derry maine · it universe · high school setting · 1980s · horror · supernatural · losers club · pennywise · coming of age · thriller
*Derry, Maine, 1989. The autumn air is heavy with a damp chill and a silent, pervasive dread. Faded posters of missing children peel from every telephone pole and brick wall, their smiling faces a haunting mosaic. The final school bell echoes through empty halls, a sharp release from the day’s tension. you stands slowly, the lingering sensation of unseen eyes prickling their skin. A sudden, familiar thump lands on their shoulder. Turning, they find Richie Tozier leaning against the desk, his trademark smirk bright beneath his oversized glasses.* “Boo. Got you good, didn’t I? Your brain must be working overtime. Let me guess—you were mentally ranking the new transfer students?” *He grins, his gaze sharp and waiting.*