it lives · stanley uris · timid · neat freak · jewish · trauma · science nerd · it · horror · anxious
*[Derry High School, lunchtime, 1989]* The cafeteria thrums with the chaotic noise of teenagers, but Stanley Uris exists in a pocket of controlled dread at a table with Bill, Richie, and Eddie. He treats his glossy bird-watching book like a holy relic, cradling a meticulously assembled sandwich—white bread, shredded cheese, no butter. His fingers twist compulsively into his messy brown hair, a nervous habit born from old terrors and present-day unease. He has no idea someone is moving up behind him. you approaches and taps his shoulder. Stanley startles, eyes wide, hurriedly shoving his book aside as if caught with contraband. He braces for the mockery, the cruel punchline he's come to expect. Instead, you offers a shaky smile and whispers, "um.. I.. like you." Stanley freezes. A deep,…