SUMMARY: Just random bullshit. A little talk about the carnival. A little talk about growing weed. The carnival is in San Francisco, Henry got there just a day ago.
Henry: Yo.
Reg: Hey man. Sup?
Henry:
Nothin'. I know you're busy and shit, I'm just bored. There ain't nothin' to do in yer trailer and I ain't used to sittin' still for so long.
Reg: You’re all good, I get ya. I mean, do you wanna come work with me? I can talk to the HBIC, I’ll bet she’d be fine with it. Or, if you ain’t interested in what I do, there’s lots of other shit around.
Henry:
What do you do, exactly?
Reg: I deal with all things concessions. Gettin the machines up and runnin in the mornings. Getting all the popcorn popped and cotton candy premade. Making sure we’ve got enough candied apples and funnel cake batter. I help out where they need me, if the lines get too long, taking orders and shit. It ain’t glamorous or nothin but it’s chill, and nobody bothers ya.
Henry: I guess I could help ya. You helped me on the farm. Doesn't sound too hard.
Reg: If you wanna, you’re welcome. I want ya to be able to do somethin you enjoy here. If that ain’t your thing I get it. There’s animals and shit, but that loser Hanlon works over there. If you were interested in maintenance or helpin with the rides and machinery you could talk to Patrick Curtis, he can always use good guys. But you know I ain’t gonna say no to you bein with me either.
Henry: I don't wanna talk to anyone else, I'll stick with you. Fuck that loser Hanlon, and fuck the other guy too, for now. You really like it here, huh? You seem to know all the people.
Reg: Cool. You’ll probably have to meet Ms. Kirsch, she runs this whole dog and pony show. But, she’s cool, I think. And you know I’ll vouch for ya. Yeah. I mean like I said, it ain’t exactly glamorous but when have I ever needed that? I got a roof and a paycheck. Good enough for me. Yeah, you get to know these people, pretty much living with em. But it’s different than normal. Nobody asks questions about shit. It’s like...Everybody just knows the rules. Don’t ask don’t tell.
Henry: That don't sound too bad. I mean, I can deal. I'll stick with you for now, we'll worry about what I do for ...permanent, later. Lemme guess, she's the authority 'round here? Tells bitches what to do and shit? At least nobody's gonna ask me shit. I ain't answerin'.
Henry: It's weird. Watchin' you work a regular job thing.September 30, 2020
Reg: Is it?
Henry: Yeah. You're good at it.
Reg: Well that's...Thanks, Hen. Believe it or not, I do actually try here. Don't wanna fuck it up, ya know? Especially knowin' I don't...I mean other than you, I ain't exactly got much else.
Henry: So you ain't runnin' the place like we were at home. Doin' whatever ya want. Yer followin' the rules and makin' nice.
Henry: You know the losers are here.
Reg: I may not be runnin the whole show, but I'm runnin somethin. That's good enough, for now. I've only been here 6 months, I don't wanna stir the pot too much, just yet. Not til I've made it clear I'm essential and shit. I'm tryin to be strategic about shit.
Reg: Yeah. I know. I was waitin' on you to say somethin. Hanlon was here when I got here. Beaverly, too. Tits just got here, though, and boy does he think he's hot shit.
Henry: You run into him? He say somethin' to you?
Henry: It's always you with the brain. I just wanna beat some ass. This is fuckin' weird. I'm waitin' for a campfire and everyone to start singing.
Reg: Not really. I said some shit to him, he thought he might get cute back. I think some of that brain got lost with the weight. Anyway, not a big thing. He'll get his, I know it.
Reg: Nah. You're the real brains of any operation we're into. I wouldn't follow ya if that wasn't true. And, you're gonna be waitin a while if that's what you're lookin for. We might all be polite and shit, but that don't mean this is some kinda hippie dippie shit.
Henry: Yer right, he is gonna get his.
Henry: Yer just butterin' me up. I make the rules, I make the orders, I run the show but you always call me on it when I'm runnin' in half cocked. And you knew how to keep us outta trouble. You found this place too. Seems pretty hippie dippie to me. I dunno how everyone just lives with everyone else.
Reg: How'd I know that was comin?
Reg: Nah, you know I wouldn't do that to ya Hen. I mean it. You're smart as fuck. Everyone needs a little...Perspective sometimes. Everyone. That I do try at. Y'all don't always make that easy. Which is fine. I do love a challenge. To be honest with ya, sometimes I think it's more like this place found me. Sure, it might look that way. But it only works cause we all mind our own.
Henry: 'Cause ya know me. I'll take care of it.
Henry: If you say so. Shit's fuckin' weird. And it feels like I've got snakes in my veins, I can't just sit here. I dunno what to fuckin' do with myself. You think it found you? How so? I guess. I'm still ready to swing if anyone so much as bumps into me.
Reg: I know ya will, Hen. You're good like that.
Reg: Man, you've gotta chill. I know what you need.
Henry: He'll fuckin' regret whatever he said.
Henry: What do I need?
Reg: Hen...
Reg: Here, open that little top drawer right there. It's where I keep the 'stash'. Light one of those puppies right on up, and enjoy.
Henry: Nobody says shit to you. Not a single damn thing. Least of all him-- maybe I'll finish that little piece of art on his ugly gut, only this time the goal will be HUGGINS. Make sure he fuckin' remembers.
Henry: Holy fuckin' shit, yer a lifesaver. You do know what I need. You don't gotta tell me twice.
Reg: You're incredible.
I've got you, Hen. always. Even if ya don't think so. I'll always take care of ya.
Henry: He should know better.
Henry: Yer the only one I might believe that from. People are shit. I don't need 'em anyway. You growin' or somethin'?
Reg’s eyes followed Henry’s as he shot a glare at the girl in the ticket booth, shaking his head as he did his best to suppress a grin. “She’s smiling as a way to let me know you’re alright to come in. She knows you’re with me.” Henry’s next words took Reg a bit off-guard, although they shouldn’t have. They were exactly what he should have been expecting, in fact. In the back of his mind, he knew his disappearing act wouldn’t come without consequences, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise. Henry needed to re-assert his dominance, to remind Reg that just because he’d gotten a hair up his ass, nothing in their dynamic had changed. “I’m tellin you the truth, Hen.” Reg sighed, pulling a cigarette from the pack in his front pocket before lighting it and passing it to Henry. “I get why you don’t think that. But stick around long enough, and you’ll see.”
Despite everything, it comforted Reg to know that Henry was following him, looking around at everything and everyone as they went about their days. In a way it felt strange, having Henry here. Not because of him, though, but because Reg suddenly felt the need to prove himself, to prove that he hadn’t run from everything he’d ever known and loved for nothing. He chuckled at Henry’s words, turning to face the other as he pulled out a cigarette for himself. “Don’t go gettin’ any ideas, now. I offered because you’ve got blood in your hair, and a little on your face. But, if that’s the look you’re goin for, man, be my guest.”
**
It was hard to be anything but an asshole when your name was Henry Bowers. He’d always been like this, to an extent. His paranoia and anger issues were only getting worse and worse the last time they saw each other. Being the subject of a nationwide manhunt, wanted for questioning on a murder charge hadn’t helped any and neither had all the time he had spent alone before that. The murder charge might have said the time alone hadn’t been good for his mental health.
Then Reg was handing him a cigarette, already lit, and he took his first long drag gratefully. There was a brush of fingertips that made him want to fall to his knees, he ached for contact so bad, but the cigarette was a good distraction because he wanted one of those almost as bad-- and a cigarette was a need that he could justify. So he sucked down air fulls of smoke that made his lungs burn, he drew so hard. “Fuck off, maybe I like blood. I ain’t had a chance to take a real shower since the cops busted in on me.” A shrug, an eyeroll, but that was all. The cigarette was a great distraction from that part of the conversation too. “Man, it’s so fuckin’ hard to get smokes on the road, these days. Can’t hardly ask for a cigarette without gettin’ glared at. Too many fuckin’ prudes can’t stand the thought’a havin’ one less.”
Well, this is definitely one hell of an event. I guess a few introductions are in order, here. My name is Ben, and as most of you can probably tell, I’m new around here. If anyone has any advice on getting adjusted, or can point me in the direction of whomever I need to speak with to get set up with living quarters, let me know.
Well, well, well... How ya doin’, tits? Got any new body mods lately or still just the one?
Reg had known it would be hard when he left, on both sides of the fence. But, after what had happened, and everything he’d done, in the moment he’d felt as though he didn’t have another option. He’d known Henry was upset, that fact ate at him day and night, and was always in the back of his mind. But, at the juncture he’d managed to find himself at, he’d had to do something drastic. Doing his best to keep in touch, to call and text, had only seemed to make the situation worse, no matter how hard he tried to repair things. Reg was certain Henry Bowers might never trust him again, and that wrecked him more than anything else could have. He didn’t show it, though, carrying on as he always did, feeling lonelier than he ever had, in an unfamiliar place with no friends, and no one to lean on but himself. He’d made out pretty well with the Carnival, but when the call came from Henry, Reg prepared himself to leave everything he’d built here behind, to return to the one place he swore he never would again.
Then, the idea occurred to him that Henry could come to the Carnival, and suddenly things began to fall more into place than they had since Reg had left. Henry needed to get out, and Reg had that option for him, ready and waiting. Though, judging by the tone of the man’s texts, their reunion wasn’t going to be as seamless as Reginald had dared hope. That was just fine for Reg, though; he had nearly a lifetime of experience with Henry, and he was sure he could help the other adjust to life in the Carnival quickly. Really, he saw this as the best chance Henry might have ever gotten. Though he had the sneakig suspicion that even he wasn’t aware of the extent of Butch Bowers’ torment, he knew enough to know that deep down, Henry Bowers was just looking to belong somewhere. To be wanted somewhere. And for all it was worth, Reginald couldn’t stop himself from thinking that maybe this was it.
As he approached, it dawned on Reg that Henry looked rough, for lack of a better word. Emotions swirled inside him as he considered what he might say, and how he might go about convincing the other to accept the help he was offering. More than anything, he just wanted to take care of him. “So…” Reg sighed, closing the distance between himself and Henry. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he glanced at the woman running the ticket booth, nodding first towards Henry, then the Carnival behind them, indicating that the man was with him. Her small smile told him she understood and he turned on his heel, motioning for Henry to follow. It was early, the sun having just barely cracked the clouds, so no Carnival-goers had arrived yet. The only people around were Reg’s ‘co-workers’- carnies, maintenance staff, and performers, all milling about, setting things up for the day and seeking out breakfast. “We can go to my place.” Reg said, heading for the row of staff trailers and tents taking up space at the very back of the Carnival. “It ain’t much, but it’s a roof. You can get showered, I’ll get a meal in ya, and we can talk.”
**
There were a few things that Henry noticed as he listened to Reg talk. One of those things being the lack of people around, which he was grateful for. If someone bumped into him, he might stab them too at this point. His nerves were raw and he was paranoid on top of the usual angry. He also noticed that Reg was smiling at him, the lady smiled back at them, and there was no punching going on. Part of Henry had almost hoped that he’d push Reg to the point where they’d end up in a brawl, for a lot of reasons that had nothing to do with his old friend.
“The fuck is she smilin’ at?” Henry bristled and spat on the ground in her general direction. It was nowhere near close enough to hit her, even if she hadn’t been inside of a ticket booth. “Who does she think I am?” His heart was racing again. “And what about you? You text a big game.”
But he missed Reg. Deep down he understood, even if his own selfishness couldn’t let him admit that even to himself. He wanted to leave too, things would have been a lot better for a lot of people if Reg had taken Henry with him instead of leaving him alone on that farm. So despite all of his own big talk, he followed Reg into the carnival, feeling like everyone was looking at him. “You wanna get me in your shower, huh? You sayin’ I stink or you tryna get a look in?”
Reading through the text, Henry struggled to come to terms with the words that were written in front of his face while also knowing everything that he knew about himself, his own life, and what he had been through and learned from it all. His mind was a fucked up, twisted place and the wheels turned very slowly around this because at this point Henry was barely holding himself together. He couldn’t even hitchhike to get here because he scared everyone he got close to. His slipping sanity was further gone than Reg had ever seen before.
When he read those final words he stood taller, looking side to side with a paranoid, buggy look in his eyes as he shoved his phone in his dirty jeans. They’d been bought for him years ago so they had all the wear of a growing man that worked on the farm and they would have fit better before his last growth spurt. Still, he was smaller than Reg would have remembered him to be. Thinner. There was still some blood in his hair too and signs that he hadn’t learned how to shower properly since they’d parted ways either.
His eyebrows furrowed and eyes narrowed in that all to familiar glare that he wore more often than not. Then the look was gone. A thousand things to say crossed his mind but all that came out was, “So?”
Reg: I didn't abandon you, though. And I would think you of all people woulda realized why I had to get the fuck outta dodge. I called, though. I didn't abandon you. I wouldn't. You say this shit like it's a bad thing. But like I said, this shit ain't bad. The people are chill, you get a paycheck, food, and a roof. And, the travellin' ain't bad either. More than we woulda got to do sittin on our asses in Derry.
Reg: You wanna find out?
Henry: Yeah, but you were still gone though. Everyone else left too. 'Cept for Pat, they locked him up Juniper Hill so same end game, really. What in this fucked up world isn't bad, Reg? Things don't just get better. I don't trust it. I ain't ever gonna have anythin' as good as you're chalkin' this place up to be. You know it.
Reg: I ain't goin nowhere, Henry. This place ain't a bad hideout. No one asks questions. No one cares. I can get you a job here, find somethin for you. Then, when we move, you move with us. Simple.
Reg: Don't 'yeah' me.
Henry: You say that, but everyone leaves. You already did once. I guess this place is it for me. I ain't got nowhere else to go and two toes in town and I'll end up behind bars-- it was /hell/ gettin' here, I'm all over the news. Cop killer.
Reg: Any other time you know I wouldn't say this, but trust me. You'll be fine. You're here now. With me. But you can't talk like that. You gotta keep it together, man. At least til we get back to my place.
Reg: It's gonna be okay.
Henry: How soon 'til you leave again, though? I'm fine. It's fine. I'm together.
Reg: Fuck, man, I...Shit I'm real glad you came. I was worried you'd just run.
Reg: It'll be easier if you tell me where you are, I'll come get ya.
Henry: I thought about it, but the cops are /really/ after me. I barely made it here. I ain't gonna last out there on my own. I won't go to prison. I won't let them lock me up.
Henry: At the entrance. You need a ticket to get in and I ain't got any cash.
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