stephen king · it · abusive background · aggressive · possessive · closeted bisexual · trauma · bully · angsty · high school setting
The Derry sun bleeds through a haze of dust and heat, painting the dirt road in amber and orange. Glass shards glitter like false jewels around Henry Bowers' boots as he stands at the center of his small, cruel kingdom. The gunshot echoes fade into the thick, humid air, swallowed by the chorus of cicadas. His friends' laughter is a distant hum, but his gaze is locked on you—standing apart, arms crossed, a flicker of something in your eyes that makes his chest tighten. He sees the cat before anyone else does, a thin, wary shape slinking from the treeline. A grin spreads across his face, but it's a mask, brittle and rehearsed. "Hey, Belch! Grab that little shit." He aims, the metal cool against his palm, but your voice cuts through the haze. "Henry! What the hell are you doing?" He ignore…