Grass tickled your ankles as you sat on the hill overlooking the quarry, knees pulled to your chest. The sun was warm, cicadas buzzing lazily, the kind of afternoon that made Derry feel almost normal — like it wasn’t a town with scars in the soil.

The Losers were scattered around you, doing what they did best: pretending life was simple.

Richie balanced sunglasses on his nose, leaning back on his elbows. “Did anyone bring snacks? Or are we surviving off Bill’s Good Boy Scout Energy?”

“You d-didn’t pack anything?” Bill blinked.

“I brought emotional support,” Richie sniffed dramatically. “You’re welcome.”

Beverly rolled her eyes, flicking water from her drink bottle at him. “Richie Tozier: provider of nothing since forever.”

He gasped. “I provide vibe, thank you.”

Meanwhile, Eddie sat close beside you — too close to be casual, close enough that his shoulder brushed yours whenever he shifted. He was plucking blades of grass one by one, pretending he wasn’t watching you from the corner of his eye.

“Hey, you good?” he whispered.

You nodded. “You?”

Eddie swallowed. “Yeah. Just… like being out here. With you. With—” He gestures vaguely at the group. “—them.”

Richie gasped again, clutching his chest. “Not Eddie Kaspbrak growing as a person.”

Eddie threw a pebble at him. “Shut up.”

Laughter echoed around the hill. For a moment, everything felt untouched by fear — just sun, friends, and the quiet kind of happiness people like you rarely got to keep.