#benrora

Eddie let out a short, surprised noise as he stumbled under Patty’s surprising amount of force. “What? Where are we going? Is Richie-“

“Oh, Richie isn’t coming,” Patty said happily, walking quickly through the halls. Eddie’s heart jumped slightly, looking around the group of students. The whispers would no doubt to kicking to a start, Eddie being enough of a subject to school gossip ever since he started dating Richie. He’d wondered, for short moments, if it the reactions of the public could be anything similar to that of when Zachary Denbrough began dating Sharon. Eddie had started to feel as though he couldn’t walk, couldn’t breath, around his classmates without attracting attention. He supposed he should have expected that opening to his relationship with Richie Tozier would have been hot information, even with the amount of terrible things happening in Derry.

“Oh, I…” Eddie stalled for a moment, frowning and attempting to slow his steps behind Patty. “I should, I should probably go to class. I missed most of the last few weeks and I really shouldn’t skip out on anything else-“

Patty turned around and raise her eyebrows. “Eddie. Do you want to go to class?”

“No,” Eddie replied honestly without any hesitation. Nobody would want to go to a class where everybody- including your teachers- spent the entire time staring at you and whispering. “But-“

“Come on!” Patty grabbed at Eddie once more, yanking him through the halls fast enough that the heads of their classmates all whipped towards them. Eddie winced at the thoughts of all the rumors that would be following them out of the building.

Patty lead Eddie quickly through the cluster of student cars in the parking lot, then waited as a car pulled up to them. Stan Uris leaned out the drivers’ seat window and gave him an unimpressed look. “Alright. Get in.”

Eddie shook his head slightly, head spinning through a loop. “I… I thought you didn’t trust me.”

Stan sighed. “Beverly says you can’t be trusted… Which basically makes you the only person I find trustworthy about now.”

xxx

Richie pressed his yellow highlighter against the textbook and held it down, dragging it across a full line… then another… and another…. before sighing in frustration and tossing the highlighter back onto the desk. Leaning forward on his elbows, Richie ran fingers through his mess of curls.

“TOZIER!” Richie startled, looking up as Aurora Morgans came stomping into the otherwise empty classroom. Her brown eyes were blazing and slams a photograph down on the desk over his textbook. “You are not an easy dude to find, you know that?”

Richie sighed. “Yeah, Morgans. That was the whole point.”

Aurora flipped the photo over and Richie leaned to look at it on a reflex. A woman in a prom dress stared up at him, a woman he didn’t recognize. Richie’s eyes flicked back up to Aurora and he frowned. “This chick means nothing to me, and I’m pretty sure you know that. So, what are you fishing for?”

“Look a little bit closer and stop acting like a damn idiot,” Aurora growled. Richie shook his head slowly, reaching out for the photograph and pulling it towards him. His eyes landed on his mother and Frank Kaspbrak having a conversation in the background.

Richie made an aborted noise, and shook his head with a soft laugh. “What are you getting at, Morgans? They were friends, them talking together at a literal school function isn’t a crime. Why are you trying to make it into one?”

“This picture,” Aurora pointed at it angrily. “Was like, the only personal belonging that Robert Gray kept in his life after being arrested- and your mother is in it. This is the student he was dating while he was chopping up her classmates. Care to give your thoughts?”

Riche pushed away from his desk, and walked around in Aurora’s space. “If this is your snakey ass trying to accuse the Devils of being-“

“So quick to jump to the defense-“ Aurora began to mock before another person came stomping into the once deserted classroom and slammed the door shut. Ben Hanscom stomped towards them, glaring even more towards Aurora than he was towards Richie.

“You know, I tried. I really tried.” Ben was shaking his head, face contorted with a somehow calm rage. “I tried to get out, I tried to turn off all this curiosity bullshit. But this,” he shook a crumbled piece of paper into Aurora’s face. “But I guess I can’t! So what are we going to do?”

“What is it?” Richie crossed his arms to give a strong air of non-chalance. He seemed to remember Ben Hanscom being a stuttering, terrified mess in his drive way not too long ago, but this boy in front of him seemed to have had ever inch of fear drained from him and replaced with annoyance.

Ben tossed the paper in Richie’s direction, Richie fumbling with it and being forced to pick it up off the floor. “You can keep yourself away, but you can’t hide from what must happen. All will be revealed on the night of senior prom- Okay, what the fuck is this shit?”

Ben sighed. “I was delivered to the paper sometime yesterday. It had my name on it.”

“Somebody threatened you?” Aurora asked, voice cracking awkwardly. She reached out to take hold of Ben’s hand, but he yanked away and glared at her. Richie raised his brow and glanced back and forth between him, pursing his lips to keep from smirking.

“They threatened all of us,” Ben said coldly. “That shit about prom?”

“My sister…” Richie said with a soft voice. “There was the word prom written above her body when I found her.”

Aurora and Ben glanced at one another for moment with sharp eyes. “And you never thought that might be important at all?” Aurora asked in a sharp, serious tone.

Richie narrowed his eyes at her, frowning. “The police were all there, they fucking saw it. Sorry I didn’t report to you with the latest gossip immediately after finding my thirteen year old sister’s dead body. I’ll make note of that next time.”

“That’s not what I meant and you fucking know it, Tozier.” Aurora rolled her eyes and even Ben was shaking his head.

“Actually, I don’t think I do know that,” Richie almost growled and a twinkle of that all-familiar fear flashed on Ben’s face. “All I know about you, Aurora Morgans is that you’re a soulless information sucker who I would bet lost her virginity to the super information highway and-“

“Okay, okay, we get it-“ Ben broke through, waving his hands in front of him. “As true as all those things are-“

“Hey!” Aurora gasped.

“They aren’t going to help us now.” Ben finished without out so much as glancing at the offended look Aurora was giving him.

“Helping us?” Richie laughed bitterly. “No offense but I’m not part of whatever this puppy-love-crush-turned-hate-fuck relationship you two have going on, I have my own issues.”

“And your own hate fuck relationship?” Aurora asked with a sweet voice.

Richie’s jaw clenched and arms twitched. “Morgans, you rat-spirited cunt, I really don’t want to fucking drop you kick right now but I fucking will.”

“I could take your hyped-up daddy’s boy ass,” Aurora shot back with a laugh. “You don’t have your little gangster buddies to back you up, you’re not even wearing your jacket anymore. We both know you’re nothing on your own.”

“Stop, stop, stop,” Ben cried, pushing himself between Aurora and Richie as Richie’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Basically, this is all our problem!! If we were smart, we’d probably like, drop out of school and become hermits.”

“I’m not running away from some hyped-up psychopath,” Aurora said immediately, to Richie and Ben’s matching eye rolls. “Benny, we’re so close to blowing this case wide open. Look-“ She drove forward to grab the photo from Richie’s desk but Ben was turning his head away.

“This isn’t some case, Aurora!” Ben cried. “This is people’s lives- our lives.”

“Then why didn’t you go to the police with the letter instead of me?” Aurora challenged with a smirk.

“I didn’t come to you,” Ben shot back. “I came to Richie- you just happened to be here.”

Richie made a mockery of an honour noise and pressed his hands over his heart. “I am honoured, Haystack. Look a that, the loving is really starting to blossom here-“

“Shut up, Tozier,” Aurora and Ben said in unison, which only prompted a larger grin from Richie.

“Listen, detectives,” Richie held his hands and shook his head. “I respect your…. weird obsessions with crypic clues but this is way heavy. I don’t want any part of this!”

“You’re already part of this!” Ben actually yelled, Richie and Aurora’s both startling. “Fucking like it or not, we’re all a part of this! I think we’re all going to have to work together to fix this bullshit!”

“And end scene,” Richie said, slapping his hands together. “Wonderful performance, Mr Hanscom, just splendid. Keep your ears open for your award nomination, it should be coming in anytime now.”

“Are you always such a douchebag?” Ben hissed.

“Yes,” Richie and Aurora said in unison. Richie clapped his hands together a few more times then began to gather up his belongings. “Well, this was fun, y’all. I’ve got to go… somewhere that isn’t here with you.”

“Need to go find your little boy toy?” Aurora asked. “Don’t bother, I heard Uris and Blum tossed them into the backseat of the Rabbi’s car and drove off at the start of first period.”

For a spilt second, there was an emotion of Richie Tozier’s face that gave even Aurora a pause. He stepped forward and took Aurora’s chin in his fingers and tilted it up towards him. “Rory, sweetheart… jacket or not, I could still make you the next Derry bitch to disappear.”

xxx

Eddie stepped out of the backseat of Stanley Uris’ car, looking up into the sunny sky. The Neibolt House was a dark stain on the whole street, falling apart sidings and over grown grass that held a height similar to the rickety front porch. The yellow crime scene tape draped around the front door really completed the picture. Stomach tense, Eddie turned back to the couple behind him. “What are we doing at Neibolt?”

Patty hiked her backpack higher on her shoulders and grinned excitedly. “We’re going to find out the truth. From people who really know what happened. The people who died.”

“What… are you talking about ghosts?” Eddie asked with a crinkle of his nose. “Like… actual ghosts? Do Jewish people even believe in ghosts?”

Stan came around the front of the car and sighed. “I- personally as a Jewish person- am skeptic of ghosts as best. But the actual religion definitely has spirit aspects.”

“The Torah forbids trying to communicate with the dead,” Patty added in too-happy a voice. “But so does the Bible and literally every other book of Worship, and white people do that shit all the time.”

“This is how white die,” Eddie said quietly, glancing back over his shoulder at the old house. “My ma always told me to never go in this house, you know? It’s cursed.”

“She’s probably right.” Patty cheered, taking Stan’s hand in one and Eddie’s in the other. She pulled them quickly up to the house and ripped down the strings of CSI tape. Eddie made a small noise of disapproval but followed the pair of them down into the house.

“We’re going right into the heart of everything,” Patty called over her shoulder as she stomped down a set of stairs that looked as though only the barest of weight would send them tumbling apart. Eddie and Stan glanced at one another anxiously, both hesitating at the top of the steps before Patty’s voice carried back up to them. “Come on, chicken shits! I did it just fine!”

“I’ve got a foot of height and almost 100 pounds on you!”  Stan shouted down but quickly sighed and took off down after her. Eddie inhaled sharply, wishing for once that he still carried around his inhaler from youth, and moved down the stairs as quickly as he could. He collided with Stan at the bottom, who gave him a look of distaste before they both stepped further into the dingy basement.

“Oh my god…” Eddie whispered, taking in the make shift bed on the ground and the chains that were still attached to the walls. His stomach twisted and churned at the thought of Janie Tozier- the little pigtail girl- being held down here for months with no hopes of ever getting free. Eddie wrapped his arms around himself, noting the stark paleness of Stanley’s face as they both move closer to the papers and cup that Patty was setting up right in front of the makeshift bed.

“Wow, wait, right here?” Stan asked, voice cracking slightly under his nerves. He and Eddie both creeped closer, looking at one another in mild distress. “Isn’t that a little disrespectful?”

It was that moment that Eddie really realized that Stanley had watched Janie Tozier grow up similar to how he’d watched Georgie Denbrough. Probably even closer, given the bond that the Devils all shared with one another, and kind of found family connection that Eddie would likely never have with anybody. Eddie swallowed harshly and found himself to recognize that this wasn’t his place to break down.

“It’s morbid, I know,” Patty said sadly. “But I feel like being as close to Janie’s spirit as possible will help us. She hasn’t been dead long and it’ll be hard to-“

“Yeah, yeah,” Stan started shaking his head and took several steps back towards the stairs. “She hasn’t been dead long. This is messed up, Pats, I’m not… I’m not doing this. I want to know if Bev did this probably worse than you do, but I… There’s got to be another way.”

“We’ve already broken in!” Patty argued. “The serious felons are already done with! The police aren’t even going to come back here, you know what they’re like!”

“It’s not the legality I’m having with this, it’s the moral issues,” Stan said angrily, rubbing at the side of his face. “I’m not going to sit here and try to… talk to Richie’s dead little sister to find out if Beverly killed her! I… I don’t want to know that bad. It’s…. disturbing.”

Patty gave Stan a sad look and as she opened her mouth to reply, the door to the basement slammed shut and Eddie felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Goosebumps shot down his arms and he felt moments away from throwing up, watching how Patty tugging her Devils jacket closer around herself. The pieces of paper she’d placed on the ground started blowing until only four remained on the floor.

P… R … O… M

“Just leave Bill Denbrough alone,” Stan said from their spot under the bleachers at lunch. Richie had yet to say anything about it, but he’d been watching Richie watch the former mayor’s son kicking at the fallen leaves for nearly ten minutes. Richie was only that quiet and that focused for two reasons, when he was deeply upset or when he was plotting something that would get him in trouble.

“Who said anything about Denbrough?” Richie replied lightly, prompting Stan to look back towards Denbrough and his friends. His eyes fell to the small one, Kaspbrak, with his warm autumn clothes and soft hair. Stan couldn’t avoid rolling his eyes.

“Absolutely not, Tozier.” He said darkly. “I thought we were past this. You haven’t lusted over Eddie Kaspbrak since eighth grade. This is supposed to be over. You know the two of you will never work out.”

Richie shrugged one shoulder, taking a deep inhale of his cigarette. Beverly mumbled something nonsensical from where her head was resting in Richie’s lap as Stan wondered, for maybe the millionth time in his life, if he’d made the right choice in friends.

Richie pushed himself up and snuffed his cigarette out on the ground. Tucking his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, Richie strutted over to Denbrough and his friends. Sighing, Stan stood at the same moment as Beverly and they flocked to either side of Rich.

“Afternoon, preps,” Richie greeted them with, shooting Kaspbrak a cocky wink. Stan was mildly surprised to see Kaspbrak’s cheeks flush. Over the years, it had been pretty apparent that Eddie Kaspbrak would do anything and everything in his power not to react to Richie Tozier’s existence, so even this small acknowledgement was a shift in a certain power class within Derry.

“I’d be a lot better if my brother was alive,” Denbrough said coldly and even Stan had to blink in surprise. Bill Denbrough had certainly gotten a lot darker and almost edgier since his brother’s murder but this was almost stupid bold. No matter what thoughts and theories he was holding, that wasn’t the smartest method of speaking to a Tozier- even a Tozier as calm and seemingly harmless as Richie. The horrified looks on Phillips’ and Kaspbrak’s faces seemed to imply their agreement, while Beverly and Richie both stared on in amusement.

“Oh, wonderful,” Richie chuckled, running his tongue along his bottom lip. Kaspbrak’s eyes trailed its movement and Stan couldn’t help but feel that the world he’d always known had been tossed a little bit sideways. “We’re getting right to the point then. I hate chit chat.”

“What do you want, Richie?” Kaspbrak jumped in, glancing between his best friend and Richie as though he would physically throw himself in front of their unavoidable argument. “Can’t you just leave us alone? What are you getting out of this?”

“Nothing,” Richie replied, looking momentarily confused for a second himself. “But it might be a good therapy session for your buddy, Bill, here. It isn’t good to keep all that stuff locked up inside like that.”

Denbrough’s eyes flashed almost dangerously. “Get out of here, Tozier. I’m really not in the mood to deal with your fucking bullshit today.”

“Would you be in more of a mood to deal with my bullshit tomorrow?”

There was a group starting to gather around them now, students preparing for the showdown which had been building progressively for the last six months. Stan couldn’t deny that he, too, was almost wondering how this would turn out. There was unquestionably bad blood between Bill Denbrough and Richie Tozier, hurt feelings and burning accusations that would never said.

“What do you want?” Denbrough asked, frowning deeply and crossing his arms. He and Richie were standing only inches apart now, their breath and anger mingling in the air. Richie, with all his training, was doing a better job of hiding it but Stan could see it. Could see it in the slight clench of Richie’s jaw, in the furrow of his brow and in harshness of his smirk. Denbrough’s anger radiated off every part of his body, not hiding it, nearly exploding with it all.

“Tell me what you think, William,” Richie said, voice slipping halfway through. Voice darkened, chilling and Stan’s hand twitched at his side. If Richie slipped fully- if Richie lost his control- then God Help Bill Denbrough. He might end up seeing his younger brother much sooner than expected. “I want to know what you really think.”

“You already know,” Bill said, sentences now short, aborted. His hands trembled at his side, as though every inch of his soul was fighting against reaching out and punching Richie right in the face.Stan glanced to his side, intending to catch Beverly’s eye, to find her already looking at him. They already knew their place, what they’d need to do if this turned a little too sour.

“I want you to say it,” Richie said shortly, all hint of false friendliness gone now. Phillips’ pressed a hand over her mouth, and Kaspbrak’s eyes went wide with fear. Stan caught sight of the new kid from English Lit in the crowd of students, looking like he wanted absolutely nothing more than to be somewhere else.

“I think you killed my brother.”

Stanley’s own composure slipped then, inhaling sharply as though he’d suffered a blow to the stomach. Beverly’s mouth had fallen open slightly, her own strong girl façade falling in her momentary shock. Stan watched as emotions crossed Richie’s face before he tongued at his cheek and took another step towards Denbrough.

“Bill…” Kaspbrak said meekly, going completely ignored. Richie and Denbrough were practically nose to nose now and Stan tried not to show how his heart was racing in his chest.

Richie opened his mouth when his face suddenly turned to something that resembled the way he’d look after Janie disappeared, a look of utter devastation that left an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Stan’s guts. “You know… I know our families grew apart but you can’t believe for a second that I’d hurt Georgie.”

Denbrough simply continued to stare at Richie, jaw set and eyes hard. Richie cocked his brow, eyes still sad, while the entirety of the student body around them had fallen completely still and silent. It was anybody’s game now, whether Richie Tozier would take the accusation and let it slide off of him, or if they were going to see it go between a Denbrough and Tozier after years of anticipation. right in front of them. Stan could flip a coin, and still have no idea what the outcome would be.

Richie sighed when it became apparent that Denbrough wasn’t going to give any sort of vocal response.  “Maybe it works differently for you Denbroughs,” Richie said, in a tone that wasn’t trying at all to hide  the words spoken from their fellow students that stared on in wonder. Stan’s hand was still twitching at his side and he could see Beverly in the corner of his eye, getting ready to launch forward and end this before it really got started. “But we never forget who we are or where we came from. We take care of our own, and no matter what your father chose to do, that hasn’t changed. Old blood runs deep, doesn’t it, Billy?”

“You better shut the fuck up,” Denbrough hissed through his teeth, glancing nervously at his girlfriend. Phillips and Kaspbrak were glancing between Denbrough and Richie as though watching the world's most intense ping pong game. Maybe in a way, they were.

Richie shrugged, smirk back on his face at full force. “See ya around.” Denbrough surprisingly let him pass, and Stan didn’t hesitate to follow behind him.

“You shouldn’t have said that,” Stan said in low voice, knowing their classmates were still listening in as best they could. “You’re just putting a bigger target on your back, you know that.”

Richie let out a soft sigh, glancing up at the cloudy sky above them. “I’m a Tozier. I’ve had a target on my back before I was even fucking born. There’s never been a point in playing it safe, not for me. I tried that life.”

-

Ben Hanscom moved quickly out of sight once it became clear that Richie Tozier and Bill Denbrough weren’t going to throw hands in the middle of the school yard. Ever since Mike Hanlon and Aurora Morgan had approached him, Ben had thrown himself into the Derry Murders in a deeper fashion than when he’d been reading into it before. It was a dark one, and he felt like there were too many missing pieces for it to possibly be solved- especially once Mike added in all the stuff his grandfather had told him about the murders back in the 1990s.

A hand suddenly came out and snaked around Ben’s wrist, tugging him backwards into the Student Council Supply closet. Ben let out a small, nervous shriek and found himself face-to-face with an excited looking Aurora Morgan. The fear in Ben quickly disappeared, but he found that his heart didn’t slow down.

“That was crazy…” Aurora said, her dark eyes dancing with wonder. “Did you see that? What do you think Tozier was going on about? You think Mayor Denbrough was into some shady shit?”

“Maybe,” Ben said lightly.Having not grown up in Derry, like the majority of the population, had its negatives and positives.. Not knowing the deep personal histories of what families hated which and who was good and who was bad fell under both of those possibilities. In this moment, it wouldn’t surprise him if Mayor Denbrough had been into some shady shit, and it wouldn’t disappoint him either. He didn’t have any trust in that man, nor any dislike, so the potential shady business of Zachary Denbrough would mean nothing to him outside of this investigation.

Aurora was shaking her head with a smile, hand still clutching Ben. “We need to find out. It could be the piece of the puzzle we’re missing to solve all of this! I’ll text Mike, and we’ll start looking into him.”

“We’ve already looked into everybody,” Ben said, a little impatient. It pained him but he had to say it.

“We’re not going to learn anything else from reading newspapers and stuff in the library. We might need a… more hands on approach.”

Aurora’s face lit up.

-

“Are you sure about this?”  Mary Elise Hanscom held the flimsy photograph between her fingers. She looked up to the person sitting across from her, frowning. “This is who you say it is? You have no more information?”

“I promise. Put this picture on the front page of your paper, and you’ll have people coming from every corner of town with more information. Fear is a powerful tactic.”

“Why don’t you go to the police with this?” Mary Elise asked.

Will Hanlon looked at his son for another moment before sighing, smiling slightly. “You always were a regular old Fern Arable, son.”

“That was a pig,” Mike said, smiling softly down at the now-sleeping bird in his arms. “This is a duck. We have enough pigs anyway.”

“That we do,” Will placed the groceries on the counter and began to unload them. The feeling of discomfort and sadness that had been sitting in his stomach all afternoon returning now that Mike had another moment alone with his thoughts. Those same, disturbing thoughts. “They found another body today.”

Mike noticed his father’s stature stiffen, the way it always did when Mike brought up the string of murders. Will Hanlon hated talking about the Derry Murders in way that was different than other parents in town. The other adults in Derry didn’t want their children brining it up as they liked to pretend that nothing was happening as best they could. Slap on a curfew and act as though anything that happens was then out of their control. The mayors own son was murdered, and everybody just shrugged their shoulders and went on about their everyday business.

Will Hanlon was a much better father than most in town, Mike had known this since he was old enough to know anything. Something about these murders settling deep within Mr Hanlon’s bones and a part of his father shut down every time it was brought up. In any other situation, William Hanlon was open and would answer questions that Mike had ever had about anything in his life- until last spring, when kids started getting killed.

“The Corcoran boy, right? Edward, was it?” Mr Hanlon shook his head. “A damn shame. Kid’s been through the ringer already. Ain’t nobody deserve that but after all that boy had been forced to go through.”

Mike nodded solemnly. He’d gone to school with Eddie Corcoran since he’d been switched into public school once high school started, a whole four years ago, but Mike had always kept to himself. A bit of a loner, by choice he supposed. He knew, though, of course about Eddie’s father and the death of his little brother just the year before. In a town like Derry, it was impossible not to hear about terrible things that happened to other people. Mike supposed that enough people, in time, would just chalk up Eddie Corcoran’s deaths to the same as his brothers- anything to continue pretending that the curfew was helping jack shit.

“Yeah, it’s…” Mike started but Mr Hanlon quickly closed the doors to the cupboards and looked expectantly to his son.

“Can you finish putting the groceries away?” Mr Hanlon asked, rubbing at his temples. “I think I need to take a nap. I feel a headache coming on something awful.”

“Yeah, Dad, of course,” Mike said, quickly setting the injured duck back into its tissue box bed as he stood. Mr Hanlon patted him on the shoulder once as he walked past, and Mike tried to make the quickest work of the groceries that he could.

“You know why he won’t talk about it, don’t you, boy?”

Mike jumped, and turned around to find his grandfather moving slowly to sit at the table. He had a big leather bound notebook in his hands and he looked more lucid than Mike had seen him appear in many months. Grandpa Hanlon’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s was all but official, though Mrs Hanlon always said he didn’t have quite enough symptoms for doctors to give it the name it deserved. Mike was watching the old man struggle with things that he never would have imagined his grandfather would, but now the man that sat at the kitchen table looked so much like the grandfather Mike had grown up with that he almost forgot about his deuterating brain cells.

“I…” Mike shrugged, rolling a can of gluten free gravy between his hands. “I supposed because it makes him uncomfortable. All those kids getting killed.”

Grandpa Hanlon hummed, opening up the notebook and sliding it further across the table. “It does make him uncomfortable but not just because of those poor kids… because it’s happened before.”

Mike crinkled his brow, leaving the groceries discarded behind him as he moved to sit across from his grandfather. “What are you talking about?”

“Thirty years ago, there was a string a killings. All young teens, just like now.” Grandfather Hanlon patted the notebook and Mike reached out to take it. Inside were several newpaper article dated between 1990 and 1991, all about deaths of students from Derry High- northside and southside alike. Mike frowned deeply, flipping through them. There were twenty one in total, Mike stopped at the one… the only one that seemed to have been a leading story in the paper.

LOCAL TEACHER ARRESTED FOR ILLEGAL RELATIONSHIP WITH UNDERAGE STUDENT

Mike raised his brow and looked up at his grandfather. “What does this have to do with the murders?” Mike rang his finger tips across the man’s face, admitting to himself that there was something sinister to this man. The image itself appeared as though it were taken directly out of a yearbook, the teacher in question just smiling at camera but just the smile brought a deep chill to Mike and brought goosebumps up around his arms.

“That has everything to do with the murders, my boy.” Grandfather Hanlon said deeply. “That man is Robert Gray, and he killed all those kids back in 1991. And would’ve have gotten away with it, too, if he hadn’t been caught messing around with that poor, young girl.”

“What girl?” Mike asked, his voice coming out barely above a whisper.

“Goodness, I couldn’t tell you her name.” Grandfather Hanlon shook his head. “It was so long ago and my memory isn’t what it used to be. She was only fifteen, couple years older than your father was back then, and they kept her identity very hush hush.”

Mike nodded. “What happened to her?”

Grandfather Hanlon sighed. “I don’t know, most people believe that the poor girl just changed her name and moved from Derry. It would make sense, given what he was.”

“You don’t believe that?” Mike asked lightly, rubbing his thumb into the old newspaper. Grandfather Hanlon sighed, shaking his head.

“I’m not sure how the girl could have been with this evil a man, and not know what he was.” Grandfather Hanlon said. “But I can’t pretend to know. They found all the evidence for his other crimes while searching his house for the rape charges and we know the girl never testified against him.”

“She could have been afraid.” Mike said, but he too had a slight twinge in his stomach that told him there was much more to the story than simple fear. “Why does Dad have all this stuff?”

“Because Robert Gray went to jail for twenty one murders, but your father and I know he committed at least twenty four.” Grandfather Hanlon said darkly, a look coming across his face that Mike had never seen on his before. “Your father was only eleven, guess he was too young for Gray’s type but I’ll.. I’ll never forgive myself for leaving town that weekend.”

Mike swallowed harshly. He knew that his aunt and uncle had died when his father was very young, while his grandparents had been away for the weekend. The only explanation to it he’d received had been “an incident” but the deep, dark words in his grandfather’s speech made Mike want to throw up.

“This Gray guy… he killed them?” Mike asked, forcing his voice to stay light. He pushed the newspaper ridden notebook away from him, reaching for his duck and pulling the small animal close to his chest.

Grandfather Hanlon nodded. “Your father and I have always believed so but… Robert Gray was never tried in their deaths, despite the similarities in them. The Derry Police had ruled it a hate crime by the next morning, and that’s they’d had to say about it. Robert Gray never faced justice for my baby’s deaths, and your father has never truly gotten past that.”

Mike squeezed his eyes shut. “Is that why Dad hates talking about the deaths now? It reminds him of what happened?”

“Partly.” Grandfather Hanlon said lightly. “Though, my boy, if I can be honest with you- there are enough common actions in these crimes and those of thirty years ago that even a man with as poor a memory as I can say that it leaves me with unease.”

“You think the same person is doing this?” Mike said, hearing an irregular pitch in his voice. “I thought you said he was arrested.”

“Arrested and dead.” Grandfather Hanlon said, the smallest hint of a smile tugging at the old mans’ face. “Bastard took a plea to escape the death penalty but it did him no good. Would’ve lived longer waiting on the Green Mile than he did going into the lions den. Robert Gray didn’t live to see 1992, If there’s anything they hate up there in Shawshank, it’s kid killer and worse- kid fuckers. Robert Gray was both, and doomed from the moment he walked into that building.”

Mike nodded, digging his front teeth into his bottom lip. Grandfather Hanlon tapped the notebook and nodded at his grandson. “You read these.. read them, Michael. Know your enemy. No gangster is killing these kids.”

Mike nodded in response, keeping eye contact with his grandfather until the man stood and shuffled from the room.

There was burning curiosity deep in Mike Hanlon’s stomach and knew that, with the new information, there was no way he’d be able to just sit on this and let bad things happen. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to do this alone… and he knew the exact right people to help him.

xxx

“Benjamin Hanscom, please report to the journalism office, immediately. Benjamin Hanscom to the journalism office.”

Ben gathered up his books and walked from the classroom, feeling the eyes of his classmates staring at him as he moved. There was nothing Ben hated more than having attention drawn to him, and he could feel Stanley Uris’ eyes burning into the back of his neck. Ben knew only where the journalism office was because the guidance counsellor had tried to encourage him to write for the school paper when he’d first moved to Derry. He’d known it was because of his aunt and mother, so Ben had refused.

He came into the open office door, and frowned at the two other students that seemed to be cooing over a small duck in Kleenex box. He recognized the boy as Mike Hanlon, whose family ran the farm on the edges of town and Ben wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him interacting with other students anymore than Ben himself did. The girl beside him was Aurora Morgan, who ran the Derry High Harold and was- in truth- one of the prettiest girl that Ben Hanscom had ever seen.

“I’m…” Ben scratched the back of his neck. “I was called here, I don’t…”

“We called you, Ben Hanscom.” Aurora said, voice high and sweet like a song. Ben felt his face turn pink and forced his eyes down to the small duck in Mike’s hand. “We need you.”

“Need me? I…” Ben shook his head, swallowing harshly. “Why?”

Aurora and Mike smirked at each other.

Bill caught sight of Richie Tozier ducking through the crowds of classmates and had barely shifted his weight before Audra was squeezing his wrist. “Bill, please,” Audra pleaded, though her voice was almost cold. “I’m not spending another night with you squrrielling after the Toziers. I’m not doing this anymore.”

“I wasn’t going to…” Bill sighed, and stared into Audra’s eyes. He pleaded with her in a way he could never say. He understood now, he did. “Just… all the things Tozier was saying when we visited him… about Richie… and I just-“ Bill swallowed harshly, unable not for the first time, to imagine growing up in a home where his own father could speak so terribly, so casually about him.

Audra face softened slightly, nodding towards him. Her hand slipped down further Bill’s wrist until their fingers tangled in together. As Bill took the steps towards Tozier, the hyper awareness of his blue eyes and cocked of his smirk made Bill more than a little suspicious that perhaps there was less alcohol in Richie’s red cup then he might been letting their classmates believe.

“Where are your shadows?” Bill asked, shifting his weight from the front of his feet to his heels. Audra seemed to grow stiffer beside him, and he mentally cursed himself. Tozier merely smirking and shrugged one shoulder loosely.

“I don’t control Stan and Bev, believe me,” Tozier snickered, swishing the dark liquid around in his cup. “I don’t keep tabs on them. They can do whatever they want, they can take care of themselves.”

Bill pulled his hand away from Audra and took another step closer to Tozier. “Look, Richie, I just wanted to say-:”

Tozier waved his hand and shook his head. “No offense, Denbrough, but I’m really not in the mood for some bullshit fight tonight unless you’re actually going to throw up punches. The build up has been rather disappointing you know? I’m bored.”

Bill rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t going to fight with you! Why is that everybody’s immediate thought?” Audra and Tozier gave Bill unimpressed looks that looked so similar that it gave him chills down his spine. “I was going to apologize for being such a dick to you. I should’ve known you weren’t capable of doing that to Guh-Georgie or Juh-Juh-“

Tozier raised his brow. “Does this have anything to do with you two going all Betty and Jughead on my dad the other day?”

Bill blinked once and glanced over to his girlfriend. Audra was standing stone-still, eyes wide and looking at Tozier in shock. Tozier let out a snicker. “You really think you two were going to just waltz into the Long Float and nobody would’ve noticed? And nobody would’ve told me? You guys are smarter than that.”

Bill swallowed roughly. “I’m apologizing. I don’t give a suh-shit if you accept or not.”

“Nah, whatever, brother,” Tozier chugged back the rest of his drink and licked at his lips. The shining in his eyes made an uncomfortable tension settle in Bill’s stomach, unable to see the look as anything other than a predator looking at its next meal. “I have more important things to-“

Tozier was cut off by a body breaking through the crowd with an annoyingly loud, persistent “Richie!” and coming forward to tug at Tozier’s jacket sleeve. “You promised that we’d…”

Bill’s mouth dropped open slightly at the sight of a messy, rushed-looking Eddie Kaspbrak. Audra glanced between Eddie and a now almost nervous looking Richie Tozier. Tozier had placed his red-solo cup somewhere, and despite both boys looking ready to turn tail and run, Eddie’s hand was still tangled up in Tozier’s jacket while Tozier had shifted slightly to stand almost in front of Eddie.

“I…” Bill shook his head. “Eddie! You said your mother wouldn’t let you uh-out!” Bill’s cheeks were burning at how prominent his stutter was that night, worse than it had been since before he’d hit puberty. “What… What…”

“I didn’t lie,” Eddie said, hand tightening more in Tozier’s jacket sleeve. “She didn’t want me coming, and I’m not- I’m not staying I just..”

“Needed Richie?” Audra said, arms now crossed tightly around her chest. Bill could feel his hands shaking at his side. Had he been so consumed, so blind sided by his own problems, that hadn’t noticed his own best friend slipping away? Slipping into the arms of a devil?

Eddie was looking at his two friends as though in pain, and Tozier was shifting from foot to foot- staring them down. “I…” Eddie squeaked. “I… We have to go! Rich-“

“Rich?” Bill challenged in disbelief, voice raising. He could feel people watching them, people seeing what was happening. He could feel the rumours growing, the whispers and stares. Eddie’s reputation was as good as shot now, and Bill knew he was drawing the attention to them, but he couldn’t bring himself to lower his voice. “What the fuck, Eddie? Are you guys fuh-fuh-fuck-“

“Bill…” Audra said lightly, glancing around at the gathering of people around them.

“We’re not fucking,” Tozier said, his words delivering a disgust that didn’t reach the flush of his cheeks or the softness of his eyes. Bill’s stomach churched, glancing back down at where his best friend was pressed tightly beside his sworn enemy. Against one of the most problematic people Bill Denbrough had ever had the displeasure of meeting.

“We have to go!” Eddie cried then, tears swimming in his eyes. His hand slipped free of Tozier’s jacket, just to reach out and tangle into Tozier’s own hand. Bill was sure he was going to throw up then. The idea that he’d just been apologizing to Richie Tozier brought on another wave of nausea, knowing that he’d spent the last few days feeling bad for Richie Tozier while the bastard was out ruining his best friend’s life.

Bill watched Eddie pull Tozier away, ducking through the groups of student that always seemed to around right when there was something worth watching. “Bill, you need to calm down,” Audra was up against him, whispering in his ear, eyes on the crowd. Bill shook her off.

“What I need-“ Bill snapped, loudly, too loudly. Audra’s eyes widened, and her words from earlier just danced in Bill’s mind. I’m not doing this anymore. “Is a fucking drink.”

Audra’s lips turned down in disapproval, but Bill didn’t get the chance to heade another response before the front door was banging open and the crowd was parting. Bill and Audra turned towards the commotion, pressing together side by side on the reflex. Bill’s heart hammered straight up into his throat as the group of boys in Devil Jackets moved through the house, each student moving from the path as though burned by the sight of them.

“Well, well, well,” Henry Bowers clicked his tongue, lips stuck in a permanent smirk. “I heard there was a fucking party.”

--

Mike Hanlon handed Aurora Morgans another drink and leaned against the wall beside her. “You’re sure about this? I still think there’s a better way to get a story than hanging around with a bunch of drunk teenagers.”

Aurora shrugged, pressed happily in beside a flustered looking Ben Hanscom. “Maybe. But you realize that high school isn’t supposed to be all about getting this story? It’s senior year, maybe we just need to spend one night as drunk teenagers.” Mike and Ben gave her equal looks of disbelief and Aurora let out a soft chuckle. “I told you already, this party is guaranteed to blow up in everybody’s faces. Didn’t you see what went down between Kaspbrak and Denbrough?”

“That was bound to happen at some point,” Mike said with a eye roll. “Eddie and Richie weren’t exactly being subtle.”

“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s kind of cute…. all star crossed lovers and all that,” Ben said with a slow nod, “but they weren’t doing a very good job at hiding that they’re dating or whatever. If Bill wasn’t so caught up in his own drama, he would’ve figured it out a long time ago.”

“I don’t think they’re dating,” Aurora said lightly. “I mean, Tozier has been theoretically in love with Kaspbrak since like first grade, but they aren’t together. I think they’re working on something.”

“That’s obvious,” Ben agreed. “You didn’t see them when I brought up that picture. They know who the third person is. I get why Richie is chasing after it, because of his sister, but the question really is.. what is Eddie getting out of it?”

Mike frowned. He, truthfully, hadn’t given much concerned to that article or the third person with Wentworth and Zachary Denbrough. He still believed that their best chance at figuring out anything was Robert Gray and what happened 30 years ago. It was the only lead he was interested in investigating, and he couldn’t truly bring himself to care whether Eddie Kaspbrak and Richie Tozier were dating or not. It was a doomed couple either way.

A loud commotion jerked the investigating trio out of their thoughts as group of their classmates were forced into the living room where they stood. The music was cut out and Bill Denbrough was forced down onto his knees in the middle of the room. Henry Bowers moved in front of him, grinning like a hyena and Mike’s heart actually skipped a beat in his chest.

“I’m going to make this quick,” Bowers said, pulling gun clearly stolen from Sheriff Bowers from the loop of his belt. Aurora let out a soft gasp, clasping a hand over her mouth. Ben had gone sheet white, and was pressing a rough hand against her hip. Mike backed up slightly, unsure if he was going to rush at Bowers or make a run for it. He didn’t doubt for a second that Henry Bowers was capable of pulling that trigger. “I don’t want to hurt anybody,” lie. a clear lie, judging by the crazed smile on Henry’s face. “I just want to know where Richie Tozier is. You tell me what I want to know, and I let everybody go. No harm, no foul.”

Audra struggled against Victor Criss’s binding hold, pressing her tightly against his chest. Tears were pooled in her eyes, already running down her face. Bill Denbrough looked at Bowers, that look of stupid bravery that Mike knew all too well. “Why do you need us to tell you where Tozier is? Isn’t he your boss?”

Bowers tossed the gun outwards, ringing across Denbrough’s jaw with an echoing whack! Audra let out a loud sob and sunk backwards into Criss’ tight hold. Aurora whimpered as people throughout the room let out small screams and gasps. Mike caught sight of the slightly opened living room window, not opened enough for him to squeeze through without catching attention but maybe…He shifted forward so he was standing in front of Aurora and nodded towards it. Aurora’s eyes went wide with fear but she nodded back at him.

Denbrough was groaning and struggling to get to back onto his knees while Bowers stared down at him with a deranged rage on his voice. “I didn’t ask for your smart fucking mouth, Denbrough, but if you must know… we don’t take our orders from the Toziers anymore.” Bowers grinned while Criss tightened his hold on Audra’s throat, bringing out a small choking noise for a singular moment.

Mike could feel Aurora moving slowly behind him, but didn’t allow himself to turn towards her. Denbrough was pressed back on his knees, face bleeding slightly and already starting to swell, his eyes stuck on his no longer struggling girlfriend. Bowers pressed the barrel of the gun to the side of Denbrough’s face and used to force it roughly towards himself. Bowers knelt down to eye level with Denbrough.

“But… if you must know,” Bowers drawled, voice slick with a sick entertainment. “There’s a bigger player in the game now. Things are changing around here. We chose to be on the winning side.”

“You mean you chose to follow whoever you think is the biggest powerhouse,” Denbrough challenged, eyes still flashing. “Because you’re all talk and can’t do anything without being lead.”

Bowers smashed the gun against Denbrough’s face once more, though Denbrough seemed to have seen it coming this time. He managed to keep his up on his knees, spitting out a mouthful of blood as his eyes flickered closed for a singular moment.

“Anymore fucking lip from you, Denbrough,” Bowers threatened, all crazy amusement drained from him the quickest of turns. “And I’ll pain the walls of his house with your little girlfriend’s blood. Then you’ll fucking see what I can do without being lead. Now where is Richie Tozier?”

Denbrough stared him down, clenching his jaw despite the obvious pain it brought him. Tears filled his eyes at the burn, but he didn’t blink, didn’t move. Bowers let out a humourless chuckle. “Who are you defending, Denbrough? It’s certainly not Tozier.”

Denbrough’s eyes flicked, just for a moment, over to where Audra was leaning against Criss- eyes squeezed shut, breathing heavily. He looked back up at Bowers and spit out another mouthful of blood as a grin spread across Bowers’ face.

“It’s not Uris or Marsh, they’ve got their own roles in this,” Bowers tapped the gun lightly against the side of his face, every eye in the room except Audra’s following it. “So it must be your little faggy friend… Kaspbrak? Oh yeah, that’s it, it’s all over your face.”

Denbrough spit his next mouth of bloody spit directly into Bower’s face and Mike tensed his shoulders in preparation of what would happen next. To the open surprise of everybody in the room, Bowers merely laughed. “You have no fucking clue what’s going on here, do you, Denbrough? You think you’re so fucking smart but you know nothing… Eddie Kaspbrak is the safest fucker in this whole town. You don’t know him at all.”

Mike glanced at to find his friend already looking at him. Looking at Ben, Mike could see Aurora from the corner of his eye. The girl had made to the window, but was frozen against it, watching the scene unfolding around them. Swallowing roughly, Mike turned back just as Greta Bowie came flying into the room with a smirking Patrick Hockstetter behind her.

“What the hell is going on?” Greta cried, high pitched and shriek-y. “You can’t just come into my fucking house and start-“

What Greta was going to say, nobody would ever know. Bowers barely glanced away from Bill Denbrough’s face as he turned his gun and fired. The blow flew right through Greta’s upper forehead, the girl dropping like rock towards the ground. Blood flew out, splattering along the sides of Criss and Audra’s heads and directly against Patrick Hockstetter’s face. Audra let out a loud scream and even Criss looked disgusted and mildly horrified.

“Does anybody else,” Bowers stood and shouted out towards the room, sounding thoroughly like the unhinged maniac that Mike had known he was since childhood. “Want to fucking interrupt me?” He gestured towards Mike and Ben with his gun. “Morgans? Get the fuck out of that window and shut it, unless you want to wear the new kid.”

Ben whimpered beside Mike as a ghost white Aurora tumbled back into the living room and shut the window with shaking hands. “I didn’t want to do this. All I wanted was Richie fucking Tozier.” Bowers said then, gesturing around the room with his gun. “It wasn’t that fucking difficult! Tell me where Richie is and nobody gets fucking hurt! How fucking hard was that?”

“We don’t know where he is!” Audra broke through, hands pressed to her face. In his surprise, Criss seemed to have let go of the girl but neither teen had moved. Bloody and shaking, they both stood rooted to their spots. Criss’ eyes were stuck on Greta’s body that Patrick had tossed his Devil jacket down to cover. “He was here but he- he- he left! He and Eddie- they left, we don’t know where they went!”

“Somebody does,” Bowers grinned devilishly. “Don’t they, Morgans?”

Aurora glanced around, trembling like the leaves on the trees outside. “I….” She said in a shaky voice. “No, I don’t know where they went.”

“Don’t lie to me, Morgans,” Bowers pressed the barrel of the gun to Denbrough’s temple. “Or I’ll kill him, you know I will.”

“What do I care if you kill him?” Aurora challenged, body stiffening and eyes hardening. Mike could feel the fear radiating off her, but she’d managed to swallow all visible signs of it outside of her shaking hands. “And I know you won’t. You need him.”

Bowers jaw clenched visibly even from where Mike was standing. Ben was shaking beside him, eyes glued to Aurora. Bowers blew out an angry breath and repositioned his gun to point at her. “Maybe I’ll just kill you then? Don’t need you for anything. You really wanna die protecting Richie Tozier?”

“It’s not him I’m protecting.” Aurora shot back. “And I think you know that.”

“I’m not going to hurt Kaspbrak!” Bowers practically roared, while Aurora raised her brow.

“You weren’t gonna hurt Greta either, but she got in your way,” Aurora shot back. “You aren’t the perfect picture of self control right now, Bowers. You seem a little unhinged.”

As Bowers pulled the trigger, Denbrough dove forward and collided into him. The pair tumbled backwards, gun jerking upwards at the final moment and firing into the ceiling. Pieces of the roof tumbled down, Mike diving forward and dropping himself on top of Aurora as it landed on top of them.

Bowers was screaming in a pure rage when Mike pushed the debris off of them. Bowers pushed himself onto his feet, shaking from head to toe. “I FUCKING TOLD YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU GOT SMART WITH ME, DENBROUGH. I FUCKNIG WARNED YOU.”