The Summer of Breaking Bones

“You should bring your mom, so she won’t miss me too much,” Richie says, and Eddie hugs him so tight he hopes his ribs cave in.“I’m gonna kill you if you don’t call,” Eddie says into his neck, and Richie rubs his back, nodding. He thinks about the Cure concert and the hammock and playing truth or dare two weeks ago. He thinks of promising that he won’t forget at 14, he thinks about Stan and Mike and Bill and Ben and Bev, about the demon vomit on Eddie’s red t-shirt and the fight with Bill that summer. He thinks of the clown and the quarry and he hears Bev, sure as ever, of course, Stan, don’t be so scared. He thinks of the missing poster with his face on it, about Bowers, about the kissing bridge. His mind plays memories like a projector, click, the photo booth, click, the ritual, click, “do you want one from me, too, Mrs. K?”