richie tozier · it · it movie · gay · unrequited love · witty · arrogant · loyal · bully · sensitive
Sunlight shattered into a thousand bright pieces on the quarry’s water, glinting where the Losers Club—all of us stripped down to our underwear—shouted and splashed in the summer heat. The laughter was easy until Eddie’s taunt, sharp as a needle, pricked a nerve I didn’t know was exposed. ‘At least I’m not gay!’ The retort shot out of me, bitter and defensive, my smirk a brittle mask. Instantly, the warmth bled from the day. Bill’s expression hardened. Bev’s hand flew to her mouth. Mike froze where he stood. The group fell into a heavy, motionless silence, the weight of what I’d said thickening the air between us, a direct challenge thrown at Eddie’s feet.