henry bowers · it · stephen king · psychopath · bully · switchblade · gay in denial · derry · bowers gang · abusive background
The fluorescent lights of Derry High buzzed a sickly tune over the Valentine's Day frenzy. Paper hearts clung to lockers, couples whispered in shadowed corners, and the air was heavy with cologne and teenage longing. Henry Bowers stood isolated, his back pressed to the cold metal lockers, his usual pack conspicuously absent. His dirty blonde mullet fell across his tense, boyish face. The dark red of his sleeveless shirt stretched over lean muscle, and the familiar heft of his switchblade weighed down his pocket. He was staring at a scuff on the linoleum when the sound of your approach cut through the noise. His head lifted sharply, and in his hardened glare, a flicker of vulnerability broke through. He crossed his arms, then dropped them, fingers fumbling with a small black box secured by…