man went hard this time...— Henry said, shocked. He’d gotten a few beatings from Oscar before, but this was next level.

—Relax, it wasn’t him.— Alex replied flatly, continuing toward the bathroom. —Just fell on some wire, nothing big...

Henry stood there, watching his brother walk away, but he knew that was bullshit. He shrugged and started back to his room, but halfway there, something clicked. He stopped immediately and rushed back. Before Alex could close the bathroom door, Henry grabbed the handle, stopping it with his hand.

—Wait...— he murmured softly, almost whispering, glancing over his shoulder to make sure their dad wasn’t nearby. —Did you take… that thing? I can’t find it...— He spoke so low Alex barely understood, his face flushed with embarrassment and obvious fear.

Alex sighed heavily, exhaustion in his eyes. He leaned against the doorframe, not giving much room.

—Dad was snooping around your room. He almost found it.— he whispered back, voice tinged with boredom. —So I moved it.

Henry let out a breath of relief immediately. Just the thought of their dad finding that made his skin crawl. It wasn’t just a slap or a scolding. If the old man found it, it’d be way worse. We’re talking belt? Nah. Whip.

—Seriously, you’ve gotta be one hell of a virgin to need a gay magazine to jerk off.— Alex said with a sarcastic grin, rolling his eyes at his brother.

Henry opened his mouth to snap back, but before he could say anything, Alex slammed the bathroom door in his face without hesitation. The bang made Henry both pissed and embarrassed.

—Go to hell, dumbass!— Henry muttered from the other side, lightly kicking the door but not hard enough to cause damage. He huffed, scratching his neck, still trying to shake off the burn from Alex’s jab.

Inside, Alex just smirked while turning on the tap, satisfied at leaving Henry speechless. He knew how to strike where it hurt, and for him, that was practically a hobby.

He turned on the shower and started rinsing off, the wound burning with every swipe of soap. The pain was sharp, like the cut itself wanted to remind him it wasn’t just in his head. The masked figure, the clown, the weird lollipop... it all felt unreal, but the cut was proof it happened.

He shrugged, trying to push the thoughts away. Focusing on it too much would just screw him up more—hell, maybe even make him piss himself. That idea made him chuckle softly. Pissing yourself in front of that thing? Peak humiliation.

You shouldn’t be here... not here, not anywhere... Go away... go away, stay out of the story... Don’t touch what isn’t yours... Don’t touch what must not be touched...

Alex froze, eyes wide. The voice came from everywhere and nowhere all at once. He yanked the shower curtain back, heart pounding, hoping it was just one of Henry’s dumb pranks.

But when he saw no one, his stomach twisted. His heart beat so fast he thought it might explode in his chest.

—What the...?— he whispered, nearly voiceless, his head full of questions. He wasn’t crazy. At least, he didn’t think so.

Without thinking, he shut off the water and started drying off in a rush. Every second in that bathroom felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in. Once dressed, he looked out the window and saw only darkness.

He swallowed hard, a strange feeling gnawing at him. Not quite fear, more like an odd emptiness in his chest, like something was wrong. He tried to brush it off, pretend everything was normal. Like, nothing happened. Everything’s chill, right?

Next day.

Alex sat there, eating breakfast while Henry blabbed about action movies, lots of shooting and explosions, obviously—Henry was obsessed with that stuff. Honestly, Alex couldn’t care less, just finishing his food and trying not to think about last night.

Then the phone rang, making him nearly choke. Henry jumped up, thinking it was one of his buddies—Belch was supposed to pick him up today—but then he froze when he heard a girl's voice.

—Bitch?!— Henry said, shocked, though he already knew who it was. Beverly stepped back from the phone, surprised by his reaction, then rolled her eyes.

—I wanna talk to Alex...— she mumbled, not in the mood for Henry’s crap.

Henry narrowed his eyes at Alex, confused, pointing at the phone as he sat back down with a suspicious look, watching Alex take the call. He couldn’t hide a smirk when he saw his little brother’s huge grin. It had been a while since he saw that.

Alex hung up and put the phone back, then rushed out and jumped on his bike. He couldn’t believe Beverly Marsh had actually asked him to come to her apartment. That was, like… insane! She really called!

He got on his bike, sped off toward her place. Beverly had told him to hurry, so he figured the others were probably gonna be there. Richie, for sure, would be there!

When Alex arrived, the others were with him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Richie. It didn’t make sense, but the guy just stood out somehow. Maybe that was it.

Leave! Leave! Leave!

For a second, a void filled Alex, but it turned into a grin when he saw Beverly coming down the stairs. She looked a bit anxious, maybe even desperate.

—Finally. I need to show you guys something.— She glanced at each of them like she was checking if everyone was there. Her voice was tense.

—What is it?— Ben asked, concerned.

—Didn’t we already see everything at the quarry?— Richie joked, that usual mischievous tone in full swing.

—Shut up! Be quiet, Richie!— Eddie snapped, already pissed, knowing how Richie could be annoying as hell.

—Maybe she wants an orgy...— Alex murmured, flashing a sarcastic grin. That made Richie chuckle while the others grimaced.

Get out of there. They’re not yours!

Beverly rolled her eyes, questioning her decision to invite those two. When she saw the blank look on Alex’s face, her eyes narrowed a bit, but she shrugged it off. She had more important things to deal with.

—My dad will kill me if he finds out... that I brought boys over...— she whispered, fear obvious.

—We’ll leave someone on watch. Richie and Alex, y-y-you guys stay here!— Bill ordered, tossing his bike and heading for the stairs, the others right behind.

Alex glared after them, pissed. He didn’t come all the way here to babysit for a bunch of losers.

—Wait, wait, wait. What if her dad shows up?— Richie asked, uneasy.

—Do what you always do, start talking!— Stan replied, mocking him. Then he started up the stairs with the rest.

—It’s a gift...— Richie muttered, tired of it all. He looked at Alex, who had a face of pure indignation.

—With that face... I'm starting to think you don’t like hanging out with me.— Richie joked, leaning on his bike, watching Alex for a reaction.

Alex just smirked, eyes drifting to the building, locking on the floor where he guessed the action was.

—I’m just curious, didn’t wanna be left out.— he muttered, walking slowly toward Richie, hands in his pockets.

—Seriously? Thought you had the shits.— Richie grinned, doing a dumb impression, doubling over like he was sick.

Alex rolled his eyes, fed up, but when he glanced over Richie’s shoulder, his eyes widened. —Wait... isn’t that Beverly’s dad?

—Huh? What? Where?— Richie spun around fast, nearly tripping over his own bike, panic written all over his face. But all he saw was a fat bald guy with a beer gut and a too-short shirt.

—Nah… just some drunk old dude.— Richie muttered, letting out a breath. But as soon as he turned back, Alex flicked his nose.

—Ha! You’re too easy to mess with!— Alex burst out laughing, doubling over while Richie groaned, rubbing his nose in pain.

—So funny, jackass.— Richie pouted, but stopped complaining when he saw Alex heading for the stairs. —Hey, where you going? We’re supposed to stay on guard.— Richie dropped his bike and ran after him, trying to sound responsible, though his voice betrayed him.

—Speak for yourself, man. I’m curious, I wanna see what’s happening.— Alex shrugged, already stepping on the second stair.

—Stay here.— Richie insisted, but this time his voice was softer, almost a plea. He grabbed Alex’s wrist, squeezing lightly. Richie swallowed hard. He didn’t wanna be alone. Truth was, he wanted Alex to stay with him.

Alex paused, turning to him with a confused look, but didn’t pull his hand away. —We take turns then. I go check it out, then I’ll come back and you go.— He pointed upstairs, still curious.

—Please.— Richie repeated, almost whispering, his eyes locked on Alex’s, pleading. This time, his grip tightened slightly, and Alex felt his heart skip a beat.

—...You’re being weird.— Alex said, frowning. —Richie, I like you for your rebellious side! Where the hell is it now, huh?— He crossed his arms, watching Richie fidget.

The phrase “I like you” echoed in Richie’s head like a broken record, stuck on loop. He started stammering. —Ab-b-baba...

—What? Is that a yes? Whatever that means...— Alex asked, even more confused.

—No! It’s a no!— Richie snapped back to reality, voice slightly steadier. —Stay here, man. I don’t wanna deal with Beverly’s dad alone… if he shows up.

Alex sighed, reluctantly agreeing. —...Fine, alright.— He said, stepping closer to Richie again, smirking a bit, still amused by his friend's fluster.

—My nose still hurts...— Richie muttered, pouting dramatically while rubbing it.

Alex narrowed his eyes, arms crossed, staring at him in disbelief at the whining.

...

—Can you kiss to make it better?— Richie blurted out, with the cheekiest grin ever.

The silence that followed was deadly.

—Richie... shut up before I break that nose for real.— Alex shot back, turning away quickly, just to hide the flush creeping up his face.

Chapter Text

—You guys took forever. I thought Richie was never gonna shut up.— Alex grumbled, eyes tired.

—Oh, I loved being your personal doorman. Really, you could’ve taken even longer!— Richie teased, circling them on his bike.

—Oh, shut up, Richie.— Eddie huffed, already out of patience.

—Yeah, shut up, Richie!— Stan echoed.

—Oh sure, mock the potty mouth. But it wasn’t me cleaning the bathroom floor thinking her sink was Eddie’s mom’s vagina on Halloween.— Richie fired back with that smug grin of his.

Alex frowned, wondering where the hell Richie got that from. It was oddly specific.

—It wasn’t imagination...— Bill suddenly said, making everyone stop and stare at him.

—What?— Alex asked, confused.

—I s-s-saw something too...— Bill muttered, eyes stuck on the ground, lost in thought.

—Did you see blood?— Stan guessed.

—No, not blood.— Bill said. —I saw... G-G-Georgie.

Silence hit like a truck. Everyone stared at Bill, uneasy and confused.

—And it felt so real... like it was him, but with that—

—Clown?— Eddie cut in, already knowing exactly what Bill meant. He tensed as the others looked at him. The memory of the leper slammed back into his mind, turning his stomach. —Yeah, I saw it too...

Bill looked around, wanting confirmation. The mood shifted. Ben nodded. Stan too. Alex followed... But Richie...

—Wait a sec, is it only virgins who see this stuff? Is that why I’m not seeing shit?— Richie said, trying to break the heavy atmosphere.

Alex rolled his eyes, ready to snap back, but then shouting cut through the air. Everyone turned toward the sound and saw a car parked near the woods.

—Crap, that’s Belch Huggins’ car. We should get the hell outta here.— Eddie said, eyes darting around.

—Yeah...— Richie muttered, now serious.

Alex took a deep breath, already knowing the yelling was because of them. It always was.

—Isn’t that the homeschool kid’s bike?— Bill asked, pointing to a lone bike near the car.

—Yeah, that’s Mike’s!— Eddie said, eyes wide.

—We have to help him.— Beverly said firmly.

—You think?— Richie replied, unsure if it was worth the trouble.

—Of course!— Beverly snapped, not hesitating. She dropped her bike and started heading toward the noise. The others followed.

—Wait, guys... maybe we should rethink this.— Alex tried, desperate, but no one listened. They all ran straight into the woods. He groaned and went after them, already bracing for the shitshow ahead.

Alex saw Beverly throw something, and curiosity pulled him forward with the rest of the group. When he got close enough, his heart nearly stopped: Henry was on the ground, looking like a damn idiot.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Alex thought, head spinning. He knew this was going to happen. From the second he ditched the bike and followed the others, he felt it coming.

He barely registered the Black kid approaching, because all his attention was on his older brother, who now definitely wanted to tear his head off.

—Nice throw.— Stan said, with that always-calm tone.

—Thanks!— Beverly answered, a little shy at the compliment.

But it didn’t last long, because Henry, now getting up with a mix of rage and humiliation, locked eyes with Alex, confused and pissed.

—What the...?!— He growled, wiping dirt off his face. —This was the “cool group” you mentioned?— He asked, voice dripping with disdain. —What a damn disappointment, little bro...

—Go fuck yourself!— Alex snapped back immediately, voice sharp. —You’ve got no room to talk, hanging out with these... jobless freaks.— He added, shooting a glare at Belch, Victor, and Patrick watching from the side.

—Damn...— Vic muttered, looking slightly offended.

—Sorry, Vic.— Alex mumbled, rolling his eyes. He knew Vic was a piece of crap, but he had his moments... sometimes.

Then Patrick butted in, with that gross psycho grin of his. —Hanging out with these fags and this slut’s gotta be messing with his head.— He laughed, that horror-movie type laugh, slapping Henry’s shoulder as he moved beside him.

Alex clenched his fists, blood boiling. He wanted to defend his friends—of course he did, but shit... it was Henry. A bastard, yeah, but still his brother. That made things complicated. Not that Alex cared too much, usually, he’d roast Henry without blinking. But ever since Henry patched up that wound on his side, Alex had started seeing him differently. Like... respect? Kinda? And now, watching this trainwreck unfold, he was frozen in hesitation.

—Fucking... yeah! Fucking. That’s the benefit of having a whore around.— Henry added with a twisted grin, licking his lips as he looked straight at Beverly.

Alex froze in shock, but Henry wasn’t done.

—That’s why you called earlier, huh, bitch? Wanted to screw him, didn’t you?— He added, chuckling, earning laughter from the gang.

That was the last straw for Ben. He was done hearing Henry’s crap, especially about Beverly. His Beverly. Without warning, Ben let out a roar of pure rage, catching everyone off guard, including Alex, who snapped out of his trance. Before anyone could react, Ben hurled a rock straight at Henry’s head. Bullseye.

Alex didn’t think twice. He ducked, grabbed a big but blunt rock, he wasn’t looking to kill, just send a message. If talking didn’t work, rocks would. He hurled it and nailed Patrick right in the thigh.

—Fags and slut, my ass.— Alex muttered with a slight grin. And damn, it felt good, even if Patrick didn’t show much pain from the hit.

Then Beverly launched another rock, and that was it, Henry lost it. He started grabbing rocks, his goons following suit. They all started throwing, triggering a full-blown rock war.

—ROCK WAR!— Richie screamed before getting nailed by one and collapsing.

Alex laughed out loud, then got hit square in the chest by Belch’s rock. He stumbled back. —Ah, you son of a bitch!— He groaned, rubbing the spot.

All hell broke loose. Rocks were flying, some bouncing, some hitting hard—legs, arms, even heads.

Beverly? She was in berserk mode, throwing with sniper precision. Ben backed her up, hurling stones like a man who’d had enough of being bullied.

Henry’s crew was losing, getting pushed back by the Losers. It was insane, but together, they looked like they could take on the damn devil.

Weak, weak, weak... worthless boy! Get out, get out!

That voice hammered in Alex’s head, each word heavier than the last. He shut his eyes tight, trying to block it out, but it just got louder.

YOU DON’T BELONG HERE! YOU NEVER DID!

—SHUT UP!— Alex roared, feeling his body burn. Without thinking, he grabbed a large rock and threw it with everything he had.

The rock cut through the air and smashed Belch’s hand. The guy howled, stumbling back, clutching his now-broken fingers.

Belch stared at Alex, eyes filled with rage and pain—but Alex’s gaze was empty. Hollow. Freakishly still.

Belch staggered back, hesitating. He wanted to fight back, but the throbbing pain in his hand made it impossible.

—Shit...— he muttered, swallowing the humiliation as he backed off.

Victor saw Belch retreating with a busted hand and decided to keep throwing for a bit longer—didn’t wanna look like a coward. But when a rock nailed Henry and he dropped, Victor panicked and bolted after Belch.

That ended the war. Only Patrick and Henry were left.

Henry lay on the ground, dazed, dust on his face. Patrick stared down at him with... something in his eyes. Concern? Something else?

The Losers stood at a distance, but no one looked happy. Alex stepped forward, maybe to say something, but Stan blocked him, gave him a firm shove and a look that said Don’t even think about it.

—Go suck your daddy, you inbred hick!— Richie shouted, flipping them off before heading off with the others.

Henry and Patrick were alone. Patrick, hesitantly, helped Henry up by the arm. Henry winced, standing with Patrick’s help.

—Shit... what the hell was that?— Henry groaned.

—A humiliation. That’s all.— Patrick smirked, keeping a hand around Henry’s waist.

They stood close, panting. Patrick looked sideways at him, mouth twitching in a sly grin.

—Still in one piece?— Patrick murmured.

Henry took a deep breath, hand on the bruised spot, pain sharp.

—I’ll live...— He muttered, pushing Patrick away, not fully, just enough. He started walking, limping a little. He didn’t want help, didn’t want that touch on his waist. It made him feel... weird. Warm.

Henry and Patrick followed the same path as Belch and Vic, knowing a serious earful was waiting. Henry was pissed, he knew they bailed on him, and he wasn’t gonna let that slide.

The eight of them walked in a line, like they were finally complete. Mike was the missing puzzle piece, and they all felt it.

—Thanks, guys... but you shouldn’t have done that. He’s gonna come after you too.— Mike said, worried. He didn’t want that weight on them.

—Oh no, not Bowers. He’s always after us.— Eddie said, like he was used to it.

—In the end, that’s what we all have in common.— Bill said, making them remember they were all being hunted.

—Poor Alex, who has to deal with Henry’s rage at home.— Beverly said with a soft laugh, while Alex sighed.

Mike stopped and looked at Alex. He knew Alex was Henry’s brother, but watching him go against Henry left him confused. He didn’t know what to think.

—Why’d you do it?— Mike asked, expression puzzled. He’d never been Alex’s target, but he’d seen him plenty, especially when Henry was beating him, and Alex just stood there.

—I don’t know, kid.— Alex replied softly, because he really didn’t. Ever since he started hanging out with them, something in his head was changing.

Mike kept staring, but Alex just gave a small awkward smile and turned to walk away. The others followed, sensing that Mike truly belonged now, and so did Alex. After standing up to his own brother, how could he not?

—Hey, newbie... welcome to the Losers Club!— Richie shouted, grinning.

—We seriously need to change that name.— Alex grumbled, clearly not thrilled to be part of the “Losers Club.”

Chapter Text

Alex got home panting, a slight pain in his chest. But it wasn’t from the rock Belch had thrown… it was something else, an emotional pain, like a weight pressing down on him. Facing his own brother like that had messed with his head. But he’d get over it. Henry would too.

He parked his bike next to the fence, making sure it stood upright. Looked up at the dark sky and swallowed hard. He’d never admit it, but he was scared shitless. His steps were quick, nearly a run.

He reached the door, opened it, and stepped inside fast, feeling a brief wave of relief. His eyes landed right on his dad, hunched over and fiddling with the TV volume.

—Hey, Dad, I’m home.— Alex said, trying to sound casual.

The old man didn’t say a word, didn’t even flinch. Alex frowned, suspicious, and tried again:

—Dad? I’m here.— He just needed confirmation, anything, so he could head upstairs without spiraling.

Nothing. Not even a grunt. His dad stayed glued to the TV, sour-faced. Alex took a hesitant step closer, already feeling like he was poking a bear.

Get out! Get out! You don’t belong.

Alex’s eyes widened, ice-cold. The voice came out of nowhere, catching him off guard.

He doesn’t deserve you! Leave! Get out! Out!

—Shut up!— he yelled, angry, voice firm. But even that didn’t get his dad’s attention, who just flopped onto the couch.

Panic kicked in. Alex dropped to his knees in front of the man, heart racing, panic etched on his face.

—Please don’t ignore me, Dad! I’m sorry, just don’t ignore me! I messed up, forgive me!— he pleaded, clutching the man’s knees, praying he’d react, anything but stay silent.

You messed up. You always mess up! What’s wrong with you?

Alex’s eyes welled up. Then came a sharp sting on his cheek, like reality had slapped him.

In a blink, he was back where he started, standing in the same spot, with Butch staring at him coldly.

The old man had slapped him.

—I’ve been calling you for a while, kid! You asleep or what?!— he barked, adjusting himself.

Alex blinked, confused, cheek still burning.

—I want you to apologize to Henry.

—Apologize? But he’s the one who messed up!— Alex snapped, still dazed.

—I don’t care who did what! If I say so, you do it!— he shouted with authority, slumping back on the couch like it was settled.

Alex just lowered his head and headed upstairs, lost in thought. "What the hell was that? Was it the clown’s doing or am I just losing it hanging around those idiots?" he wondered.

He passed Henry’s room. His brother was inside, quietly dabbing ointment on the bump on his forehead. Alex felt a tiny pang of guilt, but there was no way he was apologizing. Henry screwed up, Henry should fix it. He kept walking.

But then he stopped. He knew he couldn’t let it go. He backed up a few steps and peeked into the room.

—I’m sorry…— Alex murmured, barely audible. Before Henry could turn around, Alex had already sprinted to his own room and locked the door. Henry just sighed, gave a half-smile, and shook his head, going back to treating his wound.

Alex hoped Henry had heard him, and that it wasn’t just another trick of his mind. He sat on his bed, thinking about everything that had happened. The clown, the voices… what was all of that?

"Rough day" Alex thought, lying down. But he wasn’t going to sleep. Too much on his mind. Too much to do.

The next day, Alex was with the gang, but his head was somewhere else—or rather, with Richie Tozier. “He’s so cute!” Alex thought as he watched Richie play a trumpet, a long smile on his face. But he quickly pulled himself together. He didn’t want to seem too gay. “He’s cute.” Yeah, that sounded less suspicious.

He laughed watching some guy try to yank Richie’s trombone away by force, but his attention shifted from Richie when he heard Eddie approaching.

—You think it’s gonna stop?— Stanley asked.

—What are you guys talking about?— Eddie asked, licking an ice cream and handing another one to Richie. "Didn’t even bring me one, huh? Dickhead", Alex thought, narrowing his eyes.

—What they always talk about.— Richie answered, adjusting his glasses as he took the ice cream.

Alex couldn’t care less about the conversation—he was way more interested in the ice creams. Practically drooling.

—I think so, for a while at least.— Ben said, answering Stan’s question.

—What do you mean?— Beverly asked, everyone looking confused.

—I took a look at my research on Derry, and I made a graph with all the events.— Ben explained, recalling the big incidents that happened in the town. —The ironworks explosion in 1908, the Bradley gang in '35, and the Black Spot in '62... And now the kids...

Ben paused, glancing at Bill. He knew this would remind Bill of Georgie, but he had to keep explaining.

—I realized these things happen every...

—Every 27 years.— Bill finished the sentence. After that, everyone went quiet. The air felt heavy with tension and confusion. Everyone except Alex, who used the moment to take a massive bite out of Richie’s ice cream—naturally making Richie furious enough to throw the rest of it at Alex’s face.

After that, the eight of them went looking for a quieter spot. The conversation was far from over—more questions, more theories, a lot left to say about everything.

They decided to sit under the old Paul Bunyan statue. Alex had already wiped off his face, though he was pretty sure there was still ice cream in his nose.

—Okay, let me get this straight. Something comes out of somewhere to eat kids for one year, then goes back to hibernate?— Eddie asked, still a bit lost.

—Maybe it’s like... what’s the name? Cicadas!— Stanley said.

—Those bugs that come out every 17 years just to fuck?— Alex said, already knowing the answer, digging his finger in his nose to get the leftover ice cream. Stan just rolled his eyes and ignored the comment.

—My grandpa thinks this town is cursed... That everything bad that happens here is caused by something. Something evil that feeds on Derry’s people.— Mike said seriously. He’d always believed that, but now his doubts had vanished for good.

—It can’t be just one thing, we all saw different stuff...— Stan said.

—Or the thing knows what scares us and that’s how it shows up.— Mike was sure he was right. It had to be that.

—Like a shapeshifter?— Alex asked.

—I think so...— Eddie answered. —I-I saw a leper. He looked like a walking infection...

—You didn’t see anything.— Stan said, and a confused silence filled the air. —Because it wasn’t real. None of this is real! Not Eddie’s leper, not Bill seeing Georgie... Not even the woman I keep seeing.

—Is she hot?— Richie asked with a smirk, making Stan furious.

—No, Richie! She’s not hot!— he snapped, recalling every terrifying detail of her face. —Her face is all messed up. None of this makes any sense to me, it’s just a bunch of nightmares...— Stanley wanted to convince himself that’s all it was—that it was all just lies.

—I don’t think so. I know the difference between a nightmare and real life, alright?— Mike said, sounding a little desperate to explain.

—The kid’s right! A nightmare doesn’t hurt you, it just... scares the hell out of you!— Alex said quickly, suddenly feeling the pain in his side flare up again.

—What do you mean?— Ben asked.

Alex wasn’t sure if he should show them, but it was important—they needed to know more about this thing, they had to help each other. Slowly, he lifted his shirt, revealing his torso, which had a bandage on it. He peeled off half the bandage, showing part of the wound he’d gotten that day. Everyone’s eyes went wide—shocked and worried—but Richie looked the most concerned. He dropped his bike and rushed to Alex.

—What the hell! When did this happen?— Richie asked, gently touching around the wound. The blond couldn’t answer—his heart was pounding. He’s too close! he thought, swallowing hard. His stomach twisted at Richie’s touch.

—I-it was... after that meeting at... Ben’s, at Ben’s house.— he said, a bit embarrassed, quickly putting the bandage back and pulling down his shirt. Richie’s fingers trembled slightly, wondering why he’d even decided to touch him in the first place. Both of them were slightly red-faced.

Mike raised an eyebrow with a knowing smirk.

—You guys... good?— he asked, curious.

Alex quickly sat up straight, looking away to anywhere but someone’s eyes. He gave a little head nod, like a “yeah, I’m cool.” Richie just picked his bike back up, ignoring the group’s confused looks.

—You saw something too, Mike?— Eddie asked, breaking the weird tension.

—Yeah... You guys know that burned-down house on Harrys Avenue? I was inside it when it caught fire...— Mike began to tell his story. His words were soaked in fear, the trauma obvious. Everyone listened closely, serious and sympathetic. Losing his parents and still standing strong, without shedding a tear? Mike was tough. Even Alex, who hated admitting anything, had to respect that.

—We’re all scared of something.— Mike said firmly.

—You’re totally right...— Richie murmured, glancing sideways at Alex with a strangely tight expression.

—Why, Richie? What are you afraid of?— Eddie asked, curious.

Richie quickly looked over at a clown on the nearby stage. He couldn’t tell the truth—he thought it was too dumb. Adjusting his glasses, visibly uncomfortable.

—Clowns.— Richie said.

Alex couldn’t believe it. Richie was afraid of clowns—of all things, considering what they were dealing with.

Everyone was on their way to Bill’s house—he’d called the gang over to dig deeper into the whole well and clown thing. As soon as they arrived, they dropped their bikes carelessly and rushed into the garage. Alex looked around curiously, but the slide projector grabbed everyone’s attention.

Mike pulled the garage door down, plunging the place into darkness. Bill adjusted the projector and slid in a reel, showing a map of Derry. Everyone gathered around to look.

—Look... that’s where G-G-Georgie disappeared—Bill pointed. —That used to be the ironworks, and the Black Spot...

He went on, showing each place.

—All of these spots are connected by the sewer system...—he paused.

—And they all meet at the...

—At the well!—Ben jumped in quickly.

—Which is right under the house on Neibolt Street...—Stan added.

—That creepy house where the homeless and addicts sleep?—Richie asked, already knowing.

—I hate that place, always feel like something’s watching me there...—Beverly said. Alex nodded. He felt the same, and even avoided walking by it.

—That’s where I saw it... that’s where I saw the clown!—Eddie blurted out, breathless, quickly reaching for his inhaler.

—Th-that’s where It lives—Bill confirmed.

—I can’t imagine anything wanting to live there—Stan muttered.

—One of the junkies who lives there offered me weed once—Alex said out of nowhere, cutting the tension.

Mike frowned, and Beverly looked curious.

—What’s it like?—she asked.

—How would I know? I don’t use that stuff!—Alex replied, indignant.

—You look like you do!—Richie joked, and Alex just rolled his eyes.

—Forget what I said, can we focus here? The Thing!—Alex cut in quickly, trying to change the subject, while Eddie hit his inhaler again.

—No, I don’t want to focus on that!—Eddie got up, nervous, walking toward the map, breathless, eyes wide. —Can we stop talking about this?! I can barely breathe! It’s summer, we’re kids, and I can’t breathe! I’m having an asthma attack!—He was nearly shouting, drawing looks of surprise and sympathy.

—I’m done!—he yelled and tore the map off the wall.

—Are you insane?! Put the map back!—Bill snapped, angry.

Eddie shook his head, still wheezing, but no one had time to focus on him. The projector slides started changing on their own, showing pictures of the Denbrough family. Everyone looked confused, exchanging nervous glances.

—What is that?—Bill murmured.

The slides kept changing in a strange way.

—What’s happening?—Stan asked, his voice already trembling.

—Relax, I got this—Mike said, going to the projector. He tried everything, but it wouldn’t stop. —Guys...—he murmured, starting to lose his grip.

Suddenly, the projector froze on a picture of Georgie and started zooming in on his face.

—Georgie...—Bill whispered.

The image shifted, focusing on Bill’s mother. As the slides continued, her hair moved away from her face, revealing a sinister clown hiding behind her. The air turned heavy; fear was thick in their bones.

—What the hell is that?!—Richie screamed, voice cracking.

—It’s the Thing!—Bill shouted.

Everyone’s eyes were wide, panic written all over their faces.

—What the hell is that?! What the hell is that?!—Richie repeated, nearly losing it. Without thinking, Alex grabbed him in a hug, trembling with fear. Still, he felt a bit awkward... and that weird sensation of being so close to the boy.

The slides kept spinning, showing the Thing’s face getting closer and closer. Beverly, fed up and terrified, screamed:

—Turn it off! Turn it off now!

Mike rushed forward and kicked the projector, which froze on a blurry image of Pennywise. But even stopped, the slide zoomed in slowly on the clown’s face, leaving a heavy silence in the air. Alex held Richie tight, trying to stay calm and... okay, maybe taking a little advantage of being that close.

The final slide appeared, showing a blank image. Everyone looked confused, but still terrified. That’s when, out of nowhere, the Thing’s head burst out of the picture, sharp teeth bared.

Richie screamed, grabbing Alex’s arm tightly, then pulling him away from It.

—OH MY GOD!

—RUN!

—WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!

Everyone ran in panic—except Beverly, who was trapped in the corner. The Thing approached her, opening its mouth to show even more monstrous teeth. Bev covered her face, shaking with fear.

As It raised a hand to grab her, Ben and Mike lifted the garage door, flooding the room with light.

Beverly slowly uncovered her face, still trembling. She touched her chest, feeling her heart racing. She stumbled toward them with quick steps.

—Thank you, Ben.—she said, voice shaky, touching his shoulder. Then she went straight to Bill, pulling him into a tight hug, which he returned.

—It saw us... It saw us and knows where we are!—Eddie shouted, breathless.

—It always knew.—Bill replied flatly, already walking to his bike.

—C-come on, let’s go!—he said, turning to the others. Everyone exchanged confused looks.

—Go? Go where?—Ben asked, still not getting it.

—Neibolt. That’s where G-G-Georgie is!

—After that?! Bill, that thing can hurt us, it did hurt Alex and almost got Beverly!—Stan protested, outraged.

—And it could hurt G-G-Georgie more if we don’t get there in time!—Bill shot back.

—Did someone spike your drink or are you just naturally insane?!—Alex muttered, furious. It was insane that Bill actually wanted to head straight into the Thing’s lair.

—It’s... it’s summer.—Richie said, disheartened. He just wanted a normal break, not to go hunting freaky monsters.

—Say it’s summer one more time!...—Bill grumbled, irritated. He took a deep breath, grabbed Silver, and started pedaling hard.

—Bill!—Beverly shouted. —Wait!

Everyone stood watching as Bill rode off, wondering what the hell they were supposed to do now.

.

.

.

.

May Oscar Bowers burn in hell.

Chapter Text

Alex and the gang weren’t sure if they should really go into that thing’s lair. But they couldn’t just let Bill go alone, right? They needed to be there for him—there was no way they’d leave their leader behind.

Beverly was the first to grab her bike, and Alex followed right after, with the others close behind.

When they arrived, Bill was already standing at the doorstep of that cursed house. They dropped their bikes in a rush and ran after him.

—Bill can’t go in there! That’s insane!— Beverly shouted, desperate.

—Look, you don’t have to come with me. But what’s gonna happen when another Georgie disappears? Or another Betty? Another Eddie Corcoran… or one of us?— Bill said firmly, leaving everyone speechless.

—Are you just gonna pretend nothing’s going on, like this town does? Because I can’t. I go home, and all I see is that Georgie’s not there anymore. Just his clothes, his toys… his stupid stuffed animals. But not him.

The group stayed quiet, a bitter feeling settling in their chests. Even Alex had no words.

—So going into this house… it’s easier than walking into my own home.— Bill finished, turning to head up the steps. The sadness on his face was impossible to miss.

—…Damn.— Richie muttered, kind of impressed.

—What?— Ben asked, confused.

—He didn’t stutter once.— Richie said. It almost got a laugh out of Alex, who had to bite his lip not to ruin the moment.

Richie and the rest were just about to climb the steps when Stanley’s voice stopped them.

—Wait! Shouldn’t someone stay out here and keep watch? What if something bad happens?— he suggested, clearly scared shitless.

Everyone paused to think. Honestly, he had a point.

—W-who wants to stay out here?— Bill asked, looking around.

Immediately, everyone raised their hand… except Beverly. Alex quickly lowered his when he realized she was the only one who hadn’t raised hers. Damn fragile masculinity.

—Crap.— Richie grumbled, realizing he was screwed.

Beverly suggested draw lots sticks, four would go in, four would keep watch. Bill was out, of course. He’d already made up his mind.

So the rest had to draw. Whoever pulled the short sticks was heading straight into the lion’s den.

And of course, luck wasn’t on their side: Richie, Eddie, and Alex were the unlucky ones. Because, well… the toast always lands butter-side down.

The three of them groaned when they realized their fate. They started climbing the stairs, reluctant with every step. As soon as they entered the house, they were hit with the stink and old furniture, it looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

Alex knew he should stay close to the others, but somehow drifted away, eyes locked on the staircase. He stared at it with a mix of curiosity and fear, not even hearing what the others were saying. But when Richie’s panicked voice cut through, all his attention snapped back.

He ran over to find Richie holding a weird paper. A goddamn missing poster, for Richie Tozier.

—It’s my face, my name, my age, it’s my birthday!— Richie was saying, almost shaking.

—In that case, I think your brain’s what’s missing! Richie, this is that thing messing with you!— Alex shouted, grabbing Richie by the shoulders and locking eyes with him. —Can you calm down?!— Then he grabbed Richie’s hand and held it tight.

Richie looked at him, eyes full of fear—and something else Alex couldn’t quite place. He took a deep breath and threw the paper to the ground, his hand still trembling slightly. As soon as he nodded at Alex, all of them froze at the sound of a voice calling for help. Betty Ripson’s voice.

The boys started up the stairs, the voice came from above. They were almost sure it was the clown, but that was exactly why they had to go. They needed to know.

They reached the second floor, a mess of dust and cobwebs. Alex stayed close to Richie the entire time, not taking any chances of getting separated. Or maybe... just not from him. They walked further down the hall, cautious, until they reached a dimly lit corridor. Up ahead, an open door. Everyone’s breath caught when they saw Betty Ripson’s body.

Alex took three steps back, heart pounding, and nearly jumped when he saw her being dragged away.

—Shit!... is it too late to back out now?— Alex muttered, hands trembling slightly.

—N-now it is…— Bill murmured, eyes serious, slowly moving toward the door at the end of the hall. The others followed… or so he thought.

Alex grabbed Richie’s arm immediately—not about to admit he was scared shitless. Richie noticed and let out a nervous laugh, despite the tension.

—You don’t have to cling to me, you know.— Richie joked, eyes still fixed on Bill’s back. Deep down, though, he didn’t really mind. Alex didn’t respond, just squeezed his arm tighter.

—Y’know… I don’t wanna catch lice, Alex.— Richie quipped again, glancing at anything but the blond boy.

—T-this place has to have a-a-any kind of room…— Bill said seriously, eyes scanning the area.

—A room for what?— Richie asked, genuinely curious, still following Bill into the room.

—For you two.— Bill muttered, not even looking at them, too focused on finding any sign of the girl.

Alex rolled his eyes and moved away a bit, heading toward a window, checking for a possible escape route.

—She was right here, where did she go?— Richie asked, confused not to see any sign of the girl.

The three of them jumped when the door slammed behind them. At first, they didn’t think much of it—could’ve been Eddie. But when they turned and didn’t see Eddie anywhere… they realized he’d been dumb enough to split off. Panic set in when they heard him yelling for them.

—Eddie!— Richie screamed, running to the door and trying to open it, but nothing. All they heard was a loud crack, wood splintering.

Suddenly, he stepped back and heard someone calling. He turned toward another door and saw Eddie’s face. Without thinking, he ran in. Alex saw the movement and followed, half curious, half protective, even if he was scared to death.

Richie crossed the threshold, scanning the room. It was full of sheets covering... who knew what. He didn’t even want to guess, he just wanted to find Eddie.

—Eddie! Where are you?— he called, fear in his voice, but worry stronger. He didn’t even notice Alex right behind him.

—Eddie! This ain’t fucking hide-and-seek!— he complained, already losing patience as he moved deeper into the room.

That’s when they heard Bill yelling from the other side. When they turned around, the door had shut. They ran to it and tried to open it, nothing. It was stuck.

—Goddammit!— Alex cursed, yanking the handle desperately. After trying and failing, he gave up and looked at Richie. —Seriously, you thought that creepy-ass voice was Eddie?

—Oh come on! If you knew it wasn’t him, why the fuck didn’t you say something?!— Richie snapped back, offended. What, now worrying about Eddie was a crime? He huffed and turned away, noticing all those damn white sheets again.

Suddenly, all the white sheets dropped at once. Alex and Richie jumped, startled. Underneath the sheets? Clowns. A bunch of plastic clowns, all with creepy grins.

Alex glanced at Richie, a little concerned about his… friend.

He watched Richie approach one of the clowns and stare at it for a second. Then he raised a hand and tapped it, waiting to see if anything would happen. When nothing did, he scoffed and shrugged. —Stupid clowns.

Alex frowned. Wasn’t Richie afraid of clowns? —I thought you were scared of clowns, dumbass.

Richie just gave him a sidelong glance without saying anything. But before Alex could push, another sheet dropped, revealing a small coffin.

Richie took a step back, but Alex didn’t pay much attention to the coffin, he was more focused on Richie’s weird behavior. Still, when he saw Richie move toward the coffin, he followed, ignoring the creepy dolls around them.

As they got closer, the coffin began to open on its own. On the inside of the lid was Richie’s missing poster, the same one from earlier. But now there was another one, too. Alex’s. And someone had scrawled the word “FOUND” in red over both.

—Shit…— Richie murmured, still walking forward despite the tension.

Alex stood beside him, trembling slightly, repeating in his head like a mantra: not real, not real, not real…

When they got close enough, they saw a black cloth covering something inside the coffin. Alex didn’t want to know what it was. He wanted to get the hell out. But before he could say anything, he saw Richie’s hand reaching for the cloth.

Alex’s breath caught, but it was too late. Richie yanked the cloth away in one quick motion.

Their faces twisted in disgust. If Eddie were there, he’d definitely be throwing up.

Inside were two dolls, of them. Covered in wriggling maggots, rotting. The worst part? They were naked. And their dicks had been cut off.

Alex felt a wave of revulsion crawl up his spine. Then, the memory hit him like a punch to the gut. He once walked past the Kissing Bridge and saw something scrawled on the wood.

"Show me your dick, faggot, and I’ll cut it off."

He always felt weird when he walked by there, never really knowing why. But those words… they never left his mind. He’d had enough. He grabbed the coffin lid and slammed it shut.

He took Richie’s hand and yanked him back. The silence that followed was deafening, the two of them just staring at the closed coffin. That silence shattered with twin screams as the Thing leapt out of the coffin. They stumbled back, terrified.

—Careful, boys. You don’t wanna catch AIDS.— the Thing sneered, laughing with a twisted grin. Then it bared its sharp teeth and lunged.

The two of them bolted for the door. Just as the Thing was about to grab them, the door burst open, and Bill pulled them both out in a panic.

Alex landed hard on the floor, gasping and cursing, eyes wide and body stiff.

—We need to get out of here!— Bill said, grabbing Alex and helping him up.

Chapter Text

...

As soon as Bill said that, Alex agreed right away, but didn’t even have time to think. A strange sound caught his attention, like an old mattress creaking. When he looked to the side, he saw a moldy mattress moving, like something was stuck inside it… and, well, there was.

Everyone froze when Eddie’s head simply popped out. Nobody reacted, they just stared, kind of in shock. For a second, Alex even wondered if Eddie was dead…

—Wanna play spitball?— the thing that looked like Eddie said. The voice was almost the same, but there was something off, rougher. Before they could process it, all three of them widened their eyes as disgusting green goo dripped from the thing’s mouth.

The goo bubbled, smoked, and burned everything it touched. The three of them just watched, frozen, as that crap spread across the floor. No explanation needed, if that thing touched them, they were screwed.

—What the fuck, Eddie…— Alex muttered, shocked, before turning with the others and bolting. But when they looked ahead, the exit wasn’t the same anymore. The door that had been there? Now there were three.

On the doors, written in red paint: “Not Scary,” “Scary,” and “Very Scary." The three looked at each other and decided fast, Bill and Richie went for “Not Scary,” and Alex was left with “Very Scary.”

He looked at the two, pissed. —Dude, have you never seen a horror movie? This is a classic trap!

—Yeah? And what if that thing’s a horror movie fan too??— Richie snapped, panicking as the green goo crept closer.

Alex huffed, rolled his eyes, and ran toward them. Bill, already waiting, opened the door. But all he saw was sinister darkness. The only thing they could hear was a female voice, ghostly...

—Where’s my shoe?

Bill frowned, confused, and fumbled until he found the pull cord. When he tugged it, the light flickered weakly, but enough to reveal Betty Ripson’s body. Split in half.

The three screamed instantly, and Richie slammed the door shut. —WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! WHERE ARE HER LEGS?!— He shouted, panicked, looking at Bill like he had the answer.

—Shit, I knew it! We picked the wrong one!— Alex panicked, staring at the green slime getting closer. The stench was already rising, and he knew if they stayed one more second, they were toast.

—Th-there’s no wrong! Because it’s not r-real!— Bill yelled, trying to sound firm, but it was obvious he was shitting himself too. —Remember the missing kid poster? It wasn’t real, this isn’t either!— He grabbed Richie’s shoulders, trying to calm him down.

—Alright, ready?— Bill asked, hand already on the knob.

—No.

—No.

He ignored them and opened it anyway. The hallway was back again, just like they remembered. Bill swallowed hard, but then noticed something that made his stomach drop, Eddie wasn’t there.

—Where’s Eddie?— he asked, already knowing nobody would have an answer.

Before they could react, a scream for help came from downstairs. Without thinking, the three of them bolted down the stairs, not even considering it could be another trick.

They reached the door where the scream came from and burst in. And there he was. The clown crouched in front of Eddie, holding his face.

—No way… EDDIE!— Richie screamed, heart racing. He couldn’t let that thing hurt his friend any more... his first love.

The Thing looked up, grinning in a way that made Bill shiver.

—Not real enough for you, Billy? Still not real enough?... But I was real enough for Georgie!

Without wasting a second, the Thing opened its mouth and lunged at them. The three braced themselves, expecting the worst, but were surprised by something else. Beverly Marsh barged in out of nowhere and slammed a piece of metal into the monster’s head, no hesitation.

Alex felt immediate relief but didn’t lower his guard. Without thinking, he ran to Eddie, with Bill right beside him. The moment he looked at his friend, he saw the damage, his arm was broken. Then his eyes shifted back to the Thing, and the fear hit him hard.

Suddenly, the pain in his side came roaring back, that unbearable sensation of flesh tearing. Too intense to ignore. He wasn’t supposed to be afraid, right? Isn’t that what he always heard? Men don’t get scared, men don’t cry, men have to be strong. But there he was, terrified, in pain, and being saved by a girl.

Weak, weak, weak! That’s all you’ve got? Their worst is your best.

That voice… that damn voice was back. Alex felt his head spin, everything spiraling, while his friends’ screams sounded muffled, distant. Everything was spinning.

—EDDIE, LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!— Richie shouted, holding Eddie’s face, forcing him to make eye contact.

For some reason, that snapped Alex back to reality. He didn’t know why, but he grabbed a piece of wood and stepped in front of Richie and Eddie, holding it like a spear, facing the Thing with tired but determined eyes.

The Thing started backing away slowly, and Alex, scared out of his mind, stepped forward little by little. He narrowed his eyes when the thing laughed, but then came the shock. In a blink, it spun around and zum, the iron rod slashed Ben’s stomach. The boy clutched the wound and staggered backward, clearly in pain.

Panic exploded through the group. But somehow, Bill looked the least desperate. —Don’t let it get away!— he shouted, chasing after the Thing as it ran off. The rest? Not a chance. No one was crazy enough to chase that creature after everything that just happened.

Alex dropped the piece of wood and turned to Eddie, worried. He saw Richie holding his friend’s arm, saying he’d fix it. Alex squinted while Richie started counting. Just imagining it gave him chills. Then, with a sickening snap and a spine-chilling scream, Richie popped Eddie’s arm into a better position.

After that, they didn’t stick around a second longer. They ran to their bikes. Stan went ahead without looking back, and Eddie ended up in Mike’s bike basket. Their destination was obvious: Mrs. Kaspbrak’s house. They knew, as unbearable as she was, it was better to leave Eddie with his mom.

Alex could already picture the meltdown that woman would have. She lost it once at school, and he remembered it well. Laughed a lot that day when the old hag stormed into the gym pissed off because her fragile little boy was doing P.E. like a normal kid. Coach Black gave him three warnings for not being able to hold in the laughter. In the end, with all the patience in the world, the coach explained that Eddie had no condition preventing him from joining the class like any other student. But hey, try explaining that to a lunatic.

And of course, he was right. The old lady threw a massive fit.

—You! You did this! You know he’s very delicate!— she screamed, pointing at each of them while clutching Eddie.

—W-w-we were attacked, Mrs. K…— Bill tried to explain, clearly not wanting to take the blame.

—Don’t even try blaming someone else!— she cut him off immediately, opening the door and pushing Eddie inside.

Alex saw the embarrassment all over Eddie’s face, the same as the gym day. But this time… this time there was anger too.

That’s when the old lady dropped her keys on the ground.

—I got it…— Beverly bent down, but before she could touch them…

—Stay away!— Mrs. Kaspbrak growled, snatching the keys and leaning in close to glare at Beverly.

—I’ve heard about you, Miss Marsh. And I don’t want a dirty girl like you touching my son.— The disgust in her voice was revolting. She stepped away slowly, but before leaving, her eyes locked onto Alex.

He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Just stared back.

—I don’t even need to know you to tell you’re trouble for my son. I’m disgusted by your family, Bowers.— she spat, and that made Alex’s blood boil.

Without waiting for a response, the hag walked around the car, opened the door, and got in.

—Bitter old hag…— Alex muttered, furious, watching the car start moving.

They headed toward the street, standing there as the car turned the corner. The silence weighed heavy. Everyone was tired. And ashamed.

—I saw the well… We know where the Thing is, and n-n-next time, we’ll be ready…!— Bill said, full of determination.

The silence stayed. Everyone just stared at him, no reaction. Did he really think there’d be a next time after all this?

—No!— Stan shouted, outraged. —There’s not gonna be a next time, Bill! Are you insane!?

—Why not? We know no one else is gonna do anything!— Beverly argued, and even though they were scared out of their minds, they knew she was right. But risking their lives like this…

—Eddie almost died! And look at this bastard, he’s leaking ketchup!— Richie yelled, pointing at Ben’s stomach.

Alex agreed with him. This was way too crazy.

—You know what? You’re all nuts. I’ve gone too far with this shit, almost died, saw people bleeding, and now you’re talking about going back?!— Alex huffed, running his hand over his face. —I don’t know about you, but I like staying alive!

—We can’t pretend it’ll just go away, Ben! You said yourself it comes back every 27 years!— Beverly said, frustrated.

—Yeah! And I’ll be 40, far away! And you said you’d leave town too…— Ben shot back, sounding kind of hurt.

—Because I want to chase something, not run away!— Beverly replied, frustrated. They were being cowards. She couldn’t believe only she and Bill wanted to do something to save the town.

—Sorry, but who the hell invited Molly Ringwald to the group?— Richie sneered, pointing at Beverly with some irritation.

Beverly didn’t hesitate, she flipped him off.

—Richie…— Stan muttered, already tired of the drama.

—Let’s face it, real life. Georgie’s dead! Stop trying to get us killed too!— Richie snapped, his voice full of anger and exhaustion.

He stepped forward to walk past Bill, but the stutterer didn’t move. He blocked the way, staring Richie down.

—G-George isn’t dead! Take it back!— Bill snapped at Richie, anger on his face. He wanted, at the very least, an apology.

—You can’t save him… but you can still save yourself.— Richie murmured, trying to pass, but Bill blocked him again.

—No! T-t-take it back!— Bill insisted, voice trembling with rage. —You’re scared, we all are, but take it back!— This time, he shoved Richie, who stumbled back, his eyes filling with rage before he shoved back.

Bill, already pissed off, raised his fist and threw a clumsy punch that landed with a dry crack, like a finger snap. Richie fell with a groan of pain, cussing non-stop while trying to get up with help.

Alex felt the rage rise instantly.

Without thinking, he stepped forward and shoved Bill hard, knocking the stutterer to the ground with a thud. Bill winced in pain while Alex felt his patience drain. He was obviously stronger than everyone there. He always held back, but now… now he wanted more. He wanted to punch Bill until he swallowed his own teeth.

Richie, for a moment, stopped cursing, looking at Alex with a weird mix of respect and… something else. But the look vanished when Mike grabbed Alex by the waist, holding him back.

Bill got up slowly, saying nothing. Just stared at the two with a look full of hate, his eyes shining with tears he refused to shed.

In the end… he just wanted his brother back. He wanted to save Georgie. But he knew he couldn’t do it alone. And someone had to tell the truth, and that someone was Richie.

—What the hell, Alex!...— Beverly exclaimed, holding Bill’s arm, where a scratch was already starting to bleed.

—The hell is me thinking you were worth my time! I’m outta here, fuck all of you!— Alex shouted, fed up, fury boiling inside. He turned and walked to his bike.

—Wait!— Beverly yelled, desperate, looking at Alex and then the others. —This is what the Thing wants—to split us up! We were together when we hurt it, and that’s why we’re still alive!— She said, that tone in her voice like she knew what she was talking about. Most of them knew she was right, but… as always… fear spoke louder.

—And I want to stay alive!— Richie yelled, already heading for his bike and shoulder-checking Bill on the way. Most of the boys followed, wanting to get the hell out of there. Beverly and Bill stayed, watching the others leave, upset by how things turned out.

Alex and Richie rode side by side. Normally, this would be a good moment, one of those rides where they’d joke and talk nonsense… but not today. There was no vibe. Little by little, the boys split up, each heading their own way, but Alex and Richie kept going together.