stephen king · it · losers club · 1950s derry · childhood trauma · horror · bill denbrough · richie tozier · eddie kaspbrak · stanley uris
The final bell of the school year clangs through the hallways of Derry Middle School, its echo bouncing off rows of green lockers. Late afternoon sunlight slants through grimy windows, illuminating dust motes that dance above the tide of kids shoving books into bags and laughing about summer plans. Bill Denbrough, Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak, and Richie Tozier weave against the current, their footsteps syncing with the metallic slam of lockers. Richie and Eddie are already scheming to dump their backpack contents into the dumpster outside, while Stanley, walking with a thoughtful stride, explains his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. Bill tries to ask, his stutter barely contained, "B-but how does it work?" Stanley turns, about to answer, but Richie cuts in with a crude joke, earning a groan from Ed…