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grownups-are-the-real-monsters · 2 months

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Growing Pains

Summary: The Tozier-Kaspbrak household was unsettlingly quiet when Beaver decided to pull himself away from his studying. He’d been noticing some sort of funny feeling ----‘Henry might know a better word for it.’---- pinching at his guts for the last month or so. He mostly kept that ‘funny feeling’ to himself. As he crossed the hallway to the stairs, he wondered what version of himself he’d take up today. Not that his problem was that serious or anything but he’d definitely keep the identity crisis to himself, no sense in worrying his family when Richie and Eddie already had so much going on.

Fandom: IT & Dreamcatcher by Stephen King

Ships: Richie Tozier/Eddie Kaspbrak, Beaver/Jonesy

Word Count: 5,719

Sunday

Outside the house, an old tree stretches toward the window. It blocks the sun and moon from shining their beams down into the living room and sheds its leaves all over the lawn. From season to season, it endured. The boy, who was not quite a boy anymore, sat on the couch where no light shined and remembered all the summers he spent climbing through its branches. All those springs he exhausted his friends by clambering up just to see how far he could jump from. But ‘Who cares?’ he thought. Who gave a shit if he had treasured memories of his Dads playing with him under the shade of a dumbass, old tree? Why should he care that they’re cutting it down?

The boy, not a boy, blinked his heavy eyes and tried to keep them open this time. But that call of sleep was wavering in and out like a sweet wave of water.

“Beav?”

He breached the water and opened those damned eyes again. “Yeah?”

His Dad, whose only occupational hazard was a criminal load of insecurity, stood before him in what a smaller version of Beaver Tozier-Kaspbrak would’ve called his Monster the Grouch pajamas. “Didja like the joke or should I change the set-up?” He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and waited.

He would’ve laughed, really, but the drowsiness was beginning to drown him and he missed the whole beginning. “Can you repeat it–?”

He cut himself off as he heard the bedroom door to his right open and the gentle pitter-pattering of light feet on carpet. ‘Ooop’ he thought pathetically as he tried to throw a life preserver out to his slipping consciousness.

“Richie, what are you doing keeping our son up at three in the goddamn morning?” The tone was pissy but the sound of it was actually extremely comforting to Beaver because it meant his Dad was mad but also a little bit amused.

“Well, ya see, Eds. I woke up for a little ‘midnight’ snack and ran into Beav, who was already awake–”

“It’s true. I woke for the unmistakable taste of Sonic-Spooners.” Which was true. That had been his original task, hadn’t it? A little bit of cereal in the middle of the night.

“Hush, Joey.” Eddie rolled his eyes fondly and came forward to playfully run a hand through his son’s hair. “Listen, Rich, I know you’re a little bit worried about filming your special soon–”

“A little?” Richie chuckled, hands on his hips. This did not phase Eddie.

“But you can’t keep our son awake while you practice. Besides, you need your sleep too.”

Beaver settled into the couch and listened to them bicker back and forth until one of them, he couldn’t tell which, came to their senses and carried their teenage son to bed.

______________________________________________________

The Tozier-Kaspbrak household was unsettlingly quiet when Beaver decided to pull himself away from his studying. He’d been noticing some sort of funny feeling ----‘Henry might know a better word for it.’---- pinching at his guts for the last month or so. He mostly kept that ‘funny feeling’ to himself. As he crossed the hallway to the stairs, he wondered what version of himself he’d take up today. Not that his problem was that serious or anything but he’d definitely keep the identity crisis to himself, no sense in worrying his family when Richie and Eddie already had so much going on.

He took two steps, ‘Wonder what I can have for lunch?’

Three more, ‘Who’s at home right now?’

One more, ‘Have I made enough of a difference to pass the History test?’

Reaching the bottom and making it to the kitchen, ‘Maybe Jonesy will wanna go to a movie or something.’

“Good morning, Beav.” Jonesy briefly looked up from his pile of books with a quick smile. His hand never lifted from her paper, Beaver wondered if his handwriting suffered from the lack of attention but he doubted it. He didn’t even wonder what he was doing here so early because the Tozier-Kaspbrak household was usually full of his friends.

“What are you studying so hard for?” He asked, voice habitually coming off as disgusted.

“It’s poetry.” he waved a thin book around with a look of adoration. “Something you’re not familiar with.” He playfully stuck out his tongue.

Beaver chuckled, plucking the knife covered in peanut butter from his mouth. “Sure I am.” He ignored his unimpressed look. “Music is pretty poetic, Jonesy.” He smugly slapped his shoulder.

Jonesy raised a brow and followed his path to the fridge with his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure Bon Jovi is fully capable of writing in a--” he strutted back to the table and flipped through one of the books. “--an intelligent yet romantic style that simultaneously undermines our society without fear.” he seemed passionate and thrilled.

Beaver rolled his eyes from behind the fridge door. “I find it more thrilling to hear you poetically undermine me, Jonesy.” He feigned fondness, smacking his hand to his chest. Jonesy shuffled his books and laughed. He cleared a spot on the table and patted the chair next to him.

“Come here, I’ll read some to you so that you’re ready for our test the day after tomorrow.”

“Jesus Christ Bananas.” Beaver cried. “We have a test? I’m so gonna fail that shit.”

From his right, in came his Dad with about a thousand papers and a coffee mug in his hands. “Always encouraging to hear your son say that.” Eddie approached the counter, pushed away the open jar of peanut butter, and finally set down his balancing act. “Please eat a real breakfast, Joey.”

Beaver slid the knife from between his teeth and smiled. “Can we come watch Dad film his special on Tuesday?”

Eddie briefly paused from shoving things into his briefcase. He had an hour or so before he left but still, he managed to look like he was in a clusterfuck of work. He seemed to consider the question this time, which was way more than he did last time it was asked, and looked over Beaver and Jonesy. “You need to go to school…”

“It won’t kill me to miss one day!”

“You know what, no.” He waved his hand by his ear, almost like he was swatting a bug. “I already decided. Now why don’t you invite the other boys over and study together?”

Beaver heaved a sigh but nodded. “Alright. We’ll study.”

______________________________________________________

Elliott: “No. Look. Now. Swear it. The most excellent promise you can make. Swear as my only brother. On our lives!”

Michael: “Don't get so heavy. I swear”

Beaver, Jonesy, Pete, Henry, and Douglas sat comfortably on the couch as the movie played through its running time. The house was sort of quiet, with the parents gone.

“Would you keep an Alien as a pet?” Douglas quirked a brow and turned to his right but Henry was already dozing. He was in that liminal state of being half-awake and half-asleep.

“He’s not Elliot’s pet, Duds. He is his friend.” Pete answered, not moving at all. “Don’t you pay attention?” He puffed out a drowsy laugh.

“Wake up, Henry! You’re missing everything.” Douglas frowned and it didn't take very long for Henry to pick his head up and shake himself back into reality.

Just as Beaver’s eyes fell back on the screen, a thought occurred to him. “You know they’re cutting down our tree…” He trailed off, hoping….

“What? They can’t do that!”

“Noooo, not our tree!”

He smiled to himself, knowing that Jonesy’s righteousness and Douglas’s pure love would win him the attention he wanted. He sat up straight in his seat and nodded with a frown.

“When are they cutting it down?” Henry asked, sleep still clear in his eyes.

“Tuesday,” Beaver answered, echoing what his Dad had told him. But as he said it, something wonderful occurred to him. “We should cut school and sit up in the branches, then they can’t cut it. I’ve seen it on TV.”

“Yes! Let’s do it.” Douglas shuffled in his seat on the carpet, grabbing onto Pete’s leg, who nodded along.

“I don’t mind cutting class.” Pete shrugged, looking at Henry the way he always did. The other boy looked suspicious and Beaver wondered if this would be the end of his master plan.

“Is this worth taking such a stand over?” Henry asked, soaked in reality as always. Beaver nodded his head vigorously. “I don’t know–”

He didn’t plan on resorting to such manipulation but the time called for it. So, Beaver pinched Pete’s thigh and ignored the death glare he got in return, instead he just gestured to Henry with his chin. ‘Come on man, do it.’ it said.

Pete, luckily, didn’t ask questions and went right for the puppy-dog eyes. A true subtle form of manipulation that only ever seemed to work for him. And man did Henry cave like always.

“Fine. I guess I’m in.”

Jonesy smiled, looking at Beaver, who was surprised it hadn’t occurred to him that their test was also on Tuesday.

______________________________________________________

Monday

Seven o’clock in the morning & Beaver had only slept for a good three hours. He trudged down the stairs and performed the classic rituals of trying to wake his body; Rubbing hard at his eyes, cracking his neck, yawning, stretching out his legs, and slipping his glasses on to distract from the drowsy look on his face. He’d expected that pinch-in-his-gut feeling to be gone once he’d slept that day away. And he thought that was true when he initially woke up under his sheets but as he blinked up at the ceiling…but an unnerving drop in his stomach signaled he was wrong. ‘Damn, what is that?’

‘Maybe breakfast will help.’ He rolled his lips together and hoped his resting face didn’t scream exhausted.

His Dad was pouring orange juice into a shining glass for Pete while a jelly sandwich covered the bushel of flowers on his dish. The congealed purple goo squeezed a little from the sides of the thick white bread as Pete took his bites. Beaver couldn’t help but smile at the genuine care his parents seemed to have for his friends, who truly had no business coming over so early in the morning.

Coming towards the table, he annoyingly stuck his fingers onto Pete’s shoulder. He squealed but the sound was muffled by his sandwich. Eddie glanced up with a grin. “Good morning, Joey.”

“G’morning.” He stuffed a bagel into his mouth.

Jonesy glanced up from his paperback but didn’t move his legs, which were still resting on the cushion of the other boy’s chair when he sat down. Beav shoved them near the edge but not off entirely. “Beaver?”

He looked up, bagel still in his mouth but he’d yet to actually take a bite. Instead, he held it between his teeth in an especially youthful & endearing way. “Hmmm?”

Jonesy, looking back down at his book (An assigned reading assignment that Beaver should also be halfway through by now) “That one has raisins in it.”

He spat it out straight away (well, more like he simply opened his mouth wider), not even blinking as it plopped onto his plate. “Ah man, gross.” He whined, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. He wanted an exchange and turned on his chair to get as far away from that bagel as possible.

“Joey, I thought you liked raisins?” Eddie pursed his lips and looked a bit tired. Nonetheless, he gladly handed him a plain bagel.

‘Much appreciated.’ Beaver smiled and broke a piece off. “Maybe when I was eight.” He let a shrug roll off his shoulders. “I think it goes back to that Halloween.” He waved his finger in the air while a chill danced down his body. “The one where Mr. Chambre gave out those little cartons and I bet Pete that I could stuff 3 packs in my mouth--”

“And you threw up all over your carpet before bed?” Richie vibrantly entered the room. His presence was made known by the sound of his exuberant steps before he’d even spoken.

“Yeah. The puke was orange if I remember correctly.” That addition admittedly wasn’t helpful to the conversation at all but their disgusted faces made it that much sweeter than those awful raisins.

“Can I have a raisin bagel?” Jonesy peeked out from his book and pointed down at the food with a hungry expression.

“Sure, go crazy.” Beaver leaned back on the counter, the eating couldn’t wait until he sat down again.

“I'm not picky.” Jonesy’s sweet energy flourished as he happily stole the food and tossed it up gently a few times before taking a large bite. Beaver was too distracted by the sight to really care that Jonesy was lying. That little sucker was picky as shit.

‘Batter up, batter up. Here comes Jonesy with the pitch! It’s goinnnggg and…it’s outta here! What will be next? Fastball? Curveball? Pumpernickel? Sesame?!’ Beaver shared a private chuckle with himself. ‘Maybe breakfast was helping’ cause as he stood there with his new bagel, the drowsy internal weight lifted a little.

______________________________________________________

Mounds of grossly warm and milky ice cream puddles splashed onto the hard plastic trays in the hot lunchroom. It was the school’s attempt at a treat but the thick & gooey creams were sizzling into chocolate and vanilla soups under the eye of unforgiving fluorescent lights.

Due to his taste buds being sick of the disgusting Derry high food, Beav’s lunch was going to be limited to carrots (they couldn’t possibly make those any worse) and Jonesy’s extra cookie if he wanted something substantial enough to keep him full. As he tapped at his tragically thin wallet, an especially built guy cut him in line. He mindlessly just let that happen ‘More trouble than it’s worth’. The lunch lady’s ponytail bounced while she attempted to juggle the student’s demands. It brought forth an uncomfortably numb feeling in his head. He wanted very badly to escape the line.

He nearly ran back to his table when given his chance and nearly fell off the seat next to Jonesy.

“How’s your day going?” Jonesy laughed, aimlessly rolling a plastic fork across his lips.

Beaver steadied himself and pulled at his jacket like nothing happened. “Oh, I’m burning that afternoon oil, Jonesy.” Sarcasm so thick that it reminded him of that raisin puke again (‘Disgusting’). “If you want the real answer--”

“And I do.” He pushed the extra cookie over to Beaver.

“I had a small chat with Missy Tramel in the hall, I passed my history test, had to punch my locker open cause I forgot my combination again and I really have to pee cause I bet Pete that I could hold it in all day.” He blurted this all in the span of two seconds, not because he was flustered or anything. No. He merely had to pee that bad.

“Surprisingly, I got all that.” Jonesy grinned, sort of proud of himself. “Congrats on the test, by the way, I noticed you were cramming for it.” He took a bite of the gross rectangular pizza.

Beaver raised a brow. “You did?”

“Sure. You had some intense notes on your desk the other day.” He shrugged casually. “Plus, I borrowed your history book, remember? I saw that doodle on the back cover--the one of your head exploding like one of those Bugs Bunny cartoons.” That slipped a giggle out of Beaver as he answered.

A blush ran down Beaver’s neck like a sweat-inducing fever. “Oh.” He awkwardly chuckled, leg bouncing up and down incredibly fast. That pinched feeling returned to his stomach.

“Dude, go to the bathroom!” Jonesy poked him with his elbow and laughed. “Pete isn’t even in this lunch period. He’ll never know.”

Beaver steadied his leg and shoved half the cookie into his mouth. “I can’t dishonor a bet by cheating.” He went through the motions of indifference though he felt teased by the boy a table over. ‘Absolutely gulping the hell outta your water, Todd...or Tom? You know...you might even be Jacob?’ Beaver paused but couldn’t come up with a definitive name. ‘Whoever you are, if you don’t quit it, I’m gonna piss---’

“Beaver?” Jonesy slapped his shoulder.

“Yeah?” He felt groped out of his moment but didn’t let that show in his physical presence.

“Do you think you have enough time left to ask Missy Tramel to a movie before you pee your pants?” He flashed his usual smile.

Jonesy never truly seemed aware of his own charm. Everything that made up his character was warm and earnest. Beaver felt that, under this new shadow, he now paled in comparison. Beaver bit into his cheek with subconscious strength. “Of course. I always have time for her.” He smirked and exaggerated his glance towards her. “Why?” He asked this without moving his eyes from Missy, wanting to make his attraction apparent.

“Well…” He rubbed his hand down the back of his neck because he was mostly nervous when Beaver wasn’t looking. “Sadie Carter from my 6th period asked me if I wanted to go see the double showing of the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street movies’ tonight, after our tree saving of course--” He added quickly. “And I thought we could go double cause....” He trailed off.

Beaver tore his eyes from Missy and found Jonesy again. “She asked you out?” A miserable reply to a detail so minuscule. He was aware. But the notion that Jonesy easily booked dates because all the girls asked him out was vaguely upsetting. ‘Where’s the sweat? I gotta cheer myself on for a week before I can ask a girl out and she still says no.’

“Yeah-”

‘No big deal.’ Beav’s misery deepened a little.

“--Anyway, I thought you could double with us being that I’m a little nervous–”

“Awww, Jonesy’s nervous!” He reached out and poked at him a few times, maybe because he felt a tiny surge of happiness doing it or maybe because the shifting on his seat helped him with the pee-problem.

Jonesy waved passively. “Would ya just ask her?” His self-conscious tone became relaxed just as quickly as it’d appeared.

A twist of that depressingly painful anxiety twisted in Beaver’s gut. He looked back to Missy, sitting there with her girlfriends with carefree and unstrained bliss. ‘Fuck. Maybe I should just go to the bathroom instead.’ It was only normal to be nervous around girls. That’s what Pete said.

Beaver stood from his seat and was starting to mentally cheer himself on (♫‘Beaver, Beaver. He’s our man. If he can’t do it---’♫) when Jonesy grabbed his arm and pulled him back, his touch was warm. (♫‘She’ll be glad…’♫).

“And please go to the bathroom on your way back.” He chuckled, swinging Beaver’s arm in his hand instead of letting go. “You’re pretty much a human water balloon at this point.”

Beaver pulled out of his grip and laughed all the way up to Missy Tramel’s table. He felt a bit more comfortable than he’d usually be when it came to girls once he remembered that she had actually laughed at his jokes in the hallway before 4th period. Since he’d become interested in dating, he couldn’t remember a time something like that happened.

Missy was sipping her soda through a blue and white striped straw, liquid shooting past her smile, Beaver could almost feel the carbonation on his own tongue. She had gorgeous red hair which framed her face in a frighteningly perfect way. But he supposed that her attitude was what initially caught his eye. Missy was sweetly feminine but she could also run a mile in six minutes & beat some of the guys in a basketball shoot-off.

“Missy?” He tried not to sound too nervous.

She turned, friendly enough. “Hi, Joey.” Briefly, she hid her mouth behind her cookie (crunchy on the outside but soft in the middle) to avoid showing chocolate in her teeth.

He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and shuffled a bit on his feet. Perhaps it suited him better to let the discomfort show...could it possibly come off as ‘adorably shy’? Beaver almost hoped so.

“I was just wondering if you’d like to go to the movies with me, my friend, and his date?” He muttered, hoping that his point came across… ‘Please realize I’m trying to ask you to be my date?’. “There doing a double showing of the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street movies--”

Missy set her cookie down on a greasy sheet of her math homework peeking from her folder, sending a chocolate chunk through the air & smudging an unmistakable doodle of a crocodile. Its teeth were sharp, chowing down on an unfinished equation. The animal was most definitely drawn by some boy in her class…Beaver wished to be swallowed whole by the creature. “I’d really love to, Joey.” Her smile screamed pity. “But I have plans that night.”

“I didn’t actually say what day we were planning on yet, Missy.” He wasn’t surprised. “It is playing all week.” He shrugged, not having much energy left for the conversation.

A blush of embarrassment bloomed across Missy’s face, her friends looked anywhere but at either of them.

“Really, It’s fine with me, Missy.” He flashed a ‘what can you do?’ sort of grin and walked off.

“It’s a no-go, Jonesy.” He said simply, that pinched feeling turning into a full ache. “You’ll just have to go on your own.” And the thought of that….well, that felt worse than any pain in his stomach.

______________________________________________________

Eddie Kaspbrak-Tozier sat across from his husband with a slight smirk on his face, stabbing at his salad aimlessly as he watched him speak. Richie was especially animated on this day which was always a nice treat. “You’ve been through this punchline over a hundred times, Rich.”

The other man took a sip from the glass of pop he’d been swishing around and shook his head. “I’m aware, Eds—thank you.” Richie awkwardly mumbled to the waiter who brought the chicken he’d been eagerly waiting for. He was a young guy with hair that dangled just above his shoulders, Eddie guessed the white car plastered with Grateful Dead bumper stickers in the parking lot was his ride. “If you couldn’t tell, I’m nervous.”

A laugh. “I know and it’s a riot seeing you so…” He waved his sweaty fork around, “Uptight. Usually, that’s me.” Ignoring Richie’s pathetic attempts to smack him from across the table, Eddie swallowed a bit of strawberry. He’d requested no cashews because though he’d progressed in many ways, he was still convinced he was allergic to those damn things. “I only have a half-hour left of my break though. I’d like not to spend it hearing the same joke over and over.”

“How would you like to spend it?” The smart mouth asked.

“Do you think Joey’s struggling in school?” Eddie asked abruptly, setting down his utensil and looking at his husband with his large-ass eyes.

Richie wiped his face with a napkin and leaned back on his chair. “The same way I did.” He said, thumping the table in a little drumbeat. “The kid’s smart when he pushes…he’s just not pushing.”

Breathing through his nose, Eddie put his chin in his hand. “What helped you?”

Richie paused, giving the question real thought. In the meantime, the Dead Head waiter returned with another glass of pop. From the way his eyes lingered, Eddie could tell that he recognized his husband and maybe wished to say something but didn’t dare. It was endearing, in a way. “Ben and Mike, mostly.”

“I think he’d ask Henry or Jonesy for help only…”

“He’s embarrassed.” Richie finished for him, sipping the new drink. “So was I.”

The couple paused their conversation and resumed eating their meals for a few minutes. “They’re cutting down our tree tomorrow.”

Eddie nodded, poking at his lettuce and remembering when Joey was small. “I hate that. Wish we could do something.”

______________________________________________________

Tuesday

“What’s he doing?”

“He’s getting himself ready.”

Beaver tore his eyes from one dad and went to the other. Eddie seemed entirely used to such action and he supposed that’s what love did to a person. It got them familiarized with their husband dancing around the kitchen and singing into a spatula while eggs burned on the stove.

‘Hey, let's go all over the world

Rock and roll girls

Rock and roll girls…’

Eddie burst through the door they’d been peeping through and made his way to said stove, snatching the spatula and picked up on scrambling the eggs like they’d been his responsibility in the first place. Richie ceased his dancing and smiled wide as Beaver finally came into the kitchen. “Hey kiddo, you in the mood for eggs?”

Silently, Eddie held up the pan Richie had neglected for his solo.

He pushed up his glasses. “You in the mood for burnt sludge?”

Chuckling, Beaver took a seat at the table and waited for his friends to arrive. He hoped they remembered their plan for the day. “I’ll pass on the sludge.” Much preferring the taste of a sugary cereal anyway. Still wordlessly, Eddie handed over a box of Sonic-Spooners over to his son, something his own mother would’ve died before letting him have. “What time are you guys leaving?”

“In about a half-hour.” Eddie answered, giving a sideways glance to his husband. “How you doing champ?” He teased.

Richie, far from the patron saint of maturity, stuck out his tongue. “Better. Ran through a couple more of the jokes…” He trailed off, looking down at Beaver who was shoveling cereal into his mouth. “Why can’t we take the kid again?”

Beaver dropped his spoon and looked up with pleading eyes. ‘Please. Anything to get me outta the test is good’

A roll of the eyes, a classic in the Tozier-Kaspbrak household. “Because the kid,” Eddie ruffled Beav’s hair lovingly, “needs to go to school.”

‘Back to the backup plan.’ Beav deflated.

______________________________________________________

Henry stood with his hands on his hips, backpack at his feet with that suspicious smirk on his face as if to say ‘Okay, you got me here. What’s next?’ Pete was resting on the lawn with his head on Henry’s backpack, arms crossed over his chest and looking peaceful. “Roberta’s gonna be pissed when she finds out you convinced Duds to miss school.”

“I know that Mr. Obvious.” Beaver waved his hand dismissvely, though he had to admit he was a little worried about that. He wasn’t sure he could handle disapproval from Mrs. Cavell.

“It was my choice.” Douglas piped up from Beaver’s porch steps. Jonesy sat next to him, looking more eager than ever. If Beav had been right about one thing, it was his friends sense of righteousness overshadowing his memory of their test. “I want to help save our tree.”

Beaver smiled. This may be a side plot to escape the inevitable failure but it was also a mission he fully believed in. Beaver’s plans were never half-assed. “And that’s just what we’re going to do, Duds.”

______________________________________________________

Sadie Carter and Missy Tramel had been best friends since Kindergarten. Everywhere one went, the other was sure to follow. This morning was no exception. Together they walked to school with the topic of conversation being Sadie’s date for Friday; Gary Jones.

“I can’t believe you’re going to see those disgusting movies.” Missy wrinkled her nose, clutching her books to her chest and watching their feet sync up on the sidewalk.

“You’re just jealous that you’re not going.” Sadie giggled. “What gives anyway? Beaver’s cute, why’d you say no?” She liked that kid, he told jokes in science that had her cracking up.

“Joey’s alright, I mean. He’s funny and all that.” She shrugged, refusing to call him by that dumb nickname. “But I don’t wanna date him or anything—” their heels clacked on the pavement as she sighed. “He’s just…he’s um…he’s…oh jesus, he’s in a tree!” She rolled her eyes and pointed.

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G who?” Sadie laughed and obeyed when Missy took her head and pushed it in the right direction.

She was right. Beaver was hanging upside down in his front lawn’s tree. Not alone either. His regular group of buddies, Gary Jones included, were all hanging onto branches and sitting up there like it was normal. Their backpacks scattered around the trunk. “What are you boys doing?”

“Hey girls.” Pete Moore called down with a shy smile on his face. Sadie ignored this and continued her pestering, approaching and letting her own backpack fall off her shoulder next to theirs.

“Jonesy?” She shouted. “What gives?”

“We’re saving our tree from being cut down!” He shouted back, exuberant with pride. Sadie raised a brow. “They should be getting here any minute and when they do, they’ll find us.”

“Will the tree be saved by tonight?”

“Could take all day and night, we don’t know yet.” Beaver called down as he climbed back upside. He ignored the look of annoyance Jonesy shot him, that pinched feeling returning to his stomach.

“That blows.” Sadie said flatly, picking up her bag and moving back toward the sidewalk.

“I’m sure we’ll be done by seven, Sadie.” Jonesy quickly shouted down. He turned back to Beaver. “We just have to stay until their workday is over, Beav. That buys us another day to plan.”

‘Plan, shman’ Beaver thought angrily. Suddenly the tree felt intensely important. Forget missing the test, the tree was important thing. “We don’t know their hours, Jonesy. You should be prepared to stay here a long time.” Fuck, his stomach hurt.

“They work till eight.” Henry piped in.

“See!” Beaver frowned.

“I can’t miss my date, Beav.” Jonesy mirrored his frown.

“I didn’t know we’d be up here that long.” Douglas added, only making Beaver’s stomach burn more.

“You guys, this is important.” Beaver felt pathetic. He had no idea why this was suddenly the most important thing in the world but it was. Screw Jonesy’s date.

“Well, let me know what you work out with your keeper.” Sadie said snottily and started stomping off, Missy following right behind her.

Jonesy looked ready to shout in frustration. Instead, he hurled himself down from his branch and shot Beaver an angry look. “Save the tree without me.”

The pain in Beaver’s stomach was completely unbearable as he watched his friend take off after some random girl. “Bitch in a buzzsaw.” He mumbled. Henry sighed, shifting branches so that he could be closer to him.

“I think we should trash the plan, Beav.”

“You can.” He looked up, losing some of his fire. “I’m gonna stay.”

“Come on, Beav–”

“No.”

Henry held up his hands in defeat. “Come on, Duds. We still got time to get to school.”

Douglas shifted but didn’t move to get down.

“It’s ok, Duddy.” Beaver urged him, this was his problem after all…whatever the hell it was.

“Yeah, I’ll stay with him.” Pete rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged when Henry looked back at him. “I already planned to miss today, I don’t mind.”

“If you’re sure.” Henry paused, just waiting to see if he’d change his mind.

______________________________________________________

Pete Moore took a calculated risk.

“You know…it’s okay if you like Jonesy.”

Beaver looked up from his swinging legs and crossed his arms. “What do you mean? Of course I like Jonesy. I’m just mad.”

“No, I mean. Like-like.” How pathetically juvenile, Pete thought to himself.

This time Beaver paused, eerily silent for what felt like an hour but was really just three minutes. “I don’t….I–”

“Before you say anything–” Pete held up his hands. “I’m not accusing you. I’m just saying it’d be ok.” He wondered if he was going about this all wrong. What an idiot he was.

Beaver narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying, dude?”

He shrugged. “Listen Beav, over the past few months I discovered something about myself.” Really, telling his friend this should’ve been nervewrecking but as Pete sat up in the tree with the sun on his back, he felt strangely calm. “I’m bisexual–And I’m telling you this because you’re one of my best friends and I know you’ll be ok with it, right?”

“Of course.” Beaver nodded. “...Jesus Christ Bananas, Do you think I’m bi?”

Pete smiled because how could you not with the Beav around. “Only you can tell me.”

Beaver opened his mouth, that pinched feeling in his gut loosening …

“Boys! What are you doing up there?”

“Crap.”

______________________________________________________

“Rich, your husband—”

Richie blinked, the joke he was in the middle of rehearsing fell from his lips and he turned just in time to see Eddie rushing onto the stage with his cellphone at his ear. For a moment, his stomach dropped. Something was wrong. Something was really wrong. A rush of the horror attacked him. Something happened at home, worse yet…IT’s come back…

“Richie, I gotta go home. I’ll be back in time for the show.”

“What why?”

“Our kid’s in a tree.” Eddie sighed like that explained everything and turned his attention back to the phone.

“Like…stuck? Like a cat?” Richie was confused as all hell.

______________________________________________________

Wednesday Morning

Beaver was grounded for cutting school and missing his test and he had to agree, it was fair. Was he happy about it? No. But he accepted the punishment alright.

But approaching one o’clock in the morning, a gentle knock came at Richie and Eddie’s bedroom door. Richie snored right through it but his husband got up and shuffled over. “Joey?” He rubbed his eye as his son stepped into the room, clad in his pajama pants. “What are you doing up?”

“Can I talk to you guys about something?”

Eddie moved to and turn on the light before leaning over his husband and shaking him gently. Richie woke easy enough and put on his glasses in a blur of confusion. “Of course you can talk to us.”

“Yeah kiddo.” Richie coughed into an awake state and sat up.

Beaver sat on the edge of the bed, stared at them behind his large glasses and spoke with some hesitation. “How did you know that you liked each other?”

#my fanfiction #let me know what you think #stephen king #richie tozier #eddie kaspbrak #reddie #it chapter one #it chapter two #the losers club #dreamcatcher #dreamcatcher 2003 #beaver clarendon #gary jones #pete moore #douglas cavell #henry devlin

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