' 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 '

stan's voice echoed in the cafeteria exit as he laughed at something ben had said to richie, before the bell rang and they had all left. he rubbed his shoulder, staring at bill, who had stayed with him.

bill took out his phone, beginning to type, just as stan felt a buzz in his pocket.

where is my fourth block?? i have mrs overcast.

stan smiled. "follow me." and bill did, down the steps to a classroom, bev leaning against the door.

bill pointed to his locker and quickly made his way over, leaving stan and bev alone for a quick moment.

"i wonder..."

"me too." stan replied, knowing exactly what she was asking. "i want to get him to talk."

"if he wants to stay silent he can, stan."

"i just... i want to hear his voice. i want to know why." stan replied, huffing a bit.

"me too." she agreed, and bill returned, walking in the room with bev, meeting with eddie and richie in the back row, who basically had every class together.

eddie raised his eyebrows at richie, who had his feet on his desk. "something caught your tongue?" he asked eddie, and eddie huffed, turning towards bill, who had sat next to him.

eddie, right??

yeah. i'm basically that kid that's allergic to everything. except, i'm not allergic.

haha. i'm basically that quiet kid that literally doesn't talk

hey eds ;)

u suck

only u ;))))

um

ignore them they just consistently flirt

i do not!

don't deny ur love for me

richie felt his phone out of his grasp as his teacher grabbed it from him, moving to eddie, then bill, and lastly bev, who was scrolling through tumblr.

"you four, i'll give you grace since it's your first day back, but next time, detention!" the teacher cried, placing the phone's on her desk and continuing the lesson.

"well shit." richie let out, and bill laughed at him, glad to finally have people to hang out with, even if it meant dying from second hand smoking, or getting a damn detention.

because they accepted him.

after class, bill made his way back to his locker, sticking a picture of georgie on the inside, smiling at the picture of his little brother. next the boy placed a picture of his parents, knowing now he only had memories of them all together. because his father was gone.

"hey billy willy." bill heard and immediately knew it was bev. he smiled at turned her way, but she must have knew something was bothering him, he had only gotten worse and worse at lying throughout the years.

"what's wrong?" she asked, and bill texted her, getting better at typing on the phone i didn't use much until now.

what's the hardest thing you've ever done??

she looked at him, a serious look plastered onto her face. "the hardest thing i've ever done? come out bisexual."

oh

she gave me a confused look, probably wondering why he didn't tell her his. but it was too early for him to let her know, after all, hardly anyone knew.

gotta go

he sent the text, and she gave me a concerned look, but let him walk out of the school alone, giving him the space he needed.

quarry. 7pm. stan will pick u up.

ok

he buttoned up his coat, the red hue sticking himself out from everyone else. he looked ahead of him, seeing the curly head he recognized before.

he wanted to scream, stan. he wanted to let him know the boy was there, but he couldn't.

stop

huh?

luckily he did stop, and bill shortly approached him, and stan looked up from his phone at bill, smiling widely.

"do you wanna hang out? until seven?" he asked, and bill simply nodded. because that's all he do.